The Marrow of the Soul

all his powers of body and soul withered away, so that he then first learned to truly practice and thus understand the Psalter of David The Book of Psalms, traditionally attributed to King David and used as a primary source for prayer and meditation. Yes, GOD so humbled him that he was plagued for two years even outwardly with a dullness of mind original: "Blödigkeit deß Verstands"; a state of intellectual confusion or "holy folly" often described in mystical biographies, with fear and trembling, with illness, with abandonment, and with mockery; he was forsaken by all, even by those who were previously his dearest friends; indeed, he was even regarded as a fool and a dreamer original: "Fantasten"; a derogatory term for someone who claims spiritual visions or lacks a grip on reality. GOD even allowed his great name and honor to be brought to shame publicly upon the pulpit. In this School of the Cross, the Spirit of the LORD truly tested him for two full years and mightily taught him such mysteries as you will read with wonder in this book; such things he could never have learned at any human academy, for which he afterwards heartily thanked his God. And therefore, he later became so simple, so lowly, and so humble. Thus, where he previously had disputed for and against original Latin: "pro & contra" upon the pulpit with high and subtle words and with metaphysical school terms The technical, abstract vocabulary used in university scholasticism