ASCENT OF 

                          MOUNT CARMEL

                               by

                     Saint John of the Cross
                      DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH

                      THIRD REVISED EDITION


                     Translated and edited, 
                 with a General Introduction, by 
                        E. ALLISON PEERS

                  from the critical edition of
                P. SILVERIO DE SANTA TERESA, C.D.



           NIHIL OBSTAT: CEORGIVS SMITH, S.T.D., PH.D. 

                        CENSOR DEPVTATVS

                 IMPRIMATVR: E. MORROGH BERNARD

                       VICARIVS GENERALIS

           WESTMONASTERII: DIE XXIV SEPTEMBRIS MCMLII





                             TO THE

                DISCALCED CARMELITES OF CASTILE,

     WITH ABIDING MEMORIES OF THEIR HOSPITALITY AND KINDNESS

                  IN MADRID, AVILA AND BURGOS,

               BUT ABOVE ALL OF THEIR DEVOTION TO 

                    SAINT JOHN OF THE CROSS, 

                   I DEDICATE THIS TRANSLATION


CONTENTS

     PREFACE TO THE ELECTONIC EDITION
     TRANSLATOR'S PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION 
     TRANSLATOR'S PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION
     PRINCIPAL ABBREVIATIONS
     AN OUTLINE OF THE LIFE OF ST. JOHN OF THE CROSS
     GENERAL INTRODUCTION TO THE WORKS OF ST. JOHN OF THE CROSS


                     ASCENT OF MOUNT CARMEL

                          INTRODUCTION 
                            ARGUMENT
                            PROLOGUE


                             BOOK I

      CHAPTER I.--Sets down the first stanza. Describes two 
different nights through which spiritual persons pass, according 
to the two parts of man, the lower and the higher. Expounds the 
stanza which follows 
     CHAPTER II.--Explains the nature of this dark night through 
which the soul says that it has passed on the road to union 
     CHAPTER III.--Speaks of the first cause of this night, which 
is that of the privation of the desire in all things, and gives 
the reason for which it is called night
     CHAPTER IV.--Wherein is declared how necessary it is for the 
soul truly to pass through this dark night of sense, which is 
mortification of desire, in order that it may journey to union 
with God 
     CHAPTER V.--Wherein the aforementioned subject is treated and 
continued, and it is shown by passages and figures from Holy 
Scripture how necessary it is for the soul to journey to God 
through this dark night of the mortification of desire in all 
things 
     CHAPTER VI.--Wherein are treated two serious evils caused in 
the soul by the desires, the one evil being privative and the 
other positive 
     CHAPTER VII.--Wherein is shown how the desires torment the 
soul. This is proved likewise by comparisons and quotations 
     CHAPTER VIII.--Wherein is shown how the desires darken and 
blind the soul 
     CHAPTER IX.--Wherein is described how the desires defile the 
soul. This is proved by comparisons and quotations from Holy 
Scripture 
     CHAPTER X.--Wherein is described how the desires weaken the 
soul in virtue and make it lukewarm 
     CHAPTER XI.--Wherein it is proved necessary that the soul that 
would attain to Divine union should be free from desires, however 
slight they be 
     CHAPTER XII.--Which treats of the answer to another question, 
explaining what the desires are that suffice to cause the evils 
aforementioned in the soul 
     CHAPTER XIII.--Wherein is described the manner and way which 
the soul must follow in order to enter this night of sense 
     CHAPTER XIV.--Wherein is expounded the second line of the 
stanza 
     CHAPTER XV.--Wherein are expounded the remaining lines of the 
aforementioned stanza 


                             BOOK II

     CHAPTER I 
     CHAPTER II.--Which begins to treat of the second part of cause 
of this night, which is faith. Proves by two arguments how it is 
darker than the first and then the third 
     CHAPTER III.--How faith is dark night to the soul. This is 
proved with arguments and quotations and figures from Scripture 
     CHAPTER IV.--Treats in general of how the soul likewise must 
be in darkness, in so far as this rests with itself, to the end 
that it may be effectively guided by faith to the highest 
contemplation 
     CHAPTER V.--Wherein is described what is meant by union of the 
soul with God. A comparison is given 
     CHAPTER VI.--Wherein is described how it is the three 
theological virtues that perfect the three faculties of the soul, 
and how the said virtues produce emptiness and darkness within 
them 
     CHAPTER VII.--Wherein is described how strait is the way that 
leads to eternal life and how completely detached and 
disencumbered must be those that will walk in it. We begin to 
speak of the detachment of the understanding 
     CHAPTER VIII.--Which describes in a general way how no 
creature and no knowledge that can be comprehended by the 
understanding can serve as a proximate means of Divine union with 
God 
     CHAPTER IX.--How faith is the proximate and proportionate 
means of the understanding whereby the soul may attain to the 
Divine union of love. This is proved by passages and figures from 
Divine Scripture 
     CHAPTER X.--Wherein distinction is made between all 
apprehensions and types of knowledge which can be comprehended by 
the understanding 
     CHAPTER XI.--Of the hindrance and harm that may be caused by 
apprehensions of the understanding which proceed from that which 
is supernaturally represented to the outward bodily senses; and 
how the soul is to conduct itself therein 
     CHAPTER XII.--Which treats of natural imaginary apprehensions. 
Describes their nature and proves that they cannot be a 
proportionate means of attainment to union with God. Shows the 
harm which results from inability to detach one self from them 
     CHAPTER XIII.--Wherein are set down the signs which the 
spiritual person will find in himself whereby he may know at what 
season it behoves him to leave meditation and reasoning and pass 
to the state of contemplation 
     CHAPTER XIV.--Wherein is proved the fitness of these signs, 
and the reason is given why that which has been said in speaking 
of them is necessary to progress 
     CHAPTER XV.--Wherein is explained how it is sometimes well for 
progressives who are beginning to enter upon this general 
knowledge of contemplation to make use of natural reasoning and 
the work of the natural faculties 
     CHAPTER XVI.--Which treats of the imaginary apprehensions that 
are supernaturally represented in the fancy. Describes how they 
cannot serve the soul as a proximate means to union with God 
     CHAPTER XVII.--Wherein is described the purpose and manner of 
God in His communication of spiritual blessings to the soul by 
means of the senses. Herein is answered the question which has 
been referred to 
     CHAPTER XVIII.--Which treats of the harm that certain 
spiritual masters may do to souls when they direct them not by a 
good method with respect to the visions aforementioned. Describes 
also how these visions may cause deception even though they be of 
God. 
     CHAPTER XIX.--Wherein is expounded and proved how, although 
visions and locutions which come from God are true, we may be 
deceived about them. This is proved by quotations from Divine 
Scripture 
     CHAPTER XX.--Wherein is proved by passages from Scripture how 
the sayings and words of God, though always true, do not always 
rest upon stable causes. 
     CHAPTER XXI.--Wherein is explained how at times, although God 
answers the prayers that are addressed to Him, He is not pleased 
that we should use such methods. It is also shown how, although He 
condescend to us and answer us, He is oftentimes wroth 
     CHAPTER XXII.--Wherein is solved a difficulty -- namely, why 
it is not lawful, under the law of grace, to ask anything of God 
by supernatural means, as it was under the old law. This solution 
is proved by a passage from Saint Paul 
     CHAPTER XXIII.--Which begins to treat of the apprehensions of 
the understanding that come in a purely spiritual way, and 
describes their nature 
     CHAPTER XXIV.--Which treats of two kinds of spiritual vision 
that come supernaturally
     CHAPTER XXV.--Which treats of revelations, describing their 
nature and making a distinction between them 
     CHAPTER XXVI.--Which treats of the intuition of naked truths 
in the understanding, explaining how they are of two kinds and how 
the soul is to conduct itself with respect to them 
     CHAPTER XXVII.--Which treats of the second kind of revelation, 
namely, the disclosure of hidden secrets. Describes the way in 
which these may assist the soul toward union with God, and the way 
in which they may be a hindrance; and how the devil may deceive 
the soul greatly in this matter 
     CHAPTER XXVIII.--Which treats of interior locutions that may 
come to the spirit supernaturally. Says of what kinds they are
     CHAPTER XXIX.--Which treats of the first kind of words that 
the recollected spirit sometimes forms within itself. Describes 
the cause of these and the profit and the harm which there may be 
in them 
     CHAPTER XXX.--Which treats of the interior words that come to 
the spirit formally by supernatural means. Warns the reader of the 
harm which they may do and of the caution that is necessary in 
order that the soul may not be deceived by them 
     CHAPTER XXXI.--Which treats of the substantial words that come 
interiorly to the spirit. Describes the difference between them 
and formal words, and the profit which they bring and the 
resignation and respect which the soul must observe with regard to 
them 
     CHAPTER XXXII.--Which treats of the apprehensions received by 
the understanding from interior feelings which come supernaturally 
to the soul. Describes their cause, and the manner wherein the 
soul must conduct itself so that they may not obstruct its road to 
union with God 


                            BOOK III

     CHAPTER I 
     CHAPTER II.--Which treats of the natural apprehensions of the 
memory and describes how the soul must be voided of them in order 
to be able to attain to union with God according to this faculty 
     CHAPTER III.--Wherein are described three kinds of evil which 
come to the soul when it enters not into darkness with respect to 
knowledge and reflections in the memory. Herein is described the 
first 
     CHAPTER IV.--Which treats of the second kind of evil that may 
come to the soul from the devil by way of the natural 
apprehensions of the memory 
     CHAPTER V.--Of the third evil which comes to the soul by way 
of the distinct natural knowledge of the memory 
     CHAPTER VI.-Of the benefits which come to the soul from 
forgetfulness and emptiness of all thoughts and knowledge which it 
may have in a natural way with respect to the memory 
     CHAPTER VII.--Which treats of the second kind of apprehension 
of the memory -- namely, imaginary apprehensions -- and of 
supernatural knowledge 
     CHAPTER VIII.--Of the evils which may be caused in the soul by 
the knowledge of supernatural things, if it reflect upon them. 
Says how many these evils are 
     CHAPTER IX.--Of the second kind of evil, which is the peril of 
falling into self-esteem and vain presumption 
     CHAPTER X.--Of the third evil that may come to the soul from 
the devil, through the imaginary apprehensions of the memory 
     CHAPTER XI.--Of the fourth evil that comes to the soul from 
the distinct supernatural apprehensions of the memory, which is 
the hindrance that it interposes to union 
     CHAPTER XII.--Of the fifth evil that may come to the soul in 
supernatural imaginary forms and apprehensions, which is a low and 
unseemingly judgment of God 
     CHAPTER XIII.--Of the benefits which the soul receives through 
banishing from itself the apprehensions of the imagination. This 
chapter answers a certain objection and describes a difference 
which exists between apprehensions that are imaginary, natural and 
supernatural 
     CHAPTER XIV.--Which treats of spiritual knowledge in so far as 
it may concern the memory 
     CHAPTER XV.--Which sets down the general method whereby the 
spiritual person must govern himself with respect to this sense 
     CHAPTER XVI.--Which begins to treat of the dark night of the 
will. Makes a division between the affections of the will 
     CHAPTER XVII.--Which begins to treat of the first affection of 
the will. Describes the nature of joy and makes a distinction 
between the things in which the will can rejoice 
     CHAPTER XVIII.--Which treats of joy with respect to temporal 
blessings. Describes how joy in them must be directed to God 
     CHAPTER XIX.--Of the evils that may befall the soul when it 
sets its rejoicing upon temporal blessings 
     CHAPTER XX.--Of the benefits that come to the soul from its 
withdrawal of joy from temporal things 
     CHAPTER XXI.--Which describes how it is vanity to set the 
rejoicing of the will upon the good things of nature, and how the 
soul must direct itself, by means of them, to God 
     CHAPTER XXII.--Of the evils which come to the soul when it 
sets the rejoicing of its will upon the good things of nature 
     CHAPTER XXIII.--Of the benefits which the soul receives from 
not setting its rejoicing upon the good things of nature 
     CHAPTER XXIV.--Which treats of the third kind of good thing 
whereon the will may set the affection of rejoicing, which kind 
pertains to sense. Indicates what these good things are and of how 
many kinds, and how the will has to be directed to God and purged 
of this rejoicing 
     CHAPTER XXV.--Which treats of the evils that afflict the soul 
when it desires to set the rejoicing of its will upon the good 
things of sense 
     CHAPTER XXVI.--Of the benefits that come to the soul from 
self-denial in rejoicing as to things of sense, which benefits are 
spiritual and temporal 
     CHAPTER XXVII.--Which begins to treat of the fourth kind of 
good -- namely, the moral. Describes wherein this consists, and in 
what manner joy of the will therein is lawful 
     CHAPTER XXVIII.--Of seven evils into which a man may fall if 
he set the rejoicing of his will upon moral good 
     CHAPTER XXIX.--Of the benefits which come to the soul through 
the withdrawal of its rejoicing from moral good 
     CHAPTER XXX.--Which begins to treat of the fifth kind of good 
thing wherein the will may rejoice, which is the super natural. 
Describes the nature of these supernatural good things, and how 
they are distinguished from the spiritual, and how joy in them is 
to be directed to God 
     CHAPTER XXXI.--Of the evils which come to the soul when it 
sets the rejoicing of the will upon this kind of good 
     CHAPTER XXXII.--Of two benefits which are derived from the 
renunciation of rejoicing in the matter of the supernatural graces
     CHAPTER XXXIII.--Which begins to treat of the sixth kind of 
good wherein the soul may rejoice, Describes its nature and makes 
the first division under this head
     CHAPTER XXXIV.--Of those good things of the spirit which can 
be distinctly apprehended by the understanding and the memory. 
Describes how the will is to behave in the matter of rejoicing in 
them 
     CHAPTER XXXV.--Of the delectable spiritual good things which 
can be distinctly apprehended by the will. Describes the kinds of 
these 
     CHAPTER XXXVI.--Which continues to treat of images, and 
describes the ignorance which certain persons have with respect to 
them 
     CHAPTER XXXVII.--Of how the rejoicing of the will must be 
directed, by way of the images, to God, so that the soul may not 
go astray because of them or be hindered by them 
     CHAPTER XXXVIII.--Continues to describe motive good. Speaks of 
oratories and places dedicated to prayer 
     CHAPTER XXXIX.--Of the way in which oratories and churches 
should be used, in order to direct the spirit to God. 
     CHAPTER XL.--Which continues to direct the spirit to interior 
recollection with reference to what has been said 
     CHAPTER XLI.--Of certain evils into which those persons fall 
who give themselves to pleasure in sensible objects and who 
frequent places of devotion in the way that has been described 
     CHAPTER XLII.--Of three different kinds of places of devotion 
and of how the will should conduct itself with regard to them 
     CHAPTER XLIII.--Which treats of other motives for prayer that 
many persons use -- namely, a great variety of ceremonies 
     CHAPTER XLIV.--Of the manner wherein the rejoicing and 
strength of the will must be directed to God through these 
devotions 
     CHAPTER XLV.--Which treats of the second kind of distinct 
good, wherein the will may rejoice vainly 

                PREFACE TO THE ELECTONIC EDITION


     This electronic edition (v 0.9) has been scanned from an 
uncopyrighted 1962 Image Books third edition of the Ascent and is 
therefore in the public domain. The entire text and some of the 
footnotes have been reproduced.  Nearly 1000 footnotes (and parts 
of footnotes) describing variations among manuscripts have been 
omitted.  Page number references in the footnotes have been 
changed to chapter and section where possible. This edition has 
been proofread once, but additional errors may remain.

                                       Harry Plantinga
                                       University of Pittsburgh
                                       whp@wheaton.edu
                                       July 1, 1994.


                      TRANSLATOR'S PREFACE 
                      TO THE FIRST EDITION

     FOR at least twenty years, a new translation of the works of 
St. John of the Cross has been an urgent necessity. The 
translations of the individual prose works now in general use go 
back in their original form to the eighteen-sixties, and, though 
the later editions of some of them have been submitted to a 
certain degree of revision, nothing but a complete retranslation 
of the works from their original Spanish could be satisfactory. 
For this there are two reasons.
     First, the existing translations were never very exact 
renderings of the original Spanish text even in the form which 
held the field when they were first published. Their great merit 
was extreme readableness: many a disciple of the Spanish mystics, 
who is unacquainted with the language in which they wrote, owes to 
these translations the comparative ease with which he has mastered 
the main lines of St. John of the Cross's teaching. Thus for the 
general reader they were of great utility; for the student, on the 
other hand, they have never been entirely adequate. They 
paraphrase difficult expressions, omit or add to parts of 
individual sentences in order (as it seems) to facilitate 
comprehension of the general drift of the passages in which these 
occur, and frequently retranslate from the Vulgate the Saint's 
Spanish quotations from Holy Scripture instead of turning into 
English the quotations themselves, using the text actually before 
them.
     A second and more important reason for a new translation, 
however, is the discovery of fresh manuscripts and the consequent 
improvements which have been made in the Spanish text of the works 
of St. John of the Cross, during the present century. Seventy 
years ago, the text chiefly used was that of the collection known 
as the Biblioteca de Autores Espanoles (1853), which itself was 
based, as we shall later see, upon an edition going back as far as 
1703, published before modern methods of editing were so much as 
imagined. Both the text of the B.A.E. edition and the unimportant 
commentary which accompanied it were highly unsatisfactory, yet 
until the beginning of the present century nothing appreciably 
better was attempted.
     In the last twenty years, however, we have had two new 
editions, each based upon a close study of the extant manuscripts 
and each representing a great advance upon the editions preceding 
it. The three-volume Toledo edition of P. Gerardo de San Juan de 
la Cruz, C.D. (1912-14), was the first attempt made to produce an 
accurate text by modern critical methods. Its execution was 
perhaps less laudable than its conception, and faults were pointed 
out in it from the time of its appearance, but it served as a new 
starting-point for Spanish scholars and stimulated them to a new 
interest in St. John of the Cross's writings. Then, seventeen 
years later, came the magnificent five-volume edition of P. 
Silverio de Santa Teresa, C.D. (Burgos, 1929-31), which forms the 
basis of this present translation. So superior is it, even on the 
most casual examination, to all its predecessors that to eulogize 
it in detail is superfluous. It is founded upon a larger number of 
texts than has previously been known and it collates them with 
greater skill than that of any earlier editor. It can hardly fail 
to be the standard edition of the works of St. John of the Cross 
for generations.
     Thanks to the labours of these Carmelite scholars and of 
others whose findings they have incorporated in their editions, 
Spanish students can now approach the work of the great Doctor 
with the reasonable belief that they are reading, as nearly as may 
be, what he actually wrote. English-reading students, however, who 
are unable to master sixteenth-century Spanish, have hitherto had 
no grounds for such a belief. They cannot tell whether, in any 
particular passage, they are face to face with the Saint's own 
words, with a translator's free paraphrase of them or with a gloss 
made by some later copyist or early editor in the supposed 
interests of orthodoxy. Indeed, they cannot be sure that some 
whole paragraph is not one of the numerous interpolations which 
has its rise in an early printed edition -- i.e., the timorous 
qualifications of statements which have seemed to the interpolator 
over-bold. Even some of the most distinguished writers in English 
on St. John of the Cross have been misled in this way and it has 
been impossible for any but those who read Spanish with ease to 
make a systematic and reliable study of such an important question 
as the alleged dependence of Spanish quietists upon the Saint, 
while his teaching on the mystical life has quite unwittingly been 
distorted by persons who would least wish to misrepresent it in 
any particular.
     It was when writing the chapter on St. John of the Cross in 
the first volume of my Studies of the Spanish Mystics (in which, 
as it was published in 1927, I had not the advantage of using P. 
Silverio's edition) that I first realized the extent of the harm 
caused by the lack of an accurate and modern translation. Making 
my own versions of all the passages quoted, I had sometimes 
occasion to compare them with those of other translators, which at 
their worst were almost unrecognizable as versions of the same 
originals. Then and there I resolved that, when time allowed, I 
would make a fresh translation of the works of a saint to whom I 
have long had great devotion -- to whom, indeed, I owe more than 
to any other writer outside the Scriptures. Just at that time I 
happened to visit the Discalced Carmelites at Burgos, where I 
first met P. Silverio, and found, to my gratification, that his 
edition of St. John of the Cross was much nearer publication than 
I had imagined. Arrangements for sole permission to translate the 
new edition were quickly made and work on the early volumes was 
begun even before the last volume was published.

                               II

     These preliminary notes will explain why my chief 
preoccupation throughout the performance of this task has been to 
present as accurate and reliable a version of St. John of the 
Cross's works as it is possible to obtain. To keep the 
translation, line by line, au pied de la lettre, is, of course, 
impracticable: and such constantly occurring Spanish habits as the 
use of abstract nouns in the plural and the verbal construction 
'ir + present participle' introduce shades of meaning which cannot 
always be reproduced. Yet wherever, for stylistic or other 
reasons, I have departed from the Spanish in any way that could 
conceivably cause a misunderstanding, I have scrupulously 
indicated this in a footnote. Further, I have translated, not only 
the text, but the variant readings as given by P. Silverio,[1] 
except where they are due merely to slips of the copyist's pen or 
where they differ so slightly from the readings of the text that 
it is impossible to render the differences in English. I beg 
students not to think that some of the smaller changes noted are 
of no importance; closer examination will often show that, however 
slight they may seem, they are, in relation to their context, or 
to some particular aspect of the Saint's teaching, of real 
interest; in other places they help to give the reader an idea, 
which may be useful to him in some crucial passage, of the general 
characteristics of the manuscript or edition in question. The 
editor's notes on the manuscripts and early editions which he has 
collated will also be found, for the same reason, to be summarized 
in the introduction to each work; in consulting the variants, the 
English-reading student has the maximum aid to a judgment of the 
reliability of his authorities.
     Concentration upon the aim of obtaining the most precise 
possible rendering of the text has led me to sacrifice stylistic 
elegance to exactness where the two have been in conflict; it has 
sometimes been difficult to bring oneself to reproduce the Saint's 
often ungainly, though often forceful, repetitions of words or his 
long, cumbrous parentheses, but the temptation to take refuge in 
graceful paraphrases has been steadily resisted. In the same 
interest, and also in that of space, I have made certain omissions 
from, and abbreviations of, other parts of the edition than the 
text. Two of P. Silverio's five volumes are entirely filled with 
commentaries and documents. I have selected from the documents 
those of outstanding interest to readers with no detailed 
knowledge of Spanish religious history and have been content to 
summarize the editor's introductions to the individual works, as 
well as his longer footnotes to the text, and to omit such parts 
as would interest only specialists, who are able, or at least 
should be obliged, to study them in the original Spanish.
     The decision to summarize in these places has been made the 
less reluctantly because of the frequent unsuitability of P. 
Silverio's style to English readers. Like that of many Spaniards, 
it is so discursive, and at times so baroque in its wealth of 
epithet and its profusion of imagery, that a literal translation, 
for many pages together, would seldom have been acceptable. The 
same criticism would have been applicable to any literal 
translation of P. Silverio's biography of St. John of the Cross 
which stands at the head of his edition (Vol. I, pp. 7-130). There 
was a further reason for omitting these biographical chapters. The 
long and fully documented biography by the French Carmelite, P. 
Bruno de Jesus-Marie, C.D., written from the same standpoint as P. 
Silverio's, has recently been translated into English, and any 
attempt to rival this in so short a space would be foredoomed to 
failure. I have thought, however, that a brief outline of the 
principal events in St. John of the Cross's life would be a useful 
preliminary to this edition; this has therefore been substituted 
for the biographical sketch referred to.
     In language, I have tried to reproduce the atmosphere of a 
sixteenth-century text as far as is consistent with clarity. 
Though following the paragraph divisions of my original, I have 
not scrupled, where this has seemed to facilitate understanding, 
to divide into shorter sentences the long and sometimes straggling 
periods in which the Saint so frequently indulged. Some attempt 
has been made to show the contrast between the highly adorned, 
poetical language of much of the commentary on the 'Spiritual 
Canticle' and the more closely shorn and eminently practical, 
though always somewhat discursive style of the Ascent and Dark 
Night. That the Living Flame occupies an intermediate position in 
this respect should also be clear from the style of the 
translation.
     Quotations, whether from the Scriptures or from other 
sources, have been left strictly as St. John of the Cross made 
them. Where he quotes in Latin, the Latin has been reproduced; 
only his quotations in Spanish have been turned into English. The 
footnote references are to the Vulgate, of which the Douai Version 
is a direct translation; if the Authorized Version differs, as in 
the Psalms, the variation has been shown in square brackets for 
the convenience of those who use it.
     A word may not be out of place regarding the translations of 
the poems as they appear in the prose commentaries. Obviously, it 
would have been impossible to use the comparatively free verse 
renderings which appear in Volume II of this translation, since 
the commentaries discuss each line and often each word of the 
poems. A literal version of the poems in their original verse-
lines, however, struck me as being inartistic, if not repellent, 
and as inviting continual comparison with the more polished verse 
renderings which, in spirit, come far nearer to the poet's aim. My 
first intention was to translate the poems, for the purpose of the 
commentaries, into prose. But later I hit upon the long and 
metrically unfettered verse-line, suggestive of Biblical poetry in 
its English dress, which I have employed throughout. I believe 
that, although the renderings often suffer artistically from their 
necessary literalness, they are from the artistic standpoint at 
least tolerable.

                               III

     The debts I have to acknowledge, though few, are very large 
ones. My gratitude to P. Silverio de Santa Teresa for telling me 
so much about his edition before its publication, granting my 
publishers the sole translation rights and discussing with me a 
number of crucial passages cannot be disjoined from the many 
kindnesses I have received during my work on the Spanish mystics, 
which is still proceeding, from himself and from his fellow-
Carmelites in the province of Castile. In dedicating this 
translation to them, I think particularly of P. Silverio in 
Burgos, of P. Florencio del Nino Jesus in Madrid, and of P. 
Crisogono de Jesus Sacramentado, together with the Fathers of the 
'Convento de la Santa' in Avila.
     The long and weary process of revising the manuscript and 
proofs of this translation has been greatly lightened by the co-
operation and companionship of P. Edmund Gurdon, Prior of the 
Cartuja de Miraflores, near Burgos, with whom I have freely 
discussed all kinds of difficulties, both of substance and style, 
and who has been good enough to read part of my proofs. From the 
quiet library of his monastery, as well as from his gracious 
companionship, I have drawn not only knowledge, but strength, 
patience and perseverance. And when at length, after each of my 
visits, we have had to part, we have continued our labours by 
correspondence, shaking hands, as it were, 'over a vast' and 
embracing 'from the ends of opposed winds.'
     Finally, I owe a real debt to my publishers for allowing me 
to do this work without imposing any such limitations of time as 
often accompany literary undertakings. This and other 
considerations which I have received from them have made that part 
of the work which has been done outside the study unusually 
pleasant and I am correspondingly grateful.
           
                        E. ALLISON PEERS.

                    University of Liverpool.
                Feast of St. John of the Cross,
                       November 24, 1933.

     NOTE. -- Wherever a commentary by St. John of the Cross is 
referred to, its title is given in italics (e.g. Spiritual 
Canticle); where the corresponding poem is meant, it is placed 
between quotation marks (e.g. 'Spiritual Canticle'). The 
abbreviation 'e.p.' stands for editio princeps throughout.


                      TRANSLATOR'S PREFACE
                      TO THE SECOND EDITION

     DURING the sixteen years which have elapsed since the 
publication of the first edition, several reprints have been 
issued, and the demand is now such as to justify a complete 
resetting. I have taken advantage of this opportunity to revise 
the text throughout, and hope that in some of the more difficult 
passages I may have come nearer than before to the Saint's mind. 
Recent researches have necessitated a considerable amplification 
of introductions and footnotes and greatly increased the length of 
the bibliography.
     The only modification which has been made consistently 
throughout the three volumes relates to St. John of the Cross's 
quotations from Scripture. In translating these I still follow him 
exactly, even where he himself is inexact, but I have used the 
Douia Version (instead of the Authorized, as in the first edition) 
as a basis for all Scriptural quotations, as well as in the 
footnote references and the Scriptural index in Vol. III.
     Far more is now known of the life and times of St. John of 
the Cross than when this translation of the Complete Works was 
first published, thanks principally to the Historia del Carmen 
Descalzo of P. Silverio de Santa Teresa, C.D, now General of his 
Order, and to the admirably documented Life of the Saint written 
by P. Crisogono de Jesus Sacramentado, C.D., and published (in 
Vida y Obras de San Juan de la Cruz) in the year after his 
untimely death. This increased knowledge is reflected in many 
additional notes, and also in the 'Outline of the Life of St. John 
of the Cross' (Vol. I, pp. xxv-xxviii), which, for this edition, 
has been entirely recast. References are given to my Handbook to 
the Life and Times of St. Teresa and St. John of the Cross, which 
provides much background too full to be reproduced in footnotes 
and too complicated to be compressed. The Handbook also contains 
numerous references to contemporary events, omitted from the 
'Outline' as being too remote from the main theme to justify 
inclusion in a summary necessarily so condensed.
     My thanks for help in revision are due to kindly 
correspondents, too numerous to name, from many parts of the 
world, who have made suggestions for the improvement of the first 
edition; to the Rev. Professor David Knowles, of Cambridge 
University, for whose continuous practical interest in this 
translation I cannot be too grateful; to Miss I.L. McClelland, of 
Glasgow University, who has read a large part of this edition in 
proof; to Dom Philippe Chevallier, for material which I have been 
able to incorporate in it; to P. Jose Antonio de Sobrino, S.J., 
for allowing me to quote freely from his recently published 
Estudios; and, most of all, to M.R.P. Silverio de Santa Teresa, 
C.D., and the Fathers of the International Carmelite College at 
Rome, whose learning and experience, are, I hope, faintly 
reflected in this new edition.

                             E.A.P.

                         June 30, 1941.


                     PRINCIPAL ABBREVIATIONS

     A.V.--Authorized Version of the Bible (1611). 

     D.V.--Douai Version of the Bible (1609).

     C.W.S.T.J.--The Complete Works of Saint Teresa of Jesus, 
translated and edited by E. Allison Peers from the critical 
edition of P. Silverio de Santa Teresa, C.D. London, Sheed and 
Ward, 1946. 3 vols.

     H.-E. Allison Peers: Handbook to the Life and Times of St. 
Teresa and St. John of the Cross. London, Burns Oates and 
Washbourne, 1953.

     LL.--The Letters of Saint Teresa of Jesus, translated and 
edited by E. Allison Peers from the critical edition of P. 
Silverio de Santa Teresa, C.D. London, Burns Oates and Washburne, 
1951. 2 vols.

     N.L.M.--National Library of Spain (Biblioteca Nacional), 
Madrid.

     Obras (P. Silv.)--Obras de San Juan de la Cruz, Doctor de la 
Iglesia, editadas y anotadas pot el P. Silverio de Santa Teresa, 
C.D. Burgos, 1929-31. 5 vols.

     S.S.M.--E. Allison Peers: Studies of the Spanish Mystics. 
Vol. I, London, Sheldon Press, 1927; 2nd ed., London, S.P.C.K., 
1951. Vol. II, London, Sheldon Press, 1930.

     Sobrino.-Jose Antonio de Sobrino, S.J.: Estudios sobre San 
Juan de la Cruz y nuevos textos de su obra. Madrid, 1950.



               AN OUTLINE OF THE LIFE OF ST. JOHN
                          OF THE CROSS[2]

     1542. Birth of Juan de Yepes at Fontiveros (Hontiveros), near 
Avila.
     The day generally ascribed to this event is June 24 (St. 
John Baptist's Day). No documentary evidence for it, however, 
exists, the parish registers having been destroyed by a fire in 
1544. The chief evidence is an inscription, dated 1689, on the 
font of the parish church at Fontiveros.
     ? c. 1543. Death of Juan's father. 'After some years' the 
mother removes, with her family, to Arevalo, and later to Medina 
del Campo.
     ? c. 1552-6. Juan goes to school at the Colegio de los Ninos 
de la Doctrina, Medina.
     c. 1556-7. Don Antonio Alvarez de Toledo takes him into a 
Hospital to which he has retired, with the idea of his (Juan's) 
training for Holy Orders under his patronage.
     ? c. 1559-63. Juan attends the College of the Society of 
Jesus at Medina.
     c. 1562. Leaves the Hospital and the patronage of Alvarez de 
Toledo.
     1563. Takes the Carmelite habit at St. Anne's, Medina del 
Campo, as Juan de San Matias (Santo Matia).
     The day is frequently assumed (without any foundation) 
to have been the feast of St. Matthias (February 24), but P. 
Silverio postulates a day in August or September and P. Crisogono 
thinks February definitely improbable.
     1564. Makes his profession in the same priory -- probably in 
August or September and certainly not earlier than May 21 and not 
later than October.
     1564 (November). Enters the University of Salamanca as an 
artista. Takes a three-year course in Arts (1564-7).
     1565 (January 6). Matriculates at the University of 
Salamanca.
     1567. Receives priest's orders (probably in the summer).
     1567 (? September). Meets St. Teresa at Medina del Campo. 
Juan is thinking of transferring to the Carthusian Order. St. 
Teresa asks him to join her Discalced Reform and the projected 
first foundation for friars. He agrees to do so, provided the 
foundation is soon made.
     1567 (November). Returns to the University of Salamanca, 
where he takes a year's course in theology.
     1568. Spends part of the Long Vacation at Medina del Campo. 
On August 10, accompanies St. Teresa to Valladolid. In September, 
returns to Medina and later goes to Avila and Duruelo.
     1568 (November 28). Takes the vows of the Reform Duruelo as 
St. John of the Cross, together with Antonio de Heredia (Antonio 
de Jesus), Prior of the Calced Carmelites at Medina, and Jose de 
Cristo, another Carmelite from Medina.
     1570 (June 11). Moves, with the Duruelo community, to Mancera 
de Abajo.
     1570 (October, or possibly February 1571). Stays for about a 
month at Pastrana, returning thence to Mancera.
     1571 (? January 25). Visits Alba de Tormes for the 
inauguration of a new convent there.
     1571 (? April). Goes to Alcala de Henares as Rector of the 
College of the Reform and directs the Carmelite nuns.
     1572 (shortly after April 23). Recalled to Pastrana to 
correct the rigours of the new novice-master, Angel de San 
Gabriel.
     1572 (between May and September). Goes to Avila as confessor 
to the Convent of the Incarnation. Remains there till 1577.
     1574 (March). Accompanies St. Teresa from Avila to Segovia, 
arriving on March 18. Returns to Avila about the end of the month.
     1575-6 (Winter of: before February 1576). Kidnapped by the 
Calced and imprisoned at Medina del Campo. Freed by the 
intervention of the Papal Nuncio, Ormaneto.
     1577 (December 2 or 3). Kidnapped by the Calced and carried 
off to the Calced Carmelite priory at Toledo as a prisoner.
     1577-8. Composes in prison 17 (or perhaps 30) stanzas of the 
'Spiritual Canticle' (i.e., as far as the stanza: 'Daughters of 
Jewry'); the poem with the refrain 'Although 'tis night'; and the 
stanzas beginning 'In principio erat verbum.' He may also have 
composed the paraphrase of the psalm Super flumina and the poem 
'Dark Night.' (Note: All these poems, in verse form, will be found 
in Vol. II of this edition.)
     1578 (August 16 or shortly afterwards). Escapes to the 
convent of the Carmelite nuns in Toledo, and is thence taken to 
his house by D. Pedro Gonzalez de Mendoza, Canon of Toledo.
     1578 (October 9). Attends a meeting of the Discalced 
superiors at Almodovar. Is sent to El Calvario as Vicar, in the 
absence in Rome of the Prior.
     1578 (end of October). Stays for 'a few days' at Beas de 
Segura, near El Calvario. Confesses the nuns at the Carmelite 
Convent of Beas.
     1578 (November). Arrives at El Calvario.
     1578-9 (November-June). Remains at El Calvario as Vicar. For 
a part of this time (probably from the beginning of 1579), goes 
weekly to the convent of Beas to hear confessions. During this 
period, begins his commentaries entitled The Ascent of Mount 
Carmel (cf. pp. 9-314, below) and Spiritual Canticle (translated 
in Vol. II).
     1579 (June 14). Founds a college of the Reform at Baeza. 
1579-82. Resides at Baeza as Rector of the Carmelite college. 
Visits the Beas convent occasionally. Writes more of the prose 
works begun at El Calvario and the rest of the stanzas of the 
'Spiritual Canticle' except the last five, possibly with the 
commentaries to the stanzas.
     1580. Death of his mother.
     1581 (March 3). Attends the Alcala Chapter of the Reform. 
Appointed Third Definitor and Prior of the Granada house of Los 
Martires. Takes up the latter office only on or about the time of 
his election by the community in March 1582.
     1581 (November 28). Last meeting with St. Teresa, at Avila. 
On the next day, sets out with two nuns for Beas (December 8-
January 15) and Granada.
     1582 (January 20). Arrives at Los Martires.
     1582-8. Mainly at Granada. Re-elected (or confirmed) as Prior 
of Los Martires by the Chapter of Almodovar, 1583. Resides at Los 
Martires more or less continuously till 1584 and intermittently 
afterwards. Visits the Beas convent occasionally. Writes the last 
five stanzas of the 'Spiritual Canticle' during one of these 
visits. At Los Martires, finishes the Ascent of Mount Carmel and 
composes his remaining prose treatises. Writes Living Flame of 
Love about 1585, in fifteen days, at the request of Dona Ana de 
Penalosa.
     1585 (May). Lisbon Chapter appoints him Second Definitor and 
(till 1587) Vicar-Provincial of Andalusia. Makes the following 
foundations: Malaga, February 17, 1585; Cordoba, May 18, 1586; La 
Manchuela (de Jaen), October 12, 1586; Caravaca, December 18, 
1586; Bujalance, June 24, 1587.
     1587 (April). Chapter of Valladolid re-appoints him Prior of 
Los Martires. He ceases to be Definitor and Vicar-Provincial.
     1588 (June 19). Attends the first Chapter-General of the 
Reform in Madrid. Is elected First Definitor and a consiliario.
     1588 (August 10). Becomes Prior of Segovia, the central house 
of the Reform and the headquarters of the Consulta. Acts as deputy 
for the Vicar-General, P. Doria, during the latter's absences.
     1590 (June 10). Re-elected First Definitor and a consiliario 
at the Chapter-General Extraordinary, Madrid.
     1591 (June 1). The Madrid Chapter-General deprives him of his 
offices and resolves to send him to Mexico. (This latter decision 
was later revoked.) 
     1591 (August 10). Arrives at La Penuela.
     1591 (September 12). Attacked by fever. (September Leaves La 
Penuela for Ubeda. (December 14) Dies at Ubeda.
     January 25, 1675. Beatified by Clement X.
     December 26, 1726. Canonized by Benedict XIII.
     August 24, 1926. Declared Doctor of the Church Universal by 
Pius XI.


   GENERAL INTRODUCTION TO THE WORKS OF ST. JOHN OF THE CROSS


                                I

                DATES AND METHODS OF COMPOSITION.
                     GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS

     WITH regard to the times and places at which the works of St. 
John of the Cross were written, and also with regard to the number 
of these works, there have existed, from a very early date, 
considerable differences of opinion. Of internal evidence from the 
Saint's own writings there is practically none, and such external 
testimony as can be found in contemporary documents needs very 
careful examination.
     There was no period in the life of St. John of the Cross in 
which he devoted himself entirely to writing. He does not, in 
fact, appear to have felt any inclination to do so: his books were 
written in response to the insistent and repeated demands of his 
spiritual children. He was very much addicted, on the other hand, 
to the composition of apothegms or maxims for the use of his 
penitents and this custom he probably began as early as the days 
in which he was confessor to the Convent of the Incarnation at 
Avila, though his biographers have no record of any maxims but 
those written at Beas. One of his best beloved daughters however, 
Ana Maria de Jesus, of the Convent of the Incarnation, declared in 
her deposition, during the process of the Saint's canonization, 
that he was accustomed to 'comfort those with whom he had to do, 
both by his words and by his letters, of which this witness 
received a number, and also by certain papers concerning holy 
things which this witness would greatly value if she still had 
them.' Considering, the number of nuns to whom the Saint was 
director at Avila, it is to be presumed that M. Ana Maria was not 
the only person whom he favoured. We may safely conclude, indeed, 
that there were many others who shared the same privileges, and 
that, had we all these 'papers,' they would comprise a large 
volume, instead of the few pages reproduced elsewhere in this 
translation.
     There is a well-known story, preserved in the documents of 
the canonization process, of how, on a December night of 1577, St. 
John, of the Cross was kidnapped by the Calced Carmelites of Avila 
and carried off from the Incarnation to their priory.[3] Realizing 
that he had left behind him some important papers, he contrived, 
on the next morning, to escape, and returned to the Incarnation to 
destroy them while there was time to do so. He was missed almost 
immediately and he had hardly gained his cell when his pursuers 
were on his heels. In the few moments that remained to him he had 
time to tear up these papers and swallow some of the most 
compromising. As the original assault had not been unexpected, 
though the time of it was uncertain, they would not have been very 
numerous. It is generally supposed that they concerned the 
business of the infant Reform, of which the survival was at that 
time in grave doubt. But it seems at least equally likely that 
some of them might have been these spiritual maxims, or some more 
extensive instructions which might be misinterpreted by any who 
found them. It is remarkable, at any rate, that we have none of 
the Saint's writings belonging to this period whatever.
     All his biographers tell us that he wrote some of the stanzas 
of the 'Spiritual Canticle,' together with a few other poems, 
while he was imprisoned at Toledo. 'When he left the prison,' says 
M. Magdalena del Espiritu Santo, 'he took with him a little book 
in which he had written, while there, some verses based upon the 
Gospel In principio erat Verbum, together with some couplets which 
begin: "How well I know the fount that freely flows, Although 'tis 
night," and the stanzas or liras that begin "Whither has 
vanished?" as far as the stanzas beginning "Daughters of Jewry." 
The remainder of them the Saint composed later when he was Rector 
of the College at Baeza. Some of the expositions were written at 
Beas, as answers to questions put to him by the nuns; others at 
Granada. This little book, in which the Saint wrote while in 
prison, he left in the Convent of Beas and on various occasions I 
was commanded to copy it. Then someone took it from my cell -- 
who, I never knew. The freshness of the words in this book, 
together with their beauty and subtlety, caused me great wonder, 
and one day I asked the Saint if God gave him those words which 
were so comprehensive and so lovely. And he answered: "Daughter, 
sometimes God gave them to me and at other times I sought them."'[4]
     M. Isabel de Jesus Maria, who was a novice at Toledo when the 
Saint escaped from his imprisonment there, wrote thus from Cuerva 
on November 2, 1614. 'I remember, too, that, at the time we had 
him hidden in the church, he recited to us some lines which he had 
composed and kept in his mind, and that one of the nuns wrote them 
down as he repeated them. There were three poems -- all of them 
upon the Most Holy Trinity, and so sublime and devout that they 
seem to enkindle the reader. In this house at Cuerva we have some 
which begin:

     "Far away in the beginning,
     Dwelt the Word in God Most High."'[5]

     The frequent references to keeping his verses in his head and 
the popular exaggeration of the hardships (great though these 
were) which the Saint had to endure in Toledo have led some 
writers to affirm that he did not in fact write these poems in 
prison but committed them to memory and transferred them to paper 
at some later date. The evidence of M. Magdalena, however, would 
appear to be decisive. We know, too, that the second of St. John 
of the Cross's gaolers, Fray Juan de Santa Maria, was a kindly man 
who did all he could to lighten his captive's sufferings; and his 
superiors would probably not have forbidden him writing materials 
provided he wrote no letters.[6]
     It seems, then, that the Saint wrote in Toledo the first 
seventeen (or perhaps thirty) stanzas of the 'Spiritual Canticle,' 
the nine parts of the poem 'Far away in the beginning . . .,' the 
paraphrase of the psalm Super flumina Babylonis and the poem 'How 
well I know the fount . . .' This was really a considerable output 
of work, for, except perhaps when his gaoler allowed him to go 
into another room, he had no light but that of a small oil-lamp or 
occasionally the infiltration of daylight that penetrated a small 
interior window.
     Apart from the statement of M. Magdalena already quoted, 
little more is known of what the Saint wrote in El Calvario than 
of what he wrote in Toledo. From an amplification made by herself 
of the sentences to which we have referred it appears that almost 
the whole of what she had copied was taken from her; as the short 
extracts transcribed by her are very similar to passages from the 
Saint's writings we may perhaps conclude that much of the other 
material was also incorporated in them. In that case he may well 
have completed a fair proportion of the Ascent of Mount Carmel 
before leaving Beas.
     It was in El Calvario, too, and for the nuns of Beas, that 
the Saint drew the plan called the 'Mount of Perfection' (referred 
to by M. Magdalena[7] and in the Ascent of Mount Carmel and 
reproduced as the frontispiece to this volume) of which copies 
were afterwards multiplied and distributed among Discalced houses. 
Its author wished it to figure at the head of all his treatises, 
for it is a graphical representation of the entire mystic way, 
from the starting-point of the beginner to the very summit of 
perfection. His first sketch, which still survives, is a 
rudimentary and imperfect one; before long, however, as M. 
Magdalena tells us, he evolved another that was fuller and more 
comprehensive.
     Just as we owe to PP. Gracian and Salazar many precious 
relics of St. Teresa, so we owe others of St. John of the Cross to 
M. Magdalena. Among the most valuable of these is her own copy of 
the 'Mount,' which, after her death, went to the 'Desert'[8] of Our 
Lady of the Snows established by the Discalced province of Upper 
Andalusia in the diocese of Granada. It was found there by P. 
Andres de la Encarnacion, of whom we shall presently speak, and 
who immediately made a copy of it, legally certified as an exact 
one and now in the National Library of Spain (MS. 6,296).
     The superiority of the second plan over the first is very 
evident. The first consists simply of three parallel lines 
corresponding to three different paths -- one on either side of 
the Mount, marked 'Road of the spirit of imperfection' and one in 
the centre marked 'Path of Mount Carmel. Spirit of perfection.' In 
the spaces between the paths are written the celebrated maxims 
which appear in Book I, Chapter xiii, of the Ascent of Mount 
Carmel, in a somewhat different form, together with certain 
others. At the top of the drawing are the words 'Mount Carmel,' 
which are not found in the second plan, and below them is the 
legend: 'There is no road here, for there is no law for the 
righteous man,' together with other texts from Scripture.
     The second plan represents a number of graded heights, the 
loftiest of which is planted with trees. Three paths, as in the 
first sketch, lead from the base of the mount, but they are traced 
more artistically and have a more detailed ascetic and mystical 
application. Those on either side, which denote the roads of 
imperfection, are broad and somewhat tortuous and come to an end 
before the higher stages of the mount are reached. The centre 
road, that of perfection, is at first very narrow but gradually 
broadens and leads right up to the summit of the mountain, which 
only the perfect attain and where they enjoy the iuge convivium -- 
the heavenly feast. The different zones of religious perfection, 
from which spring various virtues, are portrayed with much greater 
detail than in the first plan. As we have reproduced the second 
plan in this volume, it need not be described more fully.
     We know that St. John of the Cross used the 'Mount' very, 
frequently for all kinds of religious instruction. 'By means of 
this drawing,' testified one of his disciples, 'he used to teach 
us that, in order to attain to perfection, we must not desire the 
good things of earth, nor those of Heaven; but that we must desire 
naught save to seek and strive after the glory and honour of God 
our Lord in all things . . . and this "Mount of Perfection" the 
said holy father himself expounded to this Witness when he was his 
superior in the said priory of Granada.'[9]
     It seems not improbable that the Saint continued writing 
chapters of the Ascent and the Spiritual Canticle while he was 
Rector at Baeza,[10] whether in the College itself, or in El 
Castellar, where he was accustomed often to go into retreat. It 
was certainly here that he wrote the remaining stanzas of the 
Canticle (as M. Magdalena explicitly tells us in words already 
quoted), except the last five, which he composed rather later, at 
Granada. One likes to think that these loveliest of his verses 
were penned by the banks of the Guadalimar, in the woods of the 
Granja de Santa Ann, where he was in the habit of passing long 
hours in communion with God. At all events the stanzas seem more 
in harmony with such an atmosphere than with that of the College.
     With regard to the last five stanzas, we have definite 
evidence from a Beas nun, M. Francisca de la Madre de Dios, who 
testifies in the Beatification process (April 2, 1618) as follows:

     And so, when the said holy friar John of the Cross was in 
this convent one Lent (for his great love for it brought him here 
from the said city of Granada, where he was prior, to confess the 
nuns and preach to them) he was preaching to them one day in the 
parlour, and this witness observed that on two separate occasions 
he was rapt and lifted up from the ground; and when he came to 
himself he dissembled and said: 'You saw how sleep overcame me!' 
And one day he asked this witness in what her prayer consisted, 
and she replied: 'In considering the beauty of God and in 
rejoicing that He has such beauty.' And the Saint was so pleased 
with this that for some days he said the most sublime things 
concerning the beauty of God, at which all marvelled. And thus, 
under the influence of this love, he composed five stanzas, 
beginning 'Beloved, let us sing, And in thy beauty see ourselves 
portray'd.' And in all this he showed that there was in his breast 
a great love of God.

     From a letter which this nun wrote from Beas in 1629 to P. 
Jeronimo de San Jose, we gather that the stanzas were actually 
written at Granada and brought to Beas, where

     . . . with every word that we spoke to him we seemed to be 
opening a door to the fruition of the great treasures and riches 
which God had stored up in his soul.

     If there is a discrepancy here, however, it is of small 
importance; there is no doubt as to the approximate date of the 
composition of these stanzas and of their close connection with 
Beas.
     The most fruitful literary years for St. John of the Cross 
were those which he spent at Granada. Here he completed the Ascent 
and wrote all his remaining treatises. Both M. Magdalena and the 
Saint's closest disciple, P. Juan Evangelista, bear witness to 
this. The latter writes from Granada to P. Jeronimo de San Jose, 
the historian of the Reform:

     With regard to having seen our venerable father write the 
books, I saw him write them all; for, as I have said, I was ever 
at his side. The Ascent of Mount Carmel and the Dark Night he 
wrote here at Granada, little by little, continuing them only with 
many breaks. The Living Flame of Love he also wrote in this house, 
when he was Vicar-Provincial, at the request of Dona Ana de 
Penalosa, and he wrote it in fifteen days when he was very busy 
here with an abundance of occupations. The first thing that he 
wrote was Whither hast vanished? and that too he wrote here; the 
stanzas he had written in the prison at Toledo.[11]

     In another letter (February 18, 1630), he wrote to the same 
correspondent:

     With regard to our holy father's having written his books in 
this home, I will say what is undoubtedly true -- namely, that he 
wrote here the commentary on the stanzas Whither hast vanished? 
and the Living Flame of Love, for he began and ended them in my 
time. The Ascent of Mount Carmel I found had been begun when I 
came here to take the habit, which was a year and a half after the 
foundation of this house; he may have brought it from yonder 
already begun. But the Dark Night he certainly wrote here, for I 
saw him writing a part of it, and this is certain, because I saw 
it.[12]

     These and other testimonies might with advantage be fuller 
and more concrete, but at least they place beyond doubt the facts 
that we have already set down. Summarizing our total findings, we 
may assert that part of the 'Spiritual Canticle,' with perhaps the 
'Dark Night,' and the other poems enumerated, were written in the 
Toledo prison; that at the request of some nuns he wrote at El 
Calvario (1578-79) a few chapters of the Ascent and commentaries 
on some of the stanzas of the 'Canticle'; that he composed further 
stanzas at Baeza (1579-81), perhaps with their respective 
commentaries; and that, finally, he completed the Canticle and the 
Ascent at Granada and wrote the whole of the Dark Night and of the 
Living Flame -- the latter in a fortnight. All these last works he 
wrote before the end of 1585, the first year in which he was 
Vicar-Provincial.
     Other writings, most of them brief, are attributed to St. 
John of the Cross; they will be discussed in the third volume of 
this edition, in which we shall publish the minor works which we 
accept as genuine. The authorship of his four major prose works -- 
the Ascent, Dark Night, Spiritual Canticle and Living Flame -- no 
one has ever attempted to question, even though the lack of extant 
autographs and the large number of copies have made it difficult 
to establish correct texts. To this question we shall return 
later.

     The characteristics of the writings of St. John of the Cross 
are so striking that it would be difficult to confuse them with 
those of any other writer. His literary personality stands out 
clearly from that of his Spanish contemporaries who wrote on 
similar subjects. Both his style and his methods of exposition 
bear the marks of a strong individuality.
     If some of these derive from his native genius and 
temperament, others are undoubtedly reflections of his education 
and experience. The Aristotelian-Thomistic philosophy, then at the 
height of its splendour, which he learned so thoroughly in the 
classrooms of Salamanca University, characterizes the whole of his 
writings, giving them a granite-like solidity even when their 
theme is such as to defy human speculation. Though the precise 
extent of his debt to this Salamancan training in philosophy has 
not yet been definitely assessed, the fact of its influence is 
evident to every reader. It gives massiveness, harmony and unity 
to both the ascetic and the mystical work of St. John of the Cross 
-- that is to say, to all his scientific writing.
     Deeply, however, as St. John of the Cross drew from the 
Schoolmen, he was also profoundly indebted to many other writers. 
He was distinctly eclectic in his reading and quotes freely 
(though less than some of his Spanish contemporaries) from the 
Fathers and from the mediaeval mystics, especially from St. 
Thomas, St. Bonaventura, Hugh of St. Victor and the pseudo-
Areopagite. All that he quotes, however, he makes his own, with 
the result that his chapters are never a mass of citations loosely 
strung together, as are those of many other Spanish mystics of his 
time.
     When we study his treatises -- principally that great 
composite work known as the Ascent of Mount Carmel and the Dark 
Night -- we have the impression of a master-mind that has scaled 
the heights of mystical science and from their summit looks down 
upon and dominates the plain below and the paths leading upward. 
We may well wonder what a vast contribution to the subject he 
would have made had he been able to expound all the eight stanzas 
of his poem since he covered so much ground in expounding no more 
than two. Observe with what assurance and what mastery of subject 
and method he defines his themes and divides his arguments, even 
when treating the most abstruse and controversial questions. The 
most obscure phenomena he appears to illumine, as it were, with 
one lightning flash of understanding, as though the explanation of 
them were perfectly natural and easy. His solutions of difficult 
problems are not timid, questioning and loaded with exceptions, 
but clear, definite and virile like the man who proposes them. No 
scientific field, perhaps, has so many zones which are apt to 
become vague and obscure as has that of mystical theology; and 
there are those among the Saint's predecessors who seem to have 
made their permanent abode in them. They give the impression of 
attempting to cloak vagueness in verbosity, in order to avoid 
being forced into giving solutions of problems which they find 
insoluble. Not so St. John of the Cross. A scientific dictator, if 
such a person were conceivable, could hardly express himself with 
greater clarity. His phrases have a decisive, almost a chiselled 
quality; where he errs on the side of redundance, it is not with 
the intention of cloaking uncertainty, but in order that he may 
drive home with double force the truths which he desires to 
impress.
     No less admirable are, on the one hand, his synthetic skill 
and the logic of his arguments, and, on the other, his subtle and 
discriminating analyses, which weigh the finest shades of thought 
and dissect each subject with all the accuracy of science. To his 
analytical genius we owe those finely balanced statements, 
orthodox yet bold and fearless, which have caused clumsier 
intellects to misunderstand him. It is not remarkable that this 
should have occurred. The ease with which the unskilled can 
misinterpret genius is shown in the history of many a heresy.
     How much of all this St. John of the Cross owed to his 
studies of scholastic philosophy in the University of Salamanca, 
it is difficult to say. If we examine the history of that 
University and read of its severe discipline we shall be in no 
danger of under-estimating the effect which it must have produced 
upon so agile and alert an intellect. Further, we note the 
constant parallelisms and the comparatively infrequent (though 
occasionally important) divergences between the doctrines of St. 
John of the Cross and St. Thomas, to say nothing of the close 
agreement between the views of St. John of the Cross and those of 
the Schoolmen on such subjects as the passions and appetites, the 
nature of the soul, the relations between soul and body. Yet we 
must not forget the student tag: Quod natura non dat, Salamtica 
non praestat. Nothing but natural genius could impart the vigour 
and the clarity which enhance all St. John of the Cross's 
arguments and nothing but his own deep and varied experience could 
have made him what he may well be termed -- the greatest 
psychologist in the history of mysticism.

     Eminent, too, was St. John of the Cross in sacred theology. 
The close natural connection that exists between dogmatic and 
mystical theology and their continual interdependence in practice 
make it impossible for a Christian teacher to excel in the latter 
alone. Indeed, more than one of the heresies that have had their 
beginnings in mysticism would never have developed had those who 
fell into them been well grounded in dogmatic theology. The one 
is, as it were, the lantern that lights the path of the other, as 
St. Teresa realized when she began to feel the continual necessity 
of consulting theological teachers. If St. John of the Cross is 
able to climb the greatest heights of mysticism and remain upon 
them without stumbling or dizziness it is because his feet are 
invariably well shod with the truths of dogmatic theology. The 
great mysteries -- those of the Trinity, the Creation, the 
Incarnation and the Redemption -- and such dogmas as those 
concerning grace, the gifts of the Spirit, the theological 
virtues, etc., were to him guide-posts for those who attempted to 
scale, and to lead others to scale, the symbolic mount of 
sanctity.
     It will be remembered that the Saint spent but one year upon 
his theological course at the University of Salamanca, for which 
reason many have been surprised at the evident solidity of his 
attainments. But, apart from the fact that a mind so keen and 
retentive as that of Fray Juan de San Matias could absorb in a 
year what others would have failed to imbibe in the more usual two 
or three, we must of necessity assume a far longer time spent in 
private study. For in one year he could not have studied all the 
treatises of which he clearly demonstrates his knowledge -- to say 
nothing of many others which he must have known. His own works, 
apart from any external evidence, prove him to have been a 
theologian of distinction.
     In both fields, the dogmatic and the mystical he was greatly 
aided by his knowledge of Holy Scripture, which he studied 
continually, in the last years of his life, to the exclusion, as 
it would seem, of all else. Much of it he knew by heart; the 
simple devotional talks that he was accustomed to give were 
invariably studded with texts, and he made use of passages from 
the Bible both to justify and to illustrate his teaching. In the 
mystical interpretation of Holy Scripture, as every student of 
mysticism knows, he has had few equals even among his fellow 
Doctors of the Church Universal.
     Testimonies to his mastery of the Scriptures can be found in 
abundance. P. Alonso de la Madre de Dios, el Asturicense, for 
example, who was personally acquainted with him, stated in 1603 
that 'he had a great gift and facility for the exposition of the 
Sacred Scripture, principally of the Song of Songs, 
Ecclesiasticus, Ecclesiastes, the Proverbs and the Psalms of 
David.'[13] His spiritual daughter, that same Magdalena del 
Espiritus Santo to whom we have several times referred, affirms 
that St. John of the Cross would frequently read the Gospels to 
the nuns of Beas and expound the letter and the spirit to them.[14] 
Fray Juan Evangelista says in a well-known passage:

     He was very fond of reading in the Scriptures, and I never 
once saw him read any other books than the Bible,[15] almost all of 
which he knew by heart, St. Augustine Contra Haereses and the Flos 
Sanctorum. When occasionally he preached (which was seldom) or 
gave informal addresses [platicas], as he more commonly did, he 
never read from any book save the Bible. His conversation, whether 
at recreation or at other times, was continually of God, and he 
spoke so delightfully that, when he discoursed upon sacred things 
at recreation, he would make us all laugh and we used greatly to 
enjoy going out. On occasions when we held chapters, he would 
usually give devotional addresses (platicas divinas) after supper, 
and he never failed to give an address every night.[16]

     Fray Pablo de Santa Maria, who had also heard the Saint's 
addresses, wrote thus:

     He was a man of the most enkindled spirituality and of great 
insight into all that concerns mystical theology and matters of 
prayer; I consider it impossible that he could have spoken so well 
about all the virtues if he had not been most proficient in the 
spiritual life, and I really think he knew the whole Bible by 
heart, so far as one could judge from the various Biblical 
passages which he would quote at chapters and in the refectory, 
without any great effort, but as one who goes where the Spirit 
leads him.[17]

     Nor was this admiration for the expository ability of St. 
John of the Cross confined to his fellow-friars, who might easily 
enough have been led into hero-worship. We know that he was 
thought highly of in this respect by the University of Alcala de 
Henares, where he was consulted as an authority. A Dr. Villegas, 
Canon of Segovia Cathedral, has left on record his respect for 
him. And Fray Jeronimo de San Jose relates the esteem in which he 
was held at the University of Baeza, which in his day enjoyed a 
considerable reputation for Biblical studies:

     There were at that time at the University of Baeza many 
learned and spiritually minded persons, disciples of that great 
father and apostle Juan de Avila.[18] . . . All these doctors . . . 
would repair to our venerable father as to an oracle from heaven 
and would discuss with him both their own spiritual progress and 
that of souls committed to their charge, with the result that they 
were both edified and astonished at his skill. They would also 
bring him difficulties and delicate points connected with Divine 
letters, and on these, too, he spoke with extraordinary energy and 
illumination. One of these doctors, who had consulted him and 
listened to him on various occasions, said that, although he had 
read deeply in St. Augustine and St. John Chrysostom and other 
saints, and had found in them greater heights and depths, he had 
found in none of them that particular kind of spirituality in 
exposition which this great father applied to Scriptural 
passages.[19]

     The Scriptural knowledge of St. John of the Cross was, as 
this passage makes clear, in no way merely academic. Both in his 
literal and his mystical interpretations of the Bible, he has what 
we may call a 'Biblical sense,' which saves him from such 
exaggerations as we find in other expositors, both earlier and 
contemporary. One would not claim, of course, that among the many 
hundreds of applications of Holy Scripture made by the Carmelite 
Doctor there are none that can be objected to in this respect; but 
the same can be said of St. Augustine, St. Ambrose, St. Gregory or 
St. Bernard, and no one would assert that, either with them or 
with him, such instances are other than most exceptional.

     To the three sources already mentioned in which St. John of 
the Cross found inspiration we must add a fourth -- the works of 
ascetic and mystical writers. It is not yet possible to assert 
with any exactness how far the Saint made use of these; for, 
though partial studies of this question have been attempted, a 
complete and unbiased treatment of it has still to be undertaken. 
Here we can do no more than give a few indications of what remains 
to be done and summarize the present content of our knowledge.[20]
     We may suppose that, during his novitiate in Medina, the 
Saint read a number of devotional books, one of which would almost 
certainly have been the Imitation of Christ, and others would have 
included works which were translated into Spanish by order of 
Cardinal Cisneros. The demands of a University course would not 
keep him from pursuing such studies at Salamanca; the friar who 
chose a cell from the window of which he could see the Blessed 
Sacrament, so that he might spend hours in its company, would 
hardly be likely to neglect his devotional reading. But we have 
not a syllable of direct external evidence as to the titles of any 
of the books known to him.
     Nor, for that matter, have we much more evidence of this kind 
for any other part of his life. Both his early Carmelite 
biographers and the numerous witnesses who gave evidence during 
the canonization process describe at great length his 
extraordinary penances, his love for places of retreat beautified 
by Nature, the long hours that he spent in prayer and the tongue 
of angels with which he spoke on things spiritual. But of his 
reading they say nothing except to describe his attachment to the 
Bible, nor have we any record of the books contained in the 
libraries of the religious houses that he visited. Yet if, as we 
gather from the process, he spent little more than three hours 
nightly in sleep, he must have read deeply of spiritual things by 
night as well as by day.
     Some clues to the nature of his reading may be gained from 
his own writings. It is true that the clues are slender. He cites 
few works apart from the Bible and these are generally liturgical 
books, such as the Breviary. Some of his quotations from St. 
Augustine, St. Gregory and other of the Fathers are traceable to 
these sources. Nevertheless, we have not read St. John of the 
Cross for long before we find ourselves in the full current of 
mystical tradition. It is not by means of more or less literal 
quotations that the Saint produces this impression; he has studied 
his precursors so thoroughly that he absorbs the substance of 
their doctrine and incorporates it so intimately in his own that 
it becomes flesh of his flesh. Everything in his writings is fully 
matured: he has no juvenilia. The mediaeval mystics whom he uses 
are too often vague and undisciplined; they need someone to select 
from them and unify them, to give them clarity and order, so that 
their treatment of mystical theology may have the solidity and 
substance of scholastic theology. To have done this is one of the 
achievements of St. John of the Cross.
     We are convinced, then, by an internal evidence which is 
chiefly of a kind in which no chapter and verse can be given, that 
St. John of the Cross read widely in mediaeval mystical theology 
and assimilated a great part of what he read. The influence of 
foreign writers upon Spanish mysticism, though it was once denied, 
is to-day generally recognized. It was inevitable that it should 
have been considerable in a country which in the sixteenth century 
had such a high degree of culture as Spain. Plotinus, in a diluted 
form, made his way into Spanish mysticism as naturally as did 
Seneca into Spanish asceticism. Plato and Aristotle entered it 
through the two greatest minds that Christianity has known -- St. 
Augustine and St. Thomas. The influence of the Platonic theories 
of love and beauty and of such basic Aristotelian theories as the 
origin of knowledge is to be found in most of the Spanish mystics, 
St. John of the Cross among them.
     The pseudo-Dionysius was another writer who was considered a 
great authority by the Spanish mystics. The importance attributed 
to his works arose partly from the fact that he was supposed to 
have been one of the first disciples of the Apostles; many 
chapters from mystical works of those days all over Europe are no 
more than glosses of the pseudo-Areopagite. He is followed less, 
however, by St. John of the Cross than by many of the latter's 
contemporaries.
     Other influences upon the Carmelite Saint were St. Gregory, 
St. Bernard and Hugh and Richard of St. Victor, many of whose 
maxims were in the mouths of the mystics in the sixteenth century. 
More important, probably, than any of these was the Fleming, 
Ruysbroeck, between whom and St. John of the Cross there were 
certainly many points of contact. The Saint would have read him, 
not in the original, but in Surius' Latin translation of 1552, 
copies of which are known to have been current in Spain.[21] 
Together with Ruysbroeck may be classed Suso, Denis the 
Carthusian, Herp, Kempis and various other writers.
     Many of the ideas and phrases which we find in St. John of 
the Cross, as in other writers, are, of course, traceable to the 
common mystical tradition rather than to any definite individual 
influence. The striking metaphor of the ray of light penetrating 
the room, for example, which occurs in the first chapter of the 
pseudo-Areopagite's De Mystica Theologia, has been used 
continually by mystical writers ever since his time. The figures 
of the wood consumed by fire, of the ladder, the mirror, the flame 
of love and the nights of sense and spirit had long since become 
naturalized in mystical literature. There are many more such 
examples.
     The originality of St. John of the Cross is in no way 
impaired by his employment of this current mystical language: such 
an idea might once have been commonly held, but has long ceased to 
be put forward seriously. His originality, indeed, lies precisely 
in the use which he made of language that he found near to hand. 
It is not going too far to liken the place taken by St. John of 
the Cross in mystical theology to that of St. Thomas in dogmatic; 
St. Thomas laid hold upon the immense store of material which had 
accumulated in the domain of dogmatic theology and subjected it to 
the iron discipline of reason. That St. John of the Cross did the 
same for mystical theology is his great claim upon our admiration. 
Through St. Thomas speaks the ecclesiastical tradition of many 
ages on questions of religious belief; through St. John speaks an 
equally venerable tradition on questions of Divine love. Both 
writers combined sainthood with genius. Both opened broad channels 
to be followed of necessity by Catholic writers through the ages 
to come till theology shall lose itself in that vast ocean of 
truth and love which is God. Both created instruments adequate to 
the greatness of their task: St. Thomas' clear, decisive reasoning 
processes give us the formula appropriate to each and every need 
of the understanding; St. John clothes his teaching in mellower 
and more appealing language, as befits the exponent of the science 
of love. We may describe the treatises of St. John of the Cross as 
the true Summa Angelica of mystical theology.


                               II

     OUTSTANDING QUALITIES AND DEFECTS OF THE SAINT'S STYLE

     THE profound and original thought which St. John of the Cross 
bestowed upon so abstruse a subject, and upon one on which there 
was so little classical literature in Spanish when he wrote, led 
him to clothe his ideas in a language at once energetic, precise 
and of a high degree of individuality. His style reflects his 
thought, but it reflects the style of no school and of no other 
writer whatsoever.
     This is natural enough, for thought and feeling were always 
uppermost in the Saint: style and language take a place entirely 
subordinate to them. Never did he sacrifice any idea to artistic 
combinations of words; never blur over any delicate shade of 
thought to enhance some rhythmic cadence of musical prose. 
Literary form (to use a figure which he himself might have coined) 
is only present at all in his works in the sense in which the 
industrious and deferential servant is present in the ducal 
apartment, for the purpose of rendering faithful service to his 
lord and master. This subordination of style to content in the 
Saint's work is one of its most eminent qualities. He is a great 
writer, but not a great stylist. The strength and robustness of 
his intellect everywhere predominate.
     This to a large extent explains the negligences which we find 
in his style, the frequency with which it is marred by repetitions 
and its occasional degeneration into diffuseness. The long, 
unwieldy sentences, one of which will sometimes run to the length 
of a reasonably sized paragraph, are certainly a trial to many a 
reader. So intent is the Saint upon explaining, underlining and 
developing his points so that they shall be apprehended as 
perfectly as may be, that he continually recurs to what he has 
already said, and repeats words, phrases and even passages of 
considerable length without scruple. It is only fair to remind the 
reader that such things were far commoner in the Golden Age than 
they are to-day; most didactic Spanish prose of that period would 
be notably improved, from a modern standpoint, if its volume were 
cut down by about one-third.
     Be that as it may, these defects in the prose of St. John of 
the Cross are amply compensated by the fullness of his 
phraseology, the wealth and profusion of his imagery, the force 
and the energy of his argument. He has only to be compared with 
the didactic writers who were his contemporaries for this to 
become apparent. Together with Luis de Granada, Luis de Leon, Juan 
de los Angeles and Luis de la Puente,[22] he created a genuinely 
native language, purged of Latinisms, precise and eloquent, which 
Spanish writers have used ever since in writing of mystical 
theology.
     The most sublime of all the Spanish mystics, he soars aloft 
on the wings of Divine love to heights known to hardly any of 
them. Though no words can express the loftiest of the experiences 
which he describes, we are never left with the impression that 
word, phrase or image has failed him. If it does not exist, he 
appears to invent it, rather than pause in his description in 
order to search for an expression of the idea that is in his mind 
or be satisfied with a prolix paraphrase. True to the character of 
his thought, his style is always forceful and energetic, even to a 
fault.
     We have said nothing of his poems, for indeed they call for 
no purely literary commentary. How full of life the greatest of 
them are, how rich in meaning, how unforgettable and how 
inimitable, the individual reader may see at a glance or may learn 
from his own experience. Many of their exquisite figures their 
author owes, directly or indirectly, to his reading and 
assimilation of the Bible. Some of them, however, have acquired a 
new life in the form which he has given them. A line here, a 
phrase there, has taken root in the mind of some later poet or 
essayist and has given rise to a new work of art, to many lovers 
of which the Saint who lies behind it is unknown.
     It is perhaps not an exaggeration to say that the verse and 
prose works combined of St. John of the Cross form at once the 
most grandiose and the most melodious spiritual canticle to which 
any one man has ever given utterance. It is impossible, in the 
space at our disposal, to quote at any length from the Spanish 
critics who have paid tribute to its comprehensiveness and 
profundity. We must content ourselves with a short quotation 
characterizing the Saint's poems, taken from the greatest of these 
critics, Marcelino Menendez Pelayo, who, besides referring 
frequently to St. John of the Cross in such of his mature works as 
the Heterodoxos, Ideas Esteticas and Ciencia Espanola, devoted to 
him a great part of the address which he delivered as a young man 
at his official reception into the Spanish Academy under the title 
of 'Mystical Poetry.'
     'So sublime,' wrote Menendez Pelayo, 'is this poetry [of St. 
John of the Cross] that it scarcely seems to belong to this world 
at all; it is hardly capable of being assessed by literary 
criteria. More ardent in its passion than any profane poetry, its 
form is as elegant and exquisite, as plastic and as highly figured 
as any of the finest works of the Renaissance. The spirit of God 
has passed through these poems every one, beautifying and 
sanctifying them on its way.'


                               III

     DIFFUSION OF THE WRITINGS OF ST. JOHN OF THE CROSS -- LOSS OF 
THE AUTOGRAPHS -- GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE MANUSCRIPTS

     The outstanding qualities of St. John of the Cross's writings 
were soon recognized by the earliest of their few and privileged 
readers. All such persons, of course, belonged to a small circle 
composed of the Saint's intimate friends and disciples. As time 
went on, the circle widened repeatedly; now it embraces the entire 
Church, and countless individual souls who are filled with the 
spirit of Christianity.
     First of all, the works were read and discussed in those loci 
of evangelical zeal which the Saint had himself enkindled, by his 
word and example, at Beas, El Calvario, Baeza and Granada. They 
could not have come more opportunely. St. Teresa's Reform had 
engendered a spiritual alertness and energy reminiscent of the 
earliest days of Christianity. Before this could in any way 
diminish, her first friar presented the followers of them both 
with spiritual food to nourish and re-create their souls and so to 
sustain the high degree of zeal for Our Lord which He had bestowed 
upon them.
     In one sense, St. John of the Cross took up his pen in order 
to supplement the writings of St. Teresa; on several subjects, for 
example, he abstained from writing at length because she had 
already treated of them.[23] Much of the work of the two Saints, 
however, of necessity covers the same ground, and thus the great 
mystical school of the Spanish Carmelites is reinforced at its 
very beginnings in a way which must be unique in the history of 
mysticism. The writings of St. Teresa and St. John of the Cross, 
though of equal value and identical aim, are in many respects very 
different in their nature; together they cover almost the entire 
ground of orthodox mysticism, both speculative and experimental. 
The Carmelite mystics who came after them were able to build upon 
a broad and sure foundation.
     The writings of St. John of the Cross soon became known 
outside the narrow circle of his sons and daughters in religion. 
In a few years they had gone all over Spain and reached Portugal, 
France and Italy. They were read by persons of every social class, 
from the Empress Maria of Austria, sister of Philip II, to the 
most unlettered nuns of St. Teresa's most remote foundations. One 
of the witnesses at the process for the beatification declared 
that he knew of no works of which there existed so many copies, 
with the exception of the Bible.
     We may fairly suppose (and the supposition is confirmed by 
the nature of the extant manuscripts) that the majority of the 
early copies were made by friars and nuns of the Discalced Reform. 
Most Discalced houses must have had copies and others were 
probably in the possession of members of other Orders. We gather, 
too, from various sources, that even lay persons managed to make 
or obtain copies of the manuscripts.
     How many of these copies, it will be asked, were made 
directly from the autographs? So vague is the available evidence 
on this question that it is difficult to attempt any calculation 
of even approximate reliability. All we can say is that the copies 
made by, or for, the Discalced friars and nuns themselves are the 
earliest and most trustworthy, while those intended for the laity 
were frequently made at third or fourth hand. The Saint himself 
seems to have written out only one manuscript of each treatise and 
none of these has come down to us. Some think that he destroyed 
the manuscripts copied with his own hand, fearing that they might 
come to be venerated for other reasons than that of the value of 
their teaching. He was, of course, perfectly capable of such an 
act of abnegation; once, as we know, in accordance with his own 
principles, he burned some letters of St. Teresa, which he had 
carried with him for years, for no other reason than that he 
realized that he was becoming attached to them.[24]
     The only manuscript of his that we possess consists of a few 
pages of maxims, some letters and one or two documents which he 
wrote when he was Vicar-Provincial of Andalusia.[25] So numerous
and so thorough have been the searches made for further autographs 
during the last three centuries that further discoveries of any 
importance seem most unlikely. We have, therefore, to console 
ourselves with manuscripts, such as the Sanlucar de Barrameda 
Codex of the Spiritual Canticle, which bear the Saint's autograph 
corrections as warrants of their integrity.
     The vagueness of much of the evidence concerning the 
manuscripts to which we have referred extends to the farthest 
possible limit -- that of using the word 'original' to indicate 
'autograph' and 'copy' indifferently. Even in the earliest 
documents we can never be sure which sense is intended. 
Furthermore, there was a passion in the seventeenth and eighteenth 
centuries for describing all kinds of old manuscripts as 
autographs, and thus we find copies so described in which the hand 
bears not the slightest resemblance to that of the Saint, as the 
most superficial collation with a genuine specimen of his hand 
would have made evident. We shall give instances of this in 
describing the extant copies of individual treatises. One example 
of a general kind, however, may be quoted here to show the extent 
to which the practice spread. In a statement made, with reference 
to one of the processes, at the convent of Discalced Carmelite 
nuns of Valladolid, a certain M. Maria de la Trinidad deposed 
'that a servant of God, a Franciscan tertiary named Ana Maria, 
possesses the originals of the books of our holy father, and has 
heard that he sent them to the Order.' Great importance was 
attached to this deposition and every possible measure was taken 
to find the autographs -- needless to say, without result.[26]

     With the multiplication of the number of copies of St. John 
of the Cross's writings, the number of variants naturally 
multiplied also. The early copies having all been made for 
devotional purposes, by persons with little or no palaeographical 
knowledge, many of whom did not even exercise common care, it is 
not surprising that there is not a single one which can compare in 
punctiliousness with certain extant eighteenth-century copies of 
documents connected with St. John of the Cross and St. Teresa. 
These were made by a painstaking friar called Manuel de Santa 
Maria, whose scrupulousness went so far that he reproduced 
imperfectly formed letters exactly as they were written, adding 
the parts that were lacking (e.g., the tilde over the letter n) 
with ink of another colour.
     We may lament that this good father had no predecessor like 
himself to copy the Saint's treatises, but it is only right to say 
that the copies we possess are sufficiently faithful and numerous 
to give us reasonably accurate versions of their originals. The 
important point about them is that they bear no signs of bad 
faith, nor even of the desire (understandable enough in those 
unscientific days) to clarify the sense of their original, or even 
to improve upon its teaching. Their errors are often gross ones, 
but the large majority of them are quite easy to detect and put 
right. The impression to this effect which one obtains from a 
casual perusal of almost any of these copies is quite definitely 
confirmed by a comparison of them with copies corrected by the 
Saint or written by the closest and most trusted of his disciples. 
It may be added that some of the variants may, for aught we know 
to the contrary, be the Saint's own work, since it is not 
improbable that he may have corrected more than one copy of some 
of his writings, and not been entirely consistent.
     There are, broadly speaking, two classes into which the 
copies (more particularly those of the Ascent and the Dark Night) 
may be divided. One class aims at a more or less exact 
transcription; the other definitely sets out to abbreviate. Even 
if the latter class be credited with a number of copies which 
hardly merit the name, the former is by far the larger, and, of 
course, the more important, though it must not be supposed that 
the latter is unworthy of notice. The abbreviators generally omit 
whole chapters, or passages, at a time, and, where they are not 
for the moment doing this, or writing the connecting phrases 
necessary to repair their mischief, they are often quite faithful 
to their originals. Since they do not, in general, attribute 
anything to their author that is not his, no objection can be 
taken, on moral grounds, to their proceeding, though, in actual 
fact, the results are not always happy. Their ends were purely 
practical and devotional and they made no attempt to pass their 
compendia as full-length transcriptions.
     With regard to the Spiritual Canticle and the Living Flame of 
Love, of each of which there are two redactions bearing 
indisputable marks of the author's own hand, the classification of 
the copies will naturally depend upon which redaction each copy 
the more nearly follows. This question will be discussed in the 
necessary detail in the introduction to each of these works, and 
to the individual introductions to the four major treatises we 
must refer the reader for other details of the manuscripts. In the 
present pages we have attempted only a general account of these 
matters. It remains to add that our divisions of each chapter into 
paragraphs follow the manuscripts throughout except where 
indicated. The printed editions, as we shall see, suppressed these 
divisions, but, apart from their value to the modern reader, they 
are sufficiently nearly identical in the various copies to form 
one further testimony to their general high standard of 
reliability.


                               IV

     INTEGRITY OF THE SAINT'S WORK -- INCOMPLETE CONDITION OF THE 
'ASCENT' AND THE 'NIGHT' -- DISPUTED QUESTIONS

     THE principal lacuna in St. John of the Cross's writings, and, 
from the literary standpoint, the most interesting, is the lack of 
any commentary to the last five stanzas[27] of the poem 'Dark 
Night.' Such a commentary is essential to the completion of the 
plan which the Saint had already traced for himself in what was to 
be, and, in spite of its unfinished condition, is in fact, his 
most rigorously scientific treatise. 'All the doctrine,' he wrote 
in the Argument of the Ascent, 'whereof I intend to treat in this 
Ascent of Mount Carmel is included in the following stanzas, and 
in them is also described the manner of ascending to the summit of 
the Mount, which is the high estate of perfection which we here 
call union of the soul with God.' This leaves no doubt but that 
the Saint intended to treat the mystical life as one whole, and to 
deal in turn with each stage of the road to perfection, from the 
beginnings of the Purgative Way to the crown and summit of the 
life of Union. After showing the need for such a treatise as he 
proposes to write, he divides the chapters on Purgation into four 
parts corresponding to the Active and Passive nights of Sense and 
of Spirit. These, however, correspond only to the first two 
stanzas of his poem; they are not, as we shall shortly see, 
complete, but their incompleteness is slight compared with that of 
the work as a whole.
     Did St. John of the Cross, we may ask, ever write a 
commentary on those last five stanzas, which begin with a 
description of the state of Illumination:

     'Twas that light guided me,
     More surely than the noonday's brightest glare --

     and end with that of the life of Union:

     All things for me that day
     Ceas'd, as I slumber'd there,
     Amid the lilies drowning all my care?

     If we suppose that he did, we are faced with the question of 
its fate and with the strange fact that none of his contemporaries 
makes any mention of such a commentary, though they are all 
prolific in details of far less importance.
     Conjectures have been ventured on this question ever since 
critical methods first began to be applied to St. John of the 
Cross's writings. A great deal was written about it by P. Andres 
de la Encarnacion, to whom his superiors entrusted the task of 
collecting and editing the Saint's writings, and whose findings, 
though they suffer from the defects of an age which from a modern 
standpoint must be called unscientific, and need therefore to be 
read with the greatest caution, are often surprisingly just and 
accurate. P. Andres begins by referring to various places where 
St. John of the Cross states that he has treated certain subjects 
and proposes to treat others, about which nothing can be found in 
his writings. This, he says, may often be due to an oversight on 
the writer's part or to changes which new experiences might have 
brought to his mode of thinking. On the other hand, there are 
sometimes signs that these promises have been fulfilled: the sharp 
truncation of the argument, for example, at the end of Book III of 
the Ascent suggests that at least a few pages are missing, in 
which case the original manuscript must have been mutilated,[28] for 
almost all the extant copies break off at the same word. It is 
unthinkable, as P. Andres says, that the Saint 'should have gone 
on to write the Night without completing the Ascent, for all these 
five books[29] are integral parts of one whole, since they all treat 
of different stages of one spiritual path.'[30]
     It may be argued in the same way that St. John of the Cross 
would not have gone on to write the commentaries on the 'Spiritual 
Canticle' and the 'Living Flame of Love' without first completing 
the Dark Night. P. Andres goes so far as to say that the very 
unwillingness which the Saint displayed towards writing 
commentaries on the two latter poems indicates that he had already 
completed the others; otherwise, he could easily have excused 
himself from the later task on the plea that he had still to 
finish the earlier.
     Again, St. John of the Cross declares very definitely, in the 
prologue to the Dark Night, that, after describing in the 
commentary on the first two stanzas the effects of the two passive 
purgations of the sensual and the spiritual part of man, he will 
devote the six remaining stanzas to expounding 'various and 
wondrous effects of the spiritual illumination and union of love 
with God.' Nothing could be clearer than this. Now, in the 
commentary on the 'Living Flame,' argues P. Andres, he treats at 
considerable length of simple contemplation and adds that he has 
written fully of it in several chapters of the Ascent and the 
Night, which he names; but not only do we not find the references 
in two of the chapters enumerated by him, but he makes no mention 
of several other chapters in which the references are of 
considerable fullness. The proper deductions from these facts 
would seem to be, first, that we do not possess the Ascent and the 
Night in the form in which the Saint wrote them, and, second, that 
in the missing chapters he referred to the subject under 
discussion at much greater length than in the chapters we have.
     Further, the practice of St. John of the Cross was not to 
omit any part of his commentaries when for any reason he was 
unable or unwilling to write them at length, but rather to 
abbreviate them. Thus, he runs rapidly through the third stanza of 
the Night and through the fourth stanza of the Living Flame: we 
should expect him in the same way to treat the last three stanzas 
of the Night with similar brevity and rapidity, but not to omit 
them altogether.
     Such are the principal arguments used by P. Andres which have 
inclined many critics to the belief that St. John of the Cross 
completed these treatises. Other of his arguments, which to 
himself were even more convincing, have now lost much weight. The 
chief of these are the contention that, because a certain Fray 
Agustin Antolinez (b. 1554), in expounding these same poems, makes 
no mention of the Saint's having failed to expound five stanzas of 
the Night, he did therefore write an exposition of them;[31] and the 
supposition that the Living Flame was written before the Spiritual 
Canticle, and that therefore, when the prologue to the Living 
Flame says that the author has already described the highest state 
of perfection attainable in this life, it cannot be referring to 
the Canticle and must necessarily allude to passages, now lost, 
from the Dark Night.[32]
     Our own judgment upon this much debated question is not 
easily delivered. On the one hand, the reasons why St. John of the 
Cross should have completed his work are perfectly sound ones and 
his own words in the Ascent and the Dark Night are a clear 
statement of his intentions. Furthermore, he had ample time to 
complete it, for he wrote other treatises at a later date and he 
certainly considered the latter part of the Dark Night to be more 
important than the former. On the other hand, it is disconcerting 
to find not even the briefest clear reference to this latter part 
in any of his subsequent writings, when both the Living Flame and 
the Spiritual Canticle offered so many occasions for such a 
reference to an author accustomed to refer his readers to his 
other treatises. Again, his contemporaries, who were keenly 
interested in his work, and mention such insignificant things as 
the Cautions, the Maxims and the 'Mount of Perfection,' say 
nothing whatever of the missing chapters. None of his biographers 
speaks of them, nor does P. Alonso de la Madre de Dios, who 
examined the Saint's writings in detail immediately after his 
death and was in touch with his closest friends and companions. We 
are inclined, therefore, to think that the chapters in question 
were never written.[33] Is not the following sequence of probable 
facts the most tenable? We know from P. Juan Evangelista that the 
Ascent and the Dark Night were written at different times, with 
many intervals of short or long duration. The Saint may well have 
entered upon the Spiritual Canticle, which was a concession to the 
affectionate importunity of M. Ann de Jesus, with every intention 
of returning later to finish his earlier treatise. But, having 
completed the Canticle, he may equally well have been struck with 
the similarity between a part of it and the unwritten commentary 
on the earlier stanzas, and this may have decided him that the 
Dark Night needed no completion, especially as the Living Flame 
also described the life of Union. This hypothesis will explain all 
the facts, and seems completely in harmony with all we know of St. 
John of the Cross, who was in no sense, as we have already said, a 
writer by profession. If we accept it, we need not necessarily 
share the views which we here assume to have been his. Not only 
would the completion of the Dark Night have given us new ways of 
approach to so sublime and intricate a theme, but this would have 
been treated in a way more closely connected with the earlier 
stages of the mystical life than was possible in either the Living 
Flame or the Canticle.
     We ought perhaps to notice one further supposition of P. 
Andres, which has been taken up by a number of later critics: that 
St. John of the Cross completed the commentary which we know as 
the Dark Night, but that on account of the distinctive nature of 
the contents of the part now lost he gave it a separate title.[34] 
The only advantage of this theory seems to be that it makes the 
hypothesis of the loss of the commentary less improbable. In other 
respects it is as unsatisfactory as the theory of P. Andres,[35] of 
which we find a variant in M. Baruzi,[36] that the Saint thought the 
commentary too bold, and too sublime, to be perpetuated, and 
therefore destroyed it, or, at least, forbade its being copied. It 
is surely unlikely that the sublimity of these missing chapters 
would exceed that of the Canticle or the Living Flame.

     This seems the most suitable place to discuss a feature of 
the works of St. John of the Cross to which allusion is often made 
-- the little interest which he took in their division into books 
and chapters and his lack of consistency in observing such 
divisions when he had once made them. A number of examples may be 
cited. In the first chapter of the Ascent of Mount Carmel, using 
the words 'part' and 'book' as synonyms, he makes it clear that 
the Ascent and the Dark Night are to him one single treatise. 'The 
first night or purgation,' he writes, 'is of the sensual part of 
the soul, which is treated in the present stanza, and will be 
treated in the first part of this book. And the second is of the 
spiritual part; of this speaks the second stanza, which follows; 
and of this we shall treat likewise, in the second and the third 
part, with respect to the activity of the soul; and in the fourth 
part, with respect to its passivity.'[37] The author's intention 
here is evident. Purgation may be sensual or spiritual, and each 
of these kinds may be either active or passive. The most logical 
proceeding would be to divide the whole of the material into four 
parts or books: two to be devoted to active purgation and two to 
passive.[38] St. John of the Cross, however, devotes two parts to 
active spiritual purgation -- one to that of the understanding and 
the other to that of the memory and the will. In the Night, on the 
other hand, where it would seem essential to devote one book to 
the passive purgation of sense and another to that of spirit, he 
includes both in one part, the fourth. In the Ascent, he divides 
the content of each of his books into various chapters; in the 
Night, where the argument is developed like that of the Ascent, he 
makes a division into paragraphs only, and a very irregular 
division at that, if we may judge by the copies that have reached 
us. In the Spiritual Canticle and the Living Flame he dispenses 
with both chapters and paragraphs. The commentary on each stanza 
here corresponds to a chapter.
     Another example is to be found in the arrangement of his 
expositions. As a rule, he first writes down the stanzas as a 
whole, then repeats each in turn before expounding it, and repeats 
each line also in its proper place in the same way. At the 
beginning of each treatise he makes some general observations -- 
in the form either of an argument and prologue, as in the Ascent; 
of a prologue and general exposition, as in the Night; of a 
prologue alone, as in the first redaction of the Canticle and in 
the Living Flame; or of a prologue and argument, as in the second 
redaction of the Canticle. In the Ascent and the Night, the first 
chapter of each book contains the 'exposition of the stanzas,' 
though some copies describe this, in Book III of the Ascent, as an 
'argument.' In the Night, the book dealing with the Night of Sense 
begins with the usual 'exposition'; that of the Night of the 
Spirit, however, has nothing to correspond with it.
     In the first redaction of the Spiritual Canticle, St. John of 
the Cross first sets down the poem, then a few lines of 
'exposition' giving the argument of the stanza, and finally the 
commentary upon each line. Sometimes he comments upon two or three 
lines at once. In the second redaction, he prefaces almost every 
stanza with an 'annotation,' of which there is none in the first 
redaction except before the commentary on the thirteenth and 
fourteenth stanzas. The chief purpose of the 'annotation' is to 
link the argument of each stanza with that of the stanza preceding 
it; occasionally the annotation and the exposition are combined.
     It is clear from all this that, in spite of his orderly mind, 
St. John of the Cross was no believer in strict uniformity in 
matters of arrangement which would seem to demand such uniformity 
once they had been decided upon. They are, of course, of secondary 
importance, but the fact that the inconsistencies are the work of 
St. John of the Cross himself, and not merely of careless 
copyists, who have enough else to account for, is of real moment 
in the discussion of critical questions which turn on the Saint's 
accuracy.
     Another characteristic of these commentaries is the 
inequality of length as between the exposition of certain lines 
and stanzas. While some of these are dealt with fully, the 
exposition of others is brought to a close with surprising 
rapidity, even though it sometimes seems that much more needs to 
be said: we get the impression that the author was anxious to push 
his work forward or was pressed for time. He devotes fourteen long 
chapters of the Ascent to glossing the first two lines of the 
first stanza and dismisses the three remaining lines in a few 
sentences. In both the Ascent and the Night, indeed, the stanzas 
appear to serve only as a pretext for introducing the great wealth 
of ascetic and mystical teaching which the Saint has gathered 
together. In the Canticle and the Living Flame, on the other hand, 
he keeps much closer to his stanzas, though here, too, there is a 
considerable inequality. One result of the difference in nature 
between these two pairs of treatises is that the Ascent and the 
Night are more solidly built and more rigidly doctrinal, whereas 
in the Canticle and the Flame there is more movement and more 
poetry.


                                V

     HISTORY OF THE PUBLICATION OF ST. JOHN OF THE CROSS'S 
WRITINGS -- THE FIRST EDITION

     IT seems strange that mystical works of such surpassing value 
should not have been published till twenty-seven years after their 
author's death, for not only were the manuscript copies 
insufficient to propagate them as widely as those who made them 
would have desired, but the multiplication of these copies led to 
an ever greater number of variants in the text. Had it but been 
possible for the first edition of them to have been published 
while their author still lived, we might to-day have a perfect 
text. But the probability is that, if such an idea had occurred to 
St. John of the Cross, he would have set it aside as presumptuous. 
In allowing copies to be made he doubtless never envisaged their 
going beyond the limited circle of his Order.
     We have found no documentary trace of any project for an 
edition of these works during their author's lifetime. The most 
natural time for a discussion of the matter would have been in 
September 1586, when the Definitors of the Order, among whom was 
St. John of the Cross, met in Madrid and decided to publish the 
works of St. Teresa.[39] Two years earlier, when he was writing the 
Spiritual Canticle, St. John of the Cross had expressed a desire 
for the publication of St. Teresa's writings and assumed that this 
would not be long delayed.[40] As we have seen, he considered his 
own works as complementary to those of St. Teresa,[41] and one would 
have thought that the simultaneous publication of the writings of 
the two Reformers would have seemed to the Definitors an excellent 
idea.
     After his death, it is probable that there was no one at 
first who was both able and willing to undertake the work of 
editor; for, as is well known, towards the end of his life the 
Saint had powerful enemies within his Order who might well have 
opposed the project, though, to do the Discalced Reform justice, 
it was brought up as early as ten years after his death. A 
resolution was passed at the Chapter-General of the Reform held in 
September 1601, to the effect 'that the works of Fr. Juan de la 
Cruz be printed and that the Definitors, Fr. Juan de Jesus Maria 
and Fr. Tomas [de Jesus], be instructed to examine and approve 
them.'[42] Two years later (July 4, 1603), the same Chapter, also 
meeting in Madrid, 'gave leave to the Definitor, Fr. Tomas [de 
Jesus], for the printing of the works of Fr. Juan de la Cruz, 
first friar of the Discalced Reform.'[43]
     It is not known (since the Chapter Book is no longer extant) 
why the matter lapsed for two years, but Fr. Tomas de Jesus, the 
Definitor to whom alone it was entrusted on the second occasion, 
was a most able man, well qualified to edit the works of his 
predecessor.[44] Why, then, we may wonder, did he not do so? The 
story of his life in the years following the commission may partly 
answer this question. His definitorship came to an end in 1604, 
when he was elected Prior of the 'desert' of San Jose de las 
Batuecas. After completing the customary three years in this 
office, during which time he could have done no work at all upon 
the edition, he was elected Prior of the Discalced house at 
Zaragoza. But at this point Paul V sent for him to Rome and from 
that time onward his life followed other channels.
     The next attempt to accomplish the project was successful. 
The story begins with a meeting between the Definitors of the 
Order and Fr. Jose de Jesus Maria, the General, at Velez-Malaga, 
where a new decision to publish the works of St. John of the Cross 
was taken and put into effect (as a later resolution has it) 
'without any delay or condition whatsoever.'[45] The enterprise 
suffered a setback, only a week after it had been planned, in the 
death of the learned Jesuit P. Suarez, who was on terms of close 
friendship with the Discalced and had been appointed one of the 
censors. But P. Diego de Jesus (Salablanca), Prior of the 
Discalced house at Toledo, to whom its execution was entrusted, 
lost no time in accomplishing his task; indeed, one would suppose 
that he had begun it long before, since early in the next year it 
was completed and published in Alcala. The volume, entitled 
Spiritual Works which lead a soul to perfect union with God, has 
720 pages and bears the date 1618. The works are preceded by a 
preface addressed to the reader and a brief summary of the 
author's 'life and virtues.' An engraving of the 'Mount of 
Perfection' is included.[46]
     There are several peculiarities about this editio princeps. 
In the first place, although the pagination is continuous, it was 
the work of two different printers; the reason for this is quite 
unknown, though various reasons might be suggested. The greatest 
care was evidently taken so that the work should be well and truly 
approved: it is recommended, in terms of the highest praise, by 
the authorities of the University of Alcala, who, at the request 
of the General of the Discalced Carmelites, had submitted it for 
examination to four of the professors of that University. No doubt 
for reasons of safety, the Spiritual Canticle was not included in 
that edition: it was too much like a commentary on the Song of 
Songs for such a proceeding to be just then advisable.
     
     We have now to enquire into the merits of the edition of P. 
Salablanca, which met with such warm approval on its publication, 
yet very soon afterwards began to be recognized as defective and 
is little esteemed for its intrinsic qualities to-day.
     It must, of course, be realized that critical standards in 
the early seventeenth century were low and that the first editor 
of St. John of the Cross had neither the method nor the available 
material of the twentieth century. Nor were the times favourable 
for the publication of the works of a great mystic who attempted 
fearlessly and fully to describe the highest stages of perfection 
on the road to God. These two facts are responsible for most of 
the defects of the edition.
     For nearly a century, the great peril associated with the 
mystical life had been that of Illuminism, a gross form of pseudo-
mysticism which had claimed many victims among the holiest and 
most learned, and of which there was such fear that excessive, 
almost unbelievable, precautions had been taken against it. These 
precautions, together with the frequency and audacity with which 
Illuminists invoked the authority and protection of well-known 
contemporary ascetic and mystical writers, give reality to P. 
Salablanca's fear lest the leaders of the sect might shelter 
themselves behind the doctrines of St. John of the Cross and so 
call forth the censure of the Inquisition upon passages which 
seemed to him to bear close relation to their erroneous teaching. 
It was for this definite reason, and not because of an arbitrary 
meticulousness, that P. Salablanca omitted or adapted such 
passages as those noted in Book I, Chapter viii of the Ascent of 
Mount Carmel and in a number of chapters in Book II. A study of 
these, all of which are indicated in the footnotes to our text, is 
of great interest.
     Less important are a large number of minor corrections made 
with the intention of giving greater precision to some theological 
concept; the omission of lines and even paragraphs which the 
editor considered redundant, as in fact they frequently are; and 
corrections made with the aim of lending greater clearness to the 
argument or improving the style. A few changes were made out of 
prudery: such are the use of sensitivo for sensual, the 
suppression of phrases dealing with carnal vice and the omission 
of several paragraphs from that chapter of the Dark Night -- which 
speaks of the third deadly sin of beginners. There was little 
enough reason for these changes: St. John of the Cross is 
particularly inoffensive in his diction and may, from that point 
of view, be read by a child.
     The sum total of P. Salablanca's mutilations is very 
considerable. There are more in the Ascent and the Living Flame 
than in the Dark Night; but hardly a page of the editio princeps 
is free from them and on most pages they abound. It need not be 
said that they are regrettable. They belong to an age when the 
garments of dead saints were cut up into small fragments and 
distributed among the devout and when their cells were decked out 
with indifferent taste and converted into oratories. It would not 
have been considered sufficient had the editor printed the text of 
St. John of the Cross as he found it and glossed it to his liking 
in footnotes; another editor would have put opposite 
interpretations upon it, thus cancelling out the work of his 
predecessor. Even the radical mutilations of P. Salablanca did not 
suffice, as will now be seen, to protect the works of the Saint 
from the Inquisition.


                               VI

     DENUNCIATION OF THE 'WORKS' TO THE INQUISITION -- DEFENCE OF 
THEM MADE BY FR. BASILO PONCE DE LEON -- EDITIONS OF THE 
SEVENTEENTH AND EIGHTEENTH CENTURIES

     NEITHER the commendations of University professors nor the 
scissors of a meticulous editor could save the treatises of St. 
John of the Cross from that particular form of attack which, more 
than all others, was feared in the seventeenth century. We shall 
say nothing here of the history, nature and procedure of the 
Spanish Inquisition, which has had its outspoken antagonists and 
its unreasoning defenders but has not yet been studied with 
impartiality. It must suffice to set down the facts as they here 
affect our subject.
     Forty propositions, then, were extracted from the edition of 
1618 and presented to the Holy Office for condemnation with the 
object of causing the withdrawal of the edition from circulation. 
The attempt would probably have succeeded but for the warm, 
vigorous and learned defence put up by the Augustinian Fray 
Basilio Ponce de Leon, a theological professor in the University 
of Salamanca and a nephew of the Luis de Leon who wrote the Names 
of Christ and took so great an interest in the works of St. 
Teresa.[47]
     It was in the very convent of San Felipe in Madrid where 
thirty-five years earlier Fray Luis had written his immortal 
eulogy of St. Teresa[48] that Fray Basilio, on July 11, 1622, signed 
a most interesting 'Reply' to the objections which had been raised 
to the Alcala edition of St. John of the Cross. Although we 
propose, in our third volume, to reproduce Fray Basilio's defence, 
it is necessary to our narrative to say something of it here, for 
it is the most important of all extant documents which reveal the 
vicissitudes in the history of the Saint's teaching.
     Before entering upon an examination of the censured 
propositions, the learned Augustinian makes some general 
observations, which must have carried great weight as coming from 
so high a theological authority. He recalls the commendations of 
the edition by the professors of the University of Alcala 'where 
the faculty of theology is so famous,' and by many others, 
including several ministers of the Holy Office and two Dominicans 
who 'without dispute are among the most learned of their Order.' 
Secondly, he refers to the eminently saintly character of the 
first friar of the Discalced Reform: 'it is not to be presumed 
that God would set a man whose teaching is so evil . . . as is 
alleged, to be the comer-stone of so great a building.' Thirdly, 
he notes how close a follower was St. John of the Cross of St. 
Teresa, a person who was singularly free from any taint of 
unorthodoxy. And finally he recalls a number of similar attacks on 
works of this kind, notably that on Laredo's Ascent of Mount 
Sion,[49] which have proved to be devoid of foundation, and points 
out that isolated 'propositions' need to be set in their context 
before they can be fairly judged.
     Fray Basilio next refutes the charges brought against the 
works of St. John of the Cross, nearly all of which relate to his 
teaching on the passivity of the faculties in certain degrees of 
contemplation. Each proposition he copies and afterwards defends, 
both by argument and by quotations from the Fathers, from the 
medieval mystics and from his own contemporaries. It is noteworthy 
that among these authorities he invariably includes St. Teresa, 
who had been beatified in 1614, and enjoyed an undisputed 
reputation. This inclusion, as well as being an enhancement of his 
defence, affords a striking demonstration of the unity of thought 
existing between the two great Carmelites.
     Having expounded the orthodox Catholic teaching in regard to 
these matters, and shown that the teaching of St. John of the 
Cross is in agreement with it, Fray Basilio goes on to make clear 
the true attitude of the Illuminists and thus to reinforce his 
contentions by showing how far removed from this is the Saint's 
doctrine.
     Fray Basilio's magnificent defence of St. John of the Cross 
appears to have had the unusual effect of quashing the attack 
entirely: the excellence of his arguments, backed by his great 
authority, was evidently unanswerable. So far as we know, the 
Inquisition took no proceedings against the Alcala edition 
whatsoever. Had this at any time been prohibited, we may be sure 
that Llorente would have revealed the fact, and, though he refers 
to the persecution of St. John of the Cross during his lifetime,[50] 
he is quite silent about any posthumous condemnation of his 
writings.

     The editio princeps was reprinted in 1619, with a different 
pagination and a few corrections, in Barcelona.[51] Before these two 
editions were out of print, the General of the Discalced 
Carmelites had entrusted an able historian of the Reform, Fray 
Jeronimo de San Jose, with the preparation of a new one. This was 
published at Madrid, in 1630. It has a short introduction 
describing its scope and general nature, a number of new and 
influential commendations and an admirable fifty-page 'sketch' of 
St. John of the Cross by the editor which has been reproduced in 
most subsequent editions and has probably done more than any other 
single work to make known the facts of the Saint's biography. The 
great feature of this edition, however, is the inclusion of the 
Spiritual Canticle, placed (by an error, as a printer's note 
explains) at the end of the volume, instead of before the Living 
Flame, which is, of course, its proper position.
     The inclusion of the Canticle is one of the two merits that 
the editor claims for his new edition. The other is that he 
'prints both the Canticle and the other works according to their 
original manuscripts, written in the hand of the same venerable 
author.' This claim is, of course, greatly exaggerated, as what 
has been said above with regard to the manuscripts will indicate. 
Not only does Fray Jeronimo appear to have had no genuine original 
manuscript at all, but of the omissions of the editio princeps it 
is doubtful if he makes good many more than one in a hundred. In 
fact, with very occasional exceptions, he merely reproduces the 
princeps -- omissions, interpolations, well-meant improvements and 
all.[52]
     In Fray Jeronimo's defence it must be said that the reasons 
which moved his predecessor to mutilate his edition were still 
potent, and the times had not changed. It is more surprising that 
for nearly three centuries the edition of 1630 should have been 
followed by later editors. The numerous versions of the works 
which saw the light in the later seventeenth and the eighteenth 
century added a few poems, letters and maxims to the corpus of 
work which he presented and which assumed great importance as the 
Saint became better known and more deeply venerated. But they did 
no more. It suffices, therefore, to enumerate the chief of them.
     The Barcelona publisher of the 1619 edition produced a new 
edition in 1635, which is a mere reproduction of that of 1630. A 
Madrid edition of 1649, which adds nine letters, a hundred maxims 
and a small collection of poems, was reproduced in 1672 (Madrid), 
1679 (Madrid), 1693 (Barcelona) and 1694 (Madrid), the last 
reproduction being in two volumes. An edition was also published 
in Barcelona in 1700.
     If we disregard a 'compendium' of the Saint's writings 
published in Seville in 1701, the first eighteenth-century edition 
was published in Seville in 1703 -- the most interesting of those 
that had seen the light since 1630. It is well printed on good 
paper in a folio volume and its editor, Fr. Andres de Jesus Maria, 
claims it, on several grounds, as an advance on preceding 
editions. First, he says, 'innumerable errors of great importance' 
have been corrected in it; then, the Spiritual Canticle has been 
amended according to its original manuscript 'in the hand of the 
same holy doctor, our father, kept and venerated in our convent of 
Discalced Carmelite nuns at Jaen'; next, he adds two new poems and 
increases the number of maxims from 100 to 365; and lastly, the 
letters are increased from nine to seventeen, all of which are 
found in P. Jeronimo de San Jose's history. The first of these 
claims is as great an exaggeration as was P. Jeronimo's; to the 
second we shall refer in our introduction to the Spiritual 
Canticle. The third and fourth, however, are justified, and for 
these, as for a few minor improvements, the editor deserves every 
commendation.
     The remaining years of the eighteenth century produced few 
editions; apart from a reprint (1724) of the compendium of 1701, 
the only one known to us is that published at Pamplona in 1774, 
after which nearly eighty years were to pass before any earlier 
edition was so much as reprinted. Before we resume this 
bibliographical narrative, however, we must go back over some 
earlier history.


                               VII

     NEW DENUNCIATIONS AND DEFENCES -- FRAY NICOLAS DE JESUS MARIA 
-- THE CARMELITE SCHOOL AND THE INQUISITION

     WE remarked, apropos of the edition of 1630, that the reasons 
which led Fray Diego de Jesus to mutilate his texts were still in 
existence when Fray Jeronimo de San Jose prepared his edition some 
twelve years later. If any independent proof of this statement is 
needed, it may be found in the numerous apologias that were 
published during the seventeenth century, not only in Spain, but 
in Italy, France, Germany and other countries of Europe. If 
doctrines are not attacked, there is no occasion to write vigorous 
defences of them.
     Following the example of Fray Basilio Ponce de Leon, a 
professor of theology in the College of the Reform at Salamanca, 
Fray Nicholas de Jesus Maria, wrote a learned Latin defence of St. 
John of the Cross in 1631, often referred to briefly as the 
Elucidatio.[53] It is divided into two parts, the first defending 
the Saint against charges of a general kind that were brought 
against his writings, and the second upholding censured 
propositions taken from them. On the general ground, P. Nicholas 
reminds his readers that many writers who now enjoy the highest 
possible reputation were in their time denounced and unjustly 
persecuted. St. Jerome was attacked for his translation of the 
Bible from Hebrew into Latin; St. Augustine, for his teaching 
about grace and free-will. The works of St. Gregory the Great were 
burned at Rome; those of St. Thomas Aquinas at Paris. Most 
mediaeval and modern mystics have been the victims of persecution 
-- Ruysbroeck, Tauler and even St. Teresa. Such happenings, he 
maintains, have done nothing to lessen the eventual prestige of 
these authors, but rather have added to it.
     Nor, he continues, can the works of any author fairly be 
censured, because misguided teachers make use of them to propagate 
their false teaching. No book has been more misused by heretics 
than Holy Scripture and few books of value would escape if we were 
to condemn all that had been so treated. Equally worthless is the 
objection that mystical literature is full of difficulties which 
may cause the ignorant and pusillanimous to stumble. Apart from 
the fact that St. John of the Cross is clearer and more lucid than 
most of his contemporaries, and that therefore the works of many 
of them would have to follow his own into oblivion, the same 
argument might again be applied to the Scriptures. Who can 
estimate the good imparted by the sacred books to those who read 
them in a spirit of uprightness and simplicity? Yet what books are 
more pregnant with mystery and with truths that are difficult and, 
humanly speaking, even inaccessible?
     But (continues P. Nicolas), even if we allow that parts of 
the work of St. John of the Cross, for all the clarity of his 
exposition, are obscure to the general reader, it must be 
remembered that much more is of the greatest attraction and profit 
to all. On the one hand, the writings of the Saint represent the 
purest sublimation of Divine love in the pilgrim soul, and are 
therefore food for the most advanced upon the mystic way. On the 
other, every reader, however slight his spiritual progress, can 
understand the Saint's ascetic teaching: his chapters on the 
purgation of the senses, mortification, detachment from all that 
belongs to the earth, purity of conscience, the practice of the 
virtues, and so on. The Saint's greatest enemy is not the 
obscurity of his teaching but the inflexible logic with which he 
deduces, from the fundamental principles of evangelical 
perfection, the consequences which must be observed by those who 
would scale the Mount. So straight and so hard is the road which 
he maps out for the climber that the majority of those who see it 
are at once dismayed.
     These are the main lines of P. Nicolas' argument, which he 
develops at great length. We must refer briefly to the chapter in 
which he makes a careful synthesis of the teaching of the 
Illuminists, to show how far it is removed from that of St. John 
of the Cross. He divides these false contemplatives into four 
classes. In the first class he places those who suppress all their 
acts, both interior and exterior, in prayer. In the second, those 
who give themselves up to a state of pure quiet, with no loving 
attention to God. In the third, those who allow their bodies to 
indulge every craving and maintain that, in the state of spiritual 
intoxication which they have reached, they are unable to commit 
sin. In the fourth, those who consider themselves to be 
instruments of God and adopt an attitude of complete passivity, 
maintaining also that they are unable to sin, because God alone is 
working in them. The division is more subtle than practical, for 
the devotees of this sect, with few exceptions, professed the same 
erroneous beliefs and tended to the same degree of licence in 
their conduct. But, by isolating these tenets, P. Nicolas is the 
better able to show the antithesis between them and those of St. 
John of the Cross.
     In the second part of the Elucidatio, he analyses the 
propositions already treated by Fray Basilio Ponce de Leon, 
reducing them to twenty and dealing faithfully with them in the 
same number of chapters. His defence is clear, methodical and 
convincing and follows similar lines to those adopted by Fray 
Basilio, to whom its author acknowledges his indebtedness.

     Another of St. John of the Cross's apologists is Fray Jose de 
Jesus Maria (Quiroga), who, in a number of his works,[54] both 
defends and eulogizes him, without going into any detailed 
examination of the propositions. Fray Jose is an outstanding 
example of a very large class of writers, for, as Illuminism gave 
place to Quietism, the teaching of St. John of the Cross became 
more and more violently impugned and almost all mystical writers 
of the time referred to him. Perhaps we should single out, from 
among his defenders outside the Carmelite Order, that Augustinian 
father, P. Antolinez, to whose commentary on three of the Saint's 
works we have already made reference.
     As the school of mystical writers within the Discalced 
Carmelite Reform gradually grew -- a school which took St. John of 
the Cross as its leader and is one of the most illustrious in the 
history of mystical theology -- it began to share in the same 
persecution as had befallen its founder. It is impossible, in a 
few words, to describe this epoch of purgation, and indeed it can 
only be properly studied in its proper context -- the religious 
history of the period as a whole. For our purpose, it suffices to 
say that the works of St. John of the Cross were once more 
denounced to the Inquisition, though, once more, no notice appears 
to have been taken of the denunciations, for there exists no 
record ordering the expurgation or prohibition of the books 
referred to. The Elucidatio was also denounced, together with 
several of the works of P. Jose de Jesus Maria, at various times 
in the seventeenth century, and these attacks were of course 
equivalent to direct attacks on St. John of the Cross. One of the 
most vehement onslaughts made was levelled against P. Jose's 
Subida del Alma a Dios ('Ascent of the Soul to God'), which is in 
effect an elaborate commentary on St. John of the Cross's 
teaching. The Spanish Inquisition refusing to censure the book, an 
appeal against it was made to the Inquisition at Rome. When no 
satisfaction was obtained in this quarter, P. Jose's opponents 
went to the Pope, who referred the matter to the Sacred 
Congregation of the Index; but this body issued a warm eulogy of 
the book and the matter thereupon dropped.
     In spite of such defeats, the opponents of the Carmelite 
school continued their work into the eighteenth century. In 1740, 
a new appeal was made to the Spanish Inquisition to censure P. 
Jose's Subida. A document of seventy-three folios denounced no 
less than one hundred and sixty-five propositions which it claimed 
to have taken direct from the work referred to, and this time, 
after a conflict extending over ten years, the book (described as 
'falsely attributed' to P. Jose[55]) was condemned (July 4, 1750), 
as 'containing doctrine most perilous in practice, and 
propositions similar and equivalent to those condemned in Miguel 
de Molinos.'
     We set down the salient facts of this controversy, without 
commenting upon them, as an instance of the attitude of the 
eighteenth century towards the mystics in general, and, in 
particular, towards the school of the Discalced Carmelites. In 
view of the state and tendencies of thought in these times, the 
fact of the persecution, and the degree of success that it 
attained, is not surprising. The important point to bear in mind 
is that it must be taken into account continually by students of 
the editions of the Saint's writings and of the history of his 
teaching throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.


                              VIII

     FURTHER HISTORY OF THE EDITIONS -- P. ANDRES DE LA 
ENCARNACION -- EDITIONS OF THE NINETEENTH AND TWENTIETH CENTURIES

     WHAT has just been said will fully explain the paucity of the 
editions of St. John of the Cross which we find in the eighteenth 
century. This century, however, was, scientifically speaking, one 
of great progress. Critical methods of study developed and became 
widespread; and there was a great desire to obtain purer and more 
nearly perfect texts and to discover the original sources of the 
ideas of great thinkers. These tendencies made themselves felt 
within the Discalced Carmelite Order, and there also arose a great 
ambition to republish in their original forms the works both of 
St. Teresa and of St. John of the Cross. The need was greater in 
the latter case than in the former; so urgent was it felt to be as 
to admit of no delay. 'There have been discovered in the works [of 
St. John of the Cross],' says a document of about 1753, 'many 
errors, mutilations and other defects the existence of which 
cannot be denied.'[56] The religious who wrote thus to the Chapter-
General of the Reform set out definite and practical schemes for a 
thorough revision of these works, which were at once accepted. 
There thus comes into our history that noteworthy friar, P. Andres 
de la Encarnacion, to whom we owe so much of what we know about 
the Saint to-day. P. Andres was no great stylist, nor had he the 
usual Spanish fluency of diction. But he was patient, modest and 
industrious, and above all he was endowed with a double portion of 
the critical spirit of the eighteenth century. He was selected for 
the work of investigation as being by far the fittest person who 
could be found for it. A decree dated October 6, 1754 ordered him 
to set to work. As a necessary preliminary to the task of 
preparing a corrected text of the Saint's writings, he was to 
spare no effort in searching for every extant manuscript; 
accordingly he began long journeys through La Mancha and 
Andalusia, going over all the ground covered by St. John of the 
Cross in his travels and paying special attention to the places 
where he had lived for any considerable period. In those days, 
before the religious persecutions of the nineteenth century had 
destroyed and scattered books and manuscripts, the archives of the 
various religious houses were intact. P. Andres and his amanuensis 
were therefore able to copy and collate valuable manuscripts now 
lost to us and they at once began to restore the phrases and 
passages omitted from the editions. Unhappily, their work has 
disappeared and we can judge of it only at second hand; but it 
appears to have been in every way meritorious. So far as we can 
gather from the documents which have come down to us, it failed to 
pass the rigorous censorship of the Order. In other words, the 
censors, who were professional theologians, insisted upon making 
so many corrections that the Superiors, who shared the enlightened 
critical opinions of P. Andres, thought it better to postpone the 
publication of the edition indefinitely.
     The failure of the project, however, to which P. Andres 
devoted so much patient labour, did not wholly destroy the fruits 
of his skill and perseverance. He was ordered to retire to his 
priory, where he spent the rest of his long life under the burden 
of a trial the magnitude of which any scholar or studiously minded 
reader can estimate. He did what he could in his seclusion to 
collect, arrange and recopy such notes of his work as he could 
recover from those to whom they had been submitted. His defence of 
this action to the Chapter-General is at once admirable in the 
tranquillity of its temper and pathetic in the eagerness and 
affection which it displays for the task that he has been 
forbidden to continue:

     Inasmuch as I was ordered, some years ago . . . to prepare an 
exact edition of the works of our holy father, and afterwards was 
commanded to suspend my labours for just reasons which presented 
themselves to these our fathers and prevented its accomplishment 
at the time, I obeyed forthwith with the greatest submissiveness, 
but, as I found that I had a rich store of information which at 
some future time might contribute to the publication of a truly 
illustrious and perfect edition, it seemed to me that I should not 
be running counter to the spirit of the Order if I gave it some 
serviceable form, so that I should not be embarrassed by seeing it 
in a disorderly condition if at some future date it should be 
proposed to carry into effect the original decisions of the Order.
     With humility and submissiveness, therefore, I send to your 
Reverences these results of my private labours, not because it is 
in my mind that the work should be recommended, or that, if this 
is to be done, it should be at any particular time, for that I 
leave to the disposition of your Reverences and of God, but to the 
end that I may return to the Order that which belongs to it; for, 
since I was excused from religious observances for nearly nine 
years so that I might labour in this its own field, the Order 
cannot but have a right to the fruits of my labours, nor can I 
escape the obligation of delivering what I have discovered into 
its hand. . . .[57]

     We cannot examine the full text of the interesting memorandum 
to the Censors which follows this humble exordium. One of their 
allegations had been that the credit of the Order would suffer if 
it became known that passages of the Saint's works had been 
suppressed by Carmelite editors. P. Andres makes the sage reply: 
'There is certainly the risk that this will become known if the 
edition is made; but there is also a risk that it will become 
known in any case. We must weigh the risks against each other and 
decide which proceeding will bring the Order into the greater 
discredit if one of them materializes.' He fortifies this argument 
with the declaration that the defects of the existing editions 
were common knowledge outside the Order as well as within it, and 
that, as manuscript copies of the Saint's works were also in the 
possession of many others than Carmelites, there was nothing to 
prevent a correct edition being made at any time. This must 
suffice as a proof that P. Andres could be as acute as he was 
submissive.
     Besides collecting this material, and leaving on record his 
opposition to the short-sighted decision of the Censors, P. Andres 
prepared 'some Disquisitions on the writings of the Saint, which, 
if a more skilful hand should correct and improve their style, 
cannot but be well received.' Closely connected with the 
Disquisitions are the Preludes in which he glosses the Saint's 
writings. These studies, like the notes already described, have 
all been lost -- no doubt, together with many other documents from 
the archives of the Reform in Madrid, they disappeared during the 
pillaging of the religious houses in the early nineteenth century.
     The little of P. Andres' work that remains to us gives a 
clear picture of the efforts made by the Reform to bring out a 
worthy edition of St. John of the Cross's writings in the 
eighteenth century; it is manifestly insufficient, however, to 
take a modern editor far along the way. Nor, as we have seen, are 
his judgments by any means to be followed otherwise than with the 
greatest caution; he greatly exaggerates, too, the effect of the 
mutilations of earlier editors, no doubt in order to convince his 
superiors of the necessity for a new edition. The materials for a 
modern editor are to be found, not in the documents left by P. 
Andres, but in such Carmelite archives as still exist, and in the 
National Library of Spain, to which many Carmelite treasures found 
their way at the beginning of the last century.

     The work sent by P. Andres to his superiors was kept in the 
archives of the Discalced Carmelites, but no new edition was 
prepared till a hundred and fifty years later. In the nineteenth 
century such a task was made considerably more difficult by 
religious persecution; which resulted in the loss of many valuable 
manuscripts, some of which P. Andres must certainly have examined. 
For a time, too, the Orders were expelled from Spain, and, on 
their return, had neither the necessary freedom, nor the time or 
material means, for such undertakings. In the twenty-seventh 
volume of the well-known series of classics entitled Biblioteca de 
Autores Espanoles (1853) the works of St. John of the Cross were 
reprinted according to the 1703 edition, without its engravings, 
indices and commendations, and with a 'critical estimate' of the 
Saint by Pi y Margall, which has some literary value but in other 
respects fails entirely to do justice to its subject.
     Neither the Madrid edition of 1872 nor the Barcelona edition 
of 1883 adds anything to our knowledge and it was not till the 
Toledo edition of 1912-14 that a new advance was made. This 
edition was the work of a young Carmelite friar, P. Gerardo de San 
Juan de la Cruz, who died soon after its completion. It aims, 
according to its title, which is certainly justified, at being 
'the most correct and complete edition of all that have been 
published down to the present date.' If it was not as successful 
as might have been wished, this could perhaps hardly have been 
expected of a comparatively inexperienced editor confronted with 
so gigantic a task -- a man, too, who worked almost alone and was 
by temperament and predilection an investigator rather than a 
critic. Nevertheless, its introductions, footnotes, appended 
documents, and collection of apocryphal works of the Saint, as 
well as its text, were all considered worthy of extended study and 
the edition was rightly received with enthusiasm. Its principal 
merit will always lie in its having restored to their proper 
places, for the first time in a printed edition, many passages 
which had theretofore remained in manuscript.
     We have been anxious that this new edition [Burgos, 1929-31] 
should represent a fresh advance in the task of establishing a 
definitive text of St. John of the Cross's writings. For this 
reason we have examined, together with two devoted assistants, 
every discoverable manuscript, with the result, as it seems to us, 
that both the form and the content of our author's works are as 
nearly as possible as he left them.
     In no case have we followed any one manuscript exclusively, 
preferring to assess the value of each by a careful preliminary 
study and to consider each on its merits, which are described in 
the introduction to each of the individual works. Since our 
primary aim has been to present an accurate text, our footnotes 
will be found to be almost exclusively textual. The only edition 
which we cite, with the occasional exception of that of 1630, is 
the princeps, from which alone there is much to be learned. The 
Latin quotations from the Vulgate are not, of course, given except 
where they appear in the manuscripts, and, save for the occasional 
correction of a copyist's error, they are reproduced in exactly 
the form in which we have found them. Orthography and punctuation 
have had perforce to be modernized, since the manuscripts differ 
widely and we have so few autographs that nothing conclusive can 
be learned of the Saint's own practice.[58]


                     ASCENT OF MOUNT CARMEL

                          INTRODUCTION

     AS will be seen from the biographical outline which we have 
given of the life of St. John of the Cross, this was the first of 
the Saint's treatises to be written; it was begun at El Calvario, 
and, after various intervals, due to the author's preoccupation 
with the business of government and the direction and care of 
souls, was completed at Granada.
     The treatise presents a remarkable outline of Christian 
perfection from the point at which the soul first seeks to rise 
from the earth and soar upward towards union with God. It is a 
work which shows every sign of careful planning and great 
attention to detail, as an ascetic treatise it is noteworthy for 
its detailed psychological analysis; as a contribution to mystical 
theology, for the skill with which it treats the most complicated 
and delicate questions concerning the Mystic Way.
     Both the great Carmelite reformers pay close attention to the 
early stages of the mystical life, beyond which many never pass, 
and both give the primacy to prayer as a means of attaining 
perfection. To St. Teresa prayer is the greatest of all blessings 
of this life, the channel through which all the favours of God 
pass to the soul, the beginning of every virtue and the plainly 
marked highroad which leads to the summit of Mount Carmel. She can 
hardly conceive of a person in full spiritual health whose life is 
not one of prayer. Her coadjutor in the Carmelite Reform writes in 
the same spirit. Prayer, for St. John of the Cross as for St. 
Teresa, is no mere exercise made up of petition and meditation, 
but a complete spiritual life which brings in its train all the 
virtues, increases all the soul's potentialities and may 
ultimately lead to 'deification' or transformation in God through 
love. It may be said that the exposition of the life of prayer, 
from its lowest stages to its highest, is the common aim of these 
two Saints, which each pursues and accomplishes in a peculiarly 
individual manner.
     St. John of the Cross assumes his reader to be familiar with 
the rudiments of the spiritual life and therefore omits detailed 
description of the most elementary of the exercises incumbent upon 
all Christians. The plan of the Ascent of Mount Carmel (which, 
properly speaking, embraces its sequel, the Dark Night) follows 
the lines of the poem with the latter title (p. 10). Into two 
stanzas of five lines each, St. John of the Cross has condensed 
all the instruction which he develops in this treatise. In order 
to reach the Union of Light, the soul must pass through the Dark 
Night -- that is to say, through a series of purifications, during 
which it is walking, as it were, through a tunnel of impenetrable 
obscurity and from which it emerges to bask in the sunshine of 
grace and to enjoy the Divine intimacy.
     Through this obscurity the thread which guides the soul is 
that of 'emptiness' or 'negation.' Only by voiding ourselves of 
all that is not God can we attain to the possession of God, for 
two contraries cannot co-exist in one individual, and creature-
love is darkness, while God is light, so that from any human heart 
one of the two cannot fail to drive out the other.[59]
     Now the soul, according to the Saint's psychology, is made up 
of interior and exterior senses and of the faculties. All these 
must be free from creature impurities in order to be prepared for 
Divine union. The necessary self-emptying may be accomplished in 
two ways: by our own efforts, with the habitual aid of grace, and 
by the action of God exclusively, in which the individual has no 
part whatsoever. Following this order, the Ascent is divided into 
two parts, which deal respectively with the 'Active' night and the 
'Passive.' Each of these parts consists of several books. Since 
the soul must be purified in its entirety, the Active Night is 
logically divided into the Night of Sense and the Night of the 
Spirit; a similar division is observed in treating of the Passive 
Night. One book is devoted to the Active Night of Sense; two are 
needed for the Active Night of the Spirit. Unhappily, however, the 
treatise was never finished; not only was its author unable to 
take us out of the night into the day, as he certainly intended to 
do, but he has not even space to describe the Passive Night in all 
the fullness of its symbolism.
     A brief glance at the outstanding parts of the Ascent of 
Mount Carmel will give some idea of its nature. The first obstacle 
which the pilgrim soul encounters is the senses, upon which St. 
John of the Cross expends his analytical skill in Book I. Like any 
academic professor (and it will be recalled that he had undergone 
a complete university course at Salamanca), he outlines and 
defines his subject, goes over the necessary preliminary ground 
before expounding it, and treats it, in turn, under each of its 
natural divisions. He tells us, that is to say, what he 
understands by the 'dark night'; describes its causes and its 
stages; explains how necessary it is to union with God; enumerates 
the perils which beset the soul that enters it; and shows how all 
desires must be expelled, 'however small they be,' if the soul is 
to travel through it safely. Finally he gives a complete synthesis 
of the procedure that must be adopted by the pilgrim in relation 
to this part of his journey: the force of this is intensified by 
those striking maxims and distichs which make Chapter xiii of Book 
I so memorable.
     The first thirteen chapters of the Ascent are perhaps the 
easiest to understand (though they are anything but easy to put 
into practice) in the entire works of St. John of the Cross. They 
are all a commentary on the very first line of the poem. The last 
two chapters of the first book glance at the remaining lines, 
rather than expound them, and the Saint takes us on at once to 
Book II, which expounds the second stanza and enters upon the 
Night of the Spirit.
     Here the Saint treats of the proximate means to union with 
God -- namely, faith. He uses the same careful method of 
exposition, showing clearly how faith is to the soul as a dark 
night, and how, nevertheless, it is the safest of guides. A 
parenthetical chapter (v) attempts to give some idea of the nature 
of union, so that the reader may recognize from afar the goal to 
which he is proceeding. The author then goes on to describe how 
the three theological virtues -- faith, hope and charity -- must 
'void and dispose for union' the three faculties of the soul -- 
understanding, memory and will.
     He shows how narrow is the way that leads to life and how 
nothing that belongs to the understanding can guide the soul to 
union. His illustrations and arguments are far more complicated 
and subtle than are those of the first book, and give the reader 
some idea of his knowledge, not only of philosophy and theology, 
but also of individual souls. Without this last qualification he 
could never have written those penetrating chapters on the 
impediments to union -- above all, the passages on visions, 
locutions and revelations -- nor must we overlook his description 
(Chapter xiii) of the three signs that the soul is ready to pass 
from meditation to contemplation. It may be doubted if in its own 
field this second book has ever been surpassed. There is no mystic 
who gives a more powerful impression than St. John of the Cross of 
an absolute mastery of his subject. No mistiness, vagueness or 
indecision clouds his writing: he is as clear-cut and definite as 
can be.
     In his third book St. John of the Cross goes on to describe 
the obstacles to union which come from the memory and the will. 
Unlike St. Thomas, he considered the memory as a distinct and 
separate faculty of the soul. Having written, however, at such 
length of the understanding, he found it possible to treat more 
briefly of that other faculty, which is so closely related to 
it.[60] Fourteen chapters (ii-xv) describe the dark night to be 
traversed by the memory; thirty (xvi-xlv) the passage of the will, 
impelled by love.[61] The latter part is the more strikingly 
developed. Four passions -- joy, hope, sorrow and fear -- invade 
the will, and may either encompass the soul's perdition, or, if 
rightly directed, lead it to virtue and union. Once more St. John 
of the Cross employs his profound familiarity with the human soul 
to turn it away from peril and guide it into the path of safety. 
Much that he says, in dealing with passions so familiar to us all, 
is not only purely ascetic, but is even commonplace to the 
instructed Christian. Yet these are but parts of a greater whole.
     Of particular interest, both intrinsically and as giving a 
picture of the Saint's own times, are the chapters on ceremonies 
and aids to devotion -- the use of rosaries, medals, pilgrimages, 
etc. It must be remembered, of course, that he spent most of his 
active life in the South of Spain, where exaggerations of all 
kinds, even to-day, are more frequent than in the more sober 
north. In any case there is less need, in this lukewarm age, to 
warn Christians against the abuse of these means of grace, and 
more need, perhaps, to urge them to employ aids that will 
stimulate and quicken their devotion.
     In the seventeenth chapter of this third book, St. John of 
the Cross enumerates the 'six kinds of good' which can give rise 
to rejoicing and sets down his intention of treating each of them 
in turn. He carries out his purpose, but, on entering his last 
division, subdivides it at considerable length and subsequently 
breaks off with some brusqueness while dealing with one of these 
sub-heads, just as he is introducing another subject of particular 
interest historically -- namely, pulpit methods considered from 
the standpoint of the preacher. In all probability we shall never 
know what he had to say about the hearers of sermons, or what were 
his considered judgments on confessors and penitents -- though of 
these judgments he has left us examples elsewhere in this 
treatise, as well as in others.
     We cannot estimate of how much the sudden curtailment of the 
Ascent of Mount Carmel has robbed us.[62] Orderly as was the mind of 
St. John of the Cross, he was easily carried away in his 
expositions, which are apt to be unequal. No one would have 
suspected, for example, that, after going into such length in 
treating the first line of his first stanza, he would make such 
short work of the remaining four. Nor can we disregard the 
significance of his warning that much of what he had written on 
the understanding was applicable also to the memory and the will. 
He may, therefore, have been nearer the end of his theme than is 
generally supposed. Yet it is equally possible that much more of 
his subtle analysis was in store for his readers. Any truncation, 
when the author is a St. John of the Cross, must be considered 
irreparable.

                       THE MANUSCRIPTS[63]

     Unfortunately there is no autograph of this treatise extant, 
though there are a number of early copies, some of which have been 
made with great care. Others, for various reasons, abbreviate the 
original considerably. The MSS. belonging to both classes will be 
enumerated.
     Alba de Tormes. The Discalced Carmelite priory of Alba de 
Tormes has a codex which contains the four principal treatises of 
St. John of the Cross (Ascent, Dark Night, Spiritual Canticle and 
Living Flame). This codex belonged from a very early date (perhaps 
from a date not much later than that of the Saint's death) to the 
family of the Duke of Alba, which was greatly devoted to the 
Discalced Carmelite Reform and to St. Teresa, its foundress. It 
remained in the family until the beginning of the eighteenth 
century, when it came into the hands of a learned Carmelite, Fray 
Alonso de la Madre de Dios, who presented it to the Alba monastery 
on April 15, 1705. The details of this history are given by Fray 
Alonso himself in a note bearing this date.
     For over half a century the MS. was believed to be an 
autograph, partly, no doubt, on account of its luxurious binding 
and the respect paid to the noble house whence it came. In 
February 1761, however, it was examined carefully by P. Manuel de 
Santa Maria, who, by his Superiors' orders, was assisting P. 
Andres de la Encarnacion in his search for, and study of, 
manuscripts of the Saint's writings. P. Manuel soon discovered 
that the opinion commonly held was erroneous -- greatly, it would 
seem, to the disillusionment of his contemporaries. Among the 
various reasons which he gives in a statement supporting his 
conclusions is that in two places the author is described as 
'santo' -- a proof not only that the MS. is not an autograph but 
also that the copyist had no intention of representing it as such.
     Although this copy is carefully made and richly bound -- 
which suggests that it was a gift from the Reform to the house of 
Alba -- it contains many errors, of a kind which indicate that the 
copyist, well educated though he was, knew little of ascetic or 
mystical theology. A number of omissions, especially towards the 
end of the book, give the impression that the copy was finished 
with haste and not compared with the original on its completion. 
There is no reason, however, to suppose that the errors and 
omissions are ever intentional; indeed, they are of such a kind as 
to suggest that the copyist had not the skill necessary for 
successful adulteration.
     MS. 6,624. This copy, like the next four, is in N.L.M. 
[National Library of Spain, Madrid], and contains the same works 
as that of Alba de Tormes. It was made in 1755, under the 
direction of P. Andres de la Encarnacion, from a manuscript, now 
lost, which was venerated by the Benedictines of Burgos: this 
information is found at the end of the volume. P. Andres had 
evidently a good opinion of the Burgos MS., as he placed this copy 
in the archives of the Discalced Reform, whence it passed to the 
National Library early in the nineteenth century.
     As far as the Ascent is concerned, this MS. is very similar 
to that of Alba. With a few notable exceptions, such as the 
omission of the second half of Book I, Chapter iv, the errors and 
omissions are so similar as to suggest a definite relationship, if 
not a common source.
     MS. 13,498. This MS., which gives us the Ascent and the Dark 
Night, also came from the Archives of the Reform and is now in the 
National Library. The handwriting might be as early as the end of 
the sixteenth century. The author did not attempt to make a 
literal transcription of the Ascent, but summarized where he 
thought advisable, reducing the number of chapters and 
abbreviating many of them -- this last not so much by the method 
of paraphrase as by the free omission of phrases and sentences.
     MS. 2,201. This, as far as the Ascent is concerned, is an 
almost literal transcription of the last MS., in a seventeenth-
century hand; it was bound in the eighteenth century, when a 
number of other treatises were added to it, together with some 
poems by St. John of the Cross and others. The variants as between 
this MS. and 13,498 are numerous, but of small importance, and 
seem mainly to have been due to carelessness.
     MS. 18,160. This dates from the end of the sixteenth century 
and contains the four treatises named above, copied in different 
hands and evidently intended to form one volume. Only the first 
four chapters of the Ascent are given, together with the title and 
the first three lines of the fifth chapter. The transcription is 
poorly done.
     MS. 13,507. An unimportant copy, containing only a few odd 
chapters of the Ascent and others from the remaining works of St. 
John of the Cross and other writers.
     Pamplona. A codex in an excellent state of preservation is 
venerated by the Discalced Carmelite nuns of Pamplona. It was 
copied, at the end of the sixteenth century, by a Barcelona 
Carmelite, M. Magdalena de la Asuncion, and contains a short 
summary of the four treatises enumerated above, various poems by 
St. John of the Cross and some miscellaneous writings. The Ascent 
is abbreviated to the same extent as in 13,498 and 2,201 and by 
the same methods; many chapters, too, are omitted in their 
entirety.
     Alcaudete. This MS., which contains the Ascent only, was 
copied by St. John of the Cross's close friend and companion, P. 
Juan Evangelista, as a comparison with manuscripts (N.L.M., 
12,738) written in his well-known and very distinctive hand, puts 
beyond all doubt. P. Juan, who took the habit of the Reform at 
Christmas 1582, knew the Saint before this date; was professed by 
him at Granada in 1583; accompanied him on many of his journeys; 
saw him write most of his books; and, as his close friend and 
confessor, was consulted repeatedly by his biographers.[64] It is 
natural that he should also have acted as the Saint's copyist, 
and, in the absence of autographs, we should expect no manuscripts 
to be more trustworthy than copies made by him. Examination of 
this MS. shows that it is in fact highly reliable. It corrects 
none of those unwieldy periods in which the Saint's work abounds, 
and which the editio princeps often thought well to amend, nor, 
like the early editions and even some manuscripts, does it omit 
whole paragraphs and substitute others for them. Further, as this 
copy was being made solely for the use of the Order, no passages 
are omitted or altered in it because they might be erroneously 
interpreted as illuministic. It is true that P. Juan Evangelista 
is not, from the technical standpoint, a perfect copyist, but, 
frequently as are his slips, they are always easy to recognize.
     The Alcaudete MS. was found in the Carmelite priory in that 
town by P. Andres de la Encarnacion, who first made use of it for 
his edition. When the priory was abandoned during the religious 
persecutions of the early nineteenth century, the MS. was lost. 
Nearly a hundred years passed before it was re-discovered by P. 
Silverio de Santa Teresa in a second-hand bookshop [and forms a 
most important contribution to that scholar's edition, which 
normally follows it]. It bears many signs of frequent use; eleven 
folios are missing from the body of the MS. (corresponding 
approximately to Book III, Chapters xxii to xxvi) and several more 
from its conclusion.
     In the footnotes to the Ascent, the following abbreviations 
are used:

     A = MS. of the Discalced Carmelite Friars of Alba. 
     Alc. = Alcaudete MS.
     B = MS. of the Benedictines of Burgos.
     C = N.L.M., MS. 13,498.
     D = N.L.M., MS. 2,201.
     P = MS. of the Discalced Carmelite Nuns of Pamplona. 
     E.p. = Editio princeps (Alcala, 1618).

     Other editions or manuscripts cited are referred to without 
abbreviation.



                     ASCENT OF MOUNT CARMEL

     Treats of how the soul may prepare itself in order to attain 
in a short time to Divine union. Gives very profitable counsels 
and instruction, both to beginners and to proficients, that they 
may know how to disencumber themselves of all that is temporal and 
not to encumber themselves with the spiritual, and to remain in 
complete detachment and liberty of spirit, as is necessary for 
Divine union.

                            ARGUMENT

     ALL the doctrine whereof I intend to treat in this Ascent of 
Mount Carmel is included in the following stanzas, and in them is 
also described the manner of ascending to the summit of the Mount, 
which is the high estate of perfection which we here call union of 
the soul with God. And because I must continually base upon them 
that which I shall say, I have desired to set them down here 
together, to the end that all the substance of that which is to be 
written may be seen and comprehended together; although it will be 
fitting to set down each stanza separately before expounding it, 
and likewise the lines of each stanza, according as the matter and 
the exposition require. The poem, then, runs as follows:[65]



                           STANZAS[66]

     Wherein the soul sings of the happy chance which it had in 
passing through the dark night of faith, in detachment and 
purgation of itself, to union with the Beloved.

     1. On a dark night, Kindled[67] in love with yearnings -- oh, 
happy chance! -- 
     I went forth without being observed, My house being now 
at rest.[68]

     2. In darkness and secure, By the secret ladder, disguised 
-- oh, happy chance! --
     In darkness and in concealment, My house being now at 
rest.

     3. In the happy night, In secret, when none saw me, 
     Nor I beheld aught, Without light or guide, save that 
which burned in my heart.

     4. This light guided me More surely than the light of 
noonday,
     To the place where he (well I knew who!) was awaiting me 
-- A place where none appeared.

     5. Oh, night that guided me, Oh, night more lovely than the 
dawn, 
     Oh, night that joined Beloved with lover, Lover 
transformed in the Beloved! 

     6. Upon my flowery breast, Kept wholly for himself alone, 
     There he stayed sleeping, and I caressed him, And the 
fanning of the cedars made a breeze.

     7. The breeze blew from the turret As I parted his locks; 
     With his gentle hand he wounded my neck And caused all 
my senses to be suspended. 

     8. I remained, lost in oblivion;[69] My face I reclined on 
the Beloved. 
     All ceased and I abandoned myself, Leaving my cares 
forgotten among the lilies. 


                            PROLOGUE

     IN order to expound and describe this dark night, through 
which the soul passes in order to attain to the Divine light of 
the perfect union of the love of God, as far as is possible in 
this life, it would be necessary to have illumination of knowledge 
and experience other and far greater than mine; for this darkness 
and these trials, both spiritual and temporal, through which happy 
souls are wont to pass in order to be able to attain to this high 
estate of perfection, are so numerous and so profound that neither 
does human knowledge suffice for the understanding of them, nor 
experience for the description of them; for only he that passes 
this way can understand it, and even he cannot describe it.
     2. Therefore, in order to say a little about this dark night, 
I shall trust neither to experience nor to knowledge, since both 
may fail and deceive; but, while not omitting to make such use as 
I can of these two things, I shall avail myself, in all that, with 
the Divine favour, I have to say, or at the least, in that which 
is most important and dark to the understanding, of Divine 
Scripture; for, if we guide ourselves by this, we shall be unable 
to stray, since He Who speaks therein is the Holy Spirit. And if 
aught I stray, whether through my imperfect understanding of that 
which is said in it or of matters uncollected with it, it is not 
my intention to depart from the sound sense and doctrine of our 
Holy Mother the Catholic Church; for in such a case I submit and 
resign myself wholly, not only to her command, but to whatever 
better judgment she may pronounce concerning it.
     3. To this end I have been moved, not by any possibility that 
I see in myself of accomplishing so arduous a task, but by the 
confidence which I have in the Lord that He will help me to say 
something to relieve the great necessity which is experienced by 
many souls, who, when they set out upon the road of virtue, and 
Our Lord desires to bring them into this dark night that they may 
pass through it to Divine union, make no progress. At times this 
is because they have no desire to enter it or to allow themselves 
to be led into it; at other times, because they understand not 
themselves and lack competent and alert directors[70] who will guide 
them to the summit. And so it is sad to see many souls to whom God 
gives both aptitude and favour with which to make progress (and 
who, if they would take courage, could attain to this high 
estate), remaining in an elementary stage[71] of communion with God, 
for want of will, or knowledge, or because there is none who will 
lead them in the right path or teach them how to get away from 
these beginnings. And at length, although Our Lord grants them 
such favour as to make them to go onward without this hindrance or 
that, they arrive at their goal very much later, and with greater 
labour, yet with less merit, because they have not conformed 
themselves to God, and allowed themselves to be brought freely 
into the pure and sure road of union. For, although it is true 
that God is leading them, and that He can lead them without their 
own help, they will not allow themselves to be led; and thus they 
make less progress, because they resist Him Who is leading them, 
and they have less merit, because they apply not their will, and 
on this account they suffer more. For these are souls who, instead 
of committing themselves to God and making use of His help, rather 
hinder God by the indiscretion of their actions or by their 
resistance; like children who, when their mothers desire to carry 
them in their arms, start stamping and crying, and insist upon 
being allowed to walk, with the result that they can make no 
progress; and, if they advance at all, it is only at the pace of a 
child.
     4. Wherefore, to the end that all, whether beginners or 
proficients, may know how to commit themselves to God's guidance, 
when His Majesty desires to lead them onward, we shall give 
instruction and counsel, by His help, so that they may be able to 
understand His will, or, at the least, allow Him to lead them. For 
some confessors and spiritual fathers, having no light and 
experience concerning these roads, are wont to hinder and harm 
such souls rather than to help them on the road; they are like the 
builders of Babel, who, when told to furnish suitable material, 
gave and applied other very different material, because they 
understood not the language, and thus nothing was done. Wherefore, 
it is a difficult and troublesome thing at such seasons for a soul 
not to understand itself or to find none who understands it. For 
it will come to pass that God will lead the soul by a most lofty 
path of dark contemplation and aridity, wherein it seems to be 
lost, and, being thus full of darkness and trials, constraints and 
temptations, will meet one who will speak to it like Job's 
comforters, and say that it is suffering from melancholy, or low 
spirits, or a morbid disposition, or that it may have some hidden 
sin, and that it is for this reason that God has forsaken it. Such 
comforters are wont to declare immediately that that soul must 
have been very evil, since such things as these are befalling it.
     5. And there will likewise be those who tell the soul to 
retrace its steps, since it is finding no pleasure or consolation 
in the things of God as it did aforetime. And in this way they 
double the poor soul's trials; for it may well be that the 
greatest affliction which it is feeling is that of the knowledge 
of its own miseries, thinking that it sees itself, more clearly 
than daylight, to be full of evils and sins, for God gives it that 
light of knowledge in that night of contemplation, as we shall 
presently show. And, when the soul finds someone whose opinion 
agrees with its own, and who says that these things must be due to 
its own fault, its affliction and trouble increase infinitely and 
are wont to become more grievous than death. And, not content with 
this, such confessors, thinking that these things proceed from 
sin, make these souls go over their lives and cause them to make 
many general confessions, and crucify them afresh; not 
understanding that this may quite well not be the time for any of 
such things, and that their penitents should be left in the state 
of purgation which God gives them, and be comforted and encouraged 
to desire it until God be pleased to dispose otherwise; for until 
that time, no matter what the souls themselves may do and their 
confessors may say, there is no remedy for them.
     6. This, with the Divine favour, we shall consider hereafter, 
and also how the soul should conduct itself at such a time, and 
how the confessor must treat it, and what signs there will be 
whereby it may be known if this is the purgation of the soul; and, 
in such case, whether it be of sense or of spirit (which is the 
dark night whereof we speak), and how it may be known if it be 
melancholy or some other imperfection with respect to sense or to 
spirit. For there may be some souls who will think, or whose 
confessors will think, that God is leading them along this road of 
the dark night of spiritual purgation, whereas they may possibly 
be suffering only from some of the imperfections aforementioned. 
And, again, there are many souls who think that they have no 
aptitude for prayer, when they have very much; and there are 
others who think that they have much when they have hardly any.
     7. There are other souls who labour and weary themselves to a 
piteous extent, and yet go backward, seeking profit in that which 
is not profitable, but is rather a hindrance; and there are still 
others who, by remaining at rest and in quietness, continue to 
make great progress. There are others who are hindered and 
disturbed and make no progress, because of the very consolations 
and favours that God is granting them in order that they may make 
progress. And there are many other things on this road that befall 
those who follow it, both joys and afflictions and hopes and 
griefs: some proceeding from the spirit of perfection and others 
from imperfection. Of all these, with the Divine favour, we shall 
endeavour to say something, so that each soul who reads this may 
be able to see something of the road that he ought to follow, if 
he aspire to attain to the summit of this Mount.
     8. And, since this introduction relates to the dark night 
through which the soul must go to God, let not the reader marvel 
if it seem to him somewhat dark also. This, I believe, will be so 
at the beginning when he begins to read; but, as he passes on, he 
will find himself understanding the first part better, since one 
part will explain another. And then, if he read it a second time, 
I believe it will seem clearer to him and the instruction will 
appear sounder. And if any persons find themselves disagreeing 
with this instruction, it will be due to my ignorance and poor 
style; for in itself the matter is good and of the first 
importance. But I think that, even were it written in a more 
excellent and perfect manner than it is, only the minority would 
profit by it, for we shall not here set down things that are very 
moral and delectable[72] for all spiritual persons who desire to 
travel toward God by pleasant and delectable ways, but solid and 
substantial instruction, as well suited to one kind of person as 
to another, if they desire to pass to the detachment of spirit 
which is here treated.
     9. Nor is my principal intent to address all, but rather 
certain persons of our sacred Order of Mount Carmel of the 
primitive observance, both friars and nuns -- since they have 
desired me to do so -- to whom God is granting the favour of 
setting them on the road to this Mount; who, as they are already 
detached from the temporal things of this world, will better 
understand the instruction concerning detachment of spirit.




                         BOOK THE FIRST

     Wherein is described the nature of dark night and how 
necessary it is to pass through it to Divine union; and in 
particular this book describes the dark night of sense, and 
desire, and the evils which these work in the soul.[73]


                            CHAPTER I

     Sets down the first stanza. Describes two different nights 
through which spiritual persons pass, according to the two parts 
of man, the lower and the higher. Expounds the stanza which 
follows.

                        STANZA THE FIRST

     On a dark night, Kindled in love with yearnings -- oh, happy 
chance! -- 
     I went forth without being observed, My house being now at 
rest.

     IN this first stanzas the soul sings of the happy fortune and 
chance which it experienced in going forth from all things that 
are without, and from the desires[74] and imperfections that are in 
the sensual[75] part of man because of the disordered state of his 
reason. For the understanding of this it must be known that, for a 
soul to attain to the state of perfection, it has ordinarily first 
to pass through two principal kinds of night, which spiritual 
persons call purgations or purifications of the soul; and here we 
call them nights, for in both of them the soul journeys, as it 
were, by night, in darkness.
     2. The first night or purgation is of the sensual part of the 
soul, which is treated in the present stanza, and will be treated 
in the first part of this book. And the second is of the spiritual 
part; of this speaks the second stanza, which follows; and of this 
we shall treat likewise, in the second and the third part,[76] with 
respect to the activity of the soul; and in the fourth part, with 
respect to its passitivity.
     3. And this first night pertains to beginners, occurring at 
the time when God begins to bring them into the state of 
contemplation; in this night the spirit likewise has a part, as we 
shall say in due course. And the second night, or purification, 
pertains to those who are already proficient, occurring at the 
time when God desires to bring them to the state of union with 
God. And this latter night is a more obscure and dark and terrible 
purgation, as we shall say afterwards.
     4. Briefly, then, the soul means by this stanza that it went 
forth (being led by God) for love of Him alone, enkindled in love 
of Him, upon a dark night, which is the privation and purgation of 
all its sensual desires, with respect to all outward things of the 
world and to those which were delectable to its flesh, and 
likewise with respect to the desires of its will. This all comes 
to pass in this purgation of sense; for which cause the soul says 
that it went forth while its house was still at rest;[77] which 
house is its sensual part, the desires being at rest and asleep in 
it, as it is to them.[78] For there is no going forth from the pains 
and afflictions of the secret places of the desires until these be 
mortified and put to sleep. And this, the soul says, was a happy 
chance for it -- namely, its going forth without being observed: 
that is, without any desire of its flesh or any other thing being 
able to hinder it. And likewise, because it went out by night -- 
which signifies the privation of all these things wrought in it by 
God, which privation was night for it.
     5. And it was a happy chance that God should lead it into 
this night, from which there came to it so much good; for of 
itself the soul would not have succeeded in entering therein, 
because no man of himself can succeed in voiding himself of all 
his desires in order to come to God.
     6. This is, in brief, the exposition of the stanza; and we 
shall now have to go through it, line by line, setting down one 
line after another, and expounding that which pertains to our 
purpose. And the same method is followed in the other stanzas, as 
I said in the Prologue[79] -- namely, that each stanza will be set 
down and expounded, and afterwards each line.


                           CHAPTER II

     Explains the nature of this dark night through which the soul 
says that it has passed on the road to union.

                         On A Dark Night

     WE may say that there are three reasons for which this 
journey[80] made by the soul to union with God is called night. The 
first has to do with the point from which the soul goes forth, for 
it has gradually to deprive itself of desire for all the worldly 
things which it possessed, by denying them to itself;[81] the which 
denial and deprivation are, as it were, night to all the senses of 
man. The second reason has to do with the mean,[82] or the road 
along which the soul must travel to this union -- that is, faith, 
which is likewise as dark as night to the understanding. The third 
has to do with the point to which it travels -- namely, God, Who, 
equally, is dark night to the soul in this life. These three 
nights must pass through the soul -- or, rather, the soul must 
pass through them -- in order that it may come to Divine union 
with God.
     2. In the book of the holy Tobias these three kinds of night 
were shadowed forth by the three nights which, as the angel 
commanded, were to pass ere the youth Tobias should be united with 
his bride. In the first he commanded him to burn the heart of the 
fish in the fire, which signifies the heart that is affectioned 
to, and set upon, the things of the world; which, in order that 
one may begin to journey toward God, must be burned and purified 
from all that is creature, in the fire of the love of God. And in 
this purgation the devil flees away, for he has power over the 
soul only when it is attached to things corporeal and temporal.
     3. On the second night the angel told him that he would be 
admitted into the company of the holy patriarchs, who are the 
fathers of the faith. For, passing through the first night, which 
is self-privation of all objects of sense, the soul at once enters 
into the second night, and abides alone in faith to the exclusion, 
not of charity, but of other knowledge acquired by the 
understanding, as we shall say hereafter, which is a thing that 
pertains not to sense.
     4. On the third night the angel told him that he would obtain 
a blessing, which is God; Who, by means of the second night, which 
is faith, continually communicates Himself to the soul in such a 
secret and intimate manner that He becomes another night to the 
soul, inasmuch as this said communication is far darker than those 
others, as we shall say presently. And, when this third night is 
past, which is the complete accomplishment of the communication of 
God in the spirit, which is ordinarily wrought in great darkness 
of the soul, there then follows its union with the Bride, which is 
the Wisdom of God. Even so the angel said likewise to Tobias that, 
when the third night was past, he should be united with his bride 
in the fear of the Lord; for, when this fear of God is perfect, 
love is perfect, and this comes to pass when the transformation of 
the soul is wrought through its love.
     5. These three parts of the night are all one night; but, 
after the manner of night, it has three parts. For the first part, 
which is that of sense, is comparable to the beginning of night, 
the point at which things begin to fade from sight. And the second 
part, which is faith, is comparable to midnight, which is total 
darkness. And the third part is like the close of night, which is 
God, the which part is now near to the light of day. And, that we 
may understand this the better, we shall treat of each of these 
reasons separately as we proceed.


                           CHAPTER III

     Speaks of the first cause of this night, which is that of the 
privation of the desire in all things, and gives the reason for 
which it is called night.

     WE here describe as night the privation of every kind of 
pleasure which belongs to the desire; for, even as night is naught 
but the privation of light, and, consequently, of all objects that 
can be seen by means of light, whereby the visual faculty remains 
unoccupied[83] and in darkness, even so likewise the mortification 
of desire may be called night to the soul. For, when the soul is 
deprived of the pleasure of its desire in all things, it remains, 
as it were, unoccupied and in darkness. For even as the visual 
faculty, by means of light, is nourished and fed by objects which 
can be seen, and which, when the light is quenched, are not seen, 
even so, by means of the desire, the soul is nourished and fed by 
all things wherein it can take pleasure according to its 
faculties; and, when this also is quenched, or rather, mortified, 
the soul ceases to feed upon the pleasure of all things, and thus, 
with respect to its desire, it remains unoccupied and in darkness.
     2. Let us take an example from each of the faculties. When 
the soul deprives its desire of the pleasure of all that can 
delight the sense of hearing, the soul remains unoccupied and in 
darkness with respect to this faculty. And, when it deprives 
itself of the pleasure of all that can please the sense of sight, 
it remains unoccupied and in darkness with respect to this faculty 
also. And, when it deprives itself of the pleasure of all the 
sweetness of perfumes which can give it pleasure through the sense 
of smell, it remains equally unoccupied and in darkness according 
to this faculty. And, if it also denies itself the pleasure of all 
food that can satisfy the palate, the soul likewise remains 
unoccupied and in darkness. And finally, when the soul mortifies 
itself with respect to all the delights and pleasures that it can 
receive from the sense of touch, it remains, in the same way, 
unoccupied and in darkness with respect to this faculty. So that 
the soul that has denied and thrust away from itself the pleasures 
which come from all these things, and has mortified its desire 
with respect to them, may be said to be, as it were, in the 
darkness of night, which is naught else than an emptiness within 
itself of all things.
     3. The reason for this is that, as the philosophers say, the 
soul, as soon as God infuses it into the body, is like a smooth, 
blank board[84] upon which nothing is painted; and, save for that 
which it experiences through the senses, nothing is communicated 
to it, in the course of nature, from any other source. And thus, 
for as long as it is in the body, it is like one who is in a dark 
prison and who knows nothing, save what he is able to see through 
the windows of the said prison; and, if he saw nothing through 
them, he would see nothing in any other way. And thus the soul, 
save for that which is communicated to it through the senses, 
which are the windows of its prison, could acquire nothing, in the 
course of nature, in any other way.
     4. Wherefore, if the soul rejects and denies that which it 
can receive through the senses, we can quite well say that it 
remains, as it were, in darkness and empty; since, as appears from 
what has been said, no light can enter it, in the course of 
nature, by any other means of illumination than those 
aforementioned. For, although it is true that the soul cannot help 
hearing and seeing and smelling and tasting and touching, this is 
of no greater import, nor, if the soul denies and rejects the 
object, is it hindered more than if it saw it not, heard it not, 
etc. Just so a man who desires to shut his eyes will remain in 
darkness, like the blind man who has not the faculty of sight. And 
to this purpose David says these words: Pauper sum ego, et in 
laboribus a indenture mea.[85] Which signifies: I am poor and in 
labours from my youth. He calls himself poor, although it is clear 
that he was rich, because his will was not set upon riches, and 
thus it was as though he were really poor. But if he had not been 
really poor and had not been so in his will, he would not have 
been truly poor, for his soul, as far as its desire was concerned, 
would have been rich and replete. For that reason we call this 
detachment night to the soul, for we are not treating here of the 
lack of things, since this implies no detachment on the part of 
the soul if it has a desire for them; but we are treating of the 
detachment from them of the taste and desire, for it is this that 
leaves the soul free and void of them, although it may have them; 
for it is not the things of this world that either occupy the soul 
or cause it harm, since they enter it not, but rather the will and 
desire for them, for it is these that dwell within it.
     5. This first kind of night, as we shall say hereafter, 
belongs to the soul according to its sensual part, which is one of 
the two parts, whereof we spoke above, through which the soul must 
pass in order to attain to union.
     6. Let us now say how meet it is for the soul to go forth 
from its house into this dark night of sense, in order to travel 
to union with God.


                           CHAPTER IV

     Wherein is declared how necessary it is for the soul truly to 
pass through this dark night of sense, which is mortification of 
desire, in order that it may journey to union with God.

     THE reason for which it is necessary for the soul, in order 
to attain to Divine union with God, to pass through this dark 
night of mortification of the desires and denial of pleasures in 
all things, is because all the affections which it has for 
creatures are pure darkness in the eyes of God, and, when the soul 
is clothed in these affections, it has no capacity for being 
enlightened and possessed by the pure and simple light of God, if 
it first cast them not from it; for light cannot agree with 
darkness; since, as Saint John says: Tenebroe eam non 
comprehenderunt.[86] That is: The darkness could not receive the 
light.
     2. The reason is that two contraries (even as philosophy 
teaches us) cannot coexist in one person; and that darkness, which 
is affection set upon the creatures, and light, which is God, are 
contrary to each other, and have no likeness or accord between one 
another, even as Saint Paul taught the Corinthians, saying: Quoe 
conventio luci ad tenebras?[87] That is to say: What communion can 
there be between light and darkness? Hence it is that the light of 
Divine union cannot dwell in the soul if these affections first 
flee not away from it.
     3. In order that we may the better prove what has been said, 
it must be known that the affection and attachment which the soul 
has for creatures renders the soul like to these creatures; and, 
the greater is its affection, the closer is the equality and 
likeness between them; for love creates a likeness between that 
which loves and that which is loved. For which reason David, 
speaking of those who set their affections upon idols, said thus: 
Similes illis fiant qui faciunt ea: et omnes qui confidunt in 
eis.[88] Which signifies: Let them that set their heart upon them be 
like to them. And thus, he that loves a creature becomes as low as 
that creature, and, in some ways, lower; for love not only makes 
the lover equal to the object of his love, but even subjects him 
to it. Hence in the same way it comes to pass that the soul that 
loves anything else becomes incapable of pure union with God and 
transformation in Him. For the low estate of the creature is much 
less capable of union with the high estate of the Creator than is 
darkness with light. For all things of earth and heaven, compared 
with God, are nothing, as Jeremias says in these words: Aspexi 
terram, et ecce vacua erat, et nihil; et coelos, et non erat lux 
in eis.[89] 'I beheld the earth,' he says, 'and it was void, and it 
was nothing; and the heavens, and saw that they had no light.' In 
saying that he beheld the earth void, he means that all its 
creatures were nothing, and that the earth was nothing likewise. 
And, in saying that he beheld the heavens and saw no light in 
them, he says that all the luminaries of heaven, compared with 
God, are pure darkness. So that in this way all the creatures are 
nothing; and their affections, we may say, are less than nothing, 
since they are an impediment to transformation in God and the 
privation thereof, even as darkness is not only nothing, but less 
than nothing, since it is privation of light. And even as he that 
is in darkness comprehends not the light, so the soul that sets 
its affection upon creatures will be unable to comprehend God; 
and, until it be purged, it will neither be able to possess Him 
here below, through pure transformation of love, nor yonder in 
clear vision. And, for greater clarity, we will now speak in 
greater detail.
     4. All the being of creation, then, compared with the 
infinite Being of God, is nothing. And therefore the soul that 
sets its affection upon the being of creation is likewise nothing 
in the eyes of God, and less than nothing; for, as we have said, 
love makes equality and similitude, and even sets the lover below 
the object of his love. And therefore such a soul will in no wise 
be able to attain to union with the infinite Being of God; for 
that which is not can have no communion with that which is. And, 
coming down in detail to some examples, all the beauty of the 
creatures, compared with the infinite beauty of God, is the height 
of deformity[90] even as Solomon says in the Proverbs: Fallax 
gratia, et vana est pulchritudo.[91] 'Favour is deceitful and beauty 
is vain.' And thus the soul that is affectioned to the beauty of 
any creature is the height of deformity in the eyes of God. And 
therefore this soul that is deformed will be unable to become 
transformed in beauty, which is God, since deformity cannot attain 
to beauty; and all the grace and beauty of the creatures, compared 
with the grace of God, is the height of misery[92] and of 
uncomeliness. Wherefore the soul that is ravished by the graces 
and beauties of the creatures has only supreme[93] misery and 
unattractiveness in the eyes of God; and thus it cannot be capable 
of the infinite grace and loveliness of God; for that which has no 
grace is far removed from that which is infinitely gracious; and 
all the goodness of the creatures of the world, in comparison with 
the infinite goodness of God, may be described as wickedness. 'For 
there is naught good, save only God.'[94] And therefore the soul 
that sets its heart upon the good things of the world is supremely 
evil in the eyes of God. And, even as wickedness comprehends not 
goodness, even so such a soul cannot be united with God, Who is 
supreme goodness.
     5. All the wisdom of the world and all human ability, 
compared with the infinite wisdom of God, are pure and supreme 
ignorance, even as Saint Paul writes ad Corinthios, saying: 
Sapientia hujus mundi stultitia est apud Deum.[95] 'The wisdom of 
this world is foolishness with God.' Wherefore any soul that makes 
account of all its knowledge and ability in order to come to union 
with the wisdom of God is supremely ignorant in the eyes of God 
and will remain far removed from that wisdom; for ignorance knows 
not what wisdom is, even as Saint Paul says that this wisdom seems 
foolishness to God; since, in the eyes of God, those who consider 
themselves to be persons with a certain amount of knowledge are 
very ignorant, so that the Apostle, writing to the Romans, says of 
them: Dicentes enim se esse sapientes, stulti facti sunt. That is: 
Professing themselves to be wise, they became foolish.[96] And those 
alone acquire wisdom of God who are like ignorant children, and, 
laying aside their knowledge, walk in His service with love. This 
manner of wisdom Saint Paul taught likewise ad Corinthios: Si quis 
videtur inter vos sapiens esse in hoc soeculo, stultus fiat ut sit 
sapiens. Sapientia enim hujus mundi stultitia est apud Deum.[97] 
That is: If any man among you seem to be wise, let him become 
ignorant that he may be wise; for the wisdom of this world is 
foolishness with God. So that, in order to come to union with the 
wisdom of God, the soul has to proceed rather by unknowing than by 
knowing; and all the dominion and liberty of the world, compared 
with the liberty and dominion of the Spirit of God, is the most 
abject[98] slavery, affliction and captivity.
     6. Wherefore the soul that is enamoured of prelacy,[99] or of 
any other such office, and longs for liberty of desire, is 
considered and treated, in the sight of God, not as a son, but as 
a base slave and captive, since it has not been willing to accept 
His holy doctrine, wherein He teaches us that whoso would be 
greater must be less, and whoso would be less must be greater. And 
therefore such a soul will be unable to attain to that true 
liberty of spirit which is attained in His Divine union. For 
slavery can have no part with liberty; and liberty cannot dwell in 
a heart that is subject to desires, for this is the heart of a 
slave; but it dwells in the free man, because he has the heart of 
a son. It was for this cause that Sara bade her husband Abraham 
cast out the bondwoman and her son, saying that the son of the 
bondwoman should not be heir with the son of the free woman.[100]
     7. And all the delights and pleasures of the will in all the 
things of the world, in comparison with all those delights which 
are God, are supreme affliction, torment and bitterness. And thus 
he that sets his heart upon them is considered, in the sight of 
God, as worthy of supreme affliction, torment and bitterness; and 
thus he will be unable to attain to the delights of the embrace of 
union with God, since he is worthy of affliction and bitterness. 
All the wealth and glory of all creation, in comparison with the 
wealth which is God, is supreme poverty and wretchedness. Thus the 
soul that loves and possesses creature wealth is supremely poor 
and wretched in the sight of God, and for that reason will be 
unable to attain to that wealth and glory which is the state of 
transformation in God; for that which is miserable and poor is 
supremely far removed from that which is supremely rich and 
glorious.
     8. And therefore Divine Wisdom, grieving for such as these, 
who make themselves vile, low, miserable and poor, because they 
love the things in this world which seem to them so rich and 
beautiful, addresses an exclamation to them in the Proverbs, 
saying: O viri, ad vos clamito, et vox mea ad filios hominum. 
Intelligite, parvuli, astutiam, et insipientes, animadvertite. 
Audite quia de rebus magnis locutura sum. And farther on he 
continues: Mecum sunt divitoe, et gloria, opes superboe et 
justicia. Melior est fructus meus auro, et lapide pretioso, et 
genimina mea argento electo. In viis justitioe ambulo, in medio 
semitarum judicii, ut ditem diligentes me, et thesauros eorum 
repleam.[101] Which signifies: O ye men, to you I call, and my voice 
is to the sons of men. Attend, little ones, to subtlety and 
sagacity; ye that are foolish, take notice. Hear, for I have to 
speak of great things. With me are riches and glory, high riches 
and justice. Better is the fruit that ye will find in me than gold 
and precious stones; and my generation -- namely, that which ye 
will engender of me in your souls -- is better than choice silver. 
I walk in the ways of justice, in the midst of the paths of 
judgment, that I may enrich those that love me and fill their 
treasures perfectly. -- Herein Divine Wisdom speaks to all those 
that set their hearts and affections upon anything of the world, 
according as we have already said. And she calls them 'little 
ones,' because they make themselves like to that which they love, 
which is little. And therefore she tells them to be subtle and to 
take note that she is treating of great things and not of things 
that are little like themselves. That the great riches and the 
glory that they love are with her and in her, and not where they 
think. And that high riches and justice dwell in her; for, 
although they think the things of this world to be all this, she 
tells them to take note that her things are better, saying that 
the fruit that they will find in them will be better for them than 
gold and precious stones; and that which she engenders in souls is 
better than the choice silver which they love; by which is 
understood any kind of affection that can be possessed in this 
life.


                            CHAPTER V

     Wherein the aforementioned subject is treated and continued, 
and it is shown by passages and figures from Holy Scripture how 
necessary it is for the soul to journey to God through this dark 
night of the mortification of desire in all things.

     FROM what has been said it may be seen in some measure how 
great a distance there is between all that the creatures are in 
themselves and that which God is in Himself, and how souls that 
set their affections upon any of these creatures are at as great a 
distance as they from God; for, as we have said, love produces 
equality and likeness. This distance was clearly realized by Saint 
Augustine, who said in the Sololoquies, speaking with God: 
'Miserable man that I am, when will my littleness and imperfection 
be able to have fellowship with Thy uprightness? Thou indeed art 
good, and I am evil; Thou art merciful, and I am impious; Thou art 
holy, I am miserable; Thou art just, I am unjust; Thou art light, 
I am blind; Thou, life, I, death; Thou, medicine, I, sick; Thou, 
supreme truth, I, utter vanity.' All this is said by this 
Saint.[102]
     2. Wherefore, it is supreme ignorance for the soul to think 
that it will be able to pass to this high estate of union with God 
if first it void not the desire of all things, natural and 
supernatural, which may hinder it, according as we shall explain 
hereafter;[103] for there is the greatest possible distance between 
these things and that which comes to pass in this estate, which is 
naught else than transformation in God. For this reason Our Lord, 
when showing us this path, said through Saint Luke: Qui non 
renuntiat omnibus quoe possidet, non potest meus esse 
discipulus.[104] This signifies: He that renounces not all things 
that he possesses with his will cannot be My disciple. And this is 
evident; for the doctrine that the Son of God came to teach was 
contempt for all things, whereby a man might receive as a reward 
the Spirit of God in himself. For, as long as the soul rejects not 
all things, it has no capacity to receive the Spirit of God in 
pure transformation.
     3. Of this we have a figure in Exodus, wherein we read that 
God gave not the children of Israel the food from Heaven, which 
was manna, until the flour which they had brought from Egypt 
failed them. By this is signified that first of all it is meet to 
renounce all things, for this angels' food is not fitting for the 
palate that would find delight in the food of men. And not only 
does the soul become incapable of receiving the Divine Spirit when 
it stays and pastures on other strange pleasures, but those souls 
greatly offend the Divine Majesty who desire spiritual food and 
are not content with God alone, but desire rather to intermingle 
desire and affection for other things. This can likewise be seen 
in the same book of Holy Scripture,[105] wherein it is said that, 
not content with that simplest of food, they desired and craved 
fleshly food.[106] And that Our Lord was greatly wroth that they 
should desire to intermingle a food that was so base and so coarse 
with one that was so noble[107] and so simple; which, though it was 
so, had within itself the sweetness and substance of all foods.[108] 
Wherefore, while they yet had the morsels in their mouths, as 
David says likewise: Ira Dei descendit super eos.[109] The wrath of 
God came down upon them, sending fire from Heaven and consuming 
many thousands of them; for God held it an unworthy thing that 
they should have a desire for other food when He had given them 
food from Heaven.
     4. Oh, did spiritual persons but know how much good and what 
great abundance of spirit they lose through not seeking to raise 
up their desires above childish things, and how in this simple 
spiritual food they would find the sweetness of all things, if 
they desired not to taste those things! But such food gives them 
no pleasure, for the reason why the children of Israel received 
not the sweetness of all foods that was contained in the manna was 
that they would not reserve their desire for it alone. So that 
they failed to find in the manna all the sweetness and strength 
that they could wish, not because it was not contained in the 
manna, but because they desired some other thing. Thus he that 
will love some other thing together with God of a certainty makes 
little account of God, for he weighs in the balance against God 
that which, as we have said, is at the greatest possible distance 
from God. 
     5. It is well known by experience that, when the will of a 
man is affectioned to one thing, he prizes it more than any other; 
although some other thing may be much better, he takes less 
pleasure in it. And if he wishes to enjoy both, he is bound to 
wrong the more important, because he makes an equality between 
them. Wherefore, since there is naught that equals God, the soul 
that loves some other thing together with Him, or clings to it, 
does Him a grievous wrong. And if this is so, what would it be 
doing if it loved anything more than God? 
     6. It is this, too, that was denoted by the command of God to 
Moses that he should ascend the Mount to speak with Him: He 
commanded him not only to ascend it alone, leaving the children of 
Israel below, but not even to allow the beasts to feed over 
against the Mount.[110] By this He signified that the soul that is 
to ascend this mount of perfection, to commune with God, must not 
only renounce all things and leave them below, but must not even 
allow the desires, which are the beasts, to pasture over against 
this mount -- that is, upon other things which are not purely God, 
in Whom -- that is, in the state of perfection -- every desire 
ceases. So he that journeys on the road and makes the ascent to 
God must needs be habitually careful to quell and mortify the 
desires; and the greater the speed wherewith a soul does this, the 
sooner will it reach the end of its journey. Until these be 
quelled, it cannot reach the end, however much it practise the 
virtues, since it is unable to attain to perfection in them; for 
this perfection consists in voiding and stripping and purifying 
the soul of every desire. Of this we have another very striking 
figure in Genesis, where we read that, when the patriarch Jacob 
desired to ascend Mount Bethel, in order to build an altar there 
to God whereon he should offer Him sacrifice, he first commanded 
all his people to do three things: one was that they should cast 
away from them all strange gods; the second, that they should 
purify themselves; the third, that they should change their 
garments.[111]
     7. By these three things it is signified that any soul that 
will ascend this mount in order to make of itself an altar whereon 
it may offer to God the sacrifice of pure love and praise and pure 
reverence, must, before ascending to the summit of the mount, have 
done these three things aforementioned perfectly. First, it must 
cast away all strange gods -- namely, all strange affections and 
attachments; secondly, it must purify itself of the remnants which 
the desires aforementioned have left in the soul, by means of the 
dark night of sense whereof we are speaking, habitually denying 
them and repenting itself of them; and thirdly, in order to reach 
the summit of this high mount, it must have changed its garments, 
which, through its observance of the first two things, God will 
change for it, from old to new, by giving it a new understanding 
of God in God, the old human understanding being cast aside; and a 
new love of God in God, the will being now stripped of all its old 
desires and human pleasures, and the soul being brought into a new 
state of knowledge and profound delight, all other old images and 
forms of knowledge having been cast away, and all that belongs to 
the old man, which is the aptitude of the natural self, quelled, 
and the soul clothed with a new supernatural aptitude with respect 
to all its faculties. So that its operation, which before was 
human, has become Divine, which is that that is attained in the 
state of union, wherein the soul becomes naught else than an altar 
whereon God is adored in praise and love, and God alone is upon 
it. For this cause God commanded that the altar whereon the Ark of 
the Covenant was to be laid should be hollow within;[112] so that 
the soul may understand how completely empty of all things God 
desires it to be, that it may be an altar worthy of the presence 
of His Majesty. On this altar it was likewise forbidden that there 
should be any strange fire, or that its own fire should ever fail; 
and so essential was this that, because Nadab and Abiu, who were 
the sons of the High Priest Aaron, offered strange fire upon His 
Altar, Our Lord was wroth and slew them there before the altar.[113] 
By this we are to understand that the love of God must never fail 
in the soul, so that the soul may be a worthy altar, and so that 
no other love must be mingled with it.
     8. God permits not that any other thing should dwell together 
with Him. Wherefore we read in the First Book the Kings that, when 
the Philistines put the Ark of the Covenant into the temple where 
their idol was, the idol was cast down upon the ground at the dawn 
of each day, and broken to pieces.[114] And He permits and wills 
that there should be only one desire where He is, which is to keep 
the law of God perfectly, and to bear upon oneself the Cross of 
Christ. And thus naught else is said in the Divine Scripture to 
have been commanded by God to be put in the Ark, where the manna 
was, save the book of the Law,[115] and the rod Moses,[116] which 
signifies the Cross. For the soul that aspires naught else than 
the keeping of the law of the Lord perfectly and the bearing of 
the Cross of Christ will be a true Ark, containing within itself 
the true manna, which is God, when that soul attains to a perfect 
possession within itself of this law and this rod, without any 
other thing soever.


                           CHAPTER VI

     Wherein are treated two serious evils caused in the soul by 
the desires, the one evil being privative and the other positive.

     IN order that what we have said may be the more clearly and 
fully understood, it will be well to set down here and state how 
these desires are the cause of two serious evils in the soul: the 
one is that they deprive it of the Spirit of God, and the other is 
that the soul wherein they dwell is wearied, tormented, darkened, 
defiled and weakened, according to that which is said in Jeremias, 
Chapter II: Duo mala fecit Populus meus: dereliquerunt fontem 
aquoe vivoe, et foderunt sibi cisternas, dissipatas, quoe 
continere non valent aquas. Which signifies: They have forsaken 
Me, Who am the fountain of living water, and they have hewed them 
out broken cisterns, that can hold no water.[117] Those two evils -- 
namely, the privative and the positive -- may be caused by any 
disordered act of the desire. And, speaking first of all, of the 
privative, it is clear from the very fact that the soul becomes 
affectioned to a thing which comes under the head of creature, 
that the more the desire for that thing fills the soul,[118] the 
less capacity has the soul for God; inasmuch as two contraries, 
according to the philosophers, cannot coexist in one person; and 
further, since, as we said in the fourth chapter, affection for 
God and affection for creatures are contraries, there cannot be 
contained within one will affection for creatures and affection 
for God. For what has the creature to do with the Creator? What 
has sensual to do with spiritual? Visible with invisible? Temporal 
with eternal? Food that is heavenly, spiritual and pure with food 
that is of sense alone and is purely sensual? Christlike poverty 
of spirit with attachment to aught soever?
     2. Wherefore, as in natural generation no form can be 
introduced unless the preceding, contrary form is first expelled 
from the subject, which form, while present, is an impediment to 
the other by reason of the contrariety which the two have between 
each other; even so, for as long as the soul is subjected to the 
sensual spirit, the spirit which is pure and spiritual cannot 
enter it. Wherefore our Saviour said through Saint Matthew: Non 
est bonum sumere panem filiorum, et mittere canibus.[119] That is: 
It is not meet to take the children's bread and to cast it to the 
dogs. And elsewhere, too, he says through the same Evangelist: 
Nolite sanctum dare canibus.[120] Which signifies: Give not that 
which is holy to the dogs. In these passages Our Lord compares 
those who renounce their creature-desires, and prepare themselves 
to receive the Spirit of God in purity, to the children of God; 
and those who would have their desire feed upon the creatures, to 
dogs. For it is given to children to eat with their father at 
table and from his dish, which is to feed upon His Spirit, and to 
dogs are given the crumbs which fall from the table.
     3. From this we are to learn that all created things are 
crumbs that have fallen from the table of God. Wherefore he that 
feeds ever upon[121] the creatures is rightly called a dog, and 
therefore the bread is taken from the children, because they 
desire not to rise above feeding upon the crumbs, which are 
created things, to the Uncreated Spirit of their Father. 
Therefore, like dogs, they are ever hungering, and justly so, 
because the crumbs serve to whet their appetite rather than to 
satisfy their hunger. And thus David says of them: Famem patientur 
ut canes, et circuibunt civitatem. Si vero non fuerint saturati, 
et murmurabunt.[122] Which signifies: They shall suffer hunger like 
dogs and shall go round about the city, and, if they find not 
enough to fill them, they shall murmur. For this is the nature of 
one that has desires, that he is ever discontented and 
dissatisfied, like one that suffers hunger; for what has the 
hunger which all the creatures suffer to do with the fullness 
which is caused by the Spirit of God? Wherefore this fullness that 
is uncreated cannot enter the soul, if there be not first cast out 
that other created hunger which belongs to the desire of the soul; 
for, as we have said two contraries cannot dwell in one person, 
the which contraries in this case are hunger and fullness.
     4. From what has been said it will be seen how much greater 
is the work of God[123] in the cleansing and the purging of a soul 
from these contrarieties than in the creating of that soul from 
nothing. For thee contrarieties, these contrary desires and 
affections, are more completely opposed to God and offer Him 
greater resistance than does nothingness; for nothingness resists 
not at all. And let this suffice with respect to the first of the 
important evils which are inflicted upon the soul by the desires 
-- namely, resistance to the Spirit of God -- since much has been 
said of this above.
     5. Let us now speak of the second effect which they cause in 
the soul. This is of many kinds, because the desires weary the 
soul and torment and darken it, and defile it and weaken it. Of 
these five things we shall speak separately, in their turn.
     6. With regard to the first, it is clear that the desires 
weary and fatigue the soul; for they are like restless and 
discontented children, who are ever demanding this or that from 
their mother, and are never contented. And even as one that digs 
because he covets a treasure is wearied and fatigued, even so is 
the soul weary and fatigued in order to attain that which its 
desires demand of it; and although in the end it may attain it, it 
is still weary, because it is never satisfied; for, after all, the 
cisterns which it is digging are broken, and cannot hold water to 
satisfy thirst. And thus, as Isaias says: Lassus adhuc sitit, et 
anima ejus vacua est.[124] Which signifies: His desire is empty. And 
the soul that has desires is wearied and fatigued; for it is like 
a man that is sick of a fever, who finds himself no better until 
the fever leaves him, and whose thirst increases with every 
moment. For, as is said in the Book of Job: Cum satiatus fuerit, 
arctabitur, oestuabit, et omnis dolor irruet super eum.[125] Which 
signifies: When he has satisfied his desire, he will be the more 
oppressed and straitened; the heat of desire hath increased in his 
soul and thus every sorrow will fall upon him. The soul is wearied 
and fatigued by its desires, because it is wounded and moved and 
disturbed by them as is water by the winds; in just the same way 
they disturb it, allowing it not to rest in any place or in any 
thing soever. And of such a soul says Isaias: Cor impii quasi mare 
fervens.[126] 'The heart of the wicked man is like the sea when it 
rages.' And he is a wicked man that conquers not his desires. The 
soul that would fain satisfy its desires grows wearied and 
fatigued; for it is like one that, being an hungered, opens his 
mouth that he may sate himself with wind, whereupon, instead of 
being satisfied, his craving becomes greater, for the wind is no 
food for him. To this purpose said Jeremias: In desiderio animoe 
sum attraxit ventum amoris sui.[127] As though he were to say: In 
the desire of his will he snuffed up the wind of his affection. 
And he then tries to describe the aridity wherein such a soul 
remains, and warns it, saying: Prohibe pedem tuum a nuditate, et 
guttur tuum a siti.[128] Which signifies: Keep thy foot (that is, 
thy thought) from being bare and thy throat from thirst (that is 
to say, thy will from the indulgence of the desire which causes 
greater dryness); and, even as the lover is wearied and fatigued 
upon the day of his hopes, when his attempt has proved to be vain, 
so the soul is wearied and fatigued by all its desires and by 
indulgence in them, since they all cause it greater emptiness and 
hunger; for, as is often said, desire is like the fire, which 
increases as wood is thrown upon it, and which, when it has 
consumed the wood, must needs die.
     7. And in this regard it is still worse with desire; for the 
fire goes down when the wood is consumed, but desire, though it 
increases when fuel is added to it, decreases not correspondingly 
when the fuel is consumed; on the contrary, instead of going down, 
as does the fire when its fuel is consumed, it grows weak through 
weariness, for its hunger is increased and its food diminished. 
And of this Isaias speaks, saying: Declinabit ad dexteram, et 
esuriet: et comedet ad sinistram, et non saturabitur.[129] This 
signifies: He shall turn to the right hand, and shall be hungry; 
and he shall eat on the left hand, and shall not be filled. For 
they that mortify not their desires, when they 'turn,' justly see 
the fullness of the sweetness of spirit of those who are at the 
right hand of God, which fullness is not granted to themselves; 
and justly, too, when they eat on the left hand,[130] by which is 
meant the satisfaction of their desire with some creature comfort, 
they are not filled, for, leaving aside that which alone can 
satisfy, they feed on that which causes them greater hunger. It is 
clear, then, that the desires weary and fatigue the soul.


                           CHAPTER VII

     Wherein is shown how the desires torment the soul. This is 
proved likewise by comparison and quotations.

     THE second kind of positive evil which the desires cause the 
soul is in their tormenting and afflicting of it, after the manner 
of one who is in torment through being bound with cords from which 
he has no relief until he be freed. And of these David says: Funes 
peccatorum circumplexi sunt me.[131] The cords of my sins, which are 
my desires, have constrained me round about. And, even as one that 
lies naked upon thorns and briars is tormented and afflicted, even 
so is the soul tormented and afflicted when it rests upon its 
desires. For they take hold upon it and distress it and cause it 
pain, even as do thorns. Of these David says likewise: 
Circumdederunt me sicut apes: et exarserunt sicut ignis in 
spinis.[132] Which signifies: They compassed me about like bees, 
wounding me with their stings, and they were enkindled against me, 
like fire among thorns; for in the desires, which are the thorns, 
increases the fire of anguish and torment. And even as the 
husbandman, coveting the harvest for which he hopes, afflicts and 
torments the ox in the plough, even so does concupiscence afflict 
a soul that is subject to its desire to attain that for which it 
longs. This can be clearly seen in that desire which Dalila had to 
know whence Samson derived his strength that was so great, for the 
Scripture says that it fatigued and tormented her so much that it 
caused her to swoon, almost to the point of death, and she said: 
Defecit anima ejus, et ad mortem usque lassata est.[133]
     2. The more intense is the desire, the greater is the torment 
which it causes the soul. So that the torment increases with the 
desire; and the greater are the desires which possess the soul, 
the greater are its torments; for in such a soul is fulfilled, 
even in this life, that which is said in the Apocalypse concerning 
Babylon, in these words: Quantum glorificavit se, et in deliciis 
fuit, tantum date illi tormentum, et luctum.[134] That is: As much 
as she has wished to exalt and fulfil her desires, so much give ye 
to her torment and anguish. And even as one that falls into the 
hands of his enemies is tormented and afflicted, even so is the 
soul tormented and afflicted that is led away by its desires. Of 
this there is a figure in the Book of the Judges, wherein it may 
be read that that strong man, Samson, who at one time was strong 
and free and a judge of Israel, fell into the power of his 
enemies, and they took his strength from him, and put out his 
eyes, and bound him in a mill, to grind corn,[135] wherein they 
tormented and afflicted him greatly;[136] and thus it happens to the 
soul in which these its enemies, the desires, live and rule; for 
the first thing that they do is to weaken the soul and blind it, 
as we shall say below; and then they afflict and torment it, 
binding it to the mill of concupiscence; and the bonds with which 
it is bound are its own desires.
     3. Wherefore God, having compassion on these that with such 
great labour, and at such cost to themselves, go about 
endeavouring to satisfy the hunger and thirst of their desire in 
the creatures, says to them through Isaias: Omnes sitientes, 
venite ad aquas; et qui non habetis argentum, properate, emite, el 
comedite: venite, emite absque argento vinum et lac. Quare 
appenditis argentum non in panibus, et laborem vestrum non in 
saturitate?[137] As though He were to say: All ye that have thirst 
of desire, come to the waters, and all ye that have no silver of 
your own will and desires, make haste; buy from Me and eat; come 
and buy from Me wine and milk (that is, spiritual sweetness and 
peace) without the silver of your own will, and without giving Me 
any labour in exchange for it, as ye give for your desires. 
Wherefore do ye give the silver of your will for that which is not 
bread -- namely, that of the Divine Spirit -- and set the labour 
of your desires upon that which cannot satisfy you? Come, 
hearkening to Me, and ye shall eat the good that ye desire and 
your soul shall delight itself in fatness.
     4. This attaining to fatness is a going forth from all 
pleasures of the creatures; for the creatures torment, but the 
Spirit of God refreshes. And thus He calls us through Saint 
Matthew, saying: Venite ad me omnes, qui laboratis et onerati 
estis, et ego reficiam vos, et invenietis requiem animabus 
vestris.[138] As though He were to say: All ye that go about 
tormented, afflicted and burdened with the burden of your cares 
and desires, go forth from them, come to Me, and I will refresh 
you and ye shall find for your souls the rest which your desires 
take from you, wherefore they are a heavy burden, for David says 
of them: Sicut onus grave gravatoe sunt super me.[139]

     CHAPTER VIII

     Wherein is shown how the desires darken and blind the soul.

     THE third evil that the desires cause in the soul is that 
they blind and darken it. Even as vapours darken the air and allow 
not the bright sun to shine; or as a mirror that is clouded over 
cannot receive within itself a clear image; or as water defiled by 
mud reflects not the visage of one that looks therein; even so the 
soul that is clouded by the desires is darkened in the 
understanding and allows neither[140] the sun of natural reason nor 
that of the supernatural Wisdom of God to shine upon it and 
illumine it clearly. And thus David, speaking to this purpose, 
says: Comprehenderunt me iniquitates meoe, et non potui, ut 
viderem.[141] Which signifies: Mine iniquities have taken hold upon 
me, and I could have no power to see. 
      2. And, at this same time, when the soul is darkened in the 
understanding, it is benumbed also in the will, and the memory 
becomes dull and disordered in its due operation. For, as these 
faculties in their operations depend upon the understanding, it is 
clear that, when the understanding is impeded, they will become 
disordered and troubled. And thus David says: Anima mea turbata 
est valde.[142] That is: My soul is sorely troubled. Which is as 
much as to say, 'disordered in its faculties.' For, as we say, the 
understanding has no more capacity for receiving enlightenment 
from the wisdom of God than has the air, when it is dark, for 
receiving enlightenment from the sun; neither has the will any 
power to embrace God within itself in pure love, even as the 
mirror that is clouded with vapour has no power to reflect clearly 
within itself any visage,[143] and even less power has the memory 
which is clouded by the darkness of desire to take clearly upon 
itself the form of the image of God, just as the muddled water 
cannot show forth clearly the visage of one that looks at himself 
therein. 
      3. Desire blinds and darkens the soul; for desire, as such, 
is blind, since of itself it has no understanding in itself, the 
reason being to it always, as it were, a child leading a blind 
man. And hence it comes to pass that, whensoever the soul is 
guided by its desire, it becomes blind; for this is as if one that 
sees were guided by one that sees not, which is, as it were, for 
both to be blind. And that which follows from this is that which 
Our Lord says through Saint Matthew: Si coecus coeco ducatum 
proestet, ambo in foveam cadunt.[144] 'If the blind lead the blind, 
both fall into the pit.' Of little use are its eyes to a moth, 
since desire for the beauty of the light dazzles it and leads it 
into the flame.[145] And even so we may say that one who feeds upon 
desire is like a fish that is dazzled, upon which the light acts 
rather as darkness, preventing it from seeing the snares which the 
fishermen are preparing for it. This is very well expressed by 
David himself, where he says of such persons: Supercecidit ignis, 
et non viderunt solem.[146] Which signifies: There came upon them 
the fire, which burns with its heat and dazzles with its light. 
And it is this that desire does to the soul, enkindling its 
concupiscence and dazzling its understanding so that it cannot see 
its light. For the cause of its being thus dazzled is that when 
another light of a different kind is set before the eye, the 
visual faculty is attracted by that which is interposed so that it 
sees not the other; and, as the desire is set so near to the soul 
as to be within the soul itself, the soul meets this first light 
and is attracted by it; and thus it is unable to see the light of 
clear understanding, neither will see it until the dazzling power 
of desire is taken away from it.
     4. For this reason one must greatly lament the ignorance of 
certain men, who burden themselves with extraordinary penances and 
with many other voluntary practices, and think that this practice 
or that will suffice to bring them to the union of Divine Wisdom; 
but such will not be the case if they endeavour not diligently to 
mortify their desires. If they were careful to bestow half of that 
labour on this, they would profit more in a month than they profit 
by all the other practices in many years. For, just as it is 
necessary to till the earth if it is to bear fruit, and unless it 
be tilled it bears naught but weeds, just so is mortification of 
the desires necessary if the soul is to profit. Without this 
mortification, I make bold to say, the soul no more achieves 
progress on the road to perfection and to the knowledge of God of 
itself, however many efforts it may make, than the seed grows when 
it is cast upon untilled ground. Wherefore the darkness and 
rudeness of the soul will not be taken from it until the desires 
be quenched. For these desires are like cataracts, or like motes 
in the eye, which obstruct the sight until they be taken away.
     5. And thus David, realizing how blind are these souls, and 
how completely impeded from beholding the light of truth, and how 
wroth is God with them, speaks to them, saying: Priusquam 
intelligerent spinoe vestroe rhamnum: sicut viventes, sic in ira 
absorber eos.[147] And this is as though He had said: Before your 
thorns (that is, your desires) harden and grow, changing from 
tender thorns into a thick hedge and shutting out the sight of God 
even as oft-times the living find their thread of life broken in 
the midst of its course, even so will God swallow them up in His 
wrath. For the desires that are living in the soul, so that it 
cannot understand Him,[148] will be swallowed up by God by means of 
chastisement and correction, either in this life or in the next, 
and this will come to pass through purgation. And He says that He 
will swallow them up in wrath, because that which is suffered in 
the mortification of the desires is punishment for the ruin which 
they have wrought in the soul.
     6. Oh, if men but knew how great is the blessing of Divine 
light whereof they are deprived by this blindness which proceeds 
from their affections and desires, and into what great hurts and 
evils these make them to fall day after day, for so long as they 
mortify them not! For a man must not rely upon a clear 
understanding, or upon gifts that he has received from God, and 
think that he may indulge his affection or desire, and will not be 
blinded and darkened, and fall gradually into a worse estate. For 
who would have said that a man so perfect in wisdom and the gifts 
of God as was Solomon would have been reduced to such blindness 
and torpor of the will as to make altars to so many idols and to 
worship them himself, when he was old?[149] Yet no more was needed 
to bring him to this than the affection which he had for women and 
his neglect to deny the desires and delights of his heart. For he 
himself says concerning himself, in Ecclesiastes, that he denied 
not his heart that which it demanded of him.[150] And this man was 
capable of being so completely led away by his desires that, 
although it is true that at the beginning he was cautious, 
nevertheless, because he denied them not, they gradually blinded 
and darkened his understanding, so that in the end they succeeded 
in quenching that great light of wisdom which God had given him, 
and therefore in his old age he foresook God.
     7. And if unmortified desires could do so much in this man 
who knew so well the distance that lies between good and evil, 
what will they not be capable of accomplishing by working upon our 
ignorance? For we, as God said to the prophet Jonas concerning the 
Ninivites, cannot discern between[151] our right hand and our 
left.[152] At every step we hold evil to be good, and good, evil, 
and this arises from our own nature. What, then, will come to pass 
if to our natural darkness is added the hindrance of desire?[153] 
Naught but that which Isaias describes thus: Palpavimus, sicut 
coeci parietem, et quasi absque oculis attreetavimus: impegimus 
meridie, quasi in tenebris.[154] The prophet is speaking with those 
who love to follow these their desires. It is as if he had said: 
We have groped for the wall as though we were blind, and we have 
been groping as though we had no eyes, and our blindness has 
attained to such a point that we have stumbled at midday as though 
it were in the darkness. For he that is blinded by desire has this 
property, that, when he is set in the midst of truth and of that 
which is good for him, he can no more see them than if he were in 
darkness.


                           CHAPTER IX

     Wherein is described how the desires defile the soul. This is 
proved by comparisons and quotations from Holy Scripture.

     THE fourth evil which the desires cause in the soul is that 
they stain and defile it, as is taught in Ecclesiasticus, in these 
words: Qui tetigerit picem, inquinabitur ab ea.[155] This signifies: 
He that toucheth pitch shall be defiled with it. And a man touches 
pitch when he allows the desire of his will to be satisfied by any 
creature. Here it is to be noted that the Wise Man compares the 
creatures to pitch; for there is more difference between 
excellence of soul and the best of the creatures[156] than there is 
between pure diamond,[157] or fine gold, and pitch. And just as gold 
or diamond, if it were heated and placed upon pitch, would become 
foul and be stained by it, inasmuch as the heat would have cajoled 
and allured the pitch, even so the soul that is hot with desire 
for any creature draws forth foulness from it through the heat of 
its desire and is stained by it. And there is more difference 
between the soul and other corporeal creatures than between a 
liquid that is highly clarified and mud that is most foul. 
Wherefore, even as such a liquid would be defiled if it were 
mingled with mud, so is the soul defiled that clings to creatures, 
since by doing this it becomes like to the said creatures. And in 
the same way that traces of soot would defile a face that is very 
lovely and perfect, even in this way do disordered desires befoul 
and defile the soul that has them, the which soul is in itself a 
most lovely and perfect image of God.
     2. Wherefore Jeremias, lamenting the ravages of foulness 
which these disordered affections cause in the soul, speaks first 
of its beauty, and then of its foulness, saying: Candidiores sunt 
Nazaroei ejus nive, nitidiores lacte, rubicundiores ebore antiquo, 
sapphiro pulchriores. Denigrata est super carbones facies eorum, 
et non sunt cogniti in plateis.[158] Which signifies: Its hair -- 
that is to say, that of the soul -- is more excellent in whiteness 
than the snow, clearer[159] than milk, and ruddier than old ivory, 
and lovelier than the sapphire stone. Their face has now become 
blacker than coal and they are not known in the streets.[160] By the 
hair we here understand the affections and thoughts of the soul, 
which, ordered as God orders them -- that is, in God Himself -- 
are whiter than snow, and clearer[161] than milk, and ruddier than 
ivory, and lovelier than the sapphire. By these four things is 
understood every kind of beauty and excellence of corporeal 
creatures, higher than which, says the writer, are the soul and 
its operations, which are the Nazarites or the hair 
aforementioned; the which Nazarites, being unruly,[162] with their 
lives ordered in a way that God ordered not -- that is, being set 
upon the creatures -- have their face (says Jeremias) made and 
turned blacker than coal.
     3. All this harm, and more, is done to the beauty of the soul 
by its unruly desires for the things of this world; so much so 
that, if we set out to speak of the foul and vile appearance that 
the desires can give the soul, we should find nothing, however 
full of cobwebs and worms it might be, not even the corruption of 
a dead body, nor aught else that is impure and vile, nor aught 
that can exist and be imagined in this life, to which we could 
compare it. For, although it is true that the unruly soul, in its 
natural being, is as perfect as when God created it, yet, in its 
reasonable being, it is vile, abominable, foul, black and full of 
all the evils that are here being described, and many more. For, 
as we shall afterwards say, a single unruly desire, although there 
be in it no matter of mortal sin, suffices to bring a soul into 
such bondage, foulness and vileness that it can in no wise come to 
accord with God in union[163] until the desire be purified. What, 
then, will be the vileness of the soul that is completely 
unrestrained with respect to its own passions and given up to its 
desires, and how far removed will it be from God and from His 
purity?
     4. It is impossible to explain in words, or to cause to be 
understood by the understanding, what variety of impurity is 
caused in the soul by a variety of desires. For, if it could be 
expressed and understood, it would be a wondrous thing, and one 
also which would fill us with pity, to see how each desire, in 
accordance with its quality and degree, be it greater or smaller, 
leaves in the soul its mark and deposit of impurity and vileness, 
and how one single disorder of the reason can be the source of 
innumerable different impurities, some greater, some less, each 
one after its kind. For, even as the soul of the righteous man has 
in one single perfection, which is uprightness of soul, 
innumerable gifts of the greatest richness, and many virtues of 
the greatest loveliness, each one different and full of grace 
after its kind according to the multitude and the diversity of the 
affections of love which it has had in God, even so the unruly 
soul, according to the variety of the desires which it has for the 
creatures, has in itself a miserable variety of impurities and 
meannesses, wherewith it is endowed[164] by the said desires.
     5. The variety of these desires is well illustrated in the 
Book of Ezechiel, where it is written that God showed this 
Prophet, in the interior of the Temple, painted around its walls, 
all likenesses of creeping things which crawl on the ground, and 
all the abomination of unclean beasts.[165] And then God said to 
Ezechiel: 'Son of man, hast thou not indeed seen the abominations 
that these do, each one in the secrecy of his chamber?'[166] And God 
commanded the Prophet to go in farther and he would see greater 
abominations; and he says that he there saw women seated, weeping 
for Adonis, the god of love.[167] And God commanded him to go in 
farther still, and he would see yet greater abominations, and he 
says that he saw there five-and-twenty old men whose backs were 
turned toward the Temple.[168]
     6. The diversity of creeping things and unclean beasts that 
were painted in the first chamber of the Temple are the thoughts 
and conceptions which the understanding fashions from the lowly 
things of earth, and from all the creatures, which are painted, 
just as they are, in the temple of the soul, when the soul 
embarrasses its understanding with them, which is the soul's first 
habitation. The women that were farther within, in the second 
habitation, weeping for the god Adonis, are the desires that are 
in the second faculty of the soul, which is the will; the which 
are, as it were, weeping, inasmuch as they covet that to which the 
will is affectioned, which are the creeping things painted in the 
understandings. And the men that were in the third habitation are 
the images and representations of the creatures, which the third 
part of the soul -- namely memory -- keeps and reflects upon[169] 
within itself. Of these it is said that their backs are turned 
toward the Temple because when the soul, according to these three 
faculties, completely and perfectly embraces anything that is of 
the earth, it can be said to have its back turned toward the 
Temple of God, which is the right reason of the soul, which admits 
within itself nothing that is of creatures.
     7. And let this now suffice for the understanding of this 
foul disorder of the soul with respect to its desires. For if we 
had to treat in detail of the lesser foulness which these 
imperfections and their variety make and cause in the soul, and 
that which is caused by venial sins, which is still greater than 
that of the imperfections, and their great variety, and likewise 
that which is caused by the desires for mortal sin, which is 
complete foulness of the soul, and its great variety, according to 
the variety and multitude of all these three things, we should 
never end, nor would the understanding of angels suffice to 
understand it. That which I say, and that which is to the point 
for my purpose, is that any desire, although it be for but the 
smallest imperfection, stains and defiles the soul.


                            CHAPTER X

     Wherein is described how the desires weaken the soul in 
virtue and make it lukewarm.

     THE fifth way in which the desires harm the soul is by making 
it lukewarm and weak, so that it has no strength to follow after 
virtue and to persevere therein. For as the strength of the 
desire, when it is set upon various aims, is less than if it were 
set wholly on one thing alone, and as, the more are the aims 
whereon it is set, the less of it there is for each of them, for 
this cause philosophers say that virtue in union is stronger than 
if it be dispersed. Wherefore it is clear that, if the desire of 
the will be dispersed among other things than virtue, it must be 
weaker as regards virtue. And thus the soul whose will is set upon 
various trifles is like water, which, having a place below wherein 
to empty itself, never rises; and such a soul has no profit. For 
this cause the patriarch Jacob compared his son Ruben to water 
poured out, because in a certain sin he had given rein to his 
desires. And he said: +Thou art poured out like water; grow thou 
not.'[170] As though he had said: Since thou art poured out like 
water as to the desires, thou shalt not grow in virtue. And thus, 
as hot water, when uncovered, readily loses heat, and as aromatic 
spices, when they are unwrapped, gradually lose the fragrance and 
strength of their perfume, even so the soul that is not 
recollected in one single desire for God loses heat and vigour in 
its virtue. This was well understood by David, when he said, 
speaking with God: I will keep my strength for Thee.[171] That is, 
concentrating the strength of my desires upon Thee alone.
     2. And the desires weaken the virtue of the soul, because 
they are to it like the shoots that grow about a tree, and take 
away its virtue so that it cannot bring forth so much fruit. And 
of such souls as these says the Lord: Voe proegnantibus, et 
nutrientibus in illis diebus.[172] That is: Woe to them that in 
those days are with child and to them that give suck. This being 
with child and giving suck is understood with respect to the 
desires; which, if they be not pruned, will ever be taking more 
virtue from the soul, and will grow to the harm of the soul, like 
the shoots upon the tree. Wherefore Our Lord counsels us, saying: 
Have your loins girt about[173] -- the loins signifying here the 
desires. And indeed, they are also like leeches, which are ever 
sucking the blood from the veins, for thus the Preacher terms them 
when he says: The leeches are the daughters -- that is, the 
desires -- saying ever: Daca, daca.[174]
     3. From this it is clear that the desires bring no good to 
the soul but rather take from it that which it has; and, if it 
mortify them not, they will not cease till they have wrought in it 
that which the children of the viper are said to work in their 
mother; who, as they are growing within her womb, consume her and 
kill her, and they themselves remain alive at her cost. Just so 
the desires that are not mortified grow to such a point that they 
kill the soul with respect to God because it has not first killed 
them. And they alone live in it. Wherefore the Preacher says: 
Aufer a me Domine ventris concupiscentias.[175]
     4. And, even though they reach not this point, it is very 
piteous to consider how the desires that live in this poor soul 
treat it, how unhappy it is with regard to itself, how dry with 
respect to its neighbours, and how weary and slothful with respect 
to the things of God. For there is no evil humour that makes it as 
wearisome and difficult for a sick man to walk, or gives him a 
distaste for eating comparable to the weariness and distaste for 
following virtue which is given to a soul by desire for creatures. 
And thus the reason why many souls have no diligence and eagerness 
to gain virtue is, as a rule, that they have desires and 
affections which are not pure and are not fixed upon God.[176]


                           CHAPTER XI

     Wherein it is proved necessary that the soul that would 
attain to Divine union should be free from desires, however slight 
they be.

     I EXPECT that for a long time the reader has been wishing to 
ask whether it be necessary, in order to attain to this high 
estate of perfection, to undergo first of all total mortification 
in all the desires, great and small, or if it will suffice to 
mortify some of them and to leave others, those at least which 
seem of little moment. For it appears to be a severe and most 
difficult thing for the soul to be able to attain to such purity 
and detachment that it has no will and affection for anything.
     2. To this I reply: first, that it is true that all the 
desires are not equally hurtful, nor do they all equally embarrass 
the soul. I am speaking of those that are voluntary, for the 
natural desires hinder the soul little, if at all, from attaining 
to union, when they are not consented to nor pass beyond the first 
movements (I mean,[177] all those wherein the rational will has had 
no part, whether at first or afterward); and to take away these -- 
that is, to mortify them wholly in this life -- is impossible. And 
these hinder not the soul in such a way as to prevent its 
attainment to Divine union, even though they be not, as I say, 
wholly mortified; for the natural man may well have them, and yet 
the soul may be quite free from them according to the rational 
spirit. For it will sometimes come to pass that the soul will be 
in the full[178] union of the prayer of quiet in the will at the 
very time when these desires are dwelling in the sensual part of 
the soul, and yet the higher part, which is in prayer, will have 
nothing to do with them. But all the other voluntary desires, 
whether they be of mortal sin, which are the gravest, or of venial 
sin, which are less grave, or whether they be only of 
imperfections, which are the least grave of all, must be driven 
away every one, and the soul must be free from them all, howsoever 
slight they be, if it is to come to this complete union; and the 
reason is that the state of this Divine union consists in the 
soul's total transformation, according to the will, in the will of 
God, so that, there may be naught in the soul that is contrary to 
the will of God, but that, in all and through all, its movement 
may be that of the will of God alone.
     3. It is for this reason that we say of this state that it is 
the making of two wills into one -- namely, into the will of God, 
which will of God is likewise the will of the soul. For if this 
soul desired any imperfection that God wills not, there would not 
be made one will of God, since the soul would have a will for that 
which God has not. It is clear, then, that for the soul to come to 
unite itself perfectly with God through love and will, it must 
first be free from all desire of the will, howsoever slight. That 
is, that it must not intentionally and knowingly consent with the 
will to imperfections, and it must have power and liberty to be 
able not so to consent intentionally. I say knowingly, because, 
unintentionally and unknowingly, or without having the power to do 
otherwise, it may well fall into imperfections and venial sins, 
and into the natural desires whereof we have spoken; for of such 
sins as these which are not voluntary and surreptitious it is 
written that the just man shall fall seven times in the day and 
shall rise up again.[179] But of the voluntary desires, which, 
though they be for very small things, are, as I have said, 
intentional venial sins, any one that is not conquered suffices to 
impede union.[180] I mean, if this habit be not mortified; for 
sometimes certain acts of different desires have not as much power 
when the habits are mortified. Still, the soul will attain to the 
stage of not having even these, for they likewise proceed from a 
habit of imperfection. But some habits of voluntary imperfections, 
which are never completely conquered, prevent not only the 
attainment of Divine union, but also progress in perfection.
     4. These habitual imperfections are, for example, a common 
custom of much speaking, or some slight attachment which we never 
quite wish to conquer -- such as that to a person, a garment, a 
book, a cell, a particular kind of food, tittle-tattle, fancies 
for tasting, knowing or hearing certain things, and suchlike. Any 
one of these imperfections, if the soul has become attached and 
habituated to it, is of as great harm to its growth and progress 
in virtue as though it were to fall daily into many other 
imperfections and usual venial sins which proceed not from a 
habitual indulgence in any habitual and harmful attachment, and 
will not hinder it so much as when it has attachment to anything. 
For as long as it has this there is no possibility that it will 
make progress in perfection, even though the imperfection be 
extremely slight. For it comes to the same thing whether a bird be 
held by a slender cord or by a stout one; since, even if it be 
slender, the bird will be well held as though it were stout, for 
so long as it breaks it not and flies not away. It is true that 
the slender one is the easier to break; still, easy though it be, 
the bird will not fly away if it be not broken. And thus the soul 
that has attachment to anything, however much virtue it possess, 
will not attain to the liberty of Divine union. For the desire and 
the attachment of the soul have that power which the sucking-
fish[181] is said to have when it clings to a ship; for, though but 
a very small fish, if it succeed in clinging to the ship, it makes 
it incapable of reaching the port, or of sailing on at all. It is 
sad to see certain souls in this plight; like rich vessels, they 
are laden with wealth and good works and spiritual exercises, and 
with the virtues and the favours that God grants them; and yet, 
because they have not the resolution to break with some whim or 
attachment or affection (which all come to the same thing), they 
never make progress or reach the port of perfection, though they 
would need to do no more than make one good flight and thus to 
snap that cord of desire right off, or to rid themselves of that 
sucking-fish of desire which clings to them.
     5. It is greatly to be lamented that, when God has granted 
them strength to break other and stouter cords[182] -- namely, 
affections for sins and vanities -- they should fail to attain to 
such blessing because they have not shaken off some childish thing 
which God had bidden them conquer for love of Him, and which is 
nothing more than a thread or a hair.[183] And, what is worse, not 
only do they make no progress, but because of this attachment they 
fall back, lose that which they have gained, and retrace that part 
of the road along which they have travelled at the cost of so much 
time and labour; for it is well known that, on this road, not to 
go forward is to turn back, and not to be gaining is to be losing. 
This Our Lord desired to teach us when He said: 'He that is not 
with Me is against Me; and he that gathereth not with Me 
scattereth.'[184] He that takes not the trouble to repair the 
vessel, however slight be the crack in it, is likely to spill all 
the liquid that is within it. The Preacher taught us this clearly 
when he said: He that contemneth small things shall fall by little 
and little.[185] For, as he himself says, a great fire cometh from a 
single spark.[186] And thus one imperfection is sufficient to lead 
to another; and these lead to yet more; wherefore you will hardly 
ever see a soul that is negligent in conquering one desire, and 
that has not many more arising from the same weakness and 
imperfection that this desire causes. In this way they are 
continually filling; we have seen many persons to whom God has 
been granting the favour of leading them a long way, into a state 
of great detachment and liberty, yet who, merely through beginning 
to indulge some slight attachment, under the pretext of doing 
good, or in the guise of conversation and friendship, often lose 
their spirituality and desire for God and holy solitude, fall from 
the joy and wholehearted devotion which they had in their 
spiritual exercises, and cease not until they have lost 
everything; and this because they broke not with that beginning of 
sensual desire and pleasure and kept not themselves in solitude 
for God.
     6. Upon this road we must ever journey in order to attain our 
goal; which means that we must ever be mortifying our desires and 
not indulging them; and if they are not all completely mortified 
we shall not completely attain. For even as a log of wood may fail 
to be transformed in the fire because a single degree of heat is 
wanting to it, even so the soul will not be transformed in God if 
it have but one imperfection, although it be something less than 
voluntary desire; for, as we shall say hereafter concerning the 
night of faith, the soul has only one will, and that will, if it 
be embarrassed by aught and set upon by aught, is not free, 
solitary, and pure, as is necessary for Divine transformation.
     7. Of this that has been said we have a figure in the Book of 
the Judges, where it is related that the angel came to the 
children of Israel and said to them that, because they had not 
destroyed that forward people, but had made a league with some of 
them, they would therefore be left among them as enemies, that 
they might be to them an occasion of stumbling and perdition.[187] 
And just so does God deal with certain souls: though He has taken 
them out of the world, and slain the giants, their sins, and 
destroyed the multitude of their enemies, which are the occasions 
of sin that they encountered in the world, solely that they may 
enter this Promised Land of Divine union with greater liberty, yet 
they harbour friendship and make alliance with the insignificant 
peoples[188] -- that is, with imperfections -- and mortify them not 
completely; therefore Our Lord is angry, and allows them to fall 
into their desires and go from bad to worse.
     8. In the Book of Josue, again, we have a figure of what has 
just been said -- where we read that God commanded Josue, at the 
time that he had to enter into possession of the Promised Land, to 
destroy all things that were in the city of Jericho, in such wise 
as to leave therein nothing alive, man or woman, young or old, and 
to slay all the beasts, and to take naught, neither to covet 
aught, of all the spoils.[189] This He said that we may understand 
how, if a man is to enter this Divine union, all that lives in his 
soul must die, both little and much, small and great, and that the 
soul must be without desire for all this, and detached from it, 
even as though it existed not for the soul, neither the soul for 
it. This Saint Paul teaches us clearly in his epistle ad 
Corinthios, saying: 'This I say to you, brethren, that the time is 
short; it remains, and it behoves you, that they that have wives 
should be as if they had none; and they that weep for the things 
of this world, as though they wept not; and they that rejoice, as 
if they rejoiced not; and they that buy, as though they possessed 
not; and they that use this world, as if they used it not.'[190] 
This the Apostle says to us in order to teach us how complete must 
be the detachment of our soul from all things if it is to journey 
to God.


                           CHAPTER XII

     Which treats of the answer to another question, explaining 
what the desires are that suffice to cause the evils 
aforementioned in the soul.

     WE might write at greater length upon this matter of the 
night of sense, saying all that there is to say concerning the 
harm which is caused by the desires, not only in the ways 
aforementioned, but in many others. But for our purpose that which 
has been said suffices; for we believe we have made it clear in 
what way the mortification of these desires is called night, and 
how it behoves us to enter this night in order to journey to God. 
The only thing that remains, before we treat of the manner of 
entrance therein, in order to bring this part to a close, is a 
question concerning what has been said which might occur to the 
reader.
     2. It may first be asked if any desire can be sufficient to 
work and produce in the soul the two evils aforementioned -- 
namely, the privative, which consists in depriving the soul of the 
grace of God, and the positive, which consists in producing within 
it the five serious evils whereof we have spoken. Secondly, it may 
be asked if any desire, however slight it be and of whatever kind, 
suffices to produce all these together, or if some desires produce 
some and others produce others. If, for example, some produce 
torment; others, weariness; others, darkness, etc.
     3. Answering this question, I say, first of all, that with 
respect to the privative evil -- which consists in the soul's 
being deprived of God -- this is wrought wholly, and can only be 
wrought, by the voluntary desires, which are of the matter of 
mortal sin; for they deprive the soul of grace in this life, and 
of glory, which is the possession of God, in the next. In the 
second place, I say that both those desires which are of the 
matter of mortal sin, and the voluntary desires, which are of the 
matter of venial sin, and those that are of the matter of 
imperfection, are each sufficient to produce in the soul all these 
positive evils together; the which evils, although in a certain 
way they are privative, we here call positive, since they 
correspond to a turning towards the creature, even as the 
privative evils correspond to a turning away from God. But there 
is this difference, that the desires which are of mortal sin 
produce total blindness, torment, impurity, weakness, etc. Those 
others, however, which are of the matter of venial sin or 
imperfection, produce not these evils in a complete and supreme 
degree, since they deprive not the soul of grace, upon the loss of 
which depends the possession of them, since the death of the soul 
is their life; but they produce them in the soul remissly, 
proportionately to the remission of grace which these desires 
produce in the soul.[191] So that desire which most weakens grace 
will produce the most abundant torment, blindness and defilement.
     4. It should be noted, however, that, although each desire 
produces all these evils, which we here term positive, there are 
some which, principally and directly, produce some of them, and 
others which produce others, and the remainder are produced 
consequently upon these. For, although it is true that one sensual 
desire produces all these evils, yet its principal and proper 
effect is the defilement of soul and body. And, although one 
avaricious desire produces them all, its principal and direct 
result is to produce misery. And, although similarly one 
vainglorious desire produces them all, its principal and direct 
result is to produce darkness and blindness. And, although one 
gluttonous desire produces them all, its principal result is to 
produce lukewarmness in virtue. And even so is it with the rest.
     5. And the reason why any act of voluntary desire produces in 
the soul all these effects together lies in the direct contrariety 
which exists between them and all the acts of virtue which produce 
the contrary effects in the soul. For, even as an act of virtue 
produces and begets in the soul sweetness, peace, consolation, 
light, cleanness and fortitude altogether, even so an unruly 
desire causes torment, fatigue, weariness, blindness and weakness. 
All the virtues grow through the practice of any one of them, and 
all the vices grow through the practice of any one of them 
likewise, and the remnants[192] of each grow in the soul. And 
although all these evils are not evident at the moment when the 
desire is indulged, since the resulting pleasure gives no occasion 
for them, yet the evil remnants which they leave are clearly 
perceived, whether before or afterwards. This is very well 
illustrated by that book which the angel commanded Saint John to 
eat, in the Apocalypse, the which book was sweetness to his mouth, 
and in his belly bitterness.[193] For the desire, when it is carried 
into effect, is sweet and appears to be good, but its bitter taste 
is felt afterwards; the truth of this can be clearly proved by 
anyone who allows himself to be led away by it. Yet I am not 
ignorant that there are some men so blind and insensible as not to 
feel this, for, as they do not walk in God, they are unable to 
perceive that which hinders them from approaching Him.
     6. I am not writing here of the other natural desires which 
are not voluntary, and of thoughts that go not beyond the first 
movements, and other temptations to which the soul is not 
consenting; for these produce in the soul none of the evils 
aforementioned. For, although a person who suffers from them may 
think that the passion and disturbance which they then produce in 
him are defiling and blinding him, this is not the case; rather 
they are bringing him the opposite advantages. For, in so far as 
he resists them, he gains fortitude, purity, light and 
consolation, and many blessings, even as Our Lord said to Saint 
Paul: That virtue was made perfect in weakness.[194] But the 
voluntary desires work all the evils aforementioned, and more. 
Wherefore the principal care of spiritual masters is to mortify 
their disciples immediately with respect to any desire soever, by 
causing them to remain without the objects of their desires, in 
order to free them from such great misery.


                          CHAPTER XIII

     Wherein is described the manner and way which the soul must 
follow in order to enter this night of sense.

     IT now remains for me to give certain counsels whereby the 
soul may know how to enter this night of sense and may be able so 
to do. To this end it must be known that the soul habitually 
enters this night of sense in two ways: the one is active; the 
other passive. The active way consists in that which the soul can 
do, and does, of itself, in order to enter therein, whereof we 
shall now treat in the counsels which follow. The passive way is 
that wherein the soul does nothing, and God works in it, and it 
remains, as it were, patient. Of this we shall treat in the fourth 
book, where we shall be treating of beginners. And because there, 
with the Divine favour, we shall give many counsels to beginners, 
according to the many imperfections which they are apt to have 
while on this road, I shall not spend time in giving many here. 
And this, too, because it belongs not to this place to give them, 
as at present we are treating only of the reasons for which this 
journey is called a night, and of what kind it is, and how many 
parts it has. But, as it seems that it would be incomplete, and 
less profitable than it should be, if we gave no help or counsel 
here for walking in this night of desires, I have thought well to 
set down briefly here the way which is to be followed: and I shall 
do the same at the end of each of the next two parts, or causes, 
of this night, whereof, with the help of the Lord, I have to 
treat.
     2. These counsels for the conquering of the desires, which 
now follow, albeit brief and few, I believe to be as profitable 
and efficacious as they are concise; so that one who sincerely 
desires to practice them will need no others, but will find them 
all included in these.
     3. First, let him have an habitual desire[195] to imitate 
Christ in everything that he does, conforming himself to His life; 
upon which life he must meditate so that he may know how to 
imitate it, and to behave in all things as Christ would behave.
     4. Secondly, in order that he may be able to do this well, 
every pleasure that presents itself to the senses, if it be not 
purely for the honour and glory of God, must be renounced and 
completely rejected for the love of Jesus Christ, Who in this life 
had no other pleasure, neither desired any, than to do the will of 
His Father, which He called His meat and food.[196] I take this 
example. If there present itself to a man the pleasure of 
listening to things that tend not to the service and honour of 
God, let him not desire that pleasure, nor desire to listen to 
them; and if there present itself the pleasure of looking at 
things that help him not Godward, let him not desire the pleasure 
or look at these things; and if in conversation or in aught else 
soever such pleasure present itself, let him act likewise. And 
similarly with respect to all the senses, in so far as he can 
fairly avoid the pleasure in question; if he cannot, it suffices 
that, although these things may be present to his senses, he 
desires not to have this pleasure. And in this wise he will be 
able to mortify and void his senses of such pleasure, as though 
they were in darkness. If he takes care to do this, he will soon 
reap great profit.
     5. For the mortifying and calming of the four natural 
passions, which are joy, hope, fear and grief, from the concord 
and pacification whereof come these and other blessings, the 
counsels here following are of the greatest help, and of great 
merit, and the source of great virtues.
     6. Strive always to prefer, not that which is easiest, but 
that which is most difficult;
     Not that which is most delectable, but that which is most 
unpleasing;
     Not that which gives most pleasure, but rather that which 
gives least;
     Not that which is restful, but that which is wearisome;
     Not that which is consolation, but rather that which is 
disconsolateness;
     Not that which is greatest, but that which is least;
     Not that which is loftiest and most precious, but that which 
is lowest and most despised;
     Not that which is[197] a desire for anything, but that which is 
a desire for nothing;
     Strive to go about seeking not the best of temporal things, 
but the worst.
     Strive thus to desire to enter into complete detachment and 
emptiness and poverty, with respect to everything that is in the 
world, for Christ's sake.
     7. And it is meet that the soul embrace these acts with all 
its heart and strive to subdue its will thereto. For, if it 
perform them with its heart, it will very quickly come to find in 
them great delight and consolation, and to act with order and 
discretion.
     8. These things that have been said, if they be faithfully 
put into practice, are quite sufficient for entrance into the 
night of sense; but, for greater completeness, we shall describe 
another kind of exercise which teaches us to mortify the 
concupiscence of the flesh and the concupiscence of the eyes, and 
the pride of life, which, says Saint John,[198] are the things that 
reign in the world, from which all the other desires proceed.
     9. First, let the soul strive to work in its own despite, and 
desire all to do so. Secondly, let it strive to speak in its own 
despite and desire all to do so. Third, let it strive to think 
humbly of itself, in its own despite, and desire all to do so.
     10. To conclude these counsels and rules, it will be fitting 
to set down here those lines which are written in the Ascent of 
the Mount, which is the figure that is at the beginning of this 
book; the which lines are instructions for ascending to it, and 
thus reaching the summit of union. For, although it is true that 
that which is there spoken of is spiritual and interior, there is 
reference likewise to the spirit of imperfection according to 
sensual and exterior things, as may be seen by the two roads which 
are on either side of the path of perfection. It is in this way 
and according to this sense that we shall understand them here; 
that is to say, according to that which is sensual. Afterwards, in 
the second part of this night, they will be understood according 
to that which is spiritual.[199]
     11. The lines are these:
     In order to arrive at having pleasure in everything, 
Desire to have pleasure in nothing.
     In order to arrive at possessing everything, 
Desire to possess nothing.
     In order to arrive at being everything, 
Desire to be nothing.
     In order to arrive at knowing everything, 
Desire to know nothing.[200]
     In order to arrive at that wherein thou hast no pleasure, 
Thou must go by a way wherein thou hast no pleasure.
     In order to arrive at that which thou knowest not, 
Thou must go by a way that thou knowest not.
     In order to arrive at that which thou possessest not, 
Thou must go by a way that thou possessest not.
     In order to arrive at that which thou art not,
Thou must go through that which thou art not. 
     12. When thy mind dwells upon anything,
     Thou art ceasing to cast thyself upon the All.
     For, in order to pass from the all to the All, 
Thou hast to deny thyself wholly[201] in all.
     And, when thou comest to possess it wholly, 
Thou must possess it without desiring anything.
     For, if thou wilt have anything in having all,[202]
Thou hast not thy treasure purely in God.

     13. In this detachment the spiritual soul finds its quiet and 
repose; for, since it covets nothing, nothing wearies it when it 
is lifted up, and nothing oppresses it when it is cast down, 
because it is in the centre of its humility; but when it covets 
anything, at that very moment it becomes wearied.


                           CHAPTER XIV

     Wherein is expounded the second line of the stanza.

      Kindled in love with yearnings. 

     NOW that we have expounded the first line of this stanza, 
which treats of the night of sense, explaining what this night of 
sense is, and why it is called night; and now that we have 
likewise described the order and manner which are to be followed 
for a soul to enter therein actively, the next thing to be treated 
in due sequence is its properties and effects, which are 
wonderful, and are described in the next lines of the stanza 
aforementioned, upon which I will briefly touch for the sake of 
expounding the said lines, as I promised in the Prologue;[203] and I 
will then pass on at once to the second book, treating of the 
other part of this night, which is the spiritual. 
      2. The soul, then, says that, 'kindled in love with 
yearnings,' it passed through this dark night of sense and came 
out thence to the union of the Beloved. For, in order to conquer 
all the desires and to deny itself the pleasures which it has in 
everything, and for which its love and affection are wont to 
enkindle the will that it may enjoy them, it would need to 
experience another and a greater enkindling by an other and a 
better love, which is that of its Spouse; to the end that, having 
its pleasure set upon Him and deriving from Him its strength, it 
should have courage and constancy to deny itself all other things 
with ease. And, in order to conquer the strength of the desires of 
sense, it would need, not only to have love for its Spouse, but 
also to be enkindled by love and to have yearnings. For it comes 
to pass, and so it is, that with such yearnings of desire the 
sensual nature is moved and attracted toward sensual things, so 
that, if the spiritual part be not enkindled with other and 
greater yearnings for that which is spiritual, it will be unable 
to throw off the yoke of nature[204] or to enter this night of 
sense, neither will it have courage to remain in darkness as to 
all things, depriving itself of desire for them all.
     3. And the nature and all the varieties of these yearnings of 
love which souls experience in the early stages of this road to 
union; and the diligent means and contrivances which they employ 
in order to leave their house, which is self-will, during the 
night of the mortification of their senses; and how easy, and even 
sweet and delectable, these yearnings for the Spouse make all the 
trials and perils of this night to appear to them, this is not the 
place to describe, neither is such description possible; for it is 
better to know and meditate upon these things than to write of 
them. And so we shall pass on to expound the remaining lines in 
the next chapter.


                           CHAPTER XV

     Wherein are expounded the remaining lines of the 
aforementioned stanza.

     . . . oh, happy chance! --
     I went forth without being observed, My house being now at 
rest.

     THESE lines take as a metaphor the miserable estate of 
captivity, a man's deliverance from which, when none of the 
gaolers' hinder his release, he considers a 'happy chance.' For 
the soul, on account of[205] original sin, is truly as it were a 
captive in this mortal body, subject to the passions and desires 
of nature, from bondage and subjection to which it considers its 
having gone forth without being observed as a 'happy chance' -- 
having gone forth, that is, without being impeded or engulfed[206] 
by any of them.
     2. For to this end the soul profited by going forth upon a 
'dark night' -- that is, in the privation of all pleasures and 
mortification of all desires, after the manner whereof we have 
spoken. And by its 'house being now at rest' is meant the sensual 
part, which is the house of all the desires, and is now at rest 
because they have all been overcome and lulled to sleep. For until 
the desires are lulled to sleep through the mortification of the 
sensual nature, and until at last the sensual nature itself is at 
rest from them, so that they make not war upon the spirit, the 
soul goes not forth to true liberty and to the fruition of union 
with its Beloved.

                      END OF THE FIRST BOOK



                         BOOK THE SECOND

                  OF THE ASCENT OF MT. CARMEL'

     Wherein is treated the proximate means of ascending to union 
with God, which is faith; and wherein therefore is described the 
second part of this night, which, as we said, belongs to the 
spirit, and is contained in the second stanza, which is as 
follows.

                        STANZA THE SECOND

                            CHAPTER I

     In darkness and secure, By the secret ladder, disguised -- 
oh, happy chance! --
     In darkness and in concealment, My house being now at rest.

     IN this second stanza the soul sings of the happy chance 
which it experienced in stripping the spirit of all spiritual 
imperfections and desires for the possession of spiritual things. 
This was a much greater happiness to, by reason of the greater 
difficulty that there is in putting to rest this house of the 
spiritual part, and of being able to enter this interior darkness, 
which is spiritual detachment from all things, whether sensual or 
spiritual, and leaning on pure faith alone and an ascent thereby 
to God. The soul here calls this a 'ladder,' and 'secret,' because 
all the rungs and parts of it[207] are secret and hidden from all 
sense and understanding. And thus the soul has remained in 
darkness as to all light of sense and understanding, going forth 
beyond all limits of nature and reason in order to ascend by this 
Divine ladder of faith, which attains[208] and penetrates even to 
the heights[209] of God. The soul says that it was travelling 
'disguised,' because the garments and vesture which it wears and 
its natural condition are changed into the Divine, as it ascends 
by faith. And it was because of this disguise that it was not 
recognized or impeded, either by time or by reason or by the 
devil; for none of these things can harm one that journeys in 
faith. And not only so, but the soul travels in such wise 
concealed and hidden and is so far from all the deceits of the 
devil that in truth it journeys (as it also says here) 'in 
darkness and in concealment' -- that is to say, hidden from the 
devil, to whom the light of faith is more than darkness.
     2. And thus the soul that journeys through this night, we may 
say, journeys in concealment and in hiding from the devil, as will 
be more clearly seen hereafter. Wherefore the soul says that it 
went forth 'in darkness and secure'; for one that has such 
happiness as to be able to journey through the darkness of faith, 
taking faith for his guide, like to one that is blind,[210] and 
leaving behind all natural imaginings and spiritual reasonings, 
journeys very securely, as we have said. And so the soul says 
furthermore that it went forth through this spiritual night, its 
'house being now at rest' -- that is to say, its spiritual and 
rational parts. When, therefore, the soul attains to union which 
is of God, its natural faculties are at rest, as are likewise its 
impulses and yearnings of the senses, in its spiritual part. For 
this cause the soul says not here that it went forth with 
yearnings, as in the first night of sense. For, in order to 
journey in the night of sense, and to strip itself of that which 
is of sense, it needed yearnings of sense-love so that it might go 
forth perfectly; but, in order to put to rest the house of its 
spirit, it needs no more than denial[211] of all faculties and 
pleasures and desires of the spirit in pure faith. This attained, 
the soul is united with the Beloved in a union of simplicity and 
purity and love and similitude.
     3. And it must be remembered that the first stanza, speaking 
of the sensual part, says that the soul went forth upon 'a dark 
night,' and here, speaking of the spiritual part, it says that it 
went forth 'in darkness.' For the darkness of the spiritual part 
is by far the greater, even as darkness is a greater obscurity 
than that of night. For, however dark a night may be, something 
can always be seen, but in true darkness nothing can be seen; and 
thus in the night of sense there still remains some light, for the 
understanding and reason remain, and are not blinded. But this 
spiritual night, which is faith, deprives the soul of everything, 
both as to understanding and as to sense. And for this cause the 
soul in this night says that it was journeying 'in darkness and 
secure,' which it said not in the other. For, the less the soul 
works with its own ability, the more securely it journeys, because 
it journeys more in faith. And this will be expounded at length in 
the course of this second book, wherein it will be necessary for 
the devout reader to proceed attentively, because there will be 
said herein things of great importance to the person that is truly 
spiritual.[212] And, although they are somewhat obscure, some of 
them will pave the way to others, so that I believe they will all 
be quite clearly understood.


                           CHAPTER II

     Which begins to treat of the second part or cause of this 
night, which is faith. Proves by two arguments how it is darker 
than the first and than the third.

     WE now go on to treat of the second part of this night, which 
is faith; this is the wondrous means which, as we said, leads to 
the goal, which is God, Who, as we said,[213] is also to the soul, 
naturally, the third cause or part of this night. For faith, which 
is the means,[214] is compared with midnight. And thus we may say 
that it is darker for the soul either than the first part or, in a 
way, than the third; for the first part, which is that of sense, 
is compared to the beginning of night, or the time when sensible 
objects can no longer be seen, and thus it is not so far removed 
from light as is midnight. The third part, which is the period 
preceding the dawn, is quite close to the light of day, and it, 
too, therefore, is not so dark as midnight; for it is now close to 
the enlightenment and illumination of the light of day, which is 
compared with God. For, although it is true, if we speak after a 
natural manner, that God is as dark a night to the soul as is 
faith, still, when these three parts of the night are over, which 
are naturally night to the soul, God begins to illumine the soul 
by supernatural means with the ray of His Divine light; which is 
the beginning of the perfect union that follows, when the third 
night is past, and it can thus be said to be less dark.
     2. It is likewise darker than the first night, for this 
belongs to the lower part of man, which is the sensual part, and, 
consequently, the more exterior; and this second part, which is of 
faith, belongs to the higher part of man, which is the rational 
part, and, in consequence, more interior and more obscure, since 
it deprives it of the light of reason, or, to speak more clearly, 
blinds it;[215] and thus it is aptly compared to midnight, which is 
the depth of night and the darkest part thereof.
     3. We have now to prove how this second part, which is faith, 
is night to the spirit, even as the first part is night to sense. 
And we shall then also describe the things that are contrary to 
it, and how the soul must prepare itself actively to enter it. 
For, concerning the passive part, which is that which God works in 
it, when He brings it into that night, we shall speak in its 
place, which I intend shall be the third book.


                           CHAPTER III

     How faith is dark night to the soul. This is proved with 
arguments and quotations and figures from Scripture.

     FAITH, say the theologians, is a habit of the soul, certain 
and obscure. And the reason for its being an obscure habit is that 
it makes us believe truths revealed by God Himself, which 
transcend all natural light, and exceed all human understanding, 
beyond all proportion. Hence it follows that, for the soul, this 
excessive light of faith which is given to it is thick darkness, 
for it overwhelms greater things and does away with small things, 
even as the light of the sun overwhelms all other lights 
whatsoever, so that when it shines and disables our visual faculty 
they appear not to be lights at all. So that it blinds it and 
deprives it of the sight that has been given to it, inasmuch as 
its light is great beyond all proportion and transcends the 
faculty of vision. Even so the light of faith, by its excessive 
greatness, oppresses and disables that of the understanding; for 
the latter, of its own power, extends only to natural knowledge, 
although it has a faculty[216] for the supernatural, whenever Our 
Lord is pleased to give it supernatural activity.
     2. Wherefore a man can know nothing by himself, save after a 
natural manner,[217] which is only that which he attains by means of 
the senses. For this cause he must have the phantasms and the 
forms of objects present in themselves and in their likenesses; 
otherwise it cannot be, for, as philosophers say: Ab objecto et 
potentia paritur notitia. That is: From the object that is present 
and from the faculty, knowledge is born in the soul. Wherefore, if 
one should speak to a man of things which he has never been able 
to understand, and whose likeness he has never seen, he would have 
no more illumination from them whatever than if naught had been 
said of them to him. I take an example. If one should say to a man 
that on a certain island there is an animal which he has never 
seen, and give him no idea of the likeness of that animal, that he 
may compare it with others that he has seen, he will have no more 
knowledge of it, or idea of its form, than he had before, however 
much is being said to him about it. And this will be better 
understood by another and a more apt example. If one should 
describe to a man that was born blind, and has never seen any 
colour, what is meant by a white colour or by a yellow, he would 
understand it but indifferently, however fully one might describe 
it to him; for, as he has never seen such colours or anything like 
them by which he may judge them, only their names would remain 
with him; for these he would be able to comprehend through the 
ear, but not their forms or figures, since he has never seen them.
     3. Even so is faith with respect to the soul; it tells us of 
things which we have never seen or understood, nor have we seen or 
understood aught that resembles them, since there is naught that 
resembles them at all. And thus we have no light of natural 
knowledge concerning them, since that which we are told of them 
bears no relation to any sense of ours; we know it by the ear 
alone, believing that which we are taught, bringing our natural 
light into subjection and treating it as if it were not.[218] For, 
as Saint Paul says, Fides ex auditu.[219] As though he were to say: 
Faith is not knowledge which enters by any of the senses, but is 
only the consent given by the soul to that which enters through 
the ear.
     4. And faith far transcends even that which is indicated by 
the examples given above. For not only does it give no information 
and knowledge, but, as we have said, it deprives us of all other 
information and knowledge, and blinds us to them, so that they 
cannot judge it well. For other knowledge can be acquired by the 
light of the understanding; but the knowledge that is of faith is 
acquired without the illumination of the understanding, which is 
rejected for faith; and in its own light, if that light be not 
darkened, it is lost. Wherefore Isaias said: Si non credideritis, 
non intelligetis.[220] That is: If ye believe not, ye shall not 
understand. It is clear, then, that faith is dark night for the 
soul, and it is in this way that it gives it light; and the more 
the soul is darkened, the greater is the light that comes to it. 
For it is by blinding that it gives light, according to this 
saying of Isaias. For if ye believe not, ye shall not (he says) 
have light.[221] And thus faith was foreshadowed by that cloud which 
divided the children of Israel and the Egyptians when the former 
were about to enter the Red Sea, whereof Scripture says: Erat 
nubes tenebrosa, et illuminans noctem.[222] This is to say that that 
cloud was full of darkness and gave light to the night.
     5. A wondrous thing it is that, though it was dark, it should 
give light to the night. This was said to show that faith, which 
is a black and dark cloud to the soul (and likewise is night, 
since in the presence of faith the soul is deprived of its natural 
light and is blinded), can with its darkness give light and 
illumination to the darkness of the soul, for it was fitting that 
the disciples should thus be like the master. For man, who is in 
darkness, could not fittingly be enlightened save by other 
darkness, even as David teaches us, saying: Dies diei eructat 
verbum et nox nocti indicat scientiam.[223] Which signifies: Day 
unto day uttereth and aboundeth in speech, and night unto night 
showeth knowledge. Which, to speak more clearly, signifies: The 
day, which is God in bliss, where it is day to the blessed angels 
and souls who are now day, communicates and reveals to them the 
Word, which is His Son, that they may know Him and enjoy Him. And 
the night, which is faith in the Church Militant, where it is 
still night, shows knowledge is night to the Church, and 
consequently to every soul, which knowledge is night to it, since 
it is without clear beatific wisdom; and, in the presence of 
faith, it is blind as to its natural light.
     6. So that which is to be inferred from this that faith, 
because it is dark night, gives light to the soul, which is in 
darkness, that there may come to be fulfilled that which David 
likewise says to this purpose, in these works: Et nox illuminatio 
mea in deliciis meis.[224] Which signifies: the night will be 
illumination in my delights. Which is as much as to say: In the 
delights of my pure contemplation and union with God, the night of 
faith shall be my guide. Wherein he gives it clearly to be 
understood that the soul must be in darkness in order to have 
light for this road.


                           CHAPTER IV

     Treats in general of how the soul likewise must be in 
darkness, in so far as this rests with itself, to the end that it 
may be effectively guided by faith to the highest contemplation.

     IT is now, I think, becoming clear how faith is dark night to 
the soul, and how the soul likewise must be dark, or in darkness 
as to its own light so that it may allow itself to be guided by 
faith to this high goal of union. But, in order that the soul may 
be able to do this, it will now be well to continue describing, in 
somewhat greater detail, this darkness which it must have, in 
order that it may enter into this abyss of faith. And thus in this 
chapter I shall speak of it in a general way; and hereafter, with 
the Divine favour, I shall continue to describe more minutely the 
way in which the soul is to conduct itself that it may neither 
stray therein nor impede this guide.
     2. I say, then, that the soul, in order to be effectively 
guided to this state by faith, must not only be in darkness with 
respect to that part that concerns the creatures and temporal 
things, which is the sensual and the lower part (whereof we have 
already treated), but that likewise it must be blinded and 
darkened according to the part which has respect to God and to 
spiritual things, which is the rational and higher part, whereof 
we are now treating. For, in order that one may attain 
supernatural transformation, it is clear that he must be plunged 
into darkness and carried far away from all contained in his 
nature that is sensual and rational. For the word supernatural 
means that which soars above the natural self; the natural self, 
therefore, remains beneath it. For, although this transformation 
and union is something that cannot be comprehended by human 
ability and sense, the soul must completely and voluntarily void 
itself of all that can enter into it, whether from above or from 
below -- I mean according to the affection and will -- so far as 
this rests with itself. For who shall prevent God from doing that 
which He will in the soul that is resigned, annihilated and 
detached? But the soul must be voided of all such things as can 
enter its capacity, so that, however many supernatural experiences 
it may have, it will ever remain as it were detached from them and 
in darkness. It must be like to a blind man, leaning upon dark 
faith, taking it for guide and light, and leaning upon none of the 
things that he understands, experiences, feels and imagines. For 
all these are darkness, which will cause him to stray; and faith 
is above all that he understands and experiences and feels and 
imagines. And, if he be not blinded as to this, and remain not in 
total darkness, he attains not to that which is greater -- namely, 
that which is taught by faith.
     3. A blind man, if he be not quite blind, refuses to be led 
by a guide; and, since he sees a little, he thinks it better to go 
in whatever happens to be the direction which he can distinguish, 
because he sees none better; and thus he can lead astray a guide 
who sees more than he, for after all it is for him to say where he 
shall go rather than for the guide. In the same way a soul may 
lean upon any knowledge of its own, or any feeling or experience 
of God, yet, however great this may be, it is very little and far 
different from what God is; and, in going along this road, a soul 
is easily led astray, or brought to a standstill, because it will 
not remain in faith like one that is blind, and faith is its true 
guide.
     4. It is this that was meant by Saint Paul when he said: 
Accedentem ad Deum oportet credere quod est.[225] Which signifies: 
He that would journey towards union with God must needs believe in 
His Being. As though he had said: He that would attain to being 
joined in a union with God must not walk by understanding, neither 
lean upon experience or feeling or imagination, but he must 
believe in His being, which is not perceptible to the 
understanding, neither to the desire nor to the imagination nor to 
any other sense, neither can it be known in this life at all. Yea, 
in this life, the highest thing that can be felt and experienced 
concerning God is infinitely remote from God and from the pure 
possession of Him. Isaias and Saint Paul say: Nec oculus vidit, 
nec auris audivit, nec in cor hominis ascendit, qua praeparavit 
Deus iis, qui diligunt illum.[226] Which signifies: That which God 
hath prepared for them that love Him neither eye hath seen, nor 
ear heard, neither hath it entered into the heart or thought of 
man. So, however much the soul aspires to be perfectly united 
through grace in this life with that to which it will be united 
through glory in the next (which, as Saint Paul here says, eye 
hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath it entered into the 
heart of man in the flesh), it is clear that, in order perfectly 
to attain to union in this life through grace and through love, a 
soul must be in darkness with respect to all that can enter 
through the eye, and to all that can be received through the ear, 
and can be imagined with the fancy, and understood with the heart, 
which here signifies the soul. And thus a soul is greatly impeded 
from reaching this high estate of union with God when it clings to 
any understanding or feeling or imagination or appearance or will 
or manner of its own, or to any other act or to anything of its 
own, and cannot detach and strip itself of all these. For, as we 
say, the goal which it seeks lies beyond all this, yea, beyond 
even the highest thing that can be known or experienced; and thus 
a soul must pass beyond everything to unknowing.
     5. Wherefore, upon this road, to enter upon the road is to 
leave the road; or, to express it better, it is to pass on to the 
goal and to leave one's own way,[227] and to enter upon that which 
has no way, which is God. For the soul that attains to this state 
has no longer any ways or methods, still less is it attached to 
ways and methods, or is capable of being attached to them. I mean 
ways of understanding, or of perception, or of feeling. 
Nevertheless it has within itself all ways, after the way of one 
that possesses nothing, yet possesses all things.[228] For, if it 
have courage to pass beyond its natural limitations, both 
interiorly and exteriorly, it enters within the limits of the 
supernatural, which has no way, yet in substance has all ways. 
Hence for the soul to arrive at these limits is for it to leave 
these limits, in each case going forth out of itself a great way, 
from this lowly state to that which is high above all others.
     6. Wherefore, passing beyond all that can be known and 
understood, both spiritually and naturally, the soul will desire 
with all desire to come to that which in this life cannot be 
known, neither can enter into its heart. And, leaving behind all 
that it experiences and feels, both temporally and spiritually, 
and all that it is able to experience and feel in this life, it 
will desire with all desire to come to that which surpasses all 
feeling and experience. And, in order to be free and void to that 
end, it must in no wise lay hold upon that which it receives, 
either spiritually or sensually, within itself[229] (as we shall 
explain presently, when we treat this in detail), considering it 
all to be of much less account. For the more emphasis the soul 
lays upon what it understands, experiences and imagines, and the 
more it esteems this, whether it be spiritual or no, the more it 
loses of the supreme good, and the more it is hindered from 
attaining thereto. And the less it thinks of what it may have, 
however much this be, in comparison with the highest good, the 
more it dwells upon that good and esteems it, and, consequently, 
the more nearly it approaches it. And in this wise the soul 
approaches a great way towards union, in darkness, by means of 
faith, which is likewise dark, and in this wise faith wondrously 
illumines it. It is certain that, if the soul should desire to 
see, it would be in darkness much more quickly, with respect to 
God, than would one who opens his eyes to look upon the great 
brightness of the sun.
     7. Wherefore, by blinding itself in its faculties upon this 
road, the soul will see the light, even as the Saviour says in the 
Gospel, in this wise: In judicium veni in hunc mundum: ut qui non 
vident, videant, et qui vident, caeci fiant.[230] That is: I am come 
into this world for judgment; that they which see not may see, and 
that they which see may become blind. This, as it will be 
supposed, is to be understood of this spiritual road, where the 
soul that is in darkness, and is blinded as regards all its 
natural and proper lights, will see supernaturally; and the soul 
that would depend upon any light of its own will become the 
blinder and will halt upon the road to union.
     8. And, that we may proceed with less confusion, I think it 
will be necessary to describe, in the following chapter, the 
nature of this that we call union of the soul with God; for, when 
this is understood, that which we shall say hereafter will become 
much clearer. And so I think the treatment of this union comes 
well at this point, as in its proper place. For, although the 
thread of that which we are expounding is interrupted thereby, 
this is not done without a reason, since it serves to illustrate 
in this place the very thing that is being described. The chapter 
which follows, then, will be a parenthetical one, placed, as it 
were, between the two terms of an enthymeme, since we shall 
afterwards have to treat in detail of the three faculties of the 
soul, with respect to the three logical virtues, in relation to 
this second night.


                            CHAPTER V

     Wherein is described what is meant by union of the soul with 
God. A comparison is given.[231]

     FROM what has been said above it becomes clear to some extent 
what we mean by union of the soul with God; what we now say about 
it, therefore, will be the better understood. It is not my 
intention here to treat of the divisions of this union, nor of its 
parts, for I should never end if I were to begin now to explain 
what is the nature of union of the understanding, and what is that 
of union according to the will, and likewise according to the 
memory; and likewise what is transitory and what permanent in the 
union of the said faculties; and then what is meant by total 
union, transitory and permanent, with regard to the said faculties 
all together. All this we shall treat gradually in our discourse 
-- speaking first of one and then of another. But here this is not 
to the point in order to describe what we have to say concerning 
them; it will be explained much more fittingly in its place, when 
we shall again be treating the same matter, and shall have a 
striking illustration to add to the present explanation, so that 
everything will then be considered and explained and we shall 
judge of it better.
     2. Here I treat only of this permanent and total union 
according to the substance of the soul and its faculties with 
respect to the obscure habit of union: for with respect to the 
act, we shall explain later, with the Divine favour, how there can 
be no permanent union in the faculties, in this life, but a 
transitory union only.
     3. In order, then, to understand what is meant by this union 
whereof we are treating, it must be known that God dwells and is 
present substantially in every soul, even in that of the greatest 
sinner in the world. And this kind of union is ever wrought 
between God and all the creatures, for in it He is preserving 
their being: if union of this kind were to fail them, they would 
at once become annihilated and would cease to be. And so, when we 
speak of union of the soul with God, we speak not of this 
substantial union which is continually being wrought, but of the 
union and transformation of the soul with God, which is not being 
wrought continually, but only when there is produced that likeness 
that comes from love; we shall therefore term this the union of 
likeness, even as that other union is called substantial or 
essential. The former is natural, the latter supernatural. And the 
latter comes to pass when the two wills -- namely that of the soul 
and that of God -- are conformed together in one, and there is 
naught in the one that repugnant to the other. And thus, when the 
soul rids itself totally of that which is repugnant to the Divine 
will and conforms not with it, it is transformed in God through 
love.
     4. This is to be understood of that which is repugnant, not 
only in action, but likewise in habit, so that not only must the 
voluntary acts of imperfection cease, but the habits of any such 
imperfections must be annihilated. And since no creature 
whatsoever, and none of its actions or abilities, can conform or 
can attain to that which is God, therefore must the soul be 
stripped of all things created, and of its own actions and 
abilities -- namely, of its understanding, perception and feeling 
-- so that, when all that is unlike God and unconformed to Him is 
cast out, the soul may receive the likeness of God; and nothing 
will then remain in it that is not the will of God and it will 
thus be transformed in God. Wherefore, although it is true that, 
as we have said, God is ever in the soul, giving it, and through 
His presence conserving within it, its natural being, yet He does 
not always communicate supernatural being to it. For this is 
communicated only by love and grace, which not all souls possess; 
and all those that possess it have it not in the same degree; for 
some have attained more degrees of love and others fewer. 
Wherefore God communicates Himself most to that soul that has 
progressed farthest in love; namely, that has its will in closest 
conformity with the will of God. And the soul that has attained 
complete conformity and likeness of will is totally united and 
transformed in God supernaturally. Wherefore, as has already been 
explained, the more completely a soul is wrapped up in[232] the 
creatures and in its own abilities, by habit and affection, the 
less preparation it has for such union; for it gives not God a 
complete opportunity to transform it supernaturally. The soul, 
then, needs only to strip itself of these natural dissimilarities 
and contrarieties, so that God, Who is communicating Himself 
naturally to it, according to the course of nature, may 
communicate Himself to it supernaturally, by means of grace.
     5. And it is this that Saint John desired to explain when he 
said: Qui non ex sanguinibus, neque ex voluntate carnis, neque ex 
voluntate viri, sed ex Deo nati sunt.[233] As though he had said: He 
gave power to be sons of God -- that is, to be transformed in God 
-- only to those who are born, not of blood -- that is, not of 
natural constitution and temperament -- neither of the will of the 
flesh -- that is, of the free will of natural capacity and ability 
-- still less of the will of man -- wherein is included every way 
and manner of judging and comprehending with the understanding. He 
gave power to none of these to become sons of God, but only to 
those that are born of God -- that is, to those who, being born 
again through grace, and dying first of all to everything that is 
of the old man, are raised above themselves to the supernatural, 
and receive from God this rebirth and adoption, which transcends 
all that can be imagined. For, as Saint John himself says 
elsewhere: Nisi quis renatus fuerit ex aqua, et Spiritu Sancto, 
non potest videre regnum Dei.[234] This signifies: He that is not 
born again in the Holy Spirit will not be able to see this kingdom 
of God, which is the state of perfection; and to be born again in 
the Holy Spirit in this life is to have a soul most like to God in 
purity, having in itself no admixture of imperfection, so that 
pure transformation can be wrought in it through participation of 
union, albeit not essentially.
     6. In order that both these things may be the better 
understood, let us make a comparison. A ray of sunlight is 
striking a window. If the window is in any way stained or misty, 
the sun's ray will be unable to illumine it and transform it into 
its own light, totally, as it would if it were clean of all these 
things, and pure; but it will illumine it to a lesser degree, in 
proportion as it is less free from those mists and stains; and 
will do so to a greater degree, in proportion as it is cleaner 
from them, and this will not be because of the sun's ray, but 
because of itself; so much so that, if it be wholly pure and 
clean, the ray of sunlight will transform it and illumine it in 
such wise that it will itself seem to be a ray and will give the 
same light as the ray. Although in reality the window has a nature 
distinct from that of the ray itself, however much it may resemble 
it, yet we may say that that window is a ray of the sun or is 
light by participation. And the soul is like this window, 
whereupon is ever beating (or, to express it better, wherein is 
ever dwelling) this Divine light of the Being of God according to 
nature, which we have described.
     7. In thus allowing God to work in it, the soul (having rid 
itself of every mist and stain of the creatures, which consists in 
having its will perfectly united with that of God, for to love is 
to labour to detach and strip itself for God's sake of all that is 
not God) is at once illumined and transformed in God, and God 
communicates to it His supernatural Being, in such wise that it 
appears to be God Himself, and has all that God Himself has. And 
this union comes to pass when God grants the soul this 
supernatural favour, that all the things of God and the soul are 
one in participant transformation; and the soul seems to be God 
rather than a soul, and is indeed God by participation; although 
it is true that its natural being, though thus transformed, is as 
distinct from the Being of God as it was before, even as the 
window has likewise a nature distinct from that of the ray, though 
the ray gives it brightness.
     8. This makes it clearer that the preparation of the soul for 
this union, as we said, is not that it should understand or 
perceive or feel or imagine anything, concerning either God or 
aught else, but that it should have purity and love -- that is, 
perfect resignation and detachment from everything for God's sake 
alone; and, as there can be no perfect transformation if there be 
not perfect purity, and as the enlightenment, illumination and 
union of the soul with God will be according to the proportion of 
its purity, in greater or in less degree; yet the soul will not be 
perfect, as I say, if it be not wholly and perfectly[235] bright and 
clean.
     9. This will likewise be understood by the following 
comparison. A picture is truly perfect, with many and most sublime 
beauties and delicate and subtle illuminations, and some of its 
beauties are so fine and subtle that they cannot be completely 
realized, because of their delicacy and excellence. Fewer beauties 
and less delicacy will be seen in this picture by one whose vision 
is less clear and refined; and he whose vision is somewhat more 
refined will be able to see in it more beauties and perfections; 
and, if another person has a vision still more refined, he will 
see still more perfection; and, finally, he who has the clearest 
and purest faculties will see the most beauties and perfections of 
all; for there is so much to see in the picture that, however far 
one may attain, there will ever remain higher degrees of 
attainment.
     10. After the same manner we may describe the condition of 
the soul with relation to God in this enlightenment or 
transformation. For, although it is true that a soul, according to 
its greater or lesser capacity, may have attained to union, yet 
not all do so in an equal degree, for this depends upon what the 
Lord is pleased to grant to each one. It is in this way that souls 
see God in Heaven; some more, some less; but all see Him, and all 
are content, for their capacity is satisfied.
     11. Wherefore, although in this life here below we find 
certain souls enjoying equal peace and tranquillity in the state 
of perfection, and each one of them satisfied, yet some of them 
may be many degrees higher than others. All, however, will be 
equally satisfied, because the capacity of each one is satisfied. 
But the soul that attains not to such a measure of purity as is in 
conformity with its capacity never attains true peace and 
satisfaction, since it has not attained to the possession of that 
detachment and emptiness in its faculties which is required for 
simple union.


                           CHAPTER VI

     Wherein is described how it is the three theological virtues 
that perfect the three faculties of the soul, and how the said 
virtues produce emptiness and darkness within them.

     HAVING now to endeavour to show how[236] the three faculties of 
the soul -- understanding, memory and will -- are brought into 
this spiritual night, which is the means to Divine union, it is 
necessary first of all to explain in this chapter how the three 
theological virtues -- faith, hope and charity -- which have 
respect to the three faculties aforesaid as their proper 
supernatural objects, and by means whereof the soul is united with 
God according to its faculties, produce the same emptiness and 
darkness, each one in its own faculty. Faith, in the 
understanding; hope, in the memory; and charity, in the will. And 
afterwards we shall go on to describe how the understanding is 
perfected in the darkness of faith; and the memory in the 
emptiness of hope; and likewise how the will must be buried by 
withdrawing and detaching every affection so that the soul may 
journey to God. This done, it will be clearly seen how necessary 
it is for the soul, if it is to walk securely on this spiritual 
road, to travel through this dark night, leaning upon these three 
virtues, which empty it of all things and make it dark with 
respect to them. For, as we have said, the soul is not united with 
God in this life through understanding, nor through enjoyment, nor 
through the imagination, nor through any sense whatsoever; but 
only through faith, according to the understanding; and through 
hope, according to the memory; and through love, according to the 
will.
     2. These three virtues, as we have said, all cause emptiness 
in the faculties: faith, in the understanding, causes an emptiness 
and darkness with respect to understanding; hope, in the memory, 
causes emptiness of all possessions; and charity causes emptiness 
in the will and detachment from all affection and from rejoicing 
in all that is not God. For, as we see, faith tells us what cannot 
be understood with the understanding. Wherefore Saint Paul spoke 
of it ad Hebraeos after this manner: Fides est sperandarum 
substantia rerum, argumentum non apparentium.[237] This we interpret 
as meaning that faith is the substance of things hoped for; and, 
although the understanding may be firmly and certainly consenting 
to them, they are not things that are revealed to the 
understanding, since, if they were revealed to it, there would be 
no faith. So faith, although it brings certainty to the 
understanding, brings it not clearness, but obscurity.
     3. Then, as to hope, there is no doubt but that it renders 
the memory empty and dark with respect both to things below and to 
things above. For hope always relates to that which is not 
possessed; for, if it were possessed, there would be no more hope. 
Wherefore Saint Paul says ad Romanos: Spes, quae videtur, non est 
spes: nam quod videt quis, quid sperat?[238] That is to say: Hope 
that is seen is not hope; for what a man seeth -- that is, what a 
man possesseth -- how doth he hope for it? This virtue, then, also 
produces emptiness, for it has to do with that which is not 
possessed and not with that which is possessed.
     4. Similarity, charity causes emptiness in the will with 
respect to all things, since it obliges us to love God above them 
all; which cannot be unless we withdraw our affection from them in 
order to set it wholly upon God. Wherefore Christ says, through 
Saint Luke: Qui non renuntiat omnibus quae possidet, non potest 
meus esse discipulus.[239] Which signifies: He that renounces not 
all that he possesses with the will cannot be My disciple. And 
thus all these three virtues set the soul in obscurity and 
emptiness with respect to all things.
     5. And here we must consider that parable which our Redeemer 
related in the eleventh chapter of Saint Luke, wherein He said 
that a friend had to go out at midnight in order to ask his friend 
for three loaves;[240] the which loaves signify these three virtues. 
And he said that he asked for them at midnight in order to signify 
that the soul that is in darkness as to all things must acquire 
these three virtues according to its faculties and must perfect 
itself in them in this night. In the sixth chapter of Isaias we 
read that the two seraphim whom this Prophet saw on either side of 
God had each six wings; with two they covered their feet, which 
signified the blinding and quenching of the affections of the will 
with respect to all things for the sake of God; and with two they 
covered their face, which signified the darkness of the 
understanding in the presence of God; and with the other two they 
flew.[241] This is to signify the flight of hope to the things that 
are not possessed, when it is raised above all that it can 
possess, whether below or above, apart from God.
     6. To these three virtues, then, we have to lead the three 
faculties of the soul, informing each faculty by each one of them, 
and stripping it and setting it in darkness concerning all things 
save only these three virtues. And this is the spiritual night 
which just now we called active; for the soul does that which in 
it lies in order to enter therein. And even as, in the night of 
sense, we described a method of voiding the faculties of sense of 
their sensible objects, with regard to the desire, so that the 
soul might go forth from the beginning of its course to the 
mean,[242] which is faith; even so, in this spiritual night, with 
the favour of God, we shall describe a method whereby the 
spiritual faculties are voided and purified of all that is not 
God, and are set in darkness concerning these three virtues, 
which, as we have said, are the means and preparation for the 
union of the soul with God.
     7. In this method is found all security against the crafts of 
the devil and against the efficacy of self-love and its 
ramifications, which is wont most subtly to deceive and hinder 
spiritual persons on their road, when they know not how to become 
detached and to govern themselves according to these three 
virtues; and thus they are never able to reach the substance and 
purity of spiritual good, nor do they journey by so straight and 
short a road as they might.
     8. And it must be noted that I am now speaking particularly 
to those who have begun to enter the state of contemplation, 
because as far as this concerns beginners it must be described 
somewhat more amply, as we shall note in the second book, God 
willing, when we treat of the properties of these beginners.


                           CHAPTER VII

     Wherein is described how strait is the way that leads to 
eternal life and how completely detached and disencumbered must be 
those that will walk in it. We begin to speak of the detachment of 
the understanding.

     WE have now to describe the detachment and purity of the 
three faculties of the soul and for this are necessary a far 
greater knowledge and spirituality than mine, in order to make 
clear to spiritual persons how strait is this road which, said Our 
Saviour, leads to life; so that, persuaded of this, they may not 
marvel at the emptiness and detachment to which, in this night, we 
have to abandon the faculties of the soul.
     2. To this end must be carefully noted the words which Our 
Saviour used, in the seventh chapter of Saint Matthew, concerning 
this road, as follows: Quam angusta porta, et arcta via est, quae 
ducit ad vitam, et pauci sunt, qui inveniunt eam.[243] This 
signifies: How strait is the gate and how narrow the way that 
leadeth unto life, and few there are that find it! In this passage 
we must carefully note the emphasis and insistence which are 
contained in that word Quam. For it is as if He had said: In truth 
the way is very strait, more so than you think. And likewise it is 
to be noted that He says first that the gate is strait, to make it 
clear that, in order for the soul to enter by this gate, which is 
Christ, and which comes at the beginning of the road, the will 
must first be straitened and detached in all things sensual and 
temporal, and God must be loved above them all; which belongs to 
the night of sense, as we have said.
     3. He then says that the way is narrow -- that is to say, the 
way of perfection -- in order to make it clear that, to travel 
upon the way of perfection, the soul has not only to enter by the 
strait gate, emptying itself of things of sense, but has also to 
straiten[244] itself, freeing and disencumbering itself completely 
in that which pertains to the spirit. And thus we can apply what 
He says of the strait gate to the sensual part of man; and what He 
says of the narrow road we can understand of the spiritual or the 
rational part; and, when He says 'Few there are that find it,' the 
reason of this must be noted, which is that there are few who can 
enter, and desire to enter, into this complete detachment and 
emptiness of spirit. For this path ascending the high mountain of 
perfection leads upward, and is narrow, and therefore requires 
travellers that have no burden weighing upon them with respect to 
lower things, neither aught that embarrasses them with respect to 
higher things: and, as this is a matter wherein we must seek after 
and attain to God alone, God alone must be the object of our 
search and attainment.
     4. Hence it is clearly seen that the soul must not only be 
disencumbered from that which belongs to the creatures, but 
likewise, as it travels, must be annihilated and detached from all 
that belongs to its spirit. Wherefore Our Lord, instructing us and 
leading us into this road, gave, in the eighth chapter of St. 
Mark, that wonderful teaching of which I think it may almost be 
said that, the more necessary it is for spiritual persons, the 
less it is practised by them. As this teaching is so important and 
so much to our purpose, I shall reproduce it here in full, and 
expound it according to its genuine, spiritual sense. He says, 
then, thus: Si quis vult me sequi, deneget semetipsum: et tollat 
crucem suam, et sequatur me. Qui enim voluerit animam suam salvam 
facere, perdet eam: qui autem perdiderit animam suam propter me. . 
. salvam lacier eam.[245] This signifies: If any man will follow My 
road, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me. 
For he that will save his soul shall lose it; but he that loses it 
for My sake, shall gain it.
     5. Oh, that one could show us how to understand, practise and 
experience what this counsel is which our Saviour here gives us 
concerning self-denial,[246] so that spiritual persons might see in 
how different a way they should conduct themselves upon this road 
from that which many of them think proper! For they believe that 
any kind of retirement and reformation of life suffices; and 
others are content with practising the virtues and continuing in 
prayer and pursuing mortification; but they attain not to 
detachment and poverty or selflessness[247] or spiritual purity 
(which are all one), which the Lord here commends to us; for they 
prefer feeding and clothing their natural selves with spiritual 
feelings and consolations, to stripping themselves of all things, 
and denying themselves all things, for God's sake. For they think 
that it suffices to deny themselves worldly things without 
annihilating and purifying themselves of spiritual attachment. 
Wherefore it comes to pass that, when there presents itself to 
them any of this solid and perfect spirituality, consisting in the 
annihilation of all sweetness in God, in aridity, distaste and 
trial, which is the true spiritual cross, and the detachment of 
the spiritual poverty of Christ, they flee from it as from death, 
and seek only sweetness and delectable communion with God. This is 
not self-denial and detachment of spirit, but spiritual gluttony. 
Herein, spiritually, they become enemies of the Cross of Christ; 
for true spirituality seeks for God's sake that which is 
distasteful rather than that which is delectable; and inclines 
itself rather to suffering than to consolation; and desires to go 
without all blessings for God's sake rather than to possess them; 
and to endure aridities and afflictions rather than to enjoy sweet 
communications, knowing that this is to follow Christ and to deny 
oneself, and that the other is perchance to seek oneself in God, 
which is clean contrary to love. For to seek oneself in God is to 
seek the favours and refreshments of God; but to seek God in 
oneself is not only to desire to be without both of these for 
God's sake, but to be disposed to choose, for Christ's sake, all 
that is most distasteful, whether in relation to God or to the 
world; and this is love of God.
     6. Oh, that one could tell us how far Our Lord desires this 
self-denial to be carried! It must certainly be like to death and 
annihilation, temporal, natural and spiritual, in all things that 
the will esteems, wherein consists all self-denial. And it is this 
that Our Lord meant when He said: 'He that will save his life, the 
same shall lose it.' That is to say: He that will possess anything 
or seek anything for himself, the same shall lose it; and he that 
loses his soul for My sake, the same shall gain it. That is to 
say: He who for Christ's sake renounces all that his will can 
desire and enjoy, and chooses that which is most like to the Cross 
(which the Lord Himself, through Saint John, describes as hating 
his soul[248]), the same shall gain it. And this His Majesty taught 
to those two disciples who went and begged Him for a place on His 
right hand and on His left; when, giving no countenance to their 
request for such glory, He offered them the chalice which He had 
to drink, as a thing more precious and more secure upon this earth 
than is fruition.[249]
     7. This chalice is death to the natural self, a death 
attained through the detachment and annihilation of that self, in 
order that the soul may travel by this narrow path, with respect 
to all its connections with sense, as we have said, and according 
to the spirit, as we shall now say; that is, in its understanding 
and in its enjoyment and in its feeling. And, as a result, not 
only has the soul made its renunciation as regards both sense and 
spirit, but it is not hindered, even by that which is spiritual, 
in taking the narrow way, on which there is room only for self-
denial (as the Saviour explains), and the Cross, which is the 
staff wherewith one may reach one+s goal, and whereby the road is 
greatly lightened and made easy. Wherefore Our Lord said through 
Saint Matthew: 'My yoke is easy and My burden is light'; which 
burden is the cross. For if a man resolve to submit himself to 
carrying this cross -- that is to say, if he resolve to desire in 
truth to meet trials and to bear them in all things for God's 
sake, he will find in them all great relief and sweetness 
wherewith he may travel upon this road, detached from all things 
and desiring nothing. Yet, if he desire to possess anything -- 
whether it come from God or from any other source -- with any 
feeling of attachment, he has not stripped and denied himself in 
all things; and thus he will be unable to walk along this narrow 
path or to climb upward by it.
     8. I would, then, that I could convince spiritual persons 
that this road to God consists not in a multiplicity of 
meditations nor in ways or methods of such, nor in consolations, 
although these things may in their own way be necessary to 
beginners; but that it consists only in the one thing that is 
needful, which is the ability to deny oneself truly, according to 
that which is without and to that which is within, giving oneself 
up to suffering for Christ's sake, and to total annihilation. For 
the soul that practises this suffering and annihilation will 
achieve all that those other exercises can achieve, and that can 
be found in them, and even more. And if a soul be found wanting in 
this exercise, which is the sum and root of the virtues, all its 
other methods are so much beating about the bush, and profiting 
not at all, although its meditations and communications may be as 
lofty as those of the angels. For progress comes not save through 
the imitation of Christ, Who is the Way, the Truth and the Life, 
and no man comes to the Father but by Him, even as He Himself says 
through Saint John.[250] And elsewhere He says: 'I am the door; by 
Me if any man enter he shall be saved.'[251] Wherefore, as it seems 
to me, any spirituality that would fain walk in sweetness and with 
ease, and flees from the imitation of Christ, is worthless.
     9. And, as I have said that Christ is the Way, and that this 
Way is death to our natural selves, in things both of sense and of 
spirit, I will now explain how we are to die, following the 
example of Christ, for He is our example and light.
     10. In the first place, it is certain that He died as to 
sense, spiritually, in His life, besides dying naturally, at His 
death. For, as He said, He had not in His life where to lay His 
head, and at His death this was even truer.
     11. In the second place, it is certain that, at the moment of 
His death, He was likewise annihilated in His soul, and was 
deprived of any relief and consolation, since His Father left Him 
in the most intense aridity, according to the lower part of His 
nature. Wherefore He had perforce to cry out, saying: 'My God! My 
God! 'Why hast Thou forsaken Me?'[252] This was the greatest 
desolation, with respect to sense, that He had suffered in His 
life. And thus He wrought herein the greatest work that He had 
ever wrought, whether in miracles or in mighty works, during the 
whole of His life, either upon earth or in Heaven, which was the 
reconciliation and union of mankind, through grace, with God. And 
this, as I say, was at the moment and the time when this Lord was 
most completely annihilated in everything. Annihilated, that is to 
say, with respect to human reputation; since, when men saw Him 
die, they mocked Him rather than esteemed Him; and also with 
respect to nature, since His nature was annihilated when He died; 
and further with respect to the spiritual consolation and 
protection of the Father, since at that time He forsook Him, that 
He might pay the whole of man's debt and unite him with God, being 
thus annihilated and reduced as it were to nothing. Wherefore 
David says concerning Him: Ad nihilum redactus sum, et nescivi.[253] 
This he said that the truly spiritual man may understand the 
mystery of the gate and of the way of Christ, and so become united 
with God, and may know that, the more completely he is annihilated 
for God's sake, according to these two parts, the sensual and the 
spiritual, the more completely is he united to God and the greater 
is the work which he accomplishes. And when at last he is reduced 
to nothing, which will be the greatest extreme of humility, 
spiritual union will be wrought between the soul and God, which in 
this life is the greatest and the highest state attainable. This 
consists not, then, in refreshment and in consolations and 
spiritual feelings, but in a living death of the Cross, both as to 
sense and as to spirit -- that is, both inwardly and outwardly.
     12. I will not pursue this subject farther, although I have 
no desire to finish speaking of it, for I see that Christ is known 
very little by those who consider themselves His friends: we see 
them seeking in Him their own pleasures and consolations because 
of their great love for themselves, but not loving His bitter 
trials and His death because of their great love for Him. I am 
speaking now of those who consider themselves His friends; for 
such as live far away, withdrawn from Him, men of great learning 
and influence, and all others who live yonder, with the world, and 
are eager about their ambitions and their prelacies, may be said 
not to know Christ; and their end, however good, will be very 
bitter. Of such I make no mention in these lines; but mention will 
be made of them on the Day of Judgment, for to them it was fitting 
to speak first this word of God,[254] as to those whom God set up as 
a target for it,[255] by reason of their learning and their high 
position.
     13. But let us now address the understanding of the spiritual 
man, and particularly that of the man to whom God has granted the 
favour of leading him into the state of contemplation (for, as I 
have said, I am now speaking to these in particular), and let us 
say how such a man must direct himself toward God in faith, and 
purify himself from contrary things, constraining himself that he 
may enter upon this narrow path of obscure contemplation.


                          CHAPTER VIII

     Which describes in a general way how no creature and no 
knowledge that can be comprehended by the understanding can serve 
as a proximate means of Divine union with God.

     BEFORE we treat of the proper and fitting means of union with 
God, which is faith, it behoves us to prove how no thing, created 
or imagined, can serve the understanding as a proper means of 
union with God; and how all that the understanding can attain 
serves it rather as an impediment than as such a means, if it 
should desire to cling to it. And now, in this chapter, we shall 
prove this in a general way, and afterwards we shall begin to 
speak in detail, treating in turn of all kinds of knowledge that 
the understanding may receive from any sense, whether inward or 
outward, and of the inconveniences and evils that may result from 
all these kinds of inward and outward knowledge, when it clings 
not, as it progresses, to the proper means, which is faith.
     2. It must be understood, then, that, according to a rule of 
philosophy, all means must be proportioned to the end; that is to 
say, they must have some connection and resemblance with the end, 
such as is enough and sufficient for the desired end to be 
attained through them. I take an example. A man desires to reach a 
city; he has of necessity to travel by the road, which is the 
means that brings him to this same city and connects[256] him with 
it. Another example. Fire is to be combined and united with wood; 
it is necessary that heat, which is the means, shall first prepare 
the wood, by conveying to it so many degrees of warmth that it 
will have great resemblance and proportion to fire. Now if one 
would prepare the wood by any other than the proper means -- 
namely, with heat -- as, for example, with air or water or earth, 
it would be impossible for the wood to be united with the fire, 
just as it would be to reach the city without going by the road 
that leads to it. Wherefore, in order that the understanding may 
be united with God in this life, so far as is possible, it must of 
necessity employ that means that unites it with Him and that bears 
the greatest resemblance to Him.
     3. Here it must be pointed out that, among all the creatures, 
the highest or the lowest, there is none that comes near to God or 
bears any resemblance to His Being. For, although it is true that 
all creatures have, as theologians say, a certain relation to God, 
and bear a Divine impress (some more and others less, according to 
the greater or lesser excellence of their nature), yet there is no 
essential resemblance or connection between them and God -- on the 
contrary, the distance between their being and His Divine Being is 
infinite. Wherefore it is impossible for the understanding to 
attain to God by means of the creatures, whether these be 
celestial or earthly, inasmuch as there is no proportion or 
resemblance between them. Wherefore, when David speaks of the 
heavenly creatures, he says: 'There is none among the gods like 
unto Thee, O Lord';[257] meaning by the gods the angels and holy 
souls. And elsewhere: 'O God, Thy way is in the holy place. What 
God is there so great as our God?'[258] As though he were to say: 
The way of approach to Thee, O God, is a holy way -- that is, the 
purity of faith. For what God can there be so great? That is to 
say: What angel will there be so exalted in his being, and what 
saint so exalted in glory, as to be a proportionate and sufficient 
road by which a man may come to Thee? And the same David, speaking 
likewise of earthly and heavenly things both together, says: 'The 
Lord is high and looketh on lowly things, and the high things He 
knoweth afar off'[259] As though he had said: Lofty in His own 
Being, He sees that the being of things here below is very low in 
comparison with His lofty Being; and the lofty things, which are 
the celestial creatures, He sees and knows to be very far from His 
Being. All the creatures, then, cannot serve as a proportionate 
means to the understanding whereby it may reach God.
     4. Just so all that the imagination can imagine and the 
understanding can receive and understand in this life is not, nor 
can it be, a proximate means of union with God. For, if we speak 
of natural things, since understanding can understand naught save 
that which is contained within, and comes under the category of, 
forms and imaginings of things that are received through the 
bodily senses, the which things, we have said, cannot serve as 
means, it can make no use of natural intelligence. And, if we 
speak of the supernatural (in so far as is possible in this life 
of our ordinary faculties), the understanding in its bodily prison 
has no preparation or capacity for receiving the clear knowledge 
of God; for such knowledge belongs not to this state, and we must 
either die or remain without receiving it. Wherefore Moses, when 
he entreated God for this clear knowledge, was told by God that he 
would be unable to see Him, in these words: 'No man shall see Me 
and remain alive.'[260] Wherefore Saint John says: 'No man hath seen 
God at any time,[261] neither aught that is like to Him.' And Saint 
Paul says, with Isaias: 'Eye hath not seen Him, nor hath ear heard 
Him, neither hath it entered into the heart of man.'[262] And it is 
for this reason that, as is said in the Acts of the Apostles,[263] 
Moses, in the bush, durst not consider for as long as God was 
present; for he knew that his understanding could make no 
consideration that was fitting concerning God, corresponding to 
the sense which he had of God's presence. And of Elias, our 
father, it is said that he covered his face on the Mount in the 
presence of God[264] -- an action signifying the blinding of his 
understanding, which he wrought there, daring not to lay so base a 
hand upon that which was so high, and seeing clearly that 
whatsoever he might consider or understand with any precision 
would be very far from God and completely unlike Him.
     5. Wherefore no supernatural apprehension or knowledge in 
this mortal state can serve as a proximate means to the high union 
of love with God. For all that can be understood by the 
understanding, that can be tasted by the will, and that can be 
invented by the imagination is most unlike to God and bears no 
proportion to Him, as we have said. All this Isaias admirably 
explained in that most noteworthy passage, where he says: 'To what 
thing have ye been able to liken God? Or what image will ye make 
that is like to Him? Will the workman in iron perchance be able to 
make a graven image? Or will he that works gold be able to imitate 
Him[265] with gold, or the silversmith with plates of silver?'[266] By 
the workman in iron is signified the understanding, the office of 
which is to form intelligences and strip them of the iron of 
species and images. By the workman in gold is understood the will, 
which is able to receive the figure and the form of pleasure, 
caused by the gold of love. By the silversmith, who is spoken of 
as being unable to form[267] Him with plates of silver, is 
understood the memory, with the imagination, whereof it may be 
said with great propriety that its knowledge and the imaginings 
that it can invent[268] and make are like plates of silver. And thus 
it is as though he had said: Neither the understanding with its 
intelligence will be able to understand aught that is like Him, 
nor can the will taste pleasure and sweetness that bears any 
resemblance to that which is God, neither can the memory set in 
the imagination ideas and images that represent Him. It is clear, 
then, that none of these kinds of knowledge can lead the 
understanding direct to God; and that, in order to reach Him, a 
soul must rather proceed by not understanding than by desiring to 
understand; and by blinding itself and setting itself in darkness, 
rather than by opening its eyes, in order the more nearly to 
approach the ray Divine.
     6. And thus it is that contemplation, whereby the 
understanding has the loftiest knowledge of God, is called 
mystical theology, which signifies secret wisdom of God; for it is 
secret even to the understanding that receives it. For that reason 
Saint Dionysius calls it a ray of darkness. Of this the prophet 
Baruch says: 'There is none that knoweth its way, nor any that can 
think of its paths.'[269] It is clear, then, that the understanding 
must be blind to all paths that are open to it in order that it 
may be united with God. Aristotle says that, even as are the eyes 
of the bat with regard to the sun, which is total darkness to it, 
even so is our understanding to that which is greater light in 
God, which is total darkness to us. And he says further that, the 
loftier and clearer are the things of God in themselves, the more 
completely unknown and obscure are they to us. This likewise the 
Apostle affirms, saying: 'The lofty things of God are the least 
known unto men.'[270]
     7. But we should never end if we continued at this rate to 
quote authorities and arguments to prove and make clear that among 
all created things, and things that can be apprehended by the 
understanding, there is no ladder whereby the understanding can 
attain to this high Lord. Rather it is necessary to know that, if 
the understanding should seek to make use of all these things, or 
of any of them, as a proximate means to such union, they would be 
not only a hindrance, but even an occasion of numerous errors and 
delusions in the ascent of this mount.


                           CHAPTER IX

     How faith is the proximate and proportionate means to the 
understanding whereby the soul may attain to the Divine union of 
love. This is proved by passages and figures from Divine 
Scripture.

     FROM what has been said it is to be inferred that, in order 
for the understanding to be prepared for this Divine union, it 
must be pure and void of all that pertains to sense, and detached 
and freed from all that can clearly be apprehended by the 
understanding, profoundly hushed and put to silence, and leaning 
upon faith, which alone is the proximate and proportionate means 
whereby the soul is united with God; for such is the likeness 
between itself and God that there is no other difference, save 
that which exists between seeing God and believing in Him. For, 
even as God is infinite, so faith sets Him before us as infinite; 
and, as He is Three and One, it sets Him before us as Three and 
One; and, as God is darkness to our understanding, even so does 
faith likewise blind and dazzle our understanding. And thus, by 
this means alone, God manifests Himself to the soul in Divine 
light, which passes all understanding. And therefore, the greater 
is the faith of the soul, the more closely is it united with God. 
It is this that Saint Paul meant in the passage which we quoted 
above, where he says: 'He that will be united with God must 
believe.'[271] That is, he must walk by faith as he journeys to Him, 
the understanding being blind and in darkness, walking in faith 
alone; for beneath this darkness the understanding is united with 
God, and beneath it God is hidden, even as David said in these 
words: 'He set darkness under His feet. And He rose upon the 
cherubim, and flew upon the wings of the wind. And He made 
darkness, and the dark water, His hiding-place.'[272]
     2. By his saying that He set darkness beneath His feet, and 
that He took the darkness for a hiding-place, and that His 
tabernacle round about Him was in the dark water, is denoted the 
obscurity of the faith wherein He is concealed. And by his saying 
that He rose upon the cherubim and flew upon the wings of the 
winds, is understood His soaring above all understanding. For the 
cherubim denote those who understand or contemplate. And the wings 
of the winds signify the subtle and lofty ideas and conceptions of 
spirits, above all of which is His Being, and to which none, by 
his own power, can attain.
     3. This we learn from an illustration in the Scriptures. When 
Solomon had completed the building of the Temple, God came down in 
darkness and filled the Temple so that the children of Israel 
could not see; whereupon Solomon spake and said: 'The Lord hath 
promised that He will dwell in darkness'.[273] Likewise He appeared 
in darkness to Moses on the Mount, where God was concealed. And 
whensoever God communicated Himself intimately, He appeared in 
darkness, as may be seen in Job, where the Scripture says that God 
spoke with him from the darkness of the air.[274] All these mentions 
of darkness signify the obscurity of the faith wherein the 
Divinity is concealed, when It communicates Itself to the soul; 
which will be ended when, as Saint Paul says, that which is in 
part shall be ended,[275] which is this darkness of faith, and that 
which is perfect shall come, which is the Divine light. Of this we 
have a good illustration in the army of Gedeon, whereof it is said 
all the soldiers had lamps in their hands, which they saw not, 
because they had them concealed in the darkness of the pitchers; 
but, when these pitchers were broken, the light was seen.[276] Just 
so does faith, which is foreshadowed by those pitchers, contain 
within itself Divine light; which, when it is ended and broken, at 
the ending and breaking of this mortal life, will allow the glory 
and light of the Divinity, which was contained in it, to appear.
     4. It is clear, then, that, if the soul in this life is to 
attain to union with God, and commune directly with Him, it must 
unite itself with the darkness whereof Solomon spake, wherein God 
had promised to dwell, and must draw near to the darkness of the 
air wherein God was pleased to reveal His secrets to Job, and must 
take in its hands, in darkness, the jars of Gedeon, that it may 
have in its hands (that is, in the works of its will) the light, 
which is the union of love, though it be in the darkness of faith, 
so that, when the pitchers of this life are broken, which alone 
have kept from it the light of faith, it may see God face to face 
in glory.
     5. It now remains to describe in detail all the types of 
knowledge and the apprehensions which the understanding can 
receive; the hindrance and the harm which it can receive upon this 
road of faith; and the way wherein the soul must conduct itself so 
that, whether they proceed from the senses or from the spirit, 
they may cause it, not harm, but profit.


                            CHAPTER X

     Wherein distinction is made between all apprehensions and 
types of knowledge which can be comprehended by the understanding.

     IN order to treat in detail of the profit and the harm which 
may come to the soul, with respect to this means to Divine union 
which we have described -- namely, faith -- through the ideas and 
apprehensions of the understanding, it is necessary here to make a 
distinction between all the apprehensions, whether natural or 
supernatural, that the soul may receive, so that then, with regard 
to each of them in order, we may direct the understanding with 
greater clearness into the night and obscurity of faith. This will 
be done with all possible brevity.
     2. It must be known, then, that the understanding can receive 
knowledge and intelligence by two channels: the one natural and 
the other supernatural. By the natural channel is meant all that 
the understanding can understand, whether by means of the bodily 
senses or by its own power.[277] The supernatural channel is all 
that is given to the understanding over and above its natural 
ability and capacity.
     3. Of these kinds of supernatural knowledge, some are 
corporeal and some are spiritual. The corporeal are two in number: 
some are received by means of the outward bodily senses; others, 
by means of the inward bodily senses, wherein is comprehended all 
that the imagination can comprehend, form and conceive.
     4. The spiritual supernatural knowledge is likewise of two 
kinds: that which is distinct and special in its nature, and that 
which is confused, general and dark. Of the distinct and special 
kind there are four manners of apprehension which are communicated 
to the spirit without the aid of any bodily sense: these are 
visions, revelations, locutions and spiritual feelings. The 
obscure and general type of knowledge is of one kind alone, which 
is contemplation that is given in faith. To this we have to lead 
the soul by bringing it thereto through all these other means, 
beginning with the first and detaching it from them.


                           CHAPTER XI

     Of the hindrance and harm that may be caused by apprehensions 
of the understanding which proceed from that which is 
supernaturally represented to the outward bodily senses; and how 
the soul is to conduct itself therein.

     THE first kinds of knowledge whereof we have spoken in the 
preceding chapter are those that belong to the understanding and 
come through natural channels. Of these, since we have treated 
them already in the first book, where we led the soul into the 
night of sense, we shall here say not a word, for in that place we 
gave suitable instruction to the soul concerning them. What we 
have to treat, therefore, in the present chapter, will be solely 
those kinds of knowledge and those apprehensions which belong to 
the understanding and come supernaturally, by way of the outward 
bodily senses -- namely, by seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting and 
touching. With respect to all these there may come, and there are 
wont to come, to spiritual persons representations and objects of 
a supernatural kind. With respect to sight, they are apt to 
picture figures and forms of persons belonging to the life to come 
-- the forms of certain saints, and representations of angels, 
good and evil, and certain lights and brightnesses of an 
extraordinary kind. And with the ears they hear certain 
extraordinary words, sometimes spoken by those figures that they 
see, sometimes without seeing the person who speaks them. As to 
the sense of smell, they sometimes perceive the sweetest perfumes 
with the senses, without knowing whence they proceed. Likewise, as 
to taste, it comes to pass that they are conscious of the sweetest 
savours, and, as to touch, they experience great delight -- 
sometimes to such a degree that it is as though all the bones and 
the marrow rejoice and sing[278] and are bathed in delight; this is 
like that which we call spiritual unction, which in pure souls 
proceeds from the spirit and flows into the very members. And this 
sensible sweetness is a very ordinary thing with spiritual 
persons, for it comes to them from their sensible affection and 
devotion,[279] to a greater or a lesser degree, to each one after 
his own manner.
     2. And it must be known that, although all these things may 
happen to the bodily senses in the way of God, we must never rely 
upon them or accept them, but must always fly from them, without 
trying to ascertain whether they be good or evil; for, the more 
completely exterior and corporeal they are, the less certainly are 
they of God. For it is more proper and habitual to God to 
communicate Himself to the spirit, wherein there is more security 
and profit for the soul, than to sense, wherein there is 
ordinarily much danger and deception; for bodily sense judges and 
makes its estimate of spiritual things by thinking that they are 
as it feels them to be, whereas they are as different as is the 
body from the soul and sensuality[280] from reason. For the bodily 
sense is as ignorant of spiritual things as is a beast of rational 
things, and even more so.
     3. So he that esteems such things errs greatly and exposes 
himself to great peril of being deceived; in any case he will have 
within himself a complete impediment to the attainment of 
spirituality. For, as we have said, between spiritual things and 
all these bodily things there exists no kind of proportion 
whatever. And thus it may always be supposed that such things as 
these are more likely to be of the devil than of God; for the 
devil has more influence in that which is exterior and corporeal, 
and can deceive a soul more easily thereby than by that which is 
more interior and spiritual.
     4. And the more exterior are these corporeal forms and 
objects in themselves, the less do they profit the interior and 
spiritual nature, because of the great distance and the lack of 
proportion existing between the corporeal and the spiritual. For, 
although there is communicated by their means a certain degree of 
spirituality, as is always the case with things that come from 
God, much less is communicated than would be the case if the same 
things were more interior and spiritual. And thus they very easily 
become the means whereby error and presumption and vanity grow in 
the soul; since, as they are so palpable and material, they stir 
the senses greatly, and it appears to the judgment of the soul 
that they are of greater importance because they are more readily 
felt. Thus the soul goes after them, abandoning faith and thinking 
that the light which it receives from them is the guide and means 
to its desired goal, which is union with God. But the more 
attention it pays to such things, the farther it strays from the 
true way and means, which are faith.
     5. And, besides all this, when the soul sees that such 
extraordinary things happen to it, it is often visited, 
insidiously and secretly by a certain complacency, so that it 
thinks itself to be of some importance in the eyes of God; which 
is contrary to humility. The devil, too, knows how to insinuate 
into the soul a secret satisfaction with itself, which at times 
becomes very evident; wherefore he frequently represents these 
objects to the senses, setting before the eyes figures of saints 
and most beauteous lights; and before the ears words very much 
dissembled; and representing also sweetest perfumes, delicious 
tastes[281] and things delectable to the touch; to the end that, by 
producing desires for such things, he may lead the soul into much 
evil. These representations and feelings, therefore, must always 
be rejected; for, even though some of them be of God, He is not 
offended by their rejection, nor is the effect and fruit which He 
desires to produce in the soul by means of them any the less 
surely received because the soul rejects them and desires them 
not.
     6. The reason for this is that corporeal vision, or feeling 
in respect to any of the other senses, or any other communication 
of the most interior kind, if it be of God, produces its effect 
upon the spirit at the very moment when it appears or is felt, 
without giving the soul time or opportunity to deliberate whether 
it will accept or reject it. For, even as God gives these things 
supernaturally, without effort on the part of the soul, and 
independently of its capacity, even so likewise, without respect 
to its effort or capacity, God produces in it the effect that He 
desires by means of such things; for this is a thing that is 
wrought and brought to pass in the spirit passively; and thus its 
acceptance or non-acceptance consists not in the acceptance or the 
rejection of it by the will. It is as though fire were applied to 
a person's naked body: it would matter little whether or no he 
wished to be burned; the fire would of necessity accomplish its 
work. Just so is it with visions and representations that are 
good: even though the soul desire it not, they work their effect 
upon it, chiefly and especially in the soul, rather than in the 
body. And likewise those that come from the devil (without the 
consent of the soul) cause it disturbance or aridity or vanity or 
presumption in the spirit. Yet these are not so effective to work 
evil as are those of God to work good; for those of the devil can 
only set in action the first movements of the will,[282] and move it 
no farther, unless the soul be consenting thereto; and such 
trouble continues not long unless the soul's lack of courage and 
prudence be the occasion of its continuance. But the visions that 
are of God penetrate the soul and move the will to love, and 
produce their effect, which the soul cannot resist even though it 
would, any more than the window can resist the sun's rays when 
they strike
     7. The soul, then, must never presume to desire to receive 
them, even though, as I say, they be of God; for, if it desire to 
receive them, there follow six inconveniences.
     The first is that faith grows gradually less; for things that 
are experienced by the senses derogate from faith; since faith, as 
we have said, transcends every sense. And thus the soul withdraws 
itself from the means of union with God when it closes not its 
eyes to all these things of sense.
     Secondly, if they be not rejected, they are a hindrance to 
the spirit, for the soul rests in them and its spirit soars not to 
the invisible. This was one of the reasons why the Lord said to 
His disciples that it was needful for Him to go away that the Holy 
Spirit might come; so, too, He forbade Mary Magdalene to touch His feet, after His resurrection, that she might be grounded in faith.
     Thirdly, the soul becomes attached to these things and 
advances not to true resignation and detachment of spirit.
     Fourthly, it begins to lose the effect of them and the inward 
spirituality which they cause it, because it sets its eyes upon 
their sensual aspect, which is the least important. And thus it 
receives not so fully the spirituality which they cause, which is 
impressed and preserved more securely when all things of sense are 
rejected, since these are very different from pure spirit.
     Fifthly, the soul begins to lose the favours of God, because 
it accepts them as though they belonged to it and profits not by 
them as it should. And to accept them in this way and not to 
profit by them is to seek after them; but God gives them not that 
the soul may seek after them; nor should the soul take upon itself 
to believe that they are of God.[283]
     Sixthly, a readiness to accept them opens the door to the 
devil that he may deceive the soul by other things like to them, 
which he very well knows how to dissimulate and disguise, so that 
they may appear to be good; for, as the Apostle says, he can 
transform himself into an angel of light.[284] Of this we shall 
treat hereafter, by the Divine favour, in our third book, in the 
chapter upon spiritual gluttony.
     8. It is always well, then, that the soul should reject these 
things, and close its eyes to them, whencesoever they come. For, 
unless it does so, it will prepare the way for those things that 
come from the devil, and will give him such influence that, not 
only will his visions come in place of God's, but his visions will 
begin to increase, and those of God to cease, in such manner that 
the devil will have all the power and God will have none. So it 
has happened to many incautious and ignorant souls, who rely on 
these things to such an extent that many of them have found it 
hard to return to God in purity of faith; and many have been 
unable to return, so securely has the devil rooted himself in 
them; for which reason it is well to resist and reject them all. 
For, by the rejection of evil visions, the errors of the devil are 
avoided, and by the rejection of good visions no hindrance is 
offered to faith and the spirit harvests the fruit of them. And 
just as, when the soul allows them entrance, God begins to 
withhold them because the soul is becoming attached to them and is 
not profiting by them as it should, while the devil insinuates and 
increases his own visions, where he finds occasion and cause for 
them; just so, when the soul is resigned, or even averse to them, 
the devil begins to desist, since he sees that he is working it no 
harm; and contrariwise God begins to increase and magnify His 
favours in a soul that is so humble and detached, making it ruler 
over[285] many things, even as He made the servant who was faithful 
in small things.[286]
     9. In these favours, if the soul be faithful and humble,[287] 
the Lord will not cease until He has raised it from one step to 
another, even to Divine union and transformation. For Our Lord 
continues to prove the soul and to raise it ever higher, so that 
He first gives it things that are very unpretentious and exterior 
and in the order of sense, in conformity with the smallness of its 
capacity; to the end that, when it behaves as it should, and 
receives these first morsels with moderation for its strength and 
sustenance, He may grant it further and better food. If, then, the 
soul conquer the devil upon the first step, it will pass to the 
second; and if upon the second likewise, it will pass to the 
third; and so onward, through all seven mansions,[288] which are the 
seven steps of love, until the Spouse shall bring it to the cellar 
of wine of His perfect charity.
     10. Happy the soul that can fight against that beast of the 
Apocalypse,[289] which has seven heads, set over against these seven 
steps of love, and which makes war therewith against each one, and 
strives therewith against the soul in each of these mansions, 
wherein the soul is being exercised and is mounting step by step 
in the love of God. And undoubtedly if it strive faithfully 
against each of these heads, and gain the victory, it will deserve 
to pass from one step to another, and from one mansion to another, 
even unto the last, leaving the beast vanquished after destroying 
its seven heads, wherewith it made so furious a war upon it. So 
furious is this war that Saint John says in that place[290] that it 
was given unto the beast to make war against the saints and to be 
able to overcome them upon each one of these steps of love, 
arraying against each one many weapons and munitions of war. And 
it is therefore greatly to be lamented that many who engage in 
this spiritual battle against the beast do not even destroy its 
first head by denying themselves the sensual things of the world. 
And, though some destroy and cut off this head, they destroy not 
the second head, which is that of the visions of sense whereof we 
are speaking. But what is most to be lamented is that some, having 
destroyed not only the first and the second but even the third, 
which is that of the interior senses, pass out of the state of 
meditation, and travel still farther onward, and are overcome by 
this spiritual beast at the moment of their entering into purity 
of spirit, for he rises up against them once more, and even his 
first head comes to life again, and the last state of those souls 
is worse than the first, since, when they fall back, the beast 
brings with him seven other spirits worse then himself.[291]
     11. The spiritual person, then, has to deny himself all the 
apprehensions, and the temporal delights, that belong to the 
outward senses, if he will destroy the first and the second head 
of this beast, and enter into the first chamber of love, and the 
second, which is of living faith, desiring neither to lay hold 
upon, nor to be embarrassed by, that which is given to the senses, 
since it is this that derogates most from faith.
     12. It is clear, then, that these sensual apprehensions and 
visions cannot be a means to union, since they bear no proportion 
to God; and this was one of the reasons why Christ desired that 
the Magdalene and Saint Thomas should not touch Him. And so the 
devil rejoices greatly when a soul desires to receive revelations, 
and when he sees it inclined to them, for he has then a great 
occasion and opportunity to insinuate errors and, in so far as he 
is able, to derogate from faith; for, as I have said, he renders 
the soul that desires them very gross, and at times even leads it 
into many temptations and unseemly ways.
     13. I have written at some length of these outward 
apprehensions in order to throw and shed rather more light on the 
others, whereof we have to treat shortly. There is so much to say 
on this part of my subject that I could go on and never end. I 
believe, however, that I am summarizing it sufficiently by merely 
saying that the soul must take care never to receive these 
apprehensions, save occasionally on another person's advice, which 
should very rarely be given, and even then it must have no desire 
for them. I think that on this part of my subject what I have said 
is sufficient.


                           CHAPTER XII

     Which treats of natural imaginary apprehensions. Describes 
their nature and proves that they cannot be a proportionate means 
of attainment to union with God. Shows the harm which results from 
inability to detach oneself from them.

     BEFORE we treat of the imaginary visions which are wont to 
occur supernaturally to the interior sense, which is the 
imagination and the fancy, it is fitting here, so that we may 
proceed in order, to treat of the natural apprehensions of this 
same interior bodily sense, in order that we may proceed from the 
lesser to the greater, and from the more exterior to the more 
interior, until we reach the most interior[292] recollection wherein 
the soul is united with God; this same order we have followed up 
to this point. For we treated first of all the detachment of the 
exterior senses from the natural apprehensions of objects, and, in 
consequence, from the natural power of the desires -- this was 
contained in the first book, wherein we spoke of the night of 
sense. We then began to detach these same senses from supernatural 
exterior apprehensions (which, as we have just shown in the last 
chapter, affect the exterior senses), in order to lead the soul 
into the night of the spirit.
     2. In this second book, the first thing that has now to be 
treated is the interior bodily sense -- namely, the imagination 
and the fancy; this we must likewise void of all the imaginary 
apprehensions and forms that may belong to it by nature, and we 
must prove how impossible it is that the soul should attain to 
union with God until its operation cease in them, since they 
cannot be the proper and proximate means of this union.
     3. It is to be known, then, that the senses whereof we are 
here particularly speaking are two interior bodily senses which 
are called imagination and fancy, which subserve each other in due 
order. For the one sense reasons, as it were, by imagining, and 
the other forms the imagination, or that which is imagined, by 
making use of the fancy.[293] For our purpose the discussion of the 
one is equivalent to that of the other, and, for this reason, when 
we name them not both, it must be understood that we are speaking 
of either, as we have here explained. All the things, then, that 
these senses can receive and fashion are known as imaginations and 
fancies, which are forms that are represented to these senses by 
bodily figures and images. This can happen in two ways. The one 
way is supernatural, wherein representation can be made, and is 
made, to these senses passively, without any effort of their own; 
these we call imaginary visions, produced after a supernatural 
manner, and of these we shall speak hereafter. The other way is 
natural, wherein, through the ability of the soul, these things 
can be actively fashioned in it through its operation, beneath 
forms, figures and images. And thus to these two faculties belongs 
meditation, which is a discursive action wrought by means of 
images, forms and figures that are fashioned and imagined by the 
said senses, as when we imagine Christ crucified, or bound to the 
column, or at another of the stations; or when we imagine God 
seated upon a throne with great majesty; or when we consider and 
imagine glory to be like a most beauteous light, etc.; or when we 
imagine all kinds of other things, whether Divine or human, that 
can belong to the imagination. All these imaginings must be cast 
out from the Soul, which will remain in darkness as far as this 
sense is concerned, that it may attain to Divine union; for they 
can bear no proportion to proximate means of union with God, any 
more than can the bodily imaginings, which serve as objects to the 
five exterior senses.
     4. The reason of this is that the imagination cannot fashion 
or imagine anything whatsoever beyond that which it has 
experienced through its exterior senses -- namely, that which it 
has seen with the eyes, or heard with the ears, etc. At most it 
can only compose likenesses of those things that it has seen or 
heard or felt, which are of no more consequence than those which 
have been received by the senses aforementioned, nor are they even 
of as much consequence. For, although a man imagines palaces of 
pearls and mountains of gold, because he has seen gold and pearls, 
all this is in truth less than the essence of a little gold or of 
a single pearl, although in the imagination it be greater in 
quantity and in beauty. And since, as has already been said, no 
created things can bear any proportion to the Being of God, it 
follows that nothing that is imagined in their likeness can serve 
as proximate means to union with Him, but, as we say, quite the 
contrary.
     5. Wherefore those that imagine God beneath any of these 
figures, or as a great fire or brightness, or in any other such 
form, and think that anything like this will be like to Him, are 
very far from approaching Him. For, although these considerations 
and forms and manners of meditation are necessary to beginners, in 
order that they may gradually feed and enkindle their souls with 
love by means of sense, as we shall say hereafter, and although 
they thus serve them as remote means to union with God, through 
which a soul has commonly to pass in order to reach the goal and 
abode of spiritual repose, yet they must merely pass through them, 
and not remain ever in them, for in such a manner they would never 
reach their goal, which does not resemble these remote means, 
neither has aught to do with them. The stairs of a staircase have 
naught to do with the top of it and the abode to which it leads, 
yet are means to the reaching of both; and if the climber left not 
behind the stairs below him until there were no more to climb, but 
desired to remain upon any one of them, he would never reach the 
top of them nor would he mount to the pleasant[294] and peaceful 
room which is the goal. And just so the soul that is to attain in 
this life to the union of that supreme repose and blessing, by 
means of all these stairs of meditations, forms and ideas, must 
pass though them and have done with them, since they have no 
resemblance and bear no proportion to the goal to which they lead, 
which is God. Wherefore Saint Paul says in the Acts of the 
Apostles: Non debemus aestimare, auro, vel argento, aut lapidi 
sculpturae artis, et cogitationis hominis, Divinum esse 
similem.[295] Which signifies: We ought not to think of the Godhead 
by likening Him to gold or to silver, neither to stone that is 
formed by art, nor to aught that a man can fashion with his 
imagination.
     6. Great, therefore, is the error of many spiritual persons 
who have practised approaching God by means of images and forms 
and meditations, as befits beginners. God would now lead them on 
to[296] further spiritual blessings, which are interior and 
invisible, by taking from them the pleasure and sweetness of 
discursive meditation; but they cannot, or dare not, or know not 
how to detach themselves from those palpable methods to which they 
have grown accustomed. They continually labour to retain them, 
desiring to proceed, as before, by the way of consideration and 
meditation upon forms, for they think that it must be so with them 
always. They labour greatly to this end and find little sweetness 
or none; rather the aridity and weariness and disquiet of their 
souls are increased and grow, in proportion as they labour for 
that earlier sweetness. They cannot find this in that earlier 
manner, for the soul no longer enjoys that food of sense, as we 
have said; it needs not this but another food, which is more 
delicate, more interior and partaking less of the nature of sense; 
it consists not in labouring with the imagination, but in setting 
the soul at rest, and allowing it to remain in its quiet and 
repose, which is more spiritual. For, the farther the soul 
progresses in spirituality, the more it ceases from the operation 
of the faculties in particular acts, since it becomes more and 
more occupied in one act that is general and pure; and thus the 
faculties that were journeying to a place whither the soul has 
arrived cease to work, even as the feet stop and cease to move 
when their journey is over. For if all were motion, one would 
never arrive, and if all were means, where or when would come the 
fruition of the end and goal?
     7. It is piteous, then, to see many a one who[297] though his 
soul would fain tarry in this peace and rest of interior quiet, 
where it is filled with the peace and refreshment of God, takes 
from it its tranquillity, and leads it away to the most exterior 
things, and would make it return and retrace the ground it has 
already traversed, to no purpose, and abandon the end and goal 
wherein it is already reposing for the means which led it to that 
repose, which are meditations. This comes not to pass without 
great reluctance and repugnance of the soul, which would fain be 
in that peace that it understands not, as in its proper place; 
even as one who has arrived, with great labour, and is now 
resting, suffers pain if he is made to return to his labour. And, 
as such souls know not the mystery of this new experience, the 
idea comes to them that they are being idle and doing nothing; and 
thus they allow not themselves to be quiet, but endeavor to 
meditate and reason. Hence they are filled with aridity and 
affliction, because they seek to find sweetness where it is no 
longer to be found; we may even say of them that the more they 
strive the less they profit, for, the more they persist after this 
manner, the worse is the state wherein they find themselves, 
because their soul is drawn farther away from spiritual peace; and 
this is to leave the greater for the less, and to retrace the 
ground already traversed, and to seek to do that which has been 
done.
     8. To such as these the advice must be given to learn to 
abide attentively and wait lovingly upon God in that state of 
quiet, and to pay no heed either to imagination or to its working; 
for here, as we say, the faculties are at rest, and are working, 
not actively, but passively, by receiving that which God works in 
them; and, if they work at times, it is not with violence or with 
carefully elaborated meditation, but with sweetness of love, moved 
less by the ability of the soul itself than by God, as will be 
explained hereafter. But let this now suffice to show how fitting 
and necessary it is for those who aim at making further progress 
to be able to detach themselves from all these methods and manners 
and works of the imagination at the time and season when the 
profit of the state which they have reached demands and requires 
it.
     9. And, that it may be understood how this is to be, and at 
what season, we shall give in the chapter following certain signs 
which the spiritual person will see in himself and whereby he may 
know at what time and season he may freely avail himself of the 
goal mentioned above, and may cease from journeying by means of 
meditation and the work of the imagination.


                          CHAPTER XIII

     Wherein are set down the signs which the spiritual person 
will find in himself whereby he may know at what season it behoves 
him to leave meditation and reasoning and pass to the state of 
contemplation.

     IN order that there may be no confusion in this instruction 
it will be meet in this chapter to explain at what time and season 
it behoves the spiritual person to lay aside the task of 
discursive meditation as carried on through the imaginations and 
forms and figures above mentioned, in order that he may lay them 
aside neither sooner nor later than when the Spirit bids him; for, 
although it is meet for him to lay them aside at the proper time 
in order that he may journey to God and not be hindered by them, 
it is no less needful for him not to lay aside the said 
imaginative meditation before the proper time lest he should turn 
backward. For, although the apprehensions of these faculties serve 
not as proximate means of union to the proficient, they serve 
nevertheless as remote means to beginners in order to dispose and 
habituate the spirit to spirituality by means of sense, and in 
order to void the sense, in the meantime, of all the other low 
forms and images, temporal, worldly and natural. We shall 
therefore speak here of certain signs and examples which the 
spiritual person will find in himself, whereby he may know whether 
or not it will be meet for him to lay them aside at this season.
     2. The first sign is his realization that he can no longer 
meditate or reason with his imagination, neither can take pleasure 
therein as he was wont to do aforetime; he rather finds aridity in 
that which aforetime was wont to captivate his senses and to bring 
him sweetness. But, for as long as he finds sweetness in 
meditation, and is able to reason, he should not abandon this, 
save when his soul is led into the peace and quietness[298] which is 
described under the third head.
     3. The second sign is a realization that he has no desire to 
fix his mediation or his sense upon other particular objects, 
exterior or interior. I do not mean that the imagination neither 
comes nor goes (for even at times of deep[299] recollection it is 
apt to move freely), but that the soul has no pleasure in fixing 
it of set purpose upon other objects.
     4. The third and surest sign is that the soul takes pleasure 
in being alone, and waits with loving attentiveness upon God, 
without making any particular meditation, in inward peace and 
quietness and rest, and without acts and exercises of the 
faculties -- memory, understanding and will -- at least, without 
discursive acts, that is, without passing from one thing to 
another; the soul is alone, with an attentiveness and a knowledge, 
general and loving, as we said, but without any particular 
understanding, and adverting not to that which it is 
contemplating.
     5. These three signs, at least, the spiritual person must 
observe in himself, all together, before he can venture safely to 
abandon the state of meditation and sense,[300] and to enter that of 
contemplation and spirit.
     6. And it suffices not for a man to have the first alone 
without the second, for it might be that the reason for his being 
unable to imagine and meditate upon the things of God, as he did 
aforetime, was distraction on his part and lack of diligence; for 
the which cause he must observe in himself the second likewise, 
which is the absence of inclination or desire to think upon other 
things; for, when the inability to fix the imagination and sense 
upon the things of God proceeds from distraction or lukewarmness, 
the soul then has the desire and inclination to fix it upon other 
and different things, which lead it thence altogether. Neither 
does it suffice that he should observe in himself the first and 
second signs, if he observe not likewise, together with these, the 
third; for, although he observe his inability to reason and think 
upon the things of God, and likewise his distaste for thinking 
upon other and different things, this might proceed from 
melancholy or from some other kind of humour in the brain or the 
heart, which habitually produces a certain absorption and 
suspension of the senses, causing the soul to think not at all, 
nor to desire or be inclined to think, but rather to remain in 
that pleasant state of reverie.[301] Against this must be set the 
third sign, which is loving attentiveness and knowledge, in peace, 
etc., as we have said.
     7. It is true, however, that, when this condition first 
begins, the soul is hardly aware of this loving knowledge, and 
that for two reasons. First, this loving knowledge is apt at the 
beginning to be very subtle and delicate, and almost imperceptible 
to the senses. Secondly, when the soul has been accustomed to that 
other exercise of meditation, which is wholly perceptible, it is 
unaware, and hardly conscious, of this other new and imperceptible 
condition, which is purely spiritual; especially when, not 
understanding it, the soul allows not itself to rest in it, but 
strives after the former, which is more readily perceptible; so 
that abundant though the loving interior peace may be, the soul 
has no opportunity of experiencing and enjoying it. But the more 
accustomed the soul grows to this, by allowing itself to rest, the 
more it will grow therein and the more conscious it will become of 
that loving general knowledge of God, in which it has greater 
enjoyment than in aught else, since this knowledge causes it 
peace, rest, pleasure and delight without labour.
     8. And, to the end that what has been said may be the 
clearer, we shall give, in this chapter following, the causes and 
reasons why the three signs aforementioned appear to be necessary 
for the soul that is journeying to pure spirit.[302]


                           CHAPTER XIV

     Wherein is proved the fitness of these signs, and the reason 
is given why that which has been said in speaking of them is 
necessary to progress.

     WITH respect to the first sign whereof we are speaking -- 
that is to say, that the spiritual person who would enter upon the 
spiritual road (which is that of contemplation) must leave the way 
of imagination and of meditation through sense when he takes no 
more pleasure therein and is unable to reason -- there are two 
reasons why this should be done, which may almost be comprised in 
one. The first is, that in one way the soul has received all the 
spiritual good which it would be able to derive from the things of 
God by the path of meditation and reasoning, the sign whereof is 
that it can no longer meditate or reason as before, and finds no 
new sweetness or pleasure therein as it found before, because up 
to that time it had not progressed as far as the spirituality 
which was in store for it; for, as a rule, whensoever the soul 
receives some spiritual blessing, it receives it with pleasure, at 
least in spirit, in that means whereby it receives it and profits 
by it; otherwise it is astonishing if it profits by it, or finds 
in the cause of it that help and that sweetness which it finds 
when it receives it. For this is in agreement with a saying of the 
philosophers, Quod sapit, nutrit. This is: That which is palatable 
nourishes and fattens. Wherefore holy Job said: Numquid poterit 
comedi insulsum, quod non est sale conditum?[303] Can that which is 
unsavory perchance be eaten when it is not seasoned with salt? It 
is this cause that the soul is unable to meditate or reason as 
before: the little pleasure which the spirit finds therein and the 
little profit which it gains.
     2. The second reason is that the soul at this season has now 
both the substance and the habit of the spirit of meditation. For 
it must be known that the end of reasoning and meditation on the 
things of God is the gaining of some knowledge and love of God, 
and each time that the soul gains this through meditation, it is 
an act; and just as many acts, of whatever kind, end by forming a 
habit in the soul, just so, many of these acts of loving knowledge 
which the soul has been making one after another from time to time 
come through repetition to be so continuous in it that they become 
habitual. This end God is wont also to effect in many souls 
without the intervention of these acts (or at least without many 
such acts having preceded it), by setting them at once in 
contemplation. And thus that which aforetime the soul was gaining 
gradually through its labour of meditation upon particular facts 
has now through practice, as we have been saying, become converted 
and changed into a habit and substance of loving knowledge, of a 
general kind, and not distinct or particular as before. Wherefore, 
when it gives itself to prayer, the soul is now like one to whom 
water has been brought, so that he drinks peacefully, without 
labour, and is no longer forced to draw the water through the 
aqueducts of past meditations and forms and figures[304] So that, as 
soon as the soul comes before God, it makes an act of knowledge, 
confused, loving, passive and tranquil, wherein it drinks of 
wisdom and love and delight.
     3. And it is for this cause that the soul feels great 
weariness and distaste, when, although it is in this condition of 
tranquillity, men try to make it meditate and labour in particular 
acts of knowledge. For it is like a child, which, while receiving 
the milk that has been collected and brought together for it in 
the breast, is taken from the breast and then forced to try to 
gain and collect food by its own diligent squeezing and handling. 
Or it is like one who has removed the rind from a fruit, and is 
tasting the substance of the fruit, when he is forced to cease 
doing this and to try to begin removing the said rind, which has 
been removed already. He finds no rind to remove, and yet he is 
unable to enjoy the substance of the fruit which he already had in 
his hand; herein he is like to one who leaves a prize[305] which he 
holds for another which he holds not.
     4. And many act thus when they begin to enter this state; 
they think that the whole business consists in a continual 
reasoning and learning to understand particular things by means of 
images and forms, which are to the spirit as rind. When they find 
not these in that substantial and loving quiet wherein their soul 
desires to remain, and wherein it understands nothing clearly, 
they think that they are going astray and wasting time, and they 
begin once more to seek the rind of their imaginings and 
reasonings, but find it not, because it has already been removed. 
And thus they neither enjoy the substance nor make progress in 
meditation, and they become troubled by the thought that they are 
turning backward and are losing themselves. They are indeed losing 
themselves, though not in the way they think, for they are 
becoming lost to their own senses and to their first manner of 
perception; and this means gain in that spirituality which is 
being given them. The less they understand, however, the farther 
they penetrate into the night of the spirit, whereof we are 
treating in this book, through the which night they must pass in 
order to be united with God, in a union that transcends all 
knowledge.
     5. With respect to the second sign, there is little to say, 
for it is clear that at this season the soul cannot possibly take 
pleasure in other and different objects of the imagination, which 
are of the world, since, as we have said, and for the reasons 
already mentioned, it has no pleasure in those which are in 
closest conformity with it -- namely, those of God. Only as has 
been noted above, the imaginative faculty in this state of 
recollection is in the habit of coming and going and varying of 
its own accord; but neither according to the pleasure nor at the 
will of the soul, which is troubled thereby, because its peace and 
joy are disturbed.
     6. Nor do I think it necessary to say anything here 
concerning the fitness and necessity of the third sign whereby the 
soul may know if it is to leave the meditation aforementioned, 
which is a knowledge of God or a general and loving attentiveness 
to Him. For something has been said of this in treating of the 
first sign, and we shall treat of it again hereafter, when we 
speak in its proper place of this confused and general knowledge, 
which will come after our description of all the particular 
apprehensions of the understanding. But we will speak of one 
reason alone by which it may clearly be seen how, when the 
contemplative has to turn aside from the way of meditation and 
reasoning, he needs this general and loving attentiveness or 
knowledge of God. The reason is that, if the soul at that time had 
not this knowledge of God or this realization of His presence, the 
result would be that it would do nothing and have nothing; for, 
having turned aside from meditation (by means whereof the soul has 
been reasoning with its faculties of sense), and being still 
without contemplation, which is the general knowledge whereof we 
are speaking, wherein the soul makes use of its spiritual 
faculties[306] -- namely, memory, understanding and will -- these 
being united in this knowledge which is then wrought and received 
in them, the soul would of necessity be without any exercise in 
the things of God, since the soul can neither work, nor can it 
receive that which has been worked in it, save only by way of 
these two kinds of faculty, that of sense and that of spirit. For, 
as we have said, by means of the faculties of sense it can reason 
and search out and gain knowledge of things and by means of the 
spiritual faculties it can have fruition of the knowledge which it 
has already received in these faculties aforementioned, though the 
faculties themselves take no part herein.
     7. And thus the difference between the operation of these two 
kinds of faculty in the soul is like the difference between 
working and enjoying the fruit of work which has been done; or 
like that between the labour of journeying and the rest and quiet 
which comes from arrival at the goal; or, again, like that between 
preparing a meal and partaking and tasting of it, when it has been 
both prepared and masticated, without having any of the labour of 
cooking it, or it is like the difference between receiving 
something and profiting by that which has been received. Now if 
the soul be occupied neither with respect to the operation of the 
faculties of sense, which is meditation and reasoning, nor with 
respect to that which has already been received and effected in 
the spiritual faculties, which is the contemplation and knowledge 
whereof we have spoken, it will have no occupation, but will be 
wholly idle, and there would be no way in which it could be said 
to be employed. This knowledge, then, is needful for the 
abandonment of the way of meditation and reasoning.
     8. But here it must be made clear that this general knowledge 
whereof we are speaking is at times so subtle and delicate, 
particularly when it is most pure and simple and perfect, most 
spiritual and most interior, that, although the soul be occupied 
therein, it can neither realize it nor perceive it. This is most 
frequently the case when we can say that it is in itself most 
clear, perfect and simple; and this comes to pass when it 
penetrates a soul that is unusually pure and far withdrawn from 
other particular kinds of knowledge and intelligence, which the 
understanding or the senses might fasten upon. Such a soul, since 
it no longer has those things wherein the understanding and the 
senses have the habit and custom of occupying themselves, is not 
conscious of them, inasmuch as it has not its accustomed powers of 
sense. And it is for this reason that, when this knowledge is 
purest and simplest and most perfect, the understanding is least 
conscious of it and thinks of it as most obscure. And similarly, 
in contrary wise, when it is in itself least pure and simple in 
the understanding, it seems to the understanding to be clearest 
and of the greatest importance, since it is clothed in, mingled 
with or involved in certain intelligible forms which understanding 
or sense may seize upon.[307]
     9. This will be clearly understood by the following 
comparison. If we consider a ray of sunlight entering through a 
window, we see that, the more the said ray is charged with atoms 
and particles of matter, the more palpable, visible and bright it 
appears to the eye of sense;[308] yet it is clear that the ray is in 
itself least pure, clear, simple and perfect at that time, since 
it is full of so many particles and atoms. And we see likewise 
that, when it is purest and freest from those particles and atoms, 
the least palpable and the darkest does it appear to the material 
eye; and the purer it is, the darker and less apprehensible it 
appears to it. And if the ray were completely pure and free from 
all these atoms and particles, even from the minutest specks of 
dust, it would appear completely dark and invisible to the eye, 
since everything that could be seen would be absent from it -- 
namely, the objects of sight. For the eye would find no objects 
whereon to rest, since light is no proper object of vision, but 
the means whereby that which is visible is seen; so that, if there 
be no visible objects wherein the sun's ray or any light can be 
reflected, nothing will be seen. Wherefore, if the ray of light 
entered by one window and went out by another, without meeting 
anything that has material form, it would not be seen at all; yet, 
notwithstanding, that ray of light would be purer and clearer in 
itself than when it was more clearly seen and perceived through 
being full of visible objects.
     10. The same thing happens in the realm of spiritual light 
with respect to the sight of the soul, which is the understanding, 
and which this general and supernatural knowledge and light 
whereof we are speaking strikes so purely and simply. So 
completely is it detached and removed from all intelligible forms, 
which are objects of the understanding, that it is neither 
perceived nor observed. Rather, at times (that is, when it is 
purest), it becomes darkness, because it withdraws the 
understanding from its accustomed lights, from forms and from 
fancies, and then the darkness is more clearly felt and realized. 
But, when this Divine light strikes the soul with less force, it 
neither perceives darkness nor observes light, nor apprehends 
aught that it knows, from whatever source; hence at times the soul 
remains as it were in a great forgetfulness, so that it knows not 
where it has been or what it has done, nor is it aware of the 
passage of time. Wherefore it may happen, and does happen, that 
many hours are spent in this forgetfulness, and, when the soul 
returns to itself, it believes that less than a moment has passed, 
or no time at all.
     11. The cause of this forgetfulness is the purity and 
simplicity of this knowledge which occupies the soul and 
simplifies, purifies and cleanses it from all apprehensions and 
forms of the senses and of the memory, through which it acted when 
it was conscious of time,[309] and thus leaves it in forgetfulness 
and without consciousness of time.[310] This prayer, therefore, 
seems to the soul extremely brief, although, as we say, it may 
last for a long period; for the soul has been united in pure 
intelligence, which belongs not to time; and this is the brief 
prayer which is said to pierce the heavens, because it is brief 
and because it belongs not to time.[311] And it pierces the heavens, 
because the soul is united in heavenly intelligence; and when the 
soul awakens, this knowledge leaves in it the effects which it 
created in it without its being conscious of them, which effects 
are the lifting up of the spirit to the heavenly intelligence, and 
its withdrawal and abstraction from all things and forms and 
figures and memories thereof. It is this that David describes as 
having happened to him when he returned to himself out of this 
same forgetfulness, saying: Vigilavi, et factus sum sicut passer 
solitarius in tecto.[312] Which signifies: I have watched and I have 
become like the lonely bird[313] on the house-top. He uses the word 
'lonely' to indicate that he was withdrawn and abstracted from all 
things. And by the house-top he means the elevation of the spirit 
on high; so that the soul remains as though ignorant of all 
things, for it knows God only, without knowing how. Wherefore the 
Bride declares in the Songs that among the effects which that 
sleep and forgetfulness of hers produced was this unknowing. She 
says that she came down to the garden, saying: Nescivi.[314] That 
is: I knew not whence. Although, as we have said, the soul in this 
state of knowledge believes itself to be doing nothing, and to be 
entirely unoccupied, because it is working neither with the senses 
nor with the faculties, it should realize that it is not wasting 
time. For, although the harmony of the faculties of the soul may 
cease, its intelligence is as we have said. For this cause the 
Bride, who was wise, answered this question herself in the Songs, 
saying: Ego dormio et cor meum vigilat.[315] As though she were to 
say: Although I sleep with respect to my natural self, ceasing to 
labour, my heart waketh, being supernaturally lifted up in 
supernatural knowledge.[316]
     12. But, it must be realized, we are not to suppose that this 
knowledge necessarily causes this forgetfulness when the soul is 
in the state that we are here describing: this occurs only when 
God suspends in the soul the exercise of all its faculties, both 
natural and spiritual, which happens very seldom, for this 
knowledge does not always fill the soul entirely. It is sufficient 
for the purpose, in the case which we are treating, that the 
understanding should be withdrawn from all particular knowledge, 
whether temporal or spiritual, and that the will should not desire 
to think with respect to either, as we have said, for this is a 
sign that the soul is occupied. And it must be taken as an 
indication that this is so when this knowledge is applied and 
communicated to the understanding only, which sometimes happens 
when the soul is unable to observe it. For, when it is 
communicated to the will also, which happens almost invariably, 
the soul does not cease to understand in the very least degree, if 
it will reflect hereon, that it is employed and occupied in this 
knowledge, inasmuch as it is conscious of a sweetness of love 
therein, without particular knowledge or understanding of that 
which it loves. It is for this reason that this knowledge is 
described as general and loving; for, just as it is so in the 
understanding, being communicated to it obscurely, even so is it 
in the will, sweetness and love being communicated to it 
confusedly, so that it cannot have a distinct knowledge of the 
object of its love.
     13. Let this suffice now to explain how meet it is that the 
soul should be occupied in this knowledge, so that it may turn 
aside from the way of spiritual meditation, and be sure that, 
although it seem to be doing nothing, it is well occupied, if it 
discern within itself these signs. It will also be realized, from 
the comparison which we have made, that if this light presents 
itself to the understanding in a more comprehensible and palpable 
manner, as the sun's ray presents itself to the eye when it is 
full of particles, the soul must not for that reason consider it 
purer, brighter and more sublime. It is clear that, as Aristotle 
and the theologians say, the higher and more sublime is the Divine 
light, the darker is it to our understanding.
     14. Of this Divine knowledge there is much to say, concerning 
both itself and the effects which it produces upon contemplatives. 
All this we reserve for its proper place,[317] for, although we have 
spoken of it here, there would be no reason for having done so at 
such length, save our desire not to leave this doctrine rather 
more confused than it is already, for I confess it is certainly 
very much so. Not only is it a matter which is seldom treated in 
this way, either verbally or in writing, being in itself so 
extraordinary and obscure, but my rude style and lack of knowledge 
make it more so. Further, since I have misgivings as to my ability 
to explain it, I believe I often write at too great length and go 
beyond the limits which are necessary for that part of the 
doctrine which I am treating. Herein I confess that I sometimes 
err purposely; for that which is not explicable by one kind of 
reasoning will perhaps be better understood by another, or by 
others yet; and I believe, too, that in this way I am shedding 
more light upon that which is to be said hereafter.
     15. Wherefore it seems well to me also, before completing 
this part of my treatise, to set down a reply to one question 
which may arise with respect to the continuance of this knowledge, 
and this shall be briefly treated in the chapter following.


                           CHAPTER XV

     Wherein is explained how it is sometimes well for 
progressives who are beginning to enter upon this general 
knowledge of contemplation to make use of natural reasoning and 
the work of the natural faculties.

     WITH regard to that which has been said, there might be 
raised one question -- if progressives (that is, those whom God is 
beginning to bring into this supernatural knowledge of 
contemplation whereof we have spoken) must never again, because of 
this that they are beginning to experience, return to the way of 
meditation and reasoning and natural forms. To this the answer is 
that it is not to be understood that such as are beginning to 
experience this loving knowledge must, as a general rule, never 
again try to return to meditation; for, when they are first making 
progress in proficiency, the habit of contemplation is not yet so 
perfect that they can give themselves to the act thereof 
whensoever they wish, nor, in the same way, have they reached a 
point so far beyond meditation that they cannot occasionally 
meditate and reason in a natural way, as they were wont, using the 
figures and the steps that they were wont to use, and finding 
something new in them. Rather, in these early stages, when, by 
means of the indications already given, they are able to see that 
the soul is not occupied in that repose and knowledge, they will 
need to make use of meditation until by means of it they come to 
acquire in some degree of perfection the habit which we have 
described. This will happen when, as soon as they seek to 
meditate, they experience this knowledge and peace, and find 
themselves unable to meditate and no longer desirous of doing so, 
as we have said. For until they reach this stage, which is that of 
the proficient in this exercise, they use sometimes the one and 
sometimes the other, at different times.
     2. The soul, then, will frequently find itself in this loving 
or peaceful state of waiting upon God[318] without in any way 
exercising its faculties -- that is, with respect to particular 
acts -- and without working actively at all, but only receiving. 
In order to reach this state, it will frequently need to make use 
of meditation, quietly and in moderation; but, when once the soul 
is brought into this other state, it acts not at all with its 
faculties, as we have already said. It would be truer to say that 
understanding and sweetness work in it and are wrought within it, 
than that the soul itself works at all, save only by waiting upon 
God and by loving Him without desiring to feel or to see anything. 
Then God communicates Himself to it passively, even as to one who 
has his eyes open, so that light is communicated to him passively, 
without his doing more than keep them open. And this reception of 
light which is infused supernaturally is passive understanding. We 
say that the soul works not at all, not because it understands 
not, but because it understands things without taxing its own 
industry and receives only that which is given to it, as comes to 
pass in the illuminations and enlightenments or inspirations of 
God.
     3. Although in this condition the will freely receives this 
general and confused knowledge of God, it is needful, in order 
that it may receive this Divine light more simply and abundantly, 
only that it should not try to interpose other lights which are 
more palpable, whether forms or ideas or figures having to do with 
any kind of meditation; for none of these things is similar to 
that pure and serene light. So that if at this time the will 
desires to understand and consider particular things, however 
spiritual they be, this would obstruct the pure and simple general 
light of the spirit, by setting those clouds in the way; even as a 
man might set something before his eyes which impeded his vision 
and kept from him both the light and the sight of things in front 
of him.
     4. Hence it clearly follows that, when the soul has 
completely purified and voided itself of all forms and images that 
can be apprehended, it will remain in this pure and simple light, 
being transformed therein into a state of perfection. For, though 
this light never fails in the soul, it is not infused into it 
because of the creature forms and veils wherewith the soul is 
veiled and embarrassed; but, if these impediments and these veils 
were wholly removed (as will be said hereafter), the soul would 
then find itself in a condition of pure detachment and poverty of 
spirit, and, being simple and pure, would be transformed into 
simple and pure Wisdom, which is the Son of God. For the enamoured 
soul finds that that which is natural has failed it, and it is 
then imbued with that which is Divine, both naturally and 
supernaturally, so that there may be no vacuum in its nature.
     5. When the spiritual person cannot meditate, let him learn 
to be still in God, fixing his loving attention upon Him, in the 
calm of his understanding, although he may think himself to be 
doing nothing. For thus, little by little and very quickly, Divine 
calm and peace will be infused into his soul, together with a 
wondrous and sublime knowledge of God, enfolded in Divine love. 
And let him not meddle with forms, meditations and imaginings, or 
with any kind of reasoning, lest his soul be disturbed, and 
brought out of its contentment and peace, which can only result in 
its experiencing distaste and repugnance. And if, as we have said, 
such a person has scruples that he is doing nothing, let him note 
that he is doing no small thing by pacifying the soul and bringing 
it into calm and peace, unaccompanied by any act or desire, for it 
is this that Our Lord asks of us, through David, saying: Vacate, 
et videte quoniam ego sum Deus.[319] As though he had said: Learn to 
be empty of all things (that is to say, inwardly and outwardly) 
and you will see that I am God.


                           CHAPTER XVI

     Which treats of the imaginary apprehensions that are 
supernaturally represented in the fancy. Describing how they 
cannot serve the soul as a proximate means to union with God.

     NOW that we have treated of the apprehensions which the soul 
can receive within itself by natural means, and whereon the fancy 
and the imagination can work by means of reflection, it will be 
suitable to treat here of the supernatural apprehensions, which 
are called imaginary visions, which likewise belong to these 
senses, since they come within the category of images, forms and 
figures, exactly as do the natural apprehensions.
     2. It must be understood that beneath this term 'imaginary 
vision' we purpose to include all things which can be represented 
to the imagination supernaturally by means of any image, form, 
figure and species. For all the apprehensions and species which, 
through all the five bodily senses, are represented to the soul, 
and dwell within it, after a natural manner, may likewise occur in 
the soul after a supernatural manner, and be represented to it 
without any assistance of the outward senses. For this sense of 
fancy, together with memory, is, as it were, an archive and 
storehouse of the understanding, wherein are received all forms 
and images that can be understood; and thus the soul has them 
within itself as it were in a mirror, having received them by 
means of the five senses, or, as we say, supernaturally; and thus 
it presents them to the understanding, whereupon the understanding 
considers them and judges them. And not only so, but the soul can 
also prepare and imagine others like to those with which it is 
acquainted.
     3. It must be understood, then, that, even as the five 
outward senses represent the images and species of their objects 
to these inward senses, even so, supernaturally, as we say, 
without using the outward senses, both God and the devil can 
represent the same images and species, and much more beautiful and 
perfect ones. Wherefore, beneath these images, God often 
represents many things to the soul, and teaches it much wisdom; 
this is continually seen in the Scriptures, as when Isaias saw God 
in His glory beneath the smoke which covered the Temple, and 
beneath the seraphim who covered their faces and their feet with 
wings;[320] and as Jeremias saw the rod watching,[321] and Daniel a 
multitude of visions,[322] etc. And the devil, too, strives to 
deceive the soul with his visions, which in appearance are good, 
as may be seen in the Book of the Kings, when he deceived all the 
prophets of Achab, presenting to their imaginations the horns 
wherewith he said the King was to destroy the Assyrians, which was 
a lie.[323] Even such were the visions of Pilate's wife, warning him 
not to condemn Christ;[324] and there are many other places where it 
is seen how, in this mirror of the fancy and the imagination, 
these imaginary visions come more frequently to proficients than 
do outward and bodily visions. These, as we say, differ not in 
their nature (that is, as being images and species) from those 
which enter by the outward senses; but, with respect to the effect 
which they produce, and in the degree of their perfection, there 
is a great difference; for imaginary visions are subtler and 
produce a deeper impression upon the soul, inasmuch as they are 
supernatural, and are also more interior than the exterior 
supernatural visions. Nevertheless, it is true that some of these 
exterior bodily visions may produce a deeper impression; the 
communication, after all, is as God wills. We are speaking, 
however, merely as concerns their nature, and in this respect they 
are more spiritual.
     4. It is to these senses of imagination and fancy that the 
devil habitually betakes himself with his wiles -- now natural, 
now supernatural;[325] for they are the door and entrance to the 
soul, and here, as we have said, the understanding comes to take 
up or set down its goods, as it were in a harbour or in a store-
house where it keeps its provisions. And for this reason it is 
hither that both God and the devil always come with their jewels 
of supernatural forms and images, to offer them to the 
understanding; although God does not make use of this means alone 
to instruct the soul, but dwells within it in substance, and is 
able to do this by Himself and by other methods.
     5. There is no need for me to stop here in order to give 
instruction concerning the signs by which it may be known which 
visions are of God and which not, and which are of one kind and 
which of another; for this is not my intention, which is only to 
instruct the understanding herein, that it may not be hindered or 
impeded as to union with Divine Wisdom by the good visions, 
neither may be deceived by those which are false.
     6. I say, then, that with regard to all these imaginary 
visions and apprehensions and to all other forms and species 
whatsoever, which present themselves beneath some particular kind 
of knowledge or image or form, whether they be false and come from 
the devil or are recognized as true and coming from God, the 
understanding must not be embarrassed by them or feed upon them, 
neither must the soul desire to receive them or to have them, lest 
it should no longer be detached, free, pure and simple, without 
any mode or manner, as is required for union.
     7. The reason of this is that all these forms which we have 
already mentioned are always represented, in the apprehension of 
the soul, as we have said, beneath certain modes and manners which 
have limitations; and that the Wisdom of God, wherewith the 
understanding is to be united, has no mode or manner, neither is 
it contained within any particular or distinct kind of 
intelligence or limit, because it is wholly pure and simple. And 
as, in order that these two extremes may be united -- namely, the 
soul and Divine Wisdom -- it will be necessary for them to attain 
to agreement, by means of a certain mutual resemblance, hence it 
follows that the soul must be pure and simple, neither bounded by, 
nor attached to, any particular kind of intelligence, nor modified 
by any limitation of form, species and image. As God comes not 
within any image or form, neither is contained within any 
particular kind of intelligence, so the soul, in order to reach 
God,[326] must likewise come within no distinct form or kind of 
intelligence.
     8. And that there is no form or likeness in God is clearly 
declared by the Holy Spirit in Deuteronomy, where He says: Vocem 
verborum ejus audistis, et formam penitus non vidistis.[327] Which 
signifies: Ye heard the voice of His words, and ye saw in God no 
form whatsoever. But He says that there was darkness there, and 
clouds and thick darkness, which are the confused and dark 
knowledge whereof we have spoken, wherein the soul is united with 
God. And afterwards He says further: Non vidistis aliquam 
similitudinem in die, qua locutus est vobis Dominus in Horeb de 
medio ignis. That is: Ye saw no likeness in God upon the day when 
He spoke to you on Mount Horeb, out of the midst of the fire.[328]
     9. And that the soul cannot reach the height of God, even as 
far as is possible in this life, by means of any form and figure, 
is declared likewise by the same Holy Spirit in the Book of 
Numbers, where God reproves Aaron and Miriam, the brother and 
sister of Moses, because they murmured against him, and, desiring 
to convey to them the loftiness of the state of union and 
friendship with Him wherein He had placed him, said: Si quis inter 
vos fuerit Propheta Domini, in visione apparebo ei, vel per 
somnium loquar ad illum. At non talis servus meus Moyses, qui in 
omni domo mea fidelissimus est: ore enim ad os loquor ei, et 
palem, et non per aenigmata, et figuras Dominum videt.[329] Which 
signifies: If there be any prophet of the Lord among you, I will 
appear to him in some vision or form, or I will speak with him in 
his dreams; but there is none like My servant Moses, who is the 
most faithful in all My house, and I speak with him mouth to 
mouth, and he sees not God by comparisons, similitudes and 
figures. Herein He says clearly that, in this lofty state of union 
whereof we are speaking, God is not communicated to the soul by 
means of any disguise of imaginary vision or similitude or form, 
neither can He be so communicated; but mouth to mouth -- that is, 
in the naked and pure essence of God, which is the mouth of God in 
love, with the naked and pure essence of the soul, which is the 
mouth of the soul in love of God.
     10. Wherefore, in order to come to this essential union of 
love in God, the soul must have a care not to lean upon[330] 
imaginary visions, nor upon forms or figures or particular objects 
of the understanding; for these cannot serve it as a proportionate 
and proximate means to such an end; rather they would disturb it, 
and for this reason the soul must renounce them and strive not to 
have them. For if in any circumstances they were to be received 
and prized, it would be for the sake of profit which true visions 
bring to the soul and the good effect which they produce upon it. 
But, for this to happen, it is not necessary to receive them; 
indeed, for the soul's profit, it is well always to reject them. 
For these imaginary visions, like the outward bodily visions 
whereof we have spoken, do the soul good by communicating to it 
intelligence or love or sweetness; but for this effect to be 
produced by them in the soul it is not necessary that it should 
desire to receive them; for, as has also been said above, at this 
very time when they are present to the imagination, they produce 
in the soul and infuse into it intelligence and love, or 
sweetness, or whatever effect God wills them to produce. And not 
only do they produce this joint effect, but principally, although 
not simultaneously, they produce their effect in the soul 
passively, without its being able to hinder this effect, even if 
it so desired, just as it was also powerless to acquire it, 
although it had been able previously to prepare itself. For, even 
as the window is powerless to impede the ray of sunlight which 
strikes it, but, when it is prepared by being cleansed, receives 
its light passively without any diligence or labour on its own 
part, even so the soul, although against its will, cannot fail to 
receive in itself the influences and communications of those 
figures, however much it might desire to resist them. For the will 
that is negatively inclined cannot, if coupled with loving and 
humble resignation, resist supernatural infusions; only the 
impurity and imperfections of the soul can resist them even as the 
stains upon a window impede the brightness of the sunlight.[331]
     11. From this it is evident that, when the soul completely 
detaches itself, in its will and affection, from the apprehensions 
of the strains of those forms, images and figures wherein are 
clothed the spiritual communications which we have described, not 
only is it not deprived of these communications and the blessings 
which they cause within it, but it is much better prepared to 
receive them with greater abundance, clearness, liberty of spirit 
and simplicity, when all these apprehensions are set on one side, 
for they are, as it were, curtains and veils covering the 
spiritual thing that is behind them. And thus, if the soul desire 
to feed upon them, they occupy spirit and sense in such a way that 
the spirit cannot communicate itself simply and freely; for, while 
they are still occupied with the outer rind, it is clear that the 
understanding is not free to receive the substance. Wherefore, if 
the soul at that time desires to receive these forms and to set 
store by them, it would be embarrassing itself, and contenting 
itself with the least important part of them -- namely, all that 
it can apprehend and know of them, which is the form and image and 
particular object of the understanding in question. The most 
important part of them, which is the spiritual part that is 
infused into the soul, it can neither apprehend nor understand, 
nor can it even know what it is, or be able to express it, since 
it is purely spiritual. All that it can know of them, as we say, 
according to its manner of understanding, is but the least part of 
what is in them -- namely, the forms perceptible by sense. For 
this reason I say that what it cannot understand or imagine is 
communicated to it by these visions, passively, without any effort 
of its own to understand and without its even knowing how to make 
such an effort.
     12. Wherefore the eyes of the soul must ever be withdrawn 
from all these apprehensions which it can see and understand 
distinctly, which are communicated through sense, and do not make 
for a foundation of faith, or for reliance on faith, and must be 
set upon that which it sees not, and which belongs not to sense, 
but to spirit, which can be expressed by no figure of sense; and 
it is this which leads the soul to union in faith, which is the 
true medium, as has been said. And thus these visions will profit 
the soul substantially, in respect of faith, when it is able to 
renounce the sensible and intelligible part of them, and to make 
good use of the purpose for which God gives them to the soul, by 
casting them aside; for, as we said of corporeal visions, God 
gives them not so that the soul may desire to have them and to set 
its affection upon them.
     13. But there arises here this question: If it be true that 
God gives the soul supernatural visions, but not so that it may 
desire to have them or be attached to them or set store by them, 
why does He give them at all, since by their means the soul may 
fall into many errors and perils, or at the least may find in them 
such hindrances to further progress as are here described, 
especially since God can come to the soul, and communicate to it, 
spiritually and substantially, that which He communicates to it 
through sense, by means of the sensible forms and visions 
aforementioned?
     14. We shall answer this question in the following chapter: 
it involves important teaching, most necessary, as I see it, both 
to spiritual persons and to those who instruct them. For herein is 
taught the way and purpose of God with respect to these visions, 
which many know not, so that they cannot rule themselves or guide 
themselves to union, neither can they guide others to union, 
through these visions. For they think that, just because they know 
them to be true and to come from God, it is well to receive them 
and to trust them, not realizing that the soul will become 
attached to them, cling to them and be hindered by them, as it 
will by things of the world, if it know not how to renounce these 
as well as those. And thus they think it well to receive one kind 
of vision and to reject another, causing themselves, and the souls 
under their care, great labour and peril in discerning between the 
truth and the falsehood of these visions. But God does not command 
them to undertake this labour, nor does He desire that sincere and 
simple souls should be led into this conflict and danger; for they 
have safe and sound teaching, which is that of the faith, wherein 
they can go forward.
     15. This, however, cannot be unless they close their eyes to 
all that is of particular and clear intelligence and sense. For, 
although Saint Peter was quite certain of that vision of glory 
which he saw in Christ at the Transfiguration, yet, after having 
described it in his second canonical Epistle, he desired not that 
it should be taken for an important and sure testimony, but rather 
directed his hearers to faith, saying: Et habemus firmiorem 
propheticum sermonem: cui benefacitis attendentes, quasi lucernoe 
lucenti in caliginoso loco, donec dies elucescat.[332] Which 
signifies: And we have a surer testimony than this vision of Tabor 
-- namely, the sayings and words of the prophets who bear 
testimony to Christ, whereunto ye must indeed cling, as to a 
candle which gives light in a dark place. If we will think upon 
this comparison, we shall find therein the teaching which we are 
now expounding. For, in telling us to look to the faith whereof 
the prophets spake, as to a candle that shines in a dark place, he 
is bidding us remain in the darkness, with our eyes closed to all 
these other lights; and telling us that in this darkness, faith 
alone, which likewise is dark, will be the light to which we shall 
cling; for if we desire to cling to these other bright lights -- 
namely, to distinct objects of the understanding -- we cease to 
cling to that dark light, which is faith, and we no longer have 
that light in the dark place whereof Saint Peter speaks. This 
place, which here signifies the understanding, which is the 
candlestick wherein this candle of faith is set, must be dark 
until the day when the clear vision of God dawns upon it in the 
life to come, or, in this life, until the day of transformation 
and union with God to which the soul is journeying.


                          CHAPTER XVII

     Wherein is described the purpose and manner of God in His 
communication of spiritual blessings to the soul by means of the 
senses. Herein is answered the question which has been referred 
to.

     THERE is much to be said concerning the purpose of God, and 
concerning the manner wherein He gives these visions in order to 
raise up the soul from its lowly estate to His Divine union. All 
spiritual books deal with this and in this treatise of ours the 
method which we pursue is to explain it; therefore I shall only 
say in this chapter as much as is necessary to answer our 
question, which was as follows: Since in these supernatural 
visions there is so much hindrance and peril to progress, as we 
have said, why does God, Who is most wise and desires to remove 
stumbling-blocks and snares from the soul, offer and communicate 
them to it?
     2. In order to answer this, it is well first of all to set 
down three fundamental points. The first is from Saint Paul ad 
Romanos, where he says: Quae autem sunt, a Deo ordinatoe sunt.[333] 
Which signifies: The works that are done are ordained of God. The 
second is from the Holy Spirit in the Book of Wisdom, where He 
says: Disponit omnia suaviter.[334] And this is as though He had 
said: The wisdom of God, although it extends from one end to 
another -- that is to say, from one extreme to another -- orders 
all things with sweetness. The third is from the theologians, who 
say that Omnia movet secundum modum eorum. That is, God moves all 
things according to their nature.
     3. It is clear, then, from these fundamental points, that if 
God is to move the soul and to raise it up from the extreme depth 
of its lowliness to the extreme height of His loftiness, in Divine 
union with Him, He must do it with order and sweetness and 
according to the nature of the soul itself. Then, since the order 
whereby the soul acquires knowledge is through forms and images of 
created things, and the natural way wherein it acquires this 
knowledge and wisdom is through the senses, it follows that, if 
God is to raise up the soul to supreme knowledge, and to do so 
with sweetness, He must begin to work from the lowest and extreme 
end of the senses of the soul, in order that He may gradually lead 
it, according to its own nature, to the other extreme of His 
spiritual wisdom, which belongs not to sense. Wherefore He first 
leads it onward by instructing it through forms, images and ways 
of sense, according to its own method of understanding, now 
naturally, now supernaturally, and by means of reasoning, to this 
supreme Spirit of God.
     4. It is for this reason that God gives the soul visions and 
forms, images and other kinds of sensible and intelligible 
knowledge of a spiritual nature; not that God would not give it 
spiritual wisdom immediately, and all at once, if the two extremes 
-- which are human and Divine, sense and spirit -- could in the 
ordinary way concur and unite in one single act, without the 
previous intervention of many other preparatory acts which concur 
among themselves in order and sweetness, and are a basis and a 
preparation one for another, like natural agents; so that the 
first acts serve the second, the second the third, and so onward, 
in exactly the same way. And thus God brings man to perfection 
according to the way of man's own nature, working from what is 
lowest and most exterior up to what is most interior and highest. 
First, then, He perfects his bodily senses, impelling him to make 
use of good things which are natural, perfect and exterior, such 
as hearing sermons and masses, looking on holy things, mortifying 
the palate at meals and chastening the sense of touch by penance 
and holy rigour. And, when these senses are in some degree 
prepared, He is wont to perfect them still further, by bestowing 
on them certain supernatural favours and gifts, in order to 
confirm them the more completely in that which is good, offering 
them certain supernatural communications, such as visions of 
saints or holy things, in corporeal shape, the sweetest perfumes, 
locutions, and exceeding great delights of touch, wherewith sense 
is greatly continued in virtue and is withdrawn from a desire for 
evil things. And besides this He continues at the same time to 
perfect the interior bodily senses, whereof we are here treating, 
such as imagination and fancy, and to habituate them to that which 
is good, by means of considerations, meditations, and reflections 
of a sacred kind, in all of which He is instructing the spirit. 
And, when these are prepared by this natural exercise, God is wont 
to enlighten and spiritualize them still more by means of certain 
supernatural visions, which are those that we are here calling 
imaginary; wherein, as we have said, the spirit, at the same time, 
profits greatly, for both kinds of vision help to take away its 
grossness and gradually to reform it. And after this manner God 
continues to lead the soul step by step till it reaches that which 
is the most interior of all; not that it is always necessary for 
Him to observe this order, and to cause the soul to advance 
exactly in this way, from the first step to the last; sometimes He 
allows the soul to attain one stage and not another, or leads it 
from the more interior to the less, or effects two stages of 
progress together. This happens when God sees it to be meet for 
the soul, or when He desires to grant it His favours in this way; 
nevertheless His ordinary method is as has been said.
     5. It is in this way, then, that God instructs[335] the soul 
and makes it more spiritual, communicating spirituality to it 
first of all by means of outward and palpable things, adapted to 
sense, on account of the soul's feebleness and incapacity, so 
that, by means of the outer husk of those things which in 
themselves are good, the spirit may make[336] particular acts and 
receive so many spiritual communications[337] that it may form a 
habit as to things spiritual, and may acquire actual and 
substantial spirituality, which is completely removed from every 
sense. To this, as we have said, the soul cannot attain except 
very gradually, and in its own way -- that is, by means of sense 
-- to which it has ever been attached. And thus, in proportion as 
the spirit attains more nearly to converse with God, it becomes 
ever more detached and emptied of the ways of sense, which are 
those of imaginary meditation and reflection. Wherefore, when the 
soul attains perfectly to spiritual converse with God, it must of 
necessity have been voided of all that relates to God and yet 
might come under the head of sense. Even so, the more closely a 
thing grows attracted to one extreme, the farther removed and 
withdrawn[338] it becomes from the other; and, when it comes to rest 
perfectly in the one, it will also have withdrawn itself perfectly 
from the other. Wherefore there is a commonly quoted spiritual 
adage which says: Gustato spiritu, desipit omni caro. Which 
signifies: After the taste and sweetness of the spirit have been 
experienced, everything carnal is insipid. That is: No profit or 
enjoyment is afforded by all the ways of the flesh, wherein is 
included all communication of sense with the spiritual. And this 
is clear: for, if it is spirit, it has no more to do with sense; 
and, if sense can comprehend it, it is no longer pure spirit. For, 
the more can be known of it by natural apprehension and sense, the 
less it has of spirit and of the supernatural, as has been 
explained above.
     6. The spirit that has become perfect, therefore, pays no 
heed to sense, nor does it receive anything through sense, nor 
make any great use of it, neither does it need to do so, in its 
relations with God, as it did aforetime when it had not grown 
spiritually. It is this that is signified by that passage from 
Saint Paul's Epistle to the Corinthians which says: Cum essem 
parvulus, loquebar ut parvulus, sapiebam ut parvulus, cogitabam ut 
parvulus. Quando autem factus sum vir, evacuavi quae erant 
parvuli.[339] This signifies: When I was a child, I spake as a 
child, I knew as a child, I thought as a child; but, when I became 
a man, I put away[340] childish things. We have already explained 
how the things of sense, and the knowledge that spirit can derive 
from them, are the business of a child. Thus, if the soul should 
desire to cling to them for ever, and not to throw them aside, it 
would never be aught but a little child; it would speak ever of 
God as a child, and would know of God as a child, and would think 
of God as a child; for, clinging to the outer husk of sense, which 
pertains to the child, it would never attain to the substance of 
the spirit, which pertains to the perfect man. And thus the soul 
must not desire to receive the said revelations in order to 
continue in growth, even though God offer them to it, just as the 
child must leave the breast in order to accustom its palate to 
strong meat, which is more substantial.
     7. You will ask, then, if, when the soul is immature, it must 
take these things, and, when it is grown, must abandon them; even 
as an infant must take the breast, in order to nourish itself, 
until it be older and can leave it. I answer that, with respect to 
meditation and natural reflection by means of which the soul 
begins to seek God, it is true that it must not leave the breast 
of sense in order to continue taking in nourishment until the time 
and season to leave it have arrived, and this comes when God 
brings the soul into a more spiritual communion, which is 
contemplation, concerning which we gave instruction in the 
eleventh chapter of this book.[341] But, when it is a question of 
imaginary visions, or other supernatural apprehensions, which can 
enter the senses without the co-operation of man's free will, I 
say that at no time and season must it receive them, whether the 
soul be in the state of perfection, or whether in a state less 
perfect -- not even though they come from God. And this for two 
reasons. The first is that, as we have said, He produces His 
effect in the soul, without its being able to hinder it, although, 
as often happens, it can and may hinder visions; and consequently 
that effect which was to be produced in the soul is communicated 
to it much more substantially, although not after that manner. 
For, as we said likewise, the soul cannot hinder the blessings 
that God desires to communicate to it, since it is not in the 
soul's power to do so, save when it has some imperfection and 
attachment; and there is neither imperfection nor attachment in 
renouncing these things with humility and misgiving. The second 
reason is that the soul may free itself from the peril and effort 
inherent in discerning between evil visions and good, and in 
deciding whether an angel be of light or of darkness. This effort 
brings the soul no advantage; it merely wastes its time, and 
hinders it, and becomes to it an occasion of many imperfections 
and of failure to make progress. The soul concerns not itself, in 
such a case, with what is important, nor frees itself of trifles 
in the shape of apprehensions and perceptions of some particular 
kind. This has already been said in the discussion of corporeal 
visions; and more will be said on the subject hereafter.
     8. Let it be believed, too, that, if Our Lord were not about 
to lead the soul in a way befitting its own nature, as we say 
here, He would never communicate to it the abundance of His Spirit 
through these aqueducts, which are so narrow -- these forms and 
figures and particular perceptions -- by means whereof He gives 
the soul enlightenment by crumbs. For this cause David says: 
Mittit crystallum suam sicut buccellas.[342] Which is as much as to 
say: He sent His wisdom to the souls as in morsels. It is greatly 
to be lamented that, though the soul has infinite capacity, it 
should be given its food by morsels conveyed through the senses, 
by reason of the small degree of its spirituality and its 
incapacitation by sense. Saint Paul was also grieved by this lack 
of preparation and this incapability of men for receiving the 
Spirit, when he wrote to the Corinthians, saying: 'I, brethren, 
when I came to you, could not speak to you as to spiritual 
persons, but as to carnal; for ye could not receive it, neither 
can ye now.' Tamquam parvulis in Christo lac potum vobis dedi, non 
escam.[343] That is: I have given you milk to drink, as to infants 
in Christ, and not solid food to eat.
     9. It now remains, then, to be pointed out that the soul must 
not allow its eyes to rest upon that outer husk -- namely, figures 
and objects set before it supernaturally. These may be presented 
to the exterior senses, as are locutions and words audible to the 
ear; or, to the eyes, visions of saints, and of beauteous 
radiance; or perfumes to the sense of smell; or tastes and 
sweetnesses to the palate; or other delights to the touch, which 
are wont to proceed from the spirit, a thing that very commonly 
happens to spiritual persons. Or the soul may have to avert its 
eyes from visions of interior sense, such as imaginary visions, 
all of which it must renounce entirely. It must set its eyes only 
upon the spiritual good which they produce, striving to preserve 
it in its works and to practise that which is for the due service 
of God, paying no heed to those representations nor desiring any 
pleasure of sense. And in this way the soul takes from these 
things only that which God intends and wills -- namely, the spirit 
of devotion -- for there is no other important purpose for which 
He gives them; and it casts aside that which He would not give if 
these gifts could be received in the spirit without it, as we have 
said -- namely, the exercise and apprehension of the senses.


                          CHAPTER XVIII

     Which treats of the harm that certain spiritual masters may 
do to souls when they direct them not by a good method with 
respect to the visions aforementioned. Describes also how these 
visions may cause deception even though they be of God.

     IN this matter of visions we cannot be as brief as we should 
desire, since there is so much to say about them. Although in 
substance we have said what is relevant in order to explain to the 
spiritual person how he is to behave with regard to the visions 
aforementioned, and to the master who directs him, the way in 
which he is to deal with his disciple, yet it will not be 
superfluous to go into somewhat greater detail about this 
doctrine, and to give more enlightenment as to the harm which can 
ensue, either to spiritual souls or to the masters who direct 
them, if they are over-credulous about them, although they be of 
God.
     2. The reason which has now moved me to write at length about 
this is the lack of discretion, as I understand it, which I have 
observed in certain spiritual masters. Trusting to these 
supernatural apprehensions, and believing that they are good and 
come from God, both masters and disciples have fallen into great 
error and found themselves in dire straits, wherein is fulfilled 
the saying of Our Saviour: Si coecus coeco ducatum praestet, ambo 
in foveam cadunt.[344] Which signifies: If a blind man lead another 
blind man, both fall into the pit. And He says not 'shall fall,' 
but 'fall.' For they may fall without falling into error, since 
the very venturing of the one to guide the other is going astray, 
and thus they fall in this respect alone, at the very least. And, 
first of all, there are some whose way and method with souls that 
experience these visions cause them to stray, or embarrass them 
with respect to their visions, or guide them not along the road in 
some way (for which reason they remain without the true spirit of 
faith) and edify them not in faith, but lead them to speak highly 
of those things. By doing this they make them realize that they 
themselves set some value upon them, or make great account of 
them, and, consequently, their disciples do the same. Thus their 
souls have been set upon these apprehensions, instead of being 
edified in faith, so that they may be empty and detached, and 
freed from those things and can soar to the heights of dark faith. 
All this arises from the terms and language which the soul 
observes its master to employ with respect to these apprehensions; 
somehow it very easily develops a satisfaction and an esteem for 
them, which is not in its own control, and which averts its eyes 
from the abyss of faith.
     3. And the reason why this is so easy must be that the soul 
is so greatly occupied with these things of sense that, as it is 
inclined to them by nature, and is likewise disposed to enjoy the 
apprehension of distinct and sensible things, it has only to 
observe in its confessor, or in some other person, a certain 
esteem and appreciation for them, and not merely will it at once 
conceive the same itself, but also, without its realizing the 
fact, its desire will become lured away by them, so that it will 
feed upon them and will be ever more inclined toward them and will 
set a certain value upon them. And hence arise many imperfections, 
at the very least; for the soul is no longer as humble as before, 
but thinks that all this is of some importance and productive of 
good, and that it is itself esteemed by God, and that He is 
pleased and somewhat satisfied with it, which is contrary to 
humility. And thereupon the devil secretly sets about increasing 
this, without the soul's realizing it, and begins to suggest ideas 
to it about others, as to whether they have these things or have 
them not, or are this or are that; which is contrary to holy 
simplicity and spiritual solitude. 
     4. There is much more to be said about these evils, and of 
how such souls, unless they withdraw themselves, grow not in 
faith, and also of how there are other evils of the same kind 
which, although they be not so palpable and recognizable as these, 
are subtler and more hateful in the Divine eyes, and which result 
from not living in complete detachment. Let us, however, leave 
this subject now, until we come to treat of the vice of spiritual 
gluttony and of the other six vices, whereof, with the help of 
God, many things will be said, concerning these subtle and 
delicate stains which adhere to the spirit when its director 
cannot guide it in detachment.
     5. Let us now say something of this manner wherein certain 
confessors deal with souls, and instruct them ill. And of a truth 
I could wish that I knew how to describe it, for I realize that it 
is a difficult thing to explain how the spirit of the disciple 
grows in conformity with that of his spiritual father, in a hidden 
and secret way; and this matter is so tedious that it wearies me, 
for it seems impossible to speak of the one thing without 
describing the other also, as they are spiritual things, and the 
one corresponds with the other.
     6. But it is sufficient to say here that I believe, if the 
spiritual father has an inclination toward revelations of such a 
kind that they mean something to him, or satisfy or delight his 
soul, it is impossible but that he will impress that delight and 
that aim upon the spirit of his disciple, even without realizing 
it, unless the disciple be more advanced than he; and, even in 
this latter case, he may well do him grievous harm if he continue 
with him. For, from that inclination of the spiritual father 
toward such visions, and the pleasure which he takes in them, 
there arises a certain kind of esteem for them, of which, unless 
he watch it carefully, he cannot fail to communicate some 
indication or impression to other persons; and if any other such 
person is like-minded and has a similar inclination, it is 
impossible, as I understand, but that there will be communicated 
from the one to the other a readiness to apprehend these things 
and a great esteem for them.
     7. But we need not now go into detail about this. Let us 
speak of the confessor who, whether or no he be inclined toward 
these things, has not the prudence that he ought to have in 
disencumbering the soul of his disciple and detaching his desire 
from them, but begins to speak to him about these visions and 
devotes the greater part of his spiritual conversation to them, as 
we have said, giving him signs by which he may distinguish good 
visions from evil. Now, although it is well to know this, there is 
no reason for him to involve the soul in such labour, anxiety and 
peril. By paying no heed to visions, and refusing to receive them, 
all this is prevented, and the soul acts as it should. Nor is this 
all, for such confessors, when they see that their penitents are 
receiving visions from God, beg them to entreat God to reveal them 
to themselves also, or to say such and such things to them, with 
respect to themselves or to others, and the foolish souls do so, 
thinking that it is lawful to desire knowledge by this means. For 
they suppose that, because God is pleased to reveal or say 
something by supernatural means, in His own way or for His own 
purpose, it is lawful for them to desire Him to reveal it to them, 
and even to entreat Him to do so.
     8. And, if it come to pass that God answers their petition 
and reveals it, they become more confident, thinking that, because 
God answers them, it is His will and pleasure to do so; whereas, 
in reality, it is neither God's will nor His pleasure. And they 
frequently act or believe according to that which He has revealed 
to them, or according to the way wherein He has answered them; 
for, as they are attached to that manner of communion with God, 
the revelation makes a great impression upon them and their will 
acquiesces in it. They take a natural pleasure in their own way of 
thinking and therefore naturally acquiesce in it; and frequently 
they go astray. Then they see that something happens in a way they 
had not expected; and they marvel, and then begin to doubt if the 
thing were of God,[345] since it happens not, and they see it not, 
according to their expectations. At the beginning they thought two 
things: first, that the vision was of God, since at the beginning 
it agreed so well with their disposition, and their natural 
inclination to that kind of thing may well have been the cause of 
this agreement, as we have said; and secondly that, being of God, 
it would turn out as they thought or expected.
     9. And herein lies a great delusion, for revelations or 
locutions which are of God do not always turn out as men expect or 
as they imagine inwardly. And thus they must never be believed or 
trusted blindly, even though they are known to be revelations or 
answers or sayings of God. For, although they may in themselves be 
certain and true, they are not always so in their causes, and 
according to our manner of understanding, as we shall prove in the 
chapter following. And afterwards we shall further say and prove 
that, although God sometimes gives a supernatural answer to that 
which is asked of Him, it is not His pleasure to do so, and 
sometimes, although He answers, He is angered.


                           CHAPTER XIX

     Wherein is expounded and proved how, although visions and 
locutions which come from God are true, we may be deceived about 
them. This is proved by quotations from Divine Scripture.

     FOR two reasons we have said that, although visions and 
locutions which come from God are true, and in themselves are 
always certain, they are not always so with respect to ourselves. 
One reason is the defective way in which we understand them; and 
the other, the variety of their causes. In the first place, it is 
clear that they are not always as they seem, nor do they turn out 
as they appear to our manner of thinking. The reason for this is 
that, since God is vast and boundless, He is wont, in His 
prophecies, locutions and revelations, to employ ways, concepts 
and methods of seeing things which differ greatly from such 
purpose and method as can normally be understood by ourselves; and 
these are the truer and the more certain the less they seem so to 
us. This we constantly see in the Scriptures. To many of the 
ancients many prophecies and locutions of God came not to pass as 
they expected, because they understood them after their own 
manner, in the wrong way, and quite literally. This will be 
clearly seen in these passages.
     2. In Genesis, God said to Abraham, when He had brought him 
to the land of the Chanaanites: Tibi dabo terram hanc.[346] Which 
signifies, I will give thee this land. And when He had said it to 
him many times, and Abraham was by now very Domine, unde scire 
possum, quod possessurus sim eam? That old, and He had never given 
it to him, though He had said this to him, Abraham answered God 
once again and said: Lord, whereby or by what sign am I to know 
that I am to possess it? Then God revealed to him that he was not 
to possess it in person, but that his sons would do so after four 
hundred years; and Abraham then understood the promise, which in 
itself was most true; for, in giving it to his sons for love of 
him, God was giving it to himself. And thus Abraham was deceived 
by the way in which he himself had understood the prophecy. If he 
had then acted according to his own understanding of it, those 
that saw him die without its having been given to him might have 
erred greatly; for they were not to see the time of its 
fulfilment. And, as they had heard him say that God would give it 
to him, they would have been confounded and would have believed it 
to have been false.
     3. Likewise to his grandson Jacob, when Joseph his son 
brought him to Egypt because of the famine in Chanaan, and when he 
was on the road, God appeared and said: Jacob, Jacob, noli timere, 
descende in Aegiptum, quia in gentem magnam faciam te ibi. Ego 
descendam tecum illuc. . . . Et inde adducam te revertentem.[347] 
Which signifies: Jacob, fear not; go down into Egypt, and I will 
go down there with thee; and, when thou goest forth thence again, 
I will bring thee out and guide thee. This promise, as it would 
seem according to our own manner of understanding, was not 
fulfilled, for, as we know, the good old man Jacob died in Egypt 
and never left it alive. The word of God was to be fulfilled in 
his children, whom He brought out thence after many years, being 
Himself their guide upon the way. It is clear that anyone who had 
known of this promise made by God to Jacob would have considered 
it certain that Jacob, even as he had gone to Egypt alive, in his 
own person, by the command and favour of God, would of a certainty 
leave it, alive and in his own person, in the same form and manner 
as he went there, since God had promised him a favourable return; 
and such a one would have been deceived, and would have marvelled 
greatly, when he saw him die in Egypt, and the promise, in the 
sense in which he understood it, remain unfulfilled. And thus, 
while the words of God are in themselves most true, it is possible 
to be greatly mistaken with regard to them.
     4. In the Judges, again, we read that, when all the tribes of 
Israel had come together to make war against the tribe of 
Benjamin, in order to punish a certain evil to which that tribe 
had been consenting, they were so certain of victory because God 
had appointed them a captain for the war, that, when twenty-two 
thousand of their men were conquered and slain, they marvelled 
very greatly; and, going into the presence of God, they wept all 
that day, knowing not the cause of the fall, since they had 
understood that the victory was to be theirs. And, when they 
enquired of God if they should give battle again or no, He 
answered that they should go and fight against them. This time 
they considered victory to be theirs already, and went out with 
great boldness, and were conquered again the second time, with the 
loss of eighteen thousand of their men. Thereat they were greatly 
confused, and knew not what to do, seeing that God had commanded 
them to fight and yet each time they were vanquished, though they 
were superior to their enemies in number and strength, for the men 
of Benjamin were no more than twenty-five thousand and seven 
hundred and they were four hundred thousand. And in this way they 
were mistaken in their manner of understanding the words of God. 
His words were not deceptive, for He had not told them that they 
would conquer, but that they should fight; for by these defeats 
God wished to chastise a certain neglect and presumption of 
theirs, and thus to humble them. But, when in the end He answered 
that they would conquer, it was so, although they conquered only 
after the greatest stratagem and toil.[348]
     5. In this way, and in many other ways, souls are oftentimes 
deceived with respect to locutions and revelations that come from 
God, because they interpret them according to their apparent 
sense[349] and literally; whereas, as has already been explained, 
the principal intention of God in giving these things is to 
express and convey the spirit that is contained in them, which is 
difficult to understand. And the spirit is much more pregnant in 
meaning than the letter, and is very extraordinary, and goes far 
beyond its limits. And thus, he that clings to the letter, or to a 
locution or to the form or figure of a vision, which can be 
apprehended, will not fail to go far astray, and will forthwith 
fall into great confusion and error, because he has guided himself 
by sense according to these visions, and not allowed the spirit to 
work in detachment from sense. Littera enim occidit, spiritus 
autem vivificat,[350] as Saint Paul says. That is: The letter 
killeth and the spirit giveth life. Wherefore in this matter of 
sense the letter must be set aside, and the soul must remain in 
darkness, in faith, which is the spirit, and this cannot be 
comprehended by sense.
     6. For which cause, many of the children of Israel, because 
they took the sayings and prophecies of the prophets according to 
the strict letter, and these were not fulfilled as they expected, 
came to make little account of them and believed them not; so much 
so, that there grew up a common saying among them -- almost a 
proverb, indeed -- which turned prophets into ridicule. Of this 
Isaias complains, speaking and exclaiming in the manner following: 
Quem docebit Dominus scientiam? et quem intelligere faciet 
auditum? ablactatos a lacte, avulsos ab uberibus. Quia manda 
remanda, manda remanda, expecta reexpecta, expecta reexpecta, 
modicum ibi, modicum ibi. In loquela enim labii, et lingua altera 
loquetur ad populum istum.[351] This signifies: To whom shall God 
teach knowledge? And whom shall He make to understand His word and 
prophecy? Only them that are already weaned from the milk and 
drawn away from the breasts. For all say (that is, concerning the 
prophecies): Promise and promise again; wait and wait again; wait 
and wait again;[352] a little there, a little there; for in the 
words of His lips and in another tongue will He speak to this 
people. Here Isaias shows quite clearly that these people were 
turning prophecies into ridicule, and that it was in mockery that 
they repeated this proverb: 'Wait and then wait again.' They meant 
that the prophecies were never fulfilled for them, for they were 
wedded to the letter, which is the milk of infants, and to their 
own sense, which is the breasts, both of which contradict the 
greatness of spiritual knowledge. Wherefore he says: To whom shall 
He teach the wisdom of His prophecies? And whom shall He make to 
understand His doctrine, save them that are already weaned from 
the milk of the letter and from the breasts of their own senses? 
For this reason these people understand it not, save according to 
this milk of the husk and letter, and these breasts of their own 
sense, since they say: Promise and promise again; wait and wait 
again, etc. For it is in the doctrine of the mouth of God, and not 
in their own doctrine, and it is in another tongue than their own, 
that God shall speak to them.
     7. And thus, in interpreting prophecy, we have not to 
consider our own sense and language, knowing that the language of 
God is very different from ours, and that it is spiritual 
language, very far removed from our understanding and exceedingly 
difficult. So much so is it that even Jeremias, though a prophet 
of God, when he sees that the significance of the words of God is 
so different from the sense commonly attributed to them by men, is 
himself deceived by them and defends the people, saying: Heu, heu, 
heu, Domine Deus, ergone decipisti populum istum et Jerusalem, 
dicens: Pax erit vobis; et ecce pervenit gladius usque ad 
animam?[353] Which signifies: Ah, ah, ah, Lord God, hast Thou 
perchance deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, 'Peace will 
come upon you,' and seest Thou here that the sword reacheth unto 
their soul? For the peace that God promised them was that which 
was to be made between God and man by means of the Messiah Whom He 
was to send them, whereas they understood it of temporal peace; 
and therefore, when they suffered wars and trials, they thought 
that God was deceiving them, because there befell them the 
contrary of that which they expected. And thus they said, as 
Jeremias says likewise: Exspectavimus pacem, et non erat bonum.[354] 
That is: We have looked for peace and there is no boon of peace. 
And thus it was impossible for them not to be deceived, since they 
took the prophecy merely in its literal sense. For who would fail 
to fall into confusion and to go astray if he confined himself to 
a literal interpretation of that prophecy which David spake 
concerning Christ, in the seventy-first Psalm, and of all that he 
says therein, where he says: Et dominabitur a mari usque ad mare; 
et a flumine usque ad terminos orbis terrarum.[355] That is: He 
shall have dominion from one sea even to the other sea, and from 
the river even unto the ends of the earth. And likewise in that 
which he says in the same place: Liberabit pauperem a potente, et 
pauperem, cui non erat adjutor.[356] Which signifies: He shall 
deliver the poor man from the power of the mighty, and the poor 
man that had no helper. But later it became known that Christ was 
born[357] in a low state and lived in poverty and died in misery; 
not only had He no dominion over the earth, in a temporal sense, 
while He lived, but He was subject to lowly people, until He died 
under the power of Pontius Pilate. And not only did He not deliver 
poor men -- namely, His disciples -- from the hands of the mighty, 
in a temporal sense, but He allowed them to be slain and 
persecuted for His name's sake.
     8. The fact is that these prophecies concerning Christ had to 
be understood spiritually, in which sense they were entirely true. 
For Christ was not only Lord of earth alone, but likewise of 
Heaven, since He was God; and the poor who were to follow Him He 
was not only to redeem and free from the power of the devil, that 
mighty one against whom they had no helper, but also to make heirs 
of the Kingdom of Heaven. And thus God was speaking, in the most 
important sense, of Christ, and of the reward of His followers,[358] 
which was an eternal kingdom and eternal liberty; and they 
understood this, after their own manner, in a secondary sense, of 
which God takes small account, namely that of temporal dominion 
and temporal liberty, which in God's eyes is neither kingdom nor 
liberty at all. Wherefore, being blinded by the insufficiency of 
the letter, and not understanding its spirit and truth, they took 
the life of their God and Lord, even as Saint Paul said in these 
words: Qui enim habitabant Jerusalem, et principes ejus, hunc 
ignorantes et voces prophetarum, quae per omne Sabbatum leguntur, 
judicantes impleverunt.[359] Which signifies: They that dwelt in 
Jerusalem, and her rulers, not knowing Who He was, nor 
understanding the sayings of the prophets, which are read every 
Sabbath day, have fulfilled them by judging Him.
     9. And to such a point did they carry this inability to 
understand the sayings of God as it behoved them, that even His 
own disciples, who had gone about with Him, were deceived, as were 
those two who, after His death, were going to the village of 
Emmaus, sad and disconsolate, saying: Nos autem sperabamus quod 
ipse esset redempturus Israel.[360] We hoped that it was He that 
should have redeemed Israel. They, too, understood that this 
dominion and redemption were to be temporal; but Christ our 
Redeemer, appearing to them, reproved them as foolish and heavy 
and gross of heart as to their belief in the things that the 
prophets had spoken.[361] And, even when He was going to Heaven, 
some of them were still in that state of grossness of heart, and 
asked Him, saying: Domine, si in tempore hoc restitues Regnum 
Israel.[362] That is: Lord, tell us if Thou wilt restore at this 
time the kingdom of Israel. The Holy Spirit causes many things to 
be said which bear another sense than that which men understand; 
as can be seen in that which he caused to be said by Caiphas 
concerning Christ: that is was meet that one man should die lest 
all the people should perish.[363] This he said not of his own 
accord; and he said it and understood it in one sense, and the 
Holy Spirit in another.
     10. From this it is clear that, although sayings and 
revelations may be of God, we cannot always be sure of their 
meaning; for we can very easily be greatly deceived by them 
because of our manner of understanding them. For they are all an 
abyss and a depth of the spirit, and to try to limit them to what 
we can understand concerning them, and to what our sense can 
apprehend, is nothing but to attempt to grasp the air, and to 
grasp some particle in it that the hand touches: the air 
disappears and nothing remains.
     11. The spiritual teacher must therefore strive that the 
spirituality of his disciple be not cramped by attempts to 
interpret all supernatural apprehensions, which are no more than 
spiritual particles, lest he come to retain naught but these, and 
have no spirituality at all. But let the teacher wean his disciple 
from all visions and locutions, and impress upon him the necessity 
of dwelling in the liberty and darkness of faith, wherein are 
received spiritual liberty and abundance, and consequently the 
wisdom and understanding necessary to interpret sayings of God. 
For it is impossible for a man, if he be not spiritual, to judge 
of the things of God or understand them in a reasonable way, and 
he is not spiritual when he judges them according to sense; and 
thus, although they come to him beneath the disguise of sense, he 
understands them not. This Saint Paul well expresses in these 
words: Animalis autem homo non percipit ea quoe sunt spiritus Dei: 
stultitia enim est illi, et non potest intelligere: quia de 
spiritualibus examinatur. Spiritualis autem judicat omnia.[364] 
Which signifies: The animal man perceives not the things which are 
of the Spirit of God, for unto him they are foolishness and he 
cannot understand them because they are spiritual; but he that is 
spiritual judges all things. By the animal man is here meant one 
that uses sense alone; by the spiritual man, one that is not bound 
or guided by sense. Wherefore it is temerity to presume to have 
intercourse with God by way of a supernatural apprehension 
effected by sense, or to allow anyone else to do so.
     12. And that this may be the better understood let us here 
set down a few examples. Let us suppose that a holy man is greatly 
afflicted because his enemies persecute him, and that God answers 
him, saying: I will deliver thee from all thine enemies. This 
prophecy may be very true, yet, notwithstanding, his enemies may 
succeed in prevailing, and he may die at their hands. And so if a 
man should understand this after a temporal manner he would be 
deceived; for God might be speaking of the true and principal 
liberty and victory, which is salvation, whereby the soul is 
delivered, free and made victorious[365] over all its enemies, and 
much more truly so and in a higher sense than if it were delivered 
from them here below. And thus, this prophecy was much more true 
and comprehensive than the man could understand if he interpreted 
it only with respect to this life; for, when God speaks, His words 
are always to be taken in the sense which is most important and 
profitable, whereas man, according to his own way and purpose, may 
understand the less important sense, and thus may be deceived. 
This we see in that prophecy which David makes concerning Christ 
in the second Psalm saying: Reges eos in virga ferrea, et tamquam 
vas figuli confringes eos.[366] That is: Thou shalt rule all the 
people with a rod of iron and thou shalt dash them in pieces like 
a vessel of clay. Herein God speaks of the principal and perfect 
dominion, which is eternal dominion; and it was in this sense that 
it was fulfilled, and not in the less important sense, which was 
temporal, and which was not fulfilled in Christ during any part of 
His temporal life.
     13. Let us take another example. A soul has great desires to 
be a martyr. It may happen that God answers him, saying: Thou 
shalt be a martyr. This will give him inwardly great comfort and 
confidence that he is to be martyred; yet it may come to pass that 
he dies not the death of a martyr, and notwithstanding this the 
promise may be true. Why, then, is it not fulfilled literally? 
Because it will be fulfilled, and is capable of being fulfilled, 
according to the most important and essential sense of that saying 
-- namely, in that God will have given that soul the love and the 
reward which belong essentially to a martyr; and thus in truth He 
gives to the soul that which it formally desired and that which He 
promised it. For the formal desire of the soul was, not that 
particular manner of death, but to do God a martyr's service, and 
to show its love for Him as a martyr does. For that manner of 
death is of no worth in itself without this love, the which love 
and the showing forth thereof and the reward belonging to the 
martyr may be given to it more perfectly by other means. So that, 
though it may not die like a martyr, the soul is well satisfied 
that it has been given that which it sired. For, when they are 
born of living love, such desires, and others like them, although 
they be not fulfilled in the way wherein they are described and 
understood, are fulfilled in another and a better way, and in a 
way which honours God more greatly than that which they might have 
asked. Wherefore David says: Desiderium pauperum exaudivit 
Dominus.[367] That is: The Lord has granted the poor their desire. 
And in the Proverbs Divine Wisdom says: Desiderium suum justis 
dabitur.[368] 'The just shall be given their desire.' Hence, then, 
since we see that many holy men have desired many particular 
things for God's sake, and that in this life their desires have 
not been granted them, it is a matter of faith that, as their 
desires were just and true, they have been fulfilled for them 
perfectly in the next life. Since this is truth, it would also be 
truth for God to promise it to them in this life, saying to them: 
Your desire shall be fulfilled; and for it not to be fulfilled in 
the way which they expected.
     14. In this and other ways, the words and visions of God may 
be true and sure and yet we may be deceived by them, through being 
unable to interpret them in a high and important sense, which is 
the sense and purpose wherein God intends them. And thus the best 
and surest course is to train souls in prudence so that they flee 
from these supernatural things, by accustoming them, as we have 
said, to purity of spirit in dark faith, which is the means of 
union.


                           CHAPTER XX

     Wherein is proved by passages from Scripture how the sayings 
and words of God, though always true, do not always rest upon 
stable causes.

     WE have now to prove the second reason why visions and words 
which come from God, although in themselves they are always true, 
are not always stable in their relation to ourselves. This is 
because of their causes, whereon they are founded; for God often 
makes statements founded upon creatures and their effects, which 
are changeable and liable to fail, for which reason the statements 
which are founded upon them are liable also to be changeable and 
to fail; for, when one thing depends on another, if one fails, the 
other fails likewise. It is as though God should say: In a year's 
time I shall send upon this kingdom such or such a plague; and the 
cause and foundation for this warning is a certain offence which 
has been committed against God in that kingdom. If the offence 
should cease or change, the punishment might cease; yet the threat 
was true because it was founded upon the fault committed at the 
time, and, if this had continued, it would have been carried out.
     2. This, we see, happened in the city of Ninive, where God 
said: Adhuc quadraginta dies, et Ninive subvertetur.[369] Which 
signifies: Yet forty days and Ninive shall be destroyed. This was 
not fulfilled, because the cause of the threat ceased -- namely, 
the sins of the city, for which it did penace -- but, if this had 
not been so, the prophecy would have been carried into effect. We 
read likewise in the Third Book of the Kings that, when King Achab 
had committed a very great sin, God sent to phophesy[370] a great 
punishment -- our father Elias being the messenger -- which should 
come upon his person, upon his house and upon his kingdom.[371] And, 
because Achab rent his garments with grief and clothed himself in 
haircloth and fasted, and slept in sackcloth and went about in a 
humble and contrite manner, God sent again, by the same prophet, 
to declare to him these words: Quia igitur humiliatus est mei 
causa, non inducam malum in diebus ejus, sed in diebus filii 
sui.[372] Which signifies: Inasmuch as Achab has humbled himself for 
love of Me, I will not send the evil whereof I spake in his days, 
but in the days of his son. Here we see that, because Achab 
changed his spirit and his former affection, God likewise changed 
His sentence.
     3. From this we may deduce, as regards the matter under 
discussion, that, although God may have revealed or affirmed 
something to a soul, whether good or evil, and whether relating to 
that soul itself or to others, this may, to a greater or a lesser 
extent, be changed or altered or entirely withdrawn, according to 
the change or variation in the affection of this soul, or the 
cause whereon God based His judgment, and thus it would not be 
fulfilled in the way expected, and oftentimes none would have 
known why, save only God. For God is wont to declare and teach and 
promise many things, not that they may be understood or possessed 
at the time, but that they may be understood at a later time, when 
it is fitting that a soul may have light concerning them, or when 
their effect is attained. This, as we see, He did with His 
disciples, to whom He spake many parables, and pronounced many 
judgments, the wisdom whereof they understood not until the time 
when they had to preach it, which was when the Holy Spirit came 
upon them, of Whom Christ had said to them that He would explain 
to them all the things that He had spoken to them in His life. 
And, when Saint John speaks of that entry of Christ into 
Jerusalem, he says: Haec non cognoverunt discipuli ejus primum: 
sed quando glorificatus est Jesus, tunc recordati sunt quia haec 
erant scripta de eo.[373] And thus there may pass through the soul 
many detailed messages from God which neither the soul nor its 
director will understand until the proper time.
     4. Likewise, in the First Book of the Kings, we read that, 
when God was wroth against Heli, a priest of Israel, for his sins 
in not chastising his sons, he sent to him by Samuel to say, among 
other words, these which follow: Loquens locutus sum, ut domus 
tua, et domus patris tui, ministraret in conspectu meo, usque in 
sempiternum. Verumtamen absit hoc a me. And this is as though He 
had said:[374] In very truth I said aforetime that thy house and the 
house of thy father should serve Me continually in the priesthood 
in my presence for ever, but this purpose is far from Me; I will 
not do this thing. For this office of the priesthood was founded 
for giving honour and glory to God, and to this end God has 
promised to give it to the father of Heli for ever if he failed 
not. But, when Heli failed in zeal for the honour of God (for, as 
God Himself complained when He sent him the message, he honoured 
his sons more than God, overlooking their sins so as not to offend 
them), the promise also failed which would have held good for ever 
if the good service and zeal of Heli had lasted for ever. And thus 
there is no reason to think that, because sayings and revelations 
come from God, they must invariably come to pass in their apparent 
sense, especially when they are bound up with human causes which 
may vary, change, or alter.
     5. And when they are dependent upon these causes God Himself 
knows, though He does not always declare it, but pronounces the 
saying, or makes the revelation, and sometimes says nothing of the 
condition, as when He definitely told the Ninivites that they 
would be destroyed after forty days.[375] At other times, he lays 
down the condition, as He did to Roboam, saying to him: 'If thou 
wilt keep My commandments, as my servant David, I will be with 
thee even as I was with him, and will set thee up a house as I did 
to My servant David'.[376] But, whether He declares it or no, the 
soul must not rely upon its own understanding; for it is 
impossible to understand the hidden truths of God which are in His 
sayings, and the multitude of their meanings. He is above the 
heavens, and speaks according to the way of eternity;[377] we blind 
souls are upon the earth and understand only the ways of flesh and 
time. It was for that reason, I believe, that the Wise Man said: 
'God is in Heaven, and thou are upon earth; wherefore be not thou 
lengthy or hasty in speaking.'[378] 
     6. You will perhaps ask me: Why, if we are not to understand 
these things, or to play any part in them, does God communicate 
them to us? I have already said that everything will be understood 
in its own time by the command of Him Who spake it, and he whom 
God wills shall understand it, and it will be seen that it was 
fitting; for God does naught save with due cause and in truth. Let 
it be realized, therefore, that there is no complete understanding 
of the meaning of the sayings and things of God, and that this 
meaning cannot be decided by what it seems to be, without great 
error, and, in the end, grievous confusion. This was very well 
known to the prophets, into whose hands was given the word of God, 
and who found it a sore trial to prophesy concerning the people; 
for, as we have said, many of the people saw that things came not 
to pass literally, as they were told them, for which cause they 
laughed at the prophets and mocked them greatly; so much that 
Jeremias went as far as to say: 'They mock me all the day long, 
they scorn and despise me every one, for I have long been crying 
against evil and promising them destruction; and the word of the 
Lord has been made a reproach and a derision to me continually. 
And I said, I must not remember Him, neither speak any more in His 
name.'[379] Herein, although the holy prophet was speaking with 
resignation and in the form of a weak man who cannot endure the 
ways and workings of God, he clearly indicates the difference 
between the way wherein the Divine sayings are fulfilled and the 
ordinary meaning which they appear to have; for the Divine 
prophets were treated as mockers, and suffered so much from their 
prophecy that Jeremias himself said elsewhere: Formido et laqueus 
facta est nobis vaticinatio et contritio.[380] Which signifies: 
Prophecy has become to us fear and snares and contradiction of 
spirit.
     7. And the reason why Jonas fled when God sent him to preach 
the destruction of Ninive was this, namely, that he knew the 
different meanings of the sayings of God with respect to the 
understanding of men and with respect to the causes of the 
sayings. And thus, lest they should mock him when they saw that 
his prophecy was not fulfilled, he went away and lied in order not 
to prophesy; and thus he remained waiting all the forty days 
outside the city, to see if his prophecy was fulfilled; and, when 
it was not fulfilled, he was greatly afflicted, so much so that he 
said to God: Obsecro, Domine, numquid non hoc est verbum meum, cum 
adhuc essem in terra mea? propter hoc praeoccupavi, ut fugerem in 
Tharsis.[381] That is: I pray Thee, O Lord, is not this what I said 
when I was yet in my own country? Therefore was I vexed, and fled 
away to Tharsis. And the saint was wroth and besought God to take 
away his life.
     8. Why, then, must we marvel that God should speak and reveal 
certain things to souls which come not to pass in the sense 
wherein they understand them? For, if God should affirm or 
represent such or such a thing to the soul, whether good or evil, 
with respect to itself or to another, and if that thing be founded 
upon a certain affection or service or offence of that soul, or of 
another, at that time, with respect to God, so that, if the soul 
persevere therein, it will be fulfilled; yet even then its 
fulfillment is not certain, since it is not certain that the soul 
will persevere. Wherefore we must rely, not upon understanding, 
but upon faith.


                           CHAPTER XXI

     Wherein is explained how at times, although God answers the 
prayers that are addressed to Him, He is not pleased that we 
should use such methods. It is also shown how, although He 
condescend to us and answer us, He is oftentimes wroth.

     CERTAIN spiritual men, as we have said, assure themselves 
that it is a good thing to display curiosity, as they sometimes 
do, in striving to know certain things by supernatural methods, 
thinking that, because God occasionally answers their importunity, 
this is a good method and pleasing to Him. Yet the truth is that, 
although He may answer them, the method is not good, neither is it 
pleasing to God, but rather it is displeasing to Him; and not only 
so, but oftentimes He is greatly offended and wroth. The reason 
for this is that it is lawful for no creature to pass beyond the 
limits that God has ordained for its governance after the order of 
nature. He has laid down rational and natural limits for man's 
governance; wherefore to desire to pass beyond them is not lawful, 
and to desire to seek out and attain to anything by supernatural 
means is to go beyond these natural limits. It is therefore an 
unlawful thing, and it is therefore not pleasing to God, for He is 
offended by all that is unlawful. King Achaz was well aware of 
this, since, although Isaias told him from God to ask for a sign, 
he would not do so, saying: Non petam, et non tentabo Dominum.[382] 
That is: I will not ask such a thing, neither will I tempt God. 
For it is tempting God to seek to commune with Him by 
extraordinary ways, such as those that are supernatural.
     2. But why, you will say, if it be a fact that God is 
displeased, does He sometimes answer? I reply that it is sometimes 
the devil who answers. And, if it is God Who answers, I reply that 
He does so because of the weakness of the soul that desires to 
travel along that road, lest it should be disconsolate and go 
backward, or lest it should think that God is wroth with it and 
should be overmuch afflicted; or for other reasons known to God, 
founded upon the weakness of that soul, whereby God sees that it 
is well that He should answer it and deigns to do so in that way. 
In a like manner, too, does He treat many weak and tender souls, 
granting them favours and sweetness in sensible converse with 
Himself, as has been said above; this is not because He desires or 
is pleased that they should commune with Him after that manner or 
by these methods; it is that He gives to each one, as we have 
said, after the manner best suited to him. For God is like a 
spring, whence everyone draws water according to the vessel which 
he carries. Sometimes a soul is allowed to draw it by these 
extraordinary channels; but it follows not from this that it is 
lawful to draw water by them, but only that God Himself can permit 
this, when, how and to whom He wills, and for what reason He 
wills, without the party concerned having any right in the matter. 
And thus, as we say, He sometimes deigns to satisfy the desire and 
the prayer of certain souls, whom, since they are good and 
sincere, He wills not to fail to succour, lest He should make them 
sad, but it is not because He is pleased with their methods that 
He wills it. This will be the better understood by the following 
comparison.
     3. The father of a family has on his table many and different 
kinds of food, some of which are better than others. A child is 
asking him for a certain dish, not the best, but the first that 
meets its eye, and it asks for this dish because it would rather 
eat of it than any other; and as the father sees that, even if he 
gives it the better kind of food, it will not take it, but will 
have that which it asks for, since that alone pleases it, he gives 
it that, regretfully, lest it should take no food at all and be 
miserable. In just this way, we observe, did God treat the 
children of Israel when they asked Him for a king: He gave them 
one, but unwillingly, because it was not good for them. And thus 
He said to Samuel: Audi vocem populi in omnibus quae loquuntur 
tibi: non enim te objecerunt, sed me.[383] Which signifies: Hearken 
unto the voice of this people and grant them the king whom they 
ask of thee, for they have not rejected thee but Me, that I should 
not reign over them. In this same way God condescends to certain 
souls, and grants them that which is not best for them, because 
they will not or cannot walk by any other road. And thus certain 
souls attain to tenderness and sweetness of spirit or sense; and 
God grants them this because they are unable to partake of the 
stronger and more solid food of the trials of the Cross of His 
Son, which He would prefer them to take, rather than aught else.
     4. I consider, however, that the desire to know things by 
supernatural means is much worse than the desire for other 
spiritual favours pertaining to the senses; for I cannot see how 
the soul that desires them can fail to commit, at the least, 
venial sin, however good may be its aims, and however far advanced 
it may be on the road to perfection; and if anyone should bid the 
soul desire them, and consent to it, he sins likewise. For there 
is no necessity for any of these things, since the soul has its 
natural reason and the doctrine and law of the Gospel, which are 
quite sufficient for its guidance, and there is no difficulty or 
necessity that cannot be solved and remedied by these means, which 
are very pleasing to God and of great profit to souls; and such 
great use must we make of our reason and of Gospel doctrine that, 
if certain things be told us supernaturally, whether at our desire 
or no, we must receive only that which is in clear conformity with 
reason and Gospel law. And then we must receive it, not because it 
is revelation, but because it is reason, and not allow ourselves 
to be influenced by the fact that it has been revealed. Indeed, it 
is well in such a case to look at that reason and examine it very 
much more closely than if there had been no revelation concerning 
it; inasmuch as the devil utters many things that are true, and 
that will come to pass, and that are in conformity with reason, in 
order that he may deceive.
     5. Wherefore, in all our needs, trials and difficulties, 
there remains to us no better and surer means than prayer and hope 
that God will provide for us, by such means as He wills. This is 
the advice given to us in the Scriptures, where we read that, when 
King Josaphat was greatly afflicted and surrounded by enemies, the 
saintly King gave himself to prayer, saying to God: Cum ignoremus 
quid facere debeamus, hoc solum habemus residue, ut oculos nostros 
dirigamus ad re.[384] Which is as though he had said: When means 
fail and reason is unable to succour us in our necessities, it 
remains for us only to lift up our eyes to Thee, that Thou mayest 
succour us as is most pleasing to Thee.
     6. And further, although this has also been made clear, it 
will be well to prove, from certain passages of Scripture, that, 
though God may answer such requests, He is none the less sometimes 
wroth. In the First Book of the Kings it is said that, when King 
Saul begged that the prophet Samuel, who was now dead, might speak 
to him, the said prophet appeared to him, and that God was wroth 
with all this, since Samuel at once reproved Saul for having done 
such a thing, saying: Quare inquietasti me, ut suscitarer?[385] That 
is: Why hast thou disquieted me, in causing me to arise? We also 
know that, in spite of having answered the children of Israel and 
given them the meat that they besought of Him, God was 
nevertheless greatly incensed against them; for He sent fire from 
Heaven upon them as a punishment, as we read in the Pentateuch, 
and as David relates in these words: Adhuc escape eorum erant in 
ore ipsorum, et ira Dei descendit super cos.[386] Which signifies: 
Even as they had the morsels in their months, the wrath of God 
came down upon them. And likewise we read in Numbers that God was 
greatly wroth with Balaam the prophet, because he went to the 
Madianites when Balac their king sent for him, although God had 
bidden him go, because he desired to go and had begged it of God; 
and while he was yet in the way there appeared to him an angel 
with a sword, who desired to slay him, and said to him: Perversa 
est via tua, mihique contraria.[387] 'Thy way is perverse and 
contrary to Me.' For which cause he desired to slay him.
     7. After this manner and many others God deigns to satisfy 
the desires of souls though He be wroth with them. Concerning this 
we have many testimonies in Scripture, and, in addition, many 
illustrations, though in a matter that is so clear these are 
unnecessary. I will merely say that to desire to commune with God 
by such means is a most perilous thing, more so than I can 
express, and that one who is affectioned to such methods will not 
fail to err greatly and will often find himself in confusion. 
Anyone who in the past has prized them will understand me from his 
own experience. For over and above the difficulty that there is in 
being sure that one is not going astray in respect of locutions 
and visions which are of God, there are ordinarily many of these 
locutions and visions which are of the devil; for in his converse 
with the soul the devil habitually wears the same guise as God 
assumes in His dealings with it, setting before it things that are 
very like to those which God communicates to it, insinuating 
himself, like the wolf in sheep's clothing, among the flock, with 
a success so nearly complete that he can hardly be recognized. 
For, since he says many things that are true, and in conformity 
with reason, and things that come to pass as he describes them,[388] 
it is very easy for the soul to be deceived, and to think that, 
since these things come to pass as he says, and the future is 
correctly foretold, this can be the work of none save God; for 
such souls know not that it is a very easy thing for one that has 
clear natural light to be acquainted, as to their causes, with 
things, or with many of them, which have been or shall be. And 
since the devil has a very clear light of this kind, he can very 
easily deduce effect from cause, although it may not always turn 
out as he says, because all causes depend upon the will of God. 
Let us take an example.
     8. The devil knows that the constitution of the earth and the 
atmosphere, and the laws ruling the sun, are disposed in such 
manner and in such degree that, when a certain moment has arrived, 
it will necessarily follow, according to the laws of nature laid 
down for these elements, that they will infect people with 
pestilence, and he knows in what places this will be more severe 
and in what places less so. Here you have a knowledge of 
pestilence in respect of its causes. What a wonderful thing it 
seems when the devil reveals this to a soul, saying: 'In a year or 
in six months from now there will be pestilence,' and it happens 
as he says! And yet this is a prophecy of the devil. In the same 
way he may have a knowledge of earthquakes, and, seeing that the 
bowels of the earth are filling with air, will say: 'At such a 
time there will be an earthquake.' Yet this is only natural 
knowledge, for the possession of which it suffices for the spirit 
to be free from the passions of the soul, even as Boetius says in 
these words: Si vis claro lumine cernere verum, gaudia pelle, 
timorem, spemque fugato, nec dolor adsit.[389] That is: If thou 
desire to know truths with the clearness of nature, cast from thee 
rejoicing and fear and hope and sorrow.
     9. And likewise supernatural events and happenings may be 
known, in their causes, in matters concerning Divine Providence, 
which deals most justly and surely as is required by their good or 
evil causes as regards the sons of men. For one may know by 
natural means that such or such a person, or such or such a city, 
or some other place, is in such or such necessity, or has reached 
such or such a point, so that God, according to His providence and 
justice, must deal with such a person or thing in the way required 
by its cause, and in the way that is fitting for it, whether by 
means of punishment or of reward, as the cause merits. And then 
one can say: 'At such a time God will give you this, or will do 
this, or that will come to pass, of a surety.' It was this that 
holy Judith said to Holofernes,[390] when, in order to persuade him 
that the children of Israel would without fail be destroyed, she 
first related to him many of their sins and the evil deeds that 
they did. And then she said: Et, quoniam haec faciunt, certum est 
quod in perditionem dabuntur. Which signifies: Since they do these 
things, it is certain that they will be destroyed. This is to know 
the punishment in the cause, and it is as though she had said: It 
is certain that such sins must be the cause of such punishments, 
at the hand of God Who is most just. And as the Divine Wisdom 
says: Per quae quis peccat, per haec et torquetur.[391] With respect 
to that and for that wherein a man sins, therein is he punished.
     10. The devil may have knowledge of this, not only naturally, 
but also by the experience which he has of having seen God do 
similar things, and he can foretell it and do so correctly. Again, 
holy Tobias was aware of the punishment of the city of Ninive 
because of its cause, and he thus admonished his son, saying: 
'Behold, son, in the hour when I and thy mother die, go thou forth 
from this land, for it will not remain.' Video enim quia iniquitas 
ejus finem dabit ei.[392] I see clearly that its own iniquity will 
be the cause of its punishment, which will be that it shall be 
ended and destroyed altogether. This might have been known by the 
devil as well as by Tobias, not only because of the iniquity of 
the city, but by experience, since they had seen that for the sins 
of the world God destroyed it in the Flood, and that the 
Sodomites, too, perished for their sins by fire; but Tobias knew 
it also through the Divine Spirit.
     11. And the devil may know that one Peter[393] cannot, in the 
course of nature, live more than so many years, and he may 
foretell this; and so with regard to many other things and in many 
ways that it is impossible to recount fully -- nor can one even 
begin to recount many of them, since they are most intricate and 
subtle -- he insinuates falsehoods; from which a soul cannot free 
itself save by fleeing from all revelations and visions and 
locutions that are supernatural. Wherefore God is justly angered 
with those that receive them, for He sees that it is temerity on 
their part to expose themselves to such great peril and 
presumption and curiosity, and things that spring from pride, and 
are the root and foundation of vainglory, and of disdain for the 
things of God, and the beginning of many evils to which many have 
come. Such persons have succeeded in angering God so greatly that 
He has of set purpose allowed them to go astray and be deceived 
and to blind their own spirits and to leave the ordered paths of 
life and give rein to their vanities and fancies, according to the 
word of Isaias, where he says: Dominus miscuit in medio ejus 
spiritum vertiginis.[394] Which is as much to say: The Lord hath 
mingled in the midst thereof the spirit of dissension and 
confusion. Which in our ordinary vernacular signifies the spirit 
of misunderstanding. What Isaias is here very plainly saying is to 
our purpose, for he is speaking of those who were endeavouring by 
supernatural means to know things that were to come to pass. And 
therefore he says that God mingled in their midst the spirit of 
misunderstanding; not that God willed them, in fact, to have the 
spirit of error, or gave it to them, but that they desired to 
meddle with that to which by nature they could not attain. Angered 
by this, God allowed them to act foolishly, giving them no light 
as to that wherewith He desired not that they should concern 
themselves. And thus the Prophet says that God mingled that spirit 
in them, privatively. And in this sense God is the cause of such 
an evil -- that is to say, He is the privative cause, which 
consists in His withdrawal of His light and favour, to such a 
point that they must needs fall into error.
     12. And in this way God gives leave to the devil to blind and 
deceive many, when their sins and audacities merit it; and this 
the devil can do and does successfully, and they give him credence 
and believe him to be a good spirit; to such a point that, 
although they may be quite persuaded that he is not so, they 
cannot undeceive themselves, since, by the permission of God, 
there has already been insinuated into them the spirit of 
misunderstanding, even as we read was the case with the prophets 
of King Achab, whom God permitted to be deceived by a lying 
spirit, giving the devil leave to deceive them, and saying: 
Decipies, et praevalebis; egredere, et fac ita.[395] Which 
signifies: Thou shalt prevail with thy falsehood, and shalt 
deceive them; go forth and do so. And so well was he able to work 
upon the prophets and the King, in order to deceive them, that 
they would not believe the prophet Micheas, who prophesied the 
truth to them, saying the exact contrary of that which the others 
had prophesied, and this came to pass because God permitted them 
to be blinded, since their affections were attached to that which 
they desired to happen to them, and God answered them according to 
their desires and wishes; and this was a most certain preparation 
and means for their being blinded and deceived, which God allowed 
of set purpose.
     13. Thus, too, did Ezechiel prophesy in the name of God. 
Speaking against those who began to desire to have knowledge 
direct from God, from motives of curiosity, according to the 
vanity of their spirit, he says: When such a man comes to the 
prophet to enquire of Me through him, I, the Lord, will answer him 
by Myself, and I will set my face in anger against that man; and, 
as to the prophet, when he has gone astray in that which was asked 
of him, Ego Dominus decepi prophetam illum.[396] That is: I, the 
Lord, have deceived that prophet. This is to be taken to mean, by 
not succouring him with His favour so that he might not be 
deceived; and this is His meaning when He says: I the Lord will 
answer him by Myself in anger[397] -- that is, God will withdraw His 
grace and favour from that man. Hence necessarily follows 
deception by reason of his abandonment by God. And then comes the 
devil and makes answer according to the pleasure and desire of 
that man, who, being pleased thereat, since the answers and 
communications are according to his will, allows himself to be 
deceived greatly.
     14. It may appear that we have to some extent strayed from 
the purpose that we set down in the title of this chapter, which 
was to prove that, although God answers, He sometimes complains. 
But, if it be carefully considered, all that has been said goes to 
prove or intention; for it all shows that God desires not that we 
should wish for such visions, since He makes it possible for us to 
be deceived by them in so many ways.


                          CHAPTER XXII

     Wherein is solved a difficulty -- namely, why it is not 
lawful, under the law of grace, to ask anything of God by 
supernatural means, as it was under the old law. This solution is 
proved by a passage from Saint Paul.

     DIFFICULTIES keep coming to our mind, and thus we cannot 
progress with the speed that we should desire. For as they occur 
to us, we are obliged of necessity to clear them up, so that the 
truth of this teaching may ever be plain and carry its full force. 
But there is always this advantage in these difficulties, that, 
although they somewhat impede our progress, they serve 
nevertheless to make our intention the clearer and more 
explicit,[398] as will be the case with the present one.
     2. In the previous chapter, we said that it is not the will 
of God that souls should desire to receive anything distinctly, by 
supernatural means, through visions, locutions, etc. Further, we 
saw in the same chapter, and deduced from the testimonies which 
were there brought forward from Scripture, that such communion 
with God was employed in the Old Law and was lawful; and that not 
only was it lawful, but God commanded it. And when they used not 
this opportunity, God reproved them, as is to be seen in Isaias, 
where God reproves the children of Israel because they desired to 
go down to Egypt without first enquiring of Him, saying: Et os 
meum non interrogastis.[399] That is: Ye asked not first at My own 
mouth what was fitting. And likewise we read in Josue that, when 
the children of Israel themselves are deceived by the Gabaonites, 
the Holy Spirit reproves them for this fault, saying: Susceperunt 
ergo de cibariis eorum, et os Domini non interrogaverunt.[400] Which 
signifies: They took of their victuals and they enquired not at 
the mouth of God. Furthermore, we see in the Divine Scripture that 
Moses always enquired of God, as did King David and all the kings 
of Israel with regard to their wars and necessities, and the 
priests and prophets of old, and God answered and spake with them 
and was not wroth, and it was well done; and if they did it not it 
would be ill done; and this is the truth. Why, then, in the new 
law -- the law of grace -- may it not now be as it was aforetime?
     3. To this it must be replied that the principal reason why 
in the law of Scripture the enquiries that were made of God were 
lawful, and why it was fitting that prophets and priests should 
seek visions and revelations of God, was because at that time 
faith had no firm foundation, neither was the law of the Gospel 
established; and thus it was needful that men should enquire of 
God and that He should speak, whether by words or by visions and 
revelations or whether by figures and similitudes or by many other 
ways of expressing His meaning. For all that He answered and spake 
and revealed belonged to the mysteries of our faith and things 
touching it or leading to it. And, since the things of faith are 
not of man, but come from the mouth of God Himself, God Himself 
reproved them because they enquired not at His mouth in their 
affairs, so that He might answer, and might direct their affairs 
and happenings toward the faith, of which at that time they had no 
knowledge, because it was not yet founded. But now that the faith 
is founded in Christ, and in this era of grace, the law of the 
Gospel has been made manifest, there is no reason to enquire of 
Him in that manner, nor for Him to speak or to answer as He did 
then. For, in giving us, as He did, His Son, which is His Word -- 
and He has no other -- He spake to us all together, once and for 
all, in this single Word, and He has no occasion to speak further.
     4. And this is the sense of that passage with which Saint 
Paul begins, when he tries to persuade the Hebrews that they 
should abandon those first manners and ways of converse with God 
which are in the law of Moses, and should set their eyes on Christ 
alone, saying: Multifariam multisque modis olim Deus loquens 
patribus in Prophetis: novissime autem diebus istis Iocutus est 
nobis in Filio.[401] And this is as though he had said: That which 
God spake of old in the prophets to our fathers, in sundry ways 
and divers manners, He has now, at last, in these days, spoken to 
us once and for all in the Son. Herein the Apostle declares that 
God has become, as it were, dumb, and has no more to say, since 
that which He spake aforetime, in part to the prophets, He has now 
spoken altogether in Him, giving us the All, which is His Son.
     5. Wherefore he that would now enquire of God, or seek any 
vision or revelation, would not only be acting foolishly, but 
would be committing an offence against God, by setting his eyes 
altogether upon Christ, and seeking no new thing or aught beside. 
And God might answer him after this manner, saying: If I have 
spoken all things to thee in My Word, Which is My Son, and I have 
no other word, what answer can I now make to thee, or what can I 
reveal to thee which is greater than this? Set thine eyes on Him 
alone, for in Him I have spoken and revealed to thee all things, 
and in Him thou shalt find yet more than that which thou askest 
and desirest. For thou askest locutions and revelations, which are 
the part; but if thou set thine eyes upon Him, thou shalt find the 
whole; for He is My complete locution and answer, and He is all My 
vision and all My revelation; so that I have spoken to thee, 
answered thee, declared to thee and revealed to thee, in giving 
Him to thee as thy brother, companion and master, as ransom and 
prize. For since that day when I descended upon Him with My Spirit 
on Mount Tabor, saying: Hic est filius meus dilectus, in quo mihi 
bene complacui, ipsum audite[402] (which is to say: This is My 
beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased; hear ye Him), I have left 
off all these manners of teaching and answering, and I have 
entrusted this to Him. Hear Him; for I have no more faith to 
reveal, neither have I any more things to declare. For, if I spake 
aforetime, it was to promise Christ; and, if they enquired of Me, 
their enquiries were directed to petitions for Christ and 
expectancy concerning Him, in Whom they should find every good 
thing (as is now set forth in all the teaching of the Evangelists 
and the Apostles); but now, any who would enquire of Me after that 
manner, and desire Me to speak to him or reveal aught to him, 
would in a sense be asking Me for Christ again, and asking Me for 
more faith, and be lacking in faith, which has already been given 
in Christ; and therefore he would be committing a great offence 
against My beloved Son, for not only would he be lacking in faith, 
but he would be obliging Him again first of all to become 
incarnate and pass through life and death. Thou shalt find naught 
to ask Me, or to desire of Me, whether revelations or visions; 
consider this well, for thou shalt find that all has been done for 
thee and all has been given to thee -- yea, and much more also -- 
in Him.
     6. If thou desirest Me to answer thee with any word of 
consolation, consider My Son, Who is subject to Me, and bound by 
love of Me, and afflicted, and thou shalt see how fully He answers 
thee. If thou desirest Me to expound to thee secret things, or 
happenings, set thine eyes on Him alone, and thou shalt find the 
most secret mysteries, and the wisdom and wondrous things of God, 
which are hidden in Him, even as My Apostle says: In quo sunt 
omnes thesauri sapientiae et scientiae Dei absconditi.[403] That is: 
In this Son of God are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and 
knowledge of God. These treasures of wisdom shall be very much 
more sublime and delectable and profitable for thee than the 
things that thou desiredst to know. Herein the same Apostle 
gloried, saying: That he had not declared to them that he knew 
anything, save Jesus Christ and Him crucified.[404] And if thou 
shouldst still desire other Divine or bodily revelations and 
visions, look also at Him made man, and thou shalt find therein 
more than thou thinkest, for the Apostle says likewise: In ipso 
habitat omnis plenitudo Divinitatis corporaliter.[405] Which 
signifies: In Christ dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead 
bodily.
     7. It is not fitting, then, to enquire of God by supernatural 
means, nor is it necessary that He should answer; since all the 
faith has been given us in Christ, and there is therefore no more 
of it to be revealed, nor will there ever be. And he that now 
desires to receive anything in a supernatural manner, as we have 
said, is, as it were, finding fault with God for not having given 
us a complete sufficiency in His Son. For, although such a person 
may be assuming the faith, and believing it, nevertheless he is 
showing a curiosity which belongs to faithlessness. We must not 
expect, then, to receive instruction, or aught else, in a 
supernatural manner. For, at the moment when Christ gave up the 
ghost upon the Cross, saying, Consummatum est,[406] which signifies, 
'It is finished,' an end was made, not only of all these forms, 
but also of all those other ceremonies and rites of the Old Law. 
And so we must now be guided in all things by the law of Christ 
made man, and by that of His Church, and of His ministers, in a 
human and a visible manner, and by these means we must remedy our 
spiritual weaknesses and ignorances, since in these means we shall 
find abundant medicine for them all. If we leave this path, we are 
guilty not only of curiosity, but of great audacity: nothing is to 
be believed in a supernatural way, save only that which is the 
teaching of Christ made man, as I say, and of His ministers, who 
are men. So much so that Saint Paul says these words: Quod si 
Angelus de coelo evengelizaverit, praterquam quod evangelizavimus 
vobis, anathema sit.[407] That is to say: If any angel from Heaven 
preach any other gospel unto you than that which we men preach 
unto you, let him be accursed and excommunicate.
     8. Wherefore, since it is true that we must ever be guided by 
that which Christ taught us, and that all things else are as 
nothing, and are not to be believed unless they are in conformity 
with it, he who still desires to commune with God after the manner 
of the Old Law acts vainly. Furthermore, it was not lawful at that 
time for everyone to enquire of God, neither did God answer all 
men, but only the priests and prophets, from whose mouths it was 
that the people had to learn law and doctrine; and thus, if a man 
desire to know anything of God, he enquired of Him through the 
prophet or the priest and not of God Himself. And, if David 
enquired of God at certain times upon his own account, he did this 
because he was a prophet, and yet, even so, he did it not without 
the priestly vestment as it is clear was the case in the First 
Book of the Kings, where he said to Abimelech the priest: Applica 
ad me Ephod[408] -- which ephod was one of the priestly vestments, 
having which he then spake with God. But at other times he spake 
with God through the prophet Nathan and other prophets. And by the 
mouths of these prophets and of the priests men were to believe 
that that which was said to them came from God; they were not to 
believe it because of their own opinions.
     9. And thus, men were not authorized or empowered at that 
time to give entire credence to what was said by God, unless it 
were approved by the mouths of priests and prophets. For God is so 
desirous that the government and direction of every man should be 
undertaken by another man like himself, and that every man should 
be ruled and governed by natural reason, that He earnestly desires 
us not to give entire credence to the things that He communicates 
to us supernaturally, nor to consider them as being securely and 
completely confirmed until they pass through this human aqueduct 
of the mouth of man. And thus, whenever He says or reveals 
something to a soul, He gives this same soul to whom He says it a 
kind of inclination to tell it to the person to whom it is fitting 
that it should be told. Until this has been done, it is not wont 
to give entire satisfaction, because the man has not taken it from 
another man like himself. We see in the Book of the Judges that 
the same thing happened to the captain Gedeon, to whom God had 
said many times that he should conquer the Madianites, yet he was 
fearful and full of doubts (for God had allowed him to retain that 
weakness) until he heard from the mouth of men what God had said 
to him. And it came to pass that, when God saw he was weak, He 
said to him: 'Rise up and go down to the camp.' Et cum audieris 
quid loquantur, tunc confortabuntur manus tuae, et securior ad 
hostium castra descendes.[409] That is: When thou shalt hear what 
men are saying there, then shalt thou receive strength in that 
which I have said to thee, and thou shalt go down with greater 
security to the hosts of the enemy. And so it came to pass that, 
having heard a dream related by one of the Madianites to another, 
wherein the Madianite had dreamed that Gedeon should conquer them, 
he was greatly strengthened, and began to prepare for the battle 
with great joy. From this it can be seen that God desired not that 
he should feel secure, since He gave him not the assurance by 
supernatural means alone, but caused him first to be strengthened 
by natural means.
     10. And even more surprising is the thing that happened in 
this connection to Moses, when God had commanded him, and given 
him many instructions, which He continued with the signs of the 
wand changed into a serpent and of the leprous hand, enjoining him 
to go and set free the children of Israel. So weak was he and so 
uncertain[410] about this going forward that, although God was 
angered, he had not the courage to summon up the complete faith 
necessary for going, until God encouraged him through his brother 
Aaron, saying: Aaron frater tuus Levites, scio quod eloquent sit: 
ecce ipse egredietur in occursum tuum, vidensque te, laetabitur 
corde. Loquere ad eum, en pone verba mea in ore ejus: et ego ero 
in ore tuo, et in ore illius, etc.[411] Which is as though He had 
said: I know that thy brother Aaron is an eloquent man: behold, he 
will come forth to meet thee, and, when he seeth thee, he will be 
glad at heart; speak to him and tell him all My words, and I will 
be in thy mouth and in his mouth, so that each of you shall 
believe that which is in the mouth of the other.
     11. Having heard these words, Moses at once took courage, in 
the hope of finding consolation in the counsel which his brother 
was to give him; for this is a characteristic of the humble soul, 
which dares not converse alone with God, neither can be completely 
satisfied without human counsel and guidance. And that this should 
be given to it is the will of God, for He draws near to those who 
come together to converse of truth, in order to expound and 
confirm it in them, upon a foundation of natural reason, even as 
He said that He would do when Moses and Aaron should come together 
-- namely, that He would be in the mouth of the one and in the 
mouth of the other. Wherefore He said likewise in the Gospel that 
Ubi fuerint duo vel tres congregati in nomine meo, ibi sum ego in 
medio eorum.[412] That is: Where two or three have come together, in 
order to consider that which is for the greater honour and glory 
of My name, there am I in the midst of them. That is to say, I 
will make clear and confirm in their hearts the truths of God. And 
it is to be observed that He said not: Where there is one alone, 
there will I be; but: Where there are at least two. In this way He 
showed that God desires not that any man by himself alone should 
believe his experiences to be of God,[413] or should act in 
conformity with them, or rely upon them, but rather should believe 
the Church and[414] her ministers, for God will not make clear and 
confirm the truth in the heart of one who is alone, and thus such 
a one will be weak and cold.
     12. Hence comes that whereon the Preacher insists, where he 
says: Vae soli, quia cum ceciderit, non habet sublevantem se. Si 
dormierint duo, fovebuntur mutuo; unus quomodo calefiet? et si 
quispiam praevaluerit contra unum, duo resistent ei.[415] Which 
signifies: Woe to the man that is alone, for when he falleth he 
hath none to raise him up. If two sleep together, the one shall 
give warmth to the other (that is to say: with the warmth of God 
Who is between them); but one alone, how shall he be warm? That is 
to say: How shall he be other than cold as to the things of God? 
And if any man can fight and prevail against one enemy (that is, 
the devil, who can fight and prevail against those that are alone 
and desire to be alone as regards the things of God), two men 
together will resist him -- that is, the disciple and the 
master[416] who come together to know and dost the truth. And until 
this happens such a man is habitually weak and feeble in the 
truth, however often he may have heard it from God; so much so 
that, despite the many occasions on which Saint Paul preached the 
Gospel, which he said that he had heard, not of men, but of God, 
he could not be satisfied until he had gone to consult with Saint 
Peter and the Apostles, saying: Ne forte in vacuum currerem, aut 
cucurrissem.[417] Which signifies: Perchance he should run, or had 
run, in vain, having no assurance of himself, until man had given 
him assurance. This seems a noteworthy thing, O Paul, that He Who 
revealed to thee this Gospel could not likewise reveal to thee the 
assurance of the fault which thou mightest have committed in 
preaching the truth concerning Him.
     13. Herein it is clearly shown that a man must not rely upon 
the things that God reveals, save in the way that we are 
describing; for, even in cases where a person is in possession of 
certainty, as Saint Paul was certain of his Gospel (since he had 
already begun to preach it), yet, although the revelation be of 
God, man may still err with respect to it, or in things relating 
to it. For, although God reveals one thing, He reveals not always 
the other; and oftentimes He reveals something without revealing 
the way in which it is to be done. For ordinarily He neither 
performs nor reveals anything that can be accomplished by human 
counsel and effort, although He may commune with the soul for a 
long time, very lovingly. Of this Saint Paul was very well aware, 
since, as we say, although he knew that the Gospel was revealed to 
him by God, he went to take counsel with Saint Peter. And we see 
this clearly in the Book of Exodus, where God had communed most 
familiarly with Moses, yet had never given him that salutary 
counsel which was given him by his father-in-law Jethro -- that is 
to say, that he should choose other judges to assist him, so that 
the people should not be waiting from morning till night.[418] This 
counsel God approved, though it was not He Who had given it to 
him, for it was a thing that fell within the limits of human 
judgment and reason. With respect to Divine visions and 
revelations and locutions, God is not wont to reveal them, for He 
is ever desirous that men should make such use of their own reason 
as is possible, and all such things have to be governed by reason, 
save those that are of faith, which transcend all judgment and 
reason, although these are not contrary to faith.
     14. Wherefore let none think that, because it may be true 
that God and the saints commune with him familiarly about many 
things, they will of necessity explain to him the faults that he 
commits with regard to anything, if it be possible for him to 
recognize these faults by other means. He can have no assurance 
about this; for, as we read came to pass in the Acts of the 
Apostles, Saint Peter, though a prince of the Church, who was 
taught directly by God, went astray nevertheless with respect to a 
certain ceremony that was in use among the Gentiles, and God was 
silent. So far did he stray that Saint Paul reproved him, as he 
affirms, saying: Cum vidissem, quod non recte ad veritatem 
Evangelii ambularent, dixi coram omnibus: Si tu judaeus cum sis, 
gentiliter vivis, quomodo Gentes cogis judaizare?[419] Which 
signifies: When I saw (says Saint Paul) that the disciples walked 
not uprightly according to the truth of the Gospel, I said to 
Peter before them all: If thou, being a Jew, as thou art, livest 
after the manner of the Gentiles, how feignest thou to force the 
Gentiles to live as do the Jews? And God reproved not Saint Peter 
Himself for this fault, for that stimulation was a thing that had 
to do with reason, and it was possible for him to know it by 
rational means.
     15. Wherefore on the day of judgment God will punish for 
their many faults and sins many souls with whom He may quite 
habitually have held converse here below, and to whom He may have 
given much light and virtue; for, as to those things that they 
have known that they ought to do, they have been neglectful, and 
have relied upon that converse that they have had with God and 
upon the virtue that He has given them. And thus, as Christ says 
in the Gospel, they will marvel at that time, saying: Domine, 
Domine, nonne in nomine tuo prophetavimus, et in nomine tuo 
daemonia ejecimus, et in nomine tuo virtutes multas fecimus?[420] 
That is: Lord, Lord, were the prophecies that Thou spakest to us 
perchance not prophesied in Thy name? And in Thy name cast we not 
out devils? And in Thy name performed we not many miracles and 
mighty works? And the Lord says that He will answer them in these 
words: Et tunc confitebor illis, quia numquam novi vos: discedite 
a me omnes qui operamini iniquitatem.[421] That is to say: Depart 
from Me, ye workers of iniquity, for I never knew you. Of the 
number of these was the prophet Balaam and others like to him, 
who, though God spake with them and gave them thanks, were 
sinners. But the Lord will likewise give their proportion of 
reproof to His friends and chosen ones, with whom He communed 
familiarly here below, as to the faults and sins of neglect that 
they may have committed; whereof there was no need that God should 
Himself warn them, since He had already warned them through the 
natural reason and law that He had given to them.
     16. In concluding this part of my subject, therefore, I say, 
and I infer from what has already been said, that anything, of 
whatsoever kind, received by the soul through supernatural means, 
must clearly and plainly, fully and simply, be at once 
communicated to the spiritual director. For although there may 
seem no reason to speak of it, or to spend time upon doing so, 
since the soul is acting safely, as we have said, if it rejects it 
and neither pays heed to it nor desires it -- especially if it be 
a question of visions or revelations or other supernatural 
communications, which are either quite clear or very nearly so -- 
nevertheless, it is very necessary to give an account of all 
these, although it may seem to the soul that there is no reason 
for so doing. And this for three causes. First, because, as we 
have said, God communicates many things, the effect, power, light 
and certainty whereof He confirms not wholly in the soul, until, 
as we have said, the soul consults him whom God has given to it as 
a spiritual judge, which is he that has the power to bind or to 
loose, and to approve or to blame, as we have shown by means of 
the passages quoted above; and we can show it clearly by 
experience, for we see humble souls to whom these things come to 
pass, and who, after discussing them with the proper persons, 
experience a new satisfaction, power, light and certainty; so much 
so that to some it seems that they have no effect upon them, nor 
do they even belong to them, until they have communicated them to 
the director, whereupon they are given to them anew.
     17. The second cause is that the soul habitually needs 
instruction upon the things that come to pass within it, so that 
it may be led by that means to spiritual poverty and detachment, 
which is the dark night. For if it begins to relinquish this 
instruction -- even when it desires not the things referred to -- 
it will gradually, without realizing it, become callous as it 
treads the spiritual road, and draw near again to the road of 
sense; and it is partly with respect to this that these distinct 
things happen.
     18. The third cause is that, for the sake of the humility and 
submission and mortification of the soul, it is well to relate 
everything to the director, even though he make[422] no account of 
it all and consider it of no importance. There are some souls who 
greatly dislike speaking of such things, because they think them 
to be unimportant, and know not how the person to whom they should 
relate them will receive them; but this is lack of humility, and 
for that very reason it is needful for them to submit themselves 
and relate these things. And there are others who are very timid 
in relating them, because they see no reason why they should have 
these experiences, which seem to belong to saints, as well as 
other things which they are sorry to have to describe; for which 
cause they think there is no reason to speak of them because they 
make no account of them; but for this very reason it is well for 
them to mortify themselves and relate them, until in time they 
come to speak of them humbly, unaffectedly, submissively and 
readily, and after this they will always find it easy to do so.
     19. But, with respect to what has been said, it must be 
pointed out that, although we have insisted so much that such 
things should be set aside, and that confessors should not 
encourage their penitents to discuss them, it is not well that 
spiritual fathers should show displeasure in regard to them, or 
should seek to avoid speaking of them or despise them, or make 
their penitents reserved and afraid to mention them, for it would 
be the means of causing them many inconveniences if the door were 
closed upon their relating them. For, since they are a means and 
manner whereby God guides such souls, there is no reason for 
thinking ill of them or for being alarmed or scandalized by them; 
but rather there is a reason for proceeding very quietly and 
kindly, for encouraging these souls and giving them an opportunity 
to speak of these things; if necessary, they must be exhorted to 
speak; and, in view of the difficulty that some souls experience 
in describing such matters, this is sometimes quite essential. Let 
confessors direct their penitents into faith,[423] advising them 
frankly to turn away their eyes from all such things, teaching 
them how to void the desire and the spirit of them, so that they 
may make progress, and giving them to understand how much more 
precious in God's sight is one work or act of the will performed 
in charity than are all the visions and communications that they 
may receive from Heaven, since these imply neither merit nor 
demerit. Let them point out, too, that many souls who have known 
nothing of such things have made incomparably greater progress 
than others who have received many of them.


                          CHAPTER XXIII

     Which begins to treat of the apprehensions of the 
understanding that come in a purely spiritual way, and describes 
their nature.

     ALTHOUGH the instruction that we have given with respect to 
the apprehensions of the understanding which come by means of 
sense is somewhat brief, in comparison with what might be said 
about them, I have not desired to write of them at greater length; 
I believe, indeed, that I have already been too lengthy for the 
fulfillment of my present intention, which is to disencumber the 
understanding of them and direct the soul into the night of faith. 
Wherefore we shall now begin to treat of those other four 
apprehensions of the understanding, which, as we said in the tenth 
chapter,[424] are purely spiritual -- namely, visions, revelations, 
locutions and spiritual feelings. These we call purely spiritual, 
for they do not (as do those that are corporeal and imaginary) 
communicate themselves to the understanding by way of the 
corporeal senses; but, without the intervention of any inward or 
outward corporeal sense, they present themselves to the 
understanding, clearly and distinctly, by supernatural means, 
passively -- that is to say, without the performance of any act or 
operation on the part of the soul itself, at the least actively.
     2. It must be known, then, that, speaking broadly and in 
general terms, all these four apprehensions may be called visions 
of the soul; for we term the understanding of the soul also its 
sight. And since all these apprehensions are intelligible to the 
understanding, they are described, in a spiritual sense, as 
'visible.' And thus the kinds of intelligence that are formed in 
the understanding may be called intellectual visions. Now, since 
all the objects of the other senses, which are all that can be 
seen, and all that can be heard, and all that can be smelt and 
tasted and touched, are objects of the understanding in so far as 
they fall within the limits of truth or falsehood, it follows 
that, just as to the eyes of the body all that is visible in a 
bodily way causes bodily vision, even so, to the spiritual eyes of 
the soul -- namely, the understanding -- all that is intelligible 
causes spiritual vision; for, as we have said, for the soul to 
understand is for it to see. And thus, speaking generally, we may 
call these four apprehensions visions. This cannot be said, 
however, of the other senses, for no one of them is capable, as 
such, of receiving the object of another one.
     3. But, since these apprehensions present themselves to the 
soul in the same way as they do to the various senses, it follows 
that, speaking properly and specifically, we shall describe that 
which the understanding receives by means of sight (because it can 
see things spiritually, even as the eyes can see bodily) as a 
vision; and that which it receives by apprehending and 
understanding new things (as it were through the hearing, when it 
hears things that are not heard) we describe as revelation; and 
that which it receives by means of hearing we call locution; and 
that which it receives through the other senses, such as the 
perception of sweet spiritual fragrance, and spiritual taste and 
of spiritual delight which the soul may joy supernaturally, we 
call spiritual feelings. From all these the soul derives spiritual 
vision or intelligence, without any kind of apprehension 
concerning form, image or figure of natural fancy or imagination; 
these things are communicated to the soul directly by supernatural 
means and a supernatural process.
     4. Of these, likewise (even as we said of the other imaginary 
corporeal apprehensions), it is well that we should here 
disencumber the understanding, leading and directing it by means 
of them into the spiritual night of faith, to the Divine and 
substantial union of God; lest, by letting such things encumber 
and stultify it, it should be hindered upon the road to solitude 
and detachment from all things, which is necessary to that end. 
For, although these apprehensions are nobler and more profitable 
and much more certain than those which are corporeal and 
imaginary, inasmuch as they are interior and purely spiritual, and 
are those which the devil is least able to counterfeit, since they 
are communicated to the soul more purely and subtly without any 
effort of its own or of the imagination, at least actively, yet 
not only may the understanding be encumbered by them upon this 
road, but it is possible for it, through its own imprudence, to be 
sorely deceived.
     5. And although, in one sense, we might conclude with these 
four kinds of apprehension, by treating them all together and 
giving advice which applies to them all, as we have given 
concerning all the others -- namely, that they should neither be 
desired nor aspired to -- yet, since we shall presently throw more 
light upon the way in which this is to be done, and certain things 
will be said in connection with them, it will be well to treat of 
each one of them in particular, and thus we shall now speak of the 
first apprehensions, which are intellectual or spiritual visions.


                          CHAPTER XXIV

     Which treats of two kinds of spiritual vision that come 
supernaturally.

     SPEAKING now strictly of those visions which are spiritual, 
and are received without the intervention of any bodily sense, I 
say that there are two kinds of vision than can be received by the 
understanding: the one kind is of corporeal substances; the other, 
of incorporeal or separated substances. The corporeal visions have 
respect to all material things that are in Heaven and on earth, 
which the soul is able to see, even while it is still in the body, 
by the aid of a certain supernatural illumination, derived from 
God, wherein it is able to see all things that are not present, 
both in Heaven and on earth, even as Saint John saw, as we read in 
the twenty-first chapter of the Apocalypse, where he describes and 
relates the excellence of the celestial Jerusalem, which he saw in 
Heaven. Even so, again, we read of Saint Benedict that in a 
spiritual vision he saw the whole world.[425] This vision, says 
Saint Thomas in the first of his Quodlibets, was in the light that 
is derived from above, as we have said.
     2. The other visions, which are of incorporeal substances, 
cannot be seen by the aid of this derived illumination, whereof we 
are here speaking, but only by another and a higher illumination 
which is called the illumination of glory. And thus these visions 
of incorporeal substances, such as angels and soul, are not of 
this life, neither can they be seen in the mortal body; for, if 
God were pleased to communicate them to the soul, in essence as 
they are, the soul would at once go forth from the flesh and would 
be loosed from this mortal life. For this reason God said to 
Moses, when he entreated Him to show him His Essence: Non videbit 
me homo, et vivet.[426] That is: Man shall not see Me and be able to 
remain alive. Wherefore, when the children of Israel thought that 
they were to see God, or had seen Him, or some angel, they feared 
death, as we read in the Book of Exodus, where, fearing these 
things, they said: Non loquatur nobis Dominus, ne forte 
moriamur.[427] As if they had said: Let not God communicate Himself 
to us openly, lest we die. And likewise in the Book of Judges, 
Manue, father of Samson, thought that he and his wife had seen in 
essence the angel who spake with them (and who had appeared to 
them in the form of a most beautiful man) and he said to his wife: 
Morte moriemur, quida vidimus Dominum.[428] Which signifies: We 
shall die, because we have seen the Lord.[429]
     3. And thus these visions occur not in this life, save 
occasionally and fleetingly, when, making an exception to the 
conditions which govern our natural life, God so allows it. At 
such times He totally withdraws the spirit from this life, and the 
natural functions of the body are supplied by His favour. This is 
why, at the time when it is thought that Saint Paul saw these 
(namely, the incorporeal substances in the third heaven), that 
Saint says: Sive in corpore, nescio, sive extra corpus, nescio, 
Deus scit.[430] That is, he was raptured, and of that which he saw 
he says that he knows not if it was in the body or out of the 
body, but that God knows. Herein it is clearly seen that the 
limits of natural means of communication were passed, and that 
this was the work of God. Likewise, it is believed that God showed 
His Essence to Moses, for we read that God said to him that He 
would set him in the cleft of the rock, and would protect him, by 
covering him with His right hand, and protecting him so that he 
should not die when His glory passed; the which glory passed 
indeed, and was shown to him fleetingly, and the natural life of 
Moses was protected by the right hand of God.[431] But these visions 
that were so substantial -- like that of Saint Paul and Moses, and 
that of our father Elias, when he covered his face at the gentle 
whisper of God -- although they are fleeting, occur only very 
rarely -- indeed, hardly ever and to very few; for God performs 
such a thing in those that are very strong in the spirit of the 
Church and the law of God, as were the three men named above.
     4. But, although these visions of spiritual substances cannot 
be unveiled and be clearly seen in this life by the understanding, 
they can nevertheless be felt in the substance of the soul, with 
the sweetest touches and unions, all of which belongs to spiritual 
feelings, whereof, with the Divine favour, we shall treat 
presently; for our pen is being directed and guided to these -- 
that is to say, to the Divine bond and union of the soul with 
Divine Substance. We shall speak of this when we treat of the dark 
and confused mystical understanding which remains to be described, 
wherein we shall show how, by means of this dark and loving 
knowledge, God is united with the soul in a lofty and Divine 
degree;[432] for, after some manner, this dark and loving knowledge, 
which is faith, serves as a means to Divine union in this life, 
even as, in the next life, the light of glory serves as an 
intermediary to the clear vision of God.
     5. Let us, then, now treat of the visions of corporeal 
substances, received spiritually in the soul, which come after the 
manner of bodily visions. For, just as the eyes see bodily visions 
by means of natural light, even so does the soul, through the 
understanding, by means of supernaturally derived light, as we 
have said, see those same natural things inwardly, together with 
others, as God wills; the difference between the two kinds of 
vision is only in the mode and manner of them. For spiritual and 
intellectual visions are much clearer and subtler than those which 
pertain to the body. For, when God is pleased to grant this favour 
to the soul, He communicates to it that supernatural light whereof 
we speak, wherein the soul sees the things that God wills it to 
see, easily and most clearly, whether they be of Heaven or of 
earth, and the absence or presence of them is no hindrance to the 
vision. And it is at times as though a door were opened before it 
into a great brightness, through which the soul sees a light, 
after the manner of a lightning flash, which, on a dark night, 
reveals things suddenly, and causes them to be clearly and 
distinctly seen, and then leaves them in darkness, although the 
forms and figures of them remain in the fancy. This comes to pass 
much more perfectly in the soul, because those things that the 
spirit has seen in that light remain impressed upon it in such a 
way that whensoever it observes them it sees them in itself as it 
saw them before; even as in a mirror the forms that are in it are 
seen whensoever a man looks in it, and in such a way that those 
forms of the things that he has seen are never wholly removed from 
his soul, although in course of time they become somewhat remote.
     6. The effect which these visions produce in the soul is that 
of quiet, illumination, joy like that of glory, sweetness, purity 
and love, humility and inclination or elevation of the spirit in 
God; sometimes more so, at other times less; with sometimes more 
of one thing, at other times more of another, according to the 
spirit wherein they are received and according as God wills.
     7. The devil likewise can produce these visions, by means of 
a certain natural light, whereby he brings things clearly before 
the mind, through spiritual suggestion, whether they be present or 
absent. There is that passage in Saint Matthew, which says of the 
devil and Christ: Ostendit omnia regna mundi, et gloriam eorum.[433] 
That is so say: He showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and 
the glory of them. Concerning this certain doctors say that he did 
it by spiritual suggestion,[434] for it was not possible to make Him 
see so much with the bodily eyes as all the kingdoms of the world 
and the glory of them. But there is much difference between these 
visions that are caused by the devil and those that are of God. 
For the effects produced in the soul by the devil's visions are 
not like those produced by good visions; the former produce 
aridity of spirit as to communion with God and an inclination to 
esteem oneself highly, and to receive and set store by the visions 
aforesaid, and in no wise do they produce the gentleness of 
humility and love of God. Neither do the forms of such visions 
remain impressed upon the soul with the sweetness and brightness 
of the others; nor do they last, but are quickly effaced from the 
soul, save when the soul greatly esteems them, in which case this 
high esteem itself causes it to recall them naturally, but with 
great aridity of spirit, and without producing that effect of love 
and humility which is produced by good visions when the soul 
recalls them.
     8. These visions, inasmuch as they are of creatures, 
wherewith God has no essential conformity or proportion, cannot 
serve the understanding as a proximate means to union with God. 
And thus the soul must conduct itself in a purely negative way 
concerning them, as in the other things that we have described, in 
order that it may progress by the proximate means -- namely, by 
faith. Wherefore the soul must make no store of treasure of the 
forms of such visions as remain impressed upon it, neither must it 
lean upon them; for to do this would be to be encumbered with 
those forms, images and persons which remain inwardly within it, 
and thus the soul would not progress toward God by denying itself 
all things. For, even if these forms should be permanently set 
before the soul, they will not greatly hinder this progress, if 
the soul has no desire to set store by them. For, although it is 
true that the remembrance of them impels the soul to a certain 
love of God and contemplation, yet it is impelled and exalted much 
more by pure faith and detachment in darkness from them all, 
without its knowing how or whence it comes to it. And thus it will 
come to pass that the soul will go forward, enkindled with 
yearnings of purest love for God, without knowing whence they come 
to it, or on what they are founded. The fact is that, while faith 
has become ever more deeply rooted and infused in the soul by 
means of that emptiness and darkness and detachment from all 
things, or spiritual poverty, all of which may be spoken of as one 
and the same thing, at the same time the charity of God has become 
rooted and infused in the soul ever more deeply also. Wherefore, 
the more the soul desires obscurity and annihilation with respect 
to all the outward or inward things that it is capable of 
receiving, the more is it infused by faith, and, consequently, by 
love and hope, since all these three theological virtues go 
together.
     9. But at certain times the soul neither understands this 
love nor feels it; for this love resides, not in sense, with its 
tender feelings, but in the soul, with fortitude and with a 
courage and daring that are greater than they were before, though 
sometimes it overflows into sense and produces gentle and tender 
feelings. Wherefore, in order to attain to that love, joy and 
delight which such visions produce and cause in the soul, it is 
well that soul should have fortitude and mortification and love, 
so that it may desire to remain in emptiness and darkness as to 
all things, and to build its love and joy upon that which it 
neither sees nor feels, neither can see nor feel in this life, 
which is God, Who is incomprehensible and transcends all things. 
It is well, then, for us to journey to Him by denying ourselves 
everything. For otherwise, even if the soul be so wise, humble and 
strong that the devil cannot deceive it by visions or cause it to 
fall into some sin of presumption, as he is wont to do, he will 
not allow it to make progress; for he set obstacles in the way of 
spiritual detachment and poverty of spirit and emptiness in faith, 
which is the essential condition for union of the soul with God.
     10. And, as the same teaching that we gave in the nineteenth 
and twentieth chapters, concerning supernatural apprehensions and 
visions of sense, holds good for these visions, we shall not spend 
more time here in describing them.


                           CHAPTER XXV

     Which treats of revelations, describing their nature and 
making a distinction between them.

     ACCORDING to the order which we are here following, we have 
next to treat of the second kind of spiritual apprehension, which 
we have described above as revelations, and which properly belongs 
to the spirit of prophecy. With respect to this, it must first be 
known that revelation is naught else than the discovery of some 
hidden truth or the manifestation of some secret or mystery. Thus 
God may cause the soul to understand something by making clear to 
the understanding the truth concerning it, or He may reveal to the 
soul certain things which He is doing or proposes to do.
     2. Accordingly, we may say that there are two kinds of 
revelation. The first is the disclosure to the understanding of 
truths which are properly called intellectual knowledge or 
intelligence; the second is the manifestation of secrets, which 
are called revelations with more propriety than the others. For 
the first kind cannot strictly be called revelations, since they 
consist in this, that God causes the soul to understand naked 
truths, not only with respect to temporal things, but likewise 
with respect to spiritual things, revealing them to the soul 
clearly and openly. These I have desired to treat under the 
heading of revelations: first, because they have close kinship and 
similarity with them: secondly, in order not to multiply 
distinctions.
     3. According to this method, then, we shall now be well able 
to divide revelations into two kinds of apprehension. The one kind 
we shall call intellectual knowledge, and the other, the 
manifestation of secrets and hidden mysteries of God. With these 
we shall conclude in two chapters as briefly as we may, and in 
this chapter following we shall treat of the first.


                          CHAPTER XXVI

     Which treats of the intuition of naked truths in the 
understanding, explaining how they are of two kinds and how the 
soul is to conduct itself with respect to them.

     IN order to speak properly of this intuition of naked truths 
which is conveyed to the understanding, the writer would need God 
to take his hand and to guide his pen; for know, dear reader, that 
what they are to the soul cannot be expressed in words. But, since 
I speak not of them here of set purpose, but only that through 
them I may instruct the soul and lead it to Divine union, I shall 
suffer myself to speak of them here in a brief and modified form, 
as is sufficient for the fulfillment of that intention.
     2. This kind of vision (or, to speak more properly, of 
knowledge of naked truths) is very different from that of which we 
have just spoken in the twenty-fourth chapter. For it is not like 
seeing bodily things with the understanding; it consists rather in 
comprehending and seeing with the understanding the truths of God, 
whether of things that are, that have been or that will be, which 
is in close conformity with the spirit of prophecy, as perchance 
we shall explain hereafter.
     3. Here it is to be observed that this kind of knowledge is 
distinguishable according to two divisions: the one kind comes to 
the soul with respect to the Creator; the other with respect to 
creatures, as we have said. And, although both kinds are very 
delectable to the soul, yet the delight caused in it by the kind 
that relates to God is comparable to nothing whatsoever, and there 
are no words or terms wherein it can be described. This kind of 
knowledge is of God Himself, and the delight is in God Himself, 
whereof David says: 'There is naught soever like to Him.'[435] For 
this kind of knowledge comes to the soul in direct relation to 
God, when the soul, after a most lofty manner, has a perception of 
some attribute of God -- of His omnipotence, of His might, of His 
goodness and sweetness, etc.; and, whensoever it has such a 
perception, that which is perceived cleaves to the soul. Inasmuch 
as this is pure contemplation, the soul clearly sees that there is 
no way wherein it can say aught concerning it, save to speak in 
certain general terms, of the abundance of delight and blessing 
which it has felt, and this is expressed by souls that experience 
it; but not to the end that what the soul has experienced and 
perceived may be wholly apprehended.
     4. And thus David, speaking for himself when something of 
this kind had happened to him, used only common and general terms, 
saying: Judicia Domini vera, justificata in semetipsa. 
Desiderabilia super aurum et lapidem pretiosum multum; et dulciora 
super mel et favum.[436] Which signifies: The judgments of God -- 
that is, the virtues and attributes which we perceive in God -- 
are in themselves true, justified, more to be desired than gold 
and very much more than precious stones, and sweeter than the 
honeycomb and honey. And concerning Moses we read that, when God 
gave him a most lofty manifestation of knowledge from Himself on 
an occasion when He passed before him, he said only that which can 
be expressed in the common terms above mentioned. And it was so 
that, when the Lord passed before him in that manifestation of 
knowledge, Moses quickly prostrated himself upon the ground, 
saying: Dominator Domine Deus, misericors et clemens, patiens, et 
multae miserationis, ac verax. Qui custodis misericordiam in 
millia.[437] Which signifies: Ruler,[438] Lord, God, merciful and 
clement, patient, and of great compassion, and true, that keepest 
mercy promised unto thousands. Here it is seen that Moses could 
not express that which he had learned from God in one single 
manifestation of knowledge, and therefore he expressed and gave 
utterance to it in all these words. And although at times, when 
such knowledge is given to a soul, words are used, the soul is 
well aware that it has expressed no part of what it has felt; for 
it knows that there is no fit name by which it can name it. And 
thus Saint Paul, when he was granted that lofty knowledge of God, 
made no attempt to describe it, saying only that it was not lawful 
for man to speak of it.
     5. These Divine manifestations of knowledge which have 
respect to God never relate to particular matters, inasmuch as 
they concern the Chief Beginning, and therefore can have no 
particular reference, unless it be a question of some truth 
concerning a thing less than God, which is involved in the 
perception of the whole; but these Divine manifestations 
themselves -- no, in no way whatsoever. And these lofty 
manifestations of knowledge can come only to the soul that attains 
to union with God, for they are themselves that union; and to 
receive them is equivalent to a certain contact with the Divinity 
which the soul experiences, and thus it is God Himself Who is 
perceived and tasted therein. And, although He cannot be 
experienced manifestly and clearly, as in glory, this touch of 
knowledge and delight is nevertheless so sublime and profound that 
it penetrates the substance of the soul, and the devil cannot 
meddle with it or produce any manifestation like to it, for there 
is no such thing, neither is there aught that compares with it, 
neither can he infuse pleasure or delight that is like to it; for 
such kinds of knowledge savour of the Divine Essence and of 
eternal life, and the devil cannot counterfeit a thing so lofty.
     6. Nevertheless he might make some pretence of imitating it, 
by representing to the soul certain great matters and things which 
enchant the senses and can readily be perceived by them, and 
endeavoring to persuade the soul that these are God; but he cannot 
do this in such wise that they enter into the substance of the 
soul and of a sudden renew it and enkindle it with love, as do the 
manifestations of God. For there are certain kinds of knowledge, 
and certain of these touches effected by God in the substance of 
the soul, which enrich it after such wise that not only does one 
of them suffice to take from the soul once and for all the whole 
of the imperfections that it had itself been unable to throw off 
during its whole life, but it leaves the soul full of virtues and 
blessings from God.
     7. And these touches are so delectable to the soul, and the 
delight they produce is so intimate, that if it received only one 
of them it would consider itself well rewarded for all the trials 
that it had suffered in this life, even had they been innumerable; 
and it is so greatly encouraged and given such energy to suffer 
many things for God's sake that it suffers especially in seeing 
that it is not suffering more.
     8. The soul cannot attain to these lofty degrees of knowledge 
by means of any comparison or imagination of its own, because they 
are loftier than all these; and so God works them in the soul 
without making use of its own capacities. Wherefore, at certain 
times, when the soul is least thinking of it and least desiring 
it, God is wont to give it these Divine touches, by causing it 
certain remembrances of Himself. And these are sometimes suddenly 
caused in the soul by its mere recollection of certain things -- 
sometimes of very small things. And they are so readily perceived 
that at times they cause not only the soul, but also the body, to 
tremble. But at other times they come to pass in the spirit when 
it is very tranquil, without any kind of trembling, but with a 
sudden sense of delight and spiritual refreshment.
     9. At other times, again, they come when the soul repeats or 
hears some word, perhaps from Scripture or possibly from some 
other source; but they are not always equally efficacious and 
sensible, for oftentimes they are extremely faint; yet, however 
faint they may be, one of these recollections and touches of God 
is more profitable to the soul than many other kinds of knowledge 
or many meditations upon the creatures and the works of God. And, 
since these manifestations of knowledge come to the soul suddenly, 
and independently of its own free will, it must neither desire to 
have them, nor desire not to have them; but must merely be humble 
and resigned concerning them, and God will perform His work how 
and when He wills.
     10. And I say not that the soul should behave in the same 
negative manner with regard to these apprehensions as with regard 
to the rest, for, as we have said, they are a part of the union 
towards which we are leading the soul, to which end we are 
teaching it to detach and strip itself of all other apprehensions. 
And the means by which God will do this must be humility and 
suffering for love of God with resignation as regards all reward; 
for these favours are not granted to the soul which still 
cherishes attachments, inasmuch as they are granted through a very 
special love of God toward the soul which loves Him likewise with 
great detachment. It is to this that the Son of God referred, in 
Saint John, when He said: Qui autem diligit rag, diligetur a Patre 
meo, et ego diligam eum, et manifestabo ei me ipsum.[439] Which 
signifies: He that loves Me shall be loved by My Father, and I 
will love him and will manifest Myself to him. Herein are included 
the kinds of knowledge and touches to which we are referring, 
which God manifests to the soul that truly loves Him.
     11. The second kind of knowledge or vision of interior truths 
is very different from this that we have described, since it is of 
things lower than God. And herein is included the perception of 
the truth of things in themselves, and that of the events and 
happenings which come to pass among men. And this knowledge is of 
such a kind that, when the soul learns these truths, they sink 
into it, independently of any suggestion from without, to such an 
extent that, although it may be given a different interpretation 
of them, it cannot make inward assent to this, even though it 
endeavor to do so by putting forth a great effort; for within the 
spirit it is learning otherwise through the spirit that is 
teaching it that thing, which is equivalent to seeing it clearly. 
This pertains to the spirit of prophecy and to the grace which 
Saint Paul calls the gift of the discernment of spirits.[440] Yet, 
although the soul holds something which it understands to be quite 
certain and true, as we have said, and although it may be unable 
to cease giving it that passive interior consent, it must not 
therefore cease to believe and to give the consent of reason to 
that which its spiritual director tells it and commands it, even 
though this may be quite contrary to its own feelings, so that it 
may be directed in faith to Divine union, to which a soul must 
journey by believing rather than by understanding.
     12. Concerning both these things we have clear testimonies in 
Scripture. For, with respect to the spiritual knowledge of things 
that may be acquired, the Wise Man says these words: Ipse dedit 
mihi horum, quae sunt, scientiam veram, ut sciam dispositionem 
orbis terrarum, et virtutes elementorum, initium et consummationem 
temporum, viccissitudinum permutationes, et consummationes 
temporum, et morum mutationes, divisiones temporum, et anni 
cursus, et stellarum dispositiones, naturas animalium et iras 
bestiarum, vim ventorum, et cogitationes hominum, differentias 
virgultorum, et virtutes radicum, et quaecumque sunt abscondita, 
et improvisa didici: omnium enim artifex docuit me sapientia.[441] 
Which signifies: God hath given me true knowledge of things that 
are: to know the disposition of the round world[442] and the virtues 
of the elements; the beginning, and ending, and midst of the 
times, the alterations in the changes and the consummations of the 
seasons, and the changes of customs, the divisions of the seasons, 
the courses of the year and the dispositions of the stars; the 
natures of animals, and the furies of the beasts, the strength and 
virtue of the winds, and the thoughts of men; the diversities in 
plants and trees and the virtues of roots and all things that are 
hidden, and those that are not foreseen: all these I learned, for 
Wisdom, which is the worker of all things, taught me. And although 
this knowledge which the Wise Man here says that God gave him 
concerning all things was infused and general, the passage quoted 
furnishes sufficient evidence for all particular kinds of 
knowledge which God infuses into souls, by supernatural means, 
when He wills. And this not that He may give them a general habit 
of knowledge as He gave to Solomon in the matters aforementioned; 
but that He may reveal to them at times certain truths with 
respect to any of all these things that the Wise Man here 
enumerates. Although it is true that into many souls Our Lord 
infuses habits which relate to many things, yet these are never of 
so general a kind as they were in the case of Solomon. The 
differences between them are like to those between the gifts 
distributed by God which are enumerated by Saint Paul; among these 
he sets wisdom, knowledge, faith, prophecy, discernment or 
knowledge of spirits, understanding of tongues, interpretation of 
spoken words, etc.[443] All these kinds of knowledge are infused 
habits, which God gives freely to whom He will, whether naturally 
or supernaturally; naturally, as to Balaam, to other idolatrous 
prophets and to many sybils, to whom He gave the spirit of 
prophecy; and supernaturally, as to the holy prophets and apostles 
and other saints.
     13. But over and above these habits or graces freely 
bestowed,[444] what we say is that persons who are perfect or are 
making progress in perfection are wont very commonly to receive 
enlightenment and knowledge of things present or absent; these 
they know through their spirit, which is already enlightened and 
purged. We can interpret that passage from the Proverbs in this 
sense, namely: Quomodo in aquis resplendent vultus prospicientium 
sic corda hominum manifesta sunt proudentibus.[445] Even as there 
appear in the waters the faces of those that look therein, so the 
hearts of men are manifest to the prudent. This is understood of 
those that have the wisdom of saints, which the sacred Scripture 
calls prudence. And in this way these spirits sometimes learn of 
other things also, although not whensoever they will; for this 
belongs only to those that have the habit, and even to these it 
belongs not always and with respect to all things, for it depends 
upon God's will to help them.
     14. But it must be known that those whose spirits are purged 
can learn by natural means with great readiness, and some more 
readily than others, that which is in the inward spirit or heart, 
and the inclinations and talents of men, and this by outward 
indications, albeit very slight ones, as words, movements and 
other signs. For, even as the devil can do this, since he is 
spirit, even so likewise can the spiritual man, according to the 
words of the Apostle, who says: Spiritualis autem judicat 
omnia.[446] 'He that is spiritual judgeth all things.' And again he 
says: Spiritus enim omnia scrutatur, etiam profunda Dei.[447] 'The 
spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.' 
Wherefore, although spiritual persons cannot by nature know 
thoughts, or things that are in the minds of others,[448] they may 
well interpret them through supernatural enlightenment or by 
signs. And, although they may often be deceived in their 
interpretation of signs, they are more generally correct. Yet we 
must trust neither to the one means nor to the other, for the 
devil meddles herein greatly, and with much subtlety, as we shall 
afterwards say, and thus we must ever renounce such kinds of 
knowledge.
     15. And that spiritual persons may have knowledge of the 
deeds and happenings of men, even though they be elsewhere, we 
have witness and example in the Fourth Book of the Kings, where 
Giezi, the servant of our father Eliseus, desired to hide from him 
the money which he had received from Naaman the Syrian, and 
Eliseus said: Nonne cor meum in praesenti erat, quando reversus 
est homo de curru suo in occursum tui?[449] 'Was not my heart 
perchance present, when Naaman turned back from his chariot and 
went to meet thee? This happens spiritually; the spirit sees it as 
though it were happening in its presence. And the same thing is 
proved in the same book, where we read likewise of the same 
Eliseus, that, knowing all that the King of Syria did with his 
princes in his privy chamber, he told it to the King of Israel, 
and thus the counsels of the King of Syria were of no effect; so 
much so that, when the King of Syria saw that all was known, he 
said to his people: Why do ye not tell me which of you is 
betraying me to the King of Israel? And then one of his servants 
said: Nequaquam, Domine mi Rex, sed Eliseus Propheta, qui est in 
Israel, indicat Regi Israel omnia verba, quaecumque locutus fueris 
in conclavi tuo.[450] 'It is not so, my lord, O King, but Eliseus, 
the prophet that is in Israel, telleth the king of Israel all the 
words that thou speakest in thy privy chamber.'
     16. Both kinds of this knowledge of things, as well as other 
kinds of knowledge, come to pass in the soul passively, so that 
for its own part it does naught. For it will come to pass that, 
when a person is inattentive to a matter and it is far from his 
mind, there will come to him a vivid understanding of what he is 
hearing or reading, and that much more clearly than could be 
conveyed by the sound of the words; and at times, though he 
understand not the words, as when they are in Latin and he knows 
not that tongue, the knowledge of their meaning comes to him, 
despite his not understanding them.
     17. With regard to the deceptions which the devil can bring 
about, and does bring about, concerning this kind of knowledge and 
understanding, there is much that might be said, for the 
deceptions which he effects in this way are very great and very 
difficult to unmask. Inasmuch as, through suggestion, he can 
represent to the soul many kinds of intellectual knowledge and 
implant them so firmly that it appears impossible that they should 
not be true, he will certainly cause the soul to believe 
innumerable falsehoods if it be not humble and cautious. For 
suggestion has sometimes great power over the soul, above all when 
it is to some extent aided by the weakness of sense, causing the 
knowledge which it conveys to sink into the soul with such great 
power, persuasiveness and determination that the soul needs to 
give itself earnestly to prayer and to exert great strength if it 
is to cast it off. For at times the devil is accustomed to 
represent to the soul the sins of others, and evil consciences and 
evil souls, falsely but very vividly, and all this he does to harm 
the soul, trusting that it may spread abroad his revelations, and 
that thus more sins may be committed, for which reason he fills 
the soul with zeal by making it believe that these revelations are 
granted it so that it may commend the persons concerned to God. 
Now, though it is true that God sometimes sets before holy souls 
the necessities of their neighbours, so that they may commend them 
to God or relieve them, even as we read that He revealed to 
Jeremias the weakness of the prophet Baruch, that he might give 
him counsel concerning it,[451] yet it is more often the devil who 
does this, and speaks falsely about it, in order to cause infamy, 
sin and discouragement, whereof we have very great experience. And 
at other times he implants other kinds of knowledge with great 
assurance, and persuades the soul to believe them.
     18. Such knowledge as this, whether it be of God or no, can 
be of very little assistance to the progress of the soul on its 
journey to God if the soul desire it and be attached to it; on the 
contrary, if it were not scrupulous in rejecting it, not only 
would it be hindered on its road, but it would even be greatly 
harmed and led far astray. For all the perils and inconveniences 
which, as we have said, may be involved in the supernatural 
apprehensions whereof we have treated up to this point, may occur 
here, and more also. I will not, therefore, treat more fully of 
this matter here, since sufficient instruction about it has 
already been given in past chapters; I will only say that the soul 
must always be very scrupulous in rejecting these things, and seek 
to journey to God by the way of unknowing; and must ever relate 
its experiences to its spiritual confessor, and be ever attentive 
to his counsel. Let the confessor guide the soul past this, laying 
no stress upon it, for it is of no kind of importance for the road 
to union; for when these things are granted to the soul passively 
they always leave in it such effect as God wills shall remain, 
without necessity for the soul to exert any diligence in the 
matter. And thus it seems to me that there is no reason to 
describe here either the effect which is produced by true 
knowledge, or that which comes from false knowledge, for this 
would be wearisome and never-ending. For the effects of this 
knowledge cannot all be described in a brief instruction, the 
knowledge being great and greatly varied, and its effects being so 
likewise, since good knowledge produces good effects, and evil 
knowledge, evil effects, etc. In saying that all should be 
rejected, we have said sufficient for the soul not to go astray.


                          CHAPTER XXVII

     Which treats of the second kind of revelation, namely, the 
disclosure of hidden secrets. Describes the way in which these may 
assist the soul toward union with God, and the way in which they 
may be a hindrance; and how the devil may deceive the soul greatly 
in this matter.

     WE were saying that the second kind of revelation was the 
manifestation of hidden mysteries and secrets. This may come to 
pass in two ways. The first with respect to that which God is in 
Himself, wherein is included the revelation of the mystery of the 
Most Holy Trinity and Unity of God. The second is with respect to 
that which God is in His works, and herein are included the other 
articles of our Catholic faith, and the propositions deducible 
from them which may be laid down explicitly as truths. In these 
are included and comprised a great number of the revelations of 
the prophets, of promises and threatenings of God, and of other 
things which have happened and shall happen concerning this matter 
of faith. Under this second head we may also include many other 
particular things which God habitually reveals, both concerning 
the universe in general as also in particular concerning kingdoms, 
provinces and states and families and particular persons. Of these 
we have examples in abundance in the Divine writings, both of the 
one kind and of the other, especially in all the Prophets, wherein 
are found revelations of all these kinds. As this is a clear and 
plain matter, I will not here spend time in quoting these 
examples, but will only say that these revelations do not come to 
pass by word alone, but that God gives them in many ways and 
manners, sometimes by word alone, sometimes by signs and figures 
alone, and by images and similitudes alone, sometimes in more than 
one way at once, as is likewise to be seen in the Prophets, 
particularly throughout the Apocalypse, where we find not only all 
the kinds of revelation which we have described, but likewise the 
ways and manners to which we are here referring.
     2. As to these revelations which are included under our 
second head, God grants them still in our time to whom He will. He 
is wont, for example, to reveal to some persons how many days they 
still have to live, or what trials they are to suffer, or what is 
to befall such and such a person, or such and such a kingdom, etc. 
And even as regards the mysteries of our faith, He will reveal and 
expound to the spirit the truths concerning them, although, since 
this has already been revealed once, it is not properly to be 
termed revelation, but is more correctly a manifestation or 
explanation of what has been revealed already.
     3. In this kind of revelation the devil may meddle freely. 
For, as revelations of this nature come ordinarily through words, 
figures and similitudes, etc., the devil may very readily 
counterfeit others like them, much more so than when the 
revelations are in spirit alone. Wherefore, if with regard to the 
first and the second kind of revelation which we are here 
describing, as touching our faith, there be revealed to us 
anything new, or different, we must in no wise give our consent to 
it, even though we had evidence that it was spoken by an angel 
from Heaven. For even so says Saint Paul, in these words: Licet 
nos, gut Angelus de coelo evangelizet vobis praeterquam quod 
evangelizavimus vobis, anathema sit.[452] Which signifies: Even 
though an angel from Heaven declare or preach unto you aught else 
than that which we have preached unto you, let him be anathema.
     4. Since, then, there are no more articles to be revealed 
concerning the substance of our faith than those which have 
already been revealed to the Church, not only must anything new 
which may be revealed to the soul concerning this be rejected, but 
it behoves the soul to be cautious and pay no heed to any 
novelties implied therein, and for the sake of the purity of the 
soul it behoves it to rely on faith alone. Even though the truths 
already revealed to it be revealed again, it will believe them, 
not because they are now revealed anew, but because they have 
already been sufficiently revealed to the Church: indeed, it must 
close its understanding to them, holding simply to the doctrine of 
the Church and to its faith, which, as Saint Paul says, enters 
through hearing.[453] And let not its credence and intellectual 
assent be given to these matters of the faith which have been 
revealed anew, however fitting and true they may seem to it, if it 
desire not to be deceived. For, in order to deceive the soul and 
to instil falsehoods into it, the devil first feeds it with truths 
and things that are probable in order to give it assurance and 
afterwards to deceive it. He resembles one that sews leather with 
a bristle, first piercing the leather with the sharp bristle, 
after which enters the soft thread; the thread could not enter 
unless the bristle guided it.
     5. And let this be considered carefully; for, even were it 
true that there was no peril in such deception, yet it greatly 
behoves the soul not to desire to understand clearly things that 
have respect to the faith, so that it may preserve the merit of 
faith, in its purity and entirety, and likewise that it may come, 
in this night of the understanding, to the Divine light of Divine 
union. And it is equally necessary to consider any new revelation 
with ones eyes closed, and holding fast the prophecies of old, for 
the Apostle Saint Peter, though he had seen the glory of the Son 
of God after some manner on Mount Tabor, wrote, in his canonical 
epistle, these words: Et habemus firmiorem propheticum sermonem; 
cui bene factitis attendentes, etc.[454] Which is as though he had 
said: Although the vision that we have seen of Christ on the Mount 
is true, the word of the prophecy that is revealed to us is firmer 
and surer, and, if ye rest your soul upon it, ye do well.
     6. And if it is true that, for the reasons already described, 
it behoves the soul to close its eyes to the aforementioned 
revelations which come to it, and which concern the propositions 
of the faith, how much more necessary will it be neither to 
receive nor to give credit to other revelations relating to 
different things, wherein the devil habitually meddles so freely 
that I believe it impossible for a man not to be deceived in many 
of them unless he strive to reject them, such an appearance of 
truth and security does the devil give them? For he brings 
together so many appearances and probabilities, in order that they 
may be believed, and plants them so firmly in the sense and the 
imagination, that it seems to the person affected that what he 
says will certainly happen; and in such a way does he cause the 
soul to grasp and hold them, that, if it have not humility, it 
will hardly be persuaded to reject them and made to believe the 
contrary. Wherefore, the soul that is pure, cautious, simple and 
humble must resist revelations and other visions with as much 
effort and care as though they were very perilous temptations. For 
there is no need to desire them; on the contrary, there is need 
not too desire them, if we are to reach the union of love. It is 
this that Solomon meant when he said: 'What need has a man to 
desire and seek things that are above his natural capacity?'[455] As 
though we were to say: He has no necessity, in order to be 
perfect, to desire supernatural things by supernatural means, 
which are above his capacity.
     7. And as the objections that can be made to this have 
already been answered, in the nineteenth and twentieth chapter of 
this book, I refer the reader to these, saying only that the soul 
must keep itself from all revelations in order to journey, in 
purity and without error, in the night of faith, to union.


                         CHAPTER XXVIII

     Which treats of interior locutions that may come to the 
spirit supernaturally. Says of what kinds they are.

     THE discreet reader has ever need to bear in mind the intent 
and end which I have in this book, which is the direction of the 
soul, through all its apprehensions, natural and supernatural, 
without deception or hindrance, in purity of faith, to Divine 
union with God. If he does this, he will understand that, although 
with respect to apprehensions of the soul and the doctrine that I 
am expounding I give not such copious instruction neither do I 
particularize so much or make so many divisions as the 
understanding perchance requires, I am not being over-brief in 
this matter. For with respect to all this I believe that 
sufficient cautions, explanations and instructions are given for 
the soul to be enabled to behave prudently in every contingency, 
outward or inward, so as to make progress. And this is the reason 
why I have so briefly dismissed the subject of prophetic 
apprehensions and the other subjects allied to it; for there is so 
much more to be said of each of them, according to the differences 
and the ways and manners that are wont to be observed in each, 
that I believe one could never know it all perfectly. I am content 
that, as I believe, the substance and the doctrine thereof have 
been given, and the soul has been warned of the caution which it 
behoves it to exercise in this respect, and also concerning all 
other things of the same kind that may come to pass within it.
     2. I will now follow the same course with regard to the third 
kind of apprehension, which, we said, was that of supernatural 
locutions, which are apt to come to the spirits of spiritual 
persons without the intervention of any bodily sense. These, 
although they are of many kinds, may, I believe, all be reduced to 
three, namely: successive, formal and substantial. I describe as 
successive certain words and arguments which the spirit is wont to 
form and fashion when it is inwardly recollected. Formal words are 
certain clear and distinct words[456] which the spirit receives, not 
from itself, but from a third person, sometimes when it is 
recollected and sometimes when it is not. Substantial words are 
others which also come to the spirit formally, sometimes when it 
is recollected and sometimes when it is not; these cause in the 
substance of the soul that substance and virtue which they 
signify. All these we shall here proceed to treat in their order.


                          CHAPTER XXIX

     Which treats of the first kind of words that the recollected 
spirit sometimes forms within itself. Describes the cause of these 
and the profit and the harm which there may be in them.

     These successive words always come when the spirit is 
recollected and absorbed very attentively in some meditation; and, 
in its reflections upon that same matter whereon it is thinking, 
it proceeds from one stage to another, forming words and arguments 
which are very much to the point, with great facility and 
distinctiveness, and by means of its reasoning discovers things 
which it knew not with respect to the subject of its reflections, 
so that it seems not to be doing this itself, but rather it seems 
that another person is supplying the reasoning within its mind or 
answering its questions or teaching it. And in truth it has good 
cause for thinking this, for the soul itself is reasoning with 
itself and answering itself as though it were two persons 
convening together; and in some ways this is really so; for, 
although it is the spirit itself that works as an instrument, the 
Holy Spirit oftentimes aids it to produce and form those true 
reasonings, words and conceptions. And thus it utters them to 
itself as though to a third person. For, as at that time the 
understanding is recollected and united with the truth of that 
whereon it is thinking, and the Divine Spirit is likewise united 
with it in that truth, as it is always united in all truth, it 
follows that, when the understanding communicates in this way with 
the Divine Spirit by means of this truth, it begins to form within 
itself, successively, those other truths which are connected with 
that whereon it is thinking, the door being opened to it and 
illumination being given to it continually by the Holy Spirit Who 
teaches it. For this is one of the ways wherein the Holy Spirit 
teaches.
     2. And when the understanding is illumined and taught in this 
way by this master, and comprehends these truths, it begins of its 
own accord to form the words which relate to the truths that are 
communicated to it from elsewhere. So that we may say that the 
voice is the voice of Jacob and the hands are the hand of Esau.[457] 
And one that is in this condition will be unable to believe that 
this is so, but will think that the sayings and the words come 
from a third person. For such a one knows not the facility with 
which the understanding can form words inwardly, as though they 
came from a third person, and having reference to conceptions and 
truths which have in fact been communicated to it by a third 
person.
     3. And although it is true that, in this communication and 
enlightenment of the understanding, no deception is produced in 
the soul itself, nevertheless, deception may, and does, frequently 
occur in the formal words and reasonings which the understanding 
bases upon it. For, inasmuch as this illumination which it 
receives is at times very subtle and spiritual, so that the 
understanding cannot attain to a clear apprehension of it, and it 
is the understanding that, as we say, forms the reasonings of its 
own accord, it follows that those which it forms are frequently 
false, and on other occasions are only apparently true, or are 
imperfect. For since at the outset the soul began to seize the 
truth, and then brought into play the skilfulness or the 
clumsiness of its own weak understanding, its perception of the 
truth may easily be modified by the instability of its own 
faculties of comprehension, and act all the time exactly as though 
a third person were speaking.
     4. I knew a person who had these successive locutions: among 
them were some very true and substantial ones concerning the most 
holy Sacrament of the Eucharist, but others were sheer heresy. And 
I am appalled at what happens in these days -- namely, when some 
soul with the very smallest experience[458] of meditation, if it be 
conscious of certain locutions of this kind in some state of 
recollection, at once christens them all as coming from God, and 
assumes that this is the case, saying: 'God said to me . . .'; 
'God answered me . . .'; whereas it is not so at all, but, as we 
have said, it is for the most part they who are saying these 
things to themselves.
     5. And, over and above this, the desire which people have for 
locutions, and the pleasure which comes to their spirits from 
them, lead them to make answer to themselves and then to think 
that it is God Who is answering them and speaking to them. They 
therefore commit great blunders unless they impose a strict 
restraint upon themselves, and unless their director obliges them 
to abstain from these kinds of reflection. For they are apt to 
gain from them mere nonsensical talk and impurity of soul rather 
than humility and mortification of spirit, if they think, 'This 
was indeed a great thing' and 'God was speaking'; whereas it will 
have been little more than nothing, or nothing at all, or less 
than nothing. For, if humility and charity be not engendered by 
such experiences, and mortification and holy simplicity and 
silence, etc., what can be the value of them? I say, then, that 
these things may hinder the soul greatly in its progress to Divine 
union because, if it pay heed to them, it is led far astray from 
the abyss of faith, where the understanding must remain in 
darkness, and must journey in darkness, by love and in faith, and 
not by much reasoning.
     6. And if you ask me why the understanding must be deprived 
of these truths, since through them it is illumined by the Spirit 
of God, and thus they[459] cannot be evil, I reply that the Holy 
Spirit illumines the understanding which is recollected, and 
illumines it according to the manner of its recollection,[460] and 
that the understanding cannot find any other and greater 
recollection than in faith; and thus the Holy Spirit will illumine 
it in naught more than in faith. For the purer and the more 
refined in faith is the soul, the more it has of the infused 
charity of God; and the more charity it has, the more is it 
illumined and the more gifts of the Holy Spirit are communicated 
to it, for charity is the cause and the means whereby they are 
communicated to it. And although it is true that, in this 
illumination of truths, the Holy Spirit communicates a certain 
light to the soul, this is nevertheless as different in quality 
from that which is in faith, wherein is no clear understanding, as 
is the most precious gold from the basest metal; and, with regard 
to its quantity, the one is as much greater than the other as the 
sea is greater than a drop of water. For in the one manner there 
is communicated to the soul wisdom concerning one or two or three 
truths, etc., but in the other there is communicated to it all the 
wisdom of God in general, which is the Son of God, Who 
communicates Himself to the soul in faith.
     7. And if you tell me that this is all good, and that the one 
impedes not the other, I reply that it impedes it greatly if the 
soul sets store by it; for to do this is to occupy itself with 
things which are clear and of little importance, yet which are 
sufficient to hinder the communication of the abyss of faith, 
wherein God supernaturally and secretly instructs the soul, and 
exalts it in virtues and gifts in a way that it knows not. And the 
profit which these successive communications will bring us cannot 
come by our deliberately applying the understanding to them, for 
if we do this they will rather lead us astray, even as Wisdom says 
to the soul in the Songs: 'Turn away thine eyes from me, for they 
make me to fly away.'[461] That is so say: They make me to fly far 
away from thee and to set myself higher. We must therefore not 
apply the understanding to that which is being supernaturally 
communicated to it, but simply and sincerely apply the will to God 
with love, for it is through love that these good things are 
communicated and through love they will be communicated in greater 
abundance than before. For if the ability of the natural 
understanding or of other faculties be brought actively to bear 
upon these things which are communicated supernaturally and 
passively, its imperfect nature will not reach them, and thus they 
will perforce be modified according to the capacity of the 
understanding, and consequently will perforce be changed; and thus 
the understanding will necessarily go astray and begin to form 
reasonings within itself, and there will no longer be anything 
supernatural or any semblance thereof, but all will be merely 
natural and most erroneous and unworthy.
     8. But there are certain types of understanding so quick and 
subtle that, when they become recollected during some meditation, 
they invent conceptions, and begin naturally, and with great 
facility, to form these conceptions into the most lifelike words 
and arguments, which they think, without any doubt, come from God. 
Yet all the time they come only from the understanding, which, 
with its natural illumination, being to some extent freed from the 
operation of the senses, is able to effect all this, and more, 
without any supernatural aid. This happens very commonly, and many 
persons are greatly deceived by it, thinking that they have 
attained to a high degree of prayer and are receiving 
communications from God, wherefore they either write this down or 
cause it to be written. And it turns out to be nothing, and to 
have the substance of no virtue, and it serves only to encourage 
them in vanity.
     9. Let these persons learn to be intent upon naught, save 
only upon grounding the will in humble love, working diligently, 
suffering and thus imitating the Son of God in His life and 
mortifications, for it is by this road that a man will come to all 
spiritual good, rather than by much inward reasoning.
     10. In this type of locution -- namely, in successive 
interior words -- the devil frequently intervenes, especially in 
the case of such as have some inclination or affection for them. 
At times when such persons begin to be recollected, the devil is 
accustomed to offer them ample material for distractions, forming 
conceptions or words by suggestion in their understanding, and 
then corrupting[462] and deceiving it most subtly with things that 
have every appearance of being true. And this is one of the 
manners wherein he communicates with those who have made some 
implicit or expressed compact with him; as with certain heretics, 
especially with certain heresiarchs, whose understanding he fills 
with most subtle, false and erroneous conceptions and arguments.
     11. From what has been said, it is evident that these 
successive locutions may proceed in the understanding from three 
causes, namely: from the Divine Spirit, Who moves and illumines 
the understanding; from the natural illumination of the same 
understanding; and from the devil, who may speak to the soul by 
suggestion. To describe now the signs and indications by which a 
man may know when they proceed from one cause and when from 
another would be somewhat difficult, as also to give examples and 
indications. It is quite possible, however, to give some general 
signs, which are these. When in its words and conceptions the soul 
finds itself loving God, and at the same time is conscious not 
only of love but also of humility and reverence, it is a sign that 
the Holy Spirit is working within it, for, whensoever He grants 
favours, He grants them with this accompaniment.[463] When the 
locutions proceed solely from the vivacity and brilliance of the 
understanding, it is the understanding that accomplishes 
everything, without the operation of the virtues (although the 
will, in the knowledge and illumination of those truths, may love 
naturally); and, when the meditation is over, the will remains 
dry, albeit inclined neither to vanity nor to evil, unless the 
devil should tempt it afresh about this matter. This, however, is 
not the case when the locutions have been prompted by a good 
spirit; for then, as a rule, the will is afterwards affectioned to 
God and inclined to well-doing. At certain times, nevertheless, it 
will happen that, although the communication has been the work of 
a good spirit, the will remains in aridity, since God ordains it 
so for certain causes which are of assistance to the soul. At 
other times the soul will not be very conscious of the operations 
or motions of those virtues, yet that which it has experienced 
will be good. Wherefore I say that the difference between these 
locutions is sometimes difficult to recognize, by reason of the 
varied effects which they produce; but these which have now been 
described are the most common, although sometimes they occur in 
greater abundance and sometimes in less. But those that come from 
the devil are sometimes difficult to understand and recognize, 
for, although it is true that as a rule they leave the will in 
aridity with respect to love of God, and the mind inclined to 
vanity, self-esteem or complacency, nevertheless they sometimes 
inspire the soul with a false humility and a fervent affection of 
the will rooted in self-love, so that at times a person must be 
extremely spiritually-minded to recognize it. And this the devil 
does in order the better to protect himself; for he knows very 
well how sometimes to produce tears by the feelings which he 
inspires in a soul, in order that he may continue to implant in it 
the affections that he desires. But he always strives to move its 
will so that it may esteem those interior communications, attach 
great importance to them, and, as a result, give itself up to them 
and be occupied in that which is not virtue, but is rather the 
occasion of losing virtue as the soul may have.
     12. Let us remember, then, this necessary caution, both as to 
the one type of locution and as to the other, so that we may not 
be deceived or hindered by them. Let us treasure none of them, but 
think only of learning to direct our will determinedly to God, 
fulfilling His law and His holy counsels perfectly, which is the 
wisdom of the Saints, and contenting ourselves with knowing the 
mysteries and truths
      with the simplicity and truth wherewith the Church sets them 
before us. For this is sufficient to enkindle the will greatly, so 
that we need not pry into other deep and curious things wherein it 
is a wonder if there is no peril. For with respect to this Saint 
Paul says: It is not fitting to know more than it behoves us[464] to 
know.[465] And let this suffice with respect to this matter of 
successive words.


                           CHAPTER XXX

     Which treats of the interior words that come to the spirit 
formally by supernatural means. Warns the reader of the harm which 
they may do and of the caution that is necessary in order that the 
soul may not be deceived by them.

     THE interior words belonging to the second type are formal 
words, which at certain times come to the spirit by supernatural 
means, without the intervention of any of the senses, sometimes 
when the spirit is recollected and at other times when it is not. 
I call them formal because they are communicated to the spirit 
formally by a third person, the spirit itself playing no part in 
this. And they are therefore very different from those which we 
have just described; because not only is there this difference, 
that they come without any such intervention of the spirit itself 
as takes place in the other case; but also, as I say, they 
sometimes come when the spirit is not recollected and even when it 
is far from thinking of the subject of what is being said to it. 
This is not so in the first type of locution -- namely, that of 
successive words -- which always has some relation to the subject 
which the soul is considering.
     2. These words are sometimes very clearly formed and 
sometimes less so; for they are frequently like conceptions in 
which something is said to the spirit, whether in the form of a 
reply to it or in that of another manner of address. Sometimes 
there is only one word; sometimes there are two or more; sometimes 
the words succeed one another like those already described, for 
they are apt to be continuous, either instructing the soul or 
discussing something with it; and all this comes to pass without 
any part being played therein by the spirit, for it is just as 
though one person were speaking with another. In this way, we 
read, it came to pass with Daniel, who says that the angel spoke 
within him.[466] This was a formal and successive discourse within 
his spirit, which instructed him, even as the angel declared at 
the time, saying that he had come to instruct him.
     3. When these words are no more than formal, the effect which 
they produce upon the soul is not great. For ordinarily they serve 
only to instruct or illumine with respect to one thing; and, in 
order to produce this effect, it is not necessary that they should 
produce any other effect more efficacious than the purpose to 
which they are leading. And when they are of God they invariably 
work this in the soul; for they make it ready and quick to do that 
which it is commanded or instructed to do; yet at times they take 
not from it the repugnance or the difficulty which it feels, but 
are rather wont to increase these, according as God ordains for 
the better instruction, increased humility and greater good of the 
soul. And this repugnance most commonly occurs when the soul is 
commanded to do things of a high order, or things of a kind that 
may exalt it; when things are commanded it that conduce to its 
greater lowliness and humility, it responds with more readiness 
and ease. And thus we read in Exodus that, when God commanded 
Moses to go to Pharao and driver the people, he showed such great 
repugnance that He had to command him three times to do it and to 
perform signs for him; and all this was of no avail until God gave 
him Aaron for a companion to take part of the honour.[467]
     4. When, on the other hand, the words and communications are 
of the devil, it comes to pass that the soul responds with more 
ease and readiness to things that are of greater weight,[468] and 
for lowlier things it conceives repugnance. The fact is that God 
so greatly abhors seeing souls attracted by high position that, 
even when He commands and obliges them to accept such positions, 
He desires them not to be ready and anxious to command. It is this 
readiness which God commonly inspires in the soul, through these 
formal words, that constitutes one great difference between them 
and those other successive words: the latter move not the spirit 
so much, neither do they inspire it with such readiness, since 
they are less formal, and since the understanding has more to do 
with them. Nevertheless successive words may sometimes produce a 
greater effect by reason of the close communication that there is 
at times between the Divine Spirit and the human. It is in the 
manner of their coming that there is a great difference between 
the two kinds of locution. With respect to formal words the soul 
can have no doubt as to whether or no it is pronouncing them 
itself, for it sees quite ready that it is not, especially when it 
has not been thinking of the subject of that which has been said 
to it; and even when it has been so thinking it feels very clearly 
and distinctly that the words come from elsewhere.
     5. The soul must no more attach importance to all these 
formal words than to the other, or successive, words; for, apart 
from the fact that to do so would occupy the spirit with that 
which is not a legitimate and proximate means to union with God -- 
namely, faith -- it might also very easily cause it to be deceived 
by the devil. For sometimes it is hardly possible to know what 
words are spoken by a good spirit, and what by an evil spirit. By 
their effects they can hardly be distinguished at all, since 
neither kind produces effects of much importance: sometimes, 
indeed, with imperfect souls, words which come from the devil have 
more efficacy than have these others, which come from a good 
spirit, with souls that are spiritual. The soul, then, must take 
no account of what these words may express, nor attach any 
importance to them, whether the spirit from which they come be 
good or evil. But the words must be repeated to an experienced 
confessor, or to a discreet and learned person, that he may give 
instruction and see what it is well to do, and impart his advice; 
and the soul must behave, with regard to them, in a resigned and 
negative way. And, if such an expert person cannot be found, it is 
better to attach no importance to these words and to repeat them 
to nobody; for it is easy to find persons who will ruin the soul 
rather than edify it. Souls must not be given into the charge of 
any kind of director, since in so grave a matter it is of the 
greatest importance whether one goes astray or acts rightly.
     6. And let it be carefully noted that a soul should never act 
according to its own opinion or accept anything of what these 
locutions express, without much reflection and without taking 
advice of another. For strange and subtle deceptions may arise in 
this matter; so much so that I myself believe that the soul that 
does not set itself against accepting such things cannot fail to 
be deceived by many of them.
     7. And since we have treated of these deceptions and perils, 
and of the caution to be observed with regard to them, in Chapters 
seventeen, eighteen, nineteen and twenty of this book, I refer the 
reader to these and say no more on this matter here; I only repeat 
that my chief instruction is that the soul should attach no 
importance to these things in any way.


                          CHAPTER XXXI

     Which treats of the substantial words that come interiorly to 
the spirit. Describes the difference between them and formal 
words, and the profit which they bring and the resignation and 
respect which the soul must observe with regard to them.[469]

     THE third kind of interior words, we said, is called 
substantial. These substantial words, although they are likewise 
formal, since they are impressed upon the soul in a definitely 
formal way, differ, nevertheless, in that substantial words 
produce vivid and substantial effects upon the soul, whereas words 
which are merely formal do not. So that, although it is true that 
every substantial word is formal, every formal word is not 
therefore substantial, but only, as we said above, such a word as 
impresses substantially on the soul that which it signifies. It is 
as if Our Lord were to say formally to the soul: 'Be thou good'; 
it would then be substantially good. Or as if He were to say to 
it: 'Love thou Me'; it would then have and feel within itself the 
substance of love for God. Or as if it feared greatly and He said 
to it: 'Fear thou not'; it would at once feel within itself great 
fortitude and tranquility. For the saying of God, and His word, as 
the Wise Man says, is full of power;[470] and thus that which He 
says to the soul He produces substantially within it. For it is 
this that David meant when he said: 'See, He will give to His 
voice a voice of virtue.'[471] And even so with Abraham, when He 
said to him: 'Walk in My presence and be perfect':[472] he was then 
perfect and walked ever in the fear of God. And this is the power 
of His word in the Gospel, wherewith He healed the sick, raised 
the dead, etc., by no more than a word. And after this manner He 
gives certain souls locutions which are substantial; and they are 
of such moment and price that they are life and virtue and 
incomparable good to the soul; for one of these words works 
greater good within the soul than all that the soul itself has 
done throughout its life.
     2. With respect to these words, the soul should do nothing. 
It should neither desire them nor refrain from desiring them; it 
should neither reject them nor fear them. It should do nothing in 
the way of executing what these words express, for these 
substantial words are never pronounced by God in order that the 
soul may translate them into action, but that He may so translate 
them within the soul; herein they differ from formal and 
successive words. And I say that the soul must neither desire nor 
refrain from desiring, since its desire is not necessary for God 
to translate these words into effect, nor is it sufficient for the 
soul to refrain from desiring in order for the said effect not to 
be produced. Let the soul rather be resigned and humble with 
respect to them. It must not reject them, since the effect of 
these words remains substantially within it and is full of the 
good which comes from God. As the soul receives this good 
passively, its action is at no time of any importance. Nor should 
it fear any deception; for neither the understanding nor the devil 
can intervene herein, nor can they succeed in passively producing 
this substantial effect in the soul, in such a way that the effect 
and habit of the locution may be impressed upon it, unless the 
soul should have given itself to the devil by a voluntary compact, 
and he should have dwelt in it as its master, and impressed upon 
it these effects, not of good, but of evil. Inasmuch as that soul 
would be already voluntarily united to him in perversity, the 
devil might easily impress upon it the effects of his sayings and 
words with evil intent. For we see by experience that in many 
things and even upon good souls he works great violence, by means 
of suggestion, making his suggestions very efficacious; and if 
they were evil he might work in them the consummation of these 
suggestions. But he cannot leave upon a soul effects similar to 
those of locutions which are good; for there is no comparison 
between the locutions of the devil and those of God. The former 
are all as though they were not, in comparison with the latter, 
neither do they produce any effect at all compared with the effect 
of these. For this cause God says through Jeremias: 'What has the 
chaff to do with the wheat? Are not My words perchance as fire, 
and as a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?'[473] And thus 
these substantial words are greatly conducive to the union of the 
soul with God; and the more interior they are, the more 
substantial are they, and the greater is the profit that they 
bring. Happy is the soul to whom God addresses these words. Speak, 
Lord, for Thy servant heareth.[474]


                          CHAPTER XXXII

     Which treats of the apprehensions received by the 
understanding from interior feelings which come supernaturally to 
the soul. Describes their cause, and the manner wherein the soul 
must conduct itself so that they may not obstruct its road to 
union with God.

     IT is now time to treat of the fourth and last kind of 
intellectual apprehension which we said might come to the 
understanding through the spiritual feelings which are frequently 
produced supernaturally in the souls of spiritual persons and 
which we count amongst the distinct apprehensions of the 
understanding.
     2. These distinct spiritual feelings may be of two kinds. The 
first kind is in the affection of the will. The second, in the 
substance of the soul. Each of these may be of many kinds. Those 
of the will, when they are of God, are most sublime; but those 
that are of the substance of the soul are very high and of great 
good and profit. As to these, neither the soul nor he that treats 
with it can know or understand the cause whence they proceed, or 
what are the acts whereby God may grant it these favours; for they 
depend not upon any works performed by the soul, nor upon its 
meditations, although both these things are a good preparation for 
them: God grants these favours to whom He wills and for what 
reason He wills.[475] For it may come to pass that a person will 
have performed many good works, yet that He will not give him 
these touches of His favour; and another will have done far fewer 
good works, yet He will give him them to a most sublime degree and 
in great abundance. And thus it is not needful that the soul 
should be actually employed and occupied in spiritual things 
(although it is much better that it should be so employed if it is 
to have these favours) for God to give it these touches in which 
the soul experiences the said feelings; for in the majority of 
cases the soul is completely heedless of them. Of these touches, 
some are distinct and pass quickly away; others are less distinct 
and last longer.
     3. These feelings, inasmuch as they are feelings only, belong 
not to the understanding but to the will; and thus I refrain, of 
set purpose, from treating of them here, nor shall I do so until 
we treat of the night and purgation of the will in its affections: 
this will be in the third book, which follows this.[476] But since 
frequently, and even in the majority of cases, apprehensions and 
knowledge and intelligence overflow from them into the 
understanding, it would be well to make mention of them here, for 
that reason only. It must be known, then, that from these 
feelings, both from those of the will and from those which are in 
the substance of the soul, whether they are caused suddenly by the 
touches of God, or are durable and successive, an apprehension of 
knowledge or intelligence frequently overflows, as I say, into the 
understanding; and this is normally a most sublime perception of 
God, most delectable to the understanding, to which no name can be 
given, any more than to the feeling whence it overflows. And these 
manifestations of knowledge are sometimes of one kind and 
sometimes of another; sometimes they are clearer and more sublime, 
according to the nature of the touches which come from God and 
which produce the feelings whence they proceed, and according also 
to their individual characteristics.
     4. It is unnecessary here to spend a great store of words in 
cautioning and directing the understanding, through these 
manifestations of knowledge, in faith, to union with God. For 
albeit the feelings which we have described are produced passively 
in the soul, without any effective assistance to that end on its 
own part, even so likewise is the knowledge of them received 
passively in the understanding, in a way called by the 
philosophers 'passible,' wherein the understanding plays no part. 
Wherefore, in order not to go astray on their account nor to 
impede the profit which comes from them, the understanding must do 
nothing in connection with these feelings, but must conduct itself 
passively, and not interfere by applying to them its natural 
capacity. For, as we have said is the case with successive 
locutions, the understanding, with its activity, would very easily 
disturb and ruin the effect of these delicate manifestations of 
knowledge, which are a delectable supernatural intelligence that 
human nature cannot attain or apprehend by its own efforts, but 
only by remaining in a state of receptivity.[477] And thus the soul 
must not strive to attain them or desire to receive them, lest the 
understanding should form other manifestations of its own, or the 
devil should make his entry with still more that are different 
from them and false. This he may very well do by means of the 
feelings aforementioned, or of those which he can himself infuse 
into the soul that devotes itself to these kinds of knowledge. Let 
the soul be resigned, humble and passive herein, for, since it 
receives this knowledge passively from God, He will communicate it 
whensoever He is pleased, if He sees the soul to be humble and 
detached. And in this way the soul will do nothing to counteract 
the help which these kinds of knowledge give it in its progress 
toward Divine union, which help is great; for these touches are 
all touches of union, which is wrought passively in the soul.[478]
     5. What has been said concerning this suffices, for no matter 
what may happen to the soul with respect to the understanding, 
cautions and instructions have been given it in the sections 
already mentioned. And although a case may appear to be different 
and to be in no way included herein, there is none that cannot be 
referred to one of these, and thus may be deduced the instruction 
necessary for it.[479]



                         BOOK THE THIRD


     Which treats of the purgation of the active night of the 
memory and will. Gives instruction how the soul is to behave with 
respect to the apprehensions of these two faculties, that it may 
come to union with God, according to the two faculties 
aforementioned, in perfect hope and charity.


                            CHAPTER I

     THE first faculty of the soul, which is the understanding, 
has now been instructed, through all its apprehensions, in the 
first theological virtue, which is faith, to the end that, 
according to this faculty, the soul may be united with God by 
means of the purity of faith. It now remains to do likewise with 
respect to the other two faculties of the soul, which are memory 
and will, and to purify them likewise with respect to their 
apprehensions, to the end that, according to these two faculties 
also, the soul may come to union with God in perfect hope and 
charity. This will briefly be effected in this third book. We have 
now concluded our treatment of the understanding, which is the 
receptacle of all other objects according to its mode of 
operation; and in treating of this we have gone a great part of 
the whole way. It is therefore unnecessary for us to write at 
equal length with respect to these faculties; for it is not 
possible that, if the spiritual man instructs his understanding in 
faith according to the doctrine which has been given him, he 
should not, in so doing, instruct the other two faculties in the 
other two virtues likewise; for the operations of each faculty 
depend upon the others.
     2. But since, in order to follow our manner of procedure, and 
in order, too, that we may be the better understood, we must 
necessarily speak of the proper and determinate matter, we shall 
here be obliged to set down the apprehensions proper to each 
faculty, and first, those of the memory, making here such 
distinction between them as suffices for our purpose. This we 
shall be able to deduce from the distinction between their 
objects, which are three: natural, imaginary and spiritual; 
according to which there are likewise three kinds of knowledge 
which come from the memory, namely: natural and supernatural,[480] 
imaginary and spiritual.
     3. All these, by the Divine favour, we shall treat here in 
due course, beginning with natural knowledge, which pertains to 
the most exterior objects. And we shall then treat of the 
affections of the will, wherewith we shall conclude this third 
book of the active spiritual night.


                           CHAPTER II

     Which treats of the natural apprehensions of the memory and 
describes how the soul must be voided of them in order to be able 
to attain to union with God according to this faculty.

     IT is necessary that, in each of these books, the reader 
should bear in mind the purpose of which we are speaking. For 
otherwise there may arise within him many such questions with 
respect to what he is reading as might by this time be occurring 
to him with respect to what we have said of the understanding, and 
shall say now of the memory, and afterwards shall say of the will. 
For, seeing how we annihilate the faculties with respect to their 
operations, it may perhaps seem to him that we are destroying the 
road of spiritual practice rather than constructing it.
     2. This would be true if we were seeking here only to 
instruct beginners, who are best prepared through these 
apprehensible and discursive apprehensions. But, since we are here 
giving instruction to those who would progress farther in 
contemplation, even to union with God, to which end all of these 
means and exercises of sense concerning the faculties must recede 
into the background, and be put to silence, to the end that God 
may of His own accord work Divine union in the soul, it is 
necessary to proceed by this method of disencumbering and emptying 
the soul, and causing it to reject the natural jurisdiction and 
operations of the faculties, so that they may become capable of 
infusion and illumination from supernatural sources; for their 
capacity cannot attain to so lofty an experience, but will rather 
hinder it, if it be not disregarded.
     3. And thus, if it be true, as it is, that the soul must 
proceed in its growing knowledge of God by learning that which He 
is not rather than that which He is, in order to come to Him, it 
must proceed by renouncing and rejecting, to the very uttermost, 
everything in its apprehensions that it is possible to renounce, 
whether this be natural or supernatural. We shall proceed with 
this end in view with regard to the memory, drawing it out from 
its natural state and limitations, and causing it to rise above 
itself -- that is, above all distinct knowledge and apprehensible 
possession -- to the supreme hope of God, Who is incomprehensible.
     4. Beginning, then, with natural knowledge, I say that 
natural knowledge in the memory consists of all the kinds of 
knowledge that the memory can form concerning the objects of the 
five bodily senses -- namely: hearing, sight, smell, taste and 
touch -- and all kinds of knowledge of this type which it is 
possible to form and fashion. Of all these forms and kinds of 
knowledge the soul must strip and void itself, and it must strive 
to lose the imaginary apprehension of them, so that there may be 
left in it no kind of impression of knowledge, nor trace of aught 
soever, but rather the soul must remain barren and bare, as if 
these forms had never passed through it, and in total oblivion and 
suspension. And this cannot happen unless the memory be 
annihilated as to all its forms, if it is to be united with God. 
For it cannot happen save by total separation from all forms which 
are not God; for God comes beneath no definite form or kind of 
knowledge whatsoever, as we have said in treating of the night of 
the understanding. And since, as Christ says, no man can serve two 
masters,[481] the memory cannot be united both with God and with 
forms and distinct kinds of knowledge and, as God has no form or 
image that can be comprehended by the memory, it follows that, 
when the memory is united with God (as is seen, too, every day by 
experience), it remains without form and without figure, its 
imagination being lost and itself being absorbed in a supreme 
good, and in a great oblivion, remembering nothing. For that 
Divine union voids its fancy and sweeps it clean of all forms and 
kinds of knowledge and raises it to the supernatural.
     5. Now there sometimes comes to pass here a notable thing; 
for occasionally, when God brings about these touches of union in 
the memory, the brain (where memory has its seat) is so 
perceptibly upset that it seems as if it becomes quite inert, and 
its judgment and sense are lost. This is sometimes more 
perceptible and sometimes less so, according to the strength of 
this touch, and then, by reason of this union, the memory is 
voided and purged, as I say, of all kinds of knowledge. It remains 
in oblivion -- at times in complete oblivion -- so that it has to 
put forth a great effort and to labour greatly in order to 
remember anything.
     6. And sometimes this oblivion of the memory and suspension 
of the imagination reach such a point, because of the union of the 
memory with God, that a long time passes without the soul's 
perceiving it, or knowing what has taken place during that period. 
And, as the imaginative faculty is then in suspension, it feels 
naught that is done to it, not even things that cause pain; for 
without imagination there is no feeling, not even coming through 
thought, since this exists not. And, to the end that God may bring 
about these touches of union, the soul must needs withdraw its 
memory from all apprehensible kinds of knowledge. And it is to be 
noted that these suspensions come not to pass in those that are 
already perfect, since they have attained to perfect union, and 
these suspensions belong to the beginnings of union.
     7. Someone will remark that all this seems very well, but 
that it leads to the destruction of the natural use and course of 
the faculties, and reduces man to the state of a beast -- a state 
of oblivion and even worse -- since he becomes incapable of 
reasoning or of remembering his natural functions and necessities. 
It will be argued that God destroys not nature, but rather 
perfects it; and that from this teaching there necessarily follows 
its destruction, when that which pertains to morality and reason 
is not practised and is forgotten, neither is that which is 
natural practised; for (it will be said) none of these things can 
be remembered, as the soul is deprived of forms and kinds of 
knowledge which are the means of remembrance.
     8. To this I reply that, the more nearly the memory attains 
to union with God, the more do distinct kinds of knowledge become 
perfected within it, until it loses them entirely -- namely, when 
it attains to the state of union in perfection. And thus, at the 
beginning, when this is first taking place, the soul cannot but 
fall into great oblivion with respect to all things, since forms 
and kinds of knowledge are being erased from it; and therefore it 
is very negligent concerning its outward behaviour and usage -- 
forgetting to eat or drink, and being uncertain if it has done 
this or no, if it has seen this or no, if it has said this or no 
-- because of the absorption of the memory in God. But when once 
it attains to the habit of union, which is a supreme blessing, it 
no longer has these periods of oblivion, after this manner, in 
that which pertains to natural and moral reason; actions which are 
seemly and necessary, indeed, it performs with a much greater 
degree of pection, although it performs them no longer by means of 
forms and manners of knowledge pertaining to the memory. For, when 
it has the habit of union, which is a supernatural state, memory 
and the other faculties fail it completely in their natural 
functions, and pass beyond their natural limitations, even to God, 
Who is supernatural. And thus, when the memory is transformed in 
God, it cannot receive impressions of forms or kinds of knowledge. 
Wherefore the functions of the memory and of the other faculties 
in this state are all Divine; for, when at last God possesses the 
faculties and has become the entire master of them, through their 
transformation into Himself, it is He Himself Who moves and 
commands them divinely, according to His Divine Spirit and will; 
and the result of this is that the operations of the soul are not 
distinct, but all that it does is of God, and its operations are 
Divine, so that, even as Saint Paul says, he that is joined unto 
God becomes one spirit with Him.[482]
     9. Hence it comes to pass that the operations of the soul in 
union are of the Divine Spirit and are Divine. And hence it comes 
that the actions of such souls are only those that are seemly and 
reasonable, and not those that are ill-beseeming. For the Spirit 
of God teaches them that which they ought to know, and causes them 
to be ignorant of that which it behoves them not to know, and to 
remember that which they have to remember, with or without forms, 
and to forget that which they should forget; and it makes them 
love that which they have to love, and not to love that which is 
not in God. And thus, all the first motions of the faculties of 
such souls are Divine and it is not to be wondered at that the 
motions and operations of these faculties should be Divine, since 
they are transformed in the Divine Being.[483]
     10. Of these operations I will give a few examples. Let this 
be one. A person asks another who is in this state to commend him 
to God. This person will not remember to do so by means of any 
form or kind of knowledge that remains in his memory concerning 
that other person; if it be right that he should recommend him to 
God (which will be if God desires to receive a prayer for that 
person), He will move his will and give him a desire to pray for 
him; and if God desires not such prayer, that other person will 
not be able nor will desire to pray,' though he make great efforts 
to do so; and at times God will cause him to pray for others of 
whom he has no knowledge nor has ever heard. And this is because, 
as I have said, God alone moves the faculties of these souls to do 
those works which are meet, according to the will and ordinance of 
God, and they cannot be moved to do others; and thus the works and 
prayers of these souls are always effectual. Such were those of 
the most glorious Virgin Our Lady, who, being raised to this high 
estate from the beginning, had never the form of any creature 
imprinted in her soul, neither was moved by such, but was 
invariably guided by the Holy Spirit.
     11. Another example. At a certain time a person in this state 
has to attend to some necessary business. He will remember it by 
no kind of form, but, without his knowing how, it will come to his 
soul, at the time and in the manner that it ought to come, and 
that without fail.
     12. And not only in these things does the Holy Spirit give 
such persons light, but also in many others, relating both to the 
present and to the future, and even, in many cases, as regards 
those absent from them; and although at times this comes to pass 
through intellectual forms, it frequently happens without the 
intervention of any forms that can be apprehended, so that these 
persons know not how they know. But this comes to them from the 
Divine Wisdom; for, since these souls exercise themselves in 
knowing and apprehending nothing with the faculties, they come in 
general, as we have said in the Mount,[484] to know everything, 
according to that which the Wise Man says: 'The worker of all 
things, who is Wisdom, taught me all things.'[485]
     13. You will say, perhaps, that the soul will be unable to 
void and deprive its memory of all forms and fancies to such an 
extent as to be able to attain to so lofty a state; for there are 
two things so difficult that their accomplishment surpasses human 
ability and strength, namely, to throw off with one's natural 
powers that which is natural, which is hard enough,[486] and to 
attain and be united to the supernatural, which is much more 
difficult -- indeed, to speak the truth, is impossible with 
natural ability alone. The truth, I repeat, is that God must place 
the soul in this supernatural state; but the soul, as far as in it 
lies, must be continually preparing itself; and this it can do by 
natural means, especially with the help that God is continually 
giving it. And thus, as the soul, for its own part, enters into 
this renunciation and self-emptying of forms, so God begins to 
give it the possession of union; and this God works passively in 
the soul, as we shall say, Deo dante, when we treat of the passive 
night of the soul. And thus, when it shall please God, and 
according to the manner of the soul's preparation, He will grant 
it the habit of perfect and Divine union.
     14. And the Divine effects which God produces in the soul 
when He has granted it this habit, both as to the understanding 
and as to the memory and will, we shall not describe in this 
account of the soul's active purgation and night, for this alone 
will not bring the soul to Divine union. We shall speak of these 
effects, however, in treating of the passive night, by means of 
which is brought about the union of the soul with God.[487] And so I 
shall speak here only of the necessary means whereby the memory 
may place itself actively in this night and purgation, as far as 
lies in its power. And these means are that the spiritual man must 
habitually exercise caution, after this manner. All the things 
that he hears, sees, smells, tastes, or touches, he must be 
careful not to store up or collect in his memory, but he must 
allow himself to forget them immediately, and this he must 
accomplish, if need be, with the same efficacy as that with which 
others contrive to remember them, so that there remains in his 
memory no knowledge or image of them whatsoever. It must be with 
him as if they existed not in the world, and his memory must be 
left free and disencumbered of them, and be tied to no 
consideration, whether from above or from below; as if he had no 
faculty of memory; he must freely allow everything to fall into 
oblivion as though all things were a hindrance to him; and in fact 
everything that is natural, if one attempt to make use of it in 
supernatural matters, is a hindrance rather than a help.
     15. And if those questions and objections which arose above 
with respect to the understanding should also arise here (the 
objections, that is to say, that the soul is doing nothing, is 
wasting its time and is depriving itself of spiritual blessings 
which it might well receive through the memory), the answer to 
this has already been given, and will be given again farther on, 
in our treatment of the passive night; wherefore there is no need 
for us to dwell upon it here. It is needful only to observe that, 
although at certain times the benefit of this suspension of forms 
and of all knowledge may not be realized, the spiritual man must 
not for that reason grow weary, for in His own time God will not 
fail to succour him. To attain so great a blessing it behoves the 
soul to endure much and to suffer with patience and hope.
     16. And, although it is true that hardly any soul will be 
found that is moved by God in all things and at all times, and has 
such continual union with God that, without the mediation of any 
form, its faculties are ever moved divinely, there are 
nevertheless souls who in their operations are very habitually 
moved by God, and these are not they that are moved of themselves, 
for, as Saint Paul says, the sons of God who are transformed and 
united in God, are moved by the Spirit of God,[488] that is, are 
moved to perform Divine work in their faculties. And it is no 
marvel that their operations should be Divine, since the union of 
the soul is Divine.


                           CHAPTER III

     Wherein are described three kinds of evil which come to the 
soul when it enters not into darkness with respect to knowledge 
and reflections in the memory. Herein is described the first.

     TO three kinds of evil and inconvenience the spiritual man is 
subject when he persists in desiring to make use of all natural 
knowledge and reflections of the memory in order to journey toward 
God, or for any other purpose: two of these are positive and one 
is privative. The first comes from things of the world; the 
second, from the devil; the third, which is privative, is the 
impediment and hindrance to Divine union caused and effected in 
the soul.
     2. The first evil, which comes from the world, consists in 
the subjection of the soul, through knowledge and reflection, to 
many kinds of harm, such as falsehoods, imperfections, desires, 
opinions, loss of time, and many other things which breed many 
kinds of impurity in the soul. And it is clear that the soul must 
of necessity fall into many perils of falsehood, when it admits 
knowledge and reasoning; for oftentimes that which is true must 
appear false, and that which is certain, doubtful; and 
contrariwise; for there is scarcely a single truth of which we can 
have complete knowledge. From all these things the soul is free if 
the memory enters into darkness with respect to every kind of 
reflection and knowledge.
     3. Imperfections meet the soul at every step if it sets its 
memory upon that which it has heard, seen, touched, smelt and 
tasted; for there must then perforce cling to it some affection, 
whether this be of pain, of fear, of hatred, of vain hope, vain 
enjoyment, vainglory, etc.; for all these are, at the least, 
imperfections, and at times are downright[489] venial sins; and they 
leave much impurity most subtly in the soul, even though the 
reflections and the knowledge have relation to God. And it is also 
clear that they engender desires within the soul, for these arise 
naturally from the knowledge and reflections aforementioned, and 
if one wishes only to have this knowledge and these reflections, 
even that is a desire. And it is clearly seen that many occasions 
of judging others will come likewise; for, in using its memory, 
the soul cannot fail to come upon that which is good and bad in 
others, and, in such a case, that which is evil oftentimes seems 
good, and that which is good, evil. I believe there is none who 
can completely free himself from all these kinds of evil, save by 
blinding his memory and leading it into darkness with regard to 
all these things.
     4. And if you tell me that a man is well able to conquer all 
these things when they come to him, I reply that, if he sets store 
by knowledge, this is simply and utterly impossible; for countless 
imperfections and follies insinuate themselves into such 
knowledge, some of which are so subtle and minute that, without 
the soul's realization thereof, they cling to it of their own 
accord, even as pitch clings to the man that touches it; so that 
it is better to conquer once for all by denying the memory 
completely. You will say likewise that by so doing the soul 
deprives itself of many good thoughts and meditations upon God, 
which are of great profit to it and whereby God grants it favours. 
I reply that to this end purity of soul is of the greatest profit, 
which means that there clings to the soul no creature affection, 
or temporal affection, or effective advertence; which I believe 
cannot but cling to the soul because of the imperfection which the 
faculties have in their own operations. Wherefore it is best to 
learn to silence the faculties and to cause them to be still, so 
that God may speak. For, as we have said, in order to attain to 
this state the natural operations must be completely disregarded, 
and this happens, as the Prophet says, when the soul comes into 
solitude, according to these its faculties, and God speaks to its 
heart.[490]
     5. And if you again reply, saying that the soul will have no 
blessing unless it meditates upon God and allows its memory to 
reflect upon Him, and that many distractions and negligences will 
continually enter it, I say that it is impossible, if the memory 
be recollected with regard both to things of the next life and to 
things here below, that evils or distractions should enter it, nor 
any other follies or vices (the which things always enter when the 
memory wanders), since there is no exit or entrance for them. This 
would come to pass if, when we had shut the door upon 
considerations and reflections concerning things above, we opened 
it to things below; but in this state we shut the door to all 
things whence distraction may come,[491] causing the memory to be 
still and dumb, and the ear of the spirit to be attentive, in 
silence, to God alone, saying with the Prophet: 'Speak, Lord, for 
Thy servant heareth.'[492] It was thus that the Spouse in the Songs 
said that his Bride should be, in these words: 'My sister is a 
garden enclosed and a fountain sealed up'[493] -- that is to say, 
enclosed and sealed up against all things that may enter.
     6. Let the soul, then, remain 'enclosed,' without anxieties 
and troubles, and He that entered in bodily form to His disciples 
when the doors were shut, and gave them peace,[494] though they 
neither knew nor thought that this was possible nor knew how it 
was possible, will enter spiritually into the soul, without its 
knowing how He does so, when the doors of its faculties -- memory, 
understanding and will -- are enclosed against all apprehensions. 
And He will fill them with peace, coming down upon the soul, as 
the prophet says, like a river of peace,[495] and taking it from all 
the misgivings and suspicions, disturbances and darknesses which 
caused it to fear that it was lost or was on the way to being so. 
Let it not grow careless about prayer, and let it wait in 
detachment and emptiness, for its blessings will not tarry.


                           CHAPTER IV

     Which treats of the second kind of evil that may come to the 
soul from the devil by way of the natural apprehensions of the 
memory.

     THE second positive evil that may come to the soul by means 
of the knowledge of the memory proceeds from the devil, who by 
this means obtains great influence over it. For he can continually 
bring it new forms, kinds of knowledge and reflections, by means 
whereof he can taint the soul with pride, avarice, wrath, envy, 
etc., and cause it unjust hatred, or vain love, and deceive it in 
many ways. And besides this, he is wont to leave impressions,[496] 
and to implant them in the fancy, in such wise that those that are 
false appear true, and those that are true, false, And finally all 
the worst deceptions which are caused by the devil, and the evils 
that he brings to the soul, enter by way of knowledge and 
reflections of the memory, Thus if the memory enter into darkness 
with respect to them all, and be annihilated in its oblivion to 
them, it shuts the door altogether upon this evil which proceeds 
from the devil, and frees itself from all these things, which is a 
great blessing. For the devil has no power over the soul unless it 
be through the operations of its faculties, principally by means 
of knowledge, whereupon depend almost all the other operations of 
the other faculties. Wherefore, if the memory be annihilated with 
respect to them, the devil can do naught; for he finds no 
foothold, and without a foothold he is powerless.[497]
     2. I would that spiritual persons might clearly see how many 
kinds of harm are wrought by evil spirits in their souls by means 
of the memory, when they devote themselves frequently to making 
use of it, and how many kinds of sadness and affliction and vain 
and evil joys they have, both with respect to their thoughts about 
God, and also with respect to the things of the world; and how 
many impurities are left rooted in their spirits; and likewise how 
greatly they are distracted from the highest recollection, which 
consists in the fixing of the whole soul, according to its 
faculties, upon the one incomprehensible Good, and in withdrawing 
it from all things that can be apprehended, since these are not 
incomprehensible Good. This is a great good (although less good 
results from this emptiness than from the soul's fixing itself 
upon God), simply because it is the cause whereby the soul frees 
itself from any griefs and afflictions and sorrows, over and above 
the imperfections and sins from which it is freed.
     
     
     CHAPTER V
     
     Of the third evil which comes to the soul by way of the 
distinct natural knowledge or the memory.
     
     THE third evil which comes to the soul through the natural 
apprehensions of the memory is privative; for these apprehensions 
can hinder moral good and deprive us of spiritual good. And, in 
order that we may first of all explain how these apprehensions 
hinder moral good in the soul, it must be known that moral good 
consists in the restraining of the passions and the curbing of 
disorderly desires, from which restraint there come to the soul 
tranquillity, peace and rest, and moral virtues, all of which 
things are moral good. This restraining and curbing of the 
passions cannot be truly accomplished by the soul that forgets not 
and withdraws not itself from things pertaining to itself, whence 
arise the affections; and no disturbances ever arise in the soul 
save through the apprehensions of the memory. For, when all things 
are forgotten, there is naught that can disturb peace or that 
moves the desires; since, as they say, that which the eye sees not 
the heart desires not.
     2. This we are constantly learning by experience; for we 
observe that, whenever the soul begins to think of any matter, it 
is moved and disturbed, either much or little, with respect to 
that thing, according to the nature of its apprehension. If it be 
a troublesome and grievous matter, the soul finds sadness in it; 
if pleasant, desire and joy, and so forth. Wherefore the result of 
the changing of that apprehension is necessarily disturbance; and 
thus the soul is now joyful, now sad; now it hates, now loves; and 
it cannot continue in one and the same attitude (which is an 
effect of moral tranquillity save when it strives to forget all 
things. It is clear, then, that knowledge greatly hinders the good 
of the moral virtues in the soul.
     3. Again, what has been said clearly proves that an 
encumbered memory also hinders spiritual good; for the soul that 
is disturbed, and has no foundation of moral good, is to that 
extent incapable of spiritual good, which impresses itself only 
upon souls that are restrained and at peace. And besides this, if 
the soul pays attention and heed to the apprehensions of the 
memory -- seeing that it can attend to but one thing at a time -- 
and busies itself with things that can be apprehended, such as the 
knowledge of the memory, it is not possible for it to be free to 
attend to the incomprehensible, which is God. For, in order to 
approach God, the soul must proceed by not comprehending rather 
than by comprehending; it must exchange the mutable and 
comprehensible for the immutable and incomprehensible.


                           CHAPTER VI

     Of the benefits which come to the soul from forgetfulness and 
emptiness of all thoughts and knowledge which it may have in a 
natural way with respect to the memory.

     FROM the evils which, as we have said, come to the soul 
through the apprehensions of the memory, we can likewise infer the 
benefits which are contrary to them and come to the soul as a 
result of its forgetting them and emptying itself of them. For, as 
natural philosophy puts it, the same doctrine which serves for one 
thing serves likewise for the contrary. In the first place, the 
soul enjoys tranquillity and peace of mind, since it is freed from 
the disturbance and the changeableness which arise from thoughts 
and ideas of the memory, and consequently, which is more 
important, it enjoys purity of conscience and soul. And herein the 
soul has ample preparation for the acquiring of Divine and human 
wisdom, and of the virtues.
     2. In the second place, it is freed from many suggestions, 
temptations and motions of the devil, which he infuses into the 
soul by means of thoughts and ideas, causing it to fall into many 
impurities and sins, as David says in these words: 'They have 
thought and spoken wickedness.'[498] And thus, when these thoughts 
have been completely removed, the devil has naught wherewith to 
assault the soul by natural means. 
     3. In the third place, the soul has within itself, through 
this recollection of itself and this forgetfulness as to all 
things, a preparedness to be moved by the Holy Spirit and taught 
by Him, for, as the Wise Man says, He removes Himself from 
thoughts that are without understanding.[499] Even if a man received 
no other benefit from this forgetfulness and emptiness of the 
memory than being freed thereby from troubles and disturbances, it 
would be a great gain and good for him. For the troubles and 
storms which adverse things and happenings arouse in the soul are 
of no use or help for bringing peace and calm;[500] indeed, as a 
rule, they make things worse and also harm the soul itself. 
Wherefore David said: 'Of a truth every man is disquieted in 
vain.'[501] For it is clear that to disquiet oneself is always vain 
since it brings profit to none. And thus, even if everything came 
to an end and were destroyed, and if all things went wrong and 
turned to adversity, it would be vain to disturb oneself; for such 
disturbance hurts a man rather than relieves him. Whereas to bear 
everything with equable and peaceful tranquillity not only brings 
the soul the profit of many blessings, but likewise causes it, 
even in the midst of its adversities, to form a truer judgment 
about them and to find a fitting remedy.
     4. For this reason Solomon, being well acquainted both with 
the evil and with the benefit of which we are speaking, said: 'I 
knew that there was naught better for man than to rejoice and to 
do good in his life.'[502] By this he meant that, in everything that 
happens to us, howsoever adverse it be, we should rejoice rather 
than be disturbed, so that we may not lose a blessing which is 
greater than any kind of prosperity -- namely, tranquillity and 
peace of mind in all things, which, whether they bring adversity 
or prosperity, we must bear in the same manner. This a man would 
never lose if he were not only to forget all kinds of knowledge 
and put aside all thoughts, but would even withdraw himself from 
hearing, sight and commerce with others, in so far as was possible 
for him. Our nature is so frail and unstable that, however well it 
be disciplined, it will hardly fail to stumble upon the 
remembrance of things which will disturb and change a mind that 
was in peace and tranquillity when it remembered them not. For 
this cause said Jeremias: 'With memory I will remember, and my 
soul will fail me for pain.'[503]


                           CHAPTER VII

     Which treats or the second kind or apprehension of the memory 
-- namely, imaginary apprehensions -- and of supernatural 
knowledge.

     ALTHOUGH in writing of natural apprehensions of the first 
kind we also gave instruction concerning the imaginary, which are 
likewise natural, it was well to make this division because of the 
love which the memory always has for other forms and kinds of 
knowledge, which are of supernatural things, such as visions, 
revelations, locutions and feelings which come in a supernatural 
way. When these things have passed through the soul, there is wont 
to remain impressed upon it some image, form, figure or idea, 
whether in the soul or in the memory or fancy, at times very 
vividly and effectively. Concerning these images it is also 
needful to give advice, lest the memory be encumbered with them 
and they be a hindrance to its union with God in perfect and pure 
hope.
     2. I say that the soul, in order to attain that blessing, 
must never reflect upon the clear and distinct objects which may 
have passed through its mind by supernatural means, in such a way 
as to preserve within itself the forms and figures and knowledge 
of those things. For we must ever bear in mind this principle: the 
greater heed the soul gives to any clear and distinct 
apprehensions, whether natural or supernatural, the less capacity 
and preparation it has for entering into the abyss of faith, 
wherein are absorbed all things else. For, as has been said, no 
supernatural forms or kinds of knowledge which can be apprehended 
by the memory are God, and, in order to reach God, the soul must 
void itself of all that is not God. The memory must also strip 
itself of all these forms and kinds of knowledge, that it may 
unite itself with God in hope. For all possession is contrary to 
hope, which, as Saint Paul says, belongs to that which is not 
possessed.[504] Wherefore, the more the memory dispossesses itself, 
the greater is its hope; and the more it has of hope, the more it 
has of union with God; for, with respect to God, the more the soul 
hopes, the more it attains. And it hopes most when it is most 
completely dispossessed; and, when it shall be perfectly 
dispossessed, it will remain with the perfect possession of God, 
in Divine union. But there are many who will not deprive 
themselves of the sweetness and delight which memory finds in 
those forms and notions, wherefore they attain not to supreme 
possession and perfect sweetness. For he that renounces not all 
that he possesses cannot be the disciple of Christ.[505]


                          CHAPTER VIII

     Of the evils which may be caused in the soul by the knowledge 
of supernatural things, if it reflect upon them. Says how many 
these evils are.

     THE spiritual man incurs the risk of five kinds of evil if he 
pays heed to, and reflects upon, these forms and ideas which are 
impressed upon him by the things which pass through his mind in a 
supernatural way.
     2. The first is that he is frequently deceived, and mistakes 
one thing for another. The second is that he is like to fall, and 
is exposed to the danger of falling, into some form of presumption 
or vanity. The third is that the devil has many occasions of 
deceiving him by means of the apprehensions aforementioned. The 
fourth is that he is hindered as to union in hope with God. The 
fifth is that, for the most part, he has a low judgment of God.
     3. As to the first evil, it is clear that, if the spiritual 
man pays heed to these forms and notions, and reflects upon them, 
he must frequently be deceived in his judgment of them; for, as no 
man can have a complete understanding of the things that pass 
through his imagination naturally, nor a perfect and certain 
judgment about them, he will be much less able still to have this 
with respect to supernatural things, which are above our capacity 
to understand, and occur but rarely. Wherefore he will often think 
that what comes but from his fancy pertains to God; and often, 
too, that what is of God is of the devil, and what is of the devil 
is of God. And very often there will remain with him deap-seated 
impressions of forms and ideas concerning the good and evil of 
others, or of himself, together with other figures which have been 
presented to him: these he will consider to be most certain and 
true, when in fact they will not be so, but very great falsehoods. 
And others will be true, and he will judge them to be false, 
although this error I consider safer, as it is apt to arise from 
humility.
     4. And, even if he be not deceived as to their truth, he may 
well be deceived as to their quantity or quality, thinking that 
little things are great, and great things, little. And with 
respect to their quality, he may consider what is in his 
imagination to be this or that, when it is something quite 
different; he may put, as Isaias says, darkness for light, and 
light for darkness, or bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter.[506] 
And finally, even though he be correct as to one thing, it will be 
a marvel if he goes not astray with respect to the next; for, 
although he may not desire to apply his judgment to the judging of 
them, yet, if he apply it in paying heed to them, this will be 
sufficient to make some evil to cling to him as a result of it, at 
least passively; if not evil of this kind, then of one of the four 
other kinds of which we shall shortly speak.
     5. It behoves the spiritual man, therefore, lest he fall into 
this evil of being deceived in his judgment, not to desire to 
apply his judgment in order to know the nature of his own 
condition or feelings, or the nature of such and such a vision, 
idea or feeling; neither should he desire to know it or to pay 
heed to it. This he should only desire in order to speak of it to 
his spiritual father, and to be taught by him how to void his 
memory of these apprehensions. For, whatever may be their 
intrinsic nature, they cannot help him to love God as much as the 
smallest act of living faith and hope performed in the emptiness 
and renunciation of all things.


                           CHAPTER IX

     Of the second kind of evil, which is the peril of falling 
into self-esteem and vain presumption.

     THE supernatural apprehensions of the memory already 
described are also a frequent occasion to spiritual persons of 
falling into some kind of presumption or vanity, if they give heed 
to them and set store by them. For, even as he who knows nothing 
of them is quite free from falling into this vice, since he sees 
in himself no occasion of presumption, even so, in contrary wise, 
he that has experience of them has close at hand an occasion for 
thinking himself to be something, since he possesses these 
supernatural communications. For, although it is true that he may 
attribute them to God, hold himself to be unworthy of them, and 
give God the thanks, yet nevertheless there is wont to remain in 
his spirit a certain secret satisfaction, and a self-esteem and a 
sense of their value, from which, without his knowledge, there 
will come to him great spiritual pride.
     2. This may be observed very clearly by such as will consider 
the dislike and aversion caused them by any who do not praise 
their spirituality, or esteem the experiences which they enjoy, 
and the mortification which they suffer when they think or are 
told that others have just those same experiences, or even 
superior ones. All this arises from secret self-esteem and pride, 
and they can never quite realize that they are steeped in pride up 
to their very eyes. For they think that a certain degree of 
recognition of their own wretchedness suffices, and, although they 
have this, they are full of secret self-esteem and self-
satisfaction, taking more delight in their own spirituality and 
spiritual gifts than in those of others. They are like the 
Pharisee who gave thanks to God that he was not as other men, and 
that he practised such and such virtues, whereat he was satisfied 
with himself and presumed thereon.[507] Such men, although they may 
not use the Pharisee's actual words, habitually resemble him in 
spirit. And some of them even become so proud that they are worse 
than the devil. For, observing in themselves, as they imagine, 
certain apprehensions and feelings concerning God which are devout 
and sweet, they become self-satisfied to such an extent that they 
believe themselves to be very near God; and those that are not 
like themselves they consider very low and despise them after the 
manner of the Pharisee.
     3. In order to flee from this pestilent evil, abhorrent in 
the eyes of God, they must consider two things. First, that virtue 
consists not in apprehensions and feelings concerning God, 
howsoever sublime they be, nor in anything of this kind that a man 
can feel within himself; but, on the contrary, in that which has 
nothing to do with feeling -- namely, a great humility and 
contempt of oneself and of all that pertains to oneself, firmly 
rooted in the soul and keenly felt by it; and likewise in being 
glad that others feel in this very way concerning oneself and in 
not wishing to be of any account in the esteem[508] of others.
     4. Secondly, it must be noted that all visions, revelations 
and feelings coming from Heaven, and any thoughts that may proceed 
from these, are of less worth than the least act of humility. And 
humility is one of the effects of charity, which esteems not its 
own things nor strives to attain them; nor thinks evil, save of 
itself; nor thinks any good thing of itself, but only of others. 
It is well, therefore, that these supernatural apprehensions 
should not attract men's eyes, but that they should strive to 
forget them in order that they may be free.


                            CHAPTER X

     Of the third evil that may come to the soul from the devil, 
through the imaginary apprehensions of the memory.

     FROM all that has been said above it may be clearly 
understood and inferred how great is the evil that may come to the 
soul from the devil by way of these supernatural apprehensions. 
For not only can he represent to the memory and the fancy many 
false forms and ideas, which seem true and good, impressing them 
on spirit and sense with great effectiveness and certifying them 
to be true by means of suggestion (so that it appears to the soul 
that it cannot be otherwise, but that everything is even as he 
represents it; for, as he transfigures himself into an angel of 
light, he appears as light to the soul); but he may also tempt the 
soul in many ways with respect to true knowledge, which is of God, 
moving its desires and affections, whether spiritual or sensual, 
in unruly fashion with respect to these; for, if the soul takes 
pleasure in such apprehensions, it is very easy for the devil to 
cause its desires and affections to grow within it, and to make it 
fall into spiritual gluttony and other evils.
     2. And, in order the better to do this, he is wont to suggest 
and give pleasure, sweetness and delight to the senses with 
respect to these same things of God, so that the soul is corrupted 
and bewildered[509] by that sweetness, and is thus blinded with that 
pleasure and sets its eyes on pleasure rather than on love (or, at 
least, very much more than upon love), and gives more heed to the 
apprehensions than to the detachment and emptiness which are found 
in faith and hope and love of God. And from this he may go on 
gradually to deceive the soul and cause it to believe his 
falsehoods with great facility. For to the soul that is blind 
falsehood no longer appears to be falsehood, nor does evil appear 
to be evil, etc.; for darkness appears to be light, and light, 
darkness; and hence that soul comes to commit a thousand foolish 
errors, whether with respect to natural things, or to moral 
things, or to spiritual things; so that that which was wine to it 
becomes vinegar. All this happens to the soul because it began 
not, first of all, by denying itself the pleasure of those 
supernatural things. At first this is a small matter, and not very 
harmful, and the soul has therefore no misgivings, and allows it 
to continue, and it grows, like the grain of mustard seed, into a 
tall tree. For a small error at the beginning, as they say, 
becomes a great error in the end.
     3. Wherefore, in order to flee from this great evil, which 
comes from the devil, the soul must not desire to have any 
pleasure in such things, because such pleasure will most surely 
lead it to become blind and to fall. For of their own nature, and 
without the help of the devil, pleasure and delight and sweetness 
blinds the soul. And this was the meaning of David when he said: 
'Perhaps darkness shall blind me in my delights and I shall have 
the night for my light.'[510]


                           CHAPTER XI

     Of the fourth evil that comes to the soul from the distinct 
supernatural apprehensions of the memory, which is the hindrance 
that it interposes to union.

     CONCERNING this fourth evil there is not much to be said, 
since it has already been treated again and again in this third 
book, wherein we have proved how, in order that the soul may come 
to union with God in hope, it must renounce every possession of 
the memory; for, in order that its hope in God may be perfect, it 
must have naught in the memory that is not God. And, as we have 
likewise said, no form or figure or image or other kind of 
knowledge that may come to the memory can be God, neither can be 
like Him, whether it be of heaven or of earth, natural or 
supernatural, even as David teaches, when he says: 'Lord, among 
the gods there is none like unto Thee.'[511]
     2. Wherefore, if the memory desires to pay heed to any of 
these things, it hinders the soul from reaching God; first, 
because it encumbers it, and next because, the more the soul has 
of possession, the less it has of hope. Wherefore it is needful 
for the soul to be stripped of the distinct forms and the 
knowledge of supernatural things, and to become oblivious to them, 
so that the memory may cause no hindrance to its union with God in 
perfect hope.


                           CHAPTER XII

     Of the fifth evil that may come to the soul in supernatural 
imaginary forms and apprehensions, which is a low and unseemly 
judgment or God.

     NO less serious is the fifth evil that comes to the soul from 
its desire to retain in the memory and imagination the said forms 
and images of things that are supernaturally communicated to it, 
above all if it desires to use them as a means to Divine union. 
For it is a very easy thing to judge of the Being and greatness of 
God less worthily and nobly than befits His incomprehensible 
nature; for, although our reason and judgment may form no express 
conception that God is like any one of these things, yet the very 
esteeming of these apprehensions, if in fact the soul esteems 
them, makes and causes it not to esteem God, or not to feel 
concerning Him, as highly as faith teaches, since faith tells us 
that He is incomparable, incomprehensible, and so forth. For, 
quite apart from the fact that the soul takes from God all that it 
gives to the creature, it is natural that its esteem of these 
apprehensible things should lead it to make a certain inward 
comparison between such things and God, which would prevent it 
from judging and esteeming God as highly as it ought. For the 
creatures, whether terrestrial or celestial, and all distinct 
images and kinds of knowledge, both natural and supernatural, that 
can be encompassed by the faculties of the soul, however lofty 
they be in this life, have no comparison or proportion with the 
Being of God, since God falls within no genus and no species, 
whereas the creatures do, or so the theologians tell us. And the 
soul in this life is not capable of receiving in a clear and 
distinct manner aught save that which falls within genus and 
species. For this cause Saint John says that no man hath seen God 
at any time.[512] And Isaias says it has not entered into the heart 
of man what God is like.[513] And God said to Moses that he could 
not see Him while he was in this mortal state.[514] Wherefore he 
that encumbers his memory and the other faculties of the soul with 
that which they can comprehend cannot esteem God, neither feel 
concerning Him, as he ought.
     2. Let us make a comparison on a lower level. It is clear 
that the more a man fixes his eyes upon the servants of a king, 
and the more notice he takes of them, the less notice does he take 
of the king himself, and the less does he esteem him; for, 
although this comparison may not be formally and distinctly 
present in the understanding, it is inherent in the act, since, 
the more attention the man gives to the servants, the more he 
takes from their lord; and he cannot have a very high opinion of 
the king if the servants appear to him to be of any importance 
while they are in the presence of the king, their lord. Even so 
does the soul treat its God when it pays heed to the creatures 
aforementioned. This comparison, however, is on a very low level, 
for, as we have said, God is of another being than His creatures 
in that He is infinitely far from them all. For this reason they 
must all be banished from sight, and the soul must withdraw its 
gaze from them in all their forms, that it may yet gaze on God 
through faith and hope.
     3. Wherefore those who not only pay heed to the imaginary 
apprehensions aforementioned, but suppose God to be like some of 
them, and think that by means of them they will be able to attain 
to union with God, have already gone far astray and will ever 
continue to lose the light of faith in the understanding, through 
which this faculty is united with God; neither will they grow in 
the loftiness of hope, by means whereof the memory is united with 
God in hope, which must be brought about through disunion from all 
that is of the imagination.


                          CHAPTER XIII

     Of the benefits which the soul receives through banishing 
from itself the apprehensions of the imagination. This chapter 
answers a certain objection and explains a difference which exists 
between apprehensions that are imaginary, natural and 
supernatural.

     THE benefits that come from voiding the imagination of 
imaginary forms can be clearly observed in the five evils 
aforementioned which they inflict upon the soul, if it desires to 
retain them, even as we also said of the natural forms. But, apart 
from these, there are other benefits for the spirit -- namely, 
those of great rest and quiet. For, setting aside that natural 
rest which the soul obtains when it is free from images and forms, 
it likewise becomes free from anxiety as to whether they are good 
or evil, and as to how it must behave with respect to the one and 
to the other. Nor has it to waste the labour and time of its 
spiritual masters by requiring them to decide if these things are 
good or evil, and if they are of this kind or of another; for the 
soul has no need to desire to know all this if it pays no heed to 
them. The time and energies which it would have wasted in dealing 
with these images and forms can be better employed in another and 
a more profitable exercise, which is that of the will with respect 
to God, and in having a care to seek detachment and poverty of 
spirit and sense, which consists in desiring earnestly to be 
without any consoling support that can be apprehended, whether 
interior or exterior. This we practise well when we desire and 
strive to strip ourselves of these forms, since from this there 
will proceed no less a benefit than that of approach to God (Who 
has no image, neither form nor figure), and this will be the 
greater according as the soul withdraws itself the more completely 
from all forms, images and figures of the imagination.
     2. But perchance you will say: 'Why do many spiritual persons 
counsel the soul to strive to profit by the communications and 
feelings which come from God, and to desire to receive them from 
Him, that it may have something to give Him; since, if He gives us 
nothing, we shall give Him nothing likewise? And wherefore does 
Saint Paul say: 'Quench not the spirit?"[515] And the Spouse to the 
Bride: "Set Me as a seal upon thy heart and as a seal upon thine 
arm?"[516] This certainly denotes some kind of apprehension. And, 
according to the instruction given above, not only must all this 
not be striven after, but, even though God sends it, it must be 
rejected and cast aside. But surely it is clear that, since God 
gives it, He gives it to a good purpose, and it will have a good 
effect. We must not throw away pearls. And it is even a kind of 
pride to be unwilling to receive the things of God, as if we could 
do without them and were self-sufficient.'
     3. In order to meet this objection it is necessary to recall 
what we said in the fifteenth and sixteenth chapters[517] of the 
second book, where to a great extent the difficulty is solved. For 
we said there that the good that overflows in the soul from 
supernatural apprehensions, when they come from a good source, is 
produced passively in the soul at that very instant when they are 
represented to the senses, without the working of any operation of 
the faculties. Wherefore it is unnecessary for the will to perform 
the act of receiving them; for, as we have also said, if at that 
time the soul should try to labour with its faculties, the effect 
of its own base and natural operation would be to hinder the 
supernatural graces[518] which God is even then working in it rather 
than that, through these apprehensions, God should cause it to 
derive any benefit from its active labour. Nay, rather, as the 
spirituality coming from those imaginary apprehensions is given 
passively to the soul, even so must the soul conduct itself 
passively with respect to them, setting no store by its inward or 
outward actions. To do this is to preserve the feelings that have 
their source in God, for in this way they are not lost through the 
soul's base manner of working. And this is not quenching the 
spirit; for the spirit would be quenched by the soul if it desired 
to behave in any other manner than that whereby God is leading it. 
And this it would be doing if, when God had given it spiritual 
graces[519] passively, as He does in these apprehensions, it should 
then desire to exert itself actively with respect to them, by 
labouring with its understanding or by seeking to find something 
in them. And this is clear because, if the soul desires to labour 
at that time with its own exertions, its work cannot be more than 
natural, for of itself it is capable of no more; for 
supernaturally it neither moves itself nor can move itself -- it 
is God that moves it and brings it to this state. And thus, if the 
soul at that time desires to labour with its own exertions (as far 
as lies in its power), its active working will hinder the passive 
work that God is communicating to it, which is spirit.[520] It will 
be setting itself to its own work, which is of another and an 
inferior kind than that which God communicates to it; for the work 
of God is passive and supernatural, and that of the soul is active 
and natural; and in this way the soul would therefore be quenching 
the spirit.
     4. That this activity of the soul is an inferior one is also 
clear from the fact that the faculties of the soul cannot, of 
their own power, reflect and act, save upon some form, figure and 
image, and this is the rind and accident of the substance and 
spirit which lie beneath this rind and accident. This substance 
and spirit unite not with the faculties of the soul in true 
understanding and love, save when at last the operation of the 
faculties ceases. For the aim and end of this operation is only 
that the substance which can be understood and loved and which 
lies beneath these forms may come to be received in the soul. The 
difference, therefore, between active and passive operation, and 
the superiority of the latter, corresponds to the difference 
between that which is being done and that which is done already, 
or between that which a man tries to attain and effect and that 
which is already effected. Hence it may likewise be inferred that, 
if the soul should desire to employ its faculties actively on 
these supernatural apprehensions, wherein God, as we have said, 
bestows the spirit of them passively, it would be doing nothing 
less than abandoning what it had already done, in order to do it 
again, neither would it enjoy what it had done, nor could it 
produce any other result by these actions of its own, save that of 
impeding what had been done already. For, as we say, the faculties 
cannot of their own power attain to the spirituality which God 
bestows upon the soul without any operation of their own. And thus 
the soul would be directly quenching the spirituality[521] which God 
infuses through these imaginary apprehensions aforementioned if it 
were to set any store by them; wherefore it must set them aside, 
and take up a passive and negative attitude with regard to them. 
For at that time God is moving the soul to things which are above 
its own power and knowledge. For this cause the Prophet said: 'I 
will stand upon my watch and set my step upon my tower, and I will 
watch to see that which will be said to me.'[522] This is as though 
he were to say: I will stand on guard over my faculties and I will 
take no step forward as to my actions, and thus I shall be able to 
contemplate that which will be said to me -- that is, I shall 
understand and enjoy that which will be communicated to me 
supernaturally.
     5. And the passage which has been quoted concerning the 
Spouse is to be understood as referring to the love that He 
entreats of the Bride, the office of which love between two lovers 
is to make one like to the other in the most vital part of them. 
Wherefore He tells her to set Him as a seal upon her heart,[523] 
where all the arrows strike that leave the quiver of love, which 
arrows are the actions and motives of love. So they will all 
strike Him Who is there as a mark for them; and thus all will be 
for Him, so that the soul will become like Him through the actions 
and motions of love, until it be transformed in Him. Likewise he 
bids her set Him as a seal upon her arm, because the arm 
performs[524] the exercise of love, for by the arm the Beloved is 
sustained and comforted.
     6. Therefore all that the soul has to endeavour to do with 
respect to all the apprehensions which come to it from above, 
whether imaginary or of any other kind -- it matters not if they 
be visions, locutions, feelings or revelations -- is to make no 
account of the letter or the rind (that is, of what is signified 
or represented or given to be understood), but to pay heed only to 
the possession of the love of God which they cause interiorly 
within the soul. And in this case the soul will make account, not 
of feelings of sweetness or delight, nor of figures, but of the 
feelings of love which they cause it. And with this sole end in 
view it may at times recall that image and apprehension caused it 
by love, in order to set the spirit on its course of love. For, 
though the effect of that apprehension be not so great afterwards, 
when it is recalled, as it was on the first occasion when it was 
communicated, yet, when it is recalled, love is renewed, and the 
mind is lifted up to God, especially when the recollection is of 
certain figures, images or feelings which are supernatural, and 
are wont to be sealed and imprinted upon the soul in such a way 
that they continue for a long time -- some of them, indeed, never 
leave the soul. And those that are thus sealed upon the soul 
produce in it Divine effects of love, sweetness, light and so 
forth, on almost every occasion when the soul returns to them, 
sometimes more so and sometimes less; for it was to this end that 
they were impressed upon it. And thus this is a great favour for 
the soul on which God bestows it, for it is as though it had 
within itself a mine of blessings.
     7. The figures which produce effects such as these are deeply 
implanted in the soul, and are not like other images and forms 
that are retained in the fancy. And thus the soul has no need to 
have recourse to this faculty when it desires to recall them, for 
it sees that it has them within itself, and that they are as an 
image seen in the mirror. When it comes to pass that any soul has 
such figures formally within itself, it will then do well to 
recall them to the effect of love to which I have referred, for 
they will be no hindrance to the union of love in faith, since the 
soul will not desire to be absorbed in the figure, but only to 
profit by the love; it will immediately set aside the figure, 
which thus will rather be a help to it.
     8. Only with great difficulty can it be known when these 
images are imprinted upon the soul, and when upon the fancy. For 
those which touch the fancy are as apt to occur very frequently as 
are the others; for certain persons are accustomed habitually to 
have imaginary visions in their imagination and fancy, which are 
presented to them in one form with great frequency; sometimes 
because the apprehensive power of the organ concerned is very 
great, and, however little they reflect upon it, that habitual 
figure is at once presented to, and outlined upon, their fancy; 
sometimes because it is the work of the devil; sometimes, again, 
because it is the work of God; but the visions are not formally 
imprinted upon the soul. They may be known, however, by their 
effects. For those that are natural, or that come from the devil, 
produce no good effect upon the soul, however frequently they be 
recalled, nor work its spiritual renewal, but the contemplation of 
them simply produces aridity. Those that are good, however, 
produce some good effect when they are recalled, like that which 
was produced in the soul upon the first occasion. But the formal 
images which are imprinted upon the soul almost invariably produce 
some effect in it, whensoever they are remembered.
     9. He that has experienced these will readily distinguish the 
one kind from the other, for the great difference between them is 
very clear to anyone that has experience of them. I will merely 
say that those which are formally and durably imprinted upon the 
soul are of very rare occurrence. But, whether they be of this 
kind or of that, it is good for the soul to desire to understand 
nothing, save God alone, through faith, in hope. And if anyone 
makes the objection that to reject these things, if they are good, 
appears to be pride, I reply that it is not so, but that it is 
prudent humility to profit by them in the best way, as has been 
said, and to be guided by that which is safest.


                           CHAPTER XIV

     Which treats of spiritual knowledge in so far as it may 
concern the memory.

     WE classed spiritual forms of knowledge as the third division 
of the apprehensions of the memory, not because they belong to the 
bodily sense of the fancy, as do the others, for they have no 
bodily form and image, but because they are likewise apprehensible 
by spiritual memory and reminiscence. Now, after the soul has had 
experience of one of these apprehensions, it can recall it 
whensoever it will; and this is not by the effigy and image that 
the apprehension has left in the bodily sense, for, since this is 
of bodily form, as we say, it has no capacity for spiritual forms; 
but because it recalls it, intellectually and spiritually, by 
means of that form which it has left impressed upon the soul, 
which is likewise a formal or spiritual form or notion or image, 
whereby it is recalled, or by means of the effect that it has 
wrought. It is for this reason that I place these apprehensions 
among those of the memory, although they belong not to the 
apprehensions of the fancy.
     2. What these kinds of knowledge are, and how the soul is to 
conduct itself with respect to them in order to attain to union 
with God, are sufficiently described in the twenty-fourth 
chapter[525] of the second book, where we treated this knowledge as 
apprehensions of the understanding. Let this be referred to, for 
we there described how it was of two kinds: either uncreated or of 
the creatures. I speak now only of things relating to my present 
purpose -- namely, how the memory must behave with respect to them 
in order to attain to union. And I say, as I have just said of 
formal knowledge in the preceding chapter (for this, being of 
created things, is of the same kind), that these apprehensions my 
be recalled when they produce good effects, not that they may be 
dwelt upon, but that they may quicken the soul's love and 
knowledge of God. But, unless the recollection of them produces 
good effects, let the memory never give them even passing 
attention. With regard to uncreated knowledge, I say that the soul 
should try to recall it as often as possible, for it will produce 
most beneficial effects. As we said above, it produces touches and 
impressions of union with God, which is the aim towards which we 
are directing the soul. And by no form, image or figure which can 
be impressed upon the soul does the memory recall these (for these 
touches and impressions of union with the Creator have no form), 
but only by the effects which they have produced upon it of light, 
love, joy and spiritual renewal, and so forth, some of which are 
wrought anew in the soul whensoever they are remembered.


                           CHAPTER XV

     Which sets down the general method whereby the spiritual 
person must govern himself with respect to this sense.

     IN order to conclude this discussion on the memory, it will 
be well at this point to give the spiritual reader an account of 
the method which he must observe, and which is of universal 
application, in order that he may be united with God according to 
this sense. For, although what has been said makes the subject 
quite clear, it will nevertheless be more easily apprehended if we 
summarize it here. To this end it must be remembered that, since 
our aim is the union of the soul with God in hope, according to 
the memory, and since that which is hoped for is that which is not 
possessed, and since, the less we possess of other things, the 
greater scope and the greater capacity have we for hoping, and 
consequently the greater hope, therefore, the more things we 
possess, the less scope and capacity is there for hoping, and 
consequently the less hope have we. Hence, the more the soul 
dispossesses the memory of forms and things which may be recalled 
by it, which are not God, the more will it set its memory upon 
God, and the emptier will its memory become, so that it may hope 
for Him Who shall fill it. What must be done, then, that the soul 
may live in the perfect and pure hope of God is that, whensoever 
these distinct images, forms and ideas come to it, it must not 
rest in them, but must turn immediately to God, voiding the memory 
of them entirely, with loving affection. It must neither think of 
these things nor consider them beyond the degree which is 
necessary for the understanding and performing of its obligations, 
if they have any concern with these. And this it must do without 
setting any affection or inclination upon them, so that they may 
produce no effects in the soul. And thus a man must not fail to 
think and recall that which he ought to know and do, for, provided 
he preserves no affection or attachments, this will do him no 
harm. For this matter the lines of the Mount, which are in the 
thirteenth chapter of the first book, will be of profit.
     2. But here it must be borne in mind that this doctrine ours 
does not agree, nor do we desire that it should agree, with the 
doctrine of those pestilent men, who, inspired by Satanic pride 
and envy, have desired to remove from the eyes of the faithful the 
holy and necessary use, and the worthy[526] adoration, of images of 
God and of the saints. This teaching of ours is very different 
from that; for we say not here, as they do, that images should not 
exist, and should not be adored; we simply explain the difference 
between images and God. We exhort men to pass beyond that which is 
superficial[527] that they may not be hindered from attaining to the 
living truth beneath it, and to make no more account of the former 
than suffices for attainment to the spiritual. For means are good 
and necessary to an end; and images are means which serve to 
remind us of God and of the saints. But when we consider and 
attend to the means more than is necessary for treating them as 
such, they disturb and hinder us as much, in their own way, as any 
different thing; the more so, when we treat of supernatural 
visions and images, to which I am specially referring, and with 
respect to which arise many deceptions and perils. For, with 
respect to the remembrance and adoration and esteem of images, 
which the Catholic Church sets before us, there can be no 
deception or peril, because naught is esteemed therein other than 
that which is represented; nor does the remembrance of them fail 
to profit the soul, since they are not preserved in the memory 
save with love for that which they represent; and, provided the 
soul pays no more heed to them than is necessary for this purpose, 
they will ever assist it to union with God, allowing the soul to 
soar upwards (when God grants it that favour) from the superficial 
image[528] to the living God, forgetting every creature and 
everything that belongs to creatures.


                           CHAPTER XVI

     Which begins to treat of the dark night of the will. Makes a 
division between the affections of the will.

     WE should have accomplished nothing by the purgation of the 
understanding in order to ground it in the virtue of faith, and by 
the purgation of the memory in order to ground it in hope, if we 
purged not the will also according to the third virtue, which is 
charity, whereby the works that are done in faith live and have 
great merit, and without it are of no worth. For, as Saint James 
says: 'Without works of charity, faith is dead.'[529] And, now that 
we have to treat of the active detachment and night of this 
faculty, in order to form it and make it perfect in this virtue of 
the charity of God, I find no more fitting authority than that 
which is written in the sixth chapter of Deuteronomy, where Moses 
says: 'Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart and 
with thy whole soul and with thy whole strength.'[530] Herein is 
contained all that the spiritual man ought to do, and all that I 
have here to teach him, so that he may truly attain to God, 
through union of the will, by means of charity. For herein man is 
commanded to employ all the faculties and desires and operations 
and affections of his soul in God, so that all the ability and 
strength of his soul may serve for no more than this, according to 
that which David says, in these words: Fortitudinem meam ad te 
custodiam.[531]
     2. The strength of the soul consists in its faculties, 
passions and desires, all of which are governed by the will. Now 
when these faculties, passions and desires are directed by the 
will toward God, and turned away from all that is not God, then 
the strength of the soul is kept for God, and thus the soul is 
able to love God with all its strength. And, to the end that the 
soul may do this, we shall here treat of the purgation from the 
will of all its unruly affections, whence arise unruly operations, 
affections and desires, and whence also arises its failure to keep 
all its strength for God. These affections and passions are four, 
namely: Joy, hope, grief and fear. These passions, when they are 
controlled by reason according to the way of God, so that the soul 
rejoices only in that which is purely the honour and glory of God, 
and hopes for naught else, neither grieves save for things that 
concern this, neither fears aught save God alone, it is clear that 
the strength and ability of the soul are being directed toward God 
and kept for Him. For, the more the soul rejoices in any other 
thing than God, the less completely will it centre its rejoicing 
in God;[532] and the more it hopes in aught else, the less will it 
hope in God; and so with the other passions.
     3. And in order to give fuller instructions concerning this, 
we shall treat, in turn and in detail, as is our custom, of each 
of these four passions and of the desires of the will. For the 
whole business of attaining to union with God consists in purging 
the will from its affections and desires; so that thus it may no 
longer be a base, human will, but may become a Divine will, being 
made one[533] with the will of God.
     4. These four passions have the greater dominion in the soul, 
and assail it the more vehemently, when the will is less strongly 
attached to God and more dependent on the creatures. For then it 
rejoices very readily at things that merit not rejoicing, hopes in 
that which brings no profit, grieves over that in which perchance 
it ought to rejoice, and fears where there is no reason for 
fearing.
     5. From these affections, when they are unbridled, arise in 
the soul all the vices and imperfections which it possesses, and 
likewise, when they are ordered and composed, all its virtues. And 
it must be known that, if one of them should become ordered and 
controlled by reason, the rest will become so likewise; for these 
four passions of the soul are so closely and intimately united to 
one another that the actual direction of one is the virtual 
direction of the others; and if one be actually recollected the 
other three will virtually and proportionately be recollected 
likewise. For, if the will rejoice in anything it will as a result 
hope for the same thing to the extent of its rejoicing, and herein 
are virtually included grief and fear with regard to the same 
thing; and, in proportion as desire for these is taken away, fear 
and grief concerning them are likewise gradually lost, and hope 
for them is removed. For the will, with these four passions, is 
denoted by that figure which was seen by Ezechiel, of four beasts 
with one body, which had four faces; and the wings of the one were 
joined to those of the other, and each one went straight before 
his face, and when they went forward they turned not back.[534] And 
thus in the same manner the wings of each one of these affections 
are joined to those of each of the others, so that, in whichever 
direction one of them turns -- that is, in its operation -- the 
others of necessity go with it virtually also; and, when one of 
them descends, as is there said, they must all descend, and, when 
one is lifted up, they will all be lifted up. Where thy hope is, 
thither will go thy joy and fear and grief; and, if thy hope 
returns, the others will return, and so of the rest.
     6. Wherefore thou must take note that, wheresoever one of 
these passions is, thither will go likewise the whole soul and the 
will and the other faculties, and they will all live as captives 
to this passion, and the other three passions will be living in it 
also, to afflict the soul with their captivity, and not to allow 
it to fly upward to the liberty and rest of sweet contemplation 
and union. For this cause Boetius told thee that, if thou shouldst 
desire to understand truth with clear light, thou must cast from 
thee joys, hope, fear and grief.[535] For, as long as these passions 
reign, they allow not the soul to remain in the tranquillity and 
peace which are necessary for the wisdom which, by natural or 
supernatural means, it is capable of receiving.


                          CHAPTER XVII

     Which begins to treat of the first affections of the will. 
Describes the nature of joy and makes a distinction between the 
things in which the will can rejoice.

     THE first of the passions of the soul and affections of the 
will is joy, which, in so far as concerns that which we propose to 
say about it, is naught else than a satisfaction of the will 
together with esteem for something which it considers desirable; 
for the will never rejoices save when an object affords it 
appreciation and satisfaction. This has reference to active joy, 
which arises when the soul clearly and distinctly understands the 
reason for its rejoicing, and when it is in its own power to 
rejoice or not. There is another and a passive joy, a condition in 
which the will may find itself rejoicing without understanding 
clearly and distinctly the reason for its rejoicing, and which 
also occurs at times when it does understand this; but it is not 
in the soul's power to rejoice or not. Of this condition we shall 
speak hereafter. For the present we shall speak of joy when it is 
active and voluntary and arises from things that are distinct and 
clear.
     2. Joy may arise from six kinds of good things or 
blessings,[536] namely: temporal, natural, sensual, moral, 
supernatural and spiritual. Of these we shall speak in their 
order, controlling the will with regard to them so that it may not 
be encumbered by them and fail to place the strength of its joy in 
God. To this end it is well to presuppose one fundamental truth, 
which will be as a staff whereon we should ever lean as we 
progress; and it will be well to have understood it, because it is 
the light whereby we should be guided and whereby we may 
understand this doctrine, and direct our rejoicing in all these 
blessings to God. This truth is that the will must never rejoice 
save only in that which is to the honour and glory of God; and 
that the greatest honour we can show to Him is that of serving Him 
according to evangelical perfection; and anything that has naught 
to do with this is of no value and profit to man.


                          CHAPTER XVIII

     Which treats of joy with respect to temporal blessings. 
Describes how joy in them must be directed to God.

     THE first kind of blessing of which we have spoken is 
temporal. And by temporal blessings we here understand riches, 
rank, office and other things that men desire; and children, 
relatives, marriages, etc.: all of which are things wherein the 
will may rejoice. But it is clear how vain a thing it is for men 
to rejoice in riches, titles, rank, office and other such things 
which they are wont to desire; for, if a man were the better 
servant of God for being rich, he ought to rejoice in riches; but 
in fact they are rather a cause for his giving offence to God, 
even as the Wise Man teaches, saying: 'Son, if thou be rich, thou 
shalt not be free from sin.'[537] Although it is true that temporal 
blessings do not necessarily of themselves cause sin, yet, through 
the frailty of its affections, the heart of man habitually clings 
to them and fails God (which is a sin, for to fail God is sin); it 
is for this cause that the Wise Man says: 'Thou shalt not be free 
from sin.' For this reason the Lord described riches, in the 
Gospel, as thorns,[538] in order to show that he who touches them[539] 
with the will shall be wounded by some sin. And that exclamation 
which He makes in the Gospel, saying: 'How hardly shall they that 
have riches enter the Kingdom of the heavens' -- that is to say, 
they that have joy in riches -- clearly shows that man must not 
rejoice in riches, since he exposes himself thereby to such great 
peril.[540] And David, in order to withdraw us from this peril, said 
likewise: 'If riches abound, set not your heart on them.'[541] And I 
will not here quote further testimony on so clear a matter.
     2. For in that case I should never cease quoting Scripture, 
nor should I cease describing the evils which Solomon imputes to 
riches in Ecclesiastes. Solomon was a man who had possessed great 
riches, and, knowing well what they were, said: 'All things that 
are under the sun are vanity of vanities, vexation of spirit and 
vain solicitude of the mind.'[542] And he that loves riches, he 
said, shall reap no fruit from them.[543] And he adds that riches 
are kept to the hurt of their owner,[544] as we see in the Gospel, 
where it was said from Heaven to the man that rejoiced because he 
had kept many fruits for many years: 'Fool, this night shall thy 
soul be required of thee to give account thereof, and whose shall 
be that which thou has provided?'[545] And finally, David teaches us 
the same, saying: 'Let us have no envy when our neighbour becomes 
rich, for it will profit him nothing in the life to come;'[546] 
meaning thereby that we might rather have pity on him.
     3. It follows, then, that a man must neither rejoice in 
riches when he has them, nor when his brother has them, unless 
they help them to serve God. For if ever it is allowable to 
rejoice in them, it will be when they are spent and employed in 
the service of God, for otherwise no profit will be derived from 
them. And the same is to be understood of other blessings (titles, 
offices, etc.), in all of which it is vain to rejoice if a man 
feel not that God is the better served because of them and the way 
to eternal life is made more secure. And as it cannot be clearly 
known if this is so (if God is better served, etc.), it would be a 
vain thing to rejoice in these things deliberately, since such a 
joy cannot be reasonable. For, as the Lord says: 'If a man gain 
all the world, he may yet lose his soul.'[547] There is naught, 
then, wherein to rejoice save in the fact that God is better 
served.
     4. Neither is there cause for rejoicing in children because 
they are many, or rich, or endowed with natural graces and talents 
and the good things of fortune, but only if they serve God. For 
Absalom, the son of David, found neither his beauty nor his riches 
nor his lineage of any service to him because he served not 
God.[548] Hence it was a vain thing to have rejoiced in such a son. 
For this reason it is also a vain thing for men to desire to have 
children, as do some who trouble and disturb everyone with their 
desire for them, since they know not if such children will be good 
and serve God. Nor do they know if their satisfaction in them will 
be turned into pain; nor if the comfort and consolation which they 
should have from them will change to disquiet and trial; and the 
honour which they should bring them, into dishonour; nor if they 
will cause them to give greater offence to God, as happens to 
many. Of these Christ says that they go round about the sea and 
the land to enrich them and to make them doubly the children of 
perdition which they are themselves.[549]
     5. Wherefore, though all things smile upon a man and all that 
he does turns out prosperously, he ought to have misgivings rather 
than to rejoice; for these things increase the occasion and peril 
of his forgetting God. For this cause Solomon says, in 
Ecclesiastes, that he was cautious: 'Laughter I counted error and 
to rejoicing I said, "Why art thou vainly deceived?"'[550] Which is 
as though he had said: When things smiled upon me I counted it 
error and deception to rejoice in them; for without doubt it is a 
great error and folly on the part of a man if he rejoice when 
things are bright and pleasant for him, knowing not of a certainty 
that there will come to him thence some eternal good. The heart of 
the fool, says the Wise Man, is where there is mirth, but that of 
the wise man is where there is sorrow.[551] For mirth blinds the 
heart and allows it not to consider things and ponder them; but 
sadness makes a man open his eyes and look at the profit and the 
harm of them. And hence it is that, as he himself says, anger is 
better than laughter.[552] Wherefore it is better to go to the house 
of mourning than to the house of feasting; for in the former is 
figured the end of all men,[553] as the Wise Man says likewise.
     6. It would therefore be vanity for a woman or her husband to 
rejoice in their marriage when they know not clearly that they are 
serving God better thereby. They ought rather to feel confounded, 
since matrimony is a cause, as Saint Paul says, whereby each one 
sets his heart upon the other and keeps it not wholly with God. 
Wherefore he says: 'If thou shouldst find thyself free from a 
wife, desire not to seek a wife; while he that has one already 
should walk with such freedom of heart as though he had her 
not.'[554] This, together with what we have said concerning temporal 
blessings, he teaches us himself, in these words: 'This is 
certain; as I say to you, brethren, the time is short; it 
remaineth that they also who have wives be as if they had none; 
and they that weep, as them that weep not; and they that rejoice, 
as them that rejoice not; and they that buy, as them that possess 
not; and they that use this world, as them that use it not.'[555] 
All this he says to show us that we must not set our rejoicings 
upon any other thing than that which tends to the service of God, 
since the rest is vanity and a thing which profits not; for joy 
that is not according to God can bring the soul no profit.[556]


                           CHAPTER XIX

     Of the evils that may befall the soul when it sets its 
rejoicing upon temporal blessings.

     IF we had to describe the evils which encompass the soul when 
it sets the affections of its will upon temporal blessings, 
neither ink nor paper would suffice us and our time would be too 
short. For from very small beginnings a man may attain to great 
evils and destroy great blessings; even as from a spark of fire, 
if it be not quenched, may be enkindled great fires which set the 
world ablaze. All these evils have their root and origin in one 
important evil of a privative kind that is contained in this joy 
-- namely, withdrawal from God. For even as, in the soul that is 
united with Him by the affection of its will, there are born all 
blessings, even so, when it withdraws itself from Him because of 
this creature affection, there beset it all evils and disasters 
proportionately to the joy and affection wherewith it is united 
with the creature; for this is inherent in[557] withdrawal from God. 
Wherefore a soul may expect the evils which assail it to be 
greater or less according to the greater or lesser degree of its 
withdrawal from God. These evils may be extensive or intensive; 
for the most part they are both together.
     2. This privative evil, whence, we say, arise other privative 
and positive evils, has four degrees, each one worse than the 
other. And, when the soul compasses the fourth degree, it will 
have compassed all the evils and depravities that arise in this 
connection.[558] These four degrees are well indicated by Moses in 
Deuteronomy in these words, where he says: 'The beloved grew fat 
and kicked. He grew fat and became swollen and gross. He forsook 
God his Maker and departed from God his Salvation.'[559]
     3. This growing fat of the soul, which was loved before it 
grew fat, indicates absorption in this joy of creatures. And hence 
arises the first degree of this evil, namely the going backward; 
which is a certain blunting of the mind with regard to God, an 
obscuring of the blessings of God like the obscuring of the air by 
mist, so that it cannot be clearly illumined by the light of the 
sun. For, precisely when the spiritual person sets his rejoicing 
upon anything, and gives rein to his desire for foolish things, he 
becomes blind as to God, and the simple intelligence of his 
judgment becomes clouded, even as the Divine Spirit teaches in the 
Book of Wisdom, saying: 'the use and association of vanity and 
scorn obscureth good things, and inconstancy of desire overturneth 
and perverteth the sense and judgment that are without malice.'[560] 
Here the Holy Spirit shows that, although there be no malice 
conceived in the understanding of the soul, concupiscence and 
rejoicing in creatures suffice of themselves to create in the soul 
the first degree of this evil, which is the blunting of the mind 
and the darkening of the judgment, by which the truth is 
understood and each thing honestly judged as it is.
     4. Holiness and good judgment suffice not to save a man from 
falling into this evil, if he gives way to concupiscence or 
rejoicing in temporal things. For this reason God warned us by 
uttering these words through Moses: 'Thou shalt take no gifts, 
which blind even the prudent.'[561] And this was addressed 
particularly to those who were to be judges; for these have need 
to keep their judgment clear and alert, which they will be unable 
to do if they covet and rejoice in gifts. And for this cause 
likewise God commanded Moses to appoint judges from those who 
abhorred avarice, so that their judgment should not be blunted 
with the lust of the passions.[562] And thus he says not only that 
they should not desire it, but that they should abhor it. For, if 
a man is to be perfectly defended from the affection of love, he 
must preserve an abhorrence of it, defending himself by means of 
the one thing against its contrary. The reason why the prophet 
Samuel, for example, was always so upright and enlightened a judge 
is that (as he said in the Book of the Kings) he had never 
received a gift from any man.[563]
     5. The second degree of this privative evil arises from the 
first, which is indicated in the words following the passage 
already quoted, namely: 'He grew fat and became swollen and 
gross.'[564] And thus this second degree is dilation of the will 
through the acquisition of greater liberty in temporal things; 
which consists in no longer attaching so much importance to them, 
nor troubling oneself about them, nor esteeming so highly the joy 
and pleasure that come from created blessings. And this will have 
arisen in the soul from its having in the first place given rein 
to rejoicing; for, through giving way to it, the soul has become 
swollen with it, as is said in that passage, and that fatness of 
rejoicing and desire has mused it to dilate and extend its will 
more freely toward the creatures. And this brings with it great 
evils. For this second degree causes the soul to withdraw itself 
from the things of God, and from holy practices, and to take no 
pleasure in them, because it takes pleasure in other things and 
devotes itself continually to many imperfections and follies and 
to joys and vain pleasures.
     6. And when this second degree is consummated, it withdraws a 
man wholly from the practices which he followed continually and 
makes his whole mind and covetousness to be given to secular 
things. And those who are affected by this second degree not only 
have their judgment and understanding darkened so that they cannot 
recognize truth and justice, like those who are in the first 
degree, but they are also very weak and lukewarm and careless in 
acquiring knowledge of, and in practising, truth and justice, even 
as Isaias says of them in these words: 'They all love gifts and 
allow themselves to be carried away by rewards, and they judge not 
the orphan, neither doth the cause of the widow come unto them 
that they may give heed to it.'[565] This comes not to pass in them 
without sin, especially when to do these things is incumbent upon 
them because of their office. For those who are affected by this 
degree are not free from malice as are those of the first degree. 
And thus they withdraw themselves more and more from justice and 
virtues, since their will reaches out more and more in affection 
for creatures. Wherefore, the characteristics of those who are in 
this second degree are great lukewarmness in spiritual things and 
failure to do their duty by them; they practise them from 
formality or from compulsion or from the habit which they have 
formed of practising them, rather than because they love them.
     7. The third degree of this privative evil is a complete 
falling away from God, neglect to fulfil His law in order not to 
lose worldly things and blessings, and relapse into mortal sin 
through covetousness. And this third degree is described in the 
words following the passage quoted above, which says: 'He forsook 
God his Maker.'[566] In this degree are included all who have the 
faculties of the soul absorbed in things of the world and in 
riches and commerce, in such a way that they care nothing for 
fulfilling the obligations of the law of God. And they are very 
forgetful and dull with respect to that which touches their 
salvation, and have a correspondingly greater ardour and 
shrewdness with respect to things of the world. So much so that in 
the Gospel Christ calls them children of this world, and says of 
them that they are more prudent and acute in their affairs than 
are the children of light in their own.[567] And thus they are as 
nothing in God's business, whereas in the world's business they 
are everything. And these are the truly avaricious, who have 
extended and dispersed their desire and joy on things created, and 
this with such affection that they cannot be satisfied; on the 
contrary, their desire and their thirst grow all the more because 
they are farther withdrawn from the only source that could satisfy 
them, which is God. For it is of these that God Himself speaks 
through Jeremias, saying: 'They have forsaken Me, Who am the 
fountain of living water, and they have digged to themselves 
broken cisterns that can hold no water.'[568] And this is the reason 
why the covetous man finds naught among the creatures wherewith he 
can quench his thirst, but only that which increases it. These 
persons are they that fall into countless kinds of sin through 
love of temporal blessings and the evils which afflict them are 
innumerable. And of these David says: Transierunt in affectum 
cordis.[569]
     8. The fourth degree of this privative evil is indicated in 
the last words of our passage, which says: 'And he departed from 
God his Salvation.'[570] To this degree come those of the third 
degree whereof we have just spoken. For, through his not giving 
heed to setting his heart upon the law of God because of temporal 
blessings, the soul of the covetous man departs far from God 
according to his memory, understanding and will, forgetting Him as 
though He were not his God, which comes to pass because he has 
made for himself a god of money and of temporal blessings, as 
Saint Paul says when he describes avarice as slavery to idols.[571] 
For this fourth degree leads a man as far as to forget God, and to 
set his heart, which he should have set formally upon God, 
formally upon money, as though he had no god beside.
     9. To this fourth degree belong those who hesitate not to 
subject Divine and supernatural things to temporal things, as to 
their God, when they ought to do the contrary, and subject 
temporal things to God, if they considered Him as their God, as 
would be in accordance with reason. To these belonged the 
iniquitous Balaam, who sold the grace that God had given to 
him.[572] And also Simon Magus, who thought to value the grace of 
God in terms of money, and desired to buy it.[573] In doing this he 
showed a greater esteem for money; and he thought there were those 
who similarly esteemed it, and would give grace for money. There 
are many nowadays who in many other ways belong to this fourth 
degree; their reason is darkened to spiritual things by 
covetousness; they serve money and not God, and are influenced by 
money and not by God, putting first the cost of a thing and not 
its Divine worth and reward, and in many ways making money their 
principal god and end, and setting it before the final end, which 
is God.
     10. To this last degree belong also those miserable souls who 
are so greatly in love with their own goods that they take them 
for their god, so much so that they scruple not to sacrifice their 
lives for them, when they see that this god of theirs is suffering 
some temporal harm. They abandon themselves to despair and take 
their own lives for their miserable ends, showing by their own 
acts how wretched is the reward which such a god as theirs 
bestows. For when they can no longer hope for aught from him he 
gives them despair and death; and those whom he pursues not to 
this last evil of death he condemns to a dying life in the griefs 
of anxiety and in many other miseries, allowing no mirth to enter 
their heart, and naught that is of earth to bring them 
satisfaction. They continually pay the tribute of their heart to 
money by their yearning for it and hoarding of it for the final 
calamity of their just perdition, as the Wise Man warns them, 
saying: 'Riches are kept to the hurt of their owner.'[574]
     11. And to this fourth degree belong those of whom Saint Paul 
says: Tradidit illos in reprobum sensum.[575] For joy, when it 
strives after possessions as its final goal, drags man down to 
these evils. But those on whom it inflicts lesser evils are also 
to be sorely pitied, since, as we have said, their souls are 
driven far backward upon the way of God. Wherefore, as David says: 
Be not thou afraid when a man shall be made rich: that is, envy 
him not, thinking that he outstrips thee, for, when he dieth, he 
shall carry nothing away, neither shall his glory nor his joy 
descend with him.[576]


                           CHAPTER XX

     Of the benefits that come to the soul from its withdrawal of 
joy from temporal things.

     THE spiritual man, then, must look carefully to it that his 
heart and his rejoicing begin not to lay hold upon temporal 
things; he must fear lest from being little it should grow to be 
great, and should increase from one degree to another. For little 
things, in time, become great; and from a small beginning there 
comes in the end a great matter, even as a spark suffices to set a 
mountain on fire and to burn up the whole world. And let him never 
be self-confident because his attachment is small, and fail to 
uproot it instantly because he thinks that he will do so later. 
For if, when it is so small and in its beginnings, he has not the 
courage to make an end of it, how does he suppose, and presume, 
that he will be able to do so when it is great and more deeply 
rooted. The more so since Our Lord said in the Gospel: 'He that is 
unfaithful in little will be unfaithful also in much.'[577] For he 
that avoids the small sin will not fall into the great sin; but 
great evil is inherent in the small sin,[578] since it has already 
penetrated within the fence and wall of the heart; and as the 
proverb says: Once begun, half done. Wherefore David warns us, 
saying: 'Though riches abound, let us not apply our heart to 
them.'[579]
     2. Although a man might not do this for the sake of God and 
of the obligations of Christian perfection, he should nevertheless 
do it because of the temporal advantages that result from it, to 
say nothing of the spiritual advantages, and he should free his 
heart completely from all rejoicing in the things mentioned above. 
And thus, not only will he free himself from the pestilent evils 
which we have described in the last chapter, but, in addition to 
this, he will withdraw his joy from temporal blessings and acquire 
the virtue of liberality, which is one of the principal attributes 
of God, and can in no wise coexist with covetousness. Apart from 
this, he will acquire liberty of soul, clarity of reason, rest, 
tranquillity and peaceful confidence in God and a true reverence 
and worship of God which comes from the will. He will find greater 
joy and recreation in the creatures through his detachment from 
them, for he cannot rejoice in them if he look upon them with 
attachment to them as to his own. Attachment is an anxiety that, 
like a bond, ties the spirit down to the earth and allows it no 
enlargement of heart. He will also acquire, in his detachment from 
things, a clear conception of them, so that he can well understand 
the truths relating to them, both naturally and supernaturally. He 
will therefore enjoy them very differently from one who is 
attached to them, and he will have a great advantage and 
superiority over such a one. For, while he enjoys them according 
to their truth, the other enjoys them according to their 
falseness; the one appreciates the best side of them and the other 
the worst; the one rejoices in their substance; the other, whose 
sense is bound to them, in their accident. For sense cannot grasp 
or attain to more than the accident, but the spirit, purged of the 
clouds and species of accident, penetrates the truth and worth of 
things, for this is its object. Wherefore joy, like a cloud, 
darkens the judgment, since there can be no voluntary joy in 
creatures without voluntary attachment, even as there can be no 
joy which is passion when there is no habitual attachment in the 
heart; and the renunciation and purgation of such joy leave the 
judgment clear, even as the mists leave the air clear when they 
are scattered.
     3. This man, then, rejoices in all things -- since his joy is 
dependent upon none of them -- as if he had them all; and this 
other, through looking upon them with a particular sense of 
ownership, loses in a general sense all the pleasure of them all. 
This former man, having none of them in his heart, possesses them 
all, as Saint Paul says, in great freedom.[580] This latter man, 
inasmuch as he has something of them through the attachment of his 
will, neither has nor possesses anything; it is rather they that 
have possessed his heart, and he is, as it were, a sorrowing 
captive. Wherefore, if he desire to have a certain degree of joy 
in creatures, he must of necessity have an equal degree of 
disquietude and grief in his heart, since it is seized and 
possessed by them. But he that is detached is untroubled by 
anxieties, either in prayer or apart from it; and thus, without 
losing time, he readily gains great spiritual treasure. But the 
other man loses everything, running to and fro upon the chain by 
which his heart is attached and bound; and with all his diligence 
he can still hardly free himself for a short time from this bond 
of thought and rejoicing by which his heart is bound. The 
spiritual man, then, must restrain the first motion of his heart 
towards creatures, remembering the premiss which we have here laid 
down, that there is naught wherein a man must rejoice, save in his 
service of God, and in his striving for His glory and honour in 
all things, directing all things solely to this end and turning 
aside from vanity in them, looking in them neither for his own joy 
nor for his consolation.
     4. There is another very great and important benefit in this 
detachment of the rejoicing from creatures -- namely, that it 
leaves the heart free for God. This is the dispositive foundation 
of all the favours which God will grant to the soul, and without 
this disposition He grants them not. And they are such that, even 
from the temporal standpoint, for one joy which the soul renounces 
for love of Him and for the perfection of the Gospel, He will give 
him a hundred in this life, as His Majesty promises in the same 
Gospel.[581] But, even were there not so high a rate of interest, 
the spiritual man should quench these creature joys in his soul 
because of the displeasure which they give to God. For we see in 
the Gospel that, simply because that rich man rejoiced at having 
laid up for many years, God was so greatly angered that He told 
him that his soul would be brought to account on that same 
night.[582] Therefore, we must believe that, whensoever we rejoice 
vainly, God is beholding us and preparing some punishment and 
bitter draught according to our deserts, so that the pain which 
results from the joy may sometimes be a hundred times greater than 
the joy. For, although it is true, as Saint John says on this 
matter, in the Apocalypse, concerning Babylon, that as much as she 
had rejoiced and lived in delights, so much torment and sorrow 
should be given her,[583] yet this is not to say that the pain will 
not be greater than the joy, which indeed it will be, since for 
brief pleasures are given eternal torments. The words mean that 
there shall be nothing without its particular punishment, for He 
Who will punish the idle word will not pardon vain rejoicing.


                           CHAPTER XXI

     Which describes how it is vanity to set the rejoicing of the 
will upon the good things of nature, and how the soul must direct 
itself, by means of them, to God.

     BY natural blessings we here understand beauty, grace, 
comeliness, bodily constitution and all other bodily endowments; 
and likewise, in the soul, good understanding, discretion and 
other things that pertain to reason. Many a man sets his rejoicing 
upon all these gifts, to the end that he himself, or those that 
belong to him, may possess them, and for no other reason, and 
gives no thanks to God Who bestows them on him so that He may be 
better known and loved by him because of them. But to rejoice for 
this cause alone is vanity and deception, as Solomon says in these 
words: 'Deceitful is grace and vain is beauty; the woman who fears 
God, she shall be praised.'[584] Here he teaches us that a man ought 
rather to be fearful because of these natural gifts, since he may 
easily be distracted by them from the love of God, and, if he be 
attracted by them, he may fall into vanity and be deceived. For 
this reason bodily grace is said to be deceptive because it 
deceives a man in the ways and attracts him to that which beseems 
him not, through vain joy and complacency, either in himself or in 
others that have such grace. And it is said that beauty is vain 
because it causes a man to fall in many ways when he esteems it 
and rejoices in it, for he should rejoice only if he serves God or 
others through it. But he ought rather to fear and harbour 
misgivings lest perchance his natural graces and gifts should be a 
cause of his offending God, either by his vain presumption or by 
the extreme affection with which he regards them. Wherefore he 
that has such gifts should be cautious and live carefully, lest, 
by his vain ostentation, he give cause to any man to withdraw his 
heart in the smallest degree from God. For these graces and gifts 
of nature are so full of provocation and occasion of evil, both to 
him that possesses them and to him that looks upon them, that 
there is hardly any who entirely escapes from binding and 
entangling his heart in them. We have heard that many spiritual 
persons, who had certain of these gifts, had such fear of this 
that they prayed God to disfigure them, lest they should be a 
cause and occasion of any vain joy or affection to themselves or 
to others, and God granted their prayer.
     2. The spiritual man, then, must purge his will, and make it 
to be blind to this vain rejoicing, bearing in mind that beauty 
and all other natural gifts are but earth, and that they come from 
the earth and will return thither; and that grace and beauty are 
the smoke and vapour belonging to this same earth; and that they 
must be held and esteemed as such by any man who desires not to 
fall into vanity, but will direct his heart to God in these 
matters, with rejoicing and gladness, because God is in Himself 
all these beauties and graces in the most eminent degree, and is 
infinitely high above all created things. And, as David says, they 
are all like a garment and shall grow old and pass away, and He 
alone remains immutable for ever.[585] Wherefore, if in all these 
matters a man direct not his rejoicing to God, it will ever be 
false and deceptive. For of such a man is that saying of Solomon 
to be understood, where he addresses joy in the creatures, saying: 
'To joy I said: "Why art thou vainly deceived?"'[586] That is, when 
the heart allows itself to be attracted by the creatures.


                          CHAPTER XXII

     Of the evils which come to the soul when it sets the 
rejoicing of its will upon the good things of nature.

     ALTHOUGH many of these evils and benefits that I am 
describing in treating of these kinds of joy are common to all, 
yet, because they follow directly from joy and detachment from joy 
(although comprised under any one of these six divisions which I 
am treating), therefore I speak under each heading of some evils 
and benefits which are also found under another, since these, as I 
say, are connected with that joy which belongs to them all. But my 
principal intent is to speak of the particular evils and benefits 
which come to the soul, with respect to each thing, through its 
rejoicing or not rejoicing in it. These I call particular evils, 
because they are primarily and immediately caused by one 
particular kind of rejoicing, and are not, save in a secondary and 
mediate sense, caused by another. The evil of spiritual 
lukewarmness, for example, is caused directly by any and every 
kind of joy, and this evil is therefore common to all these six 
kinds; but fornication is a particular evil, which is the direct 
result only of joy in the good things of nature of which we are 
speaking.
     2. The spiritual and bodily evils, then, which directly and 
effectively come to the soul when it sets its rejoicing on the 
good things of nature are reduced to six principal evils. The 
first is vainglory, presumption, pride and disesteem of our 
neighbour; for a man cannot cast eyes of esteem on one thing 
without taking them from the rest. From this follows, at the 
least, a real disesteem for everything else; for naturally, by 
setting our esteem on one thing, we withdraw our heart from all 
things else and set it upon the thing esteemed; and from this real 
contempt it is very easy to fall into an intentional and voluntary 
contempt for all these other things, in particular or in general, 
not only in the heart, but also in speech, when we say that such a 
thing or such a person is not like such another. The second evil 
is the moving of the senses to complacency and sensual delight and 
lust. The third evil comes from falling into adulation and vain 
praise, wherein is deception and vanity, as Isaias says in these 
words: 'My people, he that praises thee deceives thee.'[587] And the 
reason is that, although we sometimes speak the truth when we 
praise grace and beauty, yet it will be a marvel if there is not 
some evil enwrapped therein or if the person praised is not 
plunged into vain complacency and rejoicing, or his imperfect 
intentions and affections are not directed thereto. The fourth 
evil is of a general kind: it is a serious[588] blunting of the 
reason and the spiritual sense, such as is effected by rejoicing 
in temporal good things. In one way, indeed, it is much worse. For 
as the good things of nature are more closely connected with man 
than are temporal good things, the joy which they give leaves an 
impression and effect and trace upon the senses more readily and 
more effectively, and deadens them more completely. And thus 
reason and judgment are not free, but are clouded with that 
affection of joy which is very closely connected with them; and 
from this arises the fifth evil, which is distraction of the mind 
by created things. And hence arise and follow lukewarmness and 
weakness of spirit, which is the sixth evil, and is likewise of a 
general kind; this is apt to reach such a pitch that a man may 
find the things of God very tedious and troublesome, and at last 
even come to abhor them. In this rejoicing purity of spirit is 
invariably lost -- at least, in its essence. For, if any 
spirituality is discerned, it will be of such a gross and sensual 
kind as to be hardly spiritual or interior or recollected at all, 
since it will consist rather in pleasure of sense than in strength 
of spirit. Since, then, the spirituality of the soul is of so low 
and weak a character at that time as not to quench the habit of 
this rejoicing (for this habit alone suffices to destroy pure 
spirituality, even when the soul is not consenting to the acts of 
rejoicing), the soul must be living, so to say, in the weakness of 
sense rather than in the strength of the spirit. Otherwise, it 
will be seen in the perfection and fortitude which the soul will 
have when the occasion demands it. Although I do not deny that 
many virtues may exist together with serious imperfections, no 
pure or delectable inward spirituality can exist while these joys 
are not quenched; for the flesh reigns within, warring against the 
spirit, and, although the spirit may be unconscious of the evil, 
yet at the least it causes it secret distraction.
     3. Returning now to speak of that second evil, which contains 
within itself innumerable other evils, it is impossible to 
describe with the pen or to express in words the lengths to which 
it can go, but this is not unknown or secret, nor is the extent of 
the misery that arises from the setting of our rejoicing on 
natural beauty and graces. For every day we hear of its causing 
numerous deaths, the loss by many of their honour, the commission 
of many insults, the dissipation of much wealth, numerous cases of 
emulation and strife, of adultery, rape and fornication, and of 
the fall of many holy men, comparable in number to that third part 
of the stars of Heaven which was swept down by the tail of the 
serpent on earth.[589] The fine gold has lost its brilliance and 
lustre and is become mire; and the notable and noble men of Sion, 
who were clothed in finest gold, are counted as earthen pitchers 
that are broken and have become potsherds.[590] How far does the 
poison of this evil not penetrate?
     4. And who drinks not, either little or much, from this 
golden chalice of the Babylonian woman of the Apocalypse?[591] She 
seats herself on that great beast, that had seven heads and ten 
crowns, signifying that there is scarce any man, whether high or 
low, saint or sinner, who comes not to drink of her wine, to some 
extent enslaving his heart thereby, for, as is said of her in that 
place, all the kings of the earth have become drunken with the 
wine of her prostitution. And she seizes upon all estates of men, 
even upon the highest and noblest estate -- the service of the 
sanctuary and the Divine priesthood -- setting her abominable cup, 
as Daniel says, in the holy place,[592] and leaving scarcely a 
single strong man without making him to drink, either little or 
much, from the wine of this chalice, which is vain rejoicing. For 
this reason it is said that all the kings of the earth have become 
drunken with this wine, for very few will be found, however holy 
they may have been, that have not been to some extent stupefied 
and bewildered by this draught of the joy and pleasure of natural 
graces and beauty.
     5. This phrase 'have become drunken' should be noted. For, 
however little a man may drink of the wine of this rejoicing, it 
at once takes hold upon the heart, and stupefies it and works the 
evil of darkening the reason, as does wine to those who have been 
corrupted by it. So that, if some antidote be not at once taken 
against this poison, whereby it may be quickly expelled, the life 
of the soul is endangered. Its spiritual weakness will increase, 
bringing it to such a pass that it will be like Samson, when his 
eyes were put out and the hair of his first strength was cut off, 
and like Samson it will see itself grinding in the mills, a 
captive among its enemies;[593] and afterwards, peradventure, it 
will die the second death among its enemies, even as did he, since 
the drinking of this rejoicing will produce in them spiritually 
all those evils that were produced in him physically, and does in 
fact produce them in many persons to this day. Let his enemies 
come and say to him afterwards, to his great confusion: Art thou 
he that broke the knotted cords, that tore asunder the lions, slew 
the thousand Philistines, broke down the gates and freed himself 
from all his enemies?
     6. Let us conclude, then, by giving the instruction necessary 
to counteract this poison. And let it be this: As soon as thy 
heart feels moved by this vain joy in the good things of nature, 
let it remember how vain a thing it is to rejoice in aught save 
the service of God, how perilous and how pernicious. Let it 
consider how great an evil it was for the angels to rejoice and 
take pleasure in their natural endowments and beauty, since it was 
this that plunged them into the depths of shame.[594] Let them 
think, too, how many evils come to men daily through this same 
vanity, and let them therefore resolve in good time to employ the 
remedy which the poet commends to those who begin to grow 
affectioned to such things. 'Make haste now,' he says, 'and use 
the remedy at the beginning; for when evil things have had time to 
grow in the heart, remedy and medicine come late.' Look not upon 
the wine, as the Wise Man says, when its colour is red and when it 
shines in the glass; it enters pleasantly and bites like a viper 
and sheds abroad poison like a basilisk.[595]


                          CHAPTER XXIII

     Of the benefits which the soul receives from not setting its 
rejoicing upon the good things of nature.

     MANY are the benefits which come to the soul through the 
withdrawal of its heart from this rejoicing; for, besides 
preparing itself for the love of God and the other virtues, it 
makes a direct way for its own humility, and for a general charity 
toward its neighbours. For, as it is not led by the apparent good 
things of nature, which are deceitful, into affection for anyone, 
the soul remains free and able[596] to love them all rationally and 
spiritually, as God wills them to be loved. Here it must be 
understood that none deserves to be loved, save for the virtue 
that is in him. And, when we love in this way, it is very pleasing 
to the will of God, and also brings great freedom; and if there be 
attachment in it, there is greater attachment to God. For, in that 
case, the more this love grows, the more grows our love toward 
God; and, the more grows our love toward God, the greater becomes 
our love for our neighbour. For, when love is grounded in God, the 
reason for all love is one and the same and the cause of all love 
is one and the same also.
     2. Another excellent benefit comes to the soul from its 
renunciation of this kind of rejoicing, which is that it fulfils 
and keeps the counsel of Our Saviour which He gives us through 
Saint Matthew. 'Let him that will follow Me', He says, 'deny 
himself.'[597] This the soul could in no wise do if it were to set 
its rejoicing upon the good things of nature; for he that makes 
any account of himself neither denies himself nor follows Christ.
     3. There is another great benefit in the renunciation of this 
kind of rejoicing, which is that it produces great tranquillity in 
the soul, empties it of distractions and brings recollection to 
the senses, especially to the eyes. For the soul that desires not 
to rejoice in these things desires neither to look at them nor to 
attach the other senses to them, lest it should be attracted or 
entangled by them. Nor will it spend time or thought upon them, 
being like the prudent serpent, which stops its ears that it may 
not hear the charmers lest they make some impression upon it.[598] 
For, by guarding its doors, which are the senses, the soul guards 
itself safely and increases its tranquillity and purity.
     4. There is another benefit of no less importance to those 
that have become proficient in the mortification of this kind of 
rejoicing, which is that evil things and the knowledge of them 
neither make an impression upon them nor stain them as they do 
those to whom they still give any delight. Wherefore the 
renunciation and mortification of this rejoicing result in 
spiritual cleanness of soul and body; that is, of spirit and 
sense; and the soul comes to have an angelical conformity with 
God, and becomes, both in spirit and in body, a worthy temple of 
the Holy Spirit. This cannot come to pass if the heart rejoices in 
natural graces and good things. For this reason it is not 
necessary to have given consent to any evil thing, or to have 
remembrance of such; for that rejoicing suffices to stain the soul 
and the senses with impurity by means of the knowledge of evil; 
for, as the Wise Man says, the Holy Spirit will remove Himself 
from thoughts that are without understanding -- that is, without 
the higher reason that has respect to God.[599]
     5. Another benefit of a general kind follows, which is that, 
besides freeing ourselves from the evils and dangers 
aforementioned, we are delivered also from countless vanities, and 
from many other evils, both spiritual and temporal; and especially 
from falling into the small esteem in which are held all those 
that are seen to glory or rejoice in the said natural gifts, 
whether in their own or in those of others. And thus these souls 
are held and esteemed as wise and prudent, as indeed are all those 
who take no account of these things, but only of that which 
pleases God.
     6. From these said benefits follows the last, which is a 
generosity of the soul, as necessary to the service of God as is 
liberty of spirit, whereby temptations are easily vanquished and 
trials faithfully endured, and whereby, too, the virtues grow and 
become prosperous.


                          CHAPTER XXIV

     Which treats of the third kind of good thing whereon the will 
may set the affection of rejoicing, which kind pertains to sense. 
Indicates what these good things are and of how many kinds, and 
how the will has to be directed to God and purged of this 
rejoicing.

     WE have next to treat of rejoicing with respect to the good 
things of sense, which is the third kind of good thing wherein we 
said that the will may rejoice. And it is to be noted that by the 
good things of sense we here understand everything in this life 
that can be apprehended by the senses of sight, hearing, smell, 
taste or touch, and by the interior fashioning of imaginary 
reflections, all of which things belong to the bodily senses, 
interior and exterior.
     2. And, in order to darken the will and purge it of rejoicing 
with respect to these sensible objects, and direct it to God by 
means of them, it is necessary to assume one truth, which is that, 
as we have frequently said, the sense of the lower part of man 
which is that whereof we are treating, is not, neither can be, 
capable of knowing or understanding God as God is. So that the eye 
cannot see Him, or aught that is like Him; neither can the ear 
hear His voice, or any sound that resembles it; neither can the 
sense of smell perceive a perfume so sweet as He; neither can the 
taste detect a savour so sublime and delectable; neither can the 
touch feel a movement so delicate and full of delight, nor aught 
like to it; neither can His form or any figure that represents Him 
enter into the thought or imagination. Even as says Isaias: 'Eye 
hath not seen Him, nor hath ear heard Him, neither hath it entered 
into the heart of man.'[600]
     3. And here it must be noted that the senses may receive 
pleasure and delight, either from the spirit, by means of some 
communication that it receives from God interiorly, or from 
outward things communicated to them. And, as has been said, 
neither by way of the spirit nor by that of sense can the sensual 
part of the soul know God. For, since it has no capacity for 
attaining to such a point, it receives in the senses both that 
which is of the spirit and that which is of sense, and receives 
them in no other way. Wherefore it would be at the least but 
vanity to set the rejoicing of the will upon pleasure caused by 
any of these apprehensions, and it would be hindering the power of 
the will from occupying itself with God and from setting its 
rejoicing upon Him alone. This the soul cannot perfectly 
accomplish, save by purging itself and remaining in darkness as to 
rejoicing of this kind, as also with respect to other things.
     4. I said advisedly that if the rejoicing of the will were to 
rest in any of these things it would be vanity. But, when it does 
not rest upon them, but, as soon as the will finds pleasure in 
that which it hears, sees and does, soars upward to rejoice in God 
-- so that its pleasure acts as a motive and strengthens it to 
that end -- this is very good. In such a case not only need the 
said motions not be shunned when they cause this devotion and 
prayer, but the soul may profit by them, and indeed should so 
profit, to the end that it may accomplish this holy exercise. For 
there are souls who are greatly moved by objects of sense to seek 
God. But much circumspection must be observed herein and the 
resulting effects must be considered; for oftentimes many 
spiritual persons indulge in the recreations of sense 
aforementioned under the pretext of offering prayer and devotion 
to God; and they do this in a way which must be described as 
recreation rather than prayer, and which gives more pleasure to 
themselves than to God. And, although the intention that they have 
is toward God, the effect which they produce is that of recreation 
of sense, wherein they find weakness and imperfection, rather than 
revival of the will and surrender thereof to God.
     5. I wish, therefore, to propose a test whereby it may be 
seen when these delights of the senses aforementioned are 
profitable and when they are not. And it is that, whensoever a 
person hears music and other things, and sees pleasant things, and 
is conscious of sweet perfumes, or tastes things that are 
delicious, or feels soft touches, if his thought and the affection 
of his will are at once centred upon God and if that thought of 
God gives him more pleasure than the movement of sense which 
causes it, and save for that he finds no pleasure in the said 
movement, this is a sign that he is receiving benefit therefrom, 
and that this thing of sense is a help to his spirit. In this way 
such things may be used, for then such things of sense subserve 
the end for which God created and gave them, which is that He 
should be the better loved and known because of them. And it must 
be known, furthermore, that one upon whom these things of sense 
cause the pure spiritual effect which I describe has no desire for 
them, and makes hardly any account of them, though they cause him 
great pleasure when they are offered to him, because of the 
pleasure which, as I have said, they cause him in God. He is not, 
however, solicitous for them, and when they are offered to him, as 
I say, his will passes from them at once and he abandons it to God 
and sets it upon Him.
     6. The reason why he cares little for these motives, although 
they help him on his journey to God, is that the spirit which is 
ready to go by every means and in every way to God is so 
completely nourished and prepared and satisfied by the spirit of 
God that it lacks nothing and desires nothing; or, if it desires 
anything to that end, the desire at once passes and is forgotten, 
and the soul makes no account of it. But one that feels not this 
liberty of spirit in these things and pleasures of sense, but 
whose will rests in these pleasures and feeds upon them, is 
greatly harmed by them and should withdraw himself from the use of 
them. For, although his reason may desire to employ them to 
journey to God, yet, inasmuch as his desire finds pleasure in them 
which is according to sense, and their effect is ever dependent 
upon the pleasure which they give, he is certain to find hindrance 
in them rather than help, and harm rather than profit. And, when 
he sees that the desire for such recreation reigns in him, he must 
mortify it; for, the stronger it becomes, the more imperfection he 
will have and the greater will be his weakness.
     7. So whatever pleasure coming from sense presents itself to 
the spiritual person, and whether it come to him by chance or by 
design, he must make use of it only for God, lifting up to Him the 
rejoicing of his soul so that his rejoicing may be useful and 
profitable and perfect; realizing that all rejoicing which implies 
not renunciation[601] and annihilation of every other kind of 
rejoicing, although it be with respect to something apparently 
very lofty, is vain and profits not, but is a hindrance towards 
the union of the will in God.


                           CHAPTER XXV

     Which treats of the evils that afflict the soul when it 
desires to set the rejoicing of its will upon the good things of 
sense.

     IN the first place, if the soul does not darken and quench 
the joy which may arise within it from the things of sense, and 
direct its rejoicing to God, all the general kinds of evil which 
we have described as arising from every other kind of rejoicing 
follow from this joy in the things of sense: such evils are 
darkness in the reason, lukewarmness, spiritual weariness, etc. 
But, to come to details, many are the evils, spiritual, bodily and 
sensual, into which the soul may fall through this rejoicing.
     2. First of all, from joy in visible things, when the soul 
denies not itself therein in order to reach God, there may come to 
it, directly, vanity of spirit and distraction of the mind, unruly 
covetousness, immodesty, outward and inward unseemliness, impurity 
of thought, and envy.
     3. From joy in hearing useless things there may directly 
arise distraction of the imagination, gossiping, envy, rash 
judgements and vacillating thoughts; and from these arise many 
other and pernicious evils.
     4. From joy in sweet perfumes, there arise loathing of the 
poor, which is contrary to the teaching of Christ, dislike of 
serving others, unruliness of heart in humble things, and 
spiritual insensibility, at least to a degree proportionate with 
its desire for this joy.
     5. From joy in the savour of meat and drink, there arise 
directly such gluttony and drunkenness, wrath, discord and want of 
charity with one's neighbours and with the poor, as had that 
Epulon, who fared sumptuously every day, with Lazarus.[602] Hence 
arise bodily disorders, infirmities and evil motions, because the 
incentives to luxury become greater. Directly, too, there arises 
great spiritual torpor, and the desire for spiritual things is 
corrupted, so that the soul can derive no enjoyment or 
satisfaction from them nor can even speak of them. From this joy 
is likewise born distraction of the other senses and of the heart, 
and discontent with respect to many things.
     6. From joy in the touch of soft things arise many more evils 
and more pernicious ones, which more quickly cause sense to 
overflow into spirit, and quench all spiritual strength and 
vigour. Hence arises the abominable vice of effeminacy, or the 
incentives thereto, according to the proportion of joy of this 
kind which is experienced. Hence luxury increases, the mind 
becomes effeminate and timid, and the senses grow soft and 
delicate and are predisposed to sin and evil. Vain gladness and 
joy are infused into the heart; the tongue takes to itself licence 
and the eyes roam unrestrainedly; and the remaining senses are 
blunted and deadened, according to the measure[603] of this desire. 
The judgment is put to confusion, being nourished by spiritual 
folly and insipidity; moral cowardice and inconstancy increase; 
and, by the darkness of the soul and the weakness of the heart, 
fear is begotten even where no fear is. At times, again, this joy 
begets a spirit of confusion, and insensibility with respect to 
conscience and spirit; wherefore the reason is greatly enfeebled, 
and is affected in such a way that it can neither take nor give 
good counsel, and remains incapable of moral and spiritual 
blessings and becomes as useless as a broken vessel.
     7. All these evils are caused by this kind of rejoicing -- in 
some more intensely, according to the intensity of their 
rejoicing, and also according to the complacency or weakness or 
variableness of the person who yields to it. For there are natures 
that will receive more detriment from a slight occasion of sin 
than will others from a great one.
     8. Finally, from joy of this kind in touch, a person may fall 
into as many evils and perils as those which we have described as 
concerning the good things of nature; and, since these have 
already been described, I do not detail them here; neither do I 
describe many other evils wrought thus, such as a falling-off in 
spiritual exercises and bodily penance and lukewarmness and lack 
of devotion in the use of the sacraments of penance and of the 
Eucharist.


                          CHAPTER XXVI

     Of the benefits that come to the soul from self-denial in 
rejoicing as to things of sense, which benefits are spiritual and 
temporal.
     
     MARVELLOUS are the benefits that the soul derives from self-
denial in this rejoicing: some of these are spiritual and some 
temporal.
     2. The first is that the soul, by restraining its rejoicing 
as to things of sense, is restored from the distraction into which 
it has fallen through excessive use of the senses, and is 
recollected in God. The spirituality and the virtues that it has 
acquired are preserved; nay, they are increased and increase 
continually.[604]
     3. The second spiritual benefit which comes from self-denial 
in rejoicing as to things of sense is exceeding great. We may say 
with truth that that which was sensual becomes spiritual, and that 
which was animal becomes rational; and even that the soul is 
journeying from a human life to a portion which is angelical; and 
that, instead of being temporal and human, it becomes celestial 
and divine. For, even as a man who seeks the pleasure of things of 
sense and sets his rejoicing upon them neither merits nor deserves 
any other name than those which we have given him -- that is, 
sensual, animal, temporal, etc. -- even so, when he exalts his 
rejoicing above these things of sense, he merits all those other 
names -- to wit, spiritual, celestial, etc.
     4. And it is clear that this is true; for, although the use 
of the senses and the power of sensuality are contrary, as the 
Apostle says, to the power and the exercises of spirituality,[605] 
it follows that, when the one kind of power is diminished and 
brought to an end, the other contrary kinds, the growth of which 
was hindered by the first kinds, are increased. And thus, when the 
spirit is perfected (which is the higher part of the soul and the 
part that has relations with God and receives His communications), 
it merits all these attributes aforementioned, since it is 
perfected in the heavenly and spiritual gifts and blessings of 
God. Both these things are proved by Saint Paul, who calls the 
sensual man (namely, the man that directs the exercise of his will 
solely to sense) the animal man, who perceives not the things of 
God. But this other man, who lifts up his will to God, he calls 
the spiritual man, saying that this man penetrates and judges all 
things, even the deep things of God.[606] Therefore the soul gains 
herein the marvellous benefit of a disposition well able to 
receive the blessings and spiritual gifts of God.
     5. The third benefit is that the pleasures and the rejoicing 
of the will in temporal matters are very greatly increased; for, 
as the Saviour says, they shall receive an hundredfold in this 
life.[607] So that, if thou deniest thyself one joy, the Lord will 
give thee an hundredfold in this life, both spiritually and 
temporally; and likewise, for one joy that thou hast in these 
things of sense, thou shalt have an hundredfold of affliction and 
misery. For, through the eye that is purged from the joys of 
sight, there comes to the soul a spiritual joy, directed to God in 
all things that are seen, whether Divine or profane. Through the 
ear that is purged from the joy of hearing, there comes to the 
soul joy most spiritual an hundredfold, directed to God in all 
that it hears, whether Divine or profane. Even so is it with the 
other senses when they are purged. For, even as in the state of 
innocence all that our first parents saw and said and ate in 
Paradise furnished them with greater sweetness of contemplation, 
so that the sensual part of their nature might be duly subjected 
to, and ordered by, reason; even so the man whose senses are 
purged from all things of sense and made subject to the spirit 
receives, in their very first motion, the delight of delectable 
knowledge and contemplation of God.
     6. Wherefore, to him that is pure, all things, whether high 
or low, are an occasion of greater good and further purity; even 
as the man that is impure is apt to derive evil from things both 
high and low, because of his impurity. But he that conquers not 
the joy of desire will not enjoy the serenity of habitual 
rejoicing in God through His creatures and works. In the man that 
lives no more according to sense, all the operations of the senses 
and faculties are directed to Divine contemplation. For, as it is 
true in good philosophy that each thing operates according to its 
being, and to the life that it lives, so it is clear, beyond 
contradiction, that, if the soul lives a spiritual life, the 
animal life being mortified, it must be journeying straight to 
God, since all its spiritual actions and motions pertain to the 
life of the spirit. Hence it follows that such a man, being pure 
in heart, finds in all things a knowledge of God which is joyful 
and pleasant, chaste, pure, spiritual, glad and loving.
     7. From what has been said I deduce the following doctrine -- 
namely that, until a man has succeeded in so habituating his 
senses to the purgation of the joys of sense that from their first 
motion he is gaining the benefit aforementioned of directing all 
his powers to God, he must needs deny himself joy and pleasure 
with respect to these powers, so that he may withdraw his soul 
from the life of sense. He must fear that since he is not yet 
spiritual, he may perchance derive from the practice of these 
things a pleasure and an energy which is of sense rather than of 
spirit; that the energy which is of sense may predominate in all 
his actions; and that this may lead to an increase of sensuality 
and may sustain and nurture it. For, as Our Saviour says, that 
which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the 
spirit is spirit.[608] Let this be closely considered, for it is the 
truth. And let not him that has not yet mortified his pleasure in 
things of sense dare to make great use of the power and operation 
of sense with respect to them, thinking that they will help him to 
become more spiritual; for the powers of the soul will increase 
the more without the intervention of these things of sense -- that 
is, if it quench the joy and desire for them rather than indulge 
its pleasure in them.
     8. There is no need to speak of the blessings of glory that, 
in the life to come, result from the renunciation of these joys. 
For, apart from the fact that the bodily gifts of the life of 
glory, such as agility and clarity, will be much more excellent 
than in those souls who have not denied themselves, there will be 
an increase in the essential glory of the soul corresponding to 
its love of God, for Whose sake it has renounced the things of 
sense aforementioned. For every momentary, fleeting joy that has 
been renounced, as Saint Paul says, there shall be laid up an 
exceeding weight of glory eternally.[609] And I will not here 
recount the other benefits, whether moral, temporal or spiritual, 
which result from this night of rejoicing; for they all are those 
that have already been described, and to a more eminent degree; 
since these joys that are renounced are more closely linked to the 
natural man, and therefore he that renounces them acquires thereby 
a more intimate purity.


                          CHAPTER XXVII

     Which begins to treat of the fourth kind of good -- namely, 
the moral. Describes wherein this consists, and in what manner joy 
of the will therein is lawful.

     THE fourth kind of good wherein the will may rejoice is 
moral. By this we here understand the virtues, and the habits of 
the virtues, in so far as these are moral, and the practice of any 
virtue, and the practice of works of mercy, the keeping of the law 
of God, and of that of the commonweal,[610] and the putting into 
practice of all good intentions and inclinations.
     2. These kinds of moral good, when they are possessed and 
practised, deserve perhaps more than any of the other kinds 
aforementioned that the will should rejoice in them. For a man may 
rejoice in his own affairs for one of two reasons, or for both 
reasons together -- namely, for that which they are in themselves, 
or for the good which they imply and bring with them as a means 
and instrument. We shall find that the possession of the three 
kinds of good already mentioned merits no rejoicing of the will. 
For of themselves, as has been said, they do no good to man, nor 
in themselves have they any good, since they are so fleeting and 
frail; rather, as we have likewise said, they cause and bring him 
trouble and grief and affliction of spirit. Now, although they 
might merit that man should rejoice in them for the second reason 
-- which is that he may profit by them for journeying to God -- 
this is so uncertain that, as we commonly see, they more often 
harm man than bring him profit. But good things of a moral kind 
merit a certain degree of rejoicing in him that possesses them, 
and this for the first reason -- namely, for their intrinsic 
nature and worth. For they bring with them peace and tranquillity, 
and a right and ordered use of the reason and actions that are 
consistent therewith, so that a man cannot, humanly speaking, have 
anything better in this life.
     3. Thus, since these virtues deserve to be loved and 
esteemed, humanly speaking, for their own sakes, a man may well 
rejoice in the possession of them, and may practise them for that 
which they are in themselves, and for the blessing which they 
bring to man in human and temporal form. In this way and for this 
reason philosophers and wise men and princes of old esteemed and 
praised them, and endeavoured to possess and practise them; and, 
although they were heathen, and regarded them only in a temporal 
manner, merely considering the blessings which they knew would 
result from them -- temporal, corporeal and natural -- they not 
only obtained by means of them the temporal renown and benefits 
which they sought, but, apart from this, God, Who loves all that 
is good (even in barbarians and heathen) and, as the Wise Man 
says, hinders the doing of naught that is good,[611] gave them 
longer life, greater honour, dominion and peace (as He did for 
example to the Romans), because they made just laws; for He 
subjected nearly the whole world to them, and gave rewards of a 
temporal kind for their good customs to those who because of their 
unbelief were incapable of eternal reward. For God loves moral 
good so much that, merely because Solomon asked wisdom of Him that 
he might teach his people, govern them justly and bring them up in 
good customs, God Himself was greatly pleased with him, and told 
him that, because he had asked for wisdom to that end, this should 
be given him, and there should also be given him that which he had 
not asked, namely, riches and honour, so that no king, either in 
the past or in the future, should be like him.[612]
     4. But, although the Christian should rejoice in this first 
way in the moral good that he possesses and in the good works of a 
temporal kind which he does, since they lead to the temporal 
blessings which we have described, he must not allow his joy to 
stop at this first stage (as we have said the heathen did, because 
their spiritual sight extended not beyond the things of this 
mortal life); but, since he has the light of faith, wherein he 
hopes for eternal life, without which nothing that belongs to this 
life and the next will be of any value to him, he must rejoice 
principally and solely in the possession and employment of this 
moral good after the second manner -- namely, in that by doing 
these works for the love of God he will gain eternal life. And 
thus he should set his eyes and his rejoicing solely on serving 
and honouring God with his good customs and virtues. For without 
this intention the virtues are of no worth in the sight of God, as 
is seen in the ten virgins of the Gospel, who had all kept their 
virginity and done good works; and yet, because the joy of five of 
them was not of the second kind (that is, because they had not 
directed their joy to God), but was rather after the first and 
vain kind, for they rejoiced in the possession of their good 
works, they were cast out from Heaven with no acknowledgement or 
reward from the Bridegroom. And likewise many persons of old had 
many virtues and practised good works, and many Christians have 
them nowadays and accomplish great acts, which will profit them 
nothing for eternal life, because they have not sought in them the 
glory and honour which belong to God alone. The Christian, then, 
must rejoice, not in the performing of good works and the 
following of good customs, but in doing them for the love of God 
alone, without respect too aught else soever. For, inasmuch as 
good works that are done to serve God alone will have the greater 
reward in glory, the greater will be the confusion in the presence 
of God of those who have done them for other reasons.
     5. The Christian, then, if he will direct his rejoicing to 
God with regard to moral good, must realize that the value of his 
good works, fasts, alms, penances, etc., is based, not upon the 
number or the quality of them, but upon the love of God which 
inspires him to do them; and that they are the more excellent when 
they are performed with a purer and sincerer love of God, and when 
there is less in them of self-interest, joy, pleasure, consolation 
and praise, whether with reference to this world or to the next. 
Wherefore the heart must not be set upon pleasure, consolation and 
delight, and the other interests which good works and practices 
commonly bring with them, but it must concentrate its rejoicing 
upon God. It must desire to serve Him in its good works, and purge 
itself from this other rejoicing, remaining in darkness with 
respect to it and desiring that God alone shall have joy in its 
good works and shall take secret pleasure therein, without any 
other intention and delight than those relating to the honour and 
glory of God. And thus, with respect to this moral good, the soul 
will concentrate all the strength of its will upon God.


                         CHAPTER XXVIII

     Of seven evils into which a man may fall if he set the 
rejoicing of his will upon moral good.

     THE principal evils into which a man may fall through vain 
rejoicing in his good works and habits I find to be seven; and 
they are very hurtful because they are spiritual.
     2. The first evil is vanity, pride, vainglory and 
presumption; for a man cannot rejoice in his works without 
esteeming them. And hence arise boasting and like things, as is 
said of the Pharisee in the Gospel, who prayed and congratulated 
himself before God,[613] boasting that he fasted and did other good 
works.
     3. The second evil is usually linked with this: it is our 
judging others, by comparison with ourselves, as wicked and 
imperfect, when it seems to us that their acts and good works are 
inferior to our own; we esteem them the less highly in our hearts, 
and at times also in our speech. This evil was likewise that of 
the Pharisee, for in his prayer he said: 'I thank Thee that I am 
not as other men are: robbers, unjust and adulterers.'[614] So that 
by one single act he fell into these two evils, esteeming himself 
and despising others, as do many nowadays, saying: I am not like 
such a man, nor do I do this and that, as does such or such a man. 
And many of these are even worse than the Pharisee. He, it is 
true, not only despised others, but also pointed to an individual, 
saying: 'Nor am I like this publican.' But they, not satisfied 
with either of these things, go so far as to be angry and envious 
when they see that others are praised, or do more, or are of 
greater use, than themselves.
     4. The third evil is that, as they look for pleasure in their 
good works, they usually perform them only when they see that some 
pleasure and praise will result from them. And thus, as Christ 
says, they do everything ut videantur ab hominibus,[615] and work 
not for the love of God alone.
     5. The fourth evil follows from this. It is that they will 
have no reward from God, since they have desired in this life to 
have joy or consolation or honour or some other kind of interest 
as a result of their good works: of such the Saviour says that 
herein they have received their reward.[616] And thus they have had 
naught but the labour of their work and are confounded, and 
receive no reward. There is so much misery among the sons of men 
which has to do with this evil that I myself believe that the 
greater number of good works which they perform in public are 
either vicious or will be of no value to them, or are imperfect in 
the sight of God, because they are not detached from these human 
intentions and interests. For what other judgment can be formed of 
some of the actions which certain men perform, and of the 
memorials which they set up, when they will not perform these 
actions at all unless they are surrounded by human respect and 
honour, which are the vanity of life, or unless they can 
perpetuate in these memorials their name, lineage or authority, 
even setting up their emblems and escutcheons in the very 
churches, as if they wished to set themselves, in the stead of 
images, in places where all bend the knee? In these good works 
which some men perform, may it not be said that they are 
worshipping[617] themselves more than God? This is certainly true if 
they perform them for the reason described and otherwise would not 
perform them at all. But leaving aside these, which are the worst 
cases, how many are there who fall into these evils in their good 
works in many ways? Some wish to be praised, others to be thanked, 
others enumerate their good works and desire that this person and 
that shall know of them, and indeed the whole world; and sometimes 
they wish an intermediary to present their alms, or to perform 
other of their charitable deeds,[618] so that more may be known of 
them; and some desire all these things. This is the sounding of 
the trumpet, which, says the Saviour in the Gospel, vain men do, 
for which reason they shall have no reward for their works from 
God.[619]
     6. In order to flee from this evil, such persons must hide 
their good works so that God alone may see them, and must not 
desire anyone to take notice of them. And they must hide them, not 
only from others, but even from themselves. That is to say, they 
must find no satisfaction in them, nor esteem them as if they were 
of some worth, nor derive pleasure from them at all. It is this 
that is spiritually indicated in those words of Our Lord: 'Let not 
thy left hand know what they right hand doeth.[620] Which is as much 
to say: Esteem not with thy carnal and temporal eye the work that 
thou doest spiritually. And in this way the strength of the will 
is concentrated upon God, and a good deed bears fruit in His 
sight; so that not only will it not be lost, but it will be of 
great merit. And in this sense must be understood that passage 
from Job: 'If I have kissed my hand with my mouth, which is a 
great sin and iniquity, and my heart hath rejoiced in secret.'[621] 
Here by the hand is understood good works, and by the mouth is 
understood the will which finds satisfaction in them. And since 
this is, as we say, finding satisfaction in oneself, he says: If 
my heart hath rejoiced in secret, which is a great iniquity 
against God and a denial of Him. And this is as though he were to 
say that he had no satisfaction, neither did his heart rejoice in 
secret.
     7. The fifth of these evils is that such persons make no 
progress on the road of perfection. For, since they are attached 
to the pleasure and consolation which they find in their good 
works, it follows that, when they find no such pleasure and 
consolation in their good works and exercises, which ordinarily 
happens when God desires to lead them on, by giving them the dry 
bread of the perfect and taking from them the milk of babes, in 
order to prove their strength and to purge their delicate 
appetites so that they may be able to enjoy the food of grown men, 
they commonly faint and cease to persevere, because their good 
works give them no pleasure. In this way may be spiritually 
understood these words of the Wise Man: 'Dying flies spoil the 
sweetness of ointment.'[622] For, when any mortification comes to 
these persons, they die to their good works and cease to practise 
them; and thus they lose their perseverance, wherein are found 
sweetness of spirit and interior consolation.
     8. The sixth of these evils is that such persons commonly 
deceive themselves, thinking that the things and good works which 
give them pleasure must be better than those that give them none. 
They praise and esteem the one kind and depreciate the other; yet 
as a rule those works whereby a man is most greatly mortified 
(especially when he is not proficient in perfection) are more 
acceptable and precious in the sight of God, by reason of the 
self-denial which a man must observe in performing them, than are 
those wherein he finds consolation and which may very easily be an 
occasion of self-seeking. And in this connection Micheas says of 
them: Malum manuum suarum dicunt bonum.[623] That is: That which is 
bad in their works they call good. This comes to them because of 
the pleasure which they take in their good works, instead of 
thinking only of giving pleasure to God. The extent to which this 
evil predominates, whether in spiritual men or in ordinary 
persons, would take too long to describe, for hardly anyone can be 
found who is moved to do such works simply for God's sake, without 
the attraction of some advantage of consolation or pleasure, or 
some other consideration.
     9. The seventh evil is that, in so far as a man stifles not 
vain rejoicing in moral works, he is to that extent incapable of 
receiving reasonable counsel and instruction with regard to good 
works that he should perform. For he is lettered by the habit of 
weakness that he has acquired through performing good works with 
attachment to vain rejoicing; so that he cannot consider the 
counsel of others as best, or, even if he considers it to be so, 
he cannot follow it, through not having the necessary strength of 
mind. Such persons as this are greatly weakened in charity toward 
God and their neighbour; for the self-love with respect to their 
good works in which they indulge causes their charity to grow 
cold.


                          CHAPTER XXIX

     Of the benefits which come to the soul through the withdrawal 
of its rejoicing from moral good.

     VERY great are the benefits which come to the soul when it 
desires not to set the vain rejoicing of its will on this kind of 
good. For, in the first place, it is freed from falling into many 
temptations and deceits of the devil, which are involved in 
rejoicing in these good works, as we may understand by that which 
is said in Job, namely: 'He sleepeth under the shadow, in the 
covert of the reed and in moist places.'[624] This he applies to the 
devil, who deceives the soul in the moisture of rejoicing and in 
the vanity of the reed -- that is, in vain works. And it is no 
wonder if the soul is secretly deceived by the devil in this 
rejoicing; for, apart altogether from his suggestions, vain 
rejoicing is itself deception. This is especially true when there 
is any boasting of heart concerning these good works, as Jeremias 
well says in these words: Arrogantia tua decepit te.[625] For what 
greater deception is there than boasting? And from this the soul 
that purges itself from this rejoicing is freed.
     2. The second benefit is that the soul performs its good 
works with greater deliberation and perfection than it can if 
there be in them the passion of joy and pleasure. For, because of 
this passion of joy, the passions of wrath and concupiscence are 
so strong that they will not submit to reason,[626] but ordinarily 
cause a man to be inconsistent in his actions and purposes, so 
that he abandons some and takes up others, and begins a thing only 
to abandon it without completing any part of it. For, since he 
acts under the influence of pleasure, and since pleasure is 
variable, being much stronger in some natures than in others, it 
follows that, when this pleasure ceases, both the action and its 
purpose cease, important though they may be. To such persons the 
joy which they have in their work is the soul and the strength 
thereof; and, when the joy is quenched, the work ceases and 
perishes, and they persevere therein no longer. It is of such 
persons that Christ says: 'They receive the word with joy, and 
then the devil taketh it away from them, lest they should 
persevere.'[627] And this is because they have no strength and no 
roots save in the joy aforementioned. To take and to withdraw 
their will, therefore, from this rejoicing is the cause of their 
perseverance and success. This benefit, then, is a great one, even 
as the contrary evil is great likewise. The wise man sets his eyes 
upon the substance and benefit of his work, not upon the pleasure 
and delight which it gives him; and so he is not beating the air, 
but derives from his work a stable joy, without any meed of 
bitterness.
     3. The third benefit is divine. It is that, when vain joy in 
these good works is quenched, the soul becomes poor in spirit, 
which is one of the blessings spoken of by the Son of God when He 
says: 'Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom 
of Heaven.'[628]
     4. The fourth benefit is that he that denies himself this joy 
will be meek, humble and prudent in his actions. For he will not 
act impetuously and rapidly, through being impelled by the wrath 
and concupiscence which belong to joy; neither presumptuously, 
through being affected by the esteem of his own work which he 
cherishes because of the joy that he has in it; neither 
incautiously, through being blinded by joy.
     5. The fifth benefit is that he becomes pleasing to God and 
man, and is freed from spiritual sloth, gluttony and avarice, and 
from spiritual envy and from a thousand other vices.


                           CHAPTER XXX

     Which begins to treat of the fifth kind of good wherein the 
will may rejoice, which is the supernatural. Describes the nature 
of these supernatural good things, and how they are distinguished 
from the spiritual, and how joy in them is to be directed to God.

     IT now behoves us to treat of the fifth kind of good thing 
wherein the soul may rejoice, which is the supernatural. By this 
term we here understand all the gifts and graces given by God 
which transcend natural virtue and capacity and are called gratis 
datae. Such as these are the gifts of wisdom and knowledge which 
God gave to Solomon, and the graces whereof Saint Paul speaks[629] 
-- namely, faith, gifts of healing, the working of miracles, 
prophecy, knowledge and discernment of spirits, interpretation of 
words and likewise the gift of tongues.
     2. These good things, it is true, are also spiritual, like 
those of the same kind of which we have to speak presently; yet, 
since the two are so different, I have thought well to make a 
distinction between them. The practice of these has an intimate 
relation with the profit of man, and it is with a view to this 
profit and to this end that God gives them. As Saint Paul says: 
'The spirit is given to none save for the profit of the rest;'[630] 
this is to be understood of these graces. But the use and practice 
of spiritual graces has to do with the soul and God alone, and 
with God and the soul, in the communion of understanding and will, 
etc., as we shall say hereafter. And thus there is a difference in 
their object, since spiritual graces have to do only with the 
Creator and the soul; whereas supernatural graces have to do with 
the creature, and furthermore differ in substance, and therefore 
in their operation, and thus of necessity the instruction which we 
give concerning them differs also.
     3. Speaking now of supernatural graces and gifts as we here 
understand them, I say that, in order to purge ourselves of vain 
joy in them, it is well here to notice two benefits which are 
comprised in this kind of gift -- namely, temporal and spiritual. 
The temporal benefits are the healing of infirmities, the 
receiving of their sight by the blind, the raising of the dead, 
the casting out of devils, prophesying concerning the future so 
that men may take heed to themselves, and other things of the 
kind. The spiritual and eternal benefit is that God is known and 
served through these good works by him that performs them, or by 
those in whom and in whose presence they are performed.
     4. With respect to the first kind of benefit -- namely, the 
temporal -- supernatural works and miracles merit little or no 
rejoicing on the part of the soul; for, without the second kind of 
benefit, they are of little or no importance to man, since they 
are not in themselves a means for uniting the soul with God, as 
charity is. And these supernatural works and graces may be 
performed by those who are not in a state of grace and charity, 
whether they truly give thanks and attribute their gifts to 
God,[631] as did the wicked prophet Balaam, and Solomon, or whether 
they perform them falsely, through the agency of the devil, as did 
Simon Magus, or by means of other secrets of nature. These works 
and marvels, if any of them were to be of any profit to him that 
worked them, would be true works given by God. And Saint Paul 
teaches us what these are worth without the second kind of 
benefit, saying: 'Though I speak with the tongues of men and of 
angels, and have not charity, I am become as a sounding bell or 
metal. And though I have prophecy and know all mysteries and all 
knowledge; and though I have all faith, even as much as may 
remove[632] mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing, etc.'[633] 
Wherefore Christ will refuse the requests of many who have 
esteemed their good works in this way, when they beg Him for glory 
because of them, saying: Lord, have we not prophesied in Thy name 
and worked many miracles? Then Christ will say to them: 'Depart 
from Me, workers of iniquity.'[634]
     5. A man, then, should rejoice, not when he has such graces 
and makes use of them, but when he reaps from them the second 
spiritual fruit, namely that of serving God in them with true 
charity, for herein is the fruit of eternal life. For this cause 
Our Saviour reproved the disciples who were rejoicing because they 
cast out devils, saying: 'Desire not to rejoice in this, that 
devils are subject to you, but rather because your names are 
written in the book of life.'[635] This, according to good theology, 
is as much as to say: Rejoice if your names are written in the 
book of life. By this it is understood that a man should not 
rejoice save when he is walking in the way of life, which he may 
do by performing good works in charity; for where is the profit 
and what is the worth in the sight of God of aught that is not 
love of God? And this love is not perfect if it be not strong and 
discreet in purging the will of joy in all things, and if it be 
not set upon doing the will of God alone. And in this manner the 
will is united with God through these good things which are 
supernatural.


                          CHAPTER XXXI

     Of the evils which come to the soul when it sets the 
rejoicing of the will upon this kind of good.

     THEE principal evils, it seems to me, may come to the soul 
when it sets its rejoicing upon supernatural good. These are: that 
it may deceive and be deceived; that it may fall away from the 
faith; and that it may indulge in vainglory or some other such 
vanity.
     2. As to the first of these, it is a very easy thing to 
deceive others, and to deceive oneself, by rejoicing in this kind 
of operation. And the reason is that, in order to know which of 
these operations are false and which are true, and how and at what 
time they should be practised, much counsel and much light from 
God are needful, both of which are greatly impeded by joy in these 
operations and esteem for them. And this for two reasons: first, 
because joy blunts and obscures the judgment; second, because, 
when a man has joy in these things, not only does he the more 
quickly become eager for them, but he is also the more impelled to 
practise them out of the proper season. And even supposing the 
virtues and operations which are practised to be genuine, these 
two defects suffice for us to be frequently deceived in them, 
either through not understanding them as they should be 
understood, or through not profiting by them and not using them at 
the times and in the ways that are most meet. For, although it is 
true that, when God gives these gifts and graces, He gives light 
by which to see them, and the impulse whereby a man may know at 
what times and in what ways to use them; yet these souls, through 
the attachment and imperfection which they may have with regard to 
them, may greatly err, by not using them with the perfection that 
God desires of them therein, and in the way and at the time that 
He wills. We read that Balaam desired to do this, when, against 
the will of God, he determined to go and curse the people of 
Israel, for which reason God was wroth and purposed to slay 
him.[636] And Saint James and Saint John desired to call down fire 
from Heaven upon the Samaritans because they gave not lodging to 
Our Saviour, and for this He reproved them.[637]
     3. Here it is evident that these persons were led to 
determine to perform these works, when it was not meet for them to 
do so, by a certain imperfect passion, which was inherent in their 
joy in them and esteem for them. For, when no such imperfection 
exists, the soul is moved and determined to perform these virtues 
only in the manner wherein God so moves it, and at His time, and 
until then it is not right that they should be performed. It was 
for this reason that God complained of certain prophets, through 
Jeremias, saying: 'I sent not the prophets, and they ran; I spake 
not to them, and they prophesied.'[638] And later He says: 'They 
deceived My people by their lying and their miracles, when I had 
not commanded them, neither had I sent them.'[639] And in that place 
He says of them likewise: 'They see the visions of their heart, 
and speak of them'[640]; which would not happen if they had not this 
abominable attachment to these works.
     4. From these passages it is to be understood that the evil 
of this rejoicing not only leads men to make wicked and perverse 
use of these graces given by God, as did Balaam and those of whom 
the prophet here says that they worked miracles whereby they 
deceived the people, but it even leads them to use these graces 
without having been given them by God, like those who prophesied 
their own fancies and published the visions which they invented or 
which the devil represented to them. For, when the devil sees them 
affectioned to these things, he opens a wide field to them, gives 
them abundant material and interferes with them in many ways; 
whereupon they spread their sails and become shamelessly audacious 
in the freedom wherewith they work these marvels.
     5. Nor does the evil stop here. To such a point does their 
joy in these works and their eagerness for them extend that, if 
before they had a secret compact with the devil (and many of them 
do in fact perform these works by such secret compacts), it now 
makes them bold enough to work with him by an explicit and 
manifest compact, submitting themselves to him, by agreement, as 
his disciples and allies. Hence we have wizards, enchanters, 
magicians, soothsayers and sorcerers. And so far does the joy of 
these persons in their works carry them that, not only do they 
seek to purchase gifts and graces with money, as did Simon Magus, 
in order to serve the devil, but they even strive to obtain sacred 
things, and (which cannot be said without trembling) Divine 
things, for even the very Body[641] of our Lord Jesus Christ has 
been seen to be usurped for the use of their wicked deeds and 
abominations. May God here extend and show to them His great 
mercy!
     6. Everyone will clearly understand how pernicious are such 
persons to themselves and how prejudicial to Christianity. It may 
be noted here that all those magicians and soothsayers who lived 
among the children of Israel, whom Saul destroyed out of the land, 
because they desired to imitate the true prophets of God, had 
fallen into such abominations and deceits.
     7. He, then, that has supernatural gifts and graces ought to 
refrain from desiring to practise them, and from rejoicing in so 
doing, nor ought he to care to exercise them; for God, Who gives 
Himself to such persons, by supernatural means, for the profit of 
His Church and of its members, will move them likewise 
supernaturally in such a manner and at such time as He desires. As 
He commanded His faithful ones to take no thought as to what they 
were to say, or as to how they were to say it, since this is the 
supernatural business of faith, it will likewise be His will (as 
these operations are no less a supernatural matter) that a man 
should wait and allow God to work by moving his heart, since it is 
in the virtue of this working that there will be wrought all 
virtue. The disciples (so we read in the Acts of the Apostles), 
although these graces and gifts had been infused within them, 
prayed to God, beseeching Him to be pleased to stretch forth His 
hand in making signs and performing works of healing through them, 
that they might introduce the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ into 
men's hearts.[642]
     8. From this first evil may proceed the second, which is a 
falling away from the faith; this can come to pass after two 
manners. The first has respect to others; for, when a man sets 
out, unseasonably and needlessly, to perform a marvel or a mighty 
work, apart from the fact that this is tempting God, which is a 
great sin, it may be that he will not succeed, and will engender 
in the hearts of men discredit and contempt for the faith. For, 
although at times such persons may succeed because for other 
reasons and purposes God so wills it, as in the case of Saul's 
witch[643] (if it be true that it was indeed Samuel who appeared on 
that occasion), they will not always so succeed; and, when they do 
so, they go astray none the less and are blameworthy for having 
used these graces when it was not fitting. The second manner in 
which we may fall away is in ourselves and has respect to the 
merit of faith; for, if a man make much account of these miracles, 
he ceases to lean upon the substantial practice of faith, which is 
an obscure habit; and thus, where signs and witnesses abound, 
there is less merit in believing. In this way Saint Gregory says 
that faith has no merit when human reason provides experience.[644] 
And thus these marvels are never worked by God save when they are 
really necessary for belief. Therefore, to the end that His 
disciples should not be without merit, though they had experience 
of His resurrection, He did many things before He showed Himself 
to them, so that they should believe Him without seeing Him. To 
Mary Magdalene, first of all, He showed the empty tomb, and 
afterwards bade the angels speak to her[645] (for, as Saint Paul 
says, faith comes by hearing);[646] so that, having heard, she 
should believe before she saw. And, although she saw Him, it was 
as an ordinary man,[647] that, by the warmth of His presence, He 
might completely instruct her in the belief which she lacked. And 
He first sent to tell His disciples, with the women, and 
afterwards they went to see the tomb. And, as to those who went to 
Emmaus, He first of all enkindled their hearts in faith so that 
they might see Him, dissembling with them as He walked.[648] And 
finally He reproved them all because they had not believed those 
who had announced to them His resurrection.[649] And He reproved 
Saint Thomas because he desired to have the witness of His wounds, 
by telling him that they who saw Him not and yet believed Him were 
blessed.[650]
     9. And thus it is not the will of God that miracles should be 
wrought: when He works them, He does so, as it were, because He 
cannot do otherwise. And for this cause He reproved the Pharisees 
because they believed not save through signs, saying: 'Unless ye 
see marvels and signs, ye believe not.'[651] Those, then, who love 
to rejoice in these supernatural works lose much in the matter of 
faith.
     10. The third evil is that, because of their joy in these 
works, men commonly fall into vainglory or some other vanity. For 
even their joy in these wonders, when it is not, as we have said, 
purely in God and for God, is vanity; which is evident in the 
reproof given by Our Lord to the disciples because they had 
rejoiced that devils were subject to them;[652] for which joy, if it 
had not been vain, He would not have reproved them.


                          CHAPTER XXXII

     Of two benefits which are derived from the renunciation of 
rejoicing in the matter of the supernatural graces.

     BESIDES the benefits which the soul gains by being delivered 
from the three evils aforementioned through its renunciation of 
this joy, it acquires two excellent benefits. The first is that it 
magnifies and exalts God: the second is that it exalts itself. For 
God is exalted in the soul after two manners: first, by the 
withdrawal of the heart and the joy of the will from all that is 
not God, in order that they may be set upon Him alone. This David 
signified in the verse which we quoted when we began to speak of 
the night of this faculty; namely: 'Man shall attain to a lofty 
heart, and God shall be exalted.'[653] For, when the heart is raised 
above all things, the soul is exalted above them all.
     2. And, because in this way the soul centres itself in God 
alone, God is exalted and magnified, when He reveals to the soul 
His excellence and greatness; for, in this elevation of joy, God 
bears witness of Who He Himself is. This cannot be done save if 
the will be voided of joy and consolation with respect to all 
things, even as David said also, in these words: 'Be still and see 
that I am God.'[654] And again he says: 'In a desert land, dry and 
pathless, have I appeared before Thee, to see Thy power and Thy 
glory.'[655] And, since it is true that God is exalted by the fixing 
of the soul's rejoicing upon detachment from all things, He is 
much more highly exalted when the soul withdraws itself from the 
most wondrous of these things in order to fix its rejoicing on Him 
alone. For these, being supernatural, are of a nobler kind; and 
thus for the soul to cast them aside, in order to set its 
rejoicing upon God alone, is for it to attribute greater glory and 
excellence to God than to them. For, the more and the greater 
things a man despises for the sake of another, the more does he 
esteem and exalt that other.
     3. Furthermore, God is exalted after the second manner when 
the will is withdrawn from this kind of operation; for, the more 
God is believed and served without testimonies and signs, the more 
He is exalted by the soul, for it believes more concerning God 
than signs and miracles can demonstrate.
     4. The second benefit wherein the soul is exalted consists in 
this, that, withdrawing the will from all desire for apparent 
signs and testimonies, it is exalted in purest faith, which God 
increases and infuses within it much more intensely. And, together 
with this, He increases in it the other two theological virtues, 
which are charity and hope, wherein the soul enjoys the highest 
Divine knowledge by means of the obscure and detached habit of 
faith; and it enjoys great delight of love by means of charity, 
whereby the will rejoices in naught else than in the living God; 
and likewise it enjoys satisfaction in the memory by means of 
hope. All this is a wondrous benefit, which leads essentially and 
directly to the perfect union of the soul with God.


                         CHAPTER XXXIII

     Which begins to treat of the sixth kind of good wherein the 
soul may rejoice. Describes its nature and makes the first 
division under this head.

     SINCE the intention of this work of ours is to lead the 
spirit through these good things of the spirit even to the Divine 
union of the soul with God, it will not behove both myself and the 
reader to give our consideration to this matter with particular 
care. For, in speaking of this sixth kind of good, we have to 
treat of the good things of the spirit, which are those that are 
of the greatest service to this end. For it is quite certain, and 
quite an ordinary occurrence,[656] that some persons, because of 
their lack of knowledge, make use of spiritual things with respect 
only to sense, and leave the spirit empty. There will scarcely be 
anyone whose spirit is not to a considerable degree corrupted by 
sweetness of sense; since, if the water be drunk up before it 
reaches the spirit, the latter becomes dry and barren.
     2. Coming to this matter, then, I say that by good things of 
the spirit I understand all those that influence and aid the soul 
in Divine things and in its intercourse with God, and the 
communications of God to the soul.
     3. Beginning by making a division between these supreme kinds 
of good, I say that good things of the spirit are of two kinds: 
the one kind is delectable and the other painful. And each of 
these kinds is likewise of two manners; for the delectable kind 
consists of clear things that are distinctly understood, and also 
of things that are not understood clearly or distinctly. The 
painful kind, likewise, may be of clear and distinct things, or of 
things dark and confused.
     4. Between all these we may likewise make distinctions with 
respect to the faculties of the soul. For some kinds of spiritual 
good, being of knowledge, pertain to the understanding; others, 
being of affection, pertain to the will; and others, inasmuch as 
they are imaginary, pertain to the memory.
     5. We shall leave for later consideration those good things 
that are painful, since they pertain to the passive night, in 
treating of which we shall have to speak of them; and likewise the 
delectable blessings which we described as being of things 
confused and not distinct, of which we shall treat hereafter, 
since they pertain to that general, confused and loving knowledge 
wherein is effected the union of the soul with God, and which we 
passed over in the second book, deferring it so that we might 
treat of it later[657] when we should make a division between the 
apprehensions of the understanding. We shall speak here and now of 
those delectable blessings which are of things clear and distinct.


                          CHAPTER XXXIV

     Of those good things of the spirit which can be distinctly 
apprehended by the understanding and the memory. Describes how the 
will is to behave in the matter of rejoicing in them.

     WE might spend much time here upon the multitude of the 
apprehensions of the memory and the understanding, teaching how 
the will is to conduct itself with regard to the joy that it may 
have in them, had we not treated of this at length in the second 
and the third book. But, since we there spoke of the manner 
wherein it behoves these two faculties to act with respect to 
them, in order that they may take the road to Divine union, and 
since it behoves the will to conduct itself likewise as regards 
rejoicing in them, it is unnecessary to go over this here; for it 
suffices to say that wheresoever we there said that those 
faculties should void themselves of this or that apprehension, it 
is to be understood also that the will should likewise be voided 
of joy in them. And in the way wherein it is said that memory and 
understanding are to conduct themselves with regard to all these 
apprehensions, the will must conduct itself likewise; for, since 
the understanding and the other faculties cannot admit or reject 
anything unless the will intervene therein, it is clear that the 
same teaching that serves for the one will serve also for the 
other.
     2. It may there be seen, then, what is requisite in this 
case, for the soul will fall into all the evils and perils to 
which we there referred if it cannot direct the rejoicing of the 
will to God in all those apprehensions.


                          CHAPTER XXXV

     Of the delectable spiritual good things which can be 
distinctly apprehended by the will. Describes the kinds of these.

     WE can reduce all the kinds of good which can distinctly 
cause joy to the will to four: namely, motive, provocative, 
directive and perfective. Of these we shall speak in turn, each in 
its order; and first, of the motive kind -- namely, images and 
portraits of saints, oratories and ceremonies.
     2. As touching images and portraits, there may be much vanity 
and vain rejoicing in these. For, though they are most important 
for Divine worship and most necessary to move the will to 
devotion, as is shown by the approval given to them and the use 
made of them by our Mother Church (for which reason it is always 
well that we should employ them, in order to awaken our 
lukewarmness), there are many persons who rejoice rather in the 
painting and decoration of them than in what they represent.
     3. The use of images has been ordained by the Church for two 
principal ends -- namely, that we may reverence the saints in 
them, and that the will may be moved and devotion to the saints 
awakened by them. When they serve this purpose they are beneficial 
and the use of them is necessary; and therefore we must choose 
those that are most true and lifelike, and that most move the will 
to devotion, and our eyes must ever be fixed upon this motive 
rather than upon the value and cunning of their workmanship and 
decoration. For, as I say, there are some who pay more attention 
to the cunning with which an image is made, and to its value, than 
to what it represents; and that interior devotion which they ought 
to direct spiritually to the saint whom they see not, forgetting 
the image at once, since it serves only as a motive, they squander 
upon the cunning and the decoration of its outward workmanship. In 
this way sense is pleased and delighted, and the love and 
rejoicing of the will remain there. This is a complete hindrance 
to true spirituality, which demands annihilation of the affections 
as to all particular things.
     4. This will become quite clear from the detestable custom 
which certain persons observe with regard to images in these our 
days. Holding not in abhorence the vain trappings of the world, 
they adorn images with the garments which from time to time vain 
persons invent in order to satisfy their own pleasures and 
vanities. So they clothe images with garments reprehensible even 
in themselves, a kind of vanity which was, and is still, abhorrent 
to the saints whom the images represent. Herein, with their help, 
the devil succeeds in canonizing his vanities, by clothing the 
saints with them, not without causing them great displeasure. And 
in this way the honest and grave devotion of the soul, which 
rejects and spurns all vanity and every trace of it, becomes with 
them little more than a dressing of dolls; some persons use images 
merely as idols upon which they have set their rejoicing. And thus 
you will see certain persons who are never tired of adding one 
image to another, and wish them to be of this or that kind and 
workmanship, and to be placed in this or that manner, so as to be 
pleasing to sense; and they make little account of the devotion of 
the heart. They are as much attached to them as was Michas to his 
idols,[658] or as was Laban;[659] for the one ran out of his house 
crying aloud because they were being taken from him; and the 
other, having made a long journey and been very wroth because of 
them, disturbed all the household stuff of Jacob, in searching for 
them.
     5. The person who is truly devout sets his devotion 
principally upon that which is invisible; he needs few images and 
uses few, and chooses those that harmonize with the Divine rather 
than with the human, clothing them, and with them himself, in the 
garments of the world to come, and following its fashions rather 
than those of this world. For not only does an image belonging to 
this world in no way influence his desire; it does not even lead 
him to think of this world, in spite of his having before his eyes 
something worldly, akin to the world's interests. Nor is his heart 
attached to the images that he uses; if they are taken from him, 
he grieves very little, for he seeks within himself the living 
image, which is Christ crucified, for Whose sake he even desires 
that all should be taken from him and he should have nothing. Even 
when the motives and means which lead him closest to God are taken 
from him, he remains in tranquility. For the soul is nearer 
perfection when it is tranquil and joyous, though it be deprived 
of these motives, than if it has possession of them together with 
desire and attachment. For, although it is good to be pleased to 
have such images as assist the soul to greater devotion (for which 
reason it is those which move it most that must always be chosen), 
yet it is something far removed from perfection to be so greatly 
attached to them as to possess them with attachment, so that, if 
they are taken away from the soul, it becomes sad.
     6. Let the soul be sure that, the more closely it is attached 
to an image or a motive, the less will its devotion and prayer 
mount to God. For, although it is true that, since some are more 
appropriate than others, and excite devotion more than others, it 
is well, for this reason alone, to be more affectioned to some 
than to others, as I have just now said, yet there must be none of 
the attachment and affection which I have described. Otherwise, 
that which has to sustain the spirit in its flight to God, in 
total forgetfulness, will be wholly occupied by sense, and the 
soul will be completely immersed in a delight afforded it by what 
are but instruments. These instruments I have to use, but solely 
in order to assist me in devotion; and, on account of my 
imperfection, they may well serve me as a hindrance, no less so 
than may affection and attachment to anything else.
     7.[660] But, though perhaps in this matter of images you may 
think that there is something to be said on the other side, if you 
have not clearly understood how much detachment and poverty of 
spirit is required by perfection, at least you cannot excuse the 
imperfection which is commonly indulged with regard to rosaries; 
for you will hardly find anyone who has not some weakness with 
regard to these, desiring them to be of this workmanship rather 
than of that, or of this colour or metal rather than of that, or 
decorated in some one style or in some other. Yet no one style is 
better than another for the hearing of a prayer by God, for this 
depends upon the simple and true heart, which looks at no more 
than pleasing God, and, apart from the question of indulgences, 
cares no more for one rosary than for another.
     8. Our vain concupiscence is of such a nature and quality 
that it tries to establish itself in everything; and it is like 
the worm which destroys healthy wood, and works upon things both 
good and evil. For what else is your desire to have a rosary of 
cunning workmanship, and your wish that it shall be of one kind 
rather than of another, but the fixing of your rejoicing upon the 
instrument? It is like desiring to choose one image rather than 
another, and considering, not if it will better awaken Divine love 
within you, but only if it is more precious and more cunningly 
made. If you employed your desire and rejoicing solely in the love 
of God, you would care nothing for any of these considerations. It 
is most vexatious to see certain spiritual persons so greatly 
attached to the manner and workmanship of these instruments and 
motives, and to the curiosity and vain pleasure which they find in 
them: you will never see them satisfied; they will be continually 
leaving one thing for another, and forgetting and forsaking 
spiritual devotion for these visible things, to which they have 
affection and attachment, sometimes of just the same kind as that 
which a man has to temporal things; and from this they receive no 
small harm.


                          CHAPTER XXXVI

     Which continues to treat of images, and describes the 
ignorance which certain persons have with respect to them.

     THERE is much that might be said of the stupidity which many 
persons display with regard to images; their foolishness reaches 
such a point that some of them place more confidence in one kind 
of image than in another, believing that God will hear them more 
readily because of these than because of those, even when both 
represent the same thing, as when there are two of Christ or two 
of Our Lady. And this happens because they have more affection for 
the one kind of workmanship than for the other; which implies the 
crudest ideas concerning intercourse with God and the worship and 
honour that are owed to Him, which has solely to do with the faith 
and the purity of heart of him that prays. For if God sometimes 
grants more favours by means of one image rather than by another 
of the same kind, it is not because there is more virtue to this 
effect in one than in another (however much difference there may 
be in their workmanship), but because some persons better awaken 
their own devotion by one than by another. If they had the same 
devotion for the one as for the other (or even without the use of 
either), they would receive the same favours from God.
     2. Hence the reason for which God works[661] miracles and 
grants favours by means of one kind of image rather than by 
another is not that these should be esteemed more than those, but 
to the end that, by means of the wonder that they cause, there may 
be awakened sleeping devotion and the affection of the faithful 
for prayer. And hence it comes that, as the contemplation of the 
image at that time enkindles devotion and makes us to continue in 
prayer (both these being means whereby God hears and grants that 
which is asked of Him), therefore, at that time and by means of 
that same image, God continues to work favours and miracles 
because of the prayer and affection which are then shown; for it 
is certain that God does it not because of the image, which in 
itself is no more than a painted thing, but because of the 
devotion and faith which the person has toward the saint whom it 
represents. And so, if you had the same devotion and faith in Our 
Lady before one image representing her as before another, since 
the person represented is the same (and even, as we have said, if 
you had no such image at all), you would receive the same favours. 
For it is clear from experience that, when God grants certain 
favours and works miracles, He does so as a rule by means of 
certain images which are not well carved or cunningly formed or 
painted, so that the faithful may attribute nothing to the figure 
or the painting.
     3. Furthermore, Our Lord is frequently wont to grant these 
favours by means of those images that are most remote and 
solitary. One reason for this is that the effort necessary to 
journey to them causes the affections to be increased and makes 
the act of prayer more earnest. Another reason is that we may 
withdraw ourselves from noise and from people when we pray, even 
as did the Lord. Wherefore he that makes a pilgrimage does well if 
he makes it at a time when no others are doing so, even though the 
time be unusual. I should never advise him to make a pilgrimage 
when a great multitude is doing so; for, as a rule, on these 
occasions, people return in a state of greater distraction than 
when they went. And many set out on these pilgrimages and make 
them for recreation rather than for devotion. Where there is 
devotion and faith, then, any image will suffice; but, if there is 
none, none will suffice. Our Saviour was a very living image in 
the world; and yet those that had no faith, even though they went 
about with Him and saw His wondrous works, derived no benefit from 
them. And this was the reason why, as the Evangelist says, He did 
few mighty works in His own country.[662]
     4. I desire also to speak here of certain supernatural 
effects which are sometimes produced by certain images upon 
particular persons. To certain images God gives a particular 
spiritual influence upon such persons, so that the figure of the 
image and the devotion caused by it remain fixed in the mind, and 
the person has them ever present before him; and so, when he 
suddenly thinks of the image, the spiritual influence which works 
upon him is of the same kind as when he saw it -- sometimes it is 
less, but sometimes it is even greater -- yet, from another image, 
although it be of more perfect workmanship, he will not obtain the 
same spiritual effect.
     5. Many persons, too, have devotion to one kind of 
workmanship rather than to another, and to some they will have no 
more than a natural inclination and affection, just as we prefer 
seeing one person's face to another's. And they will naturally 
become more attracted to a particular image, and will keep it more 
vividly in their imagination, even though it be not as beautiful 
as others, just because their nature is attracted to that kind of 
form and figure which it represents. And some persons will think 
that the affection which they have for such or such an image is 
devotion, whereas it will perhaps be no more than natural 
inclination and affection. Again, it may happen that, when they 
look at an image, they will see it move, or make signs and 
gestures and indications, or speak. This, and the variety of 
supernatural effects caused by images of which we have here been 
speaking, are, it is true, quite frequently good and true effects, 
produced by God either to increase devotion or so that the soul 
may have some support on which to lean, because it is somewhat 
weak, and so that it may not be distracted. Yet frequently, again, 
they are produced by the devil in order to cause deception and 
harm. We shall therefore give instruction concerning this in the 
chapter following.


                         CHAPTER XXXVII

     Of how the rejoicing of the will must be directed, by way of 
the images, to God, so that the soul may not go astray because of 
them or be hindered by them.

     JUST as images are of great benefit for remembering God and 
the saints, and for moving the will to devotion when they are used 
in the ordinary way, as is fitting, so they will lead to great 
error if, when supernatural happenings come to pass in connection 
with them, the soul should not be able to conduct itself as is 
fitting for its journey to God. For one of the means by which the 
devil lays hold on incautious souls, with great ease, and 
obstructs the way of spiritual truth for them, is the use of 
extraordinary and supernatural happenings, of which he gives 
examples by means of images, both the material and corporeal 
images used by the Church, and also those which he is wont to fix 
in the fancy in relation to such or such a saint, or an image of 
him, transforming himself into an angel of light that he may 
deceive. For in those very means which we possess for our relief 
and help the astute devil contrives to hide himself in order to 
catch us when we are least prepared. Wherefore it is concerning 
good things that the soul that is good must ever have the greatest 
misgivings, for evil things bear their own testimony with them.
     2. Hence, in order to avoid all the evils which may happen to 
the soul in this connection, which are its being hindered from 
soaring upward to God, or its using images in an unworthy and 
ignorant manner, or its being deceived by them through natural or 
supernatural means, all of which are things that we have touched 
upon above; and in order likewise to purify the rejoicing of the 
will in them and by means of them to lead the soul to God, for 
which reason the Church recommends their use, I desire here to set 
down only one warning, which will suffice for everything; and this 
warning is that, since images serve us as a motive for invisible 
things, we must strive to set the motive and the affection and the 
rejoicing of our will only upon that which in fact they represent. 
Let the faithful soul, then, be careful that, when he sees the 
image, he desire not that his senses should be absorbed by it, 
whether the image be corporeal or imaginary, whether beautifully 
made, whether richly adorned, whether the devotion that it causes 
be of sense or of spirit, whether it produce supernatural 
manifestations or no. The soul must on no account set store by 
these accidents, nor even regard them, but must raise up its mind 
from the image to that which it represents, centering the 
sweetness and rejoicing of its will, together with the prayer and 
devotion of its spirit, upon God or upon the saint who is being 
invoked; for that which belongs to the living reality and to the 
spirit should not be usurped by sense and by the painted object. 
If the soul do this, it will not be deceived, for it will set no 
store by anything that the image may say to it, nor will it occupy 
its sense or its spirit in such a way that they cannot travel 
freely to God, nor will it place more confidence in one image than 
in another. And an image which would cause the soul devotion by 
supernatural means will now do so more abundantly, since the soul 
will now go with its affections directly to God. For, whensoever 
God grants these and other favours, He does so by inclining the 
affection of the joy of the will to that which is invisible, and 
this He wishes us also to do, by annihilating the power and 
sweetness of the faculties with respect to these visible things of 
sense.


                         CHAPTER XXXVIII

     Continues to describe motive good. Speaks of oratories and 
places dedicated to prayer.

     I THINK it has now been explained how the spiritual person 
may find as great imperfection in the accidents of images, by 
setting his pleasure and rejoicing upon them, as in other 
corporeal and temporal things, and perchance imperfection more 
perilous still. And I say perchance more perilous, because, when a 
person says that the objects of his rejoicing are holy, he feels 
more secure, and fears not to cling to them and become attached to 
them in a natural way. And thus such a person is sometimes greatly 
deceived, thinking himself to be full of devotion because he 
perceives that he takes pleasure in these holy things, when, 
perchance, this is due only to his natural desire and temperament, 
which lead him to this just as they lead him to other things.
     2. Hence it arises (we are now beginning to treat of 
oratories) that there are some persons who never tire of adding to 
their oratories images of one kind and then of another, and take 
pleasure in the order and array in which they set them out, so 
that these oratories may be well adorned and pleasing to behold. 
Yet they love God no more when their oratories are ornate than 
when they are simple -- nay, rather do they love Him less, since, 
as we have said, the pleasure which they set upon their painted 
adornments is stolen from the living reality. It is true that all 
the adornment and embellishment and respect that can be lavished 
upon images amounts to very little, and that therefore those who 
have images and treat them with a lack of decency and reverence 
are worthy of severe reproof, as are those who have images so ill-
carved that they take away devotion rather than produce it, for 
which reason some image-makers who are very defective and 
unskilled in this art should be forbidden to practise it. But what 
has that to do with the attachment and affection and desire which 
you have [663] for these outward adornments and decorations, when 
your senses are absorbed by them in such a way that your heart is 
hindered from journeying to God, and from loving Him and 
forgetting all things for love of Him? If you fail in the latter 
aim for the sake of the former, not only will God not esteem you 
for it, but He will even chasten you for not having sought His 
pleasure in all things rather than your own. This you may clearly 
gather from the description of that feast which they made for His 
Majesty when He entered Jerusalem. They received Him with songs 
and with branches, and the Lord wept;[664] for their hearts were 
very far removed from Him and they paid Him reverence only with 
outward adornments and signs. We may say of them that they were 
making a festival for themselves rather than for God; and this is 
done nowadays by many, who, when there is some solemn festival in 
a place, are apt to rejoice because of the pleasure which they 
themselves will find in it -- whether in seeing or in being seen, 
or whether in eating or in some other selfish thing -- rather than 
to rejoice at being acceptable to God. By these inclinations and 
intentions they are giving no pleasure to God. Especially is this 
so when those who celebrate festivals invent ridiculous and 
undevout things to intersperse in them, so that they may incite 
people to laughter, which causes them greater distraction. And 
other persons invent things which merely please people rather than 
move them to devotion.
     3. And what shall I say of persons who celebrate festivals 
for reasons connected with their own interests? They alone, and 
God Who sees them, know if their regard and desire are set upon 
such interests rather than upon the service of God. Let them 
realize, when they act in any of these ways, that they are making 
festivals in their own honour rather than in that of God. For that 
which they do for their own pleasure, or for the pleasure of men, 
God will not account as done for Himself. Yea, many who take part 
in God's festivals will be enjoying themselves even while God is 
wroth with them, as He was with the children of Israel when they 
made a festival, and sang and danced before their idol, thinking 
that they were keeping a festival in honour of God; of whom He 
slew many thousands.[665] Or again, as He was with the priests Nabad 
and Abiu, the sons of Aaron, whom He slew with the censers in 
their hands, because they offered strange fire.[666] Or as with the 
man that entered the wedding feast ill-adorned and ill-garbed, 
whom the king commanded to be thrown into outer darkness, bound 
hand and foot.[667] By this it may be known how ill God suffers 
these irreverences in assemblies that are held for His service. 
For how many festivals, O my God, are made Thee by the sons of men 
to the devil's advantage rather than to Thine! The devil takes a 
delight in them, because such gatherings bring him business, as 
they might to a trader. And how often wilt Thou say concerning 
them: 'This people honoureth Me with their lips alone, but their 
heart is far from Me, for they serve Me from a wrong cause!'[668] 
For the sole reason for which God must be served is that He is Who 
He is, and not for any other mediate ends. And thus to serve Him 
for other reasons than solely that He is Who He is, is to serve 
Him without regard for Him as the Ultimate Reason.
     4. Returning now to oratories, I say that some persons deck 
them out for their own pleasure rather than for the pleasure of 
God; and some persons set so little account by the devotion which 
they arouse that they think no more of them than of their own 
secular antechambers; some, indeed, think even less of them, for 
they take more pleasure in the profane than in the Divine.
     5. But let us cease speaking of this and speak only of those 
who are more particular[669] -- that is to say, of those who 
consider themselves devout persons. Many of these centre their 
desire and pleasure upon their oratory and its adornments, to such 
an extent that they squander on them all the time that they should 
be employing in prayer to God and interior recollection. They 
cannot see that, by not arranging their oratory with a view to the 
interior recollection and peace of the soul, they are as much 
distracted by it as by anything else, and will find the pleasure 
which they take in it a continual occasion of unrest, and more so 
still if anyone endeavors to deprive them of it.


                          CHAPTER XXXIX

     Of the way in which oratories and churches should be used, in 
order to direct the spirit to God.

     WITH regard to the direction of the spirit to God through 
this kind of good, it is well to point out that it is certainly 
lawful, and even expedient, for beginners to find some sensible 
sweetness and pleasure in images, oratories and other visible 
objects of devotion, since they have not yet weaned or detached 
their desire[670] from things of the world, so that they can leave 
the one pleasure for the other. They are like a child holding 
something in one of its hands; to make it loosen its hold upon it 
we give it something else to hold in the other hand lest it should 
cry because both its hands are empty. But the spiritual person 
that would make progress must strip himself of all those pleasures 
and desires wherein the will can rejoice, for pure spirituality is 
bound very little to any of those objects, but only to interior 
recollection and mental converse with God. So, although he makes 
use of images and oratories, he does so only fleetingly; his 
spirit at once comes to rest in God and he forgets all things of 
sense.
     2. Wherefore, although it is best to pray where there is most 
decency, yet notwithstanding one should choose the place where 
sense and spirit are least hindered from journeying to God. Here 
we should consider that answer made by Our Saviour to the 
Samaritan woman, when she asked Him which was the more fitting 
place wherein to pray, the temple or the mountain, and He answered 
her that true prayer was not connected with the mountain or with 
the temple, but that those who adored the Father and were pleasing 
to Him were those that adored Him in spirit and in truth.[671] 
Wherefore, although churches and pleasant places are set apart and 
furnished for prayer (for a church must not be used for aught 
else), yet, for a matter as intimate as converse held with God, 
one should choose that place which gives sense the least 
occupation and the least encouragement. And thus it must not be a 
place that is pleasant and delectable to sense (like the places 
that some habitually contrive to find), for otherwise, instead of 
the recollection of the spirit in God, naught will be achieved 
save recreation and pleasure and delight of sense. Wherefore it is 
good to choose a place that is solitary, and even wild, so that 
the spirit may resolutely and directly soar upward to God, and not 
be hindered or detained by visible things; for, although these 
sometimes help to raise up the spirit, it is better to forget them 
at once and to rest in God. For this reason Our Saviour was wont 
to choose solitary places for prayer, and such as occupied the 
senses but little, in order to give us an example. He chose places 
that lifted up the soul to God, such as mountains, which are 
lifted up above the earth, and are ordinarily bare, thus offering 
no occasion for recreation of the senses.
     3. The truly spiritual man, then, is never tied to a place of 
prayer because of its suitability in this way or in that, nor does 
he even consider such a thing, for, if he did so, he would still 
be tied to sense. But, to the end that he may attain interior 
recollection, and forget everything, he chooses the places most 
free from sensible objects and attractions, withdrawing his 
attention from all these, that he may be able to rejoice in his 
God and be far removed from all things created. But it is a 
remarkable thing to see some spiritual persons, who waste all 
their time in setting up oratories and furnishing places which 
please their temperaments or inclinations, yet make little account 
of interior recollection, which is the most important thing, but 
of which they have very little. If they had more of it, they would 
be incapable of taking pleasure in those methods and manners of 
devotion, which would simply weary them.


                           CHAPTER XL

     Which continues to direct the spirit to interior recollection 
with reference to what has been said.

     THE reason, then, why some spiritual persons never enter 
perfectly into the true joys of the spirit is that they never 
succeed in raising their desire for rejoicing above these things 
that are outward and visible. Let such take note that, although 
the visible oratory and temple is a decent place set apart for 
prayer, and an image is a motive to prayer, the sweetness and 
delight of the soul must not be set upon the motive or the visible 
temple, lest the soul should forget to pray in the living temple, 
which is the interior recollection of the soul. The Apostle, to 
remind us of this, said: 'See that your bodies are living temples 
of the Holy Spirit, Who dwelleth in you.'[672] And this thought is 
suggested by the words of Christ which we have quoted, namely that 
they who truly adore God must needs adore Him in spirit and in 
truth.[673] For God takes little heed of your oratories and your 
places set apart for prayer if your desire and pleasure are bound 
to them, and thus you have little interior detachment, which is 
spiritual poverty and renunciation of all things that you may 
possess.
     2. In order, then, to purge the will from vain desire and 
rejoicing in this matter, and to lead it to God in your prayer, 
you must see only to this, that your conscience is pure, and your 
will perfect with God, and your spirit truly set upon Him. Then, 
as I have said, you should choose the place that is the farthest 
withdraw and the most solitary that you can find, and devote all 
the rejoicing of the will to calling upon God and glorifying Him; 
and you should take no account of those whims about outward 
things, but rather strive to renounce them. For, if the soul be 
attached to the delight of sensible devotion, it will never 
succeed in passing onward to the power of spiritual delight, which 
is found in spiritual detachment coming through interior 
recollection.


                           CHAPTER XLI

     Of certain evils into which those persons fall who give 
themselves to pleasure in sensible objects and who frequent places 
of devotion in the way that has been described.

     MANY evils, both interior and exterior, come to the spiritual 
person when he desires to follow after sweetness of sense in these 
matters aforementioned. For, as regards the spirit, he will never 
attain to interior spiritual recollection, which consists in 
neglecting all such things, and in causing the soul to forget all 
this sensible sweetness, and to enter into true recollection, and 
to acquire the virtues by dint of effort. As regards exterior 
things, he will become unable to dispose himself for prayer in all 
places, but will be confined to places that are to his taste; and 
thus he will often fail in prayer, because, as the saying goes, he 
can understand no other book than his own village.
     2. Furthermore, this desire leads such persons into great 
inconstancy. Some of them never continue in one place or even 
always in one state: now they will be seen in one place, now in 
another; now they will go to one hermitage, now to another; now 
they will set up this oratory, now that. Some of them, again, wear 
out their lives in changing from one state or manner of living to 
another. For, as they possess only the sensible fervour and joy to 
be found in spiritual things, and have never had the strength to 
attain spiritual recollection by the renunciation of their own 
will, and submitting to suffering inconveniences, whenever they 
see a place which they think well suited for devotion, or any kind 
of life or state well adapted to their temperament and 
inclination, they at once go after it and leave the condition or 
state in which they were before. And, as they have come under the 
influence of that sensible pleasure, it follows that they soon 
seek something new, for sensible pleasure is not constant, but 
very quickly fails.


                          CHAPTER XLII

     Of three different kinds of place for devotion and of how the 
will should conduct itself with regard to them.

     I CAN think of three kinds of place by means of which God is 
wont to move the will to devotion. The first consists in certain 
dispositions of the ground and situation, which, by means of a 
pleasing effect of variety, whether obtained by the arrangement of 
the ground or of trees, or by means of quiet solitude, naturally 
awaken devotion. These places it is beneficial to use, if they at 
once lead the will to God and cause it to forget the places 
themselves, even as, in order to reach one's journey's end, it is 
advisable not to pause and consider the means and motive of the 
journey more than is necessary. For those who strive to refresh 
their desires and to gain sensible sweetness will rather find 
spiritual aridity and distraction; for spiritual sweetness and 
satisfaction are not found save in interior recollection.
     2. When they are in such a place, therefore, they should 
forget it and strive to be inwardly with God, as though they were 
not in that place at all. For, if they be attached to the pleasure 
and delight of the place, as we have said, they are seeking 
refreshment of sense and instability of spirit rather than 
spiritual repose. The anchorites and other holy hermits, who in 
the most vast and pleasing wildernesses selected the smallest 
places that sufficed for them, built there the smallest cells and 
caves, in which to imprison themselves. Saint Benedict was in such 
a place for three years, and another -- namely, Saint Simon[674] -- 
bound himself with a cord that he might have no more liberty nor 
go any farther than to places within its reach; and even so did 
many who are too numerous ever to be counted. Those saints 
understood very clearly that, if they quenched not the desire and 
eagerness for spiritual sweetness and pleasure, they could not 
attain to spirituality.
     3. The second kind is of a more special nature, for it 
relates to certain places (not necessarily deserts, but any places 
whatsoever) where God is accustomed to grant to a few special 
persons certain very delectable spiritual favours; ordinarily, 
such a place attracts the heart of the person who has received a 
favour there, and sometimes gives him great desires and yearnings 
to return to it; although, when he goes there, what happened to 
him before is not repeated, since this is not within his control. 
For God grants these favours when and how and where He pleases, 
without being tied to any place or time, nor to the free-will of 
the person to whom He grants them. Yet it is good to go and pray 
in such places at times if the desire is free from attachment; and 
this for three reasons. First, because although, as we said, God 
is not bound to any place, it would seem that He has willed to be 
praised by a soul in the place where He has granted it a favour. 
Secondly, because in that place the soul is more mindful to give 
thanks to God for that which it has received there. Thirdly, 
because, by remembering that favour, the soul's devotion is the 
more keenly awakened.
     4. It is for these reasons that a man should go to such 
places, and not because he thinks that God is bound to grant him 
favours there, in such a way as to be unable to grant them 
wheresoever He wills, for the soul is a fitter and more comely 
place for God than any physical place. Thus we read in Holy 
Scripture that Abraham built an altar in the very place where God 
appeared to him, and invoked His holy name there, and that 
afterwards, coming from Egypt, he returned by the same road where 
God had appeared to him, and called upon God there once more at 
the same altar which he had built.[675] Jacob, too, marked the place 
where God had appeared to him, leaning upon a ladder, by raising 
there a stone which he anointed with oil.[676] And Agar gave a name 
to the place where the angel had appeared to her, and prized it 
highly, saying: 'Of a truth I have here seen the back of Him that 
seeth me.'[677]
     5. The third kind consists of certain special places which 
God chooses that He may be called upon and served there, such as 
Mount Sinai, where He gave the law to Moses.[678] And the place that 
He showed Abraham, that he might sacrifice his son there.[679] And 
likewise Mount Horeb, where He appeared to our father Elias.[680]
     6. The reason for which God chooses these places rather than 
others, that He may be praised there, is known to Himself alone. 
What it behoves us to know is that all is for our advantage, and 
that He will hear our prayers there, and also in any place where 
we pray to Him with perfect faith; although there is much greater 
opportunity for us to be heard in places dedicated to His service, 
since the Church has appointed and dedicated those places to that 
end.


                          CHAPTER XLIII

     Which treats of other motives for prayer that many persons 
use -- namely, a great variety of ceremonies.

     THE useless joys and the imperfect attachment which many 
persons have to the things which we have described are perhaps to 
some extent excusable, since these persons act more or less 
innocently with regard to them. But the great reliance which some 
persons place in many kinds of ceremonies introduced by 
uninstructed persons who lack the simplicity of faith is 
intolerable. Let us here disregard those which bear various 
extraordinary names or use terms that signify nothing, and also 
other things that are not sacred which persons who are foolish and 
gross and mistrustful in spirit are wont to interpolate in their 
prayers. For these are clearly evil, and involve sin, and many of 
them imply a secret compact with the devil; by such means these 
persons provoke God to wrath and not to mercy, wherefore I treat 
them not here.
     2. I wish to speak solely of those ceremonies into which 
enters nothing of a suspicious nature, and of which many people 
make use nowadays with indiscreet devotion, attributing such 
efficacy and faith to these ways and manners wherein they desire 
to perform their devotions and prayers, that they believe that, if 
they fail to the very slightest extent in them, or go beyond their 
limits, God will not be served by them nor will He hear them. They 
place more reliance upon these methods and kinds of ceremony than 
upon the reality of their prayer, and herein they greatly offend 
and displease God. I refer, for example, to a Mass at which there 
must be so many candles, neither more nor fewer; which has to be 
said by the priest in such or such a way; and must be at such or 
such an hour, and neither sooner nor later; and must be after a 
certain day, neither sooner nor later; and the prayers and 
stations must be made at such and such times, with such or such 
ceremonies, and neither sooner nor later nor in any other manner; 
and the person who makes them must have such or such qualities or 
qualifications. And there are those who think that, if any of 
these details which they have laid down be wanting, nothing is 
accomplished.
     3. And, what is worse, and indeed intolerable, is that 
certain persons desire to feel some effect in themselves, or to 
have their petitions fulfilled, or to know that the purpose of 
these ceremonious prayers of theirs will be accomplished. This is 
nothing less than to tempt God and to anger Him greatly, so much 
so that He sometimes gives leave to the devil to deceive them, 
making them feel and understand things that are far removed from 
the benefit of their soul, which they deserve because of the 
attachment that they show in their prayers, not desiring God's 
will, rather than their own desires, to be done therein; and thus, 
because they place not their whole confidence in God, nothing goes 
well with them.[681]


                          CHAPTER XLIV

     Of the manner wherein the rejoicing and strength of the will 
must be directed to God through these devotions.

     LET these persons, then, know that, the more reliance they 
place on these things and ceremonies, the less confidence they 
have in God, and that they will not obtain of God that which they 
desire. There are certain persons who pray for their own ends 
rather than for the honour of God. Although they suppose that a 
thing will be done if it be for the service of God, and not 
otherwise, yet, because of their attachment to it and the vain 
rejoicing which they have in it, they multiply a large number of 
petitions for a thing, when it would be better for them to 
substitute others of greater importance to them, such as for the 
true cleansing of their consciences, and for a real application to 
things concerning their own salvation, leaving to a much later 
season all those other petitions of theirs which are not of this 
kind. And in this way they would attain that which is of the 
greatest importance to them, and at the same time all the other 
things that are good for them (although they might not have prayed 
for them), much better and much earlier than if they had expended 
all their energy on those things. For this the Lord promised, 
through the Evangelist, saying: 'Seek ye first and principally the 
Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these other things 
shall be added unto you.'[682]
     2. This is the seeking and the asking that is most pleasing 
to God, and, in order to obtain the fulfilment of the petitions 
which we have in our hearts, there is no better way than to direct 
the energy of our prayer to the thing that most pleases God. For 
then not only will He give that which we ask of Him, which is 
salvation, but also that which He sees to be fitting and good for 
us, although we pray not for it. This David makes clear in a psalm 
where he says: 'The Lord is nigh unto those that call upon Him in 
truth,[683] that beg Him for the things that are in the highest 
degree true, such as salvation; for of these he then says: 'He 
will fulfill the will of them that fear Him, and will hear their 
cries, and will save them. For God is the guardian of those that 
truly love Him.'[684] And thus, this nearness to God of which David 
here speaks is naught else than His being ready to satisfy them 
and grant them even that which it has not passed through their 
minds to ask. Even so we read that, because Solomon did well in 
asking God for a thing that was pleasing to Him -- namely, wisdom 
to lead and rule his people righteously -- God answered him, 
saying: 'Because more than aught else thou didst desire wisdom, 
and askedst not victory over thine enemies, with their deaths, nor 
riches, nor long life, I will not only give thee the wisdom that 
thou askest to rule My people righteously, but I will likewise 
give thee that which thou hast not asked -- namely, riches and 
substance and glory -- so that neither before thee nor after thee 
shall there be any king like unto thee.'[685] And this He did, 
giving him peace also from his enemies, so that all around him 
should pay tribute to him and trouble him not: We read of a 
similar incident in Genesis, where God promised Abraham to 
increase the generation of his lawful son, like the stars of 
Heaven, even as he had asked of Him, and said to him: 'Likewise I 
will increase the son of the bondwoman, for he is thy son.'[686]
     3. In this way, then, the strength of the will and its 
rejoicing must be directed to God in our petitions, and we must 
not be anxious to cling to ceremonial inventions which are not 
used or approved by the Catholic Church. We must leave the method 
and manner of saying Mass to the priest, whom the Church sets 
there in her place, giving him her orders as to how he is to do 
it. And let not such persons use new methods, as if they knew more 
than the Holy Spirit and His Church. If, when they pray in their 
simplicity, God hears them not, let them not think that He will 
hear them any the more however many may be their inventions. For 
God is such that, if they behave towards Him as they should, and 
conformably to His nature, they will do with Him whatsoever they 
will; but, if they act from selfish ends, they cannot speak with 
Him.
     4. With regard to further ceremonies connected with prayer 
and other devotions, let not the will be set upon other ceremonies 
and forms of prayer than those which Christ taught us.[687] For it 
is clear that, when His disciples besought Him that He would teach 
them to pray, He would tell them all that is necessary in order 
that the Eternal Father may hear us, since He knew the Father's 
nature so well. Yet all that He taught them was the Pater Noster, 
with its seven petitions, wherein are included all our needs, both 
spiritual and temporal; and He taught them not many other kinds of 
prayer, either in words or in ceremonies. On the contrary, He told 
them that when they prayed they ought not to desire to speak much, 
since our heavenly Father knows well what is meet for us. He 
charged them only, but with great insistence, that they should 
persevere in prayer (that is, in the prayer of the Pater Noster), 
saying elsewhere: 'It behoves us always to pray and never to 
fail.'[688] But He taught not a variety of petitions, but rather 
that our petitions should be repeated frequently and with fervour 
and care. For, as I say, in them is contained all that is the will 
of God and all that is meet for us. Wherefore, when His Majesty 
drew near three times to the Eternal Father, He prayed all these 
three times, using those very words of the Pater Noster, as the 
Evangelists tell us, saying: 'Father, if it cannot be but that I 
must drink this cup, Thy will be done.'[689] And the ceremonies 
which He taught us to use in our prayers are only two. Either we 
are to pray in the secret place of our chamber, where without 
noise and without paying heed to any we can pray with the most 
perfect and pure heart, as He said in these words: 'When thou 
shalt pray, enter into thy chamber and shut the door and pray.'[690] 
Or else He taught us to go to a solitary and desert place, as He 
Himself did, and at the best and quietest time of night. And thus 
there is no reason to fix any limit of time, or any appointed 
days, or to set apart one time more than another for our 
devotions, neither is there any reason to use other forms, in our 
words and prayers, nor phrases with double meanings, but only 
those which the Church uses and in the manner wherein she uses 
them; for all are reduced to those which we have described -- 
namely, the Pater Noster.
     5. I do not for this reason condemn -- nay, I rather approve 
-- the fixing of days on which certain persons sometimes arrange 
to make their devotions, such as novenas, or other such things. I 
condemn only their conduct as concerns the fixity of their methods 
and the ceremonies with which they practise them. Even so did 
Judith rebuke and reprove the people of Bethulia because they had 
limited God as to the time wherein they awaited His mercy, saying: 
'Do ye set God a time for his mercies?' To do this, she says, is 
not to move God to clemency, but to awaken His wrath.[691]


                           CHAPTER XLV

     Which treats of the second kind of distinct good, wherein the 
will may rejoice vainly.

     THE second kind of distinct and delectable good wherein the 
will may rejoice vainly is that which provokes or persuades us to 
serve God and which we have called provocative. This class 
comprises preachers, and we might speak of it in two ways, namely, 
as affecting the preachers themselves and as affecting their 
hearers. For, as regards both, we must not fail to observe that 
both must direct the rejoicing of their will to God, with respect 
to this exercise.
     2. In the first place, it must be pointed out to the 
preacher, if he is to cause his people profit and not to embarrass 
himself with vain joy and presumption, that preaching is a 
spiritual exercise rather than a vocal one. For, although it is 
practised by means of outward words, its power and efficacy reside 
not in these but in the inward spirit. Wherefore, however lofty be 
the doctrine that is preached, and however choice the rhetoric and 
sublime the style wherein it is clothed, it brings as a rule no 
more benefit than is present in the spirit of the preacher. For, 
although it is true that the word of God is of itself efficacious, 
according to those words of David, 'He will give to His voice a 
voice of virtue,'[692] yet fire, which has also a virtue -- that of 
burning -- will not burn when the material is not prepared.
     3. To the end that the preacher's instruction may exercise 
its full force, there must be two kinds of preparation: that of 
the preacher and that of the hearer; for as a rule the benefit 
derived from a sermon depends upon the preparation of the teacher. 
For this reason it is said that, as is the master, so is wont to 
be the disciple. For, when in the Acts of the Apostles those seven 
sons of that chief priest of the Jews were wont to cast out devils 
in the same form as Saint Paul, the devil rose up against them, 
saying: 'Jesus I confess and Paul I know, but you, who are ye?'[693] 
And then, attacking them, he stripped and wounded them. This was 
only because they had not the fitting preparation, and not because 
Christ willed not that they should do this in His name. For the 
Apostles once found a man, who was not a disciple, casting out a 
devil in the name of Christ, and they forbade him, and the Lord 
reproved them for it, saying: 'Forbid him not, for no man that has 
done any mighty works in My name shall be able to speak evil of Me 
after a brief space of time.'[694] But He is angry with those who, 
though teaching the law of God, keep it not, and, which preaching 
spirituality, possess it not. For this reason God says, through 
Saint Paul: 'Thou teachest others and teachest not thyself. Thou 
who preachest that men should not steal, stealest.'[695] And through 
David the Holy Spirit says: 'To the sinner, God said: "Why dost 
thou declare My justice and take My law in thy mouth, when thou 
hast hated discipline and cast My words behind thee?"'[696] Here it 
is made plain that He will give them no spirituality whereby they 
may bear fruit.
     4. It is a common matter of observation that, so far as we 
can judge here below, the better is the life of the preacher, the 
greater is the fruit that he bears, however undistinguished his 
style may be, however small his rhetoric and however ordinary his 
instruction. For it is the warmth that comes from the living 
spirit that clings; whereas the other kind of preacher will 
produce very little profit, however sublime be his style and his 
instruction. For, although it is true that a good style and 
gestures and sublime instruction and well-chosen language 
influence men and produce much effect when accompanied by true 
spirituality, yet without this, although a sermon gives pleasure 
and delight to the sense and the understanding, very little or 
nothing of its sweetness remains in the will. As a rule, in this 
case, the will remains as weak and remiss with regard to good 
works as it was before. Although marvelous things may have been 
marvellously said by the preacher, they serve only to delight the 
ear, like a concert of music or a peal of bells; the spirit, as I 
say, goes no farther from its habits than before, since the voice 
has no virtue to raise one that is dead from his grave.
     5. Little does it matter that one kind of music should sound 
better than another if the better kind move me not more than the 
other to do good works. For, although marvellous things may have 
been said, they are at once forgotten if they have not fired the 
will. For, not only do they of themselves bear little fruit, but 
the fastening of the sense upon the pleasure that it finds in that 
sort of instruction hinders the instruction from passing to the 
spirit, so that only the method and the accidents of what has been 
said are appreciated, and the preacher is praised for this 
characteristic or for that, and followed from such motives as 
these rather than because of the purpose of amendment of life 
which he has inspired. This doctrine is well explained to the 
Corinthians by Saint Paul, where he says: 'I, brethren, when I 
came to you, came not preaching Christ with loftiness of 
instruction and of wisdom, and my words and my preaching consisted 
not in the rhetoric of human wisdom, but in the showing forth of 
the spirit and of the truth.'[697]
     6. Although the intention of the Apostle here, like my own 
intention, is not to condemn good style and rhetoric and 
phraseology, for, on the contrary, these are of great importance 
to the preacher, as in everything else, since good phraseology and 
style raise up and restore things that are fallen and ruined, even 
as bad phraseology ruins and destroys good things . . .[698]


     "the greatest of all mystical theologians"

     Thus has Thomas Merton described St. John of the Cross, 
echoing the considered judgment of most authorities on the 
spiritual life; and here in this volume is the great mystic's most 
widely appealing work. Ascent of Mount Carmel is an incomparable 
guide to the spiritual life -- because its author has lived his 
own counsel. Addressed to informed Christians who aspire to grow 
in union with God, it examines every category of spiritual 
experience, the spurious as well as the authentic. With rare 
insight into human psychology it not only tells how to become more 
closely united with God, but spells out in vivid detail the 
pitfalls to avoid.
     In his Apostolic Letter proclaiming St. John of the Cross a 
Doctor of the Church, Pope Pius XI wrote that he "points out to 
souls the way of perfection as though illumined by light from on 
high, in his limpidly clear analysis of mystical experience. And 
although [his works] deal with difficult and hidden matters, they 
are nevertheless replete with such lofty spiritual doctrine and 
are so well adapted to the understanding of those who study them 
that they can rightly be called a guide and handbook for the man 
of faith who proposes to embrace a life of perfection."
     This translation by E. Allison Peers was hailed by the London 
Times as "the most faithful that has appeared in any European 
language."


     ST. JOHN OF THE CROSS was perhaps the greatest mystical writer 
the world has ever known. Bossuet's famous tribute -- that his 
writings "possess the same authority in mystical theology as the 
writings of St. Thomas possess in dogmatic theology" -- remains 
the most fitting testimonial to his august place among spiritual 
writers.
     John was born in Castile in 1542 -- eve of Spain's century of 
greatness, to which he himself was to add such lustre. He studied 
under the Jesuits and worked for six years in a hospital. Entering 
the Carmelites in 1563, he was professed a year later and sent to 
the great University of Salamanca. He was ordained in 1567 but, 
shrinking from the apostolate of a priest in the world, considered 
entering the Carthusians, a hermitical order.
     Then came the turning point in his life. He met St. Teresa of 
Avila, who was pursuing her epic work of restoring the pristine, 
stricter observance of the Carmelite rule. John and two other 
members of the order took the vows of the Discalced (or reformed) 
Carmelites the following year, binding themselves to a more 
rigorous way of life which included daily (and nightly) recitation 
of the Divine Office in choir, perpetual abstinence from meat, and 
additional fasting.
     Yet his religious vows were but a part of the rigors John was 
to undergo. The main branch of the order, the Calced Carmelites, 
so opposed the Reform that they twice had John kidnapped and 
jailed -- providentially, so it proved, for much of his writing 
was done in prison.
     The greater part of his twenty-three years as a Discalced 
Carmelite, however, was spent in filling a number of important 
posts in the order, among them Rector of two colleges, Prior, 
Definator, and Vicar-Provincial. But it was in one of his lesser 
offices that he was to spend the most decisive years of his life: 
he was confessor to the Carmelite nuns at Avila, where St. Teresa 
was Superior.
     The secret of St. John's unique contribution to mystical 
theology was not simply his mysticism, for there have been other 
mystics; not even his profound grasp of Scripture, dogma, Thomism, 
and spiritual literature, for there have also been learned 
mystics. What sets him apart is his extraordinary poetic vision. 
To write of mystical experience is to try to express the 
inexpressible. Because he was a great poet St. John of the Cross 
was able, in the realm of mysticism, to push the frontiers of 
human expression beyond where any writer has succeeded in 
venturing before or since. This poetic intensity is found even in 
his prose, the major works of which are Ascent of Mount Carmel, 
Dark Night of the Soul, Spiritual Canticle, and Living Flame of 
Love.
     St. John of the Cross died in 1591, was beatified less than a 
century later in 1675, was canonized in 1726, and was named a 
Doctor of the Church by Pope Pius XI in 1926.


[1]  The footnotes are P. Silverio's except where they are enclosed in 
square brackets.
[2]  Cf. Translator's Preface to the First Edition, Sect. II.
[3]  [H., III, ii.]
[4]  M. Magdalena is a very reliable witness, for she was not only a 
most discreet and able woman, but was also one of those who were 
very near to the saint and gained most from his spiritual 
direction. The quotation is from MS. 12,944.
[5]  MS. 12,738, fol. 835. Ft. Jeronimo de S. Jose, too, says that the 
nuns of Toledo also copied certain poems from the Saint's 
dictation. M. Ana de S. Alberto heard him say of his imprisonment: 
'God sought to try me, but His mercy forsook me not. I made some 
stanzas there which begin: "Whither hast vanished, Beloved"; and 
also those other verses, beginning "Far above the many rivers That 
in Babylon abound." All these verses I sent to Fray Jose de Jesus 
Maria, who told me that he was interested in them and was keeping 
them in his memory in order to write them out.'
[6]  [H., III, ii.]
[7]  MS. 12,944. 'He also occasionally wrote spiritual things that 
were of great benefit. There, too, he composed the Mount and drew 
a copy with his own hand for each of our breviaries; later, he 
added to these copies and made some changes.'
[8]  [See, on this term, S.S.M., II, 282, and Catholic Encyclopedia, 
sub. 'Carmelites.']
[9]  Fray Martin de San Jose in MS. 12,738, fol. 125.
[10]  [H., IV, i.]
[11]  MS. 12,738, fol. 1,431. The letter is undated as to the year.
[12]  MS. 12,738, fol. 1,435.
[13]  MS. 12,738, fol. 3. Cf. a letter of April 28, 1614, by the same 
friar (ibid., fol. 865), which describes the Saint's knowledge of 
the Holy Scriptures, and skill in expounding them, as 'inspired' 
and 'Divine.'
[14]  Ibid., fol. 18.
[15]  Jeronimo de la Cruz (ibid., fol. 639) describes the Saint on his 
journeys as 'frequently reading the Bible' as he went along on his 
'beast.'
[16]  MS. 12,738, fol. 559. P. Alonso writes similarly in a letter to 
Fray Jeronimo de San Jose: 'And in this matter of speaking of God 
and expounding passages from Scripture he made everyone marvel, 
for they never asked him about a passage which he could not 
explain in great detail, and sometimes at recreation the whole 
hour and much more went by in the explanation of passages about 
which they asked him' (fol. 1,431).
[17]  Ibid., fol. 847.
[18]  [Cf. S.S.M., II, 123-48.]
[19]  Vida, Bk. IV, Chap. xiv, Sect. 1.
[20]  [On this subject cf. P. Crisogono de Jesus Sacramentado: San 
Juan de la Cruz, Madrid, 1929, Vol. II, pp. 17-34 et passim.]
[21]  On Flemish influences on Spanish mysticism, see P. Groult: Les 
Mystiques des Pays-Bas et la litterature espagnole du seizieme 
siecle, Louvain, 1927 [, and Joaquin Sanchis Alventosa, O.F.M.: La 
Escuela mistica alemana y sus relaciones con nuestros misticos del 
Siglo de Oro, Madrid, 1946].
[22]  [Cf. S.S.M., I (1927), 33-76, 291-405; (1951), 25-61, 235-328; 
II (1930), 309-43.]
[23]  One well-known example will be found in the commentary on the 
'Spiritual Canticle,' Chap. xii (cf. Sect. V below).
[24]  MS. 12,738, fol. 639.
[25]  To these we shall refer in the third volume of this edition.
[26]  If any single person could have spoken from knowledge of this 
matter it would be P. Alonso de la Madre de Dios, as all papers 
connected with St. John of the Cross passed through his hands and 
he took hundreds of depositions in connection with the 
Beatification process. His statements, however (MS. 19,404, fol. 
176 [P. Silverio, I, 179]), are as vague as any others. Rather 
more reliable are the Saint's two early biographers, P. Jose de 
Jesus Maria (Quiroga) and P. Jeronimo de San Jose. The former 
states in one place that he is using an autograph on the Ascent of 
Mount Carmel, but again it seems likely that he was mistaken, 
since the archives of the Reform were still intact in the next 
century and no genuine autograph of any length was found in them.
[27]  [The commentary on the third stanza is begun in ii, xxv of Dark 
Night. If this be not counted, the number of stanzas left 
uncommented is six.]
[28]  This is not so unlikely as it may seem, for the early 
manuscripts were all either unbound, or very roughly stitched 
together, and several of the extant copies have leaves missing. It 
was not till the time of the Beatification Process that greater 
care began to be taken of the Saint's writings, and they were 
bound strongly and even luxuriously.
[29]  I.e., the three books of the Ascent and the two of the Night.
[30]  MS. 3,180, Adicion B.
[31]  It would be natural enough, of course, for Fray Agustin 
Antolinez to have noted this fact, but, as he makes no mention of 
St. John of the Cross at all, nothing can be safely inferred from 
his silence. It may be added that Fray Agustin's commentary is to 
be published by the Spanish Augustinians [and that P. Silverio (I, 
190-3 ) gives a specimen of it which shows how well it deserves 
publication].
[32]  As we shall later see, the Living Flame was written after the 
first redaction of the Spiritual Canticle, but before the second 
redaction, which mentions the Living Flame in the exposition of 
Stanza XXXI, thus misleading P. Andres as to its date. There is no 
doubt, in our mind, that the reference in the preface to the 
Living Flame is to the Canticle: the description fits it exactly.
[33]  [P. Silverio's words are: 'For my own part, I think it very 
probable that he never composed them.' I myself give a little less 
weight to the negative evidence brought forward, and, though I too 
am inclined to the negative solution, I should hold the scales 
between the two rather more evenly.]
[34]  If this were so, we might even hazard a guess that the title was 
that given in the Living Flame (I, 21) and not exactly applicable 
to any of the existing treatises, viz. The Dark Night of the 
Ascent of Mount Carmel.
[35]  Memorias Historiales, C. 1 3.
[36]  Saint Jean de la Croix, pp. 1 3-15.
[37]  Cf. Ascent, I, i, below.
[38]  Some manuscripts do in fact divide the treatise in this way; but 
apart from the fact that we have the authority of St. John of the 
Cross himself, in the passage just quoted (confirmed in Ascent, I, 
xiii), for a different division, the Alcaudete MS., which we 
believe to be the most reliable, follows the division laid down by 
the Saint. We may add that St. John of the Cross is not always a 
safe guide in these matters, no doubt because he trusted too much 
to his memory; in Ascent, II, xi, for example, he calls the fourth 
book the third.
[39]  [H., V, iii.]
[40]  Spiritual Canticle, Stanza XII, Sect. 6 [Second Redaction, XIII, 
Sect. 7].
[41]  In the same passage as that referred to in the last note he 
declares his intention of not repeating what she has said (cf. 
General Introduction, III, above ).
[42]  Our authority for this statement is P. Andres de la Encarnacion 
(Memorias Historiales, B. 32), who found the Chapter Book in the 
General Archives of the Reform at Madrid.
[43]  Op. cit. (B. 33).
[44]  [For a study of Tomas de Jesus, see S.S.M., II, 281-306.]
[45]  Memorias Historiales, B. 35.
[46]  Cf. General Introduction, I, above.
[47]  [Cf. S.S.M., I (1927), 291-344; (1951), 235-79. An abridged 
English edition of the Names of Christ, translated by a 
Benedictine of Stanbrook, was published by Messrs. Burns Oates and 
Washbourne in 1926.]
[48]  [Cf. S.S.M., I (1927), 295-6; (1951), 240.]
[49]  [Cf. S.S.M., II, 41-76.]
[50]  Historia critica de la Inquisicion de Espana, Vol. V, Chap. xxx, 
and elsewhere. [The original of this work is in French: Histoire 
critique de l'Incluisition d'Espagne, 1817-18.]
[51]  Here we have a curious parallelism with the works of St. Teresa, 
first published at Salamanca in 1588 and also reprinted in 
Barcelona in the year following.
[52]  He also supplies the Latin text of Scriptural quotations which 
St. John of the Cross gives in the vernacular, corrects the 
punctuation and spelling of the princeps and substitutes his 
'Sketch' of the Saint's life for the biographical notes of that 
edition. The treatise in which he corrects most of the defects of 
the princeps is the Ascent of Mount Carmel.
[53]  Phrasium mysticae Theologiae V.P. Fr. Joannis a Cruce, 
Carmelitarum excalceatorum Parentis primi elucidatio. Compluti, 
1631.
[54]  Subida del Alma a Dios; Apologia mistica en defensa de la 
contemplacion divina; Don que tuvo San Juan de la Cruz para guiar 
las almas, etc.
[55]  This phrase, no doubt, was inserted in order to save the 
reputation of P. Jose's earlier supporters, and out of respect to 
his uncle, who had been a Cardinal and Inquisitor-General.
[56]  Quoted by P. Andres de la Encarnacion (MS. 3,653, Previo 1).
[57]  MS. 3,653, Previo 1.
[58]  [The last two paragraphs form P. Silverio's description of his 
own edition. The lines followed in the present translation have 
been described in the Translator's Preface.]
[59]  Ascent, Bk. III, Chap. ii.
[60]  Ascent, Bk. III, Chap. iii, Sect. 1.
[61]  Cf. Ascent, Bk. III, Chap. xvi, Sect.Sect. 1-2.
[62]  [On the question of the curtailment of the Ascent, see Sobrino, 
pp. 159-66.]
[63]  [On MSS. not described by P. Silverio, see Ephemerides 
Carmeliticae, Florence, 1950, IV, 95-148, and in particular p. 
103, n. 9. As the variants and annotations in these MSS. will be 
of interest only to specialists, and few of them can be reproduced 
in a translation, those who wish to study them are referred to 
that article.]
[64]  [H, sub Juan Evangelista (2)]
[65]  [Lit.: 'It says, then, thus.']
[66]  For a verse translation in the metre of the original, see Vol. 
II.
[67]  [The adjectives are feminine throughout.]
[68]  [The word translated 'at rest' is a past participle: more 
literally, +stilled.']
[69]  [Lit.: 'I remained and forgot.']
[70]  [Lit. 'and wideawake guides.']
[71]  [Lit., 'a low manner.']
[72]  Needless to say, the Saint does not here mean that he will not 
write in conformity with moral standards -- no writer is more 
particular in this respect -- nor that he will deal with no 
delectable matters at all, but rather that he will go to the very 
roots of spiritual teaching and expound the 'solid and substantial 
instruction,' which not only forms its basis but also leads the 
soul toward the most intimate union with God in love.
[73]  The Codices give neither title nor sub-title: both were inserted 
in e.p. ['Desire' is to be taken as the direct object of 
'describes'; 'these' refers to 'sense' and 'desire,' not to the 
dark night.]
[74]  [Lit., 'appetites,' but this word is uniformly translated 
'desires,' as the Spanish context frequently will not admit the 
use of the stronger word in English.]
[75]  [The word translated 'sensual' is sometimes sensual, and 
sometimes, as here, sensitivo. The meaning in either case is 
simply 'of sense.']
[76]  So Alc. The other authorities read: 'and of this we shall treat 
likewise, in the second part with respect to the activity [of the 
soul] [these last three words are not contained in the Spanish of 
any authority], and in the third and the fourth part with respect 
to its passivity.' E.p. follows this division. Alc., however, 
seems to correspond more closely with the Saint's intentions; for 
he did not divide each of his 'books' into 'parts' and appears 
therefore to indicate by 'part' what we know as 'book.' Now Book I 
is in fact devoted to the active purgation of sense, as are Books 
II and III to the active purgation of the spirit. For the 'fourth 
book,' see General Introduction, IV above.
[77]  [The word translated 'at rest' is a past participle: more 
literally, +stilled.']
[78]  [Lit., 'and it in them.' This 'it' means the soul; the preceding 
'it,' the house.]
[79]  I.e., in the 'Argument.'
[80]  [More exactly, this 'passage' or 'transition' (transito).]
[81]  [Lit., 'in negation of them.']
[82]  [By 'the mean' is meant the middle, or main part, of the 
journey.]
[83]  [Lit., 'without anything (sc. to do).']
[84]  ['Blank board': Sp., tabla rasa; Lat., tabula rasa.]
[85]  Psalm lxxxvii, 16 [A.V. lxxxviii, 15].
[86]  St. John i, 5.
[87]  2 Corinthians vi, 14.
[88]  Psalm cxiv, 9 [A.V. cxv, 8].
[89]  Jeremias iv, 23.
[90]  [The words often translated 'deformity,' 'deformed,' or 
'vileness,' 'vile,' are the ordinary contraries of 'beauty,' 
'beautiful,' and might be rendered, more literally but less 
elegantly, 'ugliness,' 'ugly.']
[91]  Proverbs xxxi, 30.
[92]  [For 'grace . . . misery' the Spanish has gracia . . . 
desgracia. The latter word, however, does not, as might be 
supposed, correspond to English 'disgrace.']
[93]  E.p. omits 'supreme'; the Spanish word [having a more literally 
superlative force than the English] can hardly be applied, save in 
a restricted sense, to what is finite.
[94]  St. Luke xviii, 19.
[95]  1 Corinthians iii, 19.
[96]  Romans i, 22.
[97]  1 Corinthians iii, 18-19.
[98]  [Lit., 'is supreme.']
[99]  [The word is applicable to any kind of preferential position.]
[100]  Genesis xxi, 10.
[101]  Proverbs viii, 4-6, 18-21.
[102]  Soliloq., chap. ii (Migne: Patr. lat., Vol. XL, p. 866).
[103]  So Alc. The other authorities have merely: 'which may pertain 
to it,' and e.p. adds to this: 'through self-love.' Even when 
softened by Diego de Pesus this phrase of the Saint did not escape 
denunciation, and it was the first of the 'propositions' condemned 
in his writings (cf. General Introduction, VI, above). It was 
defended by P. Basilio Ponce de Leon in his Reply (p. lx), and 
more extensively by P. Nicolas de Jesus Maria (Elucidatio, Pt. II, 
Chap i, pp. 125-40). In reality, little defence is needed other 
than that contained in the last chapters of the Ascent of Mount 
Carmel, which clearly show the harm caused by supernatural 
favours, when these are abused, to the memory, the understanding 
and the will. Who, after all, can doubt that we may abuse 'things 
supernatural' and by such abuse hinder the soul from attaining 
union with God?
[104]  St. Luke xiv, 33.
[105]  E.p. alters this to: 'in the same Scripture.' [It does not, in 
fact, occur in the same book.]
[106]  Numbers xi, 4.
[107]  [Lit., 'so high.']
[108]  [Wisdom xvi, 20.]
[109]  Psalm lxxvii, 31 [A.V. lxxviii, 31].
[110]  [Exodus xxxiv, 2-3.] E.p.: 'within sight of the Mount.' A, B: 
'near the Mount.'
[111]  Gen. xxxv, 2.
[112]  Exodus xxvii, 8.
[113]  Leviticus x, 1-2.
[114]  1 Kings [A.V., I Samuel] v, 3-5.
[115]  Deut. xxxi, 26.
[116]  Numbers xvii, 10. [More properly, 'the rod of Aaron.']
[117]  Jeremias ii, 13.
[118]  [Lit., 'the greater the bulk that that desire has in the 
soul.']
[119]  St. Matthew xv, 26.
[120]  St. Matthew vii, 6.
[121]  [Lit., 'he that goes feeding upon.']
[122]  Psalm lviii, 15-16 [A.V., lix, 14-15].
[123]  [Lit., 'how much more God does.'] 
[124]  Isaias xxix, 8. The editions supply the translation of the 
first part of the Latin text, which the Saint and the Codices 
omitted: 'After being wearied and fatigued, he yet thirsteth,' 
etc.
[125]  Job xx, 22.
[126]  Isaias lvii, 20.
[127]  Jeremias ii, 24.
[128]  Jeremias ii, 25.
[129]  Isaias ix, 20.
[130]  Thus Alc. [with 'run' for 'eat']. A, B, e.p. read: '. . . when 
they turn from the way of God (which is the right hand) are justly 
hungered, for they merit not the fullness of the sweetness of 
spirit. And justly, too, when they eat on the left hand,' etc. 
[While agreeing with P. Silverio that Alc. gives the better 
reading, I prefer 'eat' to 'run': it is nearer the Scriptural 
passage and the two Spanish words, comen and corren, could easily 
be confused in MS.]
[131]  Psalm cxviii, 61 [A.V., cxix, 61].
[132]  Psalm cxvii, 12 [A.V., cxviii, 12].
[133]  Judges xvi, 16. [Actually it was Samson, not Dalila, who was 
'wearied even until death.']
[134]  Apocalypse xviii, 7.
[135]  [Lit., 'bound him to grind in a mill.']
[136]  Judges xvi, 21.
[137]  Isaias lv, 1-2.
[138]  St. Matthew xi, 28-9.
[139]  Psalm xxxvii, 5 [A.V., xxxviii, 4].
[140]  [Lit., 'gives no occasion either for,' etc.]
[141]  Psalm xxxix, 13 [A.V., xl, 12.]
[142]  Psalm vi, 4 [A.V., vi, 3].
[143]  [Lit., 'the present visage.']
[144]  St. Matthew xv, 14.
[145]  [hoguera. More exactly: 'fire,' 'bonfire,' 'blaze.']
[146]  Psalm lvii, 9 [cf. A.V., lviii, 8].
[147]  Psalm lvii, 10 [A.V., lviii, 9].
[148]  [Lit., 'before it can understand God.']
[149]  3 Kings [A.V., 1 Kings] xi, 4.
[150]  Ecclesiastes ii, 10.
[151]  [Lit., 'we ... know not what there is between.']
[152]  Jonas iv, 11.
[153]  [Lit., +is added desire.+]
[154]  Isaias lix, 10.
[155]  Ecclesiasticus xiii, 1.
[156]  [More literally: 'and all the best that is of the creatures.' 
'Best' is neuter and refers to qualities, appurtenances, etc.]
[157]  [Lit., 'bright diamond.']
[158]  Lamentations iv, 7-8.
[159]  [Lit., mas resplandecientes, 'more brilliant,' 'more 
luminous.']
[160]  [Lit., plazas (derived from the Latin plateas), which now, 
however, has the meaning of 'squares,' '(market) places.']
[161]  ['Clearer' here is mas claros; the adjective is rendered 
'bright' elsewhere.]
[162]  [The words translated 'unruly,' 'disordered,' here and 
elsewhere, and occasionally 'unrestrained,' are the same in the 
original: desordenado.]
[163]  [The Spanish of the text reads literally: 'in a union.']
[164]  [The verb is pintar, 'paint': perhaps 'corrupt' is intended. 
The same verb occurs in the following sentence.]
[165]  Ezechiel viii, 10.
[166]  [Ezechiel viii, 12.]
[167]  Ezechiel viii, 14.
[168]  Ezechiel viii, 16.
[169]  [Lit., 'revolves'--'turns over in its mind' in our common 
idiom.]
[170]  Genesis xlix, 4.
[171]  Psalm lviii, 10 [A.V., lix, 9].
[172]  St. Matthew xxix, 19.
[173]  St. Luke xii, 25.
[174]  Proverbs xxx, 15.
[175]  Ecclesiasticus xxiii, 6. [In the original the last two 
sentences are transposed.]
[176]  [Lit., +not pure on (or +in+) God.+]
[177]  [The original has no such explanatory phrase.]
[178]  [That is, will be enjoying all the union that the prayer of 
quiet gives.]
[179]  Proverbs xxiv, 16.
[180]  [The original omits +union.+]
[181]  [Or +remora.+]
[182]  [cordeles: a stronger word than that used above (hilo), which, 
if the context would permit, might better be translated 'string' 
-- its equivalent in modern speech. Below, hilo is translated 
'thread.']
[183]  [Hilo, rendered 'thread,' as explained in n. 4 above, can also 
be taken in the stronger sense of 'cord.']
[184]  St. Matthew xii, 30.
[185]  Ecclesiasticus xix, 1.
[186]  [Lit., 'the fire is increased by a single spark.'] 
Ecclesiasticus xi, 34 [A.V., xi, 32].
[187]  Judges ii, 3.
[188]  [The original phrase (gente menuda) means 'little folk.' It is 
used of children and sometimes also of insects and other small 
creatures. There is a marked antithesis between the 'giants,' or 
sins, and the 'little folk,' or imperfections.]
[189]  Josue vi, 21.
[190]  1 Corinthians vii, 29-31.
[191]  [The word here translated 'remissness' is rendered 'remission' 
in the text, where it seems to have a slightly different meaning.]
[192]  [The word translated 'remnants' also means 'after-taste.']
[193]  Apocalypse x, 9.
[194]  2 Corinthians xii, 9. ['Virtue' had often, in the author's day, 
much of the meaning of the modern word 'strength.']
[195]  [The word used for desire is apetito, which has been used in 
the past chapters for desires of sense (cf. chap. I, above).]
[196]  [St. John iv, 34.]
[197]  Lit., 'Not that which is to desire anything, etc.']
[198]  [1 St. John ii, 16.]
[199]  The Saint does not, however, allude to these lines again. The 
order followed below is that of Alc., which differs somewhat from 
that followed in the diagram.
[200]  [This line, like ll. 6, 8 of the paragraph, reads more 
literally: 'Desire not to possess (be, know) anything in 
anything.' It is more emphatic than l. 2.]
[201]  [There is a repetition here which could only be indicated by 
translating 'all-ly.' So, too, in the next couplet.]
[202]  [Lit. +anything in all.+]
[203]  This confirms our point (Bk. I, chap. ii, Sect. 6, above) that 
the Saint considers the Argument as part of the Prologue. 
[204]  Lit., 'to conquer the natural yoke.']
[205]  [Lit., +after.+]
[206]  [Lit., +comprehended.+]
[207]  [Lit., 'all the steps and articles that it has.']
[208]  [Lit., 'climbs': the verb (escala) is identical with the noun 
'ladder' (escala).]
[209]  [Lit., 'to the depths.']
[210]  [The literal translation is shorter, viz. 'taking faith for a 
blind man's guide.']
[211]  [Lit., 'negation.'] This is the reading of Alc. 'Affirmation' 
is found in A, B, C, D, e.p. Though the two words are 
antithetical, they express the same underlying concept. [The 
affirmation, or establishment, of all the powers and desires of 
the spirit upon pure faith, so that they may be ruled by pure 
faith alone, is equivalent to the denial, or negation, of those 
powers and desires in so far as they are not ruled by pure faith.]
[212]  [Lit., 'to true spirit.']
[213]  [I, ii, above.]
[214]  [Cf. I, ii, above.]
[215]  This was another of the propositions which were cited by those 
who denounced the writings of St. John of the Cross to the Holy 
Office. It is interpretable, nevertheless, in a sense that is 
perfectly true and completely in conformity with Catholic 
doctrine. The Saint does not, in these words, affirm that faith 
destroys nature or quenches the light of human reason (St. Thomas, 
Summa, Pt. 1, q. 1, a. 8, et alibi); what he endeavors to show is 
that the coming of knowledge through faith excludes a simultaneous 
coming of natural knowledge through reason. It is only in this way 
that, in the act of faith, the soul is deprived of the light of 
reason, and left, as it were, in blindness, so that it may be 
raised to another nobler and sublimer kind of knowledge, which, 
far from destroying reason, gives it dignity and perfection. 
Philosophy teaches that the proper and connatural object of the 
understanding, in this life, is things visible, material and 
corporeal. By his nature, man inclines to knowledge of this kind, 
but cannot lay claim to such knowledge as regards the things which 
belong to faith. For, to quote a famous verse of Scripture: Fides 
est sperandarum substantia rerum, argumentum non apparientium 
(Hebrews xi, 1 ). This line of thought is not confined to St. John 
of the Cross, but is followed by all the mystics and is completely 
in agreement with theological doctrine. Cf. Respuesta [Reply] of 
P. Basilio Ponce de Leon and Dilucidatio, Pt. II, Chap. ii, and 
also the following chapter in this present book.
[216]  E .p.: 'an obediential faculty' [potencia obediencial]: this 
phrase is borrowed from the Schoolmen. Among the various divisions 
of the faculty are two, natural and obediential. The first is that 
which is directed towards an act within the sphere of nature, such 
as the cooling action of water and the heating action of fire; the 
second is directed towards an act which exceeds these powers, 
brought about by God, Who is outside the laws of nature and can 
therefore work outside the natural domain. This obediential 
faculty (called also 'receptive' or 'passive') frequently figures 
in mystical theology, since it is this that disposes the faculties 
of the soul for the supernatural reception of the gifts of grace, 
all of which exceed natural capacity.
[217]  E.p.: 'a natural manner which has its beginning in the senses.' 
Here the Saint expounds a principle of scholastic philosophy 
summarized in the axiom: Nihil est in intellectu quin prius non 
fuerit in sensu. This principle, like many other great 
philosophical questions, has continually been debated. St. John of 
the Cross will be found as a rule to follow the philosophy most 
favored by the Church and is always rigidly orthodox.
[218]  [Lit., 'subjecting and blinding our natural light.']
[219]  Romans x, 17.
[220}  Isaias vii, 9. So Alc. The passage seems to be taken from the 
Septuagint. [The Vulgate has non permanebitis.]
[221]  [Lit., 'If ye believe not, that is, ye shall not have light.']
[222]  Exodus xiv, 20.
[223]  Psalm xviii, 3 [A.V., xix, 2].
[224]  Psalm cxxxviii, 11 [A.V., cxxxix, 11].
[225]  Hebrews xi, 6.
[226]  Isaias lxiv, 4; 1 Corinthians ii, 9.
[227]  [The word translated 'way' is modo, which, in the language of 
scholastic philosophy, would rather be translated 'mode.']
[228]  [2 Corinthians vi, 10.]
[229]  [Lit., 'either spiritually or sensually, in its soul.']
[230]  St. John ix, 39.
[231]  As the Saint has explained above, this is a parenthetical 
chapter necessary to an understanding of the following chapters on 
the active purification of the three faculties of the soul; for, 
in order to make an intelligent use of the means to an end, it is 
important to know what that end is. St. John of the Cross begins 
by setting aside the numerous divisions under which the mystics 
speak of union with God and deals only with that which most 
usually concerns the soul, namely union which is active, and 
acquired by our own efforts, together with the habitual aid of 
grace. This is the kind of union which is most suitably described 
in this treatise, which deals with the intense activity of the 
soul as regards the purgation of the senses and faculties as a 
necessary means for the loving transformation of the soul in God 
-- the end and goal of all the Saint's writings. In order to 
forestall any grossly erroneous pantheistic interpretations, we 
point out, with the author of the Medula Mistica (Trat. V, Chap. 
i, No. 2), that by union the Saint understands 'a linking and 
conjoining of two things which, though united, are still 
different, each, as St. Thomas teaches (Pt. III, q. 2, a. 1), 
keeping its own nature, for otherwise there would not be union but 
identity. Union of the soul with God, therefore, will be a linking 
and conjoining of the soul with God and of God with the soul, for 
the one cannot be united with the other if the other be not united 
with the one, so that the soul is still the soul and God is still 
God. But just as, when two things are united, the one which has 
the most power, virtue and activity communicates its properties to 
the other, just so, since God has greater strength, virtue and 
activity than the soul, He communicates His properties to it and 
makes it, as it were, deific, and leaves it, as it were, 
divinized, to a greater or a lesser degree, corresponding to the 
greater or the lesser degree of union between the two.' This 
conception, which is a basic one in Christian mysticism, is that 
of St. John of the Cross. Had all his commentators understood that 
fact, some of them would have been saved from making ridiculous 
comparisons of him with Gnostics, Illuminists or even the Eastern 
seekers after Nirvana. Actually, this Saint and Doctor of the 
Church applies the tenets of Catholic theology to the union of the 
soul with God, presenting them in a condensed and vigorous form 
and keeping also to strict psychological truth, as in general do 
the other Spanish mystics. This is one of his greatest merits. In 
this chapter he is speaking, not of essential union, which has 
nothing to do with his subject, but (presupposing the union worked 
through sanctifying grace received in the substance of the soul, 
which is the source of the infused virtues, such as faith, hope 
and charity, and the gifts of the Holy Spirit) of active actual 
union, after which we can and should strive, so that we may will 
what God wills and abhor what He abhors. Though not the only kind 
of union, it is this which chiefly concerns the soul; and, when 
once this is attained, God readily grants all other mystical 
gifts. Cf. St. Teresa's Interior Castle, V, iii [C.W.S.T.J., II, 
259-60].
[232]  [Lit., 'is clothed with.']
[233]  St. John i, 13.
[234]  St. John iii, 5.
[235]  [Lit., 'wholly perfect and...']
[236]  [Lit., 'to lead... into,' as at the beginning of Sect. 6, 
below.]
[237]  Hebrews xi, 1.
[238]  Romans viii, 24.
[239]  St. Luke xiv, 33.
[240]  Luke xi, 5.
[241]  Isaias vi, 2.
[242]  [Or 'middle.' Cf. Bk. I, chap. ii, above.]
[243]  St. Matthew vii, 14.
[244]  [The Spanish verb, used also at the end of the preceding 
paragraph, is derived from the adjective.]
[245]  St. Mark viii, 34-5.
[246]  [Lit., 'the denial of ourselves to our very selves.']
[247]  [enagenacion, a word which to-day means 'alienation,' 
'rapture,' 'derangement (of mind),' but in Covarrubias' dictionary 
(1611) is also defined as 'giving to another what is one's own.']
[248]  St. John xii, 25.
[249]  St. Matthew xx, 22.
[250]  John xiv, 6.
[251]  St. John x, 9.
[252]  St. Matthew xxvii, 46.
[253]  Psalm lxxii, 22 [A.V., lxxiii, 22].
[254]  [The reference seems to be to Acts xiii, 46, the point of it 
being in the second part of that verse. The Spanish will also bear 
the interpretation: 'for them it behoved first (i.e., before 
others) to speak this word of God, as (being) those whom God set 
up as guides, etc.']
[255]  [By this vivid phrase the author seems to mean: 'whom God held 
to be suitable recipients of it.']
[256]  [Lit., 'unite.']
[257]  Psalm lxxxv, 8 [A.V., lxxxvi, 8].
[258]  Psalm lxxvi, 14 [A.V., lxxvii, 13] [lit., 'in that which is 
holy'].
[259]  Psalm cxxxvii, 6 [A.V., cxxxviii, 6].
[260]  Exodus xxxiii, 20.
[261]  St. John i, 18.
[262]  1 Corinthians ii, 9; Isaias lxiv, 4.
[263]  Acts vii, 32.
[264]  3 Kings [A.V. 1 Kings] xix, 13.
[265]  [Lit., 'feign Him.']
[266]  Isaias xl, 18-19.
[267]  [All authorities read 'form' (or 'figure') here. Cf. n. 7, 
above.]
[268]  [This is the word (fingir, 'feign'), translated above as 
'imitate.' Cf. n. 7, above.]
[269]  Baruch iii, 23.
[270]  [Possibly a further reference to 1 Corinthians ii, 9-10, quoted 
above.]
[271]  Hebrews xi, 6.
[272]  Psalm xvii, 10-12 [A.V., xviii, 9-11].
[273]  3 Kings [A.V., 1 Kings] viii, 12.
[274]  Job xxxviii, 1; xl, 1.
[275]  1 Corinthians xiii, 10.
[276]  Judges viii, 16.
[277]  [Lit., +by itself.+]
[278]  [Lit., 'and blossom.']
[279]  [Lit., 'from the affection and devotion of the sensible 
spirit.']
[280]  [P. Silverio remarks here that] we must understand [as 
frequently elsewhere] 'sensibility' and not sensuality in the 
grosser sense.
[281]  [Lit., 'and sweetnesses in the mouth.']
[282]  E.p.: 'for those of the devil stop at the first movements and 
cannot move the will.' This, no doubt, was the Saint's meaning, 
for the Church teaches that the devil cannot influence the will 
directly, though he may do so indirectly, principally through the 
senses and the imagination.
[283]  St. John of the Cross means that the soul should not rely upon 
its own judgment in such matters but upon some discreet and 
learned director.
[284]  2 Corinthians xi, 14.
[285]  [Lit., 'making it over.'] E.p. has: 'setting it and placing it 
over.'
[286]  [St. Matthew xxv, 21.] 
[287]  [Lit., 'and retired.']
[288]  [The phrase is suggestive of St. Teresa, though the Spanish 
word is not moradas, but mansiones.]
[289]  [Apocalypse xiii, 1.]
[290]  [Apocalypse xiii, 7.]
[291]  [St. Luke xi, 26.]
[292]  [Lit., 'the intimate'; but the superlative idea is clearly 
present.]
[293]  [Lit., 'by fancying.']
[294]  [Lit., 'the level' -- i.e., by contrast with the steep stairs.]
[295]  Acts xvii, 29.
[296]  [The verb, recoger, of which the derived noun is translated 
'recollection,' has more accurately the meaning of 'gather,' 'take 
inwards.']
[297]  [Lit., 'to see that there are many who.']
[298]  E.p. omits: 'and quietness.' The Saint's description of this 
first sign at which a soul should pass from meditation to 
contemplation was denounced as disagreeing with Catholic doctrine, 
particularly the phrase: 'that he can no longer meditate or reason 
with his imagination, neither can take pleasure therein as he was 
wont to do aforetime.' This language, however, is common to 
mystics and theologians, not excluding St. Thomas (2a 2ae, q. 180, 
a. 6) and Suarez (De Oratione, Bk. II, Chap. x), as is proved, 
with eloquence and erudition, by P. Basilio Ponce de Leon and the 
Elucidatio, in their refutations of the Saint's critics. All agree 
that, in the act of contemplation of which St. John of the Cross 
here speaks, the understanding must be stripped of forms and 
species of the imagination and that the reasonings and reflections 
of meditation must be set aside. This is to be understood, both of 
the contemplation that transcends all human methods, and also of 
that which is practised according to these human methods with the 
ordinary aid of grace. But there is this important difference, 
that those who enjoy the first kind of contemplation set aside all 
intellectual reasoning as well as processes of the fancy and the 
imagination, whereas, for the second kind, reasoning prior to the 
act of contemplation is normally necessary, though it ceases at 
the act of contemplation, and there is then substituted for it 
simple and loving intuition of eternal truth. It should be clearly 
understood that this is not of habitual occurrence in the 
contemplative soul, but occurs only during the act of 
contemplation, which is commonly of short duration. St. Teresa 
makes this clear in Chap. xxvii of her Life, and treats this same 
doctrinal question in many other parts of her works--e.g., Life, 
Chaps. x, xii; Way of Perfection, Chap. xxvi; Interior Castle, IV, 
Chap. iii, etc.
[299]  [Lit., 'much.']
[300]  E.p. omits: 'and sense.' Since sense plays so great a part in 
meditation, St. John of the Cross places it in contradistinction 
to contemplation, which, the more nearly it attains perfection, 
becomes the more sublime and spiritual and the more completely 
freed from the bonds of nature. Cf. Elucidatio, Pt. II, Chap. iii, 
p. 180.
[301]  [embelesamiento, a word denoting a pleasurable condition 
somewhere between a reverie and a swoon.]
[302]  [Lit., 'appear to be necessary in order to journey to spirit.']
[303]  Job vi, 6.
[304]  [Cf. the simile of the Waters in St. Teresa, Life, Chap. xi, 
and Interior Castle, IV, ii, iii.]
[305]  [Lit., +booty,' 'prey.']
[306]  [Lit., +the soul keeps in act its spiritual facilities.+]
[307]  [The verb is tropezar en, which may mean either 'stumble upon' 
-- i.e., 'come across (and make use of),' or 'stumble over' -- 
i.e., the forms may be a stumbling-block, or a snare. I think 
there is at least a suggestion of the latter meaning.]
[308]  [Lit., +to the sight of sense.+]
[309]  [Or: 'when it was dependent on time.' Lit., 'acted in time.']
[310]  [Or: 'and independent of time.' Lit., 'without time.']
[311]  E.p. modifies these lines thus: '. . . it has been in pure 
intelligence, which is the brief prayer that is said to pierce the 
heavens. Because it is brief and because the soul is not conscious 
or observant of time.' P. Jose de Jesus Maria comments thus upon 
this passage: +In contemplation the soul withdraws itself from the 
seashore, and entirely loses sight of land, in order to whelm 
itself in that vast sea and impenetrable abyss of the Divine 
Essence; hiding itself in the region of time, it enters within the 
most extensive limits of eternity. For the pure and simple 
intelligence whereinto the soul is brought in this contemplation, 
as was pointed out by the ancient Dionysius (Myst. Theol., Chap. 
ii), and by our own Father, is not subject to time. For, as St. 
Thomas says (Pt. I, q. 118, a. 3, et alibi), the soul is a 
spiritual substance, which is above time and superior to the 
movements of the heavens, to which it is subject only because of 
the body. And therefore it seems that, when the soul withdraws 
from the body, and from all created things, and by means of pure 
intelligence whelms itself in eternal things, it recovers its 
natural dominion and rises above time, if not according to 
substance, at least according to its most perfect being; for the 
noblest and most perfect being of the soul resides rather in its 
acts than in its faculties. Wherefore St. Gregory said (Morals, 
Bk. VIII): "The Saints enter eternity even in this life, beholding 
the eternity of God."' 
[312]  Psalm ci, 8 [A.V. cii, 7].
[313]  [The Spanish pajaro, 'bird,' is derived from passer, 
'sparrow.']
[314]  Canticles vi, 11.
[315]  Canticles v, 2.
[316]  The words which conclude this paragraph in the edition of 1630 
('The sign by which we may know if the soul is occupied in this 
secret intelligence is if it is seen to have no pleasure in 
thinking of aught, whether high or low') are not found either in 
the Codices or in e.p. When St. John of the Cross uses the words 
'cessation,' 'idleness' [ocio, Lat. otium], 'quiet,' 
'annihilation,' 'sleep' (of the faculties), etc., he does not 
mean, as the Illuminists did, that the understanding and will in 
the act of contemplation are so passive as to have lost all their 
force and vitality, and that the contemplative is therefore 
impeccable, although he commit the grossest sins. The soul's vital 
powers, according to St. John of the Cross, are involved even in 
the highest contemplation; the understanding is attentive to God 
and the will is loving Him. They are not working, it is true, in 
the way which is usual and natural with them -- that is, by reason 
and imagination -- but supernaturally, through the unction of the 
Holy Spirit, which they receive passively, without any effort of 
their own. It is in this sense that such words as those quoted 
above ('cessation,' 'idleness,' etc.) are both expressively and 
appropriately used by the Saint, for what is done without labour 
and effort may better be described by images of passivity than by 
those of activity. Further, the soul is unaware that its faculties 
are working in this sublime contemplation, though they undoubtedly 
do work.
     St. John of the Cross, philosopher as well as mystic, would 
not deny the vital and intrinsic activity of the understanding and 
the will in contemplation. His reasoning is supported by P. Jose 
de Jesus Maria (Apologia Mistica de la Contemplacion Divina, Chap. 
ix) [quoted at length by P. Silverio, Obras, etc., Vol. II, p. 
130, note].
[317]  In spite of this promise, the Saint does not return to this 
subject at such length as his language here would suggest.
[318]  [Lit., 'in this loving or peaceful presence,' the original of 
'presence' having also the sense of 'attendance.']
[319]  Psalm xlv, 11 [A.V., xlvi, 10].
[320]  Isaias vi, 4.
[321]  Jeremias i, 11.
[322]  Daniel viii, 10.
[323]  Kings xxii, 11 [A.V., 1 Kings xxii, 11].
[324]  [St. Matthew xxvii, 19.]
[325]  E.p. omits: 'now natural, now supernatural.' The Saint employs 
this last word, in this passage, with the sense of 
'preternatural.' Only God can transcend the bounds of nature, but 
the devil can act in such a way that he appears to be doing so, 
counterfeiting miracles, and so forth.
[326]  [Lit., 'to come within God.'] E.p.: 'to be united with God.'
[327]  Deuteronomy iv, 12.
[328]  Deuteronomy iv, 15.
[329]  Numbers xii, 6-8, [D.V. has 'Mary' for 'Miriam'.]
[330]  [The progressive form is used in the Spanish: 'not to go (or 
'be') leaning upon.']
[331]  [Lit., 'impede the brightness.']
[332]  St. Peter i, 19.
[333]  Romans xiii, 1.
[334]  Wisdom viii, 1.
[335]  [The verb is progressive ('goes (on) instructing').]
[336]  [This verb also is progressive: 'may go (on) making.']
[337]  [Lit., 'mouthfuls of spiritual communication.']
[338]  [All the verbs in the last two clauses are in the progressive 
form.]
[339]  1 Corinthians xiii, 11.
[340]  [Lit., 'I emptied.'] 
[341]  In reality, this instruction is given in Chap. xiii.
[342]  Psalm cxlvii, 17.
[343]  1 Corinthians iii, 1-2.
[344]  St. Matthew xv, 14.
[345]  [Lit., 'if it were of God.']
[346]  Genesis xv, 7.
[347]  Genesis xlvi, 3-4.
[348]  Judges xx, 12 ff.
[349]  [Lit., 'according to the rind.' Cf. bk. II ch. viii, above.]
[350]  2 Corinthians iii, 6.
[351]  Isaias xxviii, 9-11.
[352]   [For 'wait,' we may also read 'hope,' the Spanish word 
(esperar) here used expressing both these ideas.]
[353]  Jeremias iv, 10.
[354]  Jeremias viii, 15.
[355]  Psalm lxxi, 8 [A.V., lxxii, 8].
[356]  Psalm lxxi, 12 [A.V., lxxii, 12.]
[357]  [Lit., 'seeing Him later to be born.']
[358]  [Lit., 'of Christ and of His followers.' The addition is 
necessary to the sense.]
[359]  Acts xiii, 27.
[360]  St. Luke xxiv, 21.
[361]  St. Luke xxiv, 25.
[362]  Acts i, 6.
[363]  St. John xi, 50.
[364]  1 Corinthians ii, 14.
[365]  [Lit., 'free and victorious.']
[366]  Psalm ii, 9.
[367]  Psalm ix, 17 [A.V., x, 18].
[368]  Proverbs x, 24.
[369]  Jonas iii, 4.
[370]  [Lit., 'to promise.']
[371]  3 Kings [A.V., 1 Kings] xxi, 21.
[372]  3 Kings [A.V., 1 Kings] xxi, 27-9.
[373]  St. John xii, 16.
[374]  1 Kings [A.V., 1 Samuel] ii, 30.
[375]  Jonas iii, 4.
[376]  3 Kings [A.V., 1 Kings] xi, 38. [Actually it was to Jeroboam 
that this was said.]
[377]  [Lit., 'on the road of eternity.']
[378]  Ecclestiastes v, 1 [A.V. v, 2].
[379]  Jeremias xx, 7-9.
[380]  Lamentations iii, 47.
[381]  Jonas iv, 2.
[382]  Isaias vii, 12. [The Spanish has 'Achab' for 'Achaz.']
[383]  1 Kings [A.V., 1 Samuel] viii, 7.
[384]  2 Paralipomenon [A.V., 2 Chronicles] xx, 12.
[385]  1 Kings [A.V., 1 Samuel] xxviii, 15.
[386]  Psalm lxxvii, 30-1 [A.V., lxxviii, 30-1].
[387]  Numbers xxii, 32.
[388]  [Lit., 'that come out true.']
[389]  The exact reading in Boetius is: 'Tu quoque si vis lumine claro 
cernere vernum -- Tramite recto carpere callem -- Gaudia pelle -- 
Pelle timorem -- Spemque fugato -- Nec dolor adsit' (Migne, Vol. 
LXXV, p. 122).
[390]  Judith xi, 12.
[391]  Wisdom xi, 17 [A.V., xi, 16].
[392]  Tobias xiv, 13.
[393]  [i.e., any individual.]
[394]  Isaias xix, 14.
[395]  3 Kings [A.V., 1 Kings] xxii, 22.
[396]  Ezechiel xiv, 7-9.
[397]  [Ezechiel xiv, 7.]
[398]  [Lit., 'they serve nevertheless for the greater doctrine and 
clearness of our intention.']
[399]  Isaias xxx, 2.
[400]  Josue ix, 14.
[401]  Hebrews i, 1.
[402]  St. Matthew xvii, 5.
[403]  Colossians ii, 3.
[404]  1 Corinthians ii, 2.
[405]  Colossians ii, 9.
[406]  St. John xix, 30.
[407]  Galatians i, 8.
[408]  [It was to Abiathar that this was said.] 1 Kings [A.V., 1 
Samuel] xxiii, 9.
[409]  Judges vii, 11.
[410]  [Lit., 'and so dark.']
[411]  Exodus iv, 14-15.
[412]  St. Matthew xviii, 20.
[413]  [Lit., 'the things which he has to be of God.']
[414]  [Lit., '... with them, without the Church or...'] 
[415]  Ecclesiasties iv, 10-12.
[416]  [i.e., the penitent and the confessor or director.]
[417]  Galatians ii, 2.
[418]  Exodus xviii, 21-2.
[419]  Galatians ii, 14.
[420]  St. Matthew vii, 22.
[421]  St. Matthew vii, 23.
[422]  [The Spanish phrase equally admits the reading: 'even though 
the soul make.']
[423]  [i.e., into the night of faith: cf. Chap. xxiii, Sect. 4, 
below.]
[424]  It is in Chapter x (and not in viii, as is said in A, B and 
e.p.) that the author treats of these spiritual apprehensions.
[425]  St. Gregory: Dial., Bk. 11, Chap. xxxv. 'Omnis etiam mundus 
velut sub uno solis radio collectus, ante oculos eius adductus 
est.'
[426]  Exodus xxxiii, 20.
[427]  Exodus xx, 19.
[428]  Judges xiii, 22.
[429]  E.p. abbreviates this paragraph thus: 'The other visions, which 
are of incorporeal substances, demand another and a higher 
illumination; and thus these visions of incorporeal substances, 
such as angels and souls, do not occur habitually, nor are they 
proper to this life; still less is that of the Divine Essence, 
which is proper to the Blessed in Heaven, save that it may be 
communicated to a soul fleetingly and as in passing.' The next two 
paragraphs are omitted from e.p. P. Jeronimo de San Jose, in the 
edition of 1630, copies from e.p. the lines given in this note 
above, and then continues: '[save when] God so allows, in spite of 
the condition of our natural life, withdrawing the spirit from it 
occasionally, as happened to the apostle Saint Paul, when he says 
that he saw unspeakable secrets in the third heaven.' The 
adjustments made by P. Salablanca and amplified by P. Jeronimo in 
the rest of the paragraph [cf. notes below] follow the most usual 
scholastic doctrine. Among the Discalced Carmelite writers who 
deal most fully and competently with this doctrine of spiritual 
visions are the authors of the Cursas Theologiae Mysticae, Vol. 
IV, Disp. xx, xxi; Felipe de la Santisima Trinidad: Summa 
Theologiae Mysticae, Pt. II, Tract. III, Disc. iv; Medula Mistica, 
Trat. VI. St. Thomas (I p., q. 88, a. 1) says that we cannot 
quidditative know separated substances.
[430]  2 Corinthians xii, 2.
[431]  Exodus xxxiii, 22.
[432]  This description the Saint probably accomplished, or intended 
to accomplish, in his commentaries on the last five stanzas of the 
Dark Night, which have not come down to us.
[433]  St. Matthew iv, 8.
[434]  E.p.: '. . . by intelligible suggestion.' On this passage, cf. 
Cornelius a Lapide (Commentaria in Matthaeum, Cap. IV) and St. 
Thomas (III p., q. 41, ad. 3).
[435]  [Psalm xxxix, 6: cf. A.V., xl, 5.]
[436]  Psalm xviii, 10-11 [A.V., xix, 9-10].
[437]  Exodus xxxiv, 6-7.
[438]  [Lit., 'Emperor.']
[439]  St. John xiv, 21.
[440]  1 Corinthians xii, 10.
[441]  Wisdom vii, 17-21.
[442]  [Lit., 'of the roundness of the lands.']
[443]  [Lit., 'exposition of words'; the reference is clearly to 1 
Corinthians xii, 8-10.]
[444]  [The original has gratis datas.]
[445]  Proverbs xxvii, 19.
[446]  1 Corinthians ii, 15.
[447]  1 Corinthians ii, 10.
[448]  [Lit., 'in the interior.']
[449]  4 Kings [A.V., 2 Kings] v, 26.
[450]  4 Kings [A.V., 2 Kings] vi, 12.
[451]  Jeremias xlv, 3.
[452]  Galatians i, 8.
[453]  Romans x, 17.
[454]  2 St. Peter i, 19.
[455]  Ecclesiastes vii, 1.
[456]  [Lit., 'certain distinct and formal words.']
[457]  Genesis xxvii, 22.
[458]  [Lit., 'with four maravedis' worth of experience.' The maravedi 
was a small coin, worth 1/375 of a gold ducat, the unit of coinage 
at this time in Castile.]
[459]  [Lit., 'and thus it.']
[460]  This profound and important principle, which has often been 
developed in mystical theology, is well expounded by P. Jose de 
Jesus Maria in a treatise called Reply to a question [Respuesta a 
una duda]. Here, among other things, he says: 'As St. Thomas 
proves (De Veritate, q. 12, a. 6), Divine illumination, like every 
other spiritual form, is communicated to the soul after the manner 
of the receiver of it, whether according to sense or according to 
spirit, to the particular or to the universal. And thus, he that 
receives it must prepare himself for it to be communicated to him 
further, whether in small measure (as we say) or according to 
sense, or in large measure or intellectually.'
[461]  [Canticles vi, 4.]
[462]  [Lit., 'and then throwing it down.']
[463]  [Lit., 'He grants them wrapped up in this.']
[464]  [The verbs used in the Spanish for 'is fitting' and behoves' 
are the same.]
[465]  Romans xii, 3.
[466]  Daniel ix, 22.
[467]  Exodus iii, iv.
[468]  [Lit., 'greater worth.']
[469]  This chapter is notable for the hardly surpassable clarity and 
precisions with which the Saint defines substantial locutions. 
Some critics, however, have found fault with him for saying that 
the soul should not fear these locutions, but accept them humbly 
and passively, since they depend wholly on God. The reply is that, 
when God favours the soul with these locutions, its own restless 
effort can only impede His work in it, as has already been said. 
The soul is truly co-operating with God by preparing itself with 
resignation and humble affection to receive His favours: it should 
not, as some critics have asserted, remain completely inactive. As 
to the fear of being deceived by these locutions, both St. Thomas 
and all the principal commentators are in conformity with the 
Saint's teaching. St. Teresa, too, took the same attitude as St. 
John of the Cross. Cf. her Life, Chap. xxv, and Interior Castle, 
VI, iii.
[470]  Ecclesiastes viii, 4.
[471]  Psalm lxvii, 34 [A.V., lxviii, 33].
[472]  Genesis xvii, 1.
[473]  Jeremias xxiii, 28-9.
[474]  1 Kings [A.V., 1 Samuel] iii, 10.
[475]  A, B: 'and how He wills.' Note that the Saint does not 
deprecate good works, as did the Illuminists [alumbrados], who 
bade the perfect soul set them aside for contemplation, even 
though they were works of obligation. On the contrary, he asserts 
that good works have a definite, though a preparatory, part to 
play in the life of a contemplative.
[476]  Alc. alone has: 'which follows this.' The Saint does not, in 
fact, return to this matter, either in the third book or 
elsewhere.
[477]  [Lit., 'or apprehend by doing, but by receiving.']
[478]  Some editions here add a long paragraph, which, however, is the 
work of P. Jeronimo de San Jose, who was responsible for the 
edition of 1630. It appears neither in the MSS. nor in e.p. It 
runs as follows:
     All the instruction which has been given in this book on 
total abstraction and passive contemplation, wherein, oblivious to 
all created things and detached from images and figures, we allow 
ourselves to be guided by God, dwelling with simple regard upon 
supreme truth, is applicable not only to that act of most perfect 
contemplation, the lofty and wholly supernatural repose of which 
is still prevented by the daughters of Jerusalem (namely, good 
reflections and meditations), if at that time the soul desires 
them, but also to the whole of the time during which Our Lord 
communicates the simple, general and loving attentiveness 
aforementioned, or during which the soul, aided by grace, places 
itself in that state. For at that time the soul must always strive 
to keep its understanding in repose, without the interference of 
other forms, figures or particular kinds of knowledge, save very 
fleetingly and quite superficially; and it must have a loving 
sweetness which will enkindle it ever more. But, except at this 
time, in all its exercises, acts and works, the soul must make use 
of good meditations and remembrances, so as to experience the 
greater devotion and profit, most of all with respect to the life, 
passion and death of Our Lord Jesus Christ, so that its actions, 
practices and life may be made like to His.
[479]  Thus Alc. A, B, e.p. read: 'This suffices to conclude (our 
treatment of) the supernatural apprehensions of the understanding, 
so far as concerns the guidance of the understanding, by their 
means, in faith, to Divine union. And I think that what has been 
said with regard to this suffices, for, no matter what happens to 
the soul with respect to the understanding, instructions and 
cautions concerning it will be found in the sections already 
mentioned. And, if something should happen, apparently so 
different that none of them deals with it (although I think there 
will be nothing relating to the understanding which cannot be 
referred to one of the four kinds of distinct knowledge), 
instructions and cautions concerning it can be deduced from what 
has been said of others similar to it. And with this we will pass 
to the third book, where, with the Divine favour, we shall treat 
of the interior spiritual purgation of the will with regard to its 
interior affections which we here call active night.'
     C, D have: 'From what has been said may be deduced 
instructions and cautions for guidance in whatever may happen to 
the soul with regard to the understanding, even if it seem so 
different that it includes none of the four distinct kinds, 
although I think there will be nothing relating to the 
understanding which cannot be referred to one of them. And so we 
will pass to the third book.'
     The edition of 1630 follows A, B and e.p., and adds further: 
'I therefore beg the discreet reader to read these things in a 
benevolent and simple spirit; for, when this spirit is not 
present, however sublime and perfect be the instruction, it will 
not yield the profit that it contains, nor will it earn the esteem 
that it merits. How much truer is this in the present case, since 
my style is in so many ways deficient!'
[480]  It will be seen from what follows that in practice the Saint 
preserves the strictly tripartite division given in the text 
above, supernatural knowledge being found in each of the sections.
[481]  [St. Matthew vi, 24.]
[482]  1 Corinthians vi, 17.
[483]  P. Jose de Jesus Maria, in his Vida y excelencias de la 
Santisima Virgen Maria (I, xl), quotes this and part of the last 
paragraph from what he claims to be an original MS. of St. John of 
the Cross, but his text varies considerably from that of any MS. 
now known. [P. Silverio considers that this and other similar 
citations are quite untrustworthy.]
[484]  The reference is to the drawing of the Mount of Perfection. Cf. 
The General Introduction, I, above.
[485]  Wisdom vii, 21.
[486]  [Lit., 'which cannot be' (que no puede ser), but this is a 
well-known Spanish hyperbole describing what is extremely 
difficult.]
[487]  E.p. omits all the rest of this paragraph, substituting the 
following passage, which it introduces in order [says P. Silverio] 
to describe the scope of the Saint's teaching, and which is copied 
in the edition of 1630:
     In [treating of] this purgation of the memory, I speak here 
only of the necessary means whereby the memory may place itself 
actively in this night and purgation, as far as lies in its power. 
And these means are that the spiritual man must habitually 
exercise caution, after this manner. Of all the things that he 
sees, hears, smells, tastes or touches he must make no particular 
store in the memory, or pay heed to them, or dwell upon them, but 
must allow them to pass and must remain in holy oblivion without 
reflecting upon them, save when necessary for some good reflection 
or meditation. And this care to forget and forsake knowledge and 
images is never applicable to Christ and His Humanity. For, 
although occasionally, at the height of contemplation and simple 
regard of the Divinity, the soul may not remember this most sacred 
Humanity, because God, with His own hand, has raised the soul to 
this, as it were, confused and most supernatural knowledge, yet it 
is in no wise seemly to study to forget it, since looking and 
meditating lovingly upon it will aid the soul to [attain] all that 
is good, and it is by its means that the soul will most readily 
rise to the most lofty state of union. And it is clear that, 
although other bodily and visible things are a hindrance and ought 
to be forgotten, we must not include among these Him Who became 
man for our salvation, and Who is the truth, the door, the way and 
the guide to all good things. This being assumed, let the soul 
strive after complete abstraction and oblivion, so that, in so far 
as is possible, there may remain in its memory no more knowledge 
or image of created things than though they existed not in the 
world; and let it leave the memory free and disencumbered for God, 
and, as it were, lost in holy oblivion.
[488]  Romans viii, 14.
[489]  [Lit., 'good.']
[490]  Osee ii, 14.
[491]  [Lit., 'whence that may come.']
[492]  1 Kings [A.V., 1 Samuel] iii, 10.
[493]  Canticles iv, 12.
[494]  [St. John xx, 19].
[495]  Isaiah xlviii, 18.
[496]  [Lit., 'to leave things.']
[497]  [Lit., 'he finds nothing to seize upon, and with nothing he can 
do nothing.']
[498]  Psalm lxxii, 8 [A.V., lxxiii, 8]. 
[499]  Wisdom i, 5.
[500]  [Lit., 'for the peace and calm of the same things and 
happenings.']
[501]  Psalm xxxviii, 7 [A.V. xxxix, 6].
[502]  Ecclesiastes iii, 12.
[503]  Lamentations iii, 20.
[504]  Hebrews xi, 1.
[505]  St. Luke xiv, 33.
[506]  Isaias v, 20.
[507]  St. Luke xviii, 11-12.
[508]  [Lit., 'in the heart.']
[509]  [The two verbs, in the original, have very definite and 
concrete meanings, 'sweetened with honey' and 'dazzled by a lamp' 
respectively.]
[510]  Psalm cxxxviii, 11 [A.V., cxxxix, 11].
[511]  Psalm lxxxv, 8 [A.V., lxxxvi, 8].
[512]  St. John i, 18.
[513]  Isaias lxiv, 4.
[514]  Exodus xxxiii, 20.
[515]  1 Thessalonians v, 19.
[516]  Canticles viii, 6.
[517]  More correctly, in Chaps. xvi and xvii.
[518]  [Lit., 'the supernatural.']
[519]  [Lit., 'had given it spirit' (or 'spirituality').]
[520]  [Or 'spirituality.']
[521]  [Or 'the spirit.']
[522]  Habacuc ii, 1. [The original has 'munition' for 'tower' and 
'contemplate' for 'watch and see.']
[523]  Canticles viii, 6.
[524]  [Lit., 'because in the arm is.']
[525]  Really the chapter is the twenty-sixth.
[526]  [The Spanish word, inclita, is stronger than this, meaning 
'distinguished,' 'illustrious.']
[527]  [Lit., 'which is painted.']
[528]  [Lit., 'the painted image.']
[529]  St. James ii, 20.
[530]  Deuteronomy vi, 5.
[531]  Psalm lviii, 10 [A.V., lix, 9].
[532]  [Lit., 'the less strongly will its rejoicing be employed in 
God.']
[533]  [The original is stronger: 'one same thing.']
[534]  Ezechiel i, 5-9.
[535]  Cf. Bk. III, ch. XVI, above.
[536]  [Lit., 'things or blessings.' The word here translated 
'blessings' is bienes, often rendered 'goods.' I use 'blessings' 
or 'good things' in the following chapters, according as best 
suits the context.]
[537]  Ecclesiasticus xi, 10.
[538]  St. Matthew xiii, 22; St. Luke viii, 14.
[539]  [Lit., 'handles them.']
[540]  St. Matthew xix, 23; St. Luke xviii, 24.
[541]  Psalm lxi, 11 [A.V., lxii, 10].
[542]  Ecclesiastes i, 14.
[543]  Ecclesiastes v, 9.
[544]  Ecclesiastes v, 12.
[545]  St. Luke xii, 20.
[546]  Psalm xlviii, 17-18 [A.V., xlix, 16-17].
[547]  St. Matthew xvi, 26.
[548]  2 Kings [A.V. 2 Samuel] xiv, 25.
[549]  St. Matthew xxiii, 15.
[550]  Ecclesiastes ii, 2.
[551]  Ecclesiastes vii, 5.
[552]  Ecclesiastes vii, 4.
[553]  Ecclesiastes vii, 3.
[554]  1 Corinthians vii, 27.
[555]  1 Corinthians vii, 29-30.
[556]  [Lit., 'bring it no profit.']
[557]  [Lit., 'for this is.']
[558]  [Lit., 'that can be told in this case.']
[559]  Deuteronomy xxxii, 15.
[560]  Wisdom iv, 12.
[561]  Exodus xxiii, 8.
[562]  Exodus xxiii, 21-2.
[563]  1 Kings [A.V., 1 Samuel] xii, 3.
[564]  Deuteronomy xxxii, 15.
[565]  Isaiah i, 23.
[566]  Deuteronomy xxxii, 15.
[567]  St. Luke xvi, 8.
[568]  Jeremias ii, 13.
[569]  ['They have passed into the affection of the heart.'] Psalm 
lxxii, 7 [A.V. lxxiii, 7].
[570]  Deuteronomy xxxii, 15.
[571]  Colossians iii, 5.
[572]  Numbers xxii, 7.
[573]  Acts viii, 18-19.
[574]  Ecclesiastes v, 11-12.
[575]  ['He delivered them up to a reprobate sense.'] Romans i, 28.
[576]  Psalm xlviii, 17-18 [A.V., xlix, 16-17].
[577]  St. Luke xvi, 10.
[578]  [The word 'sin' is not in the original of this sentence, which 
reads 'the small . . . the great . . .' etc.]
[579]  Psalm lxi, 11 [A.V., lxii, 10].
[580]  2 Corinthians vi, 10.
[581]  St. Matthew xix, 29.
[582]  St. Luke xii, 20.
[583]  Apocalypse xviii, 7.
[584]  Proverbs xxxi, 30.
[585]  Psalm ci, 27 [A.V., cii, 26-7].
[586]  Ecclesiastes ii, 2.
[587]  Isaias iii, 12.
[588]  [Lit., 'the great.']
[589]  Apocalypse xii, 4.
[590]  Lamentations iv, 1-2.
[591]  Apocalypse xvii, 3-4.
[592]  Daniel ix, 27.
[593]  Judges xvi.
[594]  [Lit., 'since it was through this they fell into the vile 
abysses.']
[595]  Proverbs xxiii, 31-2.
[596]  [Lit., 'free and clear.']
[597]  St. Matthew xvi, 24.
[598]  Psalm lvii, 5 [A.V., lviii, 4-5].
[599]  Wisdom i, 5.
[600]  Isaias lxiv, 4; 1 Corinthians ii, 9.
[601]  [Lit., 'that is not in renunciation . . .']
[602]  St. Luke xvi, 19.
[603]  [Lit., 'to the quantity.']
[604]  [Lit., 'and gain continually.']
[605]  Galatians v, 17.
[606]  1 Corinthians ii, 9, 10, 14.
[607]  St. Matthew xix, 29.
[608]  St. John iii, 6.
[609]  2 Corinthians iv, 17.
[610]  [Lit., politica, the 'political' virtue of Aristotle and St. 
Thomas -- i.e., the 'social,' as opposed to the 'moral,' 
'intellectual' and 'theological' virtues. P. Silverio glosses the 
word as meaning 'good government in the commonweal, courtesy and 
other social virtues.']
[611]  Wisdom vii, 22.
[612]  3 Kings [A.V. 1 Kings] iii, 11-13.
[613]  St. Luke xviii, 11-12.
[614]  St. Luke xviii, 11.
[615]  St. Matthew xxiii, 5.
[616]  St. Matthew vi, 2.
[617]  [Lit., 'are adoring.']
[618]  [Lit., 'to present their alms or that which they do.']
[619]  St. Matthew vi, 2.
[620]  St. Matthew vi, 3.
[621]  Job xxxi, 27-8.
[622]  Ecclesiastes x, 1.
[623]  Micheas vii, 3.
[624]  Job xl, 16 [A.V., xl, 21].
[625]  Jeremias xlix, 16. E.p. adds the translation: 'Thy arrogance 
hath deceived thee.'
[626]  [Lit., 'will not give place to the weight of reason.']
[627]  St. Luke viii, 12.
[628]  St. Matthew v, 3.
[629]  1 Corinthians xii, 9-10.
[630]  1 Corinthians xii, 7.
[631]  [Lit., 'give thanks and gifts to God.']
[632]  [traspasar: lit., 'go over,' 'go through.']
[633]  1 Corinthians xiii, 1-2.
[634]  St. Matthew vii, 22-3.
[635]  St. Luke x, 20.
[636]  Numbers xxii, 22-3.
[637]  St. Luke ix, 54-5.
[638]  Jeremias xxiii, 21.
[639]  Jeremias xxiii, 32.
[640]  Jeremias xxiii, 26.
[641]  [Lit., 'the awful Body.']
[642]  Acts iv, 29-30.
[643]  1 Kings [A.V., 1 Samuel] xxviii, 7, ff.
[644]  'Nec fides habet meritum cui humana ratio praebet 
experimentum.' St. Gregory, Hom. 26 in Evang. (Migne, Vol. LXXVI, 
p. 1,137). 
[645]  [St. Luke xxiv, 6; St. John xx, 2.]
[646]  [Romans x, 17.]
[647]  [St. John xx, 15].
[648]  St. Luke xxiv, 15.
[649]  [St. Luke xxiv, 25-6.]
[650]  St. John xx, 29.
[651]  St. John iv, 48.
[652]  St. Luke x, 20.
[653]  Psalm lxiii, 7 [A.V., lxiv, 6-7].
[654]  Psalm xlv, 11 [A.V., xlvi, 10].
[655]  Psalm lxii, 3 [A.V., lxii, 1-2].
[656]  [Lit., 'thing.']
[657]  [In spite of this promise, the Saint does not return to this 
subject at such length as his language here would suggest.]
[658]  Judges xviii, 22-4.
[659]  Genesis xxxi, 34-7.
[660]  [In this and the next paragraph the Saint is more than usually 
personal in his approach to the reader. The word tu(you) is 
repeated many times, and placed in emphatic positions, in a way 
which cannot be exactly reproduced in English.] 
[661]  [Lit., 'awakens.' Cf. the use of the same metaphor below.]
[662]  St. Luke iv, 24. [Rather St. Matthew xiii, 58 or St. Mark vi, 
5.]
[663]  [Again the Saint begins, repeatedly and emphatically, to employ 
the pronoun tu. Cf. Bk. III, chap. xxxvi, Sect. 7, above.]
[664]  St. Matthew xxi, 9. [Cf. St. Luke xix, 41.]
[665]  Exodus xxxii, 7-28.
[666]  Leviticus x, 1-2.
[667]  St. Matthew xxii, 12-13.
[668]  St. Matthew xv, 8. [Lit., 'they serve Me without cause.']
[669]  [Lit., 'that spin more finely' -- a common Spanish metaphor.]
[670]  [Lit., 'their palate.']
[671]  St. John iv, 23-4.
[672]  1 Corinthians iii, 16.
[673]  St. John iv, 24.
[674]  E.p. omits: 'namely, Saint Simon.' The allusion is, of course, 
to Saint Simon Stylites.
[675]  Genesis xii, 8; xiii, 4.
[676]  Genesis xxviii, 13-19.
[677]  Genesis xvi, 13.
[678]  Exodus xxiv, 12.
[679]  Genesis xxii, 2.
[680]  3 Kings [A.V., 1 Kings] xix, 8.
[681]  With the last word of this chapter, which is also the last word 
of the page in Alc., the copy of P. Juan Evangelista comes to an 
end. The remainder of Alc. comes from another very early copy 
which, in the time of P. Andres, existed at Duruelo (cf. Outline 
of the Life of St.John of the Cross, above).
[682]  St. Matthew vi, 33.
[683]  Psalm cxliv, 18 [A.V., cxlv, 18].
[684]  Psalm cxliv, 19-20 [A.V., cxlv, 19-20].
[685]  2 Paralipomenon [A.V., 2 Chronicles] i, 11-12.
[686]  Genesis xxi, 13.
[687]  St. Luke xi, 1-4.
[688]  St. Luke xviii, 1.
[689]  St. Matthew xxvi, 39.
[690]  St. Matthew vi, 6.
[691]  Judith viii, 11-12.
[692]  Psalm lxvii, 34 [A.V., lxviii, 33].
[693]  Acts xix, 15.
[694]  St. Mark ix, 38-9.
[695]  Romans ii, 21.
[696]  Psalm xlix, 16-17 [A.V., l, 16-17].
[697]  1 Corinthians ii, 1-4.
[698]  E.p. adds: 'End of the Ascent of Mount Carmel.' The treatise 
thus remains incomplete, the chapter on the preacher being 
unfinished and no part of any chapter upon the hearer having come 
down to us. Further, the last two divisions of the four mentioned 
in Chap. xxxv, Sect. 1 are not treated in any of the MSS. or early 
editions.
     The fragments which P. Gerardo [Obras, etc., I, 402-10] added 
to the Ascent, forming two chapters, cannot be considered as a 
continuation of this book. They are in reality a long and 
admirable letter [Letter XI in The Complete Works of St. John of 
the Cross: Vol. III, p. 255], written to a religious, who was one 
of the Saint's spiritual sons, and copied by P. Jeronimo de San 
Jose in his History of St. John of the Cross (Bk. VI, Chap. vii). 
There is not the slightest doubt that the letter which was written 
at Segovia, and is fully dated, is a genuine letter, and not an 
editor's maltreatment of part of a treatise. Only the similarity 
of its subject with that of these last chapters is responsible for 
its having been added to the Ascent. It is hard to see how P. 
Gerardo could have been misled about a matter which is so clear.
     [This question was re-opened, in 1950, by P. Sobrino (see 
Vol. III, p. 240), who adds TG and a codex belonging to the 
Discalced Carmelite Fathers of Madrid to the list of the MSS. 
which give the fragments as part of the Ascent, making six 
authorities in all, against which can be set only the proved and 
admitted reliability of P. Jeronimo de San Jose. P. Sobrino, who 
discusses the matter (Estudios, etc., pp. 166-93) in great detail, 
hazards a plausible and attractive solution, which he reinforces 
with substantial evidence -- that of a 'double redaction.' 
According to this theory, the Saint, in writing to the religious 
of Letter XI, made use, for the substance of his instruction, of 
two fragments which were to have gone into the Ascent. Considering 
how often in his writings he doubled passages, to say nothing of 
whole works, it is quite understandable that he should have 
utilized two unincorporated, and indeed unfinished, passages for a 
private letter.]