John Tauler · 73 of 121

The third way of a poor, perfect life, when you contemplate God internally, is, that a man do not fly from what may kill him in spiritual things. · 60.

A man must also endure all judgment? that fall upon him, and this prepareth him also for a poor life. If a man is to be freed from all the judgments which a man hath deserved, he must be judged; and by the judgment, that he patiently endureth, the judgment of God is taken away from him. This is necessary for those who belong to God—that they should be prepared by manifold judgments. Therefore Christ said, “It is needful that scandal should come, but woe to him through whom it cometh.” Therefore is it necessary that virtue should be guarded by contradiction and judgment; and whoso is not judged, that is a sign that he never worked proper virtue, for the highest virtue that man can work is most attacked by judgment; and whoso fleeth judgment fleeth virtue. In fact, the man who wisheth to live most perfectly must be judged by all men, for they do not stand in the same nearness to perfection. Every man praiseth his own, and what is unlike his own is not praised by him; and hence he judgeth all that is not like to him.