CHAPTER III.

TREATS OF THE SAME SUBJECT AND OF THE WAY GOD IS SOMETIMES PLEASED TO SPEAK

TO THE SOUL. HOW WE SHOULD BEHAVE IN SUCH A CASE, IN WHICH WE MUST NOT

FOLLOW OUR OWN OPINION. GIVES SIGNS TO SHOW HOW TO DISCOVER WHETHER THIS

FAVOUR IS A DECEPTION OR NOT: THIS IS VERY NOTEWORTHY.

1. Locutions. 2. Sometimes caused by melancholia. 3. Caution needed at

first. 4. Locutions frequently occur during prayer. 5. Resist those

containing false doctrine. 6. First sign of genuine locutions. 7. Effect of

the words: 'Be not troubled.' 8. 'It is I, be not afraid.' 9. 'Be at

Peace.' 10. Second sign. 11. Third sign. 12. The devil suggests doubts about

true locutions. 13. Confidence of the soul rewarded. 14. Its joy at seeing

God's words verified. 15. Its zeal for God's honour. 16. Locutions coining

from the fancy. 17. Imaginary answers given to prayer. 18. A confessor

should be consulted about locutions. 19. Interior locutions. 20. First sign

of genuine interior locutions. 21. Second sign. 22. Third sign. 23. Fourth

sign. 24. Fifth sign. 25. Results of true locutions. 26. They should remove

alarm. 27. Answer to an objection.

1. GOD arouses the soul in another manner which, though in some ways

apparently a greater favour than the above mentioned, yet may prove more

dangerous, therefore I will give some particulars about it. He does this by

means of words addressed to the soul in many different ways; sometimes they

appear to come from without; at other times from the inner depths of the

soul; or again, from its superior part; while other speeches are so exterior

as to be heard by the ears like a real voice.

2. At times, indeed very often, this may be only a fancy; especially with

persons of a lively imagination or who are afflicted with melancholy to any

marked extent. I think that no attention should be paid to either class of

people when they say they see, hear, or learn anything supernaturally. Do

not disturb them by saying that it comes from the devil, [238] but listen

to them as if they were sick persons. Let the prioress or confessor to whom

they tell their story bid them think no more of it as such matters are not

essential in the service of God: the devil has deceived many Christians

thus, although perhaps it is not so in their case; therefore they need not

trouble themselves about it. Thus we must accomodate ourselves to their

humour: if we tell them their fancies proceed from melancholia, there will

be no end to the matter, for they will persist in maintaining they have seen

and heard these things, for so it seems to them.

3. The truth is, care should be taken to keep such people from too much

prayer and to persuade them, as far as possible, to take no notice of their

fancies: the devil makes use of these weak souls to injure others, even if

they themselves escape unhurt. There is need for caution both with feeble

and strong souls at first, until it is certain from what spirit these things

proceed. I maintain that, in the beginning, it is always wiser to resist

these communications; if they come from God this is the best way to receive

more, for they increase when discouraged. At the same time the soul should

not be too strictly controlled or disquieted, for it cannot help itself in

the matter.

4. To return to discuss the words addressed to the soul: any kind I

mentioned may come either from God, the devil, or the imagination. By the

help of God I will endeavour to describe the signs distinguishing the one

from the other, and when these locutions are dangerous, for they occur to

many persons who praise prayer. I do not wish you to think, sisters, that

there is any harm either in believing or in disregarding them. When they

only console you, or warn you of your faults, it matters not whence they

come or whether they are only fancies.

5. I caution you on one point--although they may come from God, you must not

esteem yourself more highly, for He often spoke to the Pharisees [239] --all

the good consists in profiting by His words. Take no more notice of any

speeches you hear which disagree with the Holy Scriptures than if you heard

them from Satan himself. Though they may only rise from your vivid

imagination, look upon them as a temptation against the faith. Always resist

them; then they will leave you, and cease, for they have little strength of

their own. [240]

6. Now let us return to the first point--whether these communications come

from the inferior or the superior part of the soul, or from without, does

not affect their originating from God.

7. In my opinion these are the most certain signs of their being divine. The

first and truest is the power and authority they carry with them, for these

words are operative. [241] For example: a soul is suffering all the sorrow

and disquiet I have described: the mind is darkened and dry; but it is set

at peace, freed from all trouble and filled with light merely by hearing the

words: 'Be not troubled.' These deliver it from all its pains, although it

felt as though, if the whole world and all its theologians had united in

trying to persuade it there was no cause for grief, it could not, in spite

of all their efforts, have been delivered from its affliction. [242]

8. Again, a person is troubled and greatly terrified at being told by her

confessor and other people that her soul is under the influence of the evil

one: she hears a single sentence which says, 'It is I, be not afraid,' [243]

and is at once freed from all fears and filled with consolation; indeed,

she believes it would be impossible for any one to disturb her confidence.

[244]

9. Again, when exceedingly anxious about important business, not knowing

whether or not it will be successful, on hearing words bidding her 'Be at

peace; all will go well,' she feels reassured and free from all care in the

matter. [245] Many other instances of the same sort could be mentioned.

10. The second sign is a great calm and a devout and peaceful recollection

which dwell in the soul together with a desire to praise God. They say that

communications, at any rate in this mansion, are not uttered direly by God

but are transmitted by an angel. [246] Then, O my God, if a word sent to

us by Thee through Thy messenger has such force, what effects wilt Thou not

leave in the soul united to Thee in a mutual bond of love? [247]

11. The third proof is that these words do not pass from the memory but

remain there for a very long time; sometimes they are never forgotten. This

is not the case with what men may utter, which, however grave and learned

they may be, is not thus impressed on our memory. Neither, if they prophesy

of things to come, do we believe them as we do these divine locutions which

leave us so convinced of their truth that, although their fulfilment

sometimes seems utterly impossible and we vacillate and doubt about them,

there still remains in the soul a certainty of their verity which cannot be

destroyed. Perhaps everything may seem to militate against what was heard

and years pass by, yet the spirit never loses its belief that God will make

use of means unknown to men for the purpose and that finally what was

foretold must surely happen; as indeed it does. [248]

12. Still, as I said, the soul is troubled at seeing many obstacles in the

way of the accomplishment of the prophecy. The words, their effects, and the

assurance they carry with them convinced the soul at the moment that they

came from God. Afterwards, however, doubts arise as to whether the locutions

came from the devil or from the imagination, although while hearing them the

person would have died to defend their truth. [249] But, as I said, these

misgivings must be suggested by the evil one to afflict and intimidate her,

especially if by carrying out a command thus given great good will result to

souls and some work be done conducing notably to the honour and service of

God, concerning which great difficulties have to be overcome. In such cases,

where will Satan stop short? At least, he weakens faith, and it is a

terrible evil to doubt that God has power to work in a way far beyond our

understanding.

13. Despite all these difficulties and although the confessors consulted on

these matters say the words were but fancies, while events take such an

unfavourable turn as to make the realization of these predictions seem

impossible, yet there remains so lively a spark of certainty in the mind (I

know not whence it comes) that, although all other hopes die out, it cannot,

if it would, quench this ardent spark of confidence. At last, as I said, our

Lord's words are accomplished, at which the soul is so satisfied and joyful

that it can do nothing but praise His Majesty--more because it sees His words

prove true than on account of the thing itself, even though it may be of

consequence to the person concerned.

14. I know not why the soul attaches such importance to these communications

being verified. I think that if the person herself were detected in telling

falsehoods, she would not be so grieved as at these locutions proving

untrue--as if she could do anything in the matter beyond repeating what has

been said to her! A certain person was frequently reminded in such a case of

the Prophet Jonas, when he found Ninive was not to be destroyed. [250]

15. In fact, as these words come from the Spirit of God, it is right thus to

trust them and to desire that He Who is supreme truth should not be thought

a deceiver. Justly, therefore, does their hearer rejoice when, after a

thousand delays and enormous difficulties, they are accomplished. Although

this success may entail great suffering on herself, she prefers it to the

nonfulfilment of what she knows our Lord most certainly foretold. Possibly

every one is not so weak as this, if indeed it is a weakness, though I

cannot myself condemn it as an evil.

16. If these locutions proceed from the imagination [251] they show no

such signs, bringing neither conviction, peace, nor interior joy with them.

But in some cases I have come across, on account of a very weak constitution

or vivid imagination or of other causes I do not know, persons while

absorbed in the prayer of quiet and in spiritual slumber are so entirely

carried out of themselves by their deep state of recollection as to be

unconscious of anything external. All their senses being thus dormant, as if

asleep--as indeed, at times they really are--they thus, in a sort of dream,

fancy they are spoken to or see things they imagine come from God, but which

leave no more effect than dreams.

17. Again, one who very lovingly asks something of our Lord may fancy that

an answer comes from Him. [252] This often occurs, but I think that no one

accustomed to receive divine communications could be deceived on this point

by the imagination.

18. The devil's deceptions are more dangerous; but if the foregoing signs

are present, we may feel fairly confident that these locutions are from God,

though not so certain but that, if they refer to some weighty matter in

which we are called upon to act or if they concern a third person, we should

consult some confessor who is both learned and a servant of God, before

attempting or thinking of acting on them, although we may have heard them

repeated several times and are convinced of their truth and divine origin.

[253] His Majesty wishes us to take this course; it is not disobedience to

His commands, for He has bidden us hold our confessor as His representative

even where there is no doubt that the communications come from Him: thus we

shall gain courage if the matter is a very difficult one. Our Lord will

reassure our confessor, whom, when He so chooses, He will inspire with faith

that these locutions are from the Holy Ghost. [254] If not, we are freed

from all further obligations in the matter. I think it would be very

dangerous to act against our confessor's advice and to prefer our own

opinions in such a matter. Therefore, sisters, I admonish you in the name of

our Lord, never to do anything of the sort.

19. God speaks to the soul in another way by a certain intellectual vision

which I think undoubtedly proceeds from Him; it will be described later on.

[255] 8 It takes place far within the innermost depths of the soul which

appears to hear distinctly in a most mysterious manner, with its spiritual

hearing, the words spoken to it by our Lord Himself. The way in which the

spirit perceives these words and the results produced by them, convince us

that they cannot in any way come from the devil. Their powerful aftereffects

force us to admit this and plainly show they do not spring from the

imagination. [256] Careful consideration will assure us of this for the

following reasons;--

20. Firstly, the clearness of the language varies in the different kinds of

locutions. Those that are divine are so distinct that the hearer remembers

if there were a syllable missing, and what words were made use of even

though a whole sentence was spoken. But if the speech were only a freak of

fancy, it would not be so audible nor would the words be so distinct but

would be only half articulated. [257]

21. The second reason is that often the person was not thinking of what is

heard; sometimes the locution even comes unexpectedly during conversation,

though at times it refers to some thought that passed quickly through the

mind or to a subject it was before engaged upon. Frequently it concerns

things of whose existence the hearer knew nothing nor even imagined such

events could ever come to pass; therefore it is impossible for the

imagination to have framed such speeches and deceived the mind by fancies

about what it had never wished, nor sought for, nor even thought about.

[258]

22. The third reason is that in a genuine case the soul seems to listen to

the words, whereas when the imagination is at work, little by little it

composes what the person wishes to hear. [259]

23. The fourth reason is because divine locutions differ immensely from

others, a single word comprising a depth of meaning which our understanding

could not thus quickly condense into one phrase. [260]

24. Fifthly because, in a manner I cannot explain, these communications,

without any further explanations, frequently give us to understand far more

than is implied by the words themselves. I shall speak farther on of this

way of understanding hidden things which is very subtle and a favour for

which we should thank God. Some people are exceedingly suspicious about

these and other communications of the same kind. I speak particularly of

some one [261] who experienced them herself, though there may be others

who cannot understand them. I know that she has considered the subject very

carefully, God having often bestowed this grace on her. Her principal

difficulty was to discover whether the locutions were merely fancied. It is

easier to know when they come from the devil although being so wily, he can

with facility imitate the spirit of light. However, he would do this in a

form of words pronounced so distinctly that there would be no more doubt as

to their reality than if they came from the spirit of truth, while those

coming from the imagination leave us uncertain whether we heard the words or

not. But Satan could never counterfeit the effects I spoke of; [262] he

leaves neither peace nor light in the soul, only anxiety and confusion. In

any case, he can do little or no harm to one who is humble and who, as I

advised, does not act on what is heard.

25. If the soul receives favours and caresses from our Lord, let it examine

carefully whether it rates itself more highly in consequence; unless

self-abasement increases with God's expressions of love, they do not come

from the Holy Spirit. Inevitably, when they are divine, the greater the

favours, the less the soul esteems itself and the more keenly it remembers

its sins. [263] It becomes more oblivious of self-interest: the will and

memory grow more fervent in seeking solely God's honour with no thought of

self. It also becomes unceasingly careful not to deviate deliberately from

the will of God and feels a keener conviction that instead of meriting such

favours, it deserves hell.

26. When these results follow, no graces or gifts received during prayer

need alarm the soul which should rather trust in the mercy of God, Who is

faithful and will not allow the devil to deceive it; but it is always well

to be on one's guard.

27. Those our Lord does not lead by this path may suppose that the soul can

avoid listening to these locutions and that even if they are interior it is

at least possible to distract the attention from them so as not to hear them

and thus escape danger. This cannot be done: I am not speaking of freaks of

fancy which may be prevented by ceasing to desire certain things or by

paying no attention to its inventions. This is not feasible when these

communications come from the Holy Ghost Who, when He speaks, stops all other

thoughts and compels the mind to listen. [264] Mark this: that I believe

it would be easier for a person with very keen ears to avoid hearing a loud

voice, for he could occupy his thoughts and mind in other things. Not so

here; the soul can do nothing, nor has it ears to stop, nor power to think

of aught but what is said to it. For He Who could stay the sun on its course

(at the prayer of Josue, [265] I believe) can so quiet the faculties and

the interior of the spirit as to make it perceive that another and a

stronger Lord than itself governs this castle; it is thus affected with

profound devotion and humility, seeing that it cannot but listen. May the

divine Majesty vouchsafe that, forgetting ourselves, our only aim may be to

please Him, as I said. Amen. God grant I have succeeded in explaining what I

wished and that it may be some guide to those who may experience such

favours.

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[238] Life, ch. xxiii. 114.

[239] Antonius a Sp. S. l.c. tr. iii. n. 323. St. John of the Cross, Ascent

of Mount Carmel, bk. ii. ch. xxvii.

[240] Life, ch. xxv. 13, 18.

[241] Ps. cxlviii. 5: 'Ipse dixit et facta sunt.' Life, ch. xxv. 5. Anton. a

Sp. S. l.c. tr. iii. n. 353. St. John of the Cross, Ascent of Mount Carmel,

bk. ii. ch. i. calls these 'substantial words.'

[242] Life, ch. xxvi. 6; xxx. 17. Rel. i. 26.

[243] St. Luke xxiv. 36.

[244] Life, ch. xxv. 22; xxxiii. 10. Rel. vii. 22. St. John of the Cross,

Ascent of Mount Carmel, bk. ii. ch. i. 1.

[245] Life, ch. v. 7. Rel. ix. 6. St. John of the Cross, Ascent of Mount

Carmel, bk. iii. ch. ii. 7.

[246] Rel. v. 14.

[247] Life, ch. xxv. 23-25. See also Schram, Instit. theol. myst. 528

schol.; 529 schol. ii. and iii.; 5 3 I schol. ii.; 5 32 schol. ii. Exterior

locutions may proceed direct from God, but generally are due to the ministry

of angels; the same holds good with regard to the imaginary ones.

Intellectual locutions, in which the words are merely impressed upon the

substance of the soul without intervention of the imagination, can only

proceed from God, Who alone is able to act upon the substance of the soul.

See also Life, ch. xxvii. 7 (end), 8, 9, and 10, and the corresponding

chapters in St. John's Ascent of Mount Carmel.

[248] Life, ch. xxv. 3, 10. Rel. ii. 17.

[249] Ibid, ch. xxv. 10.

[250] Jonas iv. 1: 'Et afflictus est Jonas afflictione magna et iratus est;

et oravit ad Dominum et dixit: Obsecro, Domine, numquid non hoc est verbum

meum cum adhuc essem in terra mea?'

[251] Life, ch. xxv. 4 (end) and 5 (beginning).

[252] Ibid. ch. xxv. 4 (beginning).

[253] Way of Perf. ch. ix. 6. Life, ch. xxvi. 4, 5. St. John of the

Cross, Ascent of Mount Carmel, bk. ii. ch. xxii. 14-18.

[254] Rel. vii. 15.

[255] Infra, ch. viii.

[256] Life, ch. xxvii, 8.

[257] Life, ch. xxv. 6 and 10 (end).

[258] Ibid. ch. xxv. 9, 16.

[259] Ibid. ch. xxv. 4, 6.

[260] Ibid, ch. xxv. 12 (beginning).

[261] The whole of this chapter as well as chapter xxv. of the Life prove

clearly that the Saint speaks about herself and that she investigated the

subject with the greatest care.

[262] Life, ch. xxv. 15.

[263] Life, ch. xii. 5: 'The nearer we draw unto God the more this virtue

(humility) should grow'; xv. 16; xix. 2; xx. 38. Rel. ii. 15; vii. 17; viii.

7, 9. Way of Perf. ch. xvii. 3.

[264] Life, ch. xxv. 21.

[265] Josue x. 12. 13: 'Tunc locutus est Josue: . . . sol contra Gabaon ne

movearis; steteruntque sol et luna.'

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