Epistolæ

• Elisabeth of Schönau

• Hildegard, magistra of Bingen

Rejoice with me, my lady and venerable daughter of the eternal king, since the finger of God writes in you so that you may proclaim the word of life. Blessed are you and may it be well for you forever. You are the organ of the Holy Spirit because your words enkindle me like a flame touching my heart and I burst forth in these words.
[She greatly commends Hildegard and expounds to her about the leaders of the Church and the Cathars.]
My lady Hildegard, rightly are you called Hildegard because the stimulus of God works well in you with marvelous fortitude for the edification of His Church.(!2) Be strong in the Holy Spirit. Blessed are you for the Lord has chosen you and has appointed you like one of those about whom He said, “I have appointed you so that you may go and bring forth fruit and your fruit will endure” (Jn. 15:16). In this way you enter the path of contemplation of the Lord like a dove in the clefts of the rock, in the hollow in the wall (Song 2:14). The one who chose you will crown you with the crown of gladness. The way of the Lord is made straight in your presence. O lady Hildegard, carry out the work of the Lord, just as you have done so far, because the Lord has placed you as worker in His vineyard (Mt. 20:1). Indeed the Lord sought workers in His vineyard, and He found them all idle because no one leads them. The vineyard of the Lord does not have a cultivator; the vineyard of the Lord perishes; the head of the Church languishes and its members are dead. Alas, what should be done about this, since the Lord finds few in His Church who contemplate this with a blazing mind, but instead finds only those who wish to rule themselves and follow their own will. The Lord has tested them and found them sleeping. On account of this a thief has come and broken in and destroyed the foundation stone, and threw it in a cistern that had no water and was not irrigated. The foundation stone is the head of the Church which was thrown away. The Church of God is arid, having no moisture, and it is cold in love for God. But I also recall to myself that once there appeared to me poisonous serpents about to come into the Church of God, secretly hoping to destroy God’s Church.(!3) I understand this to refer to those Cathars who are now secretly beguiling the church of God. Expel them, Lord, our protector! And blessed is the one who will not be scandalized in this time. The patriarch David said, “Will those who sleep not rise again?” (Ps. 40:9). Arise and be stirred and keep watch because the vengeance of God shouts to you! Shriek, pastors, and cry aloud! Sprinkle yourselves with ashes and repent (Jer. 25:34)! Don’t give place to the devil (Eph. 4:27), because like a roaring lion he circles, seeking what he may devour (1 Pt. 5:8). Blessed is the one who fears the Lord of all creation and thus agitates the high priest so that he will remove the opprobrium from his people (Is. 25:8) and all Israel will be saved.
[She expounds to Hildegard about their contempt for the Lord and His saints.]
Now, moreover, my people are perverse to me, and stiff-necked they walk in my presence, and they do not think about how to bear my judgment: with flagellation and making offerings to myself and my saints who daily cry before my throne saying, “Lord, king of eternal glory, in your speech all things are ordained and there is no one who can resist your will. Avenge our blood (Rv. 6:10), because the earth oppresses us with their contaminations.” I the Lord, creator of all creatures, have sent my incarnate Word from the heights of the heavens into the dark valley so that it would illuminate those who were in shadows and who thought they were something but were nothing. And the people loved the shadows more than the light. But this was the true light and like the morning star in the midst of fog (Eccl. 50:6), and like the sun shining in its strength in the middle of the day (Rv. 1:16), so did He shine in the midst of His people, full of wisdom and fortitude, and the whole earth was filled with His teaching, yet you have forgotten Him. I swear by my right hand and my throne that this will no longer be.
[She turns her sermon to the people of God.]
O human, whoever you are, what reason can you use to excuse yourself? You have eyes and you do not see, and ears for hearing and you do not understand. What more shall I do for you? If you lose Him, who do you think is going to redeem you? Remember that the only Son of my heart died once for your sins and arose and ascended into heaven and sits in His glory and left you a model so that you could follow His footsteps. How, by what heart, or by what knowledge, do you follow Him? Far indeed are His ways from your ways. If you will not walk like He walked, how can you come to Him? Do not turn aside to the right or the left, but follow His footsteps and in this way you can come to Him. But now you are slipping from sin to sin, from damnation to damnation. Walk, while there is light in you, lest the shadows surround you, for that ancient leviathan thinks that he is about to swallow the whole world. But there is still time for grace. Do penance, seek the Lord your God while He may be found; call upon Him while He is near (Is. 55:6). Turn to me with your whole heart, and I the Lord will be turned to you and will be reconciled with you and I will not abandon you in the time of tribulation and distress (2 Mc. 1:5). And that ancient serpent will fall into such a ruin that even his guts will be poured out.
[Again she speaks about the Cathars.]
What is this that I have said about the guts of the ancient serpent? There are some people who are now swallowed up in his gut and later will be cast forth. They are murderers, adulterers, plunderers--the unjust who have hurled their souls into death. They are also the wretched Cathars who are more abominable than all creatures and utter their blazing words in sulfury tongues. The earth is contaminated by their abominable faith. Just as once the peoples crucified me, so daily I am crucified among them because they cultivate such practices. Oh what devilish insanity! They know that I am the creator of heaven and earth and all things in them, and I see into the depths. They tear at my wounds, dismissing the body and blood of my sacraments, offered for the salvation of all believers. And if they provoke me to wrath, I the Lord in my anger will wipe out the earth and its offspring all the way to Hell. Cease, sinners against justice! Cease this insanity! If you do not, I will order you to be tortured beyond belief by hellish worms without end, in sulfur and fire inextinguishable. And there is no faculty which can comprehend this hellish punishment except that great leviathan, who has stretched out and is seducing the whole world.
[She turns her sermon to those who have undertaken to govern the Church of God; they should destroy the various errors of the heretics in the catholic Church.]
Lest I strike you with the sword of my mouth, I the Lord, through my right hand, order you kings and princes, bishops and abbots, priests and everyone who is in power, to use all fortitude and the catholic faith to expel and destroy all the heresies which make schisms in my Church which I gave birth to in bitterness of my soul. Oh most miserable and wretched hypocrites! In the presence of the people you appear to be pious and innocent, yet within you are full of evil inclination. Tell me how you believe in almighty God if you do not believe that all things are possible with almighty God (Mt. 19:26)! Indeed it was possible for God to send the Holy Spirit from the seat of His great majesty into the virginal womb and for the Word of His incarnation to spring forth. Do you believe that God the Father created human beings in His own image and likeness and established them in the paradise of delight so that they would work and guard it? And that ancient serpent deceived them and they fell into sin and were thrown out for their disobedience? O unhappy hypocrite: how long do you think you will remain in your sins, not believing in the Son of God who proceeds from the Father? And therefore you don’t believe He was incarnate nor truly suffered, nor was buried nor resurrected, and did not ascend into heaven and will not come to judge the living and the dead.
You, however who are learned, study the books of the New Testament and remember their words and you will find great fruit. Be renewed in the Holy Spirit and revive your souls in the structure of the Church which has been sanctified in Christ Jesus and illuminated by the holy gospel and whitewashed of its ancient rust. The holy Church was united with and betrothed to the celestial bridegroom, the Son of the eternal king, who washed her crimes in the Jordan so that there would be one faith, one baptism, one church, and a single dove, and one elect of Christ Jesus. Therefore you, a chosen race, a holy people, a royal priesthood, a people of purchase (1 Pt. 2: 9) must remember the freedom with which I have freed you from the yoke and captivity of the devil (Gal. 4:31). Indeed for sometime you were the darkness, but now you are the light. Walk as my beloved children, the children of light (Eph. 5:8), says your God. And again that same Truth spoke: “My chosen vineyard, I have planted you and made known to you every way of truth. How have you turned away, walking not along the straight path, but after your own sins? You seek peace according to your own will and you say, ‘There will be peace’ but it is not the Son of peace and you have put aside peace.”
[She delivers a sermon to them about avoiding simony.]
So I have been driven out, and there is no place where my feet may rest. I stand at the door and knock, and there is no one who lets me in. My head is full of dew (Song 5:2); my bed, in which I was hoping to rest, has been violated by various vices. Those who enter into my sanctuary with their impurities stain my bed with their perverse works. My pastors are weighed down as if in a heavy sleep, and what should I do to awaken them? I will raise up my right hand above them. I have been patient and have waited for them from day to day, and they have consigned me to oblivion. Indeed the Law disappears first from the priests and elders of my people (Ez. 7:26) because they seek to sell the sacrifices of my sacraments. Those who sell, sell judgment unto themselves. And those who buy, buy a double-edged sword.
Again with fatherly chastisements I warn my pastors who know my secrets: “Be imitators of me and not of the devil; there are some who do not enter my fold by the door, but climb in by another way, through a different path, like thieves and robbers (Jn. 10:1), thieves because of their avarice and robbers because they lose the souls commissioned to them.(!4) Indeed they cover their depraved works lest they be seen by the people. On account of this, those who are reprehensible in their own ways do not boldly speak out against every heresy.” Again I say to you, “Know beyond doubt that as many of the souls which you have received to govern and guard that are lost from my sheep because of your negligence, that many will I seek from your hands. At the dreadful judgment you shall render an account and all the evils which I spread over them will flow back upon you.”
[She makes an exhortation to those pastors of the Church.]
Now therefore be revived and think about your predecessors the apostles and the other holy doctors of the Church who did not fear the threats of the people and the scourges of the executioner, but carried my word before kings and leaders. They were beaten and suffered many torments, but they endured all on account of my name. Therefore they stand before my throne in glory and honor which no one can reckon. There they see me not in mysteries, but eye to eye, face to face, in great brightness and majesty. Blessed is the one who reads and hears the words of this text and preserves them because they are true and have been sent from my throne through my angel for the edification of many.
[How to understand her earlier comment about the Cathars, “They utter their blazing words in sulphury tongues.”]
While I was thinking about the meaning of the phrase which I had spoken, “They utter their blazing words in sulphury tongues,” the Lord placed these words in my mouth: “The nature of sulfur is such that its flame does not ascend on high but it burns with obscurity in bitterness. This signifies heresies which so obscurely offer poisonous words from which the blackest flames come forth and ignite the hearts of the faithful and make them hesitate in the catholic faith.”

Congratulare *) mecum domina, et venerabilis filia eterni regis, quoniani digitus dei6) scribit in te, ut verbum6) vite pronunties. Beata es et bene tibi erit semper, et organum spirilns saneti tti es, quia verba tua uccendenmt me quasi flamrna teligisset cor meum el prorupi in liec verba.
(XXf.) — Domirui iiica llildegardis,7) rcelc vocaris Hildegardis, quia stimulus dei bene in te operalur mira fortitudine in edifi-cationem ecclesie sue. Confortare spirilu sancto, beata es, quoniam elegit te8) dominus, et posuit te quasi unam ex illis, de quibus ipse ait: Posui vos, ut.eatis et fVuctum afieratis, et fniclus vester maneat. Sic ince- (folio 70 v) dis iri via contem-plationis domini qnasi columba in foramiriibus petre, incaverna9) macerie. Oui te elegit, ipse te coronabit corona leticie.10) Via enim domini recta facta est coram te. 0 domina Hildegardis perficc opus domirii, sicut usqnc mmc11) iccisti, quia posuit te doininus operatricem in vinea sua. Ouesivit cniin dominus operarios in vineam suam,12) et invenit cos18) omnes ociosos, quia nemo eos conduxit. Vinea domini non habet cultorem, vinea do-mini periit, caput ecclesie languit,14) et membra eius mortua sunt. Heu, quid fiet de hoc, quia dominus paucos invenit in ecclesia sua,") qui de16) hoc ardenti animo considerent, sed unusquisque se ipsum cupit regere et propriam volun-tatem suam exercere. Probavit eos dominus, et invenit illos17) dormientes. Propter hoc venit fur el porfodit et deslruxit lapidem fundamenti, et proiecit in cisternam non babentem aquam neque irrigata est. Lapis fundamenti cst caput ecclesie. (juod proiectum est, et ecclesia dei arida est, non habens humorem, sed irigida est ab amore dei. Sed et ego mecutn recolo, quod 18) ali(}uando olim19) mihi apparuit. venenosos serpentes venturos csse in ecclesiam dei. secroto ecclesiam dei lacerare cupienles.20) Et hoc intelligo porlinere ad kaiiaros islos, qui ecclesiarn21) doi nunc occulle ") dccipiunt. Expollc cos prolcctor nostcr doininc. Et bealus, qui non scandalizatus fuerit") in hoc tempore. Dicit patriarcha David: Nunquid, qui dorinit, non adiciet, ut resurgat?") Surgilc et excitarnini cl vigilate,") (iuia clamat ad vos vindicta doi. Ululate pastores ct olamate, aspergile vos cinerc et penitemini, et nolitc loeum dare diabolo, quia") circuit rugicns quasi leo, querens, quem devoret. *) (folio 71 r) Beatus homo, qui metuit dominum universe creature, ut interpellet2) summum pontiftcem, ut auferat obprobrium a populo suo, et omnis Israhel salvabitur. —
(XXII.) — Nunc autem8) populus meus perversarius michj est, et ambulat coram me duris cervicibus, et non sentit, qua-liter*) iudicium rneuiu B) portat, flagellaudo, ostendo ofTensioncs nieas et sanctorum moorum, qni darit voces suas cotlidie ante Ihronum meum dicenlcs: Domine rex etorne glorio in tua dicione cimcta sunt posita, et non est, qui possit tnfe resistere 6) voluntati, vindica sangmncin nostruni, quia calcat nos terra coritaminatto-nibtis suis. Ego dominus creator omniuin creaturarum cinisi vorbum7) meum incarnatum de sublijnibus celorum in vallem lonebrosam, ut luccrct eis, qui in tenebris erant, et putabant, se aliquid csse et nichil fuerunl, et amaverunt Iiomincs magis lcncbras, quam lucem. Ipse vero erat lux vera, et quasi stella matulina in medio nebule, et quasi sol splendet in virtute sua in mcdio diei, sic refulgebat in medio populi sui, plenus sapientia et forti-ludine, et omnis terra repleta est doctrinis eius, et obliti estis ciun. luro per dexlcram ineam et thronum uieum ultra non ficl. —
(XXHI.) — 0 homo quicunque es, qua ratione poteris te excusare? OoAilos habes et non vides, et aures ad audiendnm et non intelligis. Ultra qnid faciam tibi? Si te ipsurn pcrdidcris, (|iiein pulas te es.sc i-odcmptururn. l^ecordamini, quia unicus lilius cordis niei somel pro peccatis vestris mortuus est, et resurrexit, ascenditque in celum, et sedet in gloria sua, et reliquit vobis exeinplum (folio 71 v), ut sequamini vestigia eius. Quomodo, quali corde, vel quali conscientia sequimini eum. Longe enim simt vie eius a viis veslris. Si non ambulaveritis, siout ipse ambulavit, quouiodo ad ouin poleslis vonirc? Nolite dcclinaro ad dexteram neque ad sinistram, sed sequirnini vestigia eius, et sic ad oinn voiiin? pol.osl.is. Nnrrc auloiti oslis lnbric,atil.(!s dc, poccato in peccatum, dc dampnatione in dainpnationem. Ambulate, cluin lux erit in vobis, ne tenebre vos coinprehendant, quia antiquus ille leviathan putat, se totum munduin esse deglutitururn. Adhuc autem tempus est gracie. Penitentiam agite, querite dominum detim vestrum, dum inveniri potest. invocate eum, dum prope cst. Convertimini ad me ex toto corde vestro, et ego dominus convertar ad vos et reconciliabor vobis, nec vos deseram in tempore tribulationis et angustie. Et ille serpens antiquus cadet in ruinam magnam, ut pene omnia viscera eius eflundantur. —

(XXlfll.) — Quid est hoc,8) quod dixi de visceribus serpentis antiqui? Sunt
enim aliqui, qui nunc deglutili sunt in visceribus eius, et postea foras mittentur. Et sunt homicide, adulteri, raptores, homines iniusti, qui precipitaverunt animas suas in mortem. Sunt etiam infelices katari, qui sunt abhominabiliores omni creatura, et in sulphureis linguis proferunt flammantiax) verba, et conla-minata est terra abominabili fide eorum. Et sicnt olim gentes me crucifixevunt, sic cottklie crucifigor inter illos, qui talia colunt.3) 0. quam diabolica insania. qui3) me sciunt esse creatorem celi el lerre et omnium, qne in ois sunt, ot intneri abyssos, lacerant vulnera inca eflYin (Iblio 72 r) dontos oorpus et. sangiiinem sacra-mcntorum rneornm, fjuod oblalum cst ad salutem oinninm croden-lium. Ouod si me provoeavoririt ad iraoiuidiarn, cgo domiiuis in furore mco delebo terram cum generc suo us(|iio ad infernum. Cessate prcvaricatores ivjslicio, cessate ab insania isla. Si non fecerilis, precipiam vos cniciari, snpra quaui r.redi potest, in sulphure ct in igne inextinguibili, et vennibus golionnalibus sine fino. Kt non cst sensus. (jiii possit coinprohcMtdci-o gohonnalom pcnarn, nisi illo magnus loviallian, (jni Lenlus ost cl sodiicil uni-versum mundnm. —
(XXV.) — Ego dominus precipio vobis per doxlerain meam, nt non percutiam vos in gladio oris inci, regibus et priricipilms episcopis et abbalilms, preshitcris, et onmibus, c|ui in snblimilale estis, oinncs hereses, qne scismata facinnt in ccc.losia mea, quain-genni in amaritudine aninie mee, omni foiiitudine expellere et destrucre fide catholica. 0 rniseiTimi et. iufelicissiini bypochrito, qui appurclis ooram liominil>us quusi j-oligiosi <a mnoc.om.os, m-trinsoous antcm pleni cslis ingonio inalu. Dic.ilo iuilii, quoniodo credilis in deum*) omnipolenlom, si non crodilis, oivmipotenti deo omnia possibilia esse. Possibile quippe erat coram deo, emittere de sede magne maiestatis sue spiritum sanelum in virginaleni uteruin, et verbum incarnationis sue procedere. Nunquid creditis, (juod deus pater creavit bominem ad imaginem et similitudinem suam, et constituit eum in paradisum volnplatis, ut operarelur et custodirot illud? Et illc sorpens antiqnns do(;epit euin, quod cecidil iu peccatum, et per inobedicnliam proioclns est foras. 0 inielix hypocrita, quamdiu • pnlas to in poccalis tnis esso, si non credis (folio 72 v) in filinm doi, qui a patre pmcedit? Neque ergo creditis, eum incarnatniM nec vore passitm, nc(; sepullum, nec resurrexisse, neque in cclos ascendisse, nec ventimim esse iudicare vivos ct mortuos. Vos anlcin, qni littorali oslis, serulamini libros de novo testamento. et recordarnini verboi-inn cins, qualein IVuctum inveneritis. Renovamini spivilu sancto et refocillalc animas vestras in edificationem ecclesie, quc est sanclificala iu Chrislo Icsn, et illuminata per sancta evangelia, et dealbata de antiqua rubiginc.. Quia ei-go sancta ecclcsia, ({uc ooniuncla est et dcsponsala celosti sponso Jilio elerni regis, (}iii in lcmlane criinina eitis lavit, vit sit una fides, imum baptisma, una ecclesia, et unica colnml)a, et una electa Ghrisli lesu, vos genus elecluin, gons sancla, rogale sacerdocinm, populus acqiiisiUoniR, • memenlote, qua libertate lil)cravi vos de iugo et de captivitate diaboli. Eratis enim aliqtiando lonebre, nunc auleiii Inx. Ambulate, ut filii karissimi, ut filii lucis sitis, dicit dens vester. Et iterum eadem veritas dicit: Vinea mea electa, ego te planlavi et cognitam til)i feci omnem viam veritalis, quomodo converpa es retrorsum, ambulans viam non reotam,- sed post peccala lna, inquiris pa(;cin secundurn volnn-lalcin tuam ct dicis: l'ax erit, et non est filius pacis, sed tc ip.sam seducis. —
(XXVI.) — Ego vero expnlsus PHIU et non est locns, ubi re(iuie.scerc possil, pea DHMIR, sto ad osliuni ct pulso, et 11011 est, (|iii ine inlroducal, cl capul rneum plonuin est rore, lectus rneus, iu quo requiesceve desiderabam, violatus est variis viciis, et qui intrant in imnundiciis suis ad sanotuarium moum, maculant lectum inciun pravls operibus suis. (folio 73 r) Paslores rnei oi>pi-ossi sutit quasi in gravi somno, et quomodo evigilare eos faciam? Excilabo dexteram iueain super eos. l\iliens fui, et expectavi cos de die in' diera, et ipsi in oblivionom tradunt me. Lex enini Itcribit primum a pacerdolibus et senioribus populi mei, quia venundare inquirunt sacrificia sacl-amenloriun meorum, qui vendunt, vendunt sibi iudicinm, et qui cmunt, einunt gladium ex ntraque parte acutum. Et ilerum -admoneo pastores meos paternis ad-inonilionibus, qui stint conscii aecrelorurn meorum: Estote iinilatores jnei et non diaboli, quia sunt aliqui. qui non mtraut in ostium ad ovile meum, sed ascendunt aliunde per aham viarn quast fures et latrones, fnres propter avariciam, latrones, quia / perdimt animas sibi commtssas. Tegunt enim prava opera eorum, ne videantur ab hominibus. Propterea audacter non coniradicunt adversus oinnem heresim, quia reprehensibiles sunt in vns eorum. Et iterurn dico vobis: Procul dubio scitote, quante anime pereunt de ovibus ineis, quas regere et custodire suscepistis, propter ncgligenlias vcslras, do raanibus vcsti-is miuirain. In trcmendo iudicio rationem reddituri estis, et redundabunt super vos omnia mala, que induxi super eos. —
(XXVII.) — Nunc igitur reviviscite et considerate anteces-sores vestros apostolos, alioaque sanctos doctores ecclesie, qui minas hominum et verbera carnificum non timuenmt, sed verbum nieum portaverunt anle reges et presides, cesi sunt et multa tormenta perpessi sunt, sed omnia sustinuerunt propter nomen meum. Proplerea (folio 73v) sunt in gloria et honore, quem dinuinerare nemo potest, ante thronum meum, ibi me vident non in misteriis, sed oculd ad oculum, facie ad faciem, in clantate magna et maiestate. IJeatus hoiiio, qui legit et audit verba huius textus, et servat ea, quia vera sunt, et per angelum meum de throno meo missa sunt in edificationem multorum. - —
(XXVIII.) — Cogitante me, que esset significatio verbi, quod dixeram: in sulphureis linguis proferunt flammantia verba, posuit dominus verba bec in ore meo: Sulphur talis nature est, ut flamma eius in altum non ascendat, sed sub quadam obscuri-tate ardet in amariludine, et signifioat herescs, que tam obscure profenmt vorba venono.su, dc quibus procedil llamina nigerriin;i et ignit cordu lidclium, et facit eos hesitaro in fidc calholica.1) —

Elisabeth encourages Hildegard in her opposition to the Cathar heresy with her own attack on Cathars and those in the church who fail to stop them, connecting their failure with the problem of simony. When this letter was incorporated into Elisabeth’s Third Book of Visions, chapter headings were added, which are included here in brackets. This letter suggests Elisabeth’s familiarity with Hildegard’s brief work on the Cathars; see Analecta Sanctae Hildegardis, ed. J.-B. Pitra, Analecta Sacra, vol. 8 (Monte Cassino, 1882; rpt. Farnborough: Gregg Press Limited, 1966), 348-51. For the presence of Cathars in the Rhineland in this period, see Jeffrey Burton Russell, Dissent and Reform in the Early Middle Ages (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1965), 84-86, and R. I. Moore, The Origins of European Dissent (New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1977), 168-82.

(!1)This translation is copyrighted by Anne Clark. For permission to reproduce, contact Paulist Press. (!2)Elisabeth seems to be making an etymological reference to Hildegard’s name, which actually means “protection in battle.” I thank Barbara Newman and Connie Schutz for their help on this question [AC]. (!3)See the prophecy which concluded the original version of First Book of Visions (ch. 25). (!4)The elaboration of this image from John 10:1 was part of a common rhetoric condemning simony as an abuse of pastoral care.

Die Visionen der hl. Elisabeth und die Schriften der Aebte Ekbert und Emecho von Schönau, ed. F.W.E. Roth (Brünn: Verlag der Studien aus dem Benedictiner- und Cistercienser-Orden, 1884), Bk.3, ch.20-28 p.74-78; trans. Anne L. Clark, The Complete Works of Elisabeth of Schönau (New York: Paulist Press, 2000), 19. (!1)