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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. |