The Second Spiritual Work Is to Subdue the Proud

He shows strength with his arm and scatters them that are proud in the imagination of their heart.

Let no man be moved with this my true translation, in that I have translated above 'works mightily,' but here I say: he shows strength. For the cause why I so do, is that the words might be the plainer and easier to understand, which ought not to be bound either to time or place: but that the nature and works may be more freely uttered, the which he always has done, does, and shall do, so that it is as much as though I had said: God does so play the LORD, that his works prosper so mightily, that he scatters the proud, and gives mercy to those that fear him.

The arm of God is taken in scripture for his own power, by the which he works without any means of the creatures: the which is done privately and unlooked for, so that no man is aware of it, before it be dispatched: and that no man can know the same arm or power, except only by faith. Therefore, few do give credence to it, as Isaiah does complain in the 53rd Chapter, saying: Who gives credence to our preaching? Or to whom is the arm of the LORD known? All this is done (as it follows in the same place) because all things are wrought privately under an unequal appearance of such power. Habakkuk the prophet says also in his Chapter 3 that God has horns in his hands, meaning thereby his great strength: yet notwithstanding does he say that the same power is hid. But how is this done? Namely after this manner:

When God works by the means of creatures, then is it evidently seen where strength or feebleness is: of which is risen this proverb: God does aid the stronger part. Whatever prince therefore vanquishes the other, the same is he, through whom God does strike the other. If a wolf tear any man, or he get any damage otherwise, that same is done by the creatures. Of this wise does God make or destroy one creature by another. He that overcomes, overcomes: he that abides, abides. But whereas he himself works with his arm, there goes it otherwise to work: for there is the matter destroyed or made again, contrary to our opinion, no man perceiving it. This kind of working does he use in two sorts of men, namely good and wicked: for the good he suffers to be so feeble, strengthless and oppressed, that every man would think it were all done with them, and that they were at their [reconstructed: last extremity], and at the very same time is he strongly by them, and that so secretly, that they themselves that suffer cannot tell thereof, but believe it. There is the full strength and arm of God. For when the strength of man fails, then comes the power of God in: if faith only be there, waiting for the same. Now when the trouble is come to an end, then does it appear what strength lay hid under the feebleness. Of this wise (lo) was Christ destitute of strength on the cross and even then worked he exceeding great things, vanquishing sin, death, the world, hell and all evil. After this manner were all martyrs strong and overcame: and after this manner do all such as be troubled now a days overcome. For the which cause Joel says in Chapter 3: Let the weak man say, I am strong, but in faith, not in feeling, until it be near at hand come to an end.

Again, the other part suffers God to heave and exalt itself, withdrawing his power from them, and lets them be puffed up by reason of their own strength. For when man's power comes in, then goes the power of God out. But when the bladder is full, and every man thinks to have the better hand, then comes God suddenly, and pricks the bladder, whereby all is dashed. Those fools know not, that even when they rise and prosper, they are forsaken of God, and that God's arm is not with them. Therefore does their endeavor last an appointed season, and after that does it [reconstructed: fade] and vanish, like a bubble, and becomes as though it never had been, of which David (marveling in Psalm 77 how it happened that the wicked and ungodly became so rich, careless and mighty) at the last does say: I could not know this, until I went into the Sanctuary of God, and considered the end of these men, namely: how you have set them in a slippery place, that you may cast them down headlong, and destroy them. O how suddenly do they consume, perish, and come to a fearful end? Indeed even as a dream when one awakens, so make you their image to vanish out of the city. And again in Psalm 36 he says: I myself have seen the ungodly in great power, and flourishing like a green bay tree: but when I went by, lo, he was gone: I sought him, but he could no where be found.

Lack of faith is only the cause that we cannot also abide a little, or else should we see [reconstructed: clearly] how the mercy of God is with them that fear him, and the arm of God also against the proud with all force and strength. We faithless grope blindfold with our fist after the mercy of God and his arm. The which if we do not immediately feel, then do we even think all be lost of our part, and our enemies to have gotten the field: as though both God's mercy and grace were withdrawn from us, and his arm to be against us. And that comes thereby, because we know not his works, therefore we know not him, his mercy, nor his arm. It is necessary, and he will be known by faith. Therefore must the wit and reason be shut up, their eye offends us, we must therefore pluck it out, and cast it away.

Lo these are the two works of God repugnant each to other, wherein we are taught that to be the mind of God, that he be far from the wise and prudent, but be near to the foolish, which must suffer wrong. This makes God to be loved and praised, and comforts the soul, body and all powers.

Now consider the words: He scatters them that are proud in the imagination of their heart. This scattering or wasting is done (as it is said) when they are wisest of all, and most full of their own wisdom, for then surely the wisdom of God is gone. But what way can he scatter them better, than with depriving them of his eternal wisdom, and by permitting them to be filled with worldly and transitory wisdom? It is pithy that she says: them that are proud in the imagination of their heart, that is, such as their own mind and understanding (which not God, but their heart does minister) does greatly please, as though they only were the most just, wisest, and best: whereby they advance themselves above such as fear God, mispraising their opinion and right, reviling and persecuting them to the uttermost, so that their cause only must be just and abide. Which when they have obtained, they heave themselves to the clouds, as the Jews [illegible], that withstood Christ, and yet perceived not that their matter came to nothing thereby, and was despised, and Christ on the contrary to be exalted and set up to an exceeding glory. Thus do we see then that this verse speaks of spiritual goods, and teaches by what means the works of God are known on both parts, and teaches us also to embrace willingly the poverty of spirit, and to suffer injury, to permit to our adversaries their request, for they shall not long rejoice. Herein is a strong and sure promise that the proud shall not escape God's arm, they must be thrown down, though they heave themselves never so sorely, if we at the least be fully so persuaded. For where such faith is not, there does God not work such great works, but leaving them he works openly by creatures as is declared before. But these are not true works whereby he may be known, for the powers of the creatures are joined to them also: neither are they the bare works of God, which ought to be such as he works alone, without any foreign help, which is done when we are oppressed for our opinion and right, and suffer the power of God to use her will in us. These are his noble works.

Moreover, Mary does cunningly check the ungodly hypocrites here, and looks neither to their hands nor eyes, but to the heart, and says: them that are proud in the imagination of their heart, with which she does specially mean the enemies of the truth, even as the Jews were once against Christ, and as some are now a days like to them. For such holy and learned men are not proud in clothing and behavior, they pray, fast, preach, study, say mass often, they go ducking with their heads, and think no man to be a greater enemy to pride, covetousness, or hypocrisy than themselves, and that no man be a greater friend of God than they themselves. How could they hinder and hurt the truth, were not they so holy, honest, and learned men? For such their outer appearance glistens, shines, and blears the eyes of the common people. Good Lord how well are they persuaded, calling upon God, and take pity upon poor Jesus that does so evil, is proud, and finally not like to them in righteousness and honesty. Of them says Christ in Matthew 11: that wisdom is justified of her children, that is, they are wiser and more righteous than I myself, which am the godly wisdom. Whatever I do that is nothing, and must be checked and corrected by them.

These are the most wicked and most poisonous men on earth, whose pride of heart is so deep and devilish, that it can brook no medicine nor wholesome counsel. For they hear not what is said, indeed they reckon it not to be spoken to them, but to the wretched sinner, who has need of it, they need it not. John the Baptist does call them the generation of vipers (Matthew 3 and Luke 3), and even so does Christ also (Matthew 12 and 16). These are they that do not truly fear God, and serve to be destroyed of God with their pride and arrogance. But seeing there is no man that so pursues the truth and righteousness as these do (though they think it be on God's behalf as we have said before), therefore among the three enemies of God must they go before and bear the banner, the second and least are the rich, whom the great men and rulers, the third enemies, do surpass in executing power. But these learned men excel either of the other far beyond the mark, for they do hurt on both parties with their bloody enticing. The rich men quench the truth by themselves only: the men of authority chase her from others: but these learned men quench her clean out in themselves, and in place thereof they bring forth the imagination of their own heart, so that she can never rise again. Now as the truth is better in herself than men, in whom she has her dwelling, so much are the learned men worse than the great men, or rich men. O how does God abhor and hate such, as they be worthy?