5. Of the Way of Natural Light

THE second Way is that of Natural Light, in which all advance who perform and carry-out natural virtues with an intention alien from the impulse or intuition bf the Holy Spirit. This way enters into the whole man, through the lower powers adorned with the natural and moral virtues and through the higher powers uplifted in rest to the simple foundation of the essence of the soul, which bears the image of God, and is the natural Kingdom of God. Man himself was created with regard to his body, out of the four elements, and with regard to his soul, out of nothing in the image of God. His first natural power is called Irascible, the function of which is to hold and subdue under a curb whatever is contrary to good manners, all the bestiality of nature, and evil inclinations, and to dominate them all.

Moreover he should be adorned with the first cardinal virtue, which is called Prudence ; by which he will carefully consider whence he has come, where he is, and whither he is going ; also the shortness of life, the instability of time, the evils of the world, and the length of the future life, and that \ perpetuity will last for ever. He will examine and approve also the fittingness and greatness of the virtues adorning the outer and the inner man. The second natural power is the Concupiscible, which another cardinal virtue should adorn, namely Temperance, which may check and restrain concupiscence, and shun all immoderate excess in eating and drinking, so that he may never seek anything at all superfluous, or what may be unnecessary for man ; and that he may not desire too hungrily or greedily the things that are necessary. The third natural power is the Rational. The former two powers are bestial if they are not adorned with virtues, but this natural power distinguishes man from the brutes. He will adorn it therefore with Justice, that man may give and take, do, and leave undone, control, rule and dispose or order all things in accordance with the dictate of right reason or discretion. The fourth natural power of man is Freedom of Will, which should be adorned with its natural virtue, which is Moral Courage, so that man may be able to command and impose a curb upon all bestial powers of the mind, and with this courage of mind may be able to bear with a certain calmness of mind, loss and shame, the humiliation or the exaltation of himself, gain and loss, prosperity and adversity, or joys and sorrows, and whatever may happen to him from all kinds of created things. In the same way with the strength gained and the powers received, he may be able to exercise these virtues, nor fail anywhere. These are the four natural virtues, which the same number of cardinal or moral virtues rule, and the virtues order and control these things which adorn the outer man in his moral life. And this is the lowest part of the way of Natural Light, but three higher powers of the soul are the highest part of that same natural way, set apart and averse from occupations or multiplicity, and turned towards rest in unity. From these memory uplifted, and turned within into the nakedness ; of its own essence, is divested of action in .that .single essence. And there is in it a certain natural inclination and desire reaching towards the simple principle of the mind : it turns itself downward towards external actions, and that together with the rational power of intelligence and freedom of will, and rules, controls and orders all its senses and bodily powers. In the same way it betakes itself from occupations and multiplicity to the bare essence of the soul by a certain natural inclination within to its source and its own natural quiet, and there it is opposite to the bare essence of the mind, and that very essence bestows upon it a kind of natural beauty and ornament. The /second Power is the Intellect, which turned j upon its own essence, and looking towards | the rest of its principle, is of its own nature v- 4ivested of action, and reposes in non-action, and is embraced on all sides by the simplicity of its own essence; thus it easily perceives )' and comprehends in itself as in all other creatures, that it is a certain cause from which all created things depend and flow I forth ; and in this it strives to repose for ever, and it draws and assumes from created things the power, wisdom, goodness and riches of the First Cause, so that all things which It powerfully created, It disposed and ordered wisely, and from Its immense goodness and munificence most lavishly and / multifariously beautified and endowed it; / nevertheless, /so that whatever It bestowed by Its manifold reason on creatures, It con- \ tinued henceforth boundless in it, in the • exhaustless opulence of Its most lofty nature. The third Power is Will, which embraces Memory and Intellect, and thus they naturally tend within to their own origin. For when no temporary matters, and no bodily delights detain or engage the highest powers from being drawn up into unity, thence a certain sensible quietude arises and springs up, pervading body and soul : and then these powers are penetrated and transformed into the unity of the mind and unity into them. Further the most excellent part of the natural way is the essence of the mind, which depends on God, and is immoveable and loftier than the highest heaven and deeper than the bottom of the sea and broader and wider at the same time than all the world together with all the elements ; thus does spiritual nature excel all corporeal nature. P'or it is itself the natural kingdom of God, and the boundary of all tfte actions of the soul. For no creature can act of itself be yond God alone, since He is the Essence of all Essence, Life of all Life, and the Principle and Preservation of all creatures! That then is the way of Natural Light, in which one is able to proceed by natural powers, and the repose of the spirit, and for this very reason it is called the Natural Way, because it can be held and travelled on apart from the impulse or intuition of the Holy Spirit and without divine or supernatural gifts ; al though apart from the grace of God it is rarely so excellently completed and perfected.