Sermon 97 — There was a certain rich man

Pfeiffer Sermon 97Middle High German + EnglishAbout this edition

Original Source (Middle High German)

English Translation

Homo quidam erat dives etc. (Luc. XVI, 19.).

‘Ez was ein richer mensche, der was gezieret mit pfelle unde mit samite und az unde tranc alle tage verwênete spîse unde hete niht namen.’

Daz mac man verstên in zweierleie wîse von der gruntlôsen gotheit unde von einer ieglichen zarten sêle. ‘Ez waz, ein richer mensche.’ Mensche sprichet als vil als ein verstanden dinc. Ez sprichet ein heidenischer meister: bî dem menschen verstêt man got in der geschrift. Sanctus Gregorius sprichet: wêre an gote iht edeler einez denne daz ander, obe man daz gesprechen möhte, daz wêre verstantnisse; wan an verstantnisse ist got ime selben offenbâr, an verstantnisse verfliuzet got in sich selber, an verstantnisse fliuzet got ûz in alliu dinc. Unde wêre an gote niht verstantnisse, sô enmöhte diu drîvaltikeit niht gesîn, sô enwêre ouch crêatûre nie ûz geflozzen.

Homo quidam erat dives etc. (Luc. XVI, 19.).

“There was a rich man who was adorned with silk and samite, and ate and drank luxurious food every day, and had no name.”

This may be understood in two ways: of the groundless Godhead and of every tender soul. “There was a rich man.” Man signifies as much as a being endowed with understanding. A pagan master says: by “man” one understands God in Scripture. Saint Gregory says: if in God one thing were nobler than another, if one could speak in such a way, it would be understanding; for in understanding God is manifest to himself, in understanding God flows into himself, in understanding God flows out into all things. And if there were no understanding in God, then the Trinity could not be, nor would any creature ever have flowed forth.

‘Er hete niht namen.’ Alsô ist diu drîvaltikeit der gotheit sunder namen; wan alle die namen, die ime diu sêle gît, die nimet si in ir verstantnisse. Dar ûf sprichet ein heidenischer meister in dem buoche, daz dâ heizet daz lieht der liehte: got der ist überwesenlich und überredelich und unverstentlich, daz nâtürlich verstân ist. Ich enspriche niht von genêdeclichem verstân, wan ein mensche möhte als verre gezogen werden von genâden, daz er verstüende, als sant Paulus verstuont, der in den dritten himel gezucket wart unde sach solhiu dinc, diu man niht volsprechen muoz noch mac. Ouch als er sie sach, alsô enmöhte er sie niht geworten, wan swaz man verstên sol, daz verstêt man an der sache oder an der wîse oder bî den werken. Dar umbe belîbet got unverstanden, wan er ist der êrste, er ist sunder wîse (daz ist: unbekantlich), er ist ouch sunder werc (daz ist: in sîner verborgenen stillekeit). Dar umbe belîbet er sunder namen, die ime gegeben sint. Moyses frâgete nâch sînem namen. Dô sprach got ‘der dâ ist, der hât dich gesant.’ Anders enkunde er ez niht verstân. Als er got in ime selber ist, alsô enmöhte er sich nie crêatûre gegeben ze verstên, niht alsô, daz er ez niht vermöhte, mêr: die crêatûre enmöhten ez niht verstên. Dâ von sprichet ein heidenischer meister: got ist überwesenlich und überlobelich und überredelich und überverstentlich.

‘Der mensche was ouch rîch.’ Alsô ist got ouch rîch in ime selber und in allen dingen. Nû merket die rîcheit gotes. Diu lît an fünf dingen. Daz êrste, daz er diu êrste sache ist, dar umbe ist er in giezende sich in alliu dinc. — Daz ander daz er einvaltic ist an sîme wesenne, dar umbe ist er gemeine. — Daz dritte, daz er ursprinclich ist, dar umbe ist er ûz fliezende sich in alliu dinc. — Daz vierde, daz er unwandelhaftic ist, dar umbe ist er daz begerlîchste. — Daz fünfte, daz er volle komen ist, dar umbe ist er daz unbegrifenlîchste.

“He had no name.” Thus the Trinity of the Godhead is without name; for all the names that the soul gives to him, she takes from her own understanding. Concerning this a pagan master says in the book called The Light of Lights: God is beyond being and beyond speech and beyond understanding, that is, beyond natural understanding. I am not speaking of understanding given by grace, for a man might be drawn so far by grace that he understood as Saint Paul understood, who was caught up into the third heaven and saw such things as one neither ought nor is able fully to express. Yet even as he saw them, he could not put them into words, for whatever is to be understood is understood by its cause, or by its mode, or by its works. Therefore God remains uncomprehended, for he is the first; he is without mode (that is: unknowable); he is also without work (that is: in his hidden stillness). Therefore he remains without the names that are given to him. Moses asked for his name. Then God said: “He who is has sent you.” Otherwise he could not understand it. As God is in himself, he could never make himself understood to any creature, not because he lacked the power to do so, but because creatures could not understand him. Therefore a pagan master says: God is beyond being and beyond praise and beyond speech and beyond understanding.

“The man was also rich.” Thus God too is rich in himself and in all things. Now observe the riches of God. They consist in five things. The first is that he is the first cause; therefore he pours himself into all things. The second is that he is simple in his being; therefore he is common to all. The third is that he is an origin; therefore he flows out from himself into all things. The fourth is that he is unchangeable; therefore he is the most desirable. The fifth is that he is perfect; therefore he is the most incomprehensible.

Er ist diu êrste sache, dar umbe ist er ingiezende sich. Dâ von sprichet ein heidenischer meister, daz sich diu êrste sache mêr gieze in alle die sache denne die andern sache sich in ir sache giezen. — Er ist ouch einvaltic. Daz sprichet bischof Albreht: daz dinc ist einvaltic, daz an ime selber ein ist âne ander. Und alliu vereintiu dinc hebent sich in daz, daz er ist. Dâ sint die crêatûre ein in einem unde got in gote. An in selben ensint sie niht. — Daz dritte, daz er ursprinclich ist, dar umbe ist er ûz fliezende sich in alliu dinc. Dar über sprichet bischof Albreht: drîerleie wîse fliuzet er in alliu dinc gemeinlîche: mit wesen unde mit leben unde mit liehte, unde sunderlich in die vernünftigen sêle an vermügenheit aller dinge an einem widerbringen die crêatûre in irn êrsten ursprinc. Daz ist lieht der liehte unde wan alle gâbe unde vollekom(en)heit fliezent von dem vater der liehte, als sant Jacobus sprichet. — Daz vierde, daz er unwandelhaftic ist, dar umbe ist er daz behegenlîcheste. Nû merket, wie sich got vereinet mit den dingen unde behelt sich doch ein an ime selben und alliu dinc an im ein sint. Dâ von sprichet Kristus ‘ir sult gewandelt werden in mich und ich in iuch.’ Daz kumt von sîner unwandelhaftikeit unde von der dinge kleinheit. Dâ von sprichet ein wissage, daz alliu dinc sint sô klein wider got, als ein tropfe wider daz wilde mer. Alsô sich wandelt der tropfe in daz mer unde niht daz mer in den tropfen, alsô geschiht der sêle, als si got in sich ziuhet, alsô daz diu sêle götlich wirt unde got niht diu sêle. Dâ verliuset diu sêle irn namen und ir kraft und ir werc unde niht ir sîn. Dâ belîbet diu sêle an gote, als got an im selber belîbet. Dâ von sprichet bischof Albreht: in dem willen, dâ der mensche inne stirbet, dâ sol er êweclîche inne belîben. — Daz fünfte, daz er volkomen ist, dar umbe ist er unbegrîflîchest. Got ist sîn selbes volkomen und aller dinge. Waz ist volkomenheit an gote? Daz ist, daz er sîn selbes volkomen ist und allez guot ist aller dinge. Dar umbe begerent sîn alliu dinc, wan er got ist.

He is the first cause; therefore he pours himself in. On this a pagan master says that the first cause pours itself more fully into all other causes than the other causes pour themselves into their effects. He is also simple. Bishop Albert says this: that thing is simple which is one in itself without another. And all united things are raised up into what he is. There creatures are one in the One, and God in God. In themselves they are nothing. The third is that he is an origin; therefore he flows out from himself into all things. Concerning this Bishop Albert says: in three ways he flows universally into all things: with being, with life, and with light; and especially into the intellectual soul, in the capacity for all things and in a bringing-back of creatures into their first origin. This is the light of lights, because every gift and perfection flows from the Father of lights, as Saint James says. The fourth is that he is unchangeable; therefore he is the most pleasing. Now observe how God unites himself with things and yet remains one in himself, and how all things are one in him. Therefore Christ says: “You shall be changed into me, and I into you.” This comes from his unchangeableness and from the littleness of things. Therefore a prophet says that all things are so small in comparison with God as a drop compared with the wild sea. Just as the drop is changed into the sea, and not the sea into the drop, so it happens to the soul when she draws God into herself: the soul becomes divine, but God does not become the soul. There the soul loses her name and her power and her work, but not her being. There the soul remains in God, just as God remains in himself. Therefore Bishop Albert says: in the will in which a human being dies, in that he shall remain eternally. The fifth is that he is perfect; therefore he is the most incomprehensible. God is perfect in himself and is the perfection of all things. What is perfection in God? It is this: that he is perfect in himself and is the entire good of all things. Therefore all things desire him, because he is God.