Tractate — Chapter 7
Ein meister sprichet: ez koment vil liute ze klârem verstântnüsse unde ze vernünftigen underscheide bilde unde forme, aber der ist wênic, die dâ koment über verstântlîchez schouwen und über vernünftige begrîfunge bilde unde forme, und wære doch gote ein mensche lieber, der dâ stüende âne alle begrîfunge formlîcher bildunge, denne hundert tûsent, die ir selbes gebrûchent in vernünftiger wîse. Wan got der enmac in sie niht komen noch sînes werkes gewürken von der unlîdikeit ir vernünftiger bildunge. Wære aber, daz sie enbunden würden ûz aller biltlîchen schouwe unde gerücket unde gebüeret über vernünftige begrîfunge, als sant Dionysius sprichet, und ouch daz lieht des gelouben haben über alliu vernünftigu dinc von dem êrsten puncte, in dem vindet got sîne ruowe unde sînen fride, ze wonende unde ze würkende, wie er wil und wenne er wil unde waz er wil. Wan got sînes werkes in in ungehindert ist, dâ von würket er in sie sîn aller liebestez werc unde verwürket sie an sich mit triuwen. Dise liute kan nieman erkennen, wan ir leben ist verborgen und ir wesen allen den, die des selben lebens niht ensint. Zuo dirre wârheit unde zuo disem sêligen leben, zuo dirre edellîchen hôhen vollskomenheit enkan nieman komen denne mit lûter verstântnüsse unde mit klârer vernunft.
Sît nû sô manic hôher vernünftiger geist, nochdenne der engel, der an sînem wesen und an sînem leben niht anders ist denne lûtriu vernunft, daz der geirret hât und êweclîche vervallen ist von der êwigen wârheit, alsô geschiht noch allen den, die sich dem engel gelîchent, an eigener behaltunge unde wolgevallen ir selbes in ir vernünftiger behendikeit. Nû sprechent die meister und ouch die heiligen, daz ez nütze und ein nôtdurft sî, daz man flîzic war neme unde bekennen unde brüeven sol die învelle des liehtes unde die klârheit der vernunft unde des schouwens, des der mensche hie gehaben mag in der zît, umbe daz, daz er iht betrogen werde in sîner vernünftigen behendikeit. Welt ir nû wizzen unde bekennen die gerehten vernünftigen gewæren anschouwer gotes, die dâ niht betriegen noch gevelschen mac, die sult ir bekennen bî vier unde zweinzic zeichen.
A master says: many people come to clear understanding and to intellectual discernment of image and form, but few come beyond intellectual contemplation and beyond intellectual comprehension of image and form; and yet one person who stood without all comprehension of formal imaging would be dearer to God than a hundred thousand who exercise themselves in an intellectual way. For God cannot come into them nor work his work because of the unreceptiveness of their intellectual imaging. But if they were released from all imagistic contemplation and lifted and raised above intellectual comprehension, as Saint Dionysius says, and also had the light of faith above all intellectual things from the first point, in such a person God finds his rest and his peace, dwelling and working as he wills, when he wills, and what he wills. For God is unhindered in his work in them; therefore he works in them his dearest work and binds them to himself in faithfulness. No one can know these people, for their life and their being are hidden from all those who are not of the same life. To this truth and this blessed life, to this noble, high perfection, no one can come except with pure understanding and clear intellect.
Since so many a high intellectual spirit—even the angel, who in his being and in his life is nothing other than pure intellect—has gone astray and fallen eternally from eternal truth, so it still happens to all those who make themselves like the angel through self-possession and self-satisfaction in their intellectual skill. Now the masters and also the saints say that it is useful and necessary that one diligently take heed, know, and examine the inflows of the light and the radiance of the intellect and of contemplation that a person may have here in time, so that he is not deceived in his intellectual skill. If you now wish to know and recognize the righteous, intellectual, true contemplators of God, who cannot be deceived or falsified, you should recognize them by twenty-four signs.