Hildegard to the Abbess
/ SO The Letters of Hildegard of Bingen 186r Hildegard to the Abbess Before 1173 Hildegard condemns idle curiosity, and praises penitence. Then, she advises the abbess to persevere in her office, and exhorts her to do good works.
O daughter of Adam, God is that rationality which has neither beginning nor end, through which man himself is a rational being. That rationality is vivified life in him, and it will never fail.1
But now look into and heed the Scriptures, which are rooted in the Holy Spirit and which were written from the rationality which is God. The Scriptures are a mirror in which we see God by faith, for our adversary is ever vigilant and does not sleep. We must, therefore, fight him with the Scriptures, and we must not tempt God [cf. Deut 6.16; Matt 4.7; Luke 4.12], but, rather, adore Him with all devotion. For the devil is fully aware that man is inconstant and, in his morals, unstable; and, therefore, he does not allow him to remain quiet in the stable morals of peace. Frequently, as if impelled by God, a person wants to know something that it is not permitted to know, and, for this reason, leaves off serving God.
Therefore, the devil is greatly delighted, because he sees that that man has failed in two ways. This desire to search into forbidden things is foolish, such as one might expect from a false prophet. In all these things, God is not to be tempted but to be worshiped. For in his raging wickedness, the devil frequently hurls his shafts into man's heart, with the result that that man seeks to thwart God.
Blessed, however, is the man who will neither do these things nor consent to them, but lives as if suffering death by them. It is human nature to sin as a result of original sin, but when a person subsequently repents and gives up that sin for the sake of God's glory, he resists the devil by faith. God will never destroy the person who offers his more grievous sins up to Him, and He also forgives the lesser ones.b
Now, sweet daughter, armed with this truth, see to it that you do not lay aside the office entrusted to you because of the exertion or the weariness of the task. And take note, too, whether your thoughts are good or evil about the church of that monastery, because you commit great sin if you do not properly attend to this. For the tree that is full of flowers is beautiful to look upon, but it is far more useful when its fruit has ripened. The desire to do good works gives joy to the mind like those flowers, but the zeal for good works—that is, when the fruit begins to grow—is far better. When a person has done good works, his fruits have ripened, and his good works offer him the food of life in eternal pastures after he has departed from this life.
Therefore, good daughter of God, perfect your wholesome desires with good works, and when your soul departs your body, God's beautiful gift will spring forth for you. May God's grace teach you this.
The Letters
Reutlingen
The Priest Bertolf to Hilde rd 1151–53 The priest consults Hildegard about his sin of doubt, and his fears that his friends are leading him astray. He also requests a copy of her book.
To Hildegard, worthy mistress of the brides of Christ, Bertolf, by the grace of God priest (though unworthy) and a sinner, offers the absolutely certain devotion of his great esteem and obedience.
Full of bitterness, I am weary of my life [cf.Job 10.1]. Until now, I have put off that task that you are aware of, saintly virgin, awaiting certain faithful friends of mine, and, therefore, my path is, to use the words of the prophet, hedged in on all sides with thorns and a wall [cf. Hos 2.6]. Still, I do not wholly reject the scourges that in all things instruct Israel [cf.Judges 3.1], but because those friends do not provide a way out of temptation [cf. I Cor 10.13], I am terribly afraid that I will give in to temptation and fail to complete my assigned task. My heart, however, still rejoices amidst my sins and tribulations, for I derive great confidence from your consolation, to which I frequently have recourse.
Therefore, O virgin devoted to God, all of us sigh to you (after God), entreating you, begging you, knocking at your door with all our might Please do not desist from your accustomed prayers until merciful God deigns to impart to you, on our behalf, a specific place for our dwelling. Or, if that seems to you to be tempting God, pray that He will at least reveal a separate order of religious life for us. We firmly believe that God has already ordained these things through you. You know this full well from experience, since "nothing upon earth is done without a cause" [Job 5.6].
And, therefore, just as by your insight into God's mysteries you liberated my spirit in part from its distress, so you ought to pray for us and, by the means entrusted to you by God, help to deliver us from the sin of doubt I greatly desire a letter from you about this matter, and others as well.
Finally, I would like very much to make a copy of your book.