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A03936
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Scala perfectionis; Scale of perfection. English
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Hilton, Walter, d. 1396.
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1507
(1507)
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STC 14043; ESTC S122296
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217,436
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310
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fared with a clene soule He wolde fayn fle a way he maye not for y e myÈte of y e hiest holdeth hym styll y e greuyth hym more than al the fyre of helle wonder mekely fallith y e soule to IhuÌ„ thenne wyth hertly louinges that he somiÈtly saueth a simple soule fro al malice of so fel a enmye by his grete mercy ¶ How by the same lyghte of grace y e blessed angels kynde maye be seeÌ„ And how IhuÌ„ is god man aboue all creatures after y â— the soule mage see hym here CaplmÌ„ xlvi ANd then after this by the self lyght may the soule see ghostly y e fayrhede of angels y e worthines of hem in kynde the subtylte of hem in substa unce the coÌ„fermynge of hem in grace y e fulnesse of endles blise the souÌ„dryhede of orders the dystynccoÌ„ns of persones how they lyue all in lyght of sothfastnes endles how they breÌ„ne al in loue of the holy ghost after y e worthynes of orders how they see and loue prayse IhuÌ„ in blessyd rest without ceesynge There is no syght of body ne no figure in ymaginacyon in this maner worching but al ghostly of ghostly creatures Then begynneth y e soule to haue grete aqueyntauÌ„ce of y e blessed spirytes a gret felyshyp They are ful teÌ„der ful besy about suche a soule to helpe it They are maysters to teche it often thrugh her ghostly presence towchyng of her lyght dryuen out fantasyes fro y e soule they Illymyn y e soule gâ—acyously they coÌ„fort y e soule by swete wordes sodenly sowned iÌ„ a clene herte And yf ony dysease falle ghostly they seruen the soule mynystre to it al that it nedeth Thus saynt poul said of heÌ„ Nonne oeÌ„s sunt administratorii spÌ„us missi propter eos q hereditateÌ„ capiuÌ„t salutis wote ye not wel y t holy spyrites are minysters sente of IhuÌ„ for hem y t taken y e herytage of helth Thyse are chosen soules as who saith yes For wyte thou wel y t al this gostly worchyng of wordes of reasons brouÈt to y e mynde suche fair lykenes are made bi the mynistery of angels whaÌ„ y e lyght of grace abuÌ„dantly shineth in a clene â—oule It may not be tolde by â—oÌ„ge y e felynges y e lyght nynges y e graces the coÌ„fortes in specyal y e clene soules perceyue thrugh fauourable felyshyp of blessed angels The soule is wel at ease with hem to beholde how they done y t it wolde tende to no thyng elles But thenÌ„e wyth y e helpe of y e angel yet the soule seeth more for knowynge ryseth aboue al this in a clene sowle And y t is to beholde y e blessed kynde of IhuÌ„ Fyrst of his gracyous maÌ„hede how it is hyghed worthily aboue al angels kynde then after of his blessyd godhede For by knowyng of creatures is knowen the creatur then begynneth y e soule to preceyue a lytyl of the preuytees of the blessed trynyte â–ª It maye wel ynough for lyght of grace goth before therfore she shal not erre aslonge as she holdeth her with the lyghte Thenne is it opened sothfastly to y e eye of the soule the onÌ„ly hede in substaunce dystynccoÌ„n of persones in the blessyd trynite as it maye be seen here and moche other sothfastnes of y e blessid trinyte pertynent to this matere the whiche is openly declared shewed by writynge of holy doctours of holy chyrche And wyte thou well y e the same the self sothfastnes of y e blyssyd trinyte y t thise holy doctours Inspyred thrugh grace wryten in her bokes in streÌ„gthing of our trouth a clene soule maye see in knowyng thrugh y e self lyght of grace I wol not expresse tomoche of this mater here specyally for it nedeth not wond grete loue felith y e soule with heueÌ„ly delyte in felyng of this sothfastnes whaÌ„ it is made thrugh specyal grace for loue lyght goth bothe togyder iÌ„ a clene soule There is no loue y t riseth of knowyng and of specyal beholgyng y t maye towche soner oure lorde as this loue maye For why this knowyng is worchiest hyeste in itself onÌ„ly of IhuÌ„ god man yf it be specyally shewed by y e lyght of grace and therfore is y e fyre of loue flaming of this more brenÌ„yng than it is of knowyng of ony creature bodily or ghostly al thise gracyoê° knowynges felyd in a soule of y e vnyuersyte of al creatures in manere before sayd of our lorde IhuÌ„ maker keper of all this fayr vnyuersyte I calle heÌ„ fayr wordes swete spekynges of our lorde IhuÌ„ to a soule y t whiche he wol make his true spouse He shewith preuytees profereth ryche yeftes of his tresour arayeth the soule with heÌ„ ful honestly She nede not be ashamed with y e coÌ„pany of her felâ—wes to apere afterwarde to the face of IhuÌ„ her sponse Al this louely daliaunce of preuy speche bytwyxe Ihesu and a soule maye be called an hidde worde of y t whiche holy wrytte sayth thus Porto ad medcinÌ„i est verbum scondiâ—um et veâ—as susurru percepit auris mea Sothly to me is sayde an hydde worde and the veynes of hys rownynges myn eere hathe perceyued The inspyracyon of Ihesu is an hydde worde For it is preuyly hydde frome all louers of the worlde and shewed to his louers thrugh whiche a clene soule perceyueth redily y e veynes of his rownyng that are specyally shewenges of his sothfastnes for eueryche gracyous knowynge of sothfastnes felt with Inly saudur ghostly delyte is a preuy rownyng of Ihesu in y e ere of a clene soule Hym behoueth to haue moche cleÌ„nes mekenes al other vertues to be halfe deyf to noys of worldly Ianglyng that shold wysely perceyue thise swete ghostly rownynges y t is y e voys of IhuÌ„ Of y t whiche dauyd sayth thus Uox dnÌ„i preparantis ceruos et reuelabit coÌ„ deÌ„sa The voys of our lord ihuÌ„ arayeng hertes he shal shew thycke That is the Inpyracyon of IhuÌ„ makyth soules lyÈt as hertes y t sterten fro therâ—he ouer busshes breres of al worldly vanyte he sheweth to heÌ„ y e thicke y t are his prenites y t may not be perceyued but by sharpe eye Thise beholdinges sothfastly grouÌ„ded in grace iÌ„ meknes maketh a soule wyse breÌ„nyng iÌ„ desyre to y e face of IhuÌ„ Thise are y e ghostly thinges y t I spake of before they beÌ„ called new gracyoê° feliÌ„ges I do but touch heÌ„ a lytyll for wyssinge of y e soule For a soâ—le y t is clene stired by grace to vse of thê werkiÌ„g may se morÌ„ iÌ„ an hour of suche ghostly matere than myghte be wryten in a grete boke ¶ Thys finsshyith this present boke whiche expowneth many notable doctrynes in coÌ„teÌ„placoÌ„n whiche as me semyth
whiche may be called a made trinyte was fulfylled in mynde syght loue of y e vnmade most blessyd trynyte whiche is our lorde This is the dignyte the state the worshyp of a mannes soule by kynde of the fyrst makyng This state thou had in adam before the fyrst synne of man But whan adam synned chesynge loue delyte in hymself in creatures he lost al his worship his dignyte and thou also in hym fel fro y e blessyd trinyte in to a fowle derke wretchyd trinyte that is iÌ„ to the foryetynge of god and vnknowynge of hym and in to a bestly lykynge of hymself And y e skylfully For as dauid layth in the sawter Homo cuÌ„ in honore esset non intellexit coÌ„peratus est iumentis insipientibê et silis factus est illis A maÌ„ whan he was in worshyp he knewe it not And therfore he lost it and was made lyke a best See now then the wretchydnes of thy soule For as the mynde was somtyme stablyd in god ryght so now it hath forgoten hym and sekith his rest in creatures now from one to an nother and neuer may fynde ful reste For he hath loste hym in whom is ful reste And ryght soo it is of reason and the loue also whiche was clene in ghostly sauour swetnes now it is tournyd into a fowle bestly lust lykynge in it self in creatures in flesshly sauours both in the wyttes as in gloteny lechery and in ymagynyng as iÌ„ pryde vaynglory couetise In somoche that thou mayst vnnethes do ony good dede but yf thou be defoyled with vaynglory Ne thou maye not wel vse none of thy .v. wyttes clenly in no creature delectable but yf thy herte be taken eâ—gleymed with a veyne lust lykynge of it whiche putteth out the loue of god fro the hert as in felynge and the ghostly sauour that it may not come therin Euery maÌ„ that lyueth in spyryte knowith wel al this This is the wretchydnes of the soule and the myscheyf for the fyrst synne of man without al other wretchydnes synnes whiche thou hast wylfully put therto And wyte thou well though thou had neuer done synne with thy body dedely ne venyal but oonly this that is called orygynal for it is fyrst synne and that is not elles but lesynge of thy ryghtfulnes whiche thou was made iÌ„ sholde thou neuer haue ben saued yf our lorde IhuÌ„ cryste by his precyous passyon had not delyuerde the restored y e ayen ¶ How euery man may be saued by y e passyon of cryst be he neuer so wretched CaplmÌ„ xliiii ANd therfore yf thou thynke that I haue here before spoken to hye to the. for thou mayst not take it ne fulfylle it as I haue sayd or shal say I wyl now fal downe to the as lowe as thou wyl for my profyte as wel as for thyn Thenne say I thus though thou be neuer somoche a wretche haue thou doo neuer somoche synne forsake thyself all thy werkes good bad crye mercy aske onÌ„â—â— saluacyoÌ„ by vertue of this precyous passyoÌ„ mekely trustly without dout thou shal haue it And for this oryginal syn al other thou shalt he saaf ye thou shal be saaf as an anker incluse not oonly thou but al crysteÌ„ soules whiche trusteÌ„ vpoÌ„ his passioÌ„ meken heÌ„self knowlegyng her wretchydnes askyng mercy foryeuenes y e fruyt of this precyous passyoÌ„ only lowyng heÌ„self to the sacramentes of holy chyrche though it beso y t they haue ben encoÌ„bred with synne al her lyftyme neâ—er had felynge of ghostly â—auour or swetnes or ghostly knowyng of god they shallen iÌ„ this fayth iÌ„ her good wyl by vertue of this precious passion of our lorde IhuÌ„ cryst be saaf come to y e blysse of heueÌ„ Al this knowest thou wel but yet it lyketh me for to say it Se here y â— endles mercy of our lord how low he falleth to y â— to me to al synful caytyfs TheÌ„ aske mercy haue it Thus sayd y â— prophete in y e persone of our lorde OiÌ„s enim quicuÌ„que inuocauerit nomeÌ„ duÌ„i saluê° erit Euery maÌ„ what y t he be y t calleth y e name of god y t is to say askith saluacyoÌ„ by IhuÌ„ his passyoÌ„ he shal be saaf This certesye of our lorde some meÌ„ takeÌ„ wel beÌ„ saued therby some men iÌ„ truste of this mercy this curtesie lyen styl in her syn wene for to haue it whan heÌ„ lust then mow they not for they are taken or they were so they dampne heÌ„self But then sayest thoâ— yf this be soth then wonder I gretly for y t I fynde in some holy mennes bokes Some sayeÌ„ as I vnderstonde y t he y t can not loue this blessyd name IhuÌ„ ne fynde ne fele in it ghostly Ioye delectable with ghostly swetnes in the blysse of heueÌ„ he shal be alyene neuer shal he com therto Sothly thyse wordes whan Ihem red stonyed me made me gretly aferde for I hope as thou sayst y t by y e mercy of our lord shal be saaf by kepyÌ„g of y e coÌ„mauÌ„demeÌ„tes by very repeÌ„tauÌ„ce for her euyl lyuing before done whiche felt neuer gostli swetnes ne inly sauour iÌ„ y e name of ihuÌ„ therfore I merueyl me y e more y t they say contrari herto as it semyth And vnto this I maye saye as me thynketh that her sayenge yf it be well vnderstonde is soth and is not coÌ„trary to that y â— I haue sayd For this name Ihesu is nought elles for to saye vpon englysshe but heler or he le Now euery man y t lyueth in this wretchyd lyfe is ghostly seke For there is no man that lyueth withoute synne whiche is ghostly syknes as saynt IohnÌ„ sayth of hymselfe and of other perfyte men thus Si dixerimus qr pccmÌ„ non habemus ipÌ„i nos ceduci mus eâ— veritas in nobis non est If we saye that we haue no synne we begyle ourself and there is no sothfastnes in vs. And therfore he maye neuer come to the Ioy of heuen vnto he be fyrst made hole of this ghostly sykenes But this ghostly hele may no man haue that hath vse of reason but yf he desyre it loue it and haue delyte therin iÌ„ as moche as he hopyth for to gete it Now y e name of IhuÌ„ is nothynge elles but this ghostly he le Wherfore it is soth y t they say that there may no man be saaf but yf he loue and lyke in the name of Ihesu For there may no man be ghostly hole but yf he loue desyre ghostly helth For ryght as yf a man were bodely seke there were no erthly thynge so dere ne so nedful to hym ne so moche sholde be desyred of hym as bodely helth for though thou woldest yeue hym al the rychesse