Scala perfecc[i]onis

¶How thrugh gracyous openynge of the ghostly eye a soule is made wyse mekely & sothfastly to see the dyuersyte of degre¦es in holy chirche as traueylynge / And for to see angels kynde and firste of reproued / Caplm xlv· (Book 45)

NEuertheles other ghostly thynges there bē also the whi∣che thrugh lyghte of grace are shewed to the soule. & 〈◊〉〈◊〉 thyse / The kynde of all resonable soules. & the gracyous wo••¦chynge of our lorde Ihū in hem / The kynde of angels bless•••• & reproued & her worchyng: and the knowynge of the bless•••• trynyte after that grace techith / Holy wrytte sayth in the boke of songes of the spouse thus / * 1.1 Surgā & circuibo ciuitatē & que rā quē diligit aīa mea / I shall ryse & I shall goo aboute the cy¦te & I shall seche him that my soule loueth / That is: I shall ry¦se in to highnes of thought & goo aboute the cyte / By this cy¦te is vndstonde the vnyuersyte of all creatures bodily & ghost∣ly

ordeined and ruled vnder god by lawes of kynde of reason & of grace / I goo abowte this cite whan I beholde the kyndes & the causes of bodily creatures· the yeftes of grace & the blys∣sis of ghostly creatures· and in all thise I seche hym that my soule loueth / It is fayre lokynge with the In̄er eye on Ihū in bodily creatures for to see his myghte: his wysdome & his go¦odnes in ordynaūce of her kynde: but it is moche fayrer lokin¦ge on Ihū in ghostly creatures / Fyrste in resonable soules bo∣the chosen & reproued to see the mercyfull callyuge of him to chosen. how he torneth hē fro sin̄e by lyghte of his grace. how he helpeth hem: techeth hem: chastith hem. cōfortith hem. he ry¦ighteth he clenseth he fedeth: how he maketh hem bren̄ing in loue & in lyghte by plente of his grace / And thus dooth he not to one soule on̄ly but to all his chosē after mesure of his gra¦ce / Also of al reproued how ryghtfully he forsakyth hem & le¦ueth hem in her syn̄es & dooth hem no wronge. How he rewar¦deth hem in this worlde suffrynge hem to haue the fulfillyng of her wyll & after to punyssh̄ hem endlesly / Lo this is a lityll beholdynge of holy chyrche whiles it is in traueylyng in this lyfe to seen how blacke & how fowle it semyth in soules that are reproued: how fayr & how louely it is in chosen soules And all this ghostly syʒte is noughte elles but the syghte of Ihū. not in hīselfe but in his mercyfull preuy werkes & in his rightwys domes euery daye shewed & remēbred & renewed to resonable soules / Also ouer this to see wyth the ghostly eye y^e paynes of reproued. & the Ioye & the blysse of chosen soules it is ful comfortable / For sothfastnes maye not be seen in a cle¦ne soule wythoute grete delyte & wondfull softnes of blessyd bren̄ynge loue / Also the syghte of angels kynde: fyrste of dāp¦ned & after that of the blessed / It is a full fayr contemplacōn of the fende in a clene soule whan grace bringeth the fende to the syghte of the soule as a clumsid caytyf bounden wyth the mighte of Ihū that he maye not dere / Then̄e the soule behol¦deth

him not bodily but ghostly seenge his kynde and his ma¦lyce. and torneth hym vp soo downe & spoylleth hym and ren¦teth hym all to nought: scorneth hym & dispyseth him and set¦teth nought by his malyce / Thus biddeth holy wrytte whan it sayth thus / Verte impiū et nō erit / Torne the wycked: that is the fende vp soodowne and he shall be as noughte / * 1.2 Moche wond hath the soule that the fende hath somoche malice and soo lityll myghte / There is noo creature so vnmyghty as he is: and therfor̄ it is a grete cowardnesse that men dreden hym somoche / He maye noo thynge doo wythout leue of our lorde Ihū. not somoche as entre in to a swyne as the gospell sayth Moche lesse maye he doo then̄e to noye ony man / And then̄e yf our lorde Ihū gyue hem leue to tarye vs it is full worthily & mercyfully done that our lorde Ihū doth. and therfore welco¦me be our lorde Ihū by hymself & by all his messengers / The soule dredeth nomore than the blustrynge of the fende than y^e stirynge of a mows / wuder wrothe is the fēde yf he durste say naye. but his mouth his stopped wyth his owne malyce. his hondes are boūden as a theyf worthy to be demid & hanged in helle And then̄e the soule accusyth him & riʒtfully demith him after that he hath deserued / wond not of this sayeng. for sayn¦te poul meaned the same whā he sayd thus / Frēs nescitis qm̄ anglos iudicabim{us} / Brethern wote ye not well that we shal deme angels. that are wicked spirytes thrugh malyce that we¦re made gode angels by kynde / As who sayth yes / This dem••¦ge is fygured before the dome in contemplatyfe soules / For they fele a lityl tasting in lyknes of al y^t shal be done aftward of our lord Ihū opēly in sothfastnes / shamid & shent is y^e fēde gretly in hīself. whā he is th{us} fared with a clene soule. He wol¦de fayn flee away & he may not for y^e myʒte of y^e hiest holdeth him styll: and y^t greuith him more thā al y^e fire of helle. wond mekely fallith y^e soule to ihū then̄e w^t hertly louinges y^t he so myʒtly saueth a symple soule fro al malice of so fell a enmie by his grete merci.

Notes

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• * 1.2

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