Book III, Chapter X

Of the fourth evil of the distinct supernatural apprehensions of the memory: the impediment to union.

THERE is not much to be said here about the fourth evil, because I have been speaking of it throughout this book: I have said that the soul, in order to be united with God in hope, must renounce all possession in the memory; because nothing that is not God must remain in the memory, if our hope in God is to be perfect. No form, or figure or image, natural or supernatural, of which the memory takes cognisance can be, or resemble, God, as itis written, ‘There is none among the gods like unto thee, O Lord¹ and therefore if the memory dwells upon any such it hinders the divine union. In the first place, because it perplexes itself; and in the next, because the greater its occupation the less perfect its hope. It is therefore necessary for the soul to forget, and detach itself from, all distinct forms and knowledge of supernatural things, that it may not hinder in the memory, the divine union in perfect hope.