That he who intends to become a Spiritual Man must first use much Bodily Exercise in Penance, and in Destroying of sin
DEAR BROTHER IN CHRIST,—There be in the holy Church two kinds of life, by the which Christian souls do serve and please God, and procure their own salvation. The one is corporal, the other spiritual.
Corporal working appertains principally to the men and women of the world, who for the nature of their estate do lawfully use worldly goods, and intermeddle and deal with worldly businesses and affairs. This life also belongs to all young beginners in spirituality who be but newly converted from sensual and worldly sins to the service of God; and this life is to dispose and enable such persons for spiritual working, by taming the body by corporal works and exercises, and thereby bringing it into obedience and subjection to the spirit, whereby it may become supple and ready, and not much contrarious to the spirit in her spiritual exercisings; for as St Paul saith, that woman was made for man, and not man for woman. Even so corporal working was ordained for spiritual, and not spiritual working for corporal. Corporal working is to go before, and spiritual working comes after, as the same St Paul saith in these words: That is not first which is spiritual, but that which is sensible (or corporal), afterwards comes that which is spiritual. And the reason why it should be so is this, that we are born in sin and in corruption of the flesh, by the which we are in souls so blinded and so overlaid that we neither have the spiritual sight or knowing of God by light of understanding, nor the spiritual tasting or feeling of Him by a clean desire of loving; and therefore we cannot suddenly start out of the dark night of this fleshly corruption into the spiritual light; for we are not as yet able to endure such spiritual light, by reason of the sickness of our souls, any more than we can with our bodily eyes, when they are sore, behold and look upon the light of the sun; and for that cause we must expect and work by degrees and process of time. First, by corporal works diligently, till we be discharged, or much lightened, or eased from this heavy burden of sin and sensuality, that hinders us from spiritual working; and till our souls be somewhat cleansed from great outward sins, and enabled for spiritual workings.
By the corporal working that I speak of, you must understand that I mean all manner of good works or deeds that your soul does by the senses or the members of your body, either upon or towards yourself, as in fasting, watching, or in restraining your fleshly or sensual desires, by penance-doing, or other acts of mortification. Or upon, or towards your Christian brother, in performance of the works of mercy, spiritual or corporal. Or to, or towards God Himself, by suffering (for the love of Him and His justice) all manner of bodily pains and afflictions that shall occur for you to undergo, either as immediately from His own hands, or by the means and from the hands of other creatures of His. All these kind of works done in faith and out of charity (without which they are of no worth) do please God. Therefore whoso desires to become a spiritual man, it will be securest and profitable for him that he be first, for a long time, well exercised in these corporal workings, for these corporal deeds are practices and tokens of moral virtues, without which a soul is not able to work spiritually. Break down first pride within you by bodily sufferings and bearings, and also by thinking in your mind of something that will help to humble you; and, moreover, by eschewing and avoiding all ostentations, boastings, or praising of yourself, either privately by yourself in your mind, or by your words or external deeds, or carriage towards, or with others; by this means casting away and mortifying within you all vainglory and complacence in thyself for any talent, gift, or thing corporal or spiritual that God hath bestowed on you. Also mortify and destroy within you, so soon as you are able, all envy and anger towards your Christian brothers; whether they be rich or poor, good or bad, hate them not, nor disdain them, nor willingly offend them by words or by deeds. Likewise destroy and mortify in you all coveting of worldly goods, and see that neither for the getting, or holding, nor saving of them, you do not offend your conscience, nor break truth with God, or your Christian brother, for the love of any earthly thing; but what you get, or have, keep it without inordinate love or affection to it, and spend it as reasonable occasions shall require, for the honour of God, and the help of your Christian brother. Mortify also, and destroy as much as you can, all yielding to bodily sloth, and unnecessary bodily ease, and the sensual vices of gluttony and luxury, with the inordinations that rise out of them. And after that you have been well exercised and tried in all such kind of corporal works, you may then by the grace of God, ordain you and apply you to spiritual working.
The grace and goodness of our Lord Jesus Christ, that He hath showed to you, in withdrawing of your heart from the love and liking of worldly vanity, and from the use of fleshly and sensual sins, and in turning of your will entirely to His service, brings into mine heart much matter to love Him in His mercy; and also it greatly moves and urges me to strengthen you in your good purpose, and in the work which you have begun between you and God, so that it may be brought to a good end. And so far as may be in my power to help you in it, my best endeavours in it I shall most willingly afford you, first and principally for the service and honour of God, and next in requital of your tender affection of love you bear to me, though I be a wretch, and unworthy of your love or favour. I know well the desire of your heart, as how that you greatly covet to serve our Lord both in soul and body, fully and wholly, without intermeddling or troubling yourself in worldly businesses, that so you may, by the grace of God, attain to more knowledge, and spiritual feeling of God, and of spiritual things. Such desire of yours is (as I hope) good, and from God, for it is set upon Him in charity spiritually. Nevertheless, as in regard of external matters and workings in them, such desire of yours is to be moderated and ruled with discretion, according to the nature and quality of your estate, which you are to regard in your spiritual intentions; for charity unruled, that is, not rightly ordered, turns sometimes into a fault or vice. And therefore it is said of our Lord by a holy soul in the holy Scripture: He hath ordered charity in me; that is to say, our Lord gives to me charity, hath set it in order and good rule within me, whereby it might not err in its exercise, nor be lost through my indiscreet doings. Even so the said desire and charity which our Lord hath wrought in you, out of His goodness and mercy, must be so ruled and moderated, that in the exercises of it, it do regard the nature of your estate and condition of life, and the manner of living, which in former time you have held, and the measure and quantity of virtues that now are in you. You must not altogether follow your said desire in giving over or neglecting those businesses and cares of the world that are necessary, and do belong to you, either for you upholding of your own person in his degree, or in the ruling or ordering of other persons or things that pertain to your charge, and give you wholly to retiredness, spiritual devotions and holy meditations, as if you were a Friar or Monk, or another man that were not bound (as you art) to the world by children or servants; for it is not for you to do so, and if you dost, then keep you not the order of charity. Also if you would altogether leave and forbear all spiritual exercises (especially now after the grace and calling that God hath given you for them) and give yourself wholly to the businesses of the world, in fulfilling of the works of the active life, as fully as do other men, that never felt such devotions nor had such grace or calling as you have, you do then leave the order of charity; for your state requires of you to attend to each of them in divers times. You shall mingle the works of active life with the spiritual works of the contemplative life, and then you do well; for you shall sometimes be busy, with Martha, for to order and govern your household, your children, your servants, your neighbours and your tenants. If they do well, comfort and help them therein; if they do amiss, then tell and teach them for their amendment, and chastise them as there shall be cause. You shall also wisely look after and know your things and your worldly goods, as that they be well and duly used or preserved by your servants, well ordered and reasonably spent, whereby you may the more plenteously, out of your temporal means, fulfil the deeds of mercy and charity towards your Christian brothers. Also you shall sometimes, with Mary, leave or lay aside the businesses of the world, and shall sit down at the feet of our Lord with humility, in prayers and holy thoughts, and in Contemplation of Him, according to the grace that He shall give you for it, and so you shall go from that one to that other, profitably and fruitfully, and fulfil them both; and so doing you observe well the order of charity.