Sermon 56 — Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul

Pfeiffer Sermon 56Middle High German + EnglishAbout this edition

Original Source (Middle High German)

English Translation

Nolite timere eos, qui corpus occidunt, animam autem occidere non possunt (Matth. X, 28.).

‘Fürhtent niht die iuch tœten wellent an dem lîbe, wan die sêle enmügent sie niht tœten; wan geist entœtet niht geist. Geist git geiste leben. Die iuch tœten wellent daz ist bluot unde fleisch, unde daz stirbet mit einander. Daz edelste, daz an dem menschen ist, daz ist bluot, sô ez wol wil. Aber daz ergeste, daz an dem menschen ist, daz ist bluot, sô ez übel wil. Gesiget daz bluot dem fleische an, sô ist der mensche dêmüetic, gedultic unde kiusche unde hât an ime alle tugent. Gesiget aber daz fleisch dem bluote an, sô wirt der mensche hôchvertic, zornic und unkiusche unde hât alle untugent an ime. Hie ist gelobet sant Johannes, den got selbe gelobet hât.

Nû merkent, ich wil nû sprechen daz ich nie mê gesprach. Dô got himel, erde und alle crêatûren geschuof, dô worhte got niht; ern hâte niht ze würkenne, in ime was ouch kein werc. Dô sprach got ‘wir machen einen glîchen.’ Schepfen ist ein lîht dinc: daz tuot man swenne und swie man wil. Aber daz ich mache, daz mache ich selbe mit mir selben und in mir selben unde drücke mîn bilde zemâle dar în. ‘Wir machen einen glîchen’: niht dû vater noch dû sun noch dû heilîgeist, mêr: wir in dem râte der heiligen drîvaltikeit wir machen einen glîchen.

Nolite timere eos, qui corpus occidunt, animam autem occidere non possunt (Matth. X, 28.).

“Do not fear those who wish to kill you in the body, for they cannot kill the soul”; for spirit does not kill spirit. Spirit gives life to spirit. Those who wish to kill you are blood and flesh, and these die together. The noblest thing in the human being is blood, when it wills well. But the worst thing in the human being is blood, when it wills badly. If the blood conquers the flesh, then the human being is humble, patient, and chaste, and has all virtue in himself. But if the flesh conquers the blood, then the human being becomes proud, angry, and unchaste, and has every vice in himself. Here Saint John is praised, whom God himself has praised.

Now take note: I wish now to say something that I have never said before. When God created heaven, earth, and all creatures, God did not work; he had nothing to work, and in him there was no work. Then God said: “Let us make one like ourselves.” Creating is an easy thing: one does it whenever and however one wills. But what I make, I make myself, with myself and in myself, and I impress my image wholly into it. “Let us make one like ourselves”: not you, Father, nor you, Son, nor you, Holy Spirit, but we, in the counsel of the Holy Trinity, we make one like ourselves.

Dô got den menschen gemahte, dô worhte er in der sêle sîn glîch werc, sîn wirkende unde sîn iemer wercendez werc. Daz werc was sô grôz, daz ez anders niht enwas dan diu sêle: diu was daz werc gotes. Gotes nâtûre, sîn wesen unde sîn gotheit hanget dar an, daz er muoz wirken in der sêle. Got segen, got segen! dô got würket in der sêle, dô minnet er sîn werc. Daz werc ist diu minne unde diu minne ist got. Got minnet sich selben unde sîn nâtûre, sîn wesen unde sîn gotheit. In der minne, dâ sich got minnet, dâ inne minnet er alle crêatûren. Mit der minne, dâ sich got minnet, dâ mite minnet er alle crêatûren, niht als crêatûren, mêr: crêatûren als got. In der minne, dâ sich got inne minnet, dâ inne minnet er alliu dinc.

Nû wil ich sprechen daz ich nie gesprach. Got smacket ime selber. In dem smacke, dâ sich got inne smacket, dâ inne smacket er alle crêatûren. Mit dem smacke, dâ sich got smacket, mit dem smacket er alle crêatûren, niht als crêatûren, mêr: crêatûren als got. In dem smacke, dâ sich got inne smacket, in dem smacket er alliu dinc.

When God made the human being, he worked in the soul his like work, his working and his ever-enduring work. The work was so great that it was nothing other than the soul: she was the work of God. God’s nature, his being, and his Godhead hinge upon this: that he must work in the soul. God bless, God bless! When God works in the soul, there he loves his work. The work is love, and love is God. God loves himself and his nature, his being, and his Godhead. In the love in which God loves himself, in that love he loves all creatures. With the love with which God loves himself, with that love he loves all creatures, not as creatures, but creatures as God. In the love in which God loves himself, in that love he loves all things.

Now I wish to say something that I have never said before. God savors himself. In the savor in which God savors himself, in that he savors all creatures. With the savor with which God savors himself, with that he savors all creatures, not as creatures, but creatures as God. In the savor in which God savors himself, in that he savors all things.

Nû merkent. Alle crêatûre hânt iren louf ûf ir hôheste vollekommenheit. Nû bite ich iuch, daz ir vernêment bî der êwigen wârheit unde bî iemer wernder wârheit unde bî mîner sêle. Nû wil ich aber sprechen daz ich nie gesprach: got unde gotheit hât underscheit als verre als himel und erde. Ich spriche mê: der inner und ûzer mensche die hânt alse verre underscheit als himel und erde. Got hât vil tûsent mîlen dar obe. Got wirt und entwirt. Nû kum ich wider ûf mîne rede: got smacket ime selber in allen dingen. Diu sunne wirfet ûz iren liehten schîn ûf alle crêatûren, unde dâ diu sunne iren schîn ûf wirfet, daz ziuhet si in sich unde verliuret doch niht ir schînlîcheit. Alle crêatûren verzîhent sich irs lebens ûf ir wesen. Alle crêatûren tragent sich in mîne vernunft, daz si in mir vernünftic sint. Ich alleine bereite alle crêatûren wider zuo gote.

Wartent, waz ir alle tuont. Nû kum ich wider ûf mînen inren und ûf mînen ûzern menschen. Ich sihe an die lylien ûf dem velde und iren liehten schîn und an ir varwe und an al ir bleter. Aber ir swelge der ensihe ich niht. War umbe? Dâ ist der swelge in mir. Aber daz ich spriche, daz ist in mir und ich spriche ez ûzer mir. Alle crêatûren die smackent irme ûzern menschen als crêatûren, als wîn unde brôt unde fleisch. Aber mînen inren menschen ensmacket niht als crêatûre, mêr: als gâbe gotes. Aber mîn innerster mensche ensmacket sie niht alse gâben gotes, mêr: als ie und iemer. Ich nime ein beckin mit wazzer unde lege dar în einen spiegel unde setze ez under daz rat der sunnen, sô wirfet diu sunne ûz irm liehten schîn ûzer dem rade und ûzer dem bodem der sunnen unde vergêt doch niht. Daz widerspilen des spiegels in der sunnen daz ist in der sunnen. Sunne und er ist doch daz er ist. Alsô ist ez umbe got. Got ist in der sêle mit sîner nâtûre, mit sîme wesenne unde mit sîner gotheit und er enist doch niht diu sêle. Daz widerspilen der sêle daz ist in gote. Got unde si ist doch daz si ist. Got der wirt dâ alle crêatûren. Gotes sprechen dâ gewirt got.

Now take note. All creatures have their course toward their highest perfection. Now I ask you to understand this by the eternal truth and by the ever-enduring truth and by my soul. Now again I wish to say something that I have never said before: God and Godhead are as different as heaven and earth. I say further: the inner and the outer human being are as different as heaven and earth. God is many thousands of miles beyond that. God becomes and unbecomes. Now I return to what I was saying: God savors himself in all things. The sun casts forth its bright radiance upon all creatures, and whatever the sun casts its radiance upon, it draws into itself and yet loses nothing of its brightness. All creatures relinquish their life for their being. All creatures carry themselves into my intellect, so that in me they become intellectual. I alone prepare all creatures for their return to God.

Take heed what you are all doing. Now I return to my inner and my outer human being. I look upon the lilies in the field and upon their bright radiance and their color and all their petals. But their fragrance I do not see. Why? Because the fragrance is in me. But what I speak is in me, and I speak it forth from myself. All creatures savor to my outer human being as creatures, as wine and bread and flesh. But to my inner human being they do not savor as creatures, but as gifts of God. But my innermost human being does not savor them as gifts of God, but as ever and eternally. I take a basin of water and place a mirror in it and set it beneath the disc of the sun. Then the sun casts forth its bright radiance from the disc and from the bottom of the sun and yet does not pass away. The reflection of the mirror in the sun is in the sun as sun, and yet the mirror remains what it is. So it is with God. God is in the soul with his nature, with his being, and with his Godhead, and yet he is not the soul. The reflection of the soul is in God: God; and yet she remains what she is. Where all creatures speak “God,” there God comes to be.

Dô ich stuont in dem grunde, in dem bodem, in dem river und in der quelle der gotheit, dâ frâgete mich nieman, war ich wolte oder waz ich tête: dâ enwas nieman, der mich frâgete. Dô ich flôz, dô sprâchen al crêatûren got. Vrâgete man mich: bruoder Eckehart, wenne giengent ir ûzerme hûse? Dô was ich dâ inne. Alsô sprechent alle crêatûren von gote. Und war umbe sprechent sie niht von der gotheit? Allez daz, daz in der gotheit ist, daz ist ein, unde dâ von ist niht ze sprechenne. Got wirket, diu gotheit wirket niht, si enhât niht ze wirkenne, in ir ist kein werc. Si geluogete ûf nie kein werc. Got unde gotheit hât underscheit an würken und an nihtwürken. Swenne ich kume wider in got, bilde ich dâ niht, sô ist mîn durbrechen vil edeler danne mîn ûzfluz. Ich alleine bringe alle crêatûren ûz ir vernunft in mîn vernunft, daz sie in mir eine sint. Swenne ich kume in den grunt, in den bodem, in den river und in die quelle der gotheit, sô frâget mich nieman, wannen ich kome oder wâ ich sî gewesen. Dâ vermiste mîn nieman, daz entwirt.

Swer dise predie hât verstanden, dem gan ichz wol. Wêre hie nieman gewesen, ich müeste si disem stocke geprediet hân. Ez sint etlîche arme liute, die kêrent wider heim unde sprechent: ich wil sitzen ûf eine stat und ezzen mîn brôt unde dienen gote. Ich spriche bî der wârheit, daz dise liute müezent verirret blîben noch niemer mügent ervolgen noch erkriegen, daz die andern ervolgent, die gote nâch volgent in armüete und in ellendekeit. Âmen.

When I stood in the ground, in the bottom, in the river, and in the source of the Godhead, no one asked me where I wished to go or what I was doing: there was no one there who could ask me. When I flowed forth, then all creatures spoke “God.” If one were to ask me: “Brother Eckhart, when did you go out of the house?”—then I was within it. Thus all creatures speak of God. And why do they not speak of the Godhead? Everything that is in the Godhead is one, and of this there is nothing to be said. God works; the Godhead does not work. She has nothing to work; in her there is no work. She has never looked upon any work. God and Godhead are distinguished by working and by not-working. When I return into God, if I form no image there, then my breakthrough is far nobler than my outflowing. I alone bring all creatures out of their intellect into my intellect, so that they are one in me. When I come into the ground, into the bottom, into the river, and into the source of the Godhead, no one asks me whence I come or where I have been. There no one missed me. There God unbecomes.

Whoever has understood this sermon, I wish him well. If no one had been here, I would have had to preach it to this wooden post. There are some poor people who go back home and say: “I wish to sit in one place and eat my bread and serve God.” I say by the truth that these people must remain in error and can never attain or gain what those others attain who follow God in poverty and in exile. Amen.