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A Handbook of Mystical Theology

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 The heritage of all Western spirituality,
both open and esoteric, and all the systems,
theories, and practices that relate to it, are drawn
from a single source: the Judeao-Christian spiritual
tradition. This tradition has yet deeper roots in the
distinctive religious faiths of the great civilzations of
Egypt, Greece, and Mesopotamia.
At the heart of all these great traditions lies their
ultimate goal: the spiritual regeneration of humanity.
There is more than one Way to its attainment, and it is
the totality of the many paths that lead us back to our pri-
mal source that constitutes the Western Mystery Tradition.
They are encapsulated in the countless texts that enshrine
and reflect the work of the inspired men and women who
have dedicated their lives to preserving, interpreting, and
transmitting this tradition. :
Many of these text have become a part of the canon of
Western literature, but there are many others that have
been unjustly neglected, hidden in times of persecution,
or have simply gone unrecognized. Some record exalted
inner experiences, some are guides to esoteric practice,
while others are speculative studies of esoteric knowl-
edge and spiritual wisdom. All of them have one
feature in common: an inherent power to enrich
us spiritually.
It is from rare printed versions of these
unknown or forgotten texts, and from stud-
ies of them, that the Ibis series of classics
of the Western Mystery Tradition is
drawn.
—The Editors of Ibis Press
 A
Handbook
of
Mystical Theology

G. B. Scaramelli, S. J.

Translated
by
D.H.S. Nicholson

Introduction by
Allan Armstrong

An Imprint of S icolas-Hays, Inc.

Berwick, Maine
This edition published in 2005 by
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 INTRODUCTION
Giovanni Battista Scaramelli was born in Rome in
1687. In 1706, when he was almost 19 years old, he
entered the Society of Jesus, where he remained
for the rest of his life. He died in 1752, at Macerata,
a provincial city of central Italy lying between the
Chienti and the Potenza rivers. Little is known about
his personal life, except what may be inferred from his
written works. What is known is that on becoming a
Jesuit, and presumably after serving his noviciate, he
devoted himself to preaching for the following fifteen
years. Examining what it is to be a Jesuit may help us
understand the character of aman whose entire adult
life was shaped by The Society of Jesus.
‘The Society was founded by the Spanish mystic,
Ignatius of Loyola, in 1540. It is a mendicant order of
what are termed “clerks regular,” which is a body of
priests, organized for apostolic work, that follows a
religious rule and relies on alms for its support. Since
its inception, the Society’s main objective has been
the propagation and strengthening of the Catholic
faith, and the Jesuits’ missionary ambitions were
directed toward non-Christian lands such as India,
Japan, China, and the Americas. Members of the
Society differ from other religious orders in that as
well as taking upon themselves the vows of poverty,
chastity, and obedience, they are bound by a fourth
vow of complete obedience to the will of the pope
in matters spiritual, even unto death. This vow has
ever set them apart from other monastic orders, and
has earned them the reputation of being the “secret
V1 INTRODUCTION
service” of the Roman Catholic Church, and are
generally recognized as being the main instruments
of the Counter-Reformation.
The Society’s constitution, drawn up by Ignatius,
has never been altered. The chief authority is vested
in the superior general,’ who 1s elected for life, and
who invariably resides in Rome. His authority 1s
supreme, although every member of the Society
has the right to a private communication with him.
The order is divided into provinces, each province
governed by a provincial, who 1s appointed by the:
superior general. The provincial is responsible
for the appointment of local superiors, with the
exception of the rectors of colleges, provosts of
professed houses, and masters of novices, who are
appointed by the superior general. Provincials and
rectors of colleges usually hold office for no more
than three years.
Members of the society fall into the following
classes: novices, temporal coadjutors, scholastics,
spiritual coadjutors, and professed fathers. The
novitiate lasts two years, at the end of which novices
take the simple vows of the regulars—chastity, poverty,
and obedience—and join the ranks of the temporal
coadjutors. Those aspiring to the priesthood become
scholastics, remaining in this grade for a further
fifteen years or so, in which time they will complete
their studies, spend a period of time teaching, and
receive their ordination to the priesthood. At the
end of this time the scholastic will complete another
year of spiritual training known as the tertianship,
' Sometimes given the derogatory title of “the Black Pope.”
 INTRODUCTION Vil
after which he will become a spiritual coadjutor. If
he is to become professed he will make his vows of
chastity, poverty, and obedience solemn vows, and
add an additional solemn vow to obey the pope in all
matters spiritual, undertaking to go wherever he may
be sent, without, so it is said, “even requiring money
for the journey.” The “professed of the four vows”
constitute the core of the Society, the other grades
being regarded as probationary and terminable.
_At the heart of the Society lies the Spzntual
Exercises, which were developed by Ignatius of Loyola
himself on the basis of his many years’ experience in
ascetic and mystical endeavor. They were primarily
intended for the Society members’ use, under the
supervision of a spiritual director, and were never
intended for popular use, although today they are
commonly available. Indeed, it 1s a fundamental
part of the novitiate that novices enter into retreat
for a period of thirty days to be guided through the
Spiritual Exercises. This retreat is an important
test of the novices’ vocation as the life and activity
of the Society are built around these exercises, and
are undoubtedly a key factor in forming the Jesuit
character. Consequently, in accordance with the ideals
and concepts presented in the Spiritual Exercises,
the novice is trained in a meditative approach to the
study of the truths and principles of faith, in the
discipline of self-examination, and in the education
and sublimation of personal will, which the novice
offers to the service of God, following the divine
will of Christ as revealed through His appointed
authorities here on earth. This is what is meant by
Vill INTRODUCTION
Jesuit obedience, which is the distinctive virtue of
the Society—respecting authority and complying with
its decisions with the conviction that as best can be
ascertained, such decisions express, for the time, the
will of God.
That he was a Jesuit and committed defender of
the Catholic church is a matter of fact, but Scaramelli
was also a mystic, perhaps less well-known than he
should be, yet still a mystic, whose spiritual life was not
only deeply influenced by the teachings of the Society
of Jesus but also by the teachings of many of the saints
of the Church, such as St. Teresa d’Avila and St. John
of the Cross, who were both influenced by those who
went before: St. John of the Cross was conversant with
the works of the Pseudo-Dionysius and many of the
medieval mystics, and quotes freely from them.
Scaramelli’s written works emerged late in his
life. He wrote five books in all, of which only two were
published in his lifetime.* His most important work,
Il direttorio mistico, was published posthumously at
* Vita di Suor Maria Crocifissa Satellico Monaca francescana nel
monastero di monte Nuovo, was published in Venice, 1750, the
Direttorio ascetico in cui s’ insegna il modo di condurre l’Anime
per vie ordinarie della grazia alla perfezione christiana,
indinzzato ai direttori della Anime was published in Naples,
1752. The Discernimento de’ spiriti per il retto regolamento
delle azione proprie ed altrui Operetta utile specialemente ai
Diretton delle anime, was published posthumously in 1753, as
was I] direttorio mustico indrizato a’ direttori di quelle anime
che Iddio conduce per la via della contemplazione, published
Venice 1754; Dottrina di S. Giovanni della Croce compresa
quali si contiene la ‘Salita del Monte’, nel secondo le ‘Notti
oscue’, nel terzo ‘’Esercizio di Amore’ e la ‘Fiamma di Amor
vivo, published Lucca, 1860.
 INTRODUCTION 1x
Venice in 1754. It is this title of which The Handbook
of Mystical Theology is an abridged translation.
Scaramelli divided The Handbook of Mystical
Theology into five books. In the first book, he
introduces the reader to medieval psychology as
defined in the writings of the Scholastics, particularly
Thomas Aquinas. Itis a psychology that was steadfastly
adhered to by the Catholic church until recent times
and in many ways it still has its supporters. Humanity,
Scaramelli states, is composed of two parts; the
rational part and the physical, or biological, part. The
rational part consists of the intellect, the memory, and
the will, by which we perform spiritual actions. To the
physical part are attributed the exterior and interior
senses, by which we experience life in its various
natural dimensions. Although his physics may now
be redundant, his outline of human experience has
much to offer the spiritual aspirant of today.
He closes the first book by introducing the reader
to the sublime notion that the beginning of mystical
experience is not simply the result of human initiative
but the influx of spiritual power in the form of two
kinds of grace: Sanctifying Grace, by which we receive
the spiritual power to enter upon the spiritual path,
and Actual Grace, which consists of an illumination
of the intellect that motivates the will and arouses
the soul to action, infusing it with the gifts of the
Holy Spirit. In his description of Sanctifying Grace
there can be seen the subtle influence of the Blessed
Jan van Ruysbroeck, who taught that the spiritual
life is not simply a matter of the soul rejecting the
world and turning to God; rather, if it is to succeed
Ke INTRODUCTION

in its spiritual endeavors, then it is essential that the

light of divine grace touch the soul and quicken it.
Ruysbroeck describes this quickening grace as the
“Prevenient Grace” of God, which prepares the soul
for the reception of another higher light of divine
grace—an inward and mysterious working of God
that moves the soul and all its powers.? It is the work
of this grace, a work described by Scaramelli as
“Actual Grace,” that enables the soul to continue in
the spiritual work through developing the virtues of
faith and charity, thereby preparing the soul for the
influx of the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
In the second book, Scaramelli introduces
the reader to the disciplines of meditation and
contemplation, and discusses the relationship
between them. As far as he is concerned, meditation
is a laborious, but necessary discipline of discursive
reasoning that leads the soul to the point where it may
enter into contemplation. He cautions the reader that
it is a grave mistake to attempt contemplation before
the time is ripe, for the attainment of contemplation
must be preceded by meditation. It is not a question
of choice between one and the other but a process of
growth from meditation into contemplation. In this
he echoes the teachings of the Pseudo-Dionysius who
taught that before we can transcend the limitations
of our own nature we must first see it for what it
is: then, and only then, may we set about the task
of transcending it. Furthermore, like Dionysius,

3 See The Adornment of the Spiritual Marriage with The Book

of Truth & The Sparkling Stone, C. A. Wynschenk Dom, trans.
(Berwick, ME: Ibis Press, 2005).
 INTRODUCTION x1

he shows us how, through contemplation, we may

advance from being instinctive creatures whose
understanding is determined by sensory experience,
to being rational creatures whose understanding is
enhanced by the transformative power of the grace of
God and drawn into the indescribable unity that we
intuitively know to be the source, ground, and cause
of all life.
Scaramelli describes meditation as a discipline
that involves directing the faculties of the mind to
the purpose of shaping our nature according to the
will of God. In this he reminds us that the human
soul is created in God’s image; and that image is
the ideal that humanity is seeking to express, for
it is the divine potential that lies at the core of our
nature, and the evolutionary imperative “to be” or “to
become” is the mechanism by which the unfolding of
that divine potential will reach its fullest expression.
Furthermore, he makes a distinction between two
levels or kinds of contemplation. The first he calls
“Acquired Contemplation,” which he points out 1s
acquired through our own efforts; the second he
calls “Infused Contemplation,” which, as the word
“infused” suggests, is the result of a spiritual power
taking over the soul in all of its ways. Both of his
definitions share many points in common, yet there
is an important distinction that separates them. He
illustrates this by drawing upon the teachings of the
Pseudo-Dionysius. He says:

When the contemplation is acquired the affirm-

ation method proceeds by adding attribute
Xi INTRODUCTION
after attribute until the conception is formed,
and the Negative by denying and transcending
one attribute after another. When the con-
templation is infused the process of affirm-
ation is a process of discovery of His per-
fections .. . and the process of negation one
in which the incomparable species of God are
infused, and the soul illuminated by a light
by which it penetrates the unknowableness
of His perfections.*

In this passage he suggests, with a subtlety typical

of his order, that we might benefit by looking to
the Pseudo-Dionysius for inspiration: first, to The
Divine Names for inspiration concerning the path-
way of Affirmation; and second, to The Mystical
Theology for inspiration concerning the pathway
of Negation. In The Mystical Theology, Dionysius
explains that the affirmative method is necessary
for us to grow spiritually. However, if we would know
God, we must surrender ourselves to a higher will,
a will that appears to the mind of the aspirant to be
a vast, inaccessible mystery before which, we must
inevitably, and in all humility, become absolutely still.
Thus Dionysius writes:

. [I]n [my earlier books] the course of

[my] argument, as it came down from the
highest to the lowest categories, embraced an
ever-widening number of conceptions which
increased at each stage of the descent, but in

* See pp. 37-38 in this publication.

 INTRODUCTION Xl
[my argument now] it mounts upward from
below towards the category of transcendence,
and in proportion to its ascent it contracts
terminology, and when the whole ascent is
passed it will be totally dumb, being at last
wholly united with Him Whom words cannot
describe.

Central to Scaramelli’s thinking is the understanding

that contemplation is a divine gift bestowed upon the
soul rather than something that is achieved through
personal effort. He makes a very interesting point
concerning this when he states that the “Operation of
the intellect depends on powers which are distinctly
physical—the species® are transmitted by means of
the external senses. ..”’ In this he is supported to a
greater or lesser degree by many of the great mystics
of the Church who testify that although breaking
through this limiting dependency is essential, it may
be achieved only by the intervention of a spiritual
influx, thus we can never earn contemplation by
our own efforts. Understanding this marks the
difference between those who would command the

> C.E. Rolt, trans. Dionysius the Areopagite on The Divine

Names and The Mystical Theology (Berwick, ME: Ibis Press,
2004), p. 198.
° The theory of species is that each of the exterior senses
is stimulated by a particular quality, which in conjunction
with the exterior senses produces a sensation that is a true
representation of the object concerned. For a fuller definition
see pages 19-20
7 See p. 110 in this publication.
XIV INTRODUCTION

forces of nature to take heaven by storm, and those

who would walk with God. He closes the second book
by posing a question about which is the most perfect
life: the active life, which consists of practicing the
moral virtues and the external work of charity; or the
contemplative life, which consists in retirement from
the world and dedicating one’s life to contemplation?
His answer is not so much surprising as interesting,
particularly when considered in the light of his
education.
In the third book, Scaramelli discusses the
different grades of contemplation. The heart of
human aspiration, he informs us, is expressed
through prayer. In prayer we commune with the
divine without pretence, standing naked, as it were,
in the presence of God. There is nothing we can hide
from that presence because it is the substrate of our
being, thus, in prayer we commune with God and
the more we commune with God the more we turn
within and disentangle our soul from the vexatious
preoccupation with self and become aware of God’s
Presence. Eventually words become meaningless and
prayer becomes more of an attuning of the mind, a
silent engagement with the object of our attention,
which at first is driven by our desire for spiritual
knowledge and experience, but is then overcome,
“infused,” as Scaramelli puts it, by a withdrawal of
our powers into the depths of the soul wherein the
person and glory of God is gradually made manifest
to the soul.
Scaramelli goes on to describe the gradual
spiritualization of the soul as it ascends through
 INTRODUCTION XV

a series of grades toward its perfection. The first

three grades he describes as a process wherein the
soul grows in its awareness of the presence of God.
He describes this experience as a divine invitation
to contemplation, and as such it is infused. This
experience is gradually intensified as the soul becomes
flooded with divine light and love to the point wherein
the will is united to God and the intellect illumined.
In the following grades he discusses the increasingly
intimate relationship between the soul and God. It
is a discussion of love, of the lover, and the beloved
in the way of divine union, which he describes as
various grades of increasing intimacy that ultimately
concludes in the Spiritual Marriage. The influence of
St. Teresa d’Avila is evident throughout this chapter,
particularly her great work The Interior Castle; and
Scaramelli closes by discussing her views on the
nature of the Spiritual Marriage.
The fourth book discusses the nature of certain
experiences that occur during contemplation.
Scaramelli lists them under three headings: visions,
locutions and revelations, which he regards as being
grades of contemplation. However, he warns us that
they are potentially dangerous insofar as they can lead
us into phantasmagoric realms of self-delusion. Both
visions and locutions he divides into three classes:
corporeal, imaginary, and intellectual. Corporeal
visions are those that involve the exterior sense of
sight, and are often unexpected manifestations.
They do not indicate any sign of sanctity on the part
of the recipient and should not be invested with any
great significance. Imaginary visions he describes as
XV1 INTRODUCTION

being connected with the interior sense of fantasy

(the imagination). They are interior representations
of an object, produced in the imagination by means
of species that are either newly combined or infused,
and in either case illumined by a supernatural light
which causes the object to be perceived with a
clarity far greater than possible to physical sight. An
intellectual vision is a one that is connected with the
spiritual faculty of the intellect, and consists of a clear
and certain apprehension of an object by the intellect
without any form or figure being seen. Intellectual.
visions he divides into two classes: indistinct and
distinct. The former consists of visions in which
the perception of the object is absolutely clear and
certain, with no doubt to its identity, yet without any
perception of details. The latter includes visions in
which all the details and qualities are perceived as
clearly as the fact of the vision itself. The intellect,
he states, is a spiritual faculty to which “God alone
has access: the angels, whether good or bad, are
absolutely debarred from entry therein, and illusion
by means of purely intellectual vision is therefore
impossible.”®
Locutions are described as being words by
which God or his saints reveal some truth to the
contemplative. In a corporeal, or auricular locution,
the truth is made known by God Himself, or by
means of angelic intervention; voices are heard in the
physical ears in just the same way as the human voice
is heard. Occasionally, the locution is accompanied by
a corporeal vision in which the speaker of the words
® See p. 130 of this publication.
 INTRODUCTION XVI

is seen with the eyes. Imaginary locutions are formed

in the imagination, and although nothing is heard
with the bodily ears, the message is received in the
mind with a clarity surpassing ordinary speech. The
words are formed by means of species awakened in
the imagination and illuminated with divine light,
so that they are impressed on the Sensitive Appetite
and received by the interior senses in a way similar to
that in which the species is received by the exterior
senses 1n normal conversation. Intellectual locutions
come about in the manner employed by angels for
communication, without any external voice being
heard or any words in the center of the soul. The
species of the concept is impressed upon the
mind, which receives the concept by an act of pure
understanding.
Revelations are in general an unveiling of hidden
truths or amanifestation of divine secrets, by means of
an infused light that imparts absolute certainty of the
truth or secret revealed. The principal characteristic
of a revelation is the infused light by which it is
revealed. It is a light manifest in the intellect, without
which no revelation can be held to occur, even though
all other points should be complied with. Scaramelli
closes the fourth book with a list of the various signs
by which a true revelation may be known.
In the last book, Scaramelli discusses the nature
of purgation and the obstacles that in some degree
will inevitably beset the aspiring contemplative.
He describes the path of spiritual progress as, “a
process in which whatever spiritual sweetness is
met with is gained only at the price of a rigorous
XVIi1 INTRODUCTION

and searching preparation,’’ and progress is

proportionate to the severity of the purgation. He
discusses purgation under three headings: aridity,
diabolical assaults, and troubles arising from natural
causes, be they physical or moral. He defines aridity
as the inability to meditate or engage in the interior
work, and informs us that it is the commencement
of a very dry and painful contemplation, that it is
caused by the transference of the divine light from
the imagination, wherein it bountifully facilitates
the work of meditation, to the intellect, in which.
it facilitates the simple attentiveness to God. This
event, however, passes unnoticed by the aspirant who,
disturbed by what seems to be an inability to function
effectively in meditation, is unable to perceive the
subtle light that has been kindled in the intellect.
He describes diabolical assault as the besieging of
the soul by evil spirits for the purpose of purgation,
and that such assaults; whereby an evil spirit troubles
the soul, invariably consist of obsession rather than
possession. Furthermore, these attacks should, if
possible, be met with contempt and an absolute
surrender and trust in God.
Scaramelli draws the last book to a close with a
discussion about the troubles that arise from natural
causes, which may take many forms, including
illness; loss of friends; loss of income and position;
ill-treatment and persecution from either friends or
enemies. He brings to our attention that the main
purpose of purgation is the purification of the soul
that it might act in complete conformity with the
” See p. 132 of this publication.
 INTRODUCTION XIX

will of God, that the Spiritual Marriage may take

place in the hallowed sanctuary of a purified soul.
For the Spiritual Marriage of the soul with God is
a permanent relationship—the highest attainment
possible in life. It is an objective which at the very least
requires the dedication of one’s whole life; nothing
less will suffice. Furthermore, it is a path that has its
dangers, and, according to Scaramelli, who echoes the
opinions of many other spiritual luminaries, requires
the assistance of a spiritual director well-versed in the
way of experimental mystical theology.
The Handbook of Mystical Theology is not only a
significant contribution to the literature of Christian
spirituality but a valuable aid to any who would further
their knowledge of the mystical life. It retains its
importance to the present day, because Scaramelli
wrote from the personal experience of a lifetime
devoted to the interior life of the soul, enabling his
book to transcend time and ideology. It has the added
benefit of speaking in a simpler language than is usual
in comparable works, making his thoughts readily
accessible to the modern reader.
Scaramelli is undoubtedly one of the great
instructors of the spiritual life, a shining light in the
spiritual aridity of the era of the “Enlightenment”
who—like Dionysius, Ruysbroeck, St. John of the
Cross, and St. Teresa before him—guides the
aspiring soul with the surety of one who has truly
known the Divine Union, and consequently knows of
what he speaks. His work was a seed that slowly grew
until it finally flowered 150 years after his death ina
movement that arose within Catholic Christianity at
29 INTRODUCTION

the dawn of the twentieth century, a movement that

made accessible to souls hungry for the spiritual life
a rich legacy whereby Divine Union and the Spiritual
Marriage could be attained. Not all of the great names
concerned—Butler, Poulain, von Hugel, Evelyn
Underhill, Waite and others—acknowledged their
debt to Scaramelli, but they all built upon foundations
that he had laid. It is well for us to remember that
what we owe to them, we owe also to him.

Allan Armstrong:
Prior of the
Order of Dionysis & Paul
August 2005
 PREFACE
THE vital element in Mysticism does
not fall within the category of subjects
which can be taught by books or com-
municated in the rites of any mystery
in their entirety, for it is essentially
an experience which must be under-
gone by each individual in his own
person, and made his own by each.
Mysticism as a whole comprises, in
effect, a series of attempts made at all
periods of man’s history along two
distinct yet interdependent lines. It
aims, in the first place, at grasping
the truth that lies behind all form,
at getting into touch with the spirit
which is concealed behind the letter
of the word, and at penetrating the
veil of appearance to the reality be-
hind, and in such endeavour lies the
5
6 A HANDBOOK OF

experience which is of its essence. In

the second place, and in direct depend-
ence on the experience, is the attempt
to communicate to those who have
not seen it something of the splendour
of the Divine Light. There can be no
question but that the words of those
who report will be halting and finally
insufficient, for we have no language
for the things of God; but there is no
serious doubt of their being also
sufficient for the purpose of witness-
ing to the great facts of the spiritual
life, and of offering some encourage-
ment to those who aspire to its glories
and its pains. The ultimate experi-
ence, it is evident, can never be
obtained vicariously, but before it is
reached there are many degrees of
preparation wherein the adventures
of forerunners in the same path may
bring both comfort and warning.
Mysticism is obviously not the pre-
rogative of any one church or of any
one school of thought—it is rather the
search for the life which stands behind
 MYSTICAL THEOLOGY 7

and is manifesting through all such

institutions—for there is no monopoly
in the things of the spirit. But just
as there are in the religion of the East
certain characteristics which distin-
guish it from that of the West, so it
has become possible to draw a broad
distinction between the theories and
the methods of eastern and western
mysticism. With those of the East
we are not now concerned; those of
the West have unquestionably been
reduced to whatever degree of order
is possible by the Roman Catholic
Church more effectively than by any
other body. The purpose of the
present abridgment is to give as
concisely as possible the main posi-
tions held by that Church with regard
to certain large questions of the
mystical life, as they are expounded
by one of its authoritative writers.
No comment, favourable or otherwise,
has been made on those positions, for
it is not that works on the subject are
felt to be lacking, but to be generally
8 A HANDBOOK OF

so comprehensive as to be beyond the

resources, both as to time and money,
of a large number of people to whom
the subject is one of vivid interest.
It may very well be questioned
whether classification and analysis of
so elusive matters as mystical states
are possible in any effective sense, and
whether, if they be possible, they are
desirable. There is no doubt that in
Mystical Theology, as in other fields
of enquiry, the business of the enquirer
is chiefly that of deducing general
rules from a large number of particular
instances; but, even mofe than the
ordinary scientist, the enquirer who
takes the life of the spirit for his
province is bound to avoid regarding
those general rules as anything but
the roughest approximations to the
facts of any particular case. The most
accurate and detailed analysis of
mystical states can never do more than
offer, in any individual case, points in
aid of diagnosis—the real judgment
of a spiritual condition will probably
 MYSTICAL THEOLOGY 9

depend just as much on intuition as

in the case of physical medicine.
And yet anything which can aid to
just that extent of providing points of
departure for the real diagnosis is of
unquestionable value in so stupend-
ous yet delicate a matter as that of
spiritual health and progress, for here
the question of right treatment is at
least equally important as in the case
of physical health. A comprehension
of the ways of the spirit, that is, is
important not only for curing the
diseases of the spirit, but also for
keeping it in balance and health, and
an accurate classification of spiritual
states may also serve to decide (where
such a thing is in question) what
degree of mystical progress has been
arrived at in any actual case.
/1 Direttorio Mistico, of which the
following pages are an abridgment,
is the work of a Jesuit Father who
was born at Rome in 1687 and died
at Macerata in 1752. He entered the
Society of Jesus at the age of nineteen,
Io A HANDBOOK OF

and spent some thirty years in active

ministry as a missionary. He was the
author of five works in all, of which
the most important are the two
Directories, // Direttorio Ascetico and //
Direttorio Mistico. The former, which
consists of a treatise on the ordinary
means to Christian perfection as
distinguished from the extraordinary
means of contemplation, was trans-—
lated into English in 1870-1 and
published at Dublin in four volumes.
The latter appeared originally at
Venice in 1754, two years after its
author’s death, and subsequently went
through several editions, and was
translated into Latin, French, German,
Spanish, and Polish, but, it seems,
never into English. The latest edition
in the original Italian appeared in 1900.
In its original form it deals with all
points and stages of the contemplative
life with a great wealth of argument
and example, and also with several
controversial questions, such as
Quietism, of which no mention has
 MYSTICAL THEOLOGY 11

been made in the abridgment, as

being beyond its scope.
One thing should be noticed with
regard to the method of classification
that Scaramelli employed. In addi-
tion to the principal states and stages
of the interior life, he included as
states certain conditions which were
really modes of states rather than
separate states in themselves. Father
Poulain has pointed this out in several
places in his criticisms of Scaramelli’s
classification,! and in some cases
Scaramelli was apparently conscious
of the fact himself. He has, for ex-
ample, treated of the Divine Touches
as if they were a separate state,

1 See The Graces of Interior Prayer, by R. P.

Poulain, S.J., ch. 6. 15, ch. 9. 26, ch. 18. 51, and
the Bibliographical Index, No. 110, where he
speaks of the classification as giving ‘‘ as distinct
degrees, having a fixed place in the mystic ladder,
conditions which are simply manners of being of
the prayer of quiet, as well as of ecstasy (silence,
inebriation, the anguish of love, touches, etc.). It
is true, however, that these graces are received
in a higher measure in the more exalted unions.”
See also ch. 30. 9.
2 \MYSTICAD THECLOGY

making part of the chain leading to

the Spiritual Marriage, and yet he
expressly says that they belong to
the state of union and are part of the
experience of that state. But itis not,
as a matter of fact, difficult, on a little
consideration, to distinguish the states
which are well defined from those
which are in reality more properly
regarded as ways of being of different —
states. Of the eleven which Scara-
melli describes, the grades of Spiritual
Silence, the Intoxication of Love,
Spiritual Sleep, the Thirst of Love
and Divine Touches, as well, I think,
as Ecstasy and Rapture, may be re-
garded as merging into the Prayer of
Recollection, the Prayer of Quiet, the
Simple Union and the perfect and
lasting Union which is the Spiritual
Marriage, as different modes of those
states. These four, together with the
Purgations, remain as definite stages
on the path of the reintegration of the
Spirit of man in the Spirit which is
God. D. H. S. NICHOLSON.
A HANDBOOK OF
MYSTICAL THEOLOGY
AV!
 I
PRELIMINARY
FOR the proper comprehension of Mystical
heology,
Mystical Theology as a whole, it is Experi-
mental and
necessary to distinguish between that Doctrinal.
which is experimental and that which
is doctrinal. Experimental Mystical
Theology is a pure knowledge of God
which the soul receives in the bright
darkness of some high contemplation,
together with so intimate an ex-
perience of love that it is utterly lost
to itself and united and transformed
in God. It thus embraces the actual
experiences of the mystic. Doctrinal
Mystical Theology is, on the other
15
16 A HANDBOOK OF

hand, a science, the business of which

is to examine the above experiences,
and to draw from them what con-
clusions it may with regard to their
essential qualities and effects. It has
further to frame rules for the safe
conduct of those who are already in
a state of contemplation, and for the
help of those who have not yet arrived ©
at such a state. As a science, then,
it is both speculative and practical,
and on its practical side is employed
by the Spiritual Directors without
whom not even the mosf holy con-
templative can progress safely on his
way. The possession of a Director
versed in Experimental Mystical
Theology is absolutely indispensable
at all stages of contemplation, for in
the first place mystical experience
alone does not suffice for spiritual
good conduct or for the best use of
the gifts of contemplation, and in the
second the contemplative is so open
to illusion and self-deception that
some external authority is necessary.
 MYSTICAL THEOLOGY 17

But inasmuch as contemplation is a

free gift of God, it must not be thought
that Doctrinal Mystical Theology pro-
poses any definite instruction which
will inevitably result in contemplation.
Its office is solely that of preparation
for the reception of such a gift, and
the direction of those who have already
received it: as to its ultimate acquisi-
tion, the soul must remain indifferent
in the hands of God, and be content
to receive just so much as may be
given.
To understand the manner in which Psycho-
: c logical
action takes place (including the basis.
actions occurring in the contemplative
state) it is necessary to give a short
account of the theory of psychology
which is contained in the writings of
St Thomas Aquinas and the scholas-
tics generally, and has been stead-
fastly adhered to by the Church,
Man is composed of two parts, viz.,
the rational mind, under which are
grouped intellect, memory, and will,
with which he performs spiritual
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 MYSTICAL THEOLOGY 19

actions, and the physical part, to

which are attributed exterior and
interior senses, by means of which
material actions are performed.
The interior senses attributed to The -
the physical part are treated of first, Pa
and these in their turn are divided
into Cognitive and Appetitive (or cona-
tive). The cognitive senses are the
common sense, imagination, fantasy,
the cogitative sense, and the sensitive
memory; though whether in effect
these are separate faculties or only
one faculty is not of importance for
the present subject. The common
sense is conceived as a power situated
in the brain, to which all the exterior
senses transmit their species of any
object, and by means of these species
the common sense forms the idea of
the object. The theory of species is
that each of the exterior senses is put
into motion by a species impressa, a
quality, that is, which in conjunction
with the exterior sense produces a
sensation. The sensation produced
20 A HANDBOOK OF

is a true representation of the object

contracted by the exterior sense, and
it is this sensation which is trans-
mitted to the common sense and is
called the species expressa, since it
expresses the object in question.!
The common sense, then, is the power
of the cognitive senses which receives
the species expresse, and by their means ©
forms the idea. That function of the
cognitive senses which has the power
of preserving the species received is
called the sensitive memory; that
function of them which, depending on
the memory, forms images like the
original species, is called the imagina-
1 For a discussion on the theory of the species,
see Psychology, by M. Maher, S.J., 1905, pp.
51-4. ‘‘The species is not an entity which has
immigrated into the mind from the object, but a
modification or disposition awakened in the mind
by the action of the object.” ‘‘The species is
not an intermediate representation from which
the mind infers the object, but a psychical
modification by which the mind is likened, or
conformed, to the object and thus determined to
cognize it.” The book contains a full state-
ment of the medieval position with regard to
psychology.
 MYSTICAL THEOLOGY a1

tion; the function which combines

together the species of things which
are not present is called the fantasy,
and the function which judges roughly
of the desirability or undesirability
of anything is called the cogitative
sense.
To the cognitive senses, and as
part therefore of the interior senses, is
linked the sensitive appetite. This is
a faculty which depends on the cogni-
tive senses, and is a power of desire
the object of which is the sensible
good or the sensible evil (as a thing to
be escaped from) which is represented
to it by the imagination or fantasy.
In itself it is blind, and moves blindly
to or from the good or evil things
which are represented to it; in itself
it has no initiative whatever. It is
this which constitutes the lower part
in man, as distinguished from the
higher part of which the motive force
is reason and the light of faith. To
the sensitive appetite are attributed
two faculties by means of which it acts
 22 A HANDBOOK OF

—the concupiscible, which is con-

cerned with sensible good or evil as
things to be sought or avoided, and
the irascible, which is occupied with
the difficulties to be overcome in that
proceeding. These two faculties,
therefore, are very closely connected ;
the irascible faculty is the auxiliary
which provides the force by which the .
concupiscible faculty moves and works.
The actions of the sensitive appetite
are the eleven chief passions: Love,
Hate, Desire, Abomination (the desire
of avoidance), Joy, Sadness, Hope,
Despair, Courage, Fear, and Anger.
Of these, Love, Hate, Desire, Abomina-
tion, Joy, and Sadness are referable to
the concupiscible faculty of the sensi-
tive appetite, inasmuch as they cause
a movement either to or from an
object ;Hope, Despair, Courage, Fear,
and Anger are referred to the irascible
faculty because they provide the force
for such movement.
The The specific characteristic of man is,
Rational
Part. however, the rational part (comprising
 MYSTICAL THEOLOGY 23
the intellect, the memory, and the will),
which is the source of spiritual actions.
For cognition by the intellect to be
possible, it is necessary for it to receive
the species as in the case of the interior
senses, but, inasmuch as the intellect
iS pure spirit, it cannot receive the
species of so gross a thing as a material
object. The aid of the images of the
imagination is therefore called in, and
these images, illuminated by the light
of the intellect, enable the species to
be received. The species Inte/ligibilis
thus produced is sufficient for spiritual
cognition—the images themselves not
being in their original gross condi-
tion, but purged from materiality by
the light of the intellect. The office
of the memory is the preservation of
these species after the immediate
cognition has passed. The will is an
appetitive (conative) power which has
as its object good and evil, and is in
itself blind but free. Of itself it has
no initiative, but (similarly to the
sensitive appetite) is put into motion
24 A HANDBOOK OF

by the cognitions which are received

from the object. It is thus impossible
for the will to be said to love without
any cognition of its object—nihil volitum
guin preecognitum—although in certain
grades of contemplation the cognition
is so spiritual and subtle that it is
scarcely discernible by the intellect.
The point in which the will differs from .
the sensitive appetite is thatthe actions
of the latter occur in conjunction with
some physical change, which may
even be noticed externally, as a sudden
change of colour, whereas.in the case
of the will no such physical change
occurs, but there is simply a move-
ment of the rational power.! The
will properly has command over all
the inferior powers, but since the fall
of man the imagination and the sensi-
tive appetite have shaken off its yoke,
and are rebels against its authority.
: Cf. Psychology, M. Maher, S.J., p. 209. ‘‘Of
conscious appetite the schoolmen recognised two
kinds as essentially distinct—rational and sensi-
tive. The former has its source in intellectual,
the latter in sensuous, apprehension.”
 MYSTICAL THEOLOGY 25

The whole procedure maybe summed Summary.

up in an example. The eye falls on
an object, which transmits to it the
species, by means of which the eye
forms its vision. The species is in
turn transmitted to the common sense,
and that forthwith produces the image
which puts the sensitive appetite in
motion either to or from the object,
according as it appears desirable or
the reverse. The image, in conjunc-
tion with the intellect, produces the
species intelligibilis, and from this re-
sults the cognition, the species of which
is preserved in the memory. Lastly,
the will, according to the desirability
or otherwise of the cognition, agrees
with or resists the impulse of the
appetite.
All the above, however, is quite in- Grace.
sufficient to produce even the lowest
act of supernatural contemplation, for
such acts are far above our natural
powers, and belong properly to the
order of grace. The graces necessary
for the purpose are two: (I) Sanctify-
26 A HANDBOOK OF

ing grace, by which man is given a

new divine being, and raised to the
sonship of God. Consequently upon
the action of this grace man receives
the infused habits of the theological
virtues, which enable him to perform
acts of faith, hope, and charity. The
distinction between an infused and an
acquired habit is that the latter is
produced by resistance and effort;
the former produces an inclination
to the virtues. For putting this in-
clination into action a further grace is
necessary, viz. : (2) Actual grace, which
consists in a supernatural illumination
of the intellect by God, and certain
interior emotions by which He puts
the will into motion. It is pre-
venient inasmuch as it arouses man
to the good, and works in him without
his consent; concomitant inasmuch
as it goes with him and impels him
to consent to the good (this, therefore,
includes man’s own consent); and
subsequent inasmuch as it follows
him so that he may bring the work to
 MYSTICAL THEOLOGY 27

perfection. For any meritorious and

supernatural act, then, this actual
grace is necessary, arousing as it does
the sanctifying grace to action; and
conversely all acts dependent on these
two graces are supernatural. The
application of this to acts of contem-
plation is that they are supernatural
because they consist in acts of faith
and charity, and these virtues proceed
from the infused habits which are
received with the sanctifying grace,
and put into motion by the actual
grace.
One thing further is necessary for TheGifts
contemplation, and that is the influx Spint.
of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. The
seven gifts are: Wisdom, Under-
standing, Knowledge, and Counsel,
belonging to the intellect; and
Strength, Piety, and the Fear of God,
which are referred to the will. In so
far as they are habitual they are re-
ceived with the sanctifying grace, and
produce an inclination towards obedi-
ence to the impulses of the spirit; but
28 MYSTICAL THEOLOGY

for contemplation to be possible they

must be actual—they must actually
move the soul to the extraordinary
and superhuman actions in which
contemplation consists.
 IT
CONTEMPLATION
GENERALLY
IT is not to be supposed that contem- Contempla-
plation, however great its value, is Bu Medite:
necessary means to perfection. The
ordinary means thereto is meditation,
which is the mother of contemplation
in the sense that it prepares the way
with its laborious use of the mind;
while contemplation is the extra-
ordinary means. Both methods pro-
duce the same benefits, but they are
acquired by meditation more slowly
and with more fatigue than by con-
templation: “meditation seeks God
by means of discursive thought, con-
templation possesses Him.” It is the
greatest possible mistake to attempt
to contemplate—deliberately to sus-
pend, that is, the use of the mind—
29
 30 A HANDBOOK OF

before the time is ripe, or to cling to

meditation when there is a definite
call to contemplation. The signs by
which this call may be known are
given by St John of the Cross,} and
are as follows:
The signs | 1. Inability to meditate any more.
for|Seek The use of the interior faculties for
imagination and discursive thought is
felt to be checked, and there is great
difficulty and aridity in thinking about
the subject of meditation. This in
itself, however, is not enough, as it
may be caused by lack of energy or
carelessness.
2. In spite of this inability to medi-
tate on the things of heaven, there is
no desire to turn to the things of the
world. If this desire exist, the in-
ability to meditate is not a sign of
readiness for contemplation. But
this again is not a certain test, as it
may have some merely physical cause.
The supreme criterion is:
3. There must be during prayer a
’ Ascent of Mount Carmel, Bk. 2, ch. 13-14,
 MYSTICAL THEOLOGY 31

certain loving looking to God. It

consists in a turning of the attention
to Him with a feeling of love and
great interior peace, and is really the
beginning of contemplation, caused by
an illumination which is sometimes
so pure that there is no consciousness
of it, but only the realisation of its
effect in the sensation of peace, and an
inclination to virtue.
Nevertheless, it does not follow that,
because a person has been raised to
contemplation, he should give up the
practice of meditation entirely. If, on
any occasion of prayer, the contem-
plative state is not reached, he must
return to meditation without delay or
hesitation.
Mystical contemplation may be de- Definition
fined as an elevation of the mind in plation,
God, or in things which are divine, piderence7
with a simple look of admiration and tation.
love of those things. N.B. It is pre-
cisely in this “simple look” that con-
templation differs from meditation, for
in the latter its place is taken by re-
32 A HANDBOOK OF

peated acts of the intellect and the

imagination, searching for the truth
by means of their activities, whereas
in contemplation these activities are
rendered unnecessary by the simple
look with which the truth is discerned.
The two cases are comparable to the
condition of the audience in a theatre
before and after the raising of the.
curtain; before it is raised they guess
and speculate about the arrangement
of the stage—and this is similar to the
process of meditation; but when the
curtain is up they.see, without further
need of imagination—and this is the
manner of contemplation. The magni-
tude of the truth and the clearness
with which it is seen, render it inevit-
able that the feeling of admiration
should be present ; and so necessary is
this that one authority holds that with-
out such admiration the contemplative
state has not been reached.! That the
look should be also a look of love is
necessary to distinguish contempla-
* Alvarez de Paz, vol. iii., book 5, pt. 2, ch. 1.
 MYSTICAL THEOLOGY 33

tion from the sight of the truth gained

by the philosophers.
With regard to the attainment of
contemplation it must be particularly
remembered
1. That contemplation must be pre-
ceded by meditation, except in very
rare cases.
2. That no deliberate attempt should
be made to reach the contemplative
state, either by emptying the mind of
all thoughts and ideas, or by fixing
the mind or any object without dis-
cursive thought. Contemplation is
the free gift of God.
3. That there is therefore no set
period at the end of which meditation
will pass into contemplation.
Contemplation is divided into (1)
Acquired (or active or natural) and (2)
Infused (or passive or supernatural).
1. Acquired contemplation is that Acquired
which may follow from our own efforts tion
with the help of grace, and especially
with long practice in meditation,
although strictly speaking contem-
3
 34 A HANDBOOK OF
plation is not due to those efforts.
The truth is that this contemplation
iS arrived at very often after a great
effort has been made to adhere to the
virtues, and to meditate deeply, and it
therefore appears to be the result of
those efforts. As a matter of fact,
although it is proportioned to the
progress made in meditation, it is
essentially a free gift.
Infused 2. Infused contemplation is that
tion, Which, although some _ disposition
towards it is presupposed, does not
depend in any way on the efforts
which have been made, but solely on
the will of God.
The two kinds of contemplation
have therefore certain points in
common, viz. :
I. They are both a simple look of
admiration and love to divine things,
although the sight of those things
may be greater or in some way dif-
ferent in infused contemplation.
2. In both of them a certain dis-
position is presupposed, although in
 MYSTICAL THEOLOGY 35

infused contemplation this predisposi-

tion—in respect of purification and
virtue—is the greater.
The differences pees them are Points of
more numerous, viz. between
1. Acquired bitempiation depends
to some extent on our own efforts,
with the help of grace; infused con-
templation depends on grace alone.
2. Acquired contemplation is arrived
at little by little—step by step until the
light shines out from God; infused
contemplation occurs suddenly and
unexpectedly.
3. Acquired contemplation never
occurs out of prayer, on which it de-
pends; infused contemplation often
occurs out of prayer.
4. Acquired contemplation is never
concerned with matters other than
those already in the mind; infused
contemplation often has as its object
some entirely different and unexpected
truth.
5. The feelings of admiration and
love which are felt are much stronger
 36 A HANDBOOK OF

in infused than in acquired contem-

plation.
6. The higher grades of union (e.g.
Ecstasy or Rapture) are never the
result of acquired contemplation.
7. In acquired contemplation it is
always possible to turn away from the
object of it; in infused contemplation
it is impossible of one’s own will to
detach oneself from the object or to
reflect on one’s own acts.
8. Infused contemplation is much
less subject than acquired contempla-
tion to disturbances arising from the
fantasy. | :
Contemplas Both acquired and infused con-
tion PY
tion templation of God may occur in either
tin. =" of two ways, by affirmation, that is,
and by negation. Contemplation by
way of affirmation is contemplation
in which perfections conceivable by
humanity, such as justness, wisdom,
etc., are attributed to God, and a
pure and simple conception of Him is
formed, in which there is no tinge of
imperfection. Contemplation by way
 MYSTICAL THEOLOGY 37
ee
ee ee
of negation is the result of the posi-
tion that the human intellect has no
other species than such as are derived
from the senses, and therefore none
by which the divine perfection can
be expressed. Such perfections as
humanity can conceive are therefore
denied to God, and similar perfections
of a sublimity above our conception
are attributed to Him, with the result
that an abstract but positive and
exalted conception is formed, which
inclines towards indistinctness and
confusion. The former is similar to
the method of a painter producing a
picture by laying on colour after colour,
the latter to that of a sculptor produc-
ing a statue by chipping from the
block of marble all that is unfitting
for his result ; and of the two methods
the latter is preferable, and the one
generally employed in the higher
grades of infused contemplation.
When the contemplation is acquired
the affirmative method proceeds by
adding attribute after attribute until
 38 A HANDBOOK OF
the conception is formed, and the
negative by denying and transcending
one attribute after another. When
the contemplation is infused the
process of affirmation is a process of
discovery of His perfections to the
contemplative by God, and the process
of negation one in which the in-
comparable species of God are infused,
and the soul illuminated by a light
by which it penetrates the unknow-
ableness of His perfections. This
is the Vision in Darkness, by which
the soul is united to God in an ignor-
ance of all things.!
The Co- The question of the co-operation of
operation
of the the fantasy in acts of contemplation
Fantasy in
Contempla- is one which has been the cause
tion,
of considerable disagreement among
theologians, but the true answer as to
whether the fantasy does so co-operate
or not is to be found by making a
distinction between the lower and
higher grades of contemplation. It
has been already shown? that the
1 See further, p. 113. 2 See p. 25.
 MYSTICAL THEOLOGY 39

operation of the intellect depends on

powers which are distinctly physical—
the species are either transmitted by
means of the external senses, or, if
the intellect takes the initiative, the
fantasy follows in its wake. In either
case there is an interaction between
the two faculties, and it is because
of this natural interaction that the
fantasy is conceived to co-operate in
the lower grades of contemplation.
It has to be remembered, however, that
in such contemplations the intellect
does not limit itself to the actual
species before it—it uses them rather as
points of departure for higher thoughts
concerning God. To break down this
interaction a greater force is necessary
than is to be found in the lower grades,
and this takes the form either of a
species intelligibilis which is infused into
the intellect, and is intrinsically super-
natural, or an illumination which ele-
vates to a higher level the species
intelligibilis that has been acquired, and
so renders the fantasy inoperative,
 40 A HANDBOOK OF

Purely ai Thus in the higher grades the con-

Contempla- templation is purely intellectual, with-
out any of that co-operation of the
fantasy inevitable in the lower grades.
The word “co-operation” is to be
understood in the sense that although
the fantasy may precede the in-
tellectual contemplation, as in the case
of the species intelligibilis that has
been acquired, or may follow it with
an attempt to reproduce what is there-
by comprehended, it does not co-
operate effectively in its production.
If the contemplation is purely in-
tellectual the attempt to reproduce
the experience is necessarily in-
adequate: it is in the cases where the
fantasy has effectively co-operated in
producing the contemplation that the
power of reproduction is in any way
commensurate with the experience.
For this reason those contemplations
wherein the intellectual vision of the
truth is the principal one, and the part
of the fantasy is only secondary, are
preferable to purely intellectual visions
 MYSTICAL THEOLOGY 41

on the one hand, and those which

are merely the work of the fantasy on
the other.
Purely intellectual contemplation,
as defined above, is met with, then,
only in the higher grades.! It occurs
without question in the Union of Love,
in the state known as Spiritual Sleep,
in Intellectual Visions and certain
Locutions.?
There are certain essential qualities Essential
of contemplation, as distinct from its Contemipla-
effects, which are always found in
the contemplative state while it is
in actual progress. They are best
grouped under three heads, viz.:
I. Suspension of the mind in God.
This is more than the elevation of the
mind referred to in the definition of
contemplation, inasmuch as it sup-
poses a greater penetration into the
divine things, and a more profound
tranquillity therein. It is in fact a

1 For the classification and analysis of the

grades, see Part III.
2 See Part IV.
 42 A HANDBOOK OF
perfect attention to the divine object
of contemplation, accompanied by
complete forgetfulness of everything
else, and it is the perfection of this
attention which distinguishes con-
templation from meditation, for in the
latter case thoughts extraneous to
the object of meditation are common.
2. An indescribable delight and joy,
which may be confined to the higher
part of the soul, or may overflow to
the lower part and fill the interior
senses with delight. In certain cases
this sweetness reaches as far as the
exterior senses, which receive it under
the form of perfumes and tastes and
music.
3. An interior peace felt in all the
parts of the personality.
Effects of The effects of contemplation, which
Contempla-
tion, are distinguished from its essential
qualities by remaining in the soul
when the contemplative state is over,
will be dealt with in detail in con-
sidering the different grades. They
are included under the heads of
 MYSTICAL THEOLOGY 43

humility, detachment from earthly

things, freedom from shortcomings,
a desire for physical mortification,
strength in suffering, abnegation of
one’s own will and judgment, and love
of one’s neighbour in every form.
Remembering always that man can Predisposi-
never earn contemplation by his own Contempla-
efforts, it is. yet true that there are oS
certain predispositions which facili-
tate its acquisition. These are more
particularly a sincere attempt to attain
to solitude, by which is not meant
fleeing from society, but doing what
has to be done without being immersed
in it, and so leaving the mind free to
commune with God; detachment from
earthly things; purity of heart; ex-
tirpation of passions and vices, and
therefore mortification to the point of
not resenting ill-usage, of feeling no
overpowering pleasure or regret in
the gain or loss of property, and of
not being subject to importunate
thoughts during prayer; and con-
tempt of the honour of the world. In
 44 MYSTICAL THEOLOGY

a word, the perfection of the active

life is the proper preparation for the
contemplative life. The last predis-
position is continual prayer, both
vocal and mental, and the practice of
the presence of God.
Which is Which, then, is the most perfect
the most
Perfect life, the active (which consists in
Life ?
practising the moral virtues and the
external works of charity), the con-
templative (which consists in retire-
ment from all external works, and
consecration to the work of contempla-
tion), or the mixed, which partakes
of both the above, passing from con-
templation to the external works of
charity, and vice versa?
The first is admittedly good, the
second is better, but the last, the
mixed life, is the best of all, for it has
the perfections of both the others.
“To burn in contemplation, and to
communicate to others the light of
one’s inward fire—this is perfection.”
 III
THE GRADES OF
CONTEMPLATION
ALTHOUGH the grades of con- Distinct
templation are in reality infinite, it is tact
customary to classify them under Conbenela:
certain headings for their better com-
prehension. The main division is
between those which are indistinct,
wherein the divine object is re-
presented with a certain luminous
obscurity, and of these the consumma-
tion is mystical union with God, and
those which are distinct, wherein the
object and the truth are seen clearly,
as in the case of visions, locutions, and
revelations. It has to be remembered
that the grades of the former class
are not to be conceived as inevitably
following in the order in which they
45
 46 A HANDBOOK OF

are given, because inasmuch as con-

templation is a gift of God there can
be no absolute rule: all that can be
done is to give the order in which the
grades are found to occur in the
vast majority of cases. The grades of
distinct contemplation, on the other
hand, have no precise order amongst
themselves, nor can they be said to
occur at any particular point of the
procession of grades of indistinct
contemplation. It is for this reason
that they are treated of separately,
in Partly.

Prayer of The first grade is the Prayer of Re-

Infused Re-
collection. collection—infused recollection, that
is, for acquired recollection is not
properly a grade of contemplation,
inasmuch as it is the result of human
effort. Infused recollection isa sudden
calm retreat of all the interior powers
into the depths of the soul, wherein
God manifests Himself to them. It
is brought about by the flooding
of the intellect and the wiil with
 MYSTICAL THEOLOGY 47
light and sweetness, which over-
flow, so to speak, into the interior
senses and hold them united before
God in the inmost places of the soul
where He is manifested. It is the
answer of all the parts of the person-
ality of man to the call of God within,
so that they are concentrated on the
splendour of the indwelling Deity:
it is the result of the sudden intimate
conviction that God really is within.
The effect of this vivid conviction is
so great that the exterior senses are
affected as well; the eyes close natur-
ally, nothing is heard, and the body
is disinclined to move. Infused recol-
lection comes as a rule quite suddenly
and unexpectedly, even when there is
no thought of God; and it must be
remembered that it is more in the
nature of a beginning—a call to con-
templation on the part of God—than
a grade of perfect contemplation it-
self. Meditation, for example, and
the working of the intellect should
not be discarded, for the faculties of
 48 A HANDBOOK OF

the soul! are not suspended, but

rather concentrated on God, and must
therefore continue to act, though very
peacefully. A too great energy of
action would only result in dissipat-
ing the influence and disturbing the
interior peace: to persist in vocal
prayer, for example, when this sudden
concentration on the indwelling God
is felt, would be mistaken zeal. God
is within, and the realisation of this
is the first step in contemplation: the
recipients of the Prayer of infused
Recollection should therefore seek
Him within themselves in prayer.
Its Effects. The effects of this first grade area
greater detachment from the things
of the world, since the soul has had
some experience of the sweetness of
the things of God, and a correspond-
ingly greater love of prayer and
solitude than was felt before, since
these are realised to be the means of
a renewal of that experience.
The faculties of the soul are the intellect, the
memory, and the will. See pp. 18 and 23.
 MYSTICAL THEOLOGY 49

The grade of Spiritual Silence is Spiritual

Silence.
distinct from that of Recollection on
the one hand, and the Prayer of Quiet
on the other. It is in reality an in-
tensification of the Prayer of Recollec-
tion, and is defined as a suspension in
which the faculties of the soul are not
lost, but simply astonished before God.
The light and the love which flooded
the faculties in the preceding grade
are intensified herein, but they are
not yet strong enough to prevent the
intellect and the will detaching them-
selves when they like from the object
of contemplation. While the state
lasts the imagination and the fantasy
do not interrupt with extraneous
thoughts, the intellect and the will
are silent with amazement, and the
sensitive appetite reflects the peace
of those higher faculties. It is like
the absolute stillness of all the parts
of the personality which is experienced
at some sudden and stupendous
view: a moderate emotion demands
expression, but such an overpower-
4
 50 A HANDBOOK OF
ing experience as this is only ade-
quately expressed by silence. And
it may be that in this silence and
great stillness God speaks to the
listening soul. It is undesirable,
therefore, in this state that any
attempt should be made to use the
intellect, for that would only have the
effect of breaking the silence, but
when the state has passed return
should be made to all the activities of
Its Dura- Prayer. The duration of the state,
a without any break, is short—in one
stretch it seldom continues for as long
as half an hour. ©
ItsEffects, Lhe effects of Spiritual Silence are
similar to those of the Prayer of Re-
collection, though intensified.

gheviares The Prayer of Quiet is a rest and

internal sweetness arising in the
depths of the soul, occasionally over-
flowing into the physical faculties and
senses, and caused by the closeness
of the soul to God and the feeling of
His presence. It is distinguished
 MYSTICAL THEOLOGY 51

from Spiritual Silence by the fact that

that state is the result especially of an
illumination of the intellect, while the
Prayer of Quiet arises from an ex-
perimental love (of the will) which
actually feels the presence of God.
This sensation of God present is the
essence of the Prayer of Quiet, and its
immediate effect is a very deep interior
peace welling up from the depths of
the soul and spreading gradually
throughout all the personality. The
best simile is perhaps that suggested
by Saint Teresa, where she likens the
spreading of this peace to the fumes
of a censer penetrating from the centre
to all parts and recesses of the soul;
and the intensity of the feeling is so
great that it seems impossible to
conceive a higher delight or a more
profound peace. In some cases the
sensation is confined to the faculties
of the soul, and in others it spreads
to the physical faculties and senses,
but the Prayer of Quiet may perfectly
well be present without any physical
52 A HANDBOOK OF

sensation at all. Its essence is the

feeling of the presence of God.
In this grade the will is united to
God, but the union is imperfect—it is
united to the presence of God, but not
to His substance, and it is not trans-
formed in Him. From this imperfec-
tion of the union it results that the
will is still capable of certain peaceful
acts of gratitude and humiliation ; in
the case of perfect union no acts at
all are possible. The intellect, the
imagination, and the memory are as
a rule neither united nor suspended,
but free to act, and can reflect on what
is happening within the soul. It is
also possible for them to be concerned
with extraneous objects, so long as
they are not definitely evil, but this
causes great difficulty and disturbance
to the peace of the soul. The advice
is, therefore, that no attention should
be paid to them, but that they should
be left to their own devices, while the
will remains intent on the object of
contemplation.
 MYSTICAL THEOLOGY 53

The duration of the Prayer of Quiet ItsDura-

is said by Saint Teresa to be some--
times as much as several days, during
which time (in the later stages of the
grade) the intellect and imagination
and other faculties can not only be
concerned with exterior works in the
service of God, but are actually helped
in the execution of those services.
The will is fixed throughout on the
end, which is God, while the other
faculties are occupied with His ser-
vice, which is a means to that end; a
suggestive parallel is that of medicine
being taken as a means to the end of
health, where the will is fixed on the
end, while the mind is concerned with
the means. Saint Teresa adds, how-
ever, that while the state is in pro-
gress the faculties are incapable of
attending to anything which is not
the service of God—for entirely mun-
dane affairs there is no capacity what-
ever to act.
The effects of this state are more Its Effects.
particularly :
54 A HANDBOOK OF
1. A feeling of great humility and
comparative worthlessness before so
great a splendour.
2. Adisinterested love of God, which
has for motive neither hope of reward
nor fear of punishment.
3. An immense trust in God, and
some certainty of salvation.
In common with all other grades of
contemplation, the Prayer of Quiet
must not be sought by means of
human effort, but when it is received
discursive thoughts should be aban-
doned so long as it continues, because
the purpose of discursive thought is
precisely that of arousing the will, and
in this case the will is already aroused
by the divine action. The attitude
should rather be one of absolute
abandonment in the hands of God,
standing before Him, as it were, in
complete peace and readiness to do
His will. It should be remembered
that the soul has not yet reached by
any means the state of Perfect Union,
and therefore is still far from its full
 MYSTICAL THEOLOGY 55

degree of strength, and should accord-

ingly be sheltered from occupations
likely to distract it from its term.
Many travel as far as this point, but
few go further, and it is here that the
danger of falling back is greatest.

The grade known as the Intoxication Intoxica-

of Love is of two kinds—imperfect Tore
and perfect.
That which is imperfect is conceded Imperiect.
to beginners who have passed through
neither of the purgations,! and is an
unimaginably sweet love kindled in
the sensitive appetite, and manifested
externally in sudden movements of
the body, and extraordinary and un-
controllable actions. It has all the
marks of physical drunkenness—the
desire to shout and cry and dance and
sing—and is, in a word, a furious
exultation of joy. Although it has its
source in the rational faculties, it is
kindled in the senses, and from the
sensitive appetite extends to the ex-
1 See Part V.
 56 A HANDBOOK OF

terior senses. For this reason it is

far from perfect, although it is the
highest gift that can be received by
a soul which has not undergone
purgation.
Its Effects. Its effects are an even greater de-
tachment from the world and attach-
ment to God, with a corresponding
energy in mortification and _ self-
annihilation. .
A certain moderation in these trans-
ports is desirable, because their excess
may easily cause physical disturb-
ances, such as palpitation of the heart,
which in their turn may result in
inability to pray. An attempt should
be made to restrain the force from
manifesting externally, by an attempt
to receive the communication more
entirely with the intellect, and, if
necessary, by directing the mind on
some other object or by cutting short
the time of prayer.
Perfect. The perfect Intoxication of Love is
only dealt with here for convenience;
it is in reality a very high state which
 MYSTICAL THEOLOGY 57
is only conceded to those who have
been nearly or entirely purified by
purgation. It is a communication in
the spiritual part, of great joy, and if
it overflows into the physical faculties
and senses it is only because of its
great fulness, and not because the
physical effects are in any way of its
essence. It is a high contemplation,
in reality a very exalted form of the
Prayer of Quiet, which causes so
splendid and joyful a love in the soul
that it dies to all earthly things, and
breaks out into the ravings of a
glorious madness. The eccentricities
and disconnectedness are more in the
interior actions than in the exterior,
as is the case with imperfect intoxica-
tion, and Saint Teresa describes the
state as one in which the soul is so
overflowing with joy that it simply
does not know what it is doing, or
whether it should talk or be silent, or
laugh or cry. The faculties of the
soul are neither bound nor free: not
the former, for the state is not yet
 58 A HANDBOOK OF

that of Union (wherein the faculties

are wholly bound) although it is very
near it, and not the latter, for the
faculties have the capacity of con-
cerning themselves with things other
than God, though they do not do
Its Dura- SO. The state may last one or more
days, though during this time it
will not be at the same level of
vividness.
Its Effects, Besides the effects of detachment,
etc., common to the grades already
described, and intensified in the
present grade, there is also an impulse
to break out into shouts oftremendous
praise of God, and a very fervent
desire to suffer for Him. There is an
almost incredible strength to work
for the divine ends, and very often an
unexpected ability to give a metrical
expression to the emotions.
The Spark What is known as the Spark of
ews Love is regarded as a less perfect
example of perfect Intoxication, its
effects being almost exactly the same,
though its duration is less.
 MYSTICAL THEOLOGY 59

There are also two varieties of Spiritual

Spiritual Sleep, of which the first is First
ety.

the result of the perfect Intoxication

just described. It consists in a very
fervent love, in which the will lets all
cognition go, and abandons itself to
sleep in the arms of the Beloved.
The exterior senses and the very soul
are also asleep, the only faculty that
remains slightly conscious being the
intellect, and this only to the extent
necessary to provide the degree of
cognition without which love is im-
possible. The faculties are in effect
not fully suspended, but there is no
consciousness of the manner of their
operation. It is perhaps best ex-
pressed by the words of the Song of
Solomon, ‘I sleep, but my heart
waketh.” The effects are similar to
those of perfect Intoxication.
The second variety is produced by Second
a flooding of the soul with light, pee:
which results in a complete oblivion
wherein there is no capacity to reflect
on any acts which are performed, and
 60 A HANDBOOK OF

after which there is no kind of memory

of what has occurred. The character-
istics of the state are that the fantasy
and the memory are inoperative, and
the relation with God is so delicate
that it is not perceived by the intellect
or the will. Without these character-
istics it is evident that some memory.
of the state would remain after its
conclusion, whereas in effect several
hours may pass in a flash, and leave
no idea either of themselves or of
their occupation. . ‘
Its Effects. The occurrence of thé state can,
therefore, only be recognised by the
effects which follow it, and these are
in particular a recollection and eleva-
tion of the mind to God, accompanied
by a great measure of detachment
from the world and from all forms and
imaginary figures, and the feeling of a
great peace within. The chief point
of difference between the two varieties
of Spiritual Sleep is that there is a
glimmer of consciousness left in the
first, which is strictly more compar-
 MYSTICAL THEOLOGY 61

able to sleepiness than actual sleep,

and no consciousness whatever in
the second; and it is this complete
oblivion which distinguishes it also
from Ecstasy, where the senses are
equally lost, but the ability to notice
and remember are retained.
The second kind of Spiritual Sleep
is very close to the Mystical Union of
Love, and so not generally conceded
till considerable progress has been
made in contemplation.

The Thirst of Love is the name Thirst of

given to that passionate desire for ~~
God which is the result of some ex-
perience of Him and a great love for
Him, but when He is not yet possessed,
in the sense of the Spiritual Marriage.
The name is applied especially to this
desire when it is experienced by souls
which have been partly or almost
entirely purified in the purgations.
It may occur, however, at any point
less than the Spiritual Marriage, so
that the name is also applicable to the
62 A HANDBOOK OF

desire when it is experienced before

any purgation has been undergone.
The three necessary constituents of
the state are, therefore, that some
purgation has been undergone (when
the thirst is present in one of the
higher stages), that some experience
of God and the beauty of God has been
had, and that during the state some
cognition of God is received by the
intellect. It is essentially a condition
of unsatisfied desire, and therefore
may return intermittently until the
desire is finally satisfied in God. In
strictness the name of Thirst is given
only when the desire is continuous
and steady : when it is a desire which
passes and is gone it is more properly
called “‘ Anxiety of Love.”
Inasmuch as the state may be ex-
perienced by people at very different
stages of progress, it has to be
remembered that the manner of the
Thirst will differ accordingly. In the
earlier stages it is accompanied by
considerable perturbation and dis-
 MYSTICAL THEOLOGY 63

comfort, which in the higher stages

is increased to an almost intolerable
pitch of desire, so that it becomes
visible in the physical appearance.
As in the case of the imperfect In-
toxication of Love, some degree of
moderation of the Thirst of Love
is desirable when it is present in
the lower degrees, and an effort
should be made to attain a more
interior recollection, and if necessary
the subject of contemplation should
be changed. The natural inclination
to proceed to extremities of pen-
ance at this time should also be
restrained.
The principal effect of this great Its Effect,
desire is to render the soul more
apt for the reception of divine com-
munications.

The Divine Touches belong in Divine

reality to the state of Union, and are me
only given to those who have arrived
at that state. They consist of a real
but entirely spiritual sensation of God
 64 A HANDBOOK OF
in the inmost spiritual part, and of
the joy of Him, and are evidence of
the proximity which characterises the
Union. They occur as a rule unex-
pectedly, very often during conversa-
tion, and may be either momentary
and very distinct, or more enduring
and less clear. It is not possible to
describe the sensation which has:
been experienced, when the moment
Their has passed. Theeffect isan enormous
Effect,
increase of ability and force, which
tends to manifest in an active desire
to suffer martyrdom for. God. The
tests for the genuineness of the
Touches are therefore: whether the
state of Union has been reached;
whether the Touches are essentially
spiritual, any physical effect being the
result of a mere superfluity; and
whether the above effects are present.
There should be no activity during
this state—the desirable attitude is
one of passivity and reception, so
that the divine communication may
not be interrupted.
 MYSTICAL THEOLOGY 65

The state of Mystical Union is Mystical

the highest degree of contemplation Geman
possible in this life, and is therefore
the end towards which all the pre-
ceding grades of contemplation are
directed, and in which they are all
perfected. Mystical Union must not
be confounded with the union of God
with the soul which is the result of
sanctifying grace, for that union is
dependent on turning from sin to God
and not at all on meditation or con-
templation, while Mystical Union is
never independent of contemplation.
The Union does not imply a fusion or
transformation as to substance, or a
transmutation of essence in the being
of God, but consists in acts of cogni-
tion and love by means of which the
soul is stripped of itself and its own
attachments, and is clothed in God
and the attachment of God. The Definition.
precise definition of it is that it
consists in an experimental love of
God which is so intimate and close
that the soul loses itself utterly in
5
66 A HANDBOOK OF

Him; this losing itself meaning here

that it loses all feeling and conscious-
ness of itself and its acts, and is aware
of nothing but God dwelling within it.
It is this loss of the self in God—this
cessation of separateness—this trans-
formation into God by love—that is
the special mark and the criterion of
Mystical Union, for the experimental
love of Him may be common to the
grades which come before it. The
simile of this loss of the consciousness
of the self suggested by Richard of
St Victor is that of a piece of iron
thrown into a very hot fire. It loses
by degrees its qualities of blackness
and hardness and coldness, and takes
on other qualities, which are in effect
those of fire. The fact is that it is
still iron, but it can easily be conceived
as imagining itself to be the fire whose
qualities ithastaken. This is exactly
the case with the soul in the state of
Union, which, as St John of the Cross
says, “thinks it is God, whereas it is
merely a creature.”
 MYSTICAL THEOLOGY 67

Disregarding for a moment more

the grades of Union, and still treating
it generally, it is possible to say that
when the soul is united perfectly to
God its faculties are in a state of sus-
pension. This amounts to the memory
being so immovably fixed in God that
any external species is unable to dis-
tufb it: the fantasy being, as it were,
blinded with the great light that
shines from God, and unable on its
own part to derange the divine action,
the intellect being so fixed on God
that it can reflect neither on itself nor
its actions nor on anything else what-
ever; and the will effectively lost to
itself and changed into God. This
complete suspension of all the
faculties does not last long without
intermission, though the suspension
of the will be continuous, but if the
total suspension has been interrupted
for a time it may often be recom-
menced.
In spite of the splendour of the
Union, it must be remembered that it
 68 A HANDBOOK OF

is not necessary to perfection, for the

essence of perfection is simply con-
formity to the will of God, which is
attainable without passing by the way
of Mystical Union. This position is
rendered necessary by the church’s
teaching that all states of contempla-
tion are the free gifts of God: the
value of the gift of Union is that it.
promotes with peculiar efficacy pre-
cisely this conformity.

The Union cannot, however, be

treated effectively as an. indivisible
whole, for it comprises various grades
whose characteristics and variations
of intensity must be examined
separately. The first of these is the
The Simple Simple Union of Love, which is the
Love. beginning of the spiritual espousals.
In it the faculties are in a state of
suspension and are unconscious of
their action: the fantasy is, as it were,
asleep, the intellect can neither occupy
itself withextraneous objectsnorreflect
on its own acts, and the will is lost to
 MYSTICAL THEOLOGY 69

itself and clothedin God: This loss of

the will, however, is not the absolute
loss of the Beatific Vision, for sufficient
freedom is retained to enable it to
suspend the act of love.! With regard
to the faculties, then, the state is
literally that in which it can be said
“T live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in
me:” The exterior senses, however,
are not entirely lost, as occurs in
Ecstasy or Rapture, but as no help
is forthcoming from the _ interior
faculties, there is no comprehension of
any thing seen or heard. A letter or
a word, for example, may be seen, but
it conveys nothing whatever to the
mind. There is a similar inability to
speak or control the movements of the
1 The text of this passage is as follows: ‘‘ It
must be noticed that although in this elevation
of the mind the will is not free quoad speciem
actus (to use the language of the schools), it is
free guoad exercitium actus ; because, inasmuch
as it is not irresistibly rapt in God (as occurs only
in the Beatific Vision), it can suspend the act of
love by its physical power ; and this suffices both
for liberty and merit.” Tratt. 3, cap. 17, sec.
160.
 70 A HANDBOOK OF

body, the explanation being that all

the force is concentrated within, and
the channels of communication with
the external world are therefore
inoperative. This incomplete loss of
the exterior senses has resulted in the
state being also known as an incipient
or imperfect Ecstasy.
The Simple Union, then, is a pre-.
lude to the Spiritual Marriage, and
Its Effects. its effects are such as would be ex-
pected from so high a grade. They
are not, of course, experienced to the
Same extent in all cases, nor do they
result in their full force from a single
experience of the Union, but are
produced by a repetition of it, and a
gradual acquisition of power. The
fervent love for God is accompanied
by a vivid desire for complete self-
annihilation and surrender to the
Divine, so that no place is left for
complacent satisfaction with the gifts
that have been received. The com-
parative worthlessness of the self is
seen plainly in the light which shines
 MYSTICAL THEOLOGY 71

from God, and the claim of the attrac-

tions of the world is seen to be finally
invalid. As in all states of high adora-
tion, self-immolation appears as a
thing not only to be accepted but to
be acutely desired, and it goes hand
in hand with a fervent energy for
the spiritual welfare of others. The
strength for spiritual activities is
tremendously increased, and the im-
petus towards perfection is so great
that it is impossible to conceal its
effects from the eyes of men. Itisa
condition in which the light of sanctity
cannot be hidden, but of necessity
manifests in action.
The above effects, however, are not
in themselves sufficient to prove with
any degree of certainty that the Simple
Union has been reached. The ex-
perience of any of the grades of con-
templation already described is so
astounding that it will often seem to
the contemplative that he has arrived
at the Union itself, when in reality he
is still in a much lower stage. The
 72 A HANDBOOK OF

How ey Union is as a rule arrived at only

nised. after great purgations, and the two
marks by which it may be recognised
for certain are that, in the first place,
all the faculties are lost in God
with an incomplete suspension of the
exterior senses, in the manner which
has been already described, so that
what is experienced is a simple in-
telligence and an experimental love
of God, and, in the second, that there
is an infallible and ineffaceable cer-
tainty that the soul has been with
God, and God with it. This conviction
is absolute and subject to no doubt
whatever ; it is not lessened with the
passage of time, and is never for-
gotten: it remains, when all else is
uncertain, as the supreme mark of
the presence of the Simple Union.
But, notwithstanding the exaltation
of this grade, it does not imply an
absolute security against falling back,
and the greatest dangers met with
in it are: attachment to anything
other than God; carelessness about
 MYSTICAL THEOLOGY 73

little things, under the impression

that they are unimportant; and an
insidious tendency to some measure
of self-confidence.

The next grade of the Union is Ecstasy.

Ecstasy, a name which has been
applied to all cases of total loss of
the senses. Strictly speaking, how-
ever, these cases are divisible into
Ecstasy properly so called, and Rap-
ture, and they will accordingly be
dealt with separately. The definition
of Ecstasy is that it consists of the
Mystical Union of Love in so far as
the soul loses the use of its senses
completely, without any violence, but
rather with a certain calmness. The
loss of the use of the senses amounts
to a condition in which the eyes see
nothing, however obvious it may be;
no sound, however loud, is heard; no
pain is felt even if the body be burnt
or tortured; nothing can be smelt
or tasted; and there is a complete
inability to move. The necessary
74 A HANDBOOK OF
functions of the body, such as the
circulation of the blood, of course
continue, but it appears probable that
both the pulse and the respiration
are sensibly modified. For the state
to be Ecstasy this loss of the senses
must result from the Union of Love,
and it is suggested that it is directly
due to the amazement and adoration
and the profound joy experienced by
means of the intellect and the will,
at the sight of the splendour of God.
It is the completeness of the loss
which distinguishes this-state from
that of the Simple Union, and the
fact that the loss occurs with great
gentleness and no degree of violence
that is the point of its distinction from
Rapture. During the actual period of
the Ecstasy the fantasy and the sen-
sitive appetite are also in a state of
suspension, though they recommence
their activity the moment that the com-
pleteness of the Ecstasy has passed.
It must be remembered that the
faculties of the soul are by no means
 MYSTICAL THEOLOGY 7s
suspended: onthe contrary, there is no
condition in which they are more vivid-
ly awake to the things of the Spirit.
The effects of Ecstasy are those Its Efects.
of the Simple Union, with so much
intensification as is proper to the
superior exaltation of the grade.
The existence of Ecstasies in non- Naturat
Christians necessitates the admission ““"”
that such states may be produced by
natural means, and not directly by
God. The method employed, accord-
ing to P. Suarez, is that of concen-
tration on some supernatural object,
and the result is precisely that the
exterior senses lose their power of
apprehension. It is probable, how-
ever, that the loss is not so complete
but that the natural ecstatic would
return to his senses if he were sub-
jected to ill-treatment of any kind;
and just because the Ecstasy is the
work neither of God on the one hand
nor the Devil on the other, its effects
are as a rule indifferent. It is only
in the case of some measure of grace
 76 A HANDBOOK OF

co-operating with the natural effort

that some slight benefit may result.
Further, a swoon resulting from
intense spiritual emotion may some-
times be mistaken for an Ecstasy,
and it therefore becomes desirable to
discover some tests by which a
genuine Ecstasy may be known. It
How appears that a real ecstatic will always.
Genuine
Ecstasies obey a vocal command of his Director,
may be
recognised. even if that command be that he shall
return to a state of normal conscious-
ness; it is virtually necessary that
he should have been completely or
almost wholly purified by purgation;
that the condition with regard to the
exterior senses and the spiritual part
which has been already described
should be fulfilled; and that the
effects of the Simple Union should
be present in an intensified degree.
If these signs are all present there
need be no doubt as to the genuine-
ness of the Ecstasy.

Rapture. The general characteristics of Rap-

 MYSTICAL THEOLOGY 7

ture are similar to those of Ecstasy,

with the distinguishing fact that in
Rapture there is always some element
of suddenness and violence in the loss
of the senses. The violence is ex-
perienced by the intellect and takes
the form of some cognition which it
cannot reject: the will is never subject
to any violence of this kind, for it
must remain free. For their better
comprehension Raptures are divided Three
into three classes, viz. :
1. Those in which the exterior
senses are suspended, while the in-
terior senses (the fantasy and the
sensitive appetite) are retained. This
is the lowest degree, and is not
properly a Rapture at all, because it
does not imply Mystical Union with
God and has not the characteristic of
a suspension of the interior senses.
It is a condition which comes about
with violence and results in an imagi-
nary vision,' the fantasy being flooded
with a light which causes all the
1 See Part IV.
78 A HANDBOOK OF

attention to be fixed on the object of

the vision, and leaves no capacity to
receive communications through the
exterior senses. It is an intimation
received by means of the imagination,
the theory being that the recipient is
not yet capable of a communication
on the plane of pure spirit. In cases
where the recipient is patently cap-
able of a more exalted communication,
the reason of his experiencing a Rap-
ture which results in an imaginary
vision is due to the fact that it is more
easily communicable.
2. Those in which both the exterior
and interior senses are suspended,
and the communication takes place
in the intellectual instead of the
imaginative part. These are perfect
Raptures properly so called, and
imply the Mystical Union with God:
herein occurs the Betrothal of the
soul with God, as an earnest of the
Spiritual Marriage ultimately to be
celebrated. It is distinguished from
that high state by the possibility which
 MYSTICAL THEOLOGY 79

the soul still has of turning back, of

breaking off, so to speak, the marriage
contract it has signed; the visible
apparition of Christ and the gift of a
betrothal ring which has occurred with
some Saints is at the most a sign of
betrothal, already concluded or to be
concluded in the future, for that which
is a betrothal of spirit with spirit can
be celebrated in the spirit alone.
Perfect Raptures are conceded only
to those who have passed through all,
or nearly all, the purgations, and have
been thereby rendered capable of
receiving communications in the pure
spirit. The suspension of the exterior
senses results in the body being ap-
parently dead, and that of the interior
senses in there being no power what-
ever of imagining anything, or ex-
periencing the slightest movement of
desire. The soul is, in fact, in a state
of high concentration, wherein the
only faculties remaining operative are
the intellect, which receives the com-
munications by pure cognition, and
 80 A HANDBOOK OF

the will, by which the soul is united

to God with the purest and most
spiritual love. It is a condition in
which all gates are shut, except that
which opens into the House of God.
3. Those in which both the exterior
and interior senses are suspended in
the amazement of the Beatific Vision.
This is rarely, if ever, experienced .
during life, and is not dealt with at
present for that reason.
Its Dura- A state of Rapture may last for
tion.
several hours, or even for several days,
but during this period there will be
fluctuations in its intensity. At its
very highest point—when absolutely
all the faculties are centred on the
divine object — the duration will
scarcely exceed half an hour, but
between these highest points there
will be intervals during which the
will remains immovably fixed, but the
intellect and even the fantasy may be
concerned with extraneous objects.
During such intervals the Rapture may
fall to the level described above as the
 MYSTICAL THEOLOGY 81

lowest degree of Rapture, with the

result that imaginary visions may be
seen.
The physical effects in the height Physical
of Rapture are similar to those of ~~
Ecstasy: the powers of sight, hear-
ing, taste, and smell are lost, and there
is complete insensibility to pain; the
respiration is very faint and the body
becomes cold. In the intervals the
senses are disturbed rather than ab-
solutely lost, and there is no power
of distinction between objects pre-
sented tothem. It isin Rapture that
levitation occurs (though it is not of Levitation.
itself a proof of Rapture), the body
being raised and held suspended in
the air; and as this may happen to-
wards the beginning of the state, and
before the consciousness has been lost,
it is possible for the contemplative to
realise what is happening. If there
be no levitation the body generally
remains in the precise position it oc-
cupied when the Rapture commenced,
and when the condition has eae
 82 A HANDBOOK OF

the body retains a feeling of health and

inexplicable lightness. Cases have
also been known in which Rapture has
had the effect of curing weakness or
ill health.
Spiritual The non-physical effects are best
Biects. considered under the headings of
those which are felt during the
Rapture, and those which remain
when it has passed. In the first place,
there is a sensation of intense light
and ineffable peace, and the soul re-
ceives both imaginary and intellectual
visions of the most exalted kind. If
they are imaginary they can be toa
certain extent explained when the
Rapture has passed, but if they are
intellectual the very sublimity of
their subject renders any description
impossible. They are not, however,
forgotten, and though their distinct-
ness may fade, they remain always a
source of energy and a centre of
force in the world of activity. There
are, further, flashes of understanding,
by means of which the soul is enabled
 MYSTICAL THEOLOGY 83

to comprehend in a few moments

what years of work would not have
sufficed it to learn, and Saint Teresa
is so certain of the necessity for
these flashes of supernatural illu-
mination that she regards their re-
ception as a sure test of the reality
of a Rapture. In the second place,
when the Rapture is over, there is a
feeling of vagueness and uncertainty
as to precisely what is happening,
that may last some days, and no kind
of assurance as to whether during the
Rapture one was in the body or out of
it. There is also a tremendous and
flaming love for God, and a much
more profound contempt than has
ever been felt before for the worthless-
ness of the human part, as a result of
the clearness with which its defects
are seen in the light of the Rapture.
The detachment which is the result
of all grades of contemplation assumes
so great proportions in the present
one, that to all that has been felt
previously there is added an actual
 84 A HANDBOOK OF
physical abhorrence of all that is not
God; and the spiritual strength
acquired is so great that what would
have been an occasion of great danger
even in the Simple Union is here not
only withstood, but transformed into
a means of help and further advance-
ment. The desire to suffer is also inten-
sified, and all the faculties stand ready,
as it were, to answer the call of God.

The
Spiritual
The Spiritual Marriage of the soul
arriage. with God is characterised by its
permanence. All previous grades of
contemplation or stages of the Union
are transitory, inasmuch as between
the periods of exaltation the soul
returns to a state wherein the con-
sciousness of the presence of God is
a memory and not a present and abid-
ing fact; whereas in the Spiritual
Marriage the Union is so close and
continuous that the consciousness of
the presence is the normal condition.
It is a perfect and lasting Union in
which there is no question of its
 MYSTICAL THEOLOGY 85

cessation even for a short time, and

wherein the soul continually says: “I
live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in
me.” For this reason it is also known
as an Habitual Union, as distinguished
from the previous stages which are
Actual Union, and (by St John of the
Cross) as Union of the soul with God
after the substance, to distinguish it
from all other stages of Union, which
he calls Union after the faculties. It
is clear from the intimacy of this state
that, although the freedom to sin must en
be postulated for the preservation of
human liberty, in effect there is no
serious question of any sin being
committed. Since the man who has
reached the Spiritual Marriage is in
a great degree still man, he is to that
extent in danger of sinning, but since
he has the perpetual and unfailing
consciousness of God indwelling, sin
inevitably becomes for him a moral
impossibility. The
The particulars of the method in ofthe
ots ° Spiritual
which the Spiritual Marriage comes Marriage.
86 A HANDBOOK OF

about are taken from Saint Teresa, as

being the first contemplative to enter
into details in this connection. God
is regarded as coming down, under
the form of the Trinity, to dwell in the
inmost places of the soul that has
reached this degree—the highest to
which attainment is possible during
life—and thereafter making His
presence known by means of an
intellectual vision of the Trinity
indwelling. This realisation of the
presence of Deity is as of sight, and
no longer as of faith alone, but the
presence is manifested as under a
veil of light, so that the intolerable
splendour of God is not seen face
to face. A clear distinction exists
between the vision of the Union in
the Spiritual Marriage, and all visions
of Ecstasy or Rapture, for in the
Marriage it is clear and distinct,
whereas before it was always to a
certain extent confused and as it were
blind; in the Marriage the Union is
in the centre and substance of the
 MYSTICAL THEOLOGY 87

soul, while in all other degrees it was

by means of the faculties alone. The
intellectual vision is not regarded as
continuous throughout the whole
period of the Spiritual Marriage, as
this would result in complete incapa-
city to attend to anything in the out-
side world, or even to live with one’s
fellow-creatures; but the conscious-
ness of God indwelling is subject to
no change or shadow of vicissitude
whatever. It persists, indeed, during
all external occupations and disturb-
ances to such a point that there may
seem to be some definite division
between that part of the personality
concerned with the world of sense,
and that other part which is unchange-
ably conscious of God. In the case of
Saint Teresa the intellectual vision of
the Trinity was followed first by an
imaginary vision of Jesus, and then
by an intellectual vision of Him which
resulted in the soul becoming one and
the same thing with God in an inti-
mate union of pure spirit; but,
 88 A HANDBOOK OF

although the Union is always with

the Word, the vision of Jesus is not
inevitable. It is not mentioned either
by Saint Bernard or Saint John of the
Cross, and the necessary points of the
Spiritual Marriage are, in the first
place, the intellectual vision of the
Trinity already mentioned, and in
the second an intellectual vision of
the Divine Word together with some
intellectual locution in which a mutual
consent is given.
Its Effects. From this incessant consciousness
of the indwelling Deity results a degree
of peace which no calamity can shake.
Though all the universe should thunder
in ruin about him, the contemplative
who has reached the Spiritual Mar-
riage continues in an interior peace
beyond description ; however great the
turmoil without, no echo of it can pene-
trate to the remote depths wherein he
communes with God. He is not, it
must be remembered, exempt from the
difficulties and pain inseparable from
existence, but he experiences them
 MYSTICAL THEOLOGY 89

rather in the outward part, and in the

spiritual part enjoys peace ineffable.
Aridity, therefore, is practically non-
existent in this state, the kaleidoscopic
suggestions of the fantasy are under
control, and the passions are finally
subjected to the will, for in the posses-
sion of the highest good there is little
left which may be either hoped or
feared. The power of sympathy and
the readiness to help remain, but in
both cases without any disturbance of
the deep tranquillity within. The life
of the Christ-Spirit is felt continuously,
and not spasmodically as before, with
the result that the self and its claims
are completely forgotten, and life and
death and honour and shame are
matters of entire indifference. Perfect
conformity to the Divine Will results
in an unfailing readiness to suffer any
degree of persecution, even to the
extent of surrendering all right to
eternal salvation if another’s spiritual
welfare may be helped and the glory
of God increased thereby.
 90
EE
A HANDSSBOOK OF
elles Bo Ee,
Distinct from these effects, there
are also the graces of God that are
received in the Spiritual Marriage.
In a certain closeness of the soul to
God, so intimate as to be spoken of as
a touching of the spiritual parts, the
soul partakes of the perfections of
divinity, and receives the revelation
of the most supreme secrets of God.
A passage from Saint John ofthe Cross
suggests that the soul by transfor-
mation in the Holy Spirit becomes
united and operative with that power
in the Trinity. A further grace,
conceded only on the very highest
Flame of peaks of the Spiritual Marriage, is the
ove,
Flame of Love, in which the soul
breaks anew into acts of most perfect
love, kindled thereto by the Holy
Spirit. In this case the part of the
soul is entirely passive, being re-
stricted to a consent to the divine
action, which operates by presenting
some stupendous truth to the intel-
lect and thereby inflaming the will.
Herein are the supreme heights of the
 MYSTICAL THEOLOGY gr

love and joy of the Spiritual Marriage.

Owing to the sublimity of the whole
grade it is almost impossible to give
any idea of the activities of the soul,
but it appears that inasmuch as it
feels itself to be one with God by
transformation, and to be in fact God
by participation, it is able to render
to God the gifts of Himself it has
received—to give back to Him His
perfection and the very Godhead itself
—which is the ultimate gift and the
only one worthy of acceptance. It is
a state in which there exists a con-
tinual interchange of the divine gifts
between God and the soul, which is
the cause of the persistence of the
interior peace, and the state itself is
in some sense a foretaste of the glories
of eternity.
Among the impressions which are
received in the Spiritual Marriage,
two are singled out for particular
mention. The first is a certain hurt
of love which occurs in the spirit alone,
and has the effect of healing the soul
 92 A HANDBOOK OF
jae
Sate eee ai ee
as by burning—it is a touch of the fire
of God which heals all ills. It is con-
fined to the Spiritual Marriage, and
is the highest degree of that grade,
The whereas the Wounds of Love properly
Wounds
of Love. so called may be experienced outside
Stigmata.
the grade, and are so in some sense
inferior. They have no connection
with the pains of purgation, but are
caused by a penetrating touch of God
which fills the soul with all delight.
Their place of origin is then spiritual,
though they may also have an effect
on the body, and produce actual
wounds. In this case the vision of
some divine messenger inflicting the
wounds in the body is merely
symbolical of that which takes place
in the spirit, as is exemplified in the
case of Saint Francis, and in the case
of the wound in Saint Teresa’s heart.
The interior joy varies in intensity
with the physical pain, though if the
wounds be only interior and do not
affect the body at all, it is of a higher
order than when there is a physical
 MYSTICAL THEOLOGY 93

effect. The tests by which any ap-

parent case of stigmatisation should
be proved are: (1) That considerable
Spiritual progress should have been
made, and considerable purgations
therefore undergone. (2) That at
least some grade of infused contempla-
tion should have been reached. (3)
That there should be simultaneously
great physical pain and great interior
delight. (4) That the pain and the
joy should on every occasion of their
being felt produce interior recollection
and elevation of the mind in God,
together with strength in suffering
and in mortification.
There is a certain authority for Raptures
saying that a state very similar to inthis
that of Rapture may occur in the
Spiritual Marriage, though it is not
attended with that suddenness and
violence which have been considered
characteristic of Rapture properly so
called. It is Union in the centre of
the soul rather than Union with the
faculties, and may take place, accord-
 94 A HANDBOOK OF

ing to Saint Bernard, with the loss of

the senses, though Saint Teresa and
Saint John of the Cross consider it to
occur without this. In either case it
is regarded as a higher state of con-
sciousness than the Rapture which is
experienced in the lower degrees of
the Union, and does not cause that
physical coldness which was character-
istic of them. It is a condition in
Levitation. which levitation may occur, though
without any sensation of the fear
experienced in the levitation accom-
panying the Rapture of-.the state of
Betrothal. This phenomenon cannot
properly be regarded as a physical
accompaniment of the sp ritual tend-
ency to rise up towards God, because,
since God must be regarded as
present everywhere, and particularly
in the very centre of the soul, a
Spiritual movement towards Him
would result in complete immobility,
if it had any physical accompaniment
at all. It may be that it is rather a
preliminary participation in one of the
 MYSTICAL THEOLOGY 95

characteristics of life after bodily death

—the characteristic, namely, of being
able to move with incomparably less
effort than is necessary in the present
life.

To the question whether the Beatific The

Vision, in which God is seen face to Vision.
face and without veil, has ever been
conceded to any one in this life, no
full answer need be attempted here,
because even if it be possible it is
inconceivably rare. There are many
authorities on the side of it having
been received by the Virgin, Saint
Paul, and Moses, and as many who
deny that it has ever been enjoyed by
any one except Christ. To the further
question as to whether the grades of
infused contemplation should be de- Should
Contempla-
sired or any effort made to attain tion be
to them, a more detailed answer is ihe
necessary. There is no question that
acquired contemplation may and
should be desired, and attempt made
to obtain it, for its particular char-
96 A HANDBOOK OF

acteristic is that its acquisition de-

pends on human effort, with the aid
of the ordinary grace of God. In
the case of infused contemplation a
distinction must be made between
desiring it and attempting to obtain
it. In spite of some authority to
the contrary! it is clear that it is
both safer and more consonant with
humility to hold that human nature
is unworthy of so high a grace, and
that the desirable position is one of
indifference in the hands of God.
This is particularly so in the case of
Ecstasies, Raptures, Visions, and
similar occurrences (with the proviso
always that anything may be desired
when a divine impulse thereto is felt,
as, for example, the Thirst of Love
already mentioned), for the very sweet-
ness of the way of infused contem-
plation makes any desire for it incon-
sistent with self-sacrifice and humility.
Further, it is admitted on all hands
? Viz.: Phillippus a SS. Trinitate and Cardi-
nal Lauria.
 MYSTICAL THEOLOGY 97

that infused contemplation is not ex-

pedient for everyone, and the utmost
that should be done is to prepare for
its reception if it should be conceded
by God, by making every effort to-
wards perfection, and by continual
meditation. For perfection is that
which is ultimately desirable, and
contemplation, which is the free gift
of God, and therefore unobtainable
by human effort, is only one means
thereto.
 IV
VISIONS, LOCUTIONS, AND
REVELATIONS
THE grades of contemplation to be
treated of in the present section are
those in which the comprehension of
the divine object is gained with a
quality of distinctness and clarity
foreign to the grades already dealt
with. They are properly grades of
contemplation, inasmuch as they are
accompanied by that fixity of the
mind, that sensation of admiration
and delight, and that experience of
peace which are its essential quali-
ties, but they are definitely a lower
and more dangerous variety than
those of the previous section, and
render the contemplative who receives
them more liable to deception. They
} See pp. 31, 32 and qr.
98
 MYSTICAL THEOLOGY 99

cannot be regarded as having any

ordered connection, either inter se
or with the other grades of contem-
plation, for they are vouchsafed even
to those who have made no progress
in the contemplative way, and are
for this reason considered under a
separate heading.

Visions are universally divided into Three

three classes, of which the first is Visions.
the lowest and the last the highest,
viz. :
1. Corporeal, i.e. those which are
connected with the exterior sense of
physical sight.
2. Imaginary, j.e. those which are
connected with the interior sense of
the fantasy.
3. Intellectual, 7.e. those which are
connected with the spiritual faculty
of the intellect.
Corporeal visions, or apparitions, :. cor-
are unexpected manifestations of any Visions.
object which come about by means of
visual species transmitted to the eyes,
 100 A HANDBOOK OF

in a manner different from that of

ordinary sight. As a rule the object
must be actually present, and in this
case the representation is produced
Their by means of divine messengers clothed
Method.
in aerial bodies— bodies, that is,
formed of a combination of air and
innumerable elementary particles, re-
presenting the object of the vision—
and the species are then transmitted in
the ordinary way; but in some cases
the object is represented by means of
the mere transmission of the species
of the object to the eyes without any
actual presence of the object. Any-
thing in heaven or earth may be
represented in these ways, as, for
example, God, Jesus Christ, the
Virgin, the dead in any state and the
living, the Angels themselves, and
Devils. There is no question of the
actual physical apparition of these
Beings, for the representation is
always brought about in one of the
ways described, the Devils having the
same capacity of taking to themselves
 MYSTICAL THEOLOGY tor

bodies or transmitting species as the

Angels.
In the same category as corporeal
visions must be placed all other ex-
periences communicated by means of
the exterior senses—all music that is
heard, that is, and sweet scents, all
flavours and sensations of delight—
for.they are all sent for a common
purpose. Physical visitations of all
kinds are experienced particularly by
beginners, and their chief aim is to
lead the recipient towards perfection
by the means most natural to his
human nature and most suitable to
his spiritual immaturity. Since all
human cognitions and interior ten-
dencies originate in the exterior
senses,! the normal method of acting
on such tendencies is by the repre-
sentation to the exterior senses of
objects calculated to promote per-
fection and detachment from the
pleasures of the world. It is in reality
an adaptation of the divine force to
1 See p. 25.
 102 A HANDBOOK OF

the weakness of humanity, and this

consideration is applicable to im-
aginary as well as to corporeal visions,
inasmuch as they also are formed in
the senses, though in this second case
they are interior and not exterior.
Corporeal visions being chiefly re-
ceived by beginners in the way of
contemplation, and not having the
effect of uniting the soul to God, they
are not a sign of any particular
sanctity on the part of the recipient,
but rather of a want of reaction on his
part to the ordinary stimuli; and the
fact that they have also been received
by people definitely in a state of sin
goes to show that they should not be
accounted of too great an importance.
At the most they may be a sign of
some high degree of sanctity in store
for those who see them, who are
therefore called upon to make renewed
efforts towards perfection.
How True The principal signs by which a
Visions of
any kind vision of any kind may be recognised
may be
known, as being of divine origin are:
 MYSTICAL THEOLOGY 103

1. That it causes in the first place

considerable perturbation and fear,
but that this is immediately foliowed
by a feeling of great joy and peaceful-
ness in the soul.
2. That it is followed by elevation
of the mind in God, and a strong dis-
position to prayer.
3. That it causes deep humility, as
a result of the recipient’s vivid realisa-
tion of his own shortcomings, and a
proportionate disinclination to let the
vision be known by anyone.
4. That it brings with it a great love
of God, as well as detachment and a
desire for mortification and penance.
5. That any communication received
is both true and of spiritual utility.
It should be particularly noticed in Concerning
regard to visions of all classes that ofVisions.
they should never be desired, both be-
cause any such desire is inconsistent
with humility and because it opens
the door in a particular way to de-
ception. The only proper objects of
desire are such things as are conducive
 104 A HANDBOOK OF

to perfection, and the whole array of

visions, locutions, and revelations are
of little value for that, and are in effect
of no great utility in any way, but of
considerable danger. When a vision
of any kind is seen it should first of
all be resisted with all the force pos-
sible, for if it be a true vision resistance
will only increase its perfection, and
if it be not of God it will cause it to
disappear. The contemplative should,
in fact, pray fervently that he may not
be led by the way of visions, because
of the great danger of illusion therein
and of the almost insuperable difficulty
he will inevitably experience in avoid-
ing some degree of self-satisfaction;
but, if persistent prayer have no effect
in preventing the visions, he should
give up all resistance and resign him-
Concerning self to the guidance of God. Where
Corporea]
an
Imaginary
the visions are either corporeal or
Visions, imaginary they should be taken in a
Spirit of absolute detachment, and be
no more thought of again than if they
had never been received. The essence
 MYSTICAL THEOLOGY 105

of any such vision lies in the effects

which have been mentioned as signs
of its genuineness, not in the vision
itself, and the good of those effects
remains in spite of the complete
disregard paid to the actual details of
the vision. To this recommendation
there are two provisos, viz., that if the
memory of the vision persist in return-
ing to the mind without any effort on
the part of the contemplative, it should
be used as a foundation for more
Spiritual considerations, and that in
cases of aridity the effects may be
reflected on for the purpose of arousing
spiritual enthusiasm, but the details
of the vision must under no circum-
stances be considered. It is noticeable
that during the progress of a vision,
even of the most sublime Being,
adoration must not be offered until
there is no doubt of the vision being
divine, and of there being no diabolical
deception.
The signs of genuineness and the ary 2. Imagin-
Visions.
above general considerations apply
106 A HANDBOOK OF
Ji
pea Sted Se es SS
to imaginary as well as to corporeal
visions. An imaginary vision is an
interior representation of some object,
produced in the fantasy by means of
species either newly combined or newly
infused, and in either case illuminated
by a supernatural light which causes
the object to be perceived with a
greater clearness than was possible to.
physical sight. The vision is produced
by a fresh combination of the species
already present in the fantasy, when
it is concerned with matters for which
such species are adequate,
but in cases
of particularly sublime visions some
new and sufficient species must be
especially infused, and the imaginary
visions brought about in this second
way are therefore considered to be of
ahigher order than those produced
by a mere recombination of species.
The effects of imaginary visions are
those of corporeal visions, but, since
any imaginary vision is superior to
a corporeal vision, the effects are
accordingly more pronounced. Their
 MYSTICAL THEOLOGY 107

duration is generally very short—the

vision is often seen for not more than
a flash, and as a rule passes at once
into an intellectual vision of the same
object. At the first moment both the
fantasy and the intellect are fixed on
the vision, but almost immediately the
concentration of the fantasy is relaxed,
the sight therefore disappears, and
the whole force is centred on com-
prehension in the intellectual part.
In spite of their brevity, however, the
visions leave the species of the object
so firmly fixed in the mind that it
is almost impossible to forget them
(except in cases of aridity), and every
time they are particularly remembered
some measure of their original good
effect is reproduced.
In the case of imaginary visions
there is an even greater danger of
illusion or self-deception than with
those that are corporeal, more parti-
cularly with imaginative people and
women, and it is desirable to have
some further tests of their genuine-
 108 A HANDBOOK OF

ness. The following are, therefore,

suggested :
1. That the vision should come un-
expectedly, when the contemplative
is not thinking about the likelihood
of such a thing.
2. That it should be irresistible.
3. That it should not be susceptible
of alteration of any kind, whether of ad-.
dition or subtraction, by the recipient.
4. That it should have the definitely
good effects already mentioned.
Intellectual An intellectual vision consists of a
mens" clear and certain apprehension of
some object by the intellect, without
any form or figure of any kind being
seen, and without any actual depend-
ence on the fantasy. It is brought
about, similarly to an imaginary vision,
by a new combination of the species
already present in the intellect or by
the infusion of a new species inte/ligibilis
by God. In both cases the species are
illuminated by a new and supernatural
light, and in neither of them is there
any activity of or dependence on the
 MYSTICAL THEOLOGY 109
fantasy. The only part, in fact, which
the fantasy plays in them is in helping
theirremembrance. The vision leaves
the species in the intellect, and some
part of the light overflows into the fan-
tasy, with the result that in ordinary
cases the fantasy can make enough
of the species which has been left, by
the help of the light it has received,
to suffice for memory. Any physical
result of the vision is simply a parti-
cipation by the body in this after-effect
on the fantasy. If the object of the
vision be, however, very exalted, the
pictures of it which the fantasy is
capable of forming are so rough and
inexact as to give but a very vague
representation of the vision itself. In
such visions there is no more doubt
about the actuality of the “seeing”
than ifit had been seen with the eyes
of the body, and as a matter of fact
there is not so much. The object is
apprehended with a clearness and
absolute conviction that admit of no
questioning whatever.
IIO A HANDBOOK OF

The intellect, it must be remembered,

is a spiritual faculty to which God
alone has access: the Angels, whether
good or bad, are absolutely debarred
from entry therein, and illusion by
means of a purely intellectual vision
is therefore impossible. It may be, as
in the former classes, of anything in
heaven or earth, and, besides being of.
God or the Angels or a material ob-
ject, may be of some truth, divine or
human, which is apprehended in itself,
as it is, without any mediation of
figure or form. A distinction is, how-
ever, made in the treatment which
should be accorded to intellectual
visions of God or the Trinity or the
divine attributions or perfections, and
visions of created things. In the first
case no part of them should be rejected,
for they are a great aid to perfection,
and instead of being in any way a
hindrance to the Union, they are
rather a part of it, and never conceded
to anyone who is not in some measure
united to God. It is, in fact, this
 MYSTICAL THEOLOGY 111

which is as a rule the intellectual

vision of the Spiritual Marriage, in
which the greatness of God is seen
with all tranquillity, as well as the
Trinity and the interaction of Its
Persons, and some further height
of splendour which is completely
ineffable. But in the second case,
where the vision is of something less
than God or His attributes, the same
distinction should be made as has
been suggested in the case of corporeal
and imaginary visions. The details,
the accidents of the vision, that is,
should be rejected once and for all,
as far as is possible, with the possible
exception of times of aridity, and
only the essential effects retained.
To regard it as a treasure which is
to be stored up in the memory is to
be occupied with something that is
definitely less than God. Intellectual
visionsare also divided into two classes
according as they are indistinct or
distinct, the first class consisting of
visions in which the apprehension of
112 A HANDBOOK OF
aee ee ae
the object is absolutely clear and
certain, there being no doubt what-
ever as to its identity, but no appre-
hension of any details; and the
second, of visions in which all the
details and qualities are apprehended
as clearly as the fact of the vision
itself.
The effects of intellectual visions are
an intensification of those resulting
from the two preceding classes, but
their duration may be very different.
There have been cases in which they
have lasted weeks and months, and
rare cases in which they have lasted
years, during the whole of which time
the apprehension of the object of the
vision is present in the intellect.
Strictly speaking they are proper to an
advanced state of spiritual progress,
wherein all or a large amount of the
necessary purgation has been under-
gone, but, as they have also been
experienced at considerably less ad-
vanced stages, it is impossible to state
any definite rule.
 MYSTICAL THEOLOGY 113

There remain two other visions of The Vision

God, that in which He is seen unveiled Darkaess,
and face to face, and that in which He
is seen in the Divine Darkness. The
first of these is not a matter for con-
sideration in a treatise on contempla-
tion, because it is rarely, if ever, con-
ceded in the present life;1 the second
is that which is spoken of by Dionysius
the Areopagite, and should strictly
have been treated of in the preceding
chapter, inasmuch as it is a grade
of contemplation occurring with in-
distinctness. It is, however, con-
sidered here because it is generally
known as a vision, and in this connec-
tion the distinction drawn between
the two methods of knowing God, by
affirmation and negation, must be
kept in mind.’
The intellectual vision of God in
Darkness is an intellectual apprehen-
sion by means of which the mind,
leaving aside all ideas of created
1 See p. 95.
2 See p. 36.
114 A HANDBOOK OF

things, and abandoning also ail

affirmative cognition of God, is
plunged in the incomprehensibility
and unknowableness of the Divine
Essence. This it knows in proportion
to the clearness of its knowledge that
it cannot know, and it is, in effect,
absorbed in the Divine Essence and
lost in adoration. The attitude in
which this incomprehensibility is so
intimately experienced is not one of
cold speculation, but of such an
illumination of the intellect that an
abstract yet stupendous conception
of God is formed, which leaves the
intellect, as it were, in a stupor of
amazement. It is a union with God
Unknown, in which the Darkness is
a Darkness resulting from an excess
of light, and following on this concep-
tion is a fervour of love in which the
soul is utterly lost to itself and trans-
formed in God. It is obvious that this
illumination is infused and not ac-
quired, for the very essence of the
vision is that a conception is attained
 MYSTICAL THEOLOGY 115
which is beyond human ability to
procure. The characteristics of this
vision are, then, that God is known
by negation, that the incomprehensi-
bility resulting from this negation is
pierced by so high an infused light
that it is apprehended intellectually,
and that a very abstract but positive
and exalted conception of God is
formed by which the mind is literally
stupefied. It occurs in the grade of
Simple Union and at the heights
of Ecstasy and Rapture, while the
Spiritual Marriage in some cases may
be said either to occur in it, or it in
the Spiritual Marriage. To a less
degree it occurs also in the inferior
grades of contemplation, but in such
cases the light of incomprehensibility
is of a much lower order, and the
effects are proportionately less
marked. It enters into them, how-
ever, in a sufficient degree to explain
the lack of distinctness which is a
characteristic of all the grades con-
sidered in the preceding chapter.
 116 A HANDBOOK OF

Locutions. Locutions, which consist of words

by which God or His Saints reveal
some truth, are of three kinds: Auri-
cular, Imaginary, and Intellectual.
1. Auri- In auricular locutions the truth is
cular.
made known, either by God Himself
or by means of angelic intervention,
by voices which are heard with the
bodily ears in just the same way that.
a human voice is heard. On some
occasions the locution is accompanied
by a corporeal vision, and the speaker
of the words is seen with the eyes; on
others the words are heard without
anything at all being seen; but in both
cases the voice commands immediate
attention and causes a great impulse
towards sanctity. These locutions
are as arule received by beginners in
the way of contemplation, and should
be treated, as regards rejection of the
details and retention of the essence,
in the Same way as corporeal visions.
2. Imagin- Imaginary locutions consist of words
ary.
formed in the fantasy, and though
nothing is heard with the bodily ears
 MYSTICAL THEOLOGY 117
the message is received interiorly with
a clearness surpassing that of ordinary
speech. The words are formed by
means of species awakened in the
fantasy and illuminated with a divine
light, so that they are impressed on
the sensitive appetite and received
by the interior senses in a way similar
to that in which the species is received
by the exterior senses in normal con-
versation. They may appear to come
from a distance, or to resound in the
very centre of the heart, and may
occur in sleep or while awake and
occupied with exterior things, or in
prayer. In this last case they are not
heard when a Rapture is at its height
and the exterior and interior senses
are therefore suspended, but in the
intervals when some of the faculties,
and in particular the imaginative
faculty, are free. These locutions are
of three kinds, between which there
is a real difference, viz., Successive,
Formal, and Substantial. Successive a, Succes-
imaginary locutions are conceptions
118 A HANDBOOK OF

which the soul, inspired by the Holy

Spirit, produces with such readiness
that they seem to be actually suggested
and spoken by God, when as a matter
of fact they are produced by the
illuminated intellect and the soul
speaks them toitself. This always
happens in a state of concentrated
prayer, and in absolute strictness they
are not properly locutions because they
are not received ab extra, but uncon-
sciously produced by the intellect.
They are to be distinguished from
cases in which there is no illumination
of the intellect, and the-words seem
genuinely to be received, though in
effect they are the result of a very
quick intellectual operation which is
purely natural. In the first case the
intellect contributes largely in the
production of the words; in the second
it produces them entirely, without any
divine intervention. The two cases
can really be recognised only by their
results, for if the words are produced
by the natural intellect alone the
 MYSTICAL THEOLOGY 119

result is indifferent, with little or no

impulse either to good or evil; but if
they come from the intellect illumin-
ated by the Divine Light, they cause
a definite impulse towards humility
and the love of God, as well as a
peaceful interior recollection. The
course to be pursued in any case is
to decrease largely any activity on
the part of the intellect, and replace
it with acts of love in the will. The
probability of the words being pro-
duced solely by the intellect is thereby
lessened, and the possibility of divine
illumination increased.
The second class, which are known 5. Formal.
as formal, are imaginary locutions
proper, in the sense in which they
have been described above. They are
not always received in prayer, as are
successive locutions, and may consist
of whole discourses, and not only of
a few words. Their purpose is for
instruction in the way of perfection,
and, besides the actual information
they contain, they produce a great
 120 A HANDBOOK OF
a iia ge Se Oe
readiness to follow whatever instruc-
tion is given. There is again a danger
that these locutions may be really
produced by the person who appears
to hear them as coming from without,
but such cases are not difficult of
recognition. The principal signs are:
Signs of 1. If they are produced there will
Genuine-
ness. have been some working of the
fantasy and composition of sentences
about the object of contemplation; if
they are received there will have been
nothing except an attitude of atten-
tion, and the words will be also more
clear and vivid than in the other case.
2. If they are produced they can be
hindered, by turning the attention to
something else; if they are received
they must be heard to the end.
3. If they are produced they can be
heard at will; if they are received
they can only be heard at the will of
God.
4. If they are produced they will
have been preceded by close attention
to some subject; if they are received
 MYSTICAL THEOLOGY iar

they will be heard quite unexpectedly,

and without any previous thought.
5. If they are produced they mean
exactly what they say; if they are
received they often convey a deeper
meaning than appears on the surface
of the words.
6. If they are produced and a fortiori
if they are the result of diabolical
deception, they have no good effects;
if they are received their good effects
are marked.
In any case they should be immedi-
ately submitted to the Director, and
his advice followed implicitly, even if
it contradict the words heard in the
locution.
The third subdivision of locutions¢, substan-
which are formed in the fantasy is pm
that of substantial locutions, which
are vastly more precious than either
the successive or the formal. They
consist of omnipotent words of God
which perform effectively in the soul
all that they express. They are
clearly heard in the interior of the
 122 A HANDBOOK OF

soul, and are immediately effective in

fact—their effect, that is, is not merely
to arouse a tendency to any particular
course of action. There is here no
danger of their being produced by the
recipient himself or of their being sug-
gested by diabolical forces, for neither
man nor devil is capable of operating
to such good effect, but God alone. _
3. Intel- Intellectual locutions come about
lectual.
in the manner employed by Angels for
communication, without any external
voice being heard, or any words in
the centre of the soul. The theory of
angelic intercourse which holds that
they communicate by means of mental
concepts directed from one to another
must be rejected, because it provides
no method by which the attention of
the Angel who is being addressed
would be aroused. The alternative
theory is that one Angel impresses on
another the species intelligibilis of the
concept he wishes to communicate,
and to this there are no objections.
It is the method employed in intel-
 MYSTICAL THEOLOGY 123

lectual locutions, in which there is

no activity either of the exterior or
interior senses. The species of the
concept is impressed on the mind by
God or Christ, or the Virgin (or, in
very rare cases, by an Angel or a Saint),
and the mind receives the concept by
an act of pure understanding, and also
the truth behind the concept. There
is even the possibility of an inter-
change of thoughts in an intellectual
locution, for the mind can in turn
direct its thoughts to God, and know
that they will be understood. They
may occur either in some high con-
templation in combination with an
intellectual vision of God or the
Saviour, or whoever impresses the
species, or without a vision of any kind,
when they take the form of a clear
apprehension of some truth and a
feeling of absolute certainty that it is
from God. In this second case the
locution may frequently be received
without any state of contemplation,
but if this feeling of certainty be lack-
 124 A HANDBOOK OF

ing the communication is not in any

proper sense an intellectual locution,
though it may well be a divine illu-
Their mination. The locution leaves a sen-
Effects.
sation of great peace and humility and
joy, so that the whole being feels
changed and renewed, and the greatest
delights of the world are not only
undesired but actively disliked, and it
is as though a great light had shone
in the soul.

Revela- Revelations in general may be of

tions.
things both created and divine, as also
of things past, or present; or to come.
They are an unveiling of hidden truths,
or a manifestation of divine secrets,
by means of an infused light which
imparts absolute certainty of the truth
or the secret revealed. It is not, of
course, necessary to the definition that
the hidden truth should be universally
unknown—the point is that it should
be unknown to the particular person
to whom it is unveiled, and unknow-
able by him by any natural means, and
 MYSTICAL THEOLOGY 125

so constitute a genuine revelation for

him. The apprehension of God and
His attributes gained in the state of
Union does not fall under the present
heading, for it is not essentially a
revelation of some absolute secret so
much as an elucidation of what was
already known by faith.
The principal characteristic of a
revelation, or of a prophecy if the
revelation is about some future event,
is the infused light by means of which
the secret is unveiled. It is a light in
the intellect, without which no revela-
tion can be held to occur even though
all the other points of the definition
should be complied with, though it
is not a permanent illumination. It
flashes out in the mind for a moment
to light up the truth or secret to be
revealed, and then passes, and the
revelation is confined to the particular
point seen during that moment. It
follows, therefore, that to have received
a revelation of one thing does not
carry with it a right to speak of any
 126 A HANDBOOK OF

other hidden matter; the authority

is limited to the object of the one
How they particular revelation. It may occur
may occur.
by means of a corporeal or an im-
aginary vision, or by an auricular or
imaginary locution, together with the
light of comprehension to understand
their significance; though if it come
by vision the thing seen must be able
to bear a figurative, symbolic, mean-
ing. If no symbolic interpretation is
possible the vision may be perfectly
genuine, but it cannot be regarded
in any way as a revelation. It may
also occur in sleep, when- the natural
activity is suspended, and in this case
is effected by a combination of the
Species existing in the fantasy of the
sleeper so as to produce symbolic
visions or locutions. A genuine re-
velation occurring in sleep is, how-
ever, very rare, and should be accepted
with great caution owing to the ex-
treme difficulty of correct interpreta-
tion. Finally, the revelation may
come about without any locution or
 MYSTICAL THEOLOGY 127
sensible representation whatever, by
the sole means of an intellectual illu-
mination in which the object of the
revelation is seen with perfect clear-
ness. Of all the methods of revela-
tion, the last is the highest, being
more essentially of the spirit, while
revelations occurring in the waking
state are placed above those occurring
in sleep, and revelations by means of
locutions above those received by
vision. Loss of the senses does not
occur when the revelation is by way
of locution, nor when it is by way of
a corporeal vision, for this, as has
been seen, necessitates the use of the
senses. If the vision is imaginary the
senses are necessarily suspended, and
they are also occasionally suspended if
the vision is intellectual, and of an
object which is very exalted.
The purpose of revelation may be Their
urpose.
either for the illumination and increase
in the love of God of the recipient, and
for enabling him to help others, or
simply for the instruction and help of
 128 A HANDBOOK OF

observers. In the second case there

is strictly no need for any particular
sanctity on the part of the recipient,
as he is used simply as an instru-
ment, but since a revelation generally
requires a considerable amount of
interior peace and detachment it is
rare for it to be experienced by any
one entirely unregenerate, even for
the edification of others. It must
also be remembered that even in the
first case a private revelation is not
infallible, and has no force if it be
contrary to the direction of the
Church. |
There is again some danger of a
revelation being suggested by the
person who appears to receive it, or
of its being the result of diabolical
Signs ofa illusion. The signs by which a true
ru
Revelation, revelation may be known, therefore,
are:
I, That it will be true. If, however,
it be of a present thing this is not
a sufficient ground of belief, but if
several prophetic revelations have
 MYSTICAL THEOLOGY 129

come true it is a ground for believing

others.
2. That the object revealed will be
indelibly fixed in the memory, and be
accompanied by an absolute convic-
tion that the prophecy will come true,
however impossible it may seem at
the moment.
3. That the recipient of the revela-
tion will disclose everything to his
Director, though it will be very difficult
for him to speak of it, and will obey
the Director implicitly, and that he
will further be very unwilling to dis-
close it to anyone else. These two
characteristics are reversed in the
case of illusory revelations.
4. That an interior light and restful-
ness and peace will be experienced.
5. That the revelation will be in
strict conformity with the teachings
of the Church.
6. That the words of the revelation
will be spoken very rapidly, so that
an impossible amount will be com-
municated in a few minutes. The
9
130 A HANDBOOK OF
Bt
ee to ae
words will also carry with them a
much more profound significance than
appears on their surface.
7. That the revelation will be useful.
It follows as a corollary to this that
if they are very frequent they are
to be regarded with suspicion.
8. That it will be followed by pro-
found humility.
The value of a revelation, however,
even though it be divine, is consider-
ably lessened by the fact that its ap-
parent meaning may not be the real
one. In the most perfect revelation
the power of correct comprehension
accompanies it, but in many others
the non-fulflment of the obvious
meaning of the divine prophecy proves
that it has been misinterpreted, and
that it is in reality only fulfilled in a
sense that has not been understood.
The recommendations given in
connection with both visions and
locutions are to a large extent appli-
cable to revelations generally. Such
things, that is, are never to be desired,
 MYSTICAL THEOLOGY 131

for to desire a revelation is to open

the way to deception, and the details
of them should be put aside as soon
and as completely as possible, and
only the essential effect remembered.
The revelations of people in ill-health,
even though this be caused by un-
due mortification, are to be regarded
with considerable suspicion, for such
persons are particularly open to self-
suggestion; and, taken as a whole,
revelations claimed by women should
be accepted less easily than those
claimed by men. This is in spite of
the fact that women are unquestion-
ably more prone to the reception of all
kinds and grades of infused contempla-
tion than men, both by nature and by
the general manner of their life.
 V
PURGATION
Purgation THE grades of contemplation which
’ have been dealt with up to the present
are in a certain sense the rewards and
delectations of the spirit on its way
towards perfection—they are the posi-
tive side of a process of which the
negative side comes under the heading
of purgation. The path of spiritual
progress is not simply a passage from
One mode and degree of divine con-
solation to another, but a process in
which whatever spiritual sweetness is
met with is gained only at the price of
a rigorous and searching preparation.
There have been cases in which even
high degrees of infused contemplation
have been reached before any purify-
ing process has been undergone,! but
1 eg. St Teresa,
132
 MYSTICAL THEOLOGY 133

these are very rare in the annals of

mysticism and entirely in the nature
of exceptions to the general rule. It
is not, of course, possible to state any
detailed rule as to the manner in
which purgations take place, for the
process differs with every individual,
not only as to the facts of the trial, but
also as to its intensity and the time of
its duration. It is true, however, in
general that progress in contemplation
is proportionate to the severity of the
purgation. No two cases are exactly
alike, but most have some points of
similarity, and it is precisely these
common factors which make it possible
to treat of purgation in general terms.
The enquiry must be prefaced by the
reminder that not every trouble nor
every aridity constitutes a purgation
—the ordinary pains and temptations
of life must not be magnified to the
dimensions of a passive purgation.
Taken in their most general sense, Active
purgations are of two kinds: Active tions.
and Passive. Active purgations do
 134 A HANDBOOK OF

not strictly belong to the Mystic Life,

and will not, therefore, be considered
at any length. They belong properly
to the Ascetic Life, which is a prepara-
tion for contemplation, and consist of
all the attempts and efforts made by
the individual, by means of meditation
and the practice of mortification and
control of the senses, to become utterly
detached from all affections which
could hinder him on his way to con-
templation. It is a killing out of
affection for everything that is not
God, so that neither country nor
friends nor money nor honour may
stand between the seeker and his end.
pre Passive purgations, on the other
tions, hand, consist of those trials and
difficulties which are superadded by
God to the efforts of the individual.
Their aim is equally the purification
of the prospective contemplative, but
they are a purification to a degree
of which he himself is not capable.
They come as bitter aridities and
unlooked-for difficulties and pain,
 MYSTICAL THEOLOGY 135

both interior and exterior, and con-

stitute in effect the refining of the
spiritual gold by fire—and that refining
is a work which is suffered and not
done by the gold itself. Such purga-
tions are themselves of two kinds, the
one being a passive purgation of the ofthe
senses and the other a passive purga- ofthe
tion of the spirit. The purgation of ree
the senses comprises such pain and
trouble of the senses as is sufficient
for the control of the sensitive appetite,
while that of the spirit consists of so
much spiritual suffering as will result
in the conformity of the spirit with
God. The first is for the harmonisa-
tion of the senses and the spirit, and
is therefore preparatory to the lower
grades of contemplation; the second
is for the harmonisation of the spirit
and God, and is therefore a preparation
for the grades of Union. Generally,
therefore, the purgation of the senses
is definitely a preparation for spiritual
purgation, but since there is a close
interaction of soul and body some
 136 A HANDBOOK OF

reflection of the one purgation will

always be found in the other, and the
trials of the spirit will be aggravated
by some trial of the senses, and vice
versa,

A. Passive Purgation of the Senses.

The Pur- When the first steps are taken in
gation of
the Senses. the spiritual life a certain degree of
sensible gratification is generally ex-
perienced, of which the purpose and
the effect are to detach the affections
from the ordinary ephemeral pleasures
of the world, and attach it to the
things which endure. - Anyone ex-
periencing this quite naturally tends
to the belief that he may flatter
himself on the progress he is making,
especially when he finds considerable
ease in meditation and satisfaction in
the practice of austerities; but in
effect he has little cause for congratu-
lation, since he has not persevered long
enough to make this facility habitual.
Its purpose is simply that of promoting
detachment from the world, and when
 MYSTICAL THEOLOGY 137

that has been accomplished the con-

solations and facilities are withdrawn,
and he is left to continue his journey
amidst aridities and pain. Itis herein
that he begins to acquire a real virtue,
and at this moment that the purga-
tion of the senses properly begins.
The normal interior condition at the Its Neces-
sity.
beginning of this purgation is one in
which a kind of spiritual self-satis-
faction is particularly prevalent. The
beginner is inclined to compare his
own apparent progress with that of
others, and remark its great superi-
ority, and accordingly to feel a certain
contempt for their inability to advance.
He is apt to be indignant with their
weakness, and, what is worse, to
resent their receiving any praise from
people whose good opinion he desires,
if by any chance they do succeed in
making some progress. He generally
fails, too, to accept his own short-
comings with reasonable humility, and
apparently bases his disgust on the
idea that so advanced a spirit as his
 133 A HANDBOOK OF

own should be beyond the ordinary

weaknesses of men; while the motive
of his application to spiritual exercises
is the mercenary one of getting what
consolation he can from them. Ina
word, he cares a great deal more for
his own satisfaction and the appro-
bation of himself and his spiritual
Directors than he does for uprightness
and the light of God, and it is pre-
cisely therefore that the purgation is
necessary to reduce his monstrous
self-conceit. For without the pre-
liminary purification of the purgation
of the senses the attainment of any
grade of infused contemplation is,
except in very rare cases, impossible.
Three The manner of the purgation is
Purgation. Dest considered under three heads, of
which any one or more may be found
in any particular case. They are:
1. Aridity.
2. Diabolical assaults.
3. Trouble arising from natural
causes, either moral or physical.
Their consideration must be pre-
 MYSTICAL THEOLOGY 139

faced by a distinction between different The

classes of devotion, drawn from St Devotion,
Thomas Aquinas. Devotion is of
three kinds, viz.:
Substantial devotion, which con-
sists of acts of the will whose purpose
is solely the glory of God, without any
feeling of consolation at all.
Accidental spiritual devotion, con-
sisting of the consolation and sweet-
ness which is really an accident of
the above substantial devotion, but is
experienced in the spiritual faculties
only.
Accidental sensible devotion, in
which the sweetness is again an
accident of substantial devotion, but
is experienced in the senses, and
not only in the spiritual faculties.
1. Aridity is, in the beginning, pre- «. Aridity.
cisely that sudden inability to meditate
that has been already mentioned. The
beginner is beyond measure disturbed
by it, and flies to the conclusion that
he must have been guilty of some very
grave sin, and eventually becomes
140 A HANDBOOK OF

convinced that he has been abandoned

by God. The truth is, however, that
this is really the beginning of a very
dry and painful contemplation, which
is ultimately changed into sweetness
and consolation as meditation passes
into contemplation. It is caused by
the transference of the divine light
from the fantasy, in which it gave
rise to so much facility in meditation,
to the intellect, in which it causes that
simple looking to God without dis-
cursive thought which is the essence
of contemplation. This is, however,
unnoticed by the beginner, who is only
conscious of the sudden cessation of
the light and ease to which he has
become accustomed, and is unable to
draw any consolation from a light so
subtle and delicate as that which has
been kindled in the intellect; but, in
spite of his being unable to perceive
it, it is not therefore inoperative, but
has its effect in the perseverance with
which he continues his journey to-
wards perfection. The purgation con-
 MYSTICAL THEOLOGY 141

sists, in terms of the distinction which

has been drawn with regard to de-
votion, in a privation of all accidental
sensible devotion, though not yet in a
privation of accidental spiritual devo-
tion ; for it is precisely to the intellect,
which is a spiritual faculty, that the
illumination is transferred, though of
this there is as yet no consciousness.
But all aridities are not necessarily The Signs
a manner of passive purgation, for being Par
they may be caused equally well by a tion.
mere lukewarmness on the part of
the sufferer or by a natural depression;
and Saint John of the Cross! gives
three signs by which an aridity arising
by way of purgation may be distin-
guished from all others. In the first
place, although there be no longer
comfort or consolation in the things
of God, there will be no tendency to
seek them in the things of the world.
In itself, however, this is not sufficient,
as it might very well result from mere
depression, and the second sign is,
1 The Dark Night of the Soul, Book 1, ch. 9.
 142 A HANDBOOK OF

therefore, that the memory of God is

vividly retained, and He is sought in
spite of every difficulty. Lastly, the
satisfaction and facility which were
formerly experienced in meditation
will cease, and discursive thought will
become practically a matter of im-
possibility. But, further, although the
aridity may be satisfactorily proved to
be a mode of purgation, it does not
mean that contemplation will inevit-
The Signs ably follow. Aridities of a greater or
fidicatig less degree of intensity are the natural
the Ap
proach on accompaniments of close application
tion, to prayer, and it has been found that
they only point to contemplation when
certain conditions are fulfilled. The
aridity itself must have been preceded
by an unusual degree of consolation
—there have been cases in which both
corporeal and imaginary visions and
locutions have been received by way of
foretaste before the purgation began
—though the consolations are confined
to the interior and exterior senses, and
do not extend to the spiritual part.
 MYSTICAL THEOLOGY 143

The aridity must, further, be pro-

tracted, and though in the beginning
it may be interspersed with periods of
consolation, it must finally settle down
into an unrelieved desolation : contem-
plation, that is, is not indicated if there
are intermittent gleams of light at all
times. Lastly, and this is the principal
sign, it must be practically impossible
to return to meditation when the
aridity is over. If the aridity be
followed by capacity to return to dis-
cursive thought, the period of dry-
ness points to nothing further than
perfection in meditation; but if the
return be finally impossible, and this
be accompanied by complete sterility
of all sensible gratification and by a
quiet and simple look of love towards
God, it is a clear indication of ap-
proaching contemplation.
The effects of aridity as a part of the Efects of
. . : : ridity
sensible purgation in particular, and and the
of that purgation in general, vary, of Eiee ation
course, with the intensity with which
the purgation has been suffered ; but
144 A HANDBOOK OF

though they differ in degree they are

similar in kind. The most obvious
result of such an experience is that
the spiritual self-satisfaction that was
felt formerly is realised to have no
kind of foundation, and is therefore
replaced by humility. Criticism of
others, and indignation at their fail-
ings or envy of their success, give
place to a conviction of personal un-
worthiness, and a profound respect
and reverence for God take the place
of self-congratulation on the consola-
tions that have been received. The
consolations, also, aré no longer
sought for themselves, but the motive
of action is purely the love and the
fulfilment of the will of God—the
mercenary attitude, that is, which
preceded the purgation is replaced by
one in which the reward is not the
motive—for attachment to the delights
of the spirit is in no real sense less
undesirable than attachment to those
of the world. The activity of both
these desires is, as a matter of fact,
 MYSTICAL THEOLOGY 15
quieted by the purgation of the senses,
for the sensitive appetite is effectively
crushed, and in the peace which
ensues is the beginning of contempla-
tion. It is a condition in which faith
is increased, for there is no longer any
experience of the objects of faith, hope
becomes strong, for it has no earnest
of fulfilment but rests on the promises
of God, and love for God is proved to
be disinterested and sincere, for it is
He who sends the trial. In addition,
the moral virtues — patience, long
suffering, chastity, etc.—are strength-
ened, but all these effects are true
only for those who persist: for those
whose energy and courage fail, the
purgation of the senses may be the
beginning of ruin.
In all considerations of this purga- General
Considera-
tion it has to be remembered that it tions as to
Aridity.
consists of a privation of accidental
sensible devotion, and that the spiritual
devotion is not affected, but is rather
increased by a divine illumination
which is the beginning of contem-
if)
146 A HANDBOOK OF
SUM EE EES ik Fe
plation. The loss of the power of
discursive thought, also, is not an
absolute inability to form any imagina-
tion whatever in prayer, but a condition
in which the power of imagining is so
obscured that it can only work slowly
and, as it were, lazily, without any
ability to penetrate below the surface
of the object of meditation. When
this occurs, it is not desirable to force
the mind to do what it is obviously
incapable of doing properly. Medita-
tion should be abandoned for the time,
and the future contemplative should
place himself before God, looking
lovingly and intently towards Him in
peace and interior quiet, and wait for
whatever may occur. There should
be no expectation or desire of obtain-
ing any communication, but simply a
willingness to await the divine will,
for the operation of the spirit is so
delicate that the least breath of desire
will disturb it. And if this attitude
of loving attention before God be im-
possible, there is no alternative but to
 MYSTICAL THEOLOGY 147

be willing to remain in darkness and

desolation till the end of life, in con-
formity with the will of God; for it
must be realised that this is not
ultimate abandonment, but transfer-
ence of the light from the sensible to
the spiritual part. Further, though
sensible devotion be lost and the real
Spiritual devotion not yet consciously
reached, there is no question but that
prayer in some sense is always pos-
sible. The will remains free, and with
this it is possible to battle through
with prayer, though it be apparently
empty and cold. But the value of
prayer lies in the effort which is made
and not in the comfort which is gained,
and the prayer that results from a
tremendous struggle in the sensible
purgation is preferable to all prayers
made with ease and consolation.

The second manner of purgation 2. Obses-

is that of diabolical assaults. This “””
amounts to obsession in the literal
sense of being besieged, and is a state
148 A HANDBOOK OF

less serious than full possession, in

which the evil spirit is conceived as
entering into the body and the fantasy,
and therefrom troubling even the
spiritual faculties which it has no
power actually to enter. Possession
in this full sense is a means of punish-
ment rather than of purgation, and, as
it does not in any way make for con-
templation, is never included in the
methods of purification. Obsession,
on the other hand, is a very definite
method of purgation before contem-
plation, consisting as it does in per-
petual assaults of one or more spirits
of evil, permitted by God to stand, as
it were, round the sufferer and assail
him with torments and temptations.
The spirits are not conceived as enter-
ing into the body or the fantasy as
conquerors, and have therefore no
control over either of them, as is the
case in possession, though they may
enter in from time to time for the
purpose of arousing temptations and
causing pain. It is the continuance
 MYSTICAL THEOLOGY 149

and ferocity of these assaults which

distinguish obsession as a manner of
purgation from the normal liability
of every man to endure intermittent
attacks from the spirit of evil; it
becomes, in fact, an habitual condition
while the purgation is in progress,
and constitutes in effect one of those
humiliations which inevitably precede
every great exaltation. The details
of these assaults are innumerable,
and comprise all the catalogue of ills
of which the records of Sanctity are
full. Visions and sounds of hideous
beasts and of the spirits of evil them-
selves, blasphemies and suggestions
of impurity heard in the air, dumbness
and inability to eat, incredible suffer-
ings and experiences in the body,
unusually violent distractions and
inhibitions at time of prayer—in any
or all of these ways the obsession may
be experienced. They should be met, How it
if possible, by contempt, and by an withstood.
absolute surrender to God _ with
perfect faith in His omnipotence, for
150 A HANDBOOK OF

of all the means of self-defence resig-

nation is the most effective. Prayer
should be continued at all costs, and
the suffering itself made the subject
of an offering to God, and it has been
found that of all the immediate
methods of putting the evil spirit to
flight, the use of Holy Water is most
efficacious. Exorcism is of no avail
for any length of time in these cases,
though it may afford temporary relief,
for the obsession is definitely per-
mitted as a means of purification, and
will cease when that has been effected.
For similar reasons the advice of
ordinary doctors is generally useless,
though it is often difficult to decide
when the illness is purely natural and
when it is part of the purgation. The
best test is to notice whether it causes
inability to perform spiritual exercises
and leaves the patient more or less
unaffected at other times, and also to
see whether the spiritual remedies,
such as Holy Water, are effective or
not. If they are, and the spiritual
 MYSTICAL THEOLOGY 151

exercises are especially interfered

with by the illness, it is safe to
conclude that the trouble is due to
purgation, in which case ordinary
medical advice will be not only use-
less, but possibly harmful.
But the purgative obsession is not Its
confined to physical difficulties. The
most intimate and vital beliefs are as-
sailed by doubts; immortality appears
a dream of folly and any conviction of
the goodness of God the ultimate irony,
while the very fundamental faith in the
mere possibility of mystical progress is
lost. Hope disappears with the feeling
that everything has been lost and God
estranged, so that in the abyss of
despair suicide appears the only gate
of peace. This blackness of despair
is the most insidious of all the temp-
tations of purgation, and though it
should not lead to the extreme of
suicide, it frequently leads to its very
brink. There is in particular a temp-
tation to insult and blaspheme all
that has hitherto been held most
132 A HANDBOOK OF
sacred, though at the same time the
horror of such behaviour is realised,
and it is vividly resented. A violent
reaction takes place against all the
previous efforts which have been
made to gain some degree of self-
control, with the result that the
passions break out again with renewed
energy, and the final touch of horror
is added by a sudden increase in the
susceptibility of the conscience, so
that the normal fear of sinning is
tremendously exaggerated. It must
be remembered that obsession does
not necessarily take all the above
forms in any particular case—they
are the repertory, rather, from which
the trials are chosen—and the best
counsel that can be suggested is
that some action directly opposed to
the particular temptation should be
attempted, and that everything should
be accepted with resignation and
offered to Godin sacrifice. To attempt
to argue with the spirits of evil is the
first step towards surrender,
 MYSTICAL THEOLOGY 153

There remain, as a means of sen- 3. Natural

sible purgation, whatever troubles may seman
arise through natural causes when
they are especially sent for the purpose
of purification, the natural cause being
simply the channel that has been
chosen, and the purgation working
through it. It may take the form of
illness, or the unexpected loss of
friends or money, whereby a certain
degree of detachment from such things
should be produced in the person
suffering ; or again it may come under
the guise of ill-treatment and persecu-
tion. This is its most usual form, and
the sources of the persecution may,
of course, be various. It may come
from enemies or very often from
friends, but it comes in its most
unexpected form when it is suffered
at the hands of admittedly righteous
people. Confessors, Directors, and all
the Servants of God, by misdirection
in spiritual matters, may be used as
the means of persecution, of which
the purpose is finally to root up all
 154 A HANDBOOK OF

care and interest about personal re-

putation and honour before men.
eterna The duration of the purgation of the
Poreatia ,, senses differs, as do all the details
of the contemplative life, with every
individual, so that no probable period
can be indicated during which this
painful purification will be suffered.
There have been cases in which it
lasted for comparatively short periods,
such as two or five years, and others
in which it has extended over as many
as fifteen or twenty. But whatever
Bywhat if) its extent, it is generally followed by
the gift of infused contemplation, and,
as Saint John of the Cross says, by
great liberty and fullness and sweet-
ness of spirit. The weariness of the
faculties and the tedium of discursive
thought are replaced by the peace of
contemplation, in which there is for
the first time some consciousness of
the illumination of the spiritual part.
It follows naturally that the Thirst of
Love, the passionate desire for God,
* The Dark Night of the Soul, Book 2, ch. 1.
 MYSTICAL THEOLOGY 155
will ie Baiedenced an this Hats
and that the characteristics of the
succeeding grades of contemplation—
visions, locutions, even ecstasies and
raptures and levitation—will be met
with after the cessation of this purga-
tion. Such experiences are, however,
generally intermittent, being inter-
rupted from time to time by foretastes
of the second and spiritual purgation
which has yet to be undergone; and
the reception of high spiritual com-
munications at this time is normally
attended by some physical discomfort,
because the purgation of the senses is
not considered to be final and complete
in itself, but to be perfected only in
the purgation of the spirit.

B. Passive Purgation of the Spirit.

One of the purposes of the second The
es
and spiritual purgation is, therefore, ofthe
finally to cleanse the sensitive part Its
from all its remaining imperfections,
and to root out utterly the defects
that have already been brought under
156 A HANDBOOK OF

control. A further purpose is the

cleansing of the spiritual part, which
has been virtually untouched by the
sensible purgation, for neither Simple
nor Perfect Union (to both of which
the second purgation is preliminary)
are possible while any of these im-
perfections remain. There is still a
tendency for the mind to wander from
a strict attention to God and to
concern itself with creation rather
than the Creator, as well as some
degree of blindness which results in
a liability to deception in the matter
of visions and locutions, and a confi-
dence in them which they do not merit.
These are more particularly defects
on the part of the intellect, but
the will also is in need of further
purification. A certain measure of
attachment to the graces and con-
solations of God remains, accompanied
by sufficient self-love to cause self-
satisfaction about their reception, and
detachment even from divine consola-
tions must be attained before the
 MYSTICAL THEOLOGY 157

Union is possible. Finally, the ten-

dency to act in accordance with the
natural inclinations of the faculties
must be replaced by complete con-
formity with the will of God, for with-
out this the divine action necessary to
the Union will be rendered impossible.
On the face of it, it seems impossible
to imagine anything worse than the
pains of the first purgation, but those
of the purgation of the spirit are
beyond comparison more appalling.
It is a condition in which the soul
seems to dissolve in the atrocity of its
distress, from which death would be
a merciful release, for the suffering
can only fitly be compared with the
pain of Purgatory and Hell. It
follows, aS a rule, the consolations The Time
which succeed the first purgation, Occur
though in rare cases! both purgations
may be suffered simultaneously: but
it must be remembered that just
because the number of souls arriving
at the state of Union is small compared
1 e.g., Angela of Foligno.
 158 A HANDBOOK OF

with the number which arrive at the

lower grades of infused contemplation,
so the number which undergo the
spiritual purgation, which is prepara-
tory to the Union, is smaller than the
number which pass through the purga-
tion of the senses, which is precedent
to those lower grades.
The manner in which the purgation
Purgation.
of the spirit is experienced is, in the
first place, by spiritual aridity. This
is a privation of all accidental spirit-
ual devotion,’ so that, while the sub-
stantial devotion continues in full
force, there is yet no consciousness of
it either in the spirit or the senses.
The essential part of devotion re-
mains, that is, so that the readiness
for sacrifice and the great love of God
persist; but as no reflection of this
finds its way into the spirit or the
senses, the only sensation is one of
Purgative tedium and emptiness. This is not
Illumina-
tion, in itself, however, a purgation of
sufficient severity for the attainment
1 See p. 139.
 MYSTICAL THEOLOGY 159

of Perfect Union, which necessitates

a further purification by means of a
light of high contemplation, which at
first, by its very brilliance shining on
the imperfections of the soul, ob-
scures and hurts it in all its parts,
but later, when the purification has
been accomplished and the imperfec-
tions removed, becomes the illumina-
tion of the Perfect Union with God.
It may take a slightly different form, Another
as with Saint Teresa, and appear asa
light of contemplation in which there
is a momentary experience of God,
to be followed instantly by the realisa-
tion of His infinite farness. It is not
a process of the fantasy, but an effect
of the purgative illumination in the
intellect, and constitutes a Wound of Wound of
Love of a different kind from those ~~”
mentioned in connection with the
Spiritual Marriage. Its effect is
entirely spiritual, and the agony of
the separation is so great that to the
sufferer it seems that death must
follow immediately. Strictly it is only
160 A HANDBOOK OF

known as a Wound of Love when it

is felt suddenly, the name of Faintness
or Languor of Love being used for
the same experience when it ap-
proaches gradually. The purgation
in both cases consists of the unfulfilled
longing aroused by such a sight—
Saint Teresa’s own expression is that
the soul is crucified between heaven
and earth—though in the Wound of
Love it is accompanied, strangely
enough, by a certain sweetness and
love. In this case again the illumina-
tion is that by which the Perfect Union
is ultimately accomplished, and from
this last fact it results that in the
ordinary course the Perfect Union
will follow such purgations, for the
soul is already in possession of the
light essential to that state.
The illumination constituting this
second manner of spiritual purgation,
whatever form it may take, is the
Divine Darkness of Dionysius the
Areopagite, and appears to the con-
templative as darkness because of its
 MYSTICAL THEOLOGY 161

own purity and brilliance and his im-

perfect capacity to receive it. It is
so bright that it blinds him, and this
darkness extends to all parts of his
personality. Its effect on the intellect Etfects of
: the Illu-
has been seen in the blindness in mination.
which nothing can be clearly perceived,
and the will is afflicted by total in-
ability to contemplate anything but
the hideous imperfections of the soul.
They stand out with a new and amaz-
ing clearness in the light of the divine
illumination, and result in a conviction
of absolute abandonment by God.
The memory is unable to contribute
any comfort, for all remembrance
which might afford consolation is
blotted out, and only the memory of
pain and agony remains. Even the
recollection of divine consolations in
the past only serves to aggravate the
condition in the present, for it is ac-
companied by a feeling of certainty
that they will never be experienced
again. The pain, it is seen, originates
in the spiritual faculties, but all its
If
 162 A HANDBOOK OF

agonising effects are felt to their full

in the sensitive appetite. In addition
to the actual distress of the faculties,
they are in a sense bound, and unable
to fulfil their ordinary duties. Both
the intellect and the will are so closely
concerned with their own imperfec-
tions that the one is incapable of any
contemplation of the things of heaven,
and the other can concern itself neither
with the things of heaven nor those
of earth, except in both cases ina
manner so dry and difficult as to
suffice for the vindication of freedom,
and not for any comfort or consolation.
The memory is in a worse condition
still, for the recollection of its own
defects so engrosses it that it is quite
incapable of attending to anything else,
and has long fits of absolute blank-
ness, while the sensitive appetite feels
no kind of enthusiasm either for God
or any part of creation. In a word,
it is to ail intents and purposes a
Duration
re) condition of abject hopelessness which
Spiritual
Purgation. precedes a fulfilment beyond all hope,
 MYSTICAL THEOLOGY 163

and, though there is no universal rule,

it generally continues for some years.
There are in many cases intervals
which serve for recuperation, in which
it is occasionally felt that the trials are
finally over. They are foretastes of
the real and positive purpose of the.
illumination, but where they occur the
spiritual purgation is spread over a
longer period than in the cases where
there is no break, until the purification
has been fully accomplished.
The effect of this stupendous trial tts E®ects,
is to purify the soul from precisely
those imperfections which were men-
tioned as persisting after the sensible
purgation had been completed, and to
enable the contemplative to abandon
himself, indifferent and destitute, into
the hands of God, as clay in the hands
of a potter.
During the progress of the purga- The Burn-
tion, and in proportion as the purifica- "*"'°"*
tion proceeds, the flames of love for
God which burn without ceasing in
the substance of the soul, even during
164 A HANDBOOK OF
the most tremendous desolation, begin
to make themselves felt in the part in
which the soul is conscious. It isa
penetration into the realm of con-
sciousness of that which has continued,
unnoticed yet without a break, in the
will—the pure substantial devotion
combines again with some measure of
accidental spiritual devotion, and with
this accidental devotion the fire of
longing fills all the activities of the
soul with a passion of desire for God.
The need for God fills every thought
and is present in every action, so that
there is no peace or satisfaction until
He is found. The souls pictured as
touched with the realisation of this
desire at a moment when it is at the
very depth of dryness and spoliation,
and the violence and energy with which
it responds are a natural result of the
sterility in which it resided; it is as
though a flash of divine light broke
through the darkness of self-disgust,
and the desire leaps up in a frenzy of
hope renewed. And when the purga-
 MYSTICAL THEOLOGY 165

tion draws towards its appointed end

and the intellect has been greatly
purified among the shadows of its
desolation, there is felt in that faculty
a foretaste, or rather a beginning, of
the divine union to which the purgation
leads, and the sweet savour of God is
experienced in a peaceful and quiet
illumination. In this connection it
should be noticed that the intellectual
illumination is preceded by the re-
awakening of love and desire in the
conscious part, and that the periods
of elevation are intermittent only—
periods, as it were, when the curtain
of suffering is raised, and the soul
becomes momentarily conscious of
the work of preparation that is being
carried out. Such periods must, of
course, be received with a due detach-
ment, for a too great anxiety in their
respect will only produce bonds of
attachment which will be in their turn
the subject of further purgation. The
desire, moreover, and the infused love
for God which are felt, are not a mere
 166 A HANDBOOK OF

repetition of the desires experienced

at the completion of the sensible purga-
tion, for those were of the senses, but
these are of the spirit demanding a
spiritual fulfilment.
The Signs
of Suffering
Just as in the case of the former
being part
of the Pur-
purgation so in the present one, all
gation. pain and distress must not be taken
as constituting the spiritual purifica-
tion. It is indicated in general only
when certain conditions are fulfilled,
of which the chief are:
1. That the suffering has been pre-
ceded by the purgation of the senses,
and the illuminative state consequent
thereon. This condition obviously
need not be satisfied in the rare
cases where the two purgations occur
simultaneously.
2. That the soul is so deeply con-
cerned about its own imperfections
that it is incapable of meditation or
contemplation, and as a consequence
experiences such a degree of spiritual
distress as very nearly results in
death. It goes without saying that
 MYSTICAL THEOLOGY 167
this distress must be caused by the
fear of having offended God, and the
fear and conviction of having been
abandoned by Him.
3. That in spite of this fear and de-
jection there is so strong a love for
God that any suffering would be
undertaken for His sake, and any
possible thing done rather than offend
Him.
4. That physical pain and the perse-
cutions of men are so outweighed by
the interior suffering that the edge of
their intensity is to a large extent
blunted.
5. That during the progress of the
purgation the flame of spirituai love
and desire already mentioned is
experienced.
In spite of the inexpressibly greatervied
horror of the second purgation, it is Purgation
nevertheless a less dangerous condi- dangerous
tion to be in, if it be supported with Fureation
willingness and resignation, than the Senses.
purgation of the senses, for throughout
the whole period the infused love for
168 MYSTICAL THEOLOGY
ee eee
God both strengthens and supports
the soul, although there may be no
conscious knowledge of this. It is an
advantage, too, that the faculties, both
rational and sensitive, should be bound,
for inasmuch as all evil arises from a
misuse of the faculties, the probability
of definite sin is lessened by their
being rendered largely inoperative.
For the darkness in which they func-
tion results not from; a loss of light,
but from so great an increase and
fullness of illumination that they are
virtually blinded by it, although in
that very light they are nearer God
and His protection. The final safe-
guard is that the progress in the
second purgation is a progress in
suffering which is the greater and
the more acute for being spiritual,
and is therefore of more efficacy for
the thorough purification which in the
ultimate event makes the soul one
and the same thing with God.
 INDEX
Active Life, 44.
Angela of Foligno, 157 note.
Angelic Intercourse, 122.
Anxiety of Love, 62.
Aridity, 30, 105, 111.
as a manner of sensible purgation, 137, 139.
effects of, 143.
general considerations as to, 145.
“ how caused, 140.
when indicating contemplation, 142.
practically none in Spiritual Marriage, 89.
spiritual, 158.
when a part of purgation, 141.
Beatific Vision, see Vision.
Betrothal of the soul, 78, 79.
Burning of Love, 163.

Concentration, 75.
Concupiscible Faculty, 22.
Contemplation, 27, 29, 44.
acquired, 33, 37.
by Affirmation and Negation, 36, 113.
co-operation of the fantasy in, 38-40.
definition of, 31.
difference between acquired and infused, 35.
difference of, from meditation, 31, 42.
distinct and indistinct grades of, 45, 98.
effects of, 42.
essential qualities of, 41.
following on purgation, 154.
infused, 34, 38.
infused, necessary to Union, 65.
infused, not to be desired or sought, 95.
need of grace for, 25.
169
170 A HANDBOOK OF
Contemplation (contd.)— _
not necessary to perfection, 29. _
not to be attempted deliberately, id., 33.
preceded by meditation, 33.
predispositions to, 43.
purely intellectual, 4o.
readiness for, signs of, 30.
the free gift of God, 17, 33, 46, 68, 97.
when indicated by aridities, 142.
Contemplative Life, 44.
Devotion, three kinds of, 139, 145, 158, 164.
Dionysius the Areopagite, 113, 160.
Divine Darkness, see Vision in Darkness.
Divine Touches, 63.
effect of, 64.
tests for genuineness of, 64.
Ecstasy, 36, 73, 115, 155.
difference of, from Rapture, 74, 77.
difference of, from Spiritual Sleep, 61.
difference of, from Union of Love, 74.
effects of, 75.
faculties of the soul in, 75.
how it may be recognised, 76.
imperfect, 70. 2
natural, 75.
Exorcism of no avail in obsession, 150.
Faintness of Love, 160.
Fantasy, 19, 21.
co-operation of, in contemplation, 38-40.
in aridity, 140.
in Ecstasy, 74.
in imaginary locutions, 116.
in imaginary visions, 106.
in intellectual visions, 108-9.
in Rapture, 77.
in revelations, 126.
in Spiritual Marriage, 89.
in Spiritual Silence, 49.
in Spiritual Sleep, 60.
in Union, 67.
 MYSTICAL THEOLOGY 171
Fantasy (contd.)—
in Union of Love, 68.
Flame of Love, go.
Grace—
actual, 26-7.
need of, for contemplation, 25.
sanctifying, 26.
Habits, infused and acquired, 26.
Holy Spirit, gifts of, 27.
Holy Water for combating obsession, 150.
Hurt of Love, gr.
Illumination, 124-5, 127, 165.
a test of Rapture, 83.
purgative, 158-162.
effects of, 16r.
Imagination, 19-21, 23.
in Prayer of Quiet, 52-3.
in Rapture, 78.
in Spiritual Silence, 49, 50.
Intellect, 17, 23, 27, 50-1, 156.
in aridity, 140.
in intellectual visions, 108-10.
in Perfect Intoxication, 57.
in Prayer of Quiet, 52-3.
in Prayer of Recollection, 46.
in purgation, 165.
in purgative illumination, 159, 161-2.
in Rapture, 77, 79.
in Spiritual Silence, 49, 51.
in Spiritual Sleep, 59, 60.
in successive locutions, 118.
in Union, 67.
in Union of Love, 68.
Interior Senses, see Senses.
Intoxication of Love—
imperfect, 55.
effects of, 56.
perfect, 56.
duration and effects of, 58.
Irascible Faculty, 22.
172 A HANDBOOK OF
Languor of Love, 160.
Levitation, 81, 94, 155.
Locutions, 41, 45, 142, 155-6.
auricular, 116, 126.
imaginary, 116, 126.
formal, r19.
signs of genuineness of, 120.
substantial, 121.
illusion impossible in, 122.
successive, I17.
always received in prayer, 118.
effects of, 119.
intellectual, 122.
effects of, 124.
how produced, 123.

Maher, M., S.J., 20 note, 24 note.

Meditation, 29, 30, 136, 139, 142-3, 146, 166.
difference of, from contemplation, 31, 42.
not to be given up lightly, 31, 47.
Memory, 17, 23.
in Perfect Intoxication, 57.
in Prayer of Quiet, 52.
in pureaive illumination, 161-2.
in Spiritual Sleep, 60. 3
in Union, 67.
Moral Virtues strengthened by sensible purga-
tion, 145.
Music, 42.
Mystical Theology, Experimental and Doctrinal,
15-17.
Natural Troubles as a means of purgation, 153.

Obsession, 147.
how occurring, 148-9, I5I.
how to be recognised, 150.
how to be withstood, 149, 152.

Paz, Alvarez de, 32.

Perfumes, 42.
Possession not a means of purgation, 148.
 MYSTICAL THEOLOGY 173
ee
e

ua ee 44, 48, spo

always possible, in spite of aridity, 147.
of Quiet, 50. eine
duration of, 53,
effects of, 53.
of Recollection, 46, 49.
effects of, 48.
Prophecy, 125, 128.
Psychological Basis, 17-24.
summary of, 25.
table of, 18. ~
Purgation—
active, 133.
passive, 134.
of the senses, 135-6, 166.
- contemplation impossible without, 138.
duration of, 154.
effects of, 143.
followed by contemplation, 154.
necessity for, 137.
three manners of, 138.
of the spirit, 135, 155.
by illumination, 158-62.
duration of, 162.
effects of, 163.
followed by Perfect Union, 160.
how recognised, 166.
less dangerous than that of the senses, 167.
manners of, 158.
when occurring, 157.
two kinds of, 135.
Purgative Illumination, see Illumination.
Rapture, 36, 76, 115, 155.
betrothal of the soul in, 78.
difference of, from Spiritual Marriage, id.
duration of, 80.
in Spiritual Marriage, 93.
levitation in, 81.
physical effects of, id.
spiritual effects of, 82.
to whom conceded, 79.
174 A HANDBOOK OF
Rapture (contd. )—
visions in, 77, 82.
Revelations, 45, 124.
how produced, 125-7.
how to be treated, 130.
purpose of, 127.
signs of genuineness of, 128.
Richard of St Victor, 66.

Saint Bernard, 88, 94.

Saint Francis of Assisi, 92.
Saint John of the Cross, 30, 66, 85, 88, 90, 94,
141, 154.
Saint iene 5], eo 57, 83, 85, 87, 92, 94, 132
note, 159-60
Saint Thomas Aquinas, 17, 139.
Sense—
cogitative, 19, 2I.
common, 19, 20.
Senses—
appetitive, 19.
cognitive, 19-21.
exterior, 19, 42, 142.
in corporeal visions, 99-102,
in Intoxication of Love, 55-
in natural Ecstasy, 75.
in Prayer of Quiet, 51.
in Prayer of Recollection, 47.
in Rapture, 77-80.
in Spiritual Sleep, 509.
in Union of Love, 69.
interior, 19-22, 42, 142.
in imaginary visions, 117.
in Prayer of migra ay 47.
in Rapture, 77-80
Sever ee epi 21, 49, 55, 74, 117, 135, 145,
actions of, 22.
difference ‘of, from will, 24.
Sensitive Memory, 19, 20.
Spark of Love, 58.
Species, Theory of, 19-25, 39.
 MYSTICAL THEOLOGY 175
Spiritual Director, Necessity of, 16.
Spiritual Marriage, 61, 70, 115, 159.
difference of, from Rapture, 78.
effects of, 88.
graces in, go.
interchange of gifts in, gr.
manner of, 85.
permanence of, 84.
possibility of sin in, 85.
Rapture in, 93.
visions in, 86-88.
Spiritual Silence, 49, 51.
duration of, 50.
effects of, 50.
Spiritual Sleep, 41, 59.
difference of, from Ecstasy, 61.
effects of, 60.
Stigmata, 92.
tests for reality of, 93.
Suarez, P., 75.
Thirst of Love, 61, 154.
effects of, 63.
Touches, see Divine Touches.
Union, 36, 45, 58, 63, 65-68.
actual, 85.
definition of, 65.
habitual, 85.
imperfect, 52.
implied in Rapture, 78.
not necessary to perfection, 68.
perfect, 54, 156, 159-60, and see Spiritual
Marriage.
simple, see Union of Love.
with God Unknown, 114.
Union of Love, 41, 61, 68, 84, 115, 156.
effects of, 70.
how recognised, 72.
Vision, Beatific, 69 and note, 80, 95
Vision in Darkness, 38, 113, 160.
characteristics of, 115.
176 MYSTICAL THEOLOGY
Visions, 45, 142, 155-6.
corporeal, 99, 116, 126.
how produced, 100.
how to be received, 104.
purpose of, ror.
subject of, 100.
imaginary, 99, 126.
duration of, 107.
how produced, 106.
how to be received, 104.
in Rapture, 77, 82.
in Spiritual Marriage, 87.
signs of genuineness of, 108.
intellectual, 41, 99, 123.
distinct and indistinct, 111.
duration of, 112.
how produced, 108.
how to be received, rro-r.
illusion impossible in, 110.
in Rapture, 82, 86.
in Spiritual Marriage, 86-8, 111.
of the Trinity indwelling, 86, go.
subject of, 110.
not to be desired, 103. :
signs of divine origin of, 102.
to be resisted, 104.
Will, 17, 23, 27, 156.
difference of, from sensitive appetite, 24.
during purgation, 164.
in Pants Intoxication, 57.
in Prayer of Quiet, 51-2, 54.
in Prayer of Recollection, 46.
in purgative illumination, 161-2.
in Rapture, 80.
in Spiritual Silence, 49.
in Spiritual Sleep, 59, 60.
in Union of Love, 68-9.
Wound of Love, 159-60, and see Stigmata.
 RELIGION/CHRISTIAN MYSTICISM

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