Bonaventure

The numbered footnotes below correspond to markers in both the Latin body above and the English translation; Quaracchi restart their numbering on every printed page, so the labels are qualified by page.

COLLATIO XIII.

De tertia visione, quae est intelligentiae per Scripturam eruditae, tractatio prima, in qua agitur de Scripturae intelligentiis spiritualibus.

Summarium

Introductio, 1. — Divisio primaria fit triplicis in tertia visione tractandae, scil. de Scripturae spiritualibus intelligentiis, sacramentalibus figuris, multiformibus theoriis, 2. — Pars I. De multiplicitate intelligentiarum spiritualium in genere. Intelligentiae hae comparantur congregationi aquarum ob tres rationes, 3. — De ratione prima, 4. — De secunda, 5. — De tertia, 6. — Tempore futuro Scriptura melius intelligetur, 7. — De incremento revelationis secundum Scripturam, 8. 9. — Scriptura, ut sit vox Dei et sublimis, debet esse multiformis secundum sensum, 10. — Pars II. De quatuor sensibus Scripturae in specie. Triplex manifestatio Dei in qualibet creatura; similiter triplex spiritualis intelligentia Scripturae; quatuor sensus comparantur quatuor faciebus, 11. — Liber creaturarum, propter peccatum originale quasi emortuus, rursus illuminatur per alterum librum Scripturae, 12. 13. — Explicantur figurae in Ezechiele et Apocalypsi, 14. 15. — Sensus litteralis cum 4 faciebus, 16. 17. — Obiectum allegoriae, tropologiae et anagogiae, 18. — In sensu anagogico sunt quatuor facies, 19. — Item, in allegorico, 20. — Item, in tropologico, 21. — Haec explicantur exemplo solis in Scriptura multipliciter intellecti; primo secundum anagogiam habet quatuor sensus; quod probatur locis Scripturae, 22-25. — Item, secundum allegoriam, 26-29. — Item, secundum tropologiam, 30-33.

1. Congregentur aquae, quae sub caelo sunt, in locum unum, et appareat arida. Et factum est ita. Et vocavit Deus aridam terram congregationesque aquarum appellavit maria. Et vidit Deus, quod esset bonum. Et ait: germinet terra herbam virentem et facientem semen, et lignum pomife-

rum, faciens fructum iuxta genus suum, cuius semen in semetipso sit super terram¹ etc. Haec est tertia visio, intelligentiae per Scripturam eruditae, quae intelligitur in opere tertiae diei. Et sicut in operibus dierum est additio secundae ad primam et tertiae ad utramque; sic ex prima et secunda visione oritur tertia; et ista visio est nobilior et maior praecedentibus. Et licet videatur inconveniens adaptatio et correspondentia cum opere tertiae diei, pro eo quod terra est infimum elementorum, Scriptura autem est sublimissima; optime tamen assignatur: quia quidquid caelum continet in quadam excellentia, terra tenet vel suscipit vel habet in quadam vivacitate. Unde suscipit caeli influentias et facit pulcherrimas pullulationes².

2. Consistit autem haec visio circa tria, scilicet circa spirituales intelligentias sensuum sive sensus, circa sacramentales figuras, circa multiformes theorias inde elicitas. Ad haec tria omnis Scriptura reducitur. — Primae dantur intelligi per congregationes aquarum, scilicet spirituales intelligentiae; secundae, scilicet sacramentales figurae, per pullulationes terrae, ibi: Germinet terra herbam virentem; tertiae, scilicet multiformes theoriae, intelliguntur per semina, ibi: Cuius semen sit in semetipso etc. — Quis potest scire infinitatem seminum, cum tamen in uno sint silvae silvarum et postea infinita semina³? Sic ex Scripturis elici possunt infinitae theoriae, quas nullus potest comprehendere nisi solus Deus. Sicut enim ex plantis nova semina; sic ex Scripturis novae theoriae et novi sensus, et ideo Scriptura sacra distinguitur. Unde sicut si una gutta de mari extrahatur; sic sunt omnes theoriae, quae eliciuntur, respectu illarum quae possunt elici.

3. Primo igitur dicendum est de intelligentiis spiritualibus et postea de signis et postea de theoriis; quia signa nil valent, nisi res intelligantur. Sic etiam primo congregavit aquas, deinde produxit arbores, deinde semina. — De congregatione dicit Psalmus⁴: Congregans sicut in utre aquas maris. In utre congregavit aquas maris, quando in corio Scripturae congregavit universitatem intelligentiarum spiritualium. — Assimilantur autem intelligentiae aquis congregatis in utre propter tres rationes: scilicet propter ipsam spiritualium intelligentiarum primitivam originationem, propter intelligentiarum spiritualium profundissimam altitudinem, propter intelligentiarum spiritualium profluentissimam multiformitatem.

4. De primo in Ecclesiaste⁵: Omnia flumina intrant in mare, et mare non redundat; ad locum, unde exeunt, flumina revertuntur, ut iterum fluant; sic omnes intelligentiae spirituales a Scriptura divina. Intelligentiae spirituales dicuntur flumina — et etiam viri intelligentes spiritualiter — quia originem habent a Scriptura et per Scripturam confirmantur, et per illas aliae intelligentiae habentur; unde in Psalmo⁶: Elevaverunt flumina, Domine, elevaverunt flumina vocem suam. Elevaverunt flumina fluctus suos a vocibus aquarum multarum. Quare? Quia mirabiles elationes maris. Quare? Quia mirabilis in altis Dominus, vox Dei debuit esse magna.

5. Secunda ratio, propter profundissimam altitudinem; in Psalmo⁷: Qui descendunt mare in navibus, facientes operationem in aquis multis. Ille descendit cum navibus in mare, qui cum spiritu summae reverentiae accedit ad exponendum Scripturas. Cum navibus descendit qui habet manuductionem lignum crucis; quia qui sine isto ligno vult intrare mare Scripturae submergitur, in maximos errores cadens; nisi enim sit Petrus, demergitur. Unde, alta profunditas; quis inveniet eam⁸? Sapientia gloriatur, quae profundum abyssi penetravit et vidit mirabilia Dei in profundo; Ecclesiastici vigesimo quarto: Ego in altissimis habitavi, et thronus meus in columna nubis. Gyrum caeli circuivi sola et profundum abyssi penetravi, in fluctibus maris ambulavi. Haec dicit Sapientia incarnata: Ego in altissimis habitavi, in creatione; thronus meus in columna nubis, in incarnatione; in fluctibus maris ambulavi, in passione; profundum abyssi penetravi, in penetratione Scripturarum, quia aperuit illis sensum post resurrectionem, ut intelligerent Scripturas. Propter fidem crucis Petrus super mare ambulavit.

6. Tertia ratio est propter profluentissimam multiformitatem. Multiplex enim profluentia est ab aquis nubium, a fluminibus, a fontibus, et omnia sunt a mari. — Si quaeris: quomodo? Per varios meatus et per varios motus; sic respondet nubes, sic fluvius, sic fons; Isaias⁹: Repleta est terra

scientia Domini, sicut aquae maris operientes. Et praecedit illud: Non nocebunt et non occident in universo monte sancto meo.

7. Et hoc potissime refertur ad tempus novi testamenti, quando Scriptura manifestata est, et maxime in fine, quando Scripturae intelligentur, quae modo non intelliguntur. Tunc erit mons, scilicet Ecclesia contemplativa; et tunc non nocebunt, quando fugient monstra haeresum sapientiae usura. Sed hodie mons Sion propter vulpes disperiit¹, id est propter expositores versipelles et foetidos.

8. De isto tertio Esther²: Fons parvus crevit in fluvium maximum et in lucem solemque conversus est et in aquas plurimas redundavit. Scriptura fuit fons parvus in Legis datione, quia parvus est liber praeceptorum Legis; sed post crevit in fluvium maximum in libro Iosue, Iudicum, Regum, Esdrae, Iudith, Tobiae, Esther, Machabaeorum. Et post conversus est in lucem, scilicet Prophetarum; nam prophetia lux est; et post in solem, scilicet in Evangelio; et multae intelligentiae elicitae sunt, et sic in aquas plurimas redundavit.

9. Istam multiformitatem clarius vidit Ezechiel³, qui vidit in medio similitudinem quatuor animalium; et primum animal habebat faciem hominis; secundum, faciem leonis; tertium, faciem bovis; et quartum, faciem aquilae; et unumquodque quatuor facies habebat. Et post apparuit rota in medio rotae; et postea dicit, quod aspectus rotarum et opus quasi visio maris, et quod rota erat in rota. Et postea dicit, se audivisse sonum alarum quasi sonum aquarum multarum et quasi sonum sublimis Dei. Per quatuor animalia secundum omnes intelliguntur scriptores Scripturae sacrae, maxime Prophetae et Evangelistae. Secundum Gregorium⁴ per rotas duas habentes quatuor facies intelligitur Scriptura habens vetus et novum testamentum; et quatuor facies sunt quatuor intelligentiae principales, scilicet litteralis, allegorica, moralis, anagogica. Aspectus autem quasi visio maris, propter profunditatem mysteriorum spiritualium; et volatus audiuntur, quando mentes excitantur; et fit sonus sublimis Dei, quia omnia sunt a Deo; unde in Apocalypsi⁵: Et vox, quam audivi, sicut vox aquarum multarum, propter multitudinem intelligentiarum; vox citharoedorum, propter concordantiam illarum intelligentiarum, quia miro modo concordant, et mira est harmonia.

10. Habet autem Scriptura multos intellectus, quia talis debet esse vox Dei, ut sit sublimis. Ceterae scientiae sunt contentae sub uno sensu, sed in hac est multiformis, et in hac significant voces et res; in aliis autem solae voces⁶, quia unaquaeque doctrina determinatur per signa sibi convenientia; unde litterae et voces, quarum principia litterae, sunt signa intellectuum; et quia intellectus proportionati et terminati sunt, ideo et voces, ut nomine semel posito non sit utendum aequivoce. — Deus autem causa est et animarum et vocum formatarum ab anima et rerum, quarum sunt voces.

11. Ideo primus sensus litteralis; deinde, quia res significant, sunt tres sensus. Deus enim manifestat se in qualibet creatura tripliciter: secundum substantiam, virtutem et operationem. Et omnis creatura repraesentat Deum, qui est Trinitas, et qualiter pervenitur ad eum⁷. Et quia per fidem, spem et caritatem pervenitur ad Deum; ideo omnis creatura insinuat, quid credendum, quid exspectandum, quid operandum. Et secundum hoc est triplex intelligentia spiritualis: allegoria, quid credendum; anagogia, quid exspectandum; tropologia, quid operandum, quia caritas facit operari. — Intelligentia litteralis est quasi facies naturalis, scilicet hominis; aliae sunt facies mysticae: per leonem, qui habet magnificentiam, allegoria, sive quid credendum; per faciem bovis, qui trahit aratrum et sulcat terram ad fructificandum, tropologia sive moralis; per aquilam, quae in altum volat, anagogia. — Prima facies, scilicet litteralis, aperta est; secunda, magnificentia alte elevata; tertia, tropologia est fructuosa; quarta quasi irreverberatis oculis solem intuetur. — Hae quatuor sunt quasi visio maris propter spiritualium intelligentiarum primitivam originationem, profundissimam altitudinem et profluentissimam multiformitatem. Unde sicut sunt tres personae in una essentia, sic tres intelligentiae in una superficie litterae⁸.

12. Notandum autem, quod mundus, etsi servit homini quantum ad corpus, potissime tamen quan-

tum ad animam; et si servit quantum ad vitam, potissime quantum ad sapientiam. Certum est, quod homo stans habebat cognitionem rerum creatarum et per illarum repraesentationem ferebatur in Deum ad ipsum laudandum, venerandum, amandum; et ad hoc sunt creaturae et sic reducuntur in Deum. Cadente autem homine, cum amisisset cognitionem, non erat qui reduceret eas in Deum. Unde iste liber, scilicet mundus, quasi emortuus et deletus erat; necessarius autem fuit alius liber, per quem iste illuminaretur, ut acciperet metaphoras rerum. Hic autem liber est Scripturae, qui ponit similitudines, proprietates et metaphoras rerum in libro mundi scriptarum. Liber ergo Scripturae reparativus est totius mundi ad Deum cognoscendum, laudandum, amandum. Unde si quaeras, quid tibi valet serpens, vel de quo tibi servit? Plus valet tibi quam totus mundus, quia docet te prudentiam, sicut formica sapientiam; Salomon¹: Vade ad formicam, o piger, et disce sapientiam; item, in Matthaeo: Estote prudentes sicut serpentes.

13. Hae quatuor intelligentiae sunt quatuor flumina² maris Scripturae, a quo derivantur vel oriuntur et revertuntur. Unde sacra Scriptura est illuminativa omnium et reductiva in Deum, sicut primo fuit creatura.

14. Sed quomodo habet quatuor facies quaelibet intelligentia dicta, quia dicitur, quod unumquodque animal quatuor facies habebat³? Interrogemus amicum sponsi, scilicet Ioannem — et dixit hic: iste est istius ordinis specialiter — et dicit in Apocalypsi, quod quatuor animalia erant circa thronum Dei, et quod animal primum habebat faciem leonis; secundum, faciem bovis; tertium, faciem hominis, quartum, faciem aquilae; et non dicit, quod unumquodque haberet quatuor facies; Ezechiel autem dicit, quod animalia ibant, et iste, quod stabant; Ezechiel dicit, quod animal primum habebat faciem hominis; iste, quod faciem leonis; item, iste dicit, quod clamabant sanctus; ille nihil horum exprimit, nisi quod dabant voces. Unde Ioannes videtur comprehendere visionem Isaiae⁴ et Ezechielis.

15. Ad hoc notandum, quod Ezechiel intendit describere intelligentias istas per ordinem principalem; ideo incipit a naturali facie hominis, quae significat intellectum litteralem. Ioannes autem intendit describere quatuor intelligentias non principales secundum quatuor facies, quae sunt quatuor intelligentiae, scilicet litteralis, vel allegorica, vel tropologica, vel anagogica, cuiuslibet quatuor.

16. Omnis doctrina veteris testamenti aut est legalis, ut in Moyse; aut historialis, ut in libris historialibus; aut sapientialis, ut in libris sapientialibus; aut prophetalis, ut in Psalmis et in duodecim Prophetis minoribus et quatuor maioribus. — Novi testamenti Scriptura similiter aut est legalis, ut in Evangelio, ubi ponuntur praecepta; aut historialis, ut in Actibus Apostolorum; aut sapientialis, ut in Epistolis Pauli, coadiunctis canonicis; aut prophetalis, ut in Apocalypsi; quamquam Epistolae ponantur post Evangelia, tamen Actus Apostolorum immediate sequuntur Evangelium: Primum quidem sermonem feci de omnibus, o Theophile, quae coepit Iesus facere et docere⁵. — Legalis respondet leoni propter magnificentiam et auctoritatem; historialis bovi, qui trahit aratrum, propter simplicitatem, et quia terram sulcat; sapientialis respondet homini; prophetalis respondet faciei aquilae.

17. Intendit enim Scriptura reducere ad originale principium per reformationem; aut ergo describit aeterna, quae sunt leges et Evangelia; in Psalmo⁶: Praeceptum posuit Dominus, quod non praeteribit; et in Ecclesiastico: Fundamenta aeterna supra petram solidam, et mandata Dei in corde mulieris sanctae; haec mulier est Ecclesia. Non enim intelligendum est, quod lex transeat sive praecepta, immo melius servabuntur in patria. Non enim eodem modo servantur in lege veteri et nova, sed melius in nova, completius autem in patria. Deus enim vivit secundum leges, quas dedit. — Si autem Scriptura agat de temporalibus, aut ergo de praeteritis, et sic historialia; aut de praesentibus, et sic sapientialia; aut de futuris, et sic prophetalia. Sunt ergo mandata, exempla, documenta, revelationes. — Haec igitur prima intelligentia quatuor habet facies; si ordinemus secundum ordinem Ezechielis, tunc habetur ordo rectus in se; sed nos debemus secundum naturam ferre oculum ad aeterna, quae principalia sunt.

18. Anagogia autem est de supernis; allegoria est de his quae facta sunt; tropologia de his quae fienda sunt. Anagogia etiam est pars allegoriae secundum Hugonem⁷, quae est de credendis.

19. In sensu ergo anagogico quatuor sunt facies, scilicet aeterna Dei trinitas, exemplaris sapientia, angelica sublimitas, Ecclesia triumphans. Quando

ergo Scriptura loquitur de istis, hoc pertinet ad anagogiam.

20. In allegorico sensu similiter sunt quatuor facies, scilicet humanitas assumta quantum ad nativitatem et passionem, quae sunt principales allegoriae. — Secunda est mater Dei Maria, quia mira dicuntur de ipsa in Scripturis, quia in omnibus Scripturis refertur in relatione ad Filium. Et quod dicunt aliqui: quare ita pauca dicuntur de beata Virgine? nihil est; quia multa dicuntur, quia ubique de ipsa, et plus est dici de ipsa ubique, quam si unus tractatus fieret¹. — Tertia est Ecclesia militans vel mater Ecclesia, quae miras laudes habet in Scriptura. — Quarta est sacra Scriptura, quae de se multa dicit, ut patet de rotis, patet de mensa, patet de Cherubim, qui respiciebant se mutuo, patet de candelabro².

21. In sensu tropologico similiter quatuor facies habet. Prima est spiritualis gratia et virtus et omnis talis influentia. — Secunda, spiritualis vita, ut activa et contemplativa et omnis modus vivendi. — Tertia, spiritualis cathedra, ut magistralis, praelationis, pontificalis. — Quarta, spiritualis pugna, quomodo pugnandum contra daemones, mundum et carnem.

22. Istae sunt quatuor facies quadruplicatae in quolibet sensu. — Ponamus exemplum in uno vestigio de omnibus his, in sole scilicet, per quem aliquando Trinitas, aliquando sapientia exemplaris, aliquando angelica dispositio, aliquando Ecclesia triumphans significatur. — De Trinitate, in Ecclesiastico³: Sol illuminans per omnia respexit, et gloria Domini plenum est opus eius. Sol habet substantiam, splendorem, calorem; sic Deus habet principium originans, Patrem; splendorem, Filium; calorem, Spiritum sanctum; et tamen est idem sol in caelo quantum ad substantiam, idem in oculo quantum ad lumen, idem in corpore quantum ad calorem. — Sic persuadebatur cuidam caeco, qui aliquando viderat solem et stabat ad solem, et non poterat intelligere de Deo trinitatem.

23. De secunda anagogia, id est de exemplari sapientia, Sapientiae septimo⁴: Est enim speciosior sole et super omnem dispositionem stellarum luci comparata invenitur prior. Est enim speciosa sapientia, quia lux, sed speciosior sole, quia sol intra se radium suum generare non potest; sol autem aeternus intra se radium generat pulcherrimum. Quidam autem fatuus dixit, quod sol erat radius solis. Dicunt autem quidam astrologi⁵, quod omnes stellae, ut luna, recipiunt lumen suum a sole. Sed veritatem istius quaestionis nullus scit; verumtamen tam stellae quam luna aliquod lumen habent; et stellae quidem non sic obumbrantur, ut luna, quia hoc habet luna per vicinitatem ad nos et motum suum. Sic in omnia influit aeterna sapientia. Ecclesiastis undecimo⁶: Dulce lumen et delectabile est oculis videre solem.

24. Tertia anagogia, quia per solem intelligitur angelica sublimitas. In Ecclesiastico⁷: Tripliciter sol exurens montes, radios igneos exsufflans et refulgens radiis suis obcaecat oculos; quia radius divinus unus et idem, triformiter susceptus, tres hierarchias facit.

25. Quarta anagogia est de Ecclesia triumphante, quae etiam intelligitur per solem; Habacuc⁸: Sol et luna steterunt in habitaculo suo, quando anima et corpus glorificantur; et tunc vadunt in luce sagittarum multarum, propter subitas operationes suas in virtute Dei fulgida et subita.

26. In allegoria similiter per solem intelligitur Christus: Oritur sol et occidit⁹; oritur in nativitate, occidit in morte; gyrat per meridiem, in ascensione; flectitur ad aquilonem, in iudicio. — De primo, Malachias: Orietur vobis timentibus nomen meum sol iustitiae, et sanitas in pennis eius. — De secundo dicitur: Occidet eis sol in meridie. In meridie sol occidit Iudaeis. Quando Christus fuit in maiori sua virtute, scilicet post resurrectionem et ascensionem; Iudaei fuerunt excaecati. — De iudicio dicit Iacobus: Exortus est sol cum ardore, et cecidit flos, et foenum aruit.

27. Secunda allegoria de beata Maria Virgine; dicitur in Psalmo¹: In sole posuit tabernaculum suum; unde est pulcra ut luna, electa ut sol, terribilis ut castrorum acies ordinata. Unde est vas luminis susceptivum, sicut sol vas admirabile, opus Excelsi, in firmamento caeli resplendens.

28. Tertia allegoria de Ecclesia; in Ecclesiastico²: Sicut sol oriens in mundo in altissimis Dei, sic mulieris bonae species in ornamentum domus eius. Haec mulier vel domus est Ecclesia: mulier, quia activa; domus Dei, quia contemplativa. Mulier enim ista est Martha, quae Christum recipit et circa multa occupatur.

29. Quarta allegoria est de sacra Scriptura, de qua in Genesi³: Fecit Deus duo luminaria magna: luminare minus, ut praeesset nocti, scilicet vetus testamentum, et luminare maius, ut praeesset diei, scilicet novum testamentum. Sicut luna lumen habet a sole, sic vetus testamentum a novo. Quando ergo sol stat in oriente, et luna opposita sibi in occidente — Iosue: Sol, inquit, contra Gabaon ne movearis, et luna contra vallem Aialon — tunc vetus testamentum illuminatur; aliter lucere non potest nisi per novum.

30. In tropologico intellectu solis similiter quatuor facies. Primo, Spiritus sancti gratia; Esther⁴: Lux et sol ortus est, et humiles exaltati sunt, scilicet quando Deus per gratiam habitat in nobis. Unde sicut sol continue illuminat, sic anima continue debet recipere illuminationes a gratia Spiritus sancti.

31. Secundo per solem intelligitur spiritualis vita. Unde in Ecclesiastico⁵: Homo sanctus in sapientia manet sicut sol; nam stultus sicut luna mutatur; sicut sol vadit directe per eclipticam nec retrogradus nec stationarius est.

32. Tertio intelligitur spiritualis cathedra sive doctrinae, sive praelationis, sive iudicii. Unde in Psalmo⁶: Thronus eius sicut sol in conspectu meo, et sicut luna perfecta in aeternum. Praelatus est sol quantum ad documenta veritatis, luna quantum ad exemplar virtutis; vel sol sapientiae, luna scientiae; vel sol, in quantum iudicat, luna, in quantum miseretur.

33. Quarto per solem intelligitur spiritualis pugna. De quo⁷: Sol obscurabitur, et luna non dabit lumen suum. Quando pugna erit inter Christum et antichristum, inter doctrinam veritatis et falsitatis; tunc sol fiet sicut saccus cilicinus, et aliquis doctor veritatis vel praelatus secundum veritatem obscurabitur per errores; alii autem stabunt fortissimi, etsi videantur obscurari quantum ad reputationem. — Hae sunt quatuor facies animalium et duodecim lumina, ad quae reducuntur omnia, quae in Scriptura continentur.

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Collation XIII.

On the third vision, which is that of the understanding instructed through Scripture: the first treatment, in which the spiritual understandings of Scripture are treated.

Summarium

Introduction, 1. — The primary division is made of the threefold matter to be treated in the third vision, namely of the spiritual understandings of Scripture, its sacramental figures, its manifold theories, 2. — Part I. On the multiplicity of the spiritual understandings in general. These understandings are compared to the gathering of the waters for three reasons, 3. — On the first reason, 4. — On the second, 5. — On the third, 6. — In time to come Scripture will be better understood, 7. — On the increase of revelation according to Scripture, 8. 9. — Scripture, that it may be the voice of God and sublime, must be manifold in sense, 10. — Part II. On the four senses of Scripture in particular. A threefold manifestation of God in every creature; likewise a threefold spiritual understanding of Scripture; the four senses are compared to four faces, 11. — The book of creatures, as good as dead through original sin, is illumined again through the other book, that of Scripture, 12. 13. — The figures in Ezekiel and in the Apocalypse are explained, 14. 15. — The literal sense with its 4 faces, 16. 17. — The object of allegory, tropology and anagogy, 18. — In the anagogic sense there are four faces, 19. — Likewise, in the allegoric, 20. — Likewise, in the tropologic, 21. — These are explained by the example of the sun as understood in Scripture in many ways; first, according to anagogy it has four senses, which is proved from passages of Scripture, 22-25. — Likewise, according to allegory, 26-29. — Likewise, according to tropology, 30-33.

1. Let the waters that are under the heaven be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear. And it was so done. And God called the dry land Earth, and the gathering together of the waters he called Seas. And God saw that it was good. And he said: let the earth bring forth the green herb, and such as may seed, and the fruit-

bearing tree, yielding fruit after its kind, whose seed is in itself upon the earth¹ etc. This is the third vision, that of the understanding instructed through Scripture, which is understood in the work of the third day. And as in the works of the days there is an addition of the second to the first and of the third to both; so from the first and the second vision the third arises; and that vision is nobler and greater than the preceding ones. And although the adaptation and correspondence with the work of the third day may seem unfitting, on the ground that earth is the lowest of the elements while Scripture is the most sublime, it is nevertheless most fittingly assigned: because whatever heaven contains in a certain excellence, earth holds or receives or has in a certain liveliness. Whence it receives the influences of heaven and makes the most beautiful sproutings².

2. Now this vision consists in three things, namely in the spiritual understandings of the senses or the senses themselves, in the sacramental figures, in the manifold theories drawn from them. To these three all Scripture is reduced. — The first are given to be understood through the gatherings of the waters, namely the spiritual understandings; the second, namely the sacramental figures, through the sproutings of the earth, there: Let the earth bring forth the green herb; the third, namely the manifold theories, are understood through the seeds, there: Whose seed is in itself etc. — Who can know the infinity of seeds, since in one there are forests of forests and thereafter infinite seeds³? So from the Scriptures infinite theories can be drawn, which none can comprehend save God alone. For as from plants new seeds, so from the Scriptures new theories and new senses, and therefore sacred Scripture is distinguished. Whence, as if one drop were drawn out of the sea, so are all the theories that are drawn out with respect to those that can be drawn.

3. First therefore it must be said of the spiritual understandings, and afterwards of the signs, and afterwards of the theories; because signs avail nothing unless the things be understood. So too he first gathered the waters, then produced trees, then seeds. — Of the gathering the Psalm says⁴: Gathering together the waters of the sea, as in a vessel. In a vessel he gathered the waters of the sea, when in the hide of Scripture he gathered the whole array of the spiritual understandings. — Now the understandings are likened to waters gathered in a vessel for three reasons: namely on account of the spiritual understandings' own primal origination, on account of the spiritual understandings' most profound loftiness, on account of the spiritual understandings' most out-flowing manifoldness.

4. Of the first, in Ecclesiastes⁵: All the rivers run into the sea, yet the sea doth not overflow; unto the place from whence the rivers come, they return, that they may flow again; so all the spiritual understandings from divine Scripture. The spiritual understandings are called rivers — and so also are men who understand spiritually — because they have their origin from Scripture and are confirmed through Scripture, and through them other understandings are had; whence in the Psalm⁶: The floods have lifted up, O Lord, the floods have lifted up their voice. The floods have lifted up their waves, with the noise of many waters. Why? Because wonderful are the surges of the sea. Why? Because wonderful is the Lord on high; the voice of God had to be great.

5. The second reason, on account of its most profound loftiness; in the Psalm⁷: They that go down to the sea in ships, doing business in the great waters. He goes down with ships into the sea who approaches the exposition of the Scriptures with a spirit of the highest reverence. He goes down with ships who has the wood of the cross for his guidance; because he who wishes to enter the sea of Scripture without that wood is drowned, falling into the greatest errors; for unless he be Peter, he sinks. Whence, a great depth; who shall find it out⁸? Wisdom glories, who pierced the depth of the abyss and saw the wonders of God in the deep; Ecclesiasticus the twenty-fourth: I dwelt in the highest places, and my throne is in a pillar of a cloud. I alone have compassed the circuit of heaven and have pierced into the bottom of the deep, and have walked in the waves of the sea. This says Wisdom incarnate: I dwelt in the highest places, in creation; my throne is in a pillar of a cloud, in the incarnation; I have walked in the waves of the sea, in the passion; I have pierced into the bottom of the deep, in the penetration of the Scriptures, since he opened their understanding after the resurrection, that they might understand the Scriptures. On account of faith in the cross Peter walked upon the sea.

6. The third reason is on account of its most out-flowing manifoldness. For manifold is the out-flowing from the waters of the clouds, from the rivers, from the springs, and all are from the sea. — If you ask: in what way? Through various channels and through various motions; so answers the cloud, so the river, so the spring; Isaiah⁹: The earth is filled

with the knowledge of the Lord, as the covering waters of the sea. And that goes before it: They shall not hurt nor shall they kill in all my holy mountain.

7. And this refers chiefly to the time of the New Testament, when Scripture was made manifest, and most of all at the end, when the Scriptures shall be understood which now are not understood. Then there will be the mountain, namely the contemplative Church; and then they shall not hurt, when the monsters of heresies shall flee at the wearing of wisdom. But today mount Sion is laid waste because of the foxes¹, that is, because of expositors crafty and foul.

8. Of this third, Esther²: A little fountain grew into a very great river and was turned into light and into the sun, and it abounded into many waters. Scripture was a little fountain in the giving of the Law, since the book of the precepts of the Law is little; but afterwards it grew into a very great river in the book of Joshua, of Judges, of Kings, of Esdras, of Judith, of Tobias, of Esther, of the Machabees. And afterwards it was turned into light, namely of the Prophets; for prophecy is light; and afterwards into the sun, namely in the Gospel; and many understandings were drawn forth, and thus it abounded into many waters.

9. This manifoldness Ezekiel saw more clearly³, who saw in the midst the likeness of four living creatures; and the first creature had the face of a man; the second, the face of a lion; the third, the face of an ox; and the fourth, the face of an eagle; and each one had four faces. And afterwards there appeared a wheel in the midst of a wheel; and afterwards he says that the appearance of the wheels and their work was as the vision of the sea, and that a wheel was within a wheel. And afterwards he says that he heard the sound of the wings as the sound of many waters and as the sound of the sublime God. By the four living creatures all understand the writers of sacred Scripture, and chiefly the Prophets and the Evangelists. According to Gregory⁴, by the two wheels having four faces is understood Scripture as having the Old and the New Testament; and the four faces are the four principal understandings, namely the literal, the allegoric, the moral, the anagogic. But the appearance is as the vision of the sea, on account of the depth of the spiritual mysteries; and the flights are heard, when minds are stirred up; and there comes to be the sound of the sublime God, since all things are from God; whence in the Apocalypse⁵: And the voice which I heard was as the voice of many waters, on account of the multitude of the understandings; the voice of harpers, on account of the concord of those understandings, since in a wonderful way they agree, and wonderful is the harmony.

10. Now Scripture has many understandings, since such must be the voice of God, that it be sublime. The other sciences are content under one sense, but in this one it is manifold, and in this one both words and things signify; in the others, however, only words⁶, since every teaching is determined through the signs proper to it; whence letters and words, of which letters are the elements, are the signs of understandings; and since understandings are proportioned and bounded, so also are words, so that a name once imposed is not to be used equivocally. — But God is the cause both of souls and of the words formed by the soul and of the things of which the words are.

11. Therefore the first sense is the literal; then, because things signify, there are three senses. For God manifests himself in every creature in three ways: according to substance, power and operation. And every creature represents God, who is Trinity, and in what manner one comes to him⁷. And because it is through faith, hope and charity that one comes to God, therefore every creature intimates what is to be believed, what is to be hoped for, what is to be done. And according to this the spiritual understanding is threefold: allegory, what is to be believed; anagogy, what is to be hoped for; tropology, what is to be done, since charity makes one act. — The literal understanding is as it were the natural face, namely that of the man; the others are mystical faces: through the lion, which has magnificence, allegory, or what is to be believed; through the face of the ox, which draws the plough and furrows the earth for fruit-bearing, tropology or the moral sense; through the eagle, which flies on high, anagogy. — The first face, namely the literal, is open; the second, magnificence, is lifted up on high; the third, tropology, is fruitful; the fourth as it were gazes upon the sun with unblinking eyes. — These four are as it were the vision of the sea on account of the spiritual understandings' primal origination, most profound loftiness and most out-flowing manifoldness. Whence, as there are three persons in one essence, so there are three understandings in one surface of the letter⁸.

12. But it is to be noted that the world, although it serves man as regards the body, serves him chiefly nevertheless as re-

gards the soul; and if it serves as regards life, chiefly it does so as regards wisdom. It is certain that man, while he stood, had knowledge of created things and through their representation was borne into God, to praise him, to venerate him, to love him; and for this creatures exist, and thus are they led back into God. But when man had fallen, since he had lost that knowledge, there was none to lead them back into God. Whence that book, namely the world, was as good as dead and blotted out; and another book was needed, through which this one might be illumined, that it might receive the metaphors of things. Now this book is that of Scripture, which sets down the likenesses, properties and metaphors of things written in the book of the world. The book of Scripture, therefore, is restorative of the whole world unto knowing, praising and loving God. Whence, if you ask what a serpent is worth to you, or what it serves you for? It is worth more to you than the whole world, since it teaches you prudence, as the ant teaches wisdom; Solomon¹: Go to the ant, O sluggard, and learn wisdom; likewise, in Matthew: Be ye prudent as serpents.

13. These four understandings are the four rivers² of the sea of Scripture, from which they are derived or arise and to which they return. Whence sacred Scripture is illuminative of all things and reductive into God, as the creature was at first.

14. But in what way does each said understanding have four faces, since it is said that each living creature had four faces³? Let us ask the friend of the bridegroom, namely John — and he spoke here: he is of that order in a special way — and he says in the Apocalypse that four living creatures were about the throne of God, and that the first creature had the face of a lion; the second, the face of an ox; the third, the face of a man; the fourth, the face of an eagle; and he does not say that each one had four faces; Ezekiel, however, says that the living creatures went, and this one, that they stood; Ezekiel says that the first creature had the face of a man; this one, that it had the face of a lion; likewise, this one says that they cried holy; the other expresses none of these things, save that they gave forth voices. Whence John seems to comprehend the vision of Isaiah⁴ and of Ezekiel.

15. On this it is to be noted that Ezekiel intends to describe those understandings according to their principal order; therefore he begins from the natural face of the man, which signifies the literal understanding. John, however, intends to describe the four non-principal understandings according to the four faces, which are the four understandings, namely the literal, or the allegoric, or the tropologic, or the anagogic, four of each.

16. All the teaching of the Old Testament is either legal, as in Moses; or historial, as in the historial books; or sapiential, as in the sapiential books; or prophetal, as in the Psalms and in the twelve lesser Prophets and the four greater. — The Scripture of the New Testament likewise is either legal, as in the Gospel, where the precepts are set down; or historial, as in the Acts of the Apostles; or sapiential, as in the Epistles of Paul, together with the canonical ones; or prophetal, as in the Apocalypse; and although the Epistles are placed after the Gospels, yet the Acts of the Apostles immediately follow the Gospel: The former treatise I made of all things, O Theophilus, which Jesus began to do and to teach⁵. — The legal answers to the lion on account of magnificence and authority; the historial to the ox, which draws the plough, on account of simplicity, and because it furrows the earth; the sapiential answers to the man; the prophetal answers to the face of the eagle.

17. For Scripture intends to lead back to the original beginning through reformation; either therefore it describes eternal things, which are the laws and the Gospels; in the Psalm⁶: The Lord hath made a decree, and it shall not pass away; and in Ecclesiasticus: Eternal foundations upon a solid rock, and the commandments of God in the heart of a holy woman; this woman is the Church. For it is not to be understood that the law or the precepts pass away; rather they will be better kept in the fatherland. For they are not kept in the same manner under the old law and the new, but better under the new, and most completely in the fatherland. For God lives according to the laws which he gave. — But if Scripture treats of temporal things, either then of things past, and so they are historial; or of things present, and so sapiential; or of things to come, and so prophetal. There are therefore commandments, examples, teachings, revelations. — This first understanding therefore has four faces; if we order them according to Ezekiel's order, then the order right in itself is had; but we, according to our nature, must carry the eye to eternal things, which are the principal ones.

18. Anagogy, however, is of things above; allegory is of the things which have been done; tropology of the things which are to be done. Anagogy is also a part of allegory according to Hugh⁷, which is of the things to be believed.

19. In the anagogic sense, therefore, there are four faces, namely the eternal Trinity of God, the exemplar Wisdom, the angelic sublimity, the Church triumphant. When

therefore Scripture speaks of these, this belongs to anagogy.

20. In the allegoric sense likewise there are four faces, namely the humanity assumed as regards the nativity and the passion, which are the principal allegories. — The second is the mother of God, Mary, since wonderful things are said of her in the Scriptures, because in all the Scriptures she is referred to in relation to the Son. And as to what some say: why are so few things said of the blessed Virgin? — it is nothing; because many things are said, since everywhere they are of her, and it is more that she should be spoken of everywhere than if one treatise were made¹. — The third is the Church militant or mother Church, which has wonderful praises in Scripture. — The fourth is sacred Scripture, which says many things of itself, as is plain of the wheels, plain of the table, plain of the Cherubim, who looked toward one another, plain of the candlestick².

21. In the tropologic sense likewise it has four faces. The first is spiritual grace and virtue and every such inflowing. — The second, the spiritual life, as active and contemplative and every manner of living. — The third, the spiritual chair, as of the master, of prelacy, of the pontificate. — The fourth, the spiritual battle, how one must fight against the demons, the world and the flesh.

22. These are the four faces fourfolded in every sense. — Let us set an example of all these in one vestige, namely in the sun, by which sometimes the Trinity, sometimes the exemplar Wisdom, sometimes the angelic disposition, sometimes the Church triumphant is signified. — Of the Trinity, in Ecclesiasticus³: The sun, giving light, hath looked upon all things, and full of the glory of the Lord is his work. The sun has substance, splendour, heat; so God has the originating principle, the Father; the splendour, the Son; the heat, the Holy Spirit; and yet it is the same sun in the heaven as regards substance, the same in the eye as regards light, the same in the body as regards heat. — Thus was a certain blind man persuaded, who had once seen the sun and was standing in the sun, and could not understand the Trinity in God.

23. Of the second anagogy, that is, of the exemplar Wisdom, Wisdom the seventh⁴: For she is more comely than the sun, and above all the disposition of the stars: being compared with the light, she is found before it. For wisdom is comely, since it is light, but more comely than the sun, since the sun cannot generate its ray within itself; but the eternal Sun generates within itself a most beautiful ray. A certain fool, however, said that the sun was the ray of the sun. Certain astrologers say⁵ that all the stars, like the moon, receive their light from the sun. But the truth of that question no one knows; nevertheless both the stars and the moon have some light; and the stars indeed are not overshadowed as the moon is, because the moon has this through its nearness to us and its own motion. So the eternal Wisdom flows into all things. Ecclesiastes the eleventh⁶: The light is sweet, and it is delightful for the eyes to see the sun.

24. The third anagogy, since by the sun is understood the angelic sublimity. In Ecclesiasticus⁷: Three times the sun, burning up the mountains, breathing out fiery vapours and shining forth with his beams, blindeth the eyes; because the divine ray, one and the same, received in three forms, makes three hierarchies.

25. The fourth anagogy is of the Church triumphant, which also is understood by the sun; Habacuc⁸: The sun and the moon stood still in their habitation, when soul and body are glorified; and then they go in the light of thy many arrows, on account of their sudden operations in the shining and sudden power of God.

26. In allegory likewise by the sun is understood Christ: The sun riseth and goeth down⁹; he rises in the nativity, goes down in death; he goeth about by the south, in the ascension; he turneth toward the north, in the judgement. — Of the first, Malachy: Unto you that fear my name the sun of justice shall arise, and health in his wings. — Of the second it is said: Their sun shall go down at midday. At midday the sun went down for the Jews. When Christ was in his greater power, namely after the resurrection and the ascension, the Jews were blinded. — Of the judgement James says: The sun rose with a burning heat, and the flower fell off, and the grass withered.

27. The second allegory is of the blessed Virgin Mary; it is said in the Psalm¹: He hath set his tabernacle in the sun; whence she is fair as the moon, chosen as the sun, terrible as an army set in array. Whence she is a vessel receptive of light, as the sun is an admirable vessel, the work of the Most High, shining forth in the firmament of heaven.

28. The third allegory is of the Church; in Ecclesiasticus²: As the sun rising in the world in the highest places of God, so is the beauty of a good wife for the ornament of her house. This wife or house is the Church: wife, because active; the house of God, because contemplative. For this wife is Martha, who receives Christ and is busied about many things.

29. The fourth allegory is of sacred Scripture, of which in Genesis³: God made two great lights: the lesser light to rule the night, namely the Old Testament, and the greater light to rule the day, namely the New Testament. As the moon has its light from the sun, so the Old Testament from the New. When therefore the sun stands in the east, and the moon opposite to it in the west — Joshua: Sun, he says, move not toward Gabaon, nor thou, moon, toward the valley of Aialon — then the Old Testament is illumined; otherwise it cannot shine save through the New.

30. In the tropologic understanding of the sun there are likewise four faces. First, the grace of the Holy Spirit; Esther⁴: Light and the sun rose up, and the humble were exalted, namely when God dwells in us through grace. Whence, as the sun illumines continually, so the soul ought continually to receive illuminations from the grace of the Holy Spirit.

31. Second, by the sun is understood the spiritual life. Whence in Ecclesiasticus⁵: A holy man continueth in wisdom as the sun; for a fool is changed as the moon; as the sun goes straight along the ecliptic and is neither retrograde nor stationary.

32. Third is understood the spiritual chair, whether of teaching, or of prelacy, or of judgement. Whence in the Psalm⁶: His throne as the sun before me, and as the moon perfect for ever. The prelate is the sun as regards the teachings of truth, the moon as regards the exemplar of virtue; or the sun of wisdom, the moon of knowledge; or the sun, inasmuch as he judges, the moon, inasmuch as he shows mercy.

33. Fourth, by the sun is understood the spiritual battle. Of which⁷: The sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light. When the battle shall be between Christ and antichrist, between the teaching of truth and of falsehood; then the sun shall become as sackcloth of hair, and some doctor of truth or prelate according to truth shall be darkened through errors; but others shall stand most steadfast, even though they seem to be darkened as regards repute. — These are the four faces of the living creatures and the twelve lights, to which are led back all the things that are contained in Scripture.

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