The Dialogue

Of the imperfection of those who live tepidly in religion, because they guard against mortal sin only ; and of the remedy by which they can be cured of their tepidity.

" How many are these, dearest daughter, who live thus to-day in this ship ?

" Many, for there are but few of the opposite sort, that is to say, who are truly obedient. There are, however, between those who are perfect and these wretches, a goodly number of those who live in an ordinary way in their order, neither perfectly as they ought, nor wickedly ; preserving, that is to say, their conscience in that they do not sin mortally, but living in tepidity and coldness of heart. Wherefore, if these do not exercise themselves a little in the observance of the order, they are in great danger, and stand in need of much watchfulness, and of being roused from their tepidity, for if they remain as they are they are very apt to fall, and even if they do not fall, they live according to their own choice and human pleasure, under colour of a religious life, studying rather to observe the ceremonies of the order, than the order itself — so that often through their scanty light they will be disposed to judge those who observe the order more perfectly than they do, though fulfilling the ceremonies to which they are so devoted with less perfection. Wherefore, in every way it is dangerous for them to remain in this commonplace obedience ; for they coldly fulfil their obediences with much labour and pain, because to a cold heart it is wearisome to endure anything, and however much they may endure, they have but little fruit of it. They offend against their own perfection on which they have entered, and which they are bound to observe, and although they do less evil than those others of whom I have spoken to thee, they yet do evil. For they did not leave the world to content themselves with the key of obedience in general, but in order to unlock the door of Heaven with the special key of the obedience of

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their order, which should be fastened with the cord of selfcontempt to the girdle of humility, as has been said, and held tightly in the hand of burning love. Thou must know, dearest daughter, that these are indeed fit to reach great perfection if they choose, because they are nearer to it than those other wretches, but in another sense it is harder to raise them from their imperfections, than the wicked man from his sin. Dost thou know why ? Because the sinner knows clearly that he does evil, and his conscience shows it him, and self-love which has weakened him is the reason why he does not struggle to abandon the sin which he sees to be evil, with a natural light. Wherefore if you ask such a one — ' Dost thou not know it to be evil to do this ?' He will reply — ' Yes, but so great is my fragility that I do not seem able to escape from it.' It is not indeed true, for with My help he can escape if he wish ; nevertheless, he knows that he is doing wrong, which knowledge renders it easy for him to abandon his sin, if he really wills to do so. But these tepid ones who neither do much harm nor much good do not recognise their state of obedience, nor how uncertain is their position ; not knowing it they take no pains to rise from it nor do they care to have it pointed out to them, and indeed, even when it is shown them, they remain bound by the chain of habit and custom through the coldness of their heart. How shall they be made to rise from their condition ? Let them take self-knowledge and hatred of their own pleasure and reputation and place them as fuel on the fire of My divine charity, betrothing them selves afresh, as they did when they entered the order, to the spouse of true obedience with the ring of holy faith, and let them no longer sleep in that state which is very displeasing to Me and dangerous to them. Rightly can the word be said to them, Be accursed, ye who are luke warm ; if only ye were altogether cold ; if ye do not amend, I will vomit you out of My mouth. And how will this happen ? In the way which I have told thee, for if they do not rise they are apt to fall, and if they fall they will be reprobated by Me. I would prefer that they should be as ice, that is to say, that they should have remained in the world under

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general obedience, which is, as it were, a block of ice, compared with the fire of the truly obedient. Wherefore I said, If only you were cold. I have explained the words to thee in order that thou mightest not fall into the error of thinking that I would rather that a man should be in the ice of mortal sin, than in the tepidity of imperfection. No, it is not possible for Me to wish any man to be in sin, for the poison of sin has no place in Me ; on the contrary, sin displeased Me so much in man, that I did not let it pass without punishment, and since man was not sufficient to endure the pain due to his sin — I rent the Word — My only begotten Son, and He obediently worked out this pain in His own body. Let them arise therefore and exercise themselves in watching and humble and continual prayer — let them look at their order, and on their founders who were men as they are, fed by the same food, bound in the same way, and having the same God then as now. My Power has not grown weak ; My will desires your salvation no less than theirs ; My wisdom has not grown dim, but still illuminates you, so that you may know My truth. There fore they can rise if they will — if, that is to say — they will place their state before the eye of their intellect, piercing the cloud of self-love, and running in the light with those who are perfectly obedient. In this way they will join them, but in no other — so this is their remedy."