87. Truly humble and holy are those who attribute nothing to their own merits. — For those are called the purest dyes who are truly humble and truly holy, who know indeed that they do not have the appearance of virtues of themselves, but hold this from the gift of grace coming upon them. For they would not be dyed if they had had holiness naturally. But they are the purest dyes, because they humbly guard the grace of virtues coming upon them which they have received. Hence it is that by the voice of the Bridegroom it is said of the holy Church: 「Who is this that ascendeth made white?」 (Cant. vi, 9; iii, 6).
For because the holy Church does not have the heavenly life naturally, but by the Spirit coming upon her is adorned with the beauty of gifts, she is spoken of not as white, but as made white. And it is to be noted that above, when he had said: 「It shall not be compared with the dyed colors of India」, he did not add that those colors were pure. But in this place, that he might distinguish the dye of true virtues from that painted coloring of the philosophers, saying 「dyes」, he added 「purest.」 For those are rightly named the purest dyes who before had been foul through depraved works, yet, the Spirit coming upon them, are clothed with the brightness of grace, so that they appear to be something far other than they were. Whence also our very descent into water is called baptism, that is, dyeing.
For we are dyed; and we who before were unseemly through the deformity of vices, having received faith, are rendered beautiful by grace and by the adornment of virtues. There follows: