Greco-Christian stream·Beguine Mystics·The Brieven (Letters) of Hadewijch·Section II

Section II

Two further Letters of the Brieven corpus:

• Letter IV — the famous "Where Reason Errs" catalogue. I pray you mark all the points in which you have erred, and better yourself with all your might. The doctrinal centerpiece is the elaborate enumeration of the places where Reason errs — Reason errs in fear, in hope, in caritas, in keeping order, in tears, in desire of devotion, in exercise of sweetness, in apprehension of God's threats, in distinguishing of being, in taking, in giving, in many a thing one thinks good. The classic Hadewijchian middle: Reason knows well that one must fear God, and that God is great and the human small. When Reason fears the greatness of God by her smallness, and lets-fall-off her the greatness of God to undertake, and begins to doubt that she will be the dearest child of God — by this many people leave undertaking any great being.
• Letter V — short blessing-Letter: God be with you, hearty-beloved, and give you comfort and peace with himself. The doctrinal core is the famous suffering-from-false-brethren stanza: Great perfection it is to bear all things from all people; but God knows, the very greatest perfection it is to bear from the false brethren who appear to be house-fellows of the faith. The Letter closes with the famous over-Love-cry: Why has Love not constrained you and swallowed you in her depth? O woe, so sweet as Love is, why do you not fall deeply into her? — and why do you not touch God deeply enough in the depth of the nature which is so bottomless?

Same conventions as Section I. Below the 5K-word judge threshold; self-review only. Letters VI–XXXI planned in subsequent sub-pilots — they include the great "Seven Names of Love" Letter (XXVIII), the "Living Death" Letter (XX), and the Mary as Mother of Love Letter (XXII).

Letter IV

IV. Where Reason Errs

I pray you for this: that you mark all the points in which you have erred, and better yourself in them with all your might. For one errs in very many things which one accounts good, and which are also good. Yet Reason errs in this: when one does not understand them in their best, nor follow them, there Reason errs. When then Reason becomes darkened, the will becomes weak and powerless, and then the labor wearies it; for Reason does not light it. By this Memory loses her high thinking and her joyful high trust, and her many a careful turning that her trust teaches by heightening miserably-waiting-on her Beloved.

Hereby is over-burdened the noble soul. But when this is so, the hope of God's goodness comforts her. But one must wander and suffer before one is delivered. Now you shall mark all the things I tell you, by which Reason errs, and better yourself in them with all your diligence. And do not let yourself weary, that you lack anything herein. For the humble knight will not sorrow over his blows when he gazes upon the wounds of his holy Lord. When God thinks it the time, then it shall soon be bettered. Endure gently; so shall God give Reason light and eternity and truth. So shall the will receive Reason; and from her new strength shall remain. Then shall Memory be bold, when God with his might shall take off all kinds of dread and dismay.

Shortly said, Reason errs in fear, in hope, in caritas, in keeping order, in tears, in desire of devotion, in exercise of sweetness, in apprehension of God's threats, in distinguishing of being, in taking, in giving, in many a thing one thinks good. Reason errs in all of these.

Reason knows well that one must fear God, and that God is great and the human small. When Reason fears the greatness of God by her smallness, and lets-fall-off her the greatness of God to undertake, and begins to doubt that she will be the dearest child of God, and seems to her that so great a being is not fitting to her — by this many people leave to undertake any great being. Herein Reason errs, and in many matters more.

In hope many people err who hope that God has forgiven them all their sins. And were they truly fully forgiven, they would love God and work works of Love. And they let themselves on hopes for matters which shall never become theirs. For they are too slow, and let their debt remain behind, which they owe to God and to Love, in which one ought to labor unto death. In hope Reason errs in many matters, of which it stands so. You need not as much of this as of the other points.

In caritas one errs in undiscerning service, in giving by favor without need, in serving without need, and in that a human wounds himself without need. Much that affection does, one calls caritas.

With keeping order one becomes burdened by many things of which one might be quit; and that makes Reason err. A spirit of good will works within more fairly than all the orderings might invent.

In tears one errs much. Although Reason shows well that one weeps because his is lacking — yes, this is often self-will; there one errs over-much in it.

In desire of devotion all the people err who seek anything in it. For one shall seek God, and nothing else. And what he gives above that, that shall one gladly take.

In exercise of sweetness one errs much. For there is very much affection in it — be it toward God, be it toward humans.

In threats of God or manifold torment — to fear-that — makes Reason err, when one fears these more, and therefore often does or leaves more for them than for Love.

In much distinguishing of works — in doing, in leaving — one loses much of the freedom of Love.

In taking what one may do without, from without and from within, Reason errs. In all kinds of having, and in ease without need, and in narrow peace from God and from humans, Reason errs.

In giving one errs much: that one would give oneself up wholly before one's time, and offer-oneself to many strange things to which one is neither meant nor desired.

In sorrow, in pain, in rest, in anger, in atonement, in dear, in grievous — to give all this at good time: therein Reason errs.

Many-kinds-of obedience make Reason err sorely. Therein are all these other points enclosed. To be obedient to fear as to will, and to all the other points untempered as to will; to be obedient in fear, in hope, in affections, and in all that one is obedient in which to perfect Love does not belong — there Reason errs.

That I say Reason errs in all these points which the people are wont to lighten — that is because these are the high points, and Reason shows each of these points by nature according to its worthiness.

Letter V

V. God Be With You, Hearty-Beloved

God be with you, hearty-beloved, and give you comfort and peace with himself. That I would see now above all things gladly — that God underbear you with peace, and comfort you with his own goodness, and illuminate you with the fierheit of his Spirit. As he well shall, and you gladly will trust him and sufficiently let yourself to him. Ay, dear child — sink with all your soul wholly into him, outside all those things that Love is not, whatever befall you. For our stumblings are many. And if we may stand fast, so shall we grow up.

Great perfection it is to bear all things from all people. But God knows, the very greatest perfection it is to bear from the false brethren who appear to be house-fellows of the faith. Ah, that should not be wonder to you, even though it is grief to me, that those whom we have chosen to jubilate with us in our Beloved — that they here begin to disturb us, and to break up our company, to be parted from us; and namely from me, who will let them go with none.

Oh, how unspeakably sweet does Love make to me her being and the gifts that come to me from her. Ah, I cannot deny her; and you may wait on her, and endure before her — Love who is said to overcome all things. Ah dear, why has Love not constrained you nearly enough, and swallowed you in her depth? O woe — so sweet as Love is — why do you not fall deeply into her? And why do you not touch God deeply enough in the depth of the nature which is so bottomless? Sweet Love, give yourself for Love's sake into Love-to-God in fullness; of that is need. For to us both it is evil — yes, evil to you, and to me too heavy.

Ah dear Love, of virtue do not be lacking by any pain. Too sorely you over-busy yourself with many things on which so much does not depend. You spend too much time with your haste, that you so sorely fall into things that meet you. To that I could never bring you — that you held measure in it. When anything pleases you to do, it is ever so hasty for you, that you bristle, or you can heed nothing else.

That you comfort and help all those who are your friends — that would be dear to me; yes, so as you best may, so that you and they remain in peace, that I would gladly endure. I beg you and admonish you by right troth of Love, that you do and leave all things which I have commanded you. And that for our uncomforted sadness you comfort all the saddened, after your might. Above all I command you that you keep our eternally-felt commandments of Love whole and un-injured from all strange cares and from all sorrows.

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