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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 to 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. |