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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] |
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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. Jer�nimo de San
Jos�, 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!' |
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