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 XIV.

De tertia visione tractatio secunda, quae incipit agere de Scripturae figuris sacramentalibus, primo in genere, et deinde de duodecim mysteriis principalibus Christum significantibus.

Summarium

Introductio. Per germinationem terrae intelliguntur figurae sacramentales Scripturae, 1. — Pars I. De his figuris sive mysteriis in genere. Tres qualitates germinationis terrae, quae comparantur proprietatibus mysteriorum Scripturae. Primo, mysteria haec sunt germinatio vivida, 2. — Secundo, uberrima, 3. — Tertio, venusta, 4. — In Scriptura, ut in natura, est successio in quadruplici evolutionis ordine, 5. — Haec quatuor, scil. fixio radicum, productio foliorum, pullulatio florum, plenitudo fructuum, confirmantur per Scripturam, 6. — Traditur Scriptura ob quatuor rationes, 7. — Primo, ad commendandam gratiam; triplex indigentia in homine lapso tripliciter reparatur, 8. — Secundo, ad introducendam fidem, 9. — Tertio, ad reserandam sapientiam, cuius duae radices: timor et amor cum duplici promissione, 10. — Quarto, ad restaurandam salutem per Christum, 11. — Pars II. De duodecim mysteriis principalibus in quadruplici ordine et tempore. Primo, ante Legem sunt tria mysteria, 12. — Item, tria sub Lege, 13. — Tria etiam tempore prophetiae, 14. — Tria denique a Christo usque ad finem, 15. — De his est tota Scriptura, 16. — In his duodecim intelliguntur simul Christus cum corpore suo ut lignum vitae, et antichristus ut

lignum scientiae boni et mali, 17. — Hoc primo ostenditur respectu Christi quoad singula illa mysteria; in primo mysterio sunt quatuor figurae Christi, 18. — Item, in secundo, 19. — Item, in tertio, 20. — Similiter sub Lege in singulis tribus mysteriis sunt quatuor figurae Christi, 21-23. — Similiter tempore revelationis Prophetarum in singulis tribus mysteriis sunt quatuor figurae, 24-26. — Similiter in ultimo tempore, et in quolibet mysterio redemptionis significatur Christus quatuor figuris, 26-28. — Epilogus, 29.

1. Germinet terra herbam virentem et facientem semen¹ etc. Dictum est, qualiter per congregationes aquarum intelligantur spirituales intelligentiae Scripturae; modo dicendum, qualiter per germinationem terrae intelligantur figurae sacramentales. Non enim sine ratione per germinationem terrae intelligitur Scriptura sacra, secundum quod habet figuras multipliciter germinantes et producentes pullulationes in anima.

2. Germinatio terrae est vivida, uberrima, venusta. Vivida, id est vigorem habens; et ideo germinavit terra herbam virentem. Et in hoc ostenditur, quod sacramenta Scripturae, quae exterius videntur arida, intus sunt viva. Et hoc dixit Salvator Iudaeis in Ioanne²: Scrutamini Scripturas, quia vos putatis in ipsis vitam aeternam habere. Nulla alia scriptura vitam dat nisi haec. Unde in Psalmo: Vivifica me secundum eloquium tuum; et Petrus: Domine, ad quem ibimus? Verba vitae aeternae habes; unde non sunt figurae aridae, quia in nobis sunt per eas germinationes vivae; in Ecclesiastico: Gratiam et speciem desiderabit oculus tuus, et super utraque virides sationes.

3. Item, germinatio est uberrima; unde in Genesi³ subditur: Lignum pomiferum; in Psalmo: Visitasti terram et inebriasti eam, multiplicasti locupletare eam. Flumen Dei repletum est aquis; parasti cibum illorum etc. Et valles abundabunt frumento. Haec terra vivit, viget, abundat. Uberrima est sacra Scriptura, per hoc quod Deus visitat eam sua influentia, producens pullulationes uberrimas; in Deuteronomio⁴: Terra, quam intrabis possidendam, non est sicut terra Aegypti etc., quae irrigatur; sed de caelo exspectans pluvias. Non enim est sicut ceterae scientiae, sed eam Deus visitat; in Psalmo: Flumen Dei repletum est aquis; parasti cibum illorum; et in Deuteronomio: Audite caeli quae loquor, audiat terra verba oris mei; concrescat ut pluvia doctrina mea; fluat ut ros eloquium meum, quasi imber super herbam et quasi stillae super gramina. Iste ros est influentia gratiae Spiritus sancti, qui visitat Scripturam, et in qua invenitur suaviter; in Genesi⁵: Ecce odor filii mei sicut odor agri pleni, cui benedixit Dominus. Det tibi Deus de rore caeli et de pinguedine terrae abundantiam frumenti et vini. Iacob, ille vir spiritualis, est doctus in Scriptura sacra; ex quo odor procedit, qui per Scripturam abundat tribus intelligentiis: frumenti quantum ad allegoriam, vini quantum ad tropologiam, olei quantum ad anagogiam.

4. Item, haec germinatio est venusta; et ideo subiungitur⁶: Unumquodque secundum genus suum. Ipsa scabrositas exterior facit eam reputari deformem, et tamen ex hoc est pulcherrima; et ideo dicit sponsa: Nigra sum, sed formosa; quia nigra, ideo formosa. Unde in Genesi: Plantaverat Deus paradisum voluptatis a principio, in quo posuit hominem, quem formaverat. Produxitque Dominus Deus de humo omne lignum pulcherrimum visu et ad vescendum suave. Lignum etiam vitae in medio paradisi lignumque scientiae boni et mali. Per ligna suavia et pulcra intelliguntur sacramenta Scripturarum, quae magnam habent pulcritudinem; tamen non apparent pulcra nisi ex conformitate repraesentantis ad repraesentatum. Nam ista ligna sunt pulcra, quia ordinata.

5. Putant aliqui, quod ista sacramenta et haec Scriptura ita sit posita, ut homo ponit sententiam post sententiam, qui litteras facit. Non est ita, quia ordinatissima est, et ordo eius est consimilis ordini naturae in germinatione terrae. Ibi enim est primo fixio radicum; secundo, productio viridantium foliorum; tertio, pullulatio vernantium florum; quarto, plenitudo reficientium fructuum. Sic in Scriptura primo est fixio radicalium virtutum, ut in Patriarchis, qui sunt quasi radices omnium, quae dicuntur in Scriptura; unde in electione eorum est plantatio prima. Sed postea in institutione praeceptorum et sacrificiorum est productio viridantium foliorum; Osee⁷: Vitis frondosa Israel. Postea in manifestatione vi-

sionum prophetalium est pullulatio florum. Postmodum in diffusione charismatum spiritualium est plenitudo reficientium fructuum. — Unde primo fuit unus Patriarcha sicut radix, scilicet Abraham; postea alter, ut Isaac; postea Iacob; et ille duodecim Patriarchas generavit, et ab illis duodecim tribus¹. Post hanc plantationem secuta est Lex ut productio viridantium foliorum, quae umbram habebat. Et quia non semper debet durare folium, sed venire flos, ideo subsecuta est prophetia cum odore et pulcritudine. Et quia oportuit, quod caeli rorarent, ideo quarto subsecutus est fructus in Christo, quia Christus fructus est Legis et consummatio.

6. De primo dicit Pater ad Sapientiam incarnatam in Ecclesiastico²: In electis meis mitte radices: Et radicavi in populo honorificato. Haec est productio ligni, quod est ad vescendum suave. — De secundo, scilicet productione foliorum, dicitur in libro Numerorum³: Quam pulcra tabernacula tua, Iacob, et tentoria tua, Israel, ut valles nemorosae! quae sunt mysteria Scripturae. Quis potest cogitare amoenitatem mysteriorum sacrae Scripturae, de quibus dicitur: Sedebat unusquisque sub ficu sua et vite sua? Unde pulcra est arbor, palus serpentis, serpentis erectio et umbra; sed arbor crucis fructuosa. — Tertia est productio Prophetarum similis pullulationi florum; de quibus in Cantico⁴: Flores apparuerunt in terra nostra, et vox turturis audita est. Flores apparuerunt, quando ille dixit: Egredietur virga de radice Iesse, et flos de radice eius ascendet. Sed vox turturis audita est, quando dictum est: Quomodo sedet sola civitas plena populo? Facta est quasi vidua domina gentium. Turtur gemitum habet pro cantu. — Quarto, plenitudo reficientium fructuum; Isaias⁵: Erit germen Domini in magnificentia et gloria et fructus terrae sublimis. Et quando fuit hoc? Quando illa dixit: Benedicta tu in mulieribus, et benedictus fructus ventris tui. — In Marco dicitur: Ultro terra fructificat primum herbam, deinde spicam, deinde plenum frumentum in spica. Hoc est tempus ante Legem, tempus sub Lege, tempus post Legem. Hunc ordinem sequitur Scriptura.

7. Adhuc sciendum est, quod propter quatuor traditur Scriptura: primo, ad gratiam commendandam; secundo, ad introducendam fidem; tertio, ad reserandam sapientiam, quae sola est in ista; unde: Quia in Dei sapientia non cognovit mundus per sapientiam Deum, placuit Deo per stultitiam praedicationis salvos facere credentes⁶; quarto, ad restaurandam salutem, quae est in ista sola, et in nulla alia scientia est salus. — Et propter illud quartum est principaliter. Salus enim non est nisi per sapientiam. Etenim neque herba neque malagma sanavit eos, sed tuus, Domine, sermo, qui sanat omnia. — Sapientia autem non reseratur nec habetur nisi per fidem. Unde: Nisi credideritis, non intelligetis; quia non plus sapere, quam oportet sapere; et unicuique sicut divisit Deus mensuram fidei. Fides autem non habetur nisi per gratiam Spiritus sancti.

8. Et ideo primo traditur Scriptura ad commendandam gratiam Spiritus sancti. Gratia autem Spiritus sancti non est nisi in homine grato; gratus autem esse non potest, nisi agnoscat suam indigentiam. Indigentia autem triplex est: virtutis cognoscitivae, potestativae, amativae, quia caeci sumus, infirmi, maligni⁷. Oportuit ergo, ut homo prius agnosceret suam caecitatem, infirmitatem, malignitatem, antequam salvus fieret, vel gratia ei daretur. Ergo fuit tempus, in quo fuit caecitas, ut in tempore ante Legem; ubi vix aliquis cognoscebat Deum, immo lapides et opera manuum suarum pro Deo colebant: et ideo necesse fuit, ut homo convinceretur de ignorantia. — Postea data fuit Lex illuminans, et tamen sunt multiplicatae infirmitates eorum⁸, et occasio fuit Lex maioris transgressionis, quia, occasione accepta, peccatum per mandatum operatum est in me omnem concupiscentiam; et ideo convinci debebant de infirmitate sive impotentia. — Postea fuit tempus Prophetarum, qui eis manifeste ostendebant, non posse salvari per Legem. Unde Isaias: Solemnitates vestras odivit anima mea. Holocausta arietum et adipem pinguium et sanguinem vitulorum et agnorum et hircorum nolui. Et ipsi eos interficiebant, et non solum ipsos, sed ipsis adhaerentes et prophetas falsos recipiebant; et in hoc apparuit ipsorum malitia. — Et sic conclusit Scri-

ptura omnia sub peccato¹, quia primi per ignorantiam, secundi per infirmitatem, tertii per malitiam, ut Christus veniens omnium misereretur. Et de hoc etiam admiratur Apostolus et allegat auctoritatem Psalmi: Omnes declinaverunt, simul inutiles facti sunt; non est qui faciat bonum, non est usque ad unum.

9. Secundo Scriptura traditur ad introducendam fidem, quae est credulitas rerum arduissimarum et difficillimarum: ideo oportuit, quod promissa, oracula et signa multiformia praemitteret. Et sicut materia primo adaptatur, deinde introducitur forma; sic primo aliqua facilia Patriarchis fecit, ut promissa, ut quod Abrahae filius nasceretur², et quod, si sibi obediret et crederet, filius, si interficeretur, posset resurgere, et quod Deus posset eum resuscitare. Unde ibi per promissa ductus est homo ad fidem; post per mysteria et miracula in deserto et per signa maxima, ut patet in transitu maris et flagellatione Aegypti; post per oracula Prophetarum, qui praedicebant eis futura, ut de Christi passione et resurrectione; et ipsi eis credebant: quia, ex quo videbant, quod eis eveniebant quae eis prophetabant, et de Christo venturo eis credebant. Sic homo dispositus est ad fidem recipiendam. Unde non primo Christus debuit venire et dicere: Venite et credite in me, ego sum Christus; quia respondissent: non possumus credere; ideo sic manuducendi erant.

10. Tertio Scriptura data est ad reserandam sapientiam, quae habet duas radices, scilicet timorem et amorem. Prima radix timor, quia prius est homo animalis, deinde spiritualis³; et quando per timorem est affectus, tunc fit spiritualis. Et ideo secundum has duas radices sunt duo testamenta: unum, vetus in servitutem generans, alterum, novum in amorem generans. Testamentum vetus in servitutem generans promittit temporalia, timorem incutiens per poenam. — Necesse autem fuit, ut in veteri testamento esset promissio, quia, si semper homo plecteretur poena, et nihil sibi promitteretur, fugeret: ideo adiuncta est promissio terrae repromissionis⁴. Testamentum autem novum promittit spiritualia, scilicet vitam aeternam. Unde timor non potuit incuti, nec aliquod temporale promitti nisi genti multiplicatae: ideo ante Legem oportuit esse tempus legis naturae. — Similiter, Lex infirmitatem generabat promittens temporalia. Et quia non est facilis transitus a temporali ad aeterna, ab animali ad spirituale⁵; ideo medium fuit tempus Prophetarum ad aptandum homines ad spirituale testamentum. Ad hoc ergo, quod homo haberet veram sapientiam; necesse erat, ut testamentum vetus praecederet novum, et tempus Patriarcharum praecederet Legem. — Et sic est in quolibet homine: primo est sensualis, totus deditus sensibus, ut puerulus; deinde fit animalis, cum incipit loqui, et phantasmata incipiunt eum occupare; deinde rationalis, cum incipit intelligere et considerare; deinde intellectualis, cum fit sapiens.

11. Quarto est ad restaurandam salutem, quae non nisi per Christum restauratur. Non enim restauratur, nisi sit desiderata, amata, custodita. Ideo dilata est, ut desideraretur, amaretur et custodiretur, quia secundum Augustinum⁶ idcirco fit dilatio sponsae, ut carior habeatur. Similiter, salus promissa est Patriarchis, figurata in Lege, praenuntiata a Prophetis, persoluta a Christo. — Unde oportuit, ut prius fieret Patriarcharum fixio, deinde legalium productio, tertio Prophetarum pullulatio, ultimo fructus Evangelii vel salutis per Christum plenitudo.

12. Secundum hoc ergo nota, quod in ornatu summi Pontificis quatuor erant ordines lapidum. In Sapientia⁷: In veste poderis totus erat orbis terrarum, et parentum magnalia in quatuor ordinibus lapidum erant sculpta. Et in illis sunt quadriformes ordines mysteriorum; quo ordine plantatae sunt Scripturae. — Et in primo ordine seu tempore tria sunt mysteria, scilicet conditionis rerum, purgationis scelerum⁸ vocationis Patrum. Conditio rerum respondet potentiae Patris; purgatio scelerum, sapientiae Filii, qua iudicat; vocatio Patrum, bonitati Spiritus sancti.

13. Similiter, sub Lege tria sunt mysteria, scilicet mysterium lationis legum, in quatuor libris Moysi, scilicet secundo, tertio, quarto et in quinto, ubi est recapitulatio Legis. Genesis autem datur tempori naturae, ubi et in quo sunt magna mysteria, et liber uberrimus etiam in mysteriis. Mysterium secundum est prostrationis hostium in Iosue, tertium est promotio iudicum, ut in libro Iudicum et Ruth. Primum mysterium respondet Patri ratione auctoritatis; secundum Filio, quia est Verbum mundans et purgans⁹; tertium Spiritui sancto ratione gratiae. Hoc tempus dicitur Legis, quia adhuc Prophetae non apparuerunt.

14. Tempus prophetiae a Samuele incepit, quod habet similiter tria mysteria: primum inunctionis regum, ut in libro Regum et Paralipomenon; secundum fuit revelationis Prophetarum, ut in Psalmis et duodecim Prophetis minoribus et quatuor maioribus; tertium restaurationis principum et sacerdotum; et illud est Esdrae, Nehemiae et Machabaeorum.

15. In quarto tempore sunt tria mysteria: primum redemptionis hominum, in Evangeliis; secundum diffusionis charismatum, in Actibus Apostolorum et Epistolis Pauli et canonicis, ubi ostenduntur septem dona Spiritus sancti; tertium reserationis Scripturarum, in Apocalypsi. Post quod non potest esse aliud.

16. In his duodecim mysteriis est tota Scriptura. Iob et Esther, Tobias, Iudith cohaerentes sunt aliis: quia Iob cohaeret Legi et Prophetis, alii tres cohaerent libris restaurationis. — Unde dixit¹, quod aliquando liber Iob tantae auctoritatis fuit apud Iudaeos, ut poneretur in arca, ubi erant virga et tabulae. — Haec sunt duodecim ligna pullulantia in paradiso. In quolibet istorum sunt duodecim lumina intelligentiarum Scri- pturarum, scilicet allegoria, anagogia et tropologia; et duodecim duodecies sunt 144, et resultat numerus scilicet signatorum et numerus civitatis². Unde in Psalmo: Revela oculos meos, et considerabo mirabilia de lege tua.

17. De his duodecim lignis volo aedificare et erigere tabernaculum in corde. — In paradiso fuit lignum vitae, et fuit lignum scientiae boni et mali³, et sic in omnibus Scripturae mysteriis explicatur Christus cum corpore suo, et antichristus et diabolus cum corpore suo. Et hoc modo Augustinus fecit librum de Civitate Dei, ubi incipit a Cain et Abel⁴. In primis decem libris agit de Deo et reprobat idololatriam; in quatuor aliis de initio Ecclesiae; in aliis quatuor de progressu; in ultimis quatuor de Ecclesiae consummatione. Omnes enim Sancti praefiguraverunt Christum tam facto quam verbo, ut Iob etiam magis facto quam verbo, ut dicit Gregorius tertio Moralium.

18. Dicamus ergo de Christo, quod est lignum vitae in medio paradisi⁵; qui signatur in quatuor, quae sunt in primo mysterio, ab illo loco: In principio creavit, usque ibi: corrupta est. Signatur igitur per luminare maius, per lignum vitae, per Adae connubium, maxime per Abel occisum: quia Christus interfectus est a fratribus suis; et signum positum est in Iudaeis, ut non interficiantur, sed sint vagi et profugi super terram.

19. In secundo mysterio, scilicet purgationis scelerum⁶, signatur per Noe genituram, qui habuit tres filios, et signat Christum, qui habuit tres filios, scilicet Graecos, Iudaeos, Latinos; quia scriptus erat titulus litteris Graecis, Hebraicis et Latinis. Signatur per arcam fabricatam, quae respondet corpori Christi principaliter, secundario Ecclesiae. Signatur per arcum in nubibus, qui est signum foederis. Signatur per Noe nudatum, iacentem in tabernaculo ebrium. Inebriatus fuit Christus amore sponsae suae et nudatus fuit in cruce, quem derisit ille pessimus Cham.

20. In mysterio vocationis signatur per quatuor: per sacrificium Isaac, quia proprie per Abraham Deus Pater signatur; per Isaac, inquam, qui sibi ligna in collo portabat⁷, scilicet lignum crucis. Chri- stus signatur per Iacob fecundantem uxores; per Iudam, qui habuit duos filios, Zaram et Phares, de quo multa dicuntur in benedictionibus, ut illud Genesis: Catulus leonis Iuda; ad praedam, fili mi, ascendisti; requiescens accubuisti ut leo et quasi leaena, quis suscitabit eum? Unde etiam legislator interseruit figuram illam de duobus filiis Iuda de Thamar. Signatur etiam per Ioseph rectissime, qui venditus a suis exaltatus fuit inter alienos. — Haec sunt duodecim mysteria principalia ante tempus Legis.

21. Sub Lege in mysterio lationis Legis signatur per virgam Moysi, qua flagellavit Aegyptum, qua siccavit maria, quae est virga virtutis, quam emisit Dominus ex Sion⁸. Signatur per arcam testamenti, per multa in ea recondita. Signatur per ornatum Pontificis, ut per mitram, superhumerale etc.; in cuius morte profugi debebant redire ad propria. Signatur etiam per ritum sacrificii, per agnum, arietem, vitulum etc.; quae omnia referuntur ad Christum.

22. In mysterio prostrationis hostium similiter Christus signatur per Iosue ingressum, qui divisit

Iordanem, ubi datur forma baptismi, et aquas, quae descendebant in mare mortuum, fecit redire in suam originem¹, hoc est animas. Signatur per suum conflictum. Signatur per suum triumphum, qui destruxit Iericho, suspendit reges, et post funiculis terram divisit et est introductor in terram promissionis. Ita Christus introducit nos in caelum per suum introitum.

23. In mysterio promotionis iudicum signatur per Caleb, cui virtus duravit, qui explorator terrae fuit de tribu Iuda²; per Othoniel, qui propter victoriam habuit uxorem Axam; per Gedeon, de quo in Isaia: Sicut in die Madian; per Samsonem, qui quasi in omnibus refertur ad Christum: per interfectionem leonis, per portas asportatas, qui etiam plures interfecit in morte quam vivus. Per amissionem capillorum signare non potest Christum, sed signat Christianum, qui amittit septiformem gratiam Spiritus sancti. Unde quando non potest aliquid mysteriari in capite, transferendum est in membra.

24. In mysterio inunctionis regum signatur per David, per Salomonem, per Ezechiam, per Iosiam. — David figura est in multis. — Salomon si- gnat Christum praeterquam in mulieribus, in quibus nullum bonum significare potest. Unde in Cantico³, ubi dicitur: Sexaginta sunt reginae et octoginta concubinae, et adolescentularum non est numerus; non loquitur de uxoribus ad litteram, immo mysterialiter ponuntur ibi, in quibus signantur animae perfectae et imperfectae. — Signatur per Ezechiam: Ego, inquit, dixi: In dimidio dierum meorum vadam ad portas inferi. — Iosias etiam signat Christum, de cuius morte factae sunt Lamentationes: Quomodo sedet sola civitas plena populo? Facta est quasi vidua domina gentium; princeps provinciarum facta est sub tributo.

25. In mysterio autem revelationis Prophetarum signatur specialiter per visum, per signum, per verbum, per factum. Primo quidem per visum, sicut vidit⁴ ollam succensam, et sic de aliis; et similiter virgam vigilantem, ibidem. Secundo, per signum, sicut de Elisaeo et Giezi, qui portavit baculum super puerum, et non revixit; et postea ipse incubuit super ipsum; quod secundum Gregorium significat Legem et Christum. Tertio, per verbum, quod audiebant, sed non videbant, sicut dicebant⁵: Verbum, quod locutus est Dominus super eum. Quarto, per factum, ut in facto Ionae, qui fuit tribus diebus in ventre ceti, sicut Dominus fuit per triduum in sepulcro. — In mysterio revelationis Prophetarum signatur per cantum harmoniae; in Psalmo⁶: In psalterio decachordo, ubi David addiscit prophetare; per lumen sapientiae in libris sapientialibus; per canticum epithalamium, quod est sponsae Christi, in Cantico; per visum prophetiae, quod est diversimode: unus sicut virgam vigilantem vidit Christum, alius super solium excelsum, alius vestitum⁷.

26. In mysterio restaurationis primum signatur per Esdram, qui Scripturam et litteras reparavit⁸; per Nehemiam, qui civitatem reparavit; per Zorobabel, qui templum reparavit; per Iesum, filium Iosedec, qui ritum colendi Deum reparavit.

27. In mysterio redemptionis hominum significatur Christus ut homo mansuetus in Matthaeo, ut leo triumphans in Marco; unde in eodem⁹: Circumspiciens eos cum ira; ut vitulus occisus in Luca; unde: Fuit in diebus Herodis sacerdos, et oculum habet ad passionem; ut aquila volans quantum ad Divinitatem in Ioanne: In principio erat Verbum etc.

28. In mysterio diffusionis gratiae significatur ut diffusor largus in Actibus, cum dedit Spiritum sanctum; ut diffusor pius, ut in Paulo, in quo consummantur Actus Apostolorum; unde Lucas pauca dicit de aliis Apostolis et statim transit ad Paulum — qui dedit Spiritum sanctum; sicut patet de illis duodecim, qui baptizati erant in baptismo Ioannis¹⁰ — nec mirum, quia ipse fuit Beniamin et lupus rapax, ultimus Apostolorum, per quem significatur ordo futurus. Significatur ut diffusor prudens in canonicis, ut diffusor sapiens in Epistolis Pauli.

29. In mysterio reserationis Scripturae significatur per modum praesidentis, ut patet per filium hominis in medio candelabrorum¹, qui habebat septem stellas, id est septem Ecclesias; per modum proeliantis, ut agnus cum bestia, cum dracone, in phialis et tubis; per modum triumphantis, quia habebat gladium acutum et falcem acutam; per modum beatificantis, quia vidit caelum novum et terram novam.

30. Haec sunt ergo mysteria circa lignum vitae, scilicet Scripturae, quae incipit ab aeternitate et terminata est ad aeternitatem. Unde: In principio creavit Deus caelum et terram; et in fine: Vidi caelum novum et terram novam. Hae sunt quadraginta octo tabulae tabernaculi: viginti in uno latere, et viginti in alio, in posteriori octo; in quo ponitur arca², scilicet Christus, continens in se omnes thesauros sapientiae et scientiae, in quem Cherubim respiciunt. Et haec sunt duodecim ligna circa lignum vitae.

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Collation XIV.

On the third vision: the second treatment, which begins to treat of the sacramental figures of Scripture, first in general, and then of the twelve principal mysteries signifying Christ.

Summarium

Introduction. By the sprouting of the earth are understood the sacramental figures of Scripture, 1. — Part I. On these figures or mysteries in general. Three qualities of the earth's sprouting, which are compared to the properties of the mysteries of Scripture. First, these mysteries are a living sprouting, 2. — Second, most abundant, 3. — Third, comely, 4. — In Scripture, as in nature, there is a succession in a fourfold order of unfolding, 5. — These four, namely the fixing of roots, the production of leaves, the budding of flowers, the fullness of fruits, are confirmed from Scripture, 6. — Scripture is handed down for four reasons, 7. — First, to commend grace; a threefold neediness in fallen man is repaired in three ways, 8. — Second, to introduce faith, 9. — Third, to unlock wisdom, whose two roots are fear and love with a twofold promise, 10. — Fourth, to restore salvation through Christ, 11. — Part II. On the twelve principal mysteries in a fourfold order and time. First, before the Law there are three mysteries, 12. — Likewise, three under the Law, 13. — Three also in the time of prophecy, 14. — Three finally from Christ unto the end, 15. — Of these is the whole of Scripture, 16. — In these twelve are understood together Christ with his body as the tree of life, and antichrist as

the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, 17. — This is shown first with respect to Christ as regards each of those mysteries; in the first mystery there are four figures of Christ, 18. — Likewise, in the second, 19. — Likewise, in the third, 20. — Similarly under the Law, in each of the three mysteries there are four figures of Christ, 21-23. — Similarly in the time of the revelation of the Prophets, in each of the three mysteries there are four figures, 24-26. — Similarly in the last time, and in every mystery of redemption Christ is signified by four figures, 26-28. — Epilogue, 29.

1. Let the earth bring forth the green herb, and such as may seed¹ etc. It has been said in what manner by the gatherings of the waters are understood the spiritual understandings of Scripture; now it must be said in what manner by the sprouting of the earth are understood the sacramental figures. For it is not without reason that by the sprouting of the earth sacred Scripture is understood, according as it has figures sprouting in manifold ways and producing buddings in the soul.

2. The earth's sprouting is living, most abundant, comely. Living, that is, having vigour; and therefore the earth brought forth the green herb. And in this it is shown that the sacraments of Scripture, which outwardly appear dry, are inwardly alive. And this the Saviour said to the Jews in John²: Search the Scriptures, for you think in them to have life everlasting. No other writing gives life but this. Whence in the Psalm: Quicken thou me according to thy word; and Peter: Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life; whence they are not dry figures, since through them there are living sproutings in us; in Ecclesiasticus: Thy eye shall desire grace and beauty, and above both of these green sown fields.

3. Likewise, the sprouting is most abundant; whence in Genesis³ there is added: The fruit-bearing tree; in the Psalm: Thou hast visited the earth and hast plentifully watered it, thou hast many ways enriched it. The river of God is filled with water; thou hast prepared their food etc. And the valleys shall abound with corn. This earth lives, is vigorous, abounds. Sacred Scripture is most abundant, in that God visits it with his inflowing, producing most abundant buddings; in Deuteronomy⁴: The land, which thou shalt go in to possess, is not as the land of Egypt etc., which is watered; but it looketh for rains from heaven. For it is not as the other sciences, but God visits it; in the Psalm: The river of God is filled with water; thou hast prepared their food; and in Deuteronomy: Hear, O ye heavens, the things I speak; let the earth give ear to the words of my mouth; let my doctrine gather as the rain; let my speech flow as the dew, as a shower upon the herb and as drops upon the grass. This dew is the inflowing of the grace of the Holy Spirit, who visits Scripture, and in whom it is sweetly found; in Genesis⁵: Behold, the smell of my son is as the smell of a plentiful field, which the Lord hath blessed. God give thee of the dew of heaven and of the fatness of the earth, abundance of corn and wine. Jacob, that spiritual man, is learned in sacred Scripture; from whom there proceeds a fragrance, which through Scripture abounds with three understandings: of corn as regards allegory, of wine as regards tropology, of oil as regards anagogy.

4. Likewise, this sprouting is comely; and therefore there is added⁶: Each one according to its kind. Its very outward roughness makes it be reckoned deformed, and yet from this it is most beautiful; and therefore the bride says: I am black, but beautiful; because black, therefore beautiful. Whence in Genesis: God had planted a paradise of pleasure from the beginning, wherein he placed man whom he had formed. And the Lord God brought forth of the ground all manner of trees, fair to behold and pleasant to eat of. The tree of life also in the midst of paradise, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. By the pleasant and fair trees are understood the sacraments of the Scriptures, which have great beauty; yet they do not appear fair save from the conformity of the representing to the represented. For those trees are fair because ordered.

5. Some think that these sacraments and this Scripture are so set down as a man sets sentence after sentence who composes letters. It is not so, because it is most ordered, and its order is like the order of nature in the sprouting of the earth. For there first is the fixing of roots; second, the production of green leaves; third, the budding of vernal flowers; fourth, the fullness of restoring fruits. So in Scripture first there is the fixing of radical virtues, as in the Patriarchs, who are as it were the roots of all the things that are said in Scripture; whence in their election is the first planting. But afterwards, in the institution of precepts and sacrifices, there is the production of green leaves; Osee⁷: Israel a vine full of branches. Afterwards, in the manifestation of

prophetic visions, there is the budding of flowers. Later, in the diffusion of spiritual charisms, there is the fullness of restoring fruits. — Whence first there was one Patriarch as a root, namely Abraham; afterwards another, as Isaac; afterwards Jacob; and he begot twelve Patriarchs, and from them twelve tribes¹. After this planting there followed the Law as the production of green leaves, which had shade. And because a leaf ought not always to last, but the flower must come, therefore prophecy followed with fragrance and beauty. And because it was fitting that the heavens should drop dew, therefore fourthly there followed the fruit in Christ, since Christ is the fruit and consummation of the Law.

6. Of the first the Father says to the incarnate Wisdom in Ecclesiasticus²: In my elect send forth roots: And I took root in an honourable people. This is the production of the tree that is pleasant to eat of. — Of the second, namely the production of leaves, it is said in the book of Numbers³: How beautiful are thy tabernacles, O Jacob, and thy tents, O Israel, as woody valleys! which are the mysteries of Scripture. Who can conceive the pleasantness of the mysteries of sacred Scripture, of which it is said: Every man sat under his fig tree and under his vine? Whence fair is the tree, the stake of the serpent, the raising of the serpent and the shade; but the tree of the cross is fruitful. — The third is the production of the Prophets, like the budding of flowers; of whom in the Canticle⁴: The flowers have appeared in our land, and the voice of the turtle is heard. The flowers have appeared, when he said: There shall come forth a rod out of the root of Jesse, and a flower shall rise up out of his root. But the voice of the turtle was heard, when it was said: How doth the city sit solitary that was full of people? She is become as a widow, the mistress of the Gentiles. The turtle has a moan for its song. — Fourthly, the fullness of restoring fruits; Isaiah⁵: The bud of the Lord shall be in magnificence and glory, and the fruit of the earth shall be high. And when was this? When she said: Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. — In Mark it is said: The earth of itself bringeth forth fruit, first the blade, then the ear, afterwards the full corn in the ear. This is the time before the Law, the time under the Law, the time after the Law. This order Scripture follows.

7. Further it must be known that Scripture is handed down on account of four things: first, to commend grace; second, to introduce faith; third, to unlock wisdom, which is in this alone; whence: For seeing that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of our preaching to save them that believe⁶; fourth, to restore salvation, which is in this alone, and in no other science is there salvation. — And it is principally on account of that fourth. For salvation is not except through wisdom. For neither herb nor mollifying plaister healed them, but thy word, O Lord, which healeth all things. — But wisdom is neither unlocked nor had save through faith. Whence: Unless you believe, you shall not understand; since one is not to be more wise than it behoveth to be wise; and according as God hath divided to every one the measure of faith. But faith is not had save through the grace of the Holy Spirit.

8. And therefore Scripture is first handed down to commend the grace of the Holy Spirit. Now the grace of the Holy Spirit is not save in a grateful man; and he cannot be grateful unless he acknowledge his own neediness. And neediness is threefold: of the knowing, the empowering, the loving virtue, since we are blind, infirm, malignant⁷. It was fitting therefore that man should first acknowledge his own blindness, infirmity, malignity, before he was made whole, or grace given him. There was therefore a time in which there was blindness, as in the time before the Law; where scarcely anyone knew God, but rather they worshipped stones and the works of their own hands for God: and therefore it was necessary that man should be convicted of ignorance. — Afterwards the Law was given, giving light, and yet their infirmities were multiplied⁸, and the Law was an occasion of greater transgression, since, taking occasion, sin wrought in me all manner of concupiscence; and therefore they had to be convicted of infirmity or impotence. — Afterwards there was the time of the Prophets, who manifestly showed them that they could not be saved through the Law. Whence Isaiah: My soul hateth your solemnities. I desired not holocausts of rams and fat of fatlings and blood of calves and lambs and buck goats. And they slew them, and not only them, but they received those who clung to them and false prophets; and in this their malice appeared. — And so Scripture hath

concluded all under sin¹, because the first through ignorance, the second through infirmity, the third through malice, that Christ coming might have mercy on all. And at this the Apostle also marvels and alleges the authority of the Psalm: All have turned out of the way, they are become unprofitable together; there is none that doth good, no not one.

9. Second, Scripture is handed down to introduce faith, which is a believing of things most arduous and most difficult: therefore it was fitting that it should send before it promises, oracles and manifold signs. And as matter is first fitted, and then the form is introduced; so first he did certain easy things for the Patriarchs, as promises, as that a son should be born to Abraham², and that, if he obeyed him and believed, the son, if he were slain, could rise again, and that God could raise him up. Whence there man was led to faith through promises; afterwards through mysteries and miracles in the desert and through the greatest signs, as is plain in the passage of the sea and the scourging of Egypt; afterwards through the oracles of the Prophets, who foretold them things to come, as of the passion and resurrection of Christ; and they believed them: because, from the fact that they saw that the things they prophesied to them came to pass, they believed them also concerning Christ to come. Thus man was disposed to receive faith. Whence Christ ought not first to have come and said: Come and believe in me, I am Christ; because they would have answered: we cannot believe; therefore they had thus to be led by the hand.

10. Third, Scripture was given to unlock wisdom, which has two roots, namely fear and love. The first root is fear, since man is first animal, then spiritual³; and when he is affected through fear, then he becomes spiritual. And therefore according to these two roots there are two testaments: the one, the old, begetting unto bondage, the other, the new, begetting unto love. The old testament begetting unto bondage promises temporal things, striking fear through punishment. — But it was necessary that in the old testament there should be promise, because, if man were always stricken with punishment, and nothing were promised him, he would flee: therefore the promise of the land of promise was joined to it⁴. But the new testament promises spiritual things, namely eternal life. Whence fear could not be struck, nor any temporal thing promised, save to a multiplied people: therefore before the Law there had to be a time of the law of nature. — Similarly, the Law begot infirmity, promising temporal things. And because the passage is not easy from the temporal to the eternal, from the animal to the spiritual⁵; therefore the middle was the time of the Prophets, to fit men for the spiritual testament. To this end therefore, that man might have true wisdom, it was necessary that the old testament should precede the new, and the time of the Patriarchs precede the Law. — And so it is in every man: first he is sensual, wholly given over to the senses, as a little boy; then he becomes animal, when he begins to speak, and phantasms begin to occupy him; then rational, when he begins to understand and consider; then intellectual, when he becomes wise.

11. Fourth, it is to restore salvation, which is not restored save through Christ. For it is not restored unless it be desired, loved, kept. Therefore it was delayed, that it might be desired, loved and kept, since according to Augustine⁶ the bride's giving is delayed for this reason, that she may be held the dearer. Similarly, salvation was promised to the Patriarchs, figured in the Law, foretold by the Prophets, paid out by Christ. — Whence it was fitting that first there should be the fixing of the Patriarchs, then the production of the legal things, thirdly the budding of the Prophets, last the fullness of the fruit of the Gospel or of salvation through Christ.

12. According to this therefore note that in the ornament of the high Priest there were four rows of stones. In Wisdom⁷: In the robe of the priest was the whole world, and the glories of the fathers were graven in the four rows of the stones. And in those are the fourfold orders of mysteries; in which order the Scriptures were planted. — And in the first order or time there are three mysteries, namely of the founding of things, of the purging of crimes⁸ of the calling of the Fathers. The founding of things answers to the power of the Father; the purging of crimes, to the wisdom of the Son, by which he judges; the calling of the Fathers, to the goodness of the Holy Spirit.

13. Similarly, under the Law there are three mysteries, namely the mystery of the giving of laws, in the four books of Moses, namely the second, third, fourth and in the fifth, where there is a recapitulation of the Law. But Genesis is given to the time of nature, where and in which there are great mysteries, and it is a book most abundant also in mysteries. The second mystery is of the laying low of enemies in Joshua, the third is the promotion of judges, as in the book of Judges and Ruth. The first mystery answers to the Father by reason of authority; the second to the Son, since he is the Word cleansing and purging⁹; the third to the Holy Spirit by reason of grace. This time is called that of the Law, because as yet the Prophets had not appeared.

14. The time of prophecy began from Samuel, which likewise has three mysteries: the first of the anointing of kings, as in the book of Kings and Paralipomenon; the second was of the revelation of the Prophets, as in the Psalms and the twelve lesser Prophets and the four greater; the third of the restoration of princes and priests; and that is of Esdras, Nehemiah and the Machabees.

15. In the fourth time there are three mysteries: the first of the redemption of men, in the Gospels; the second of the diffusion of charisms, in the Acts of the Apostles and the Epistles of Paul and the canonical ones, where the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit are shown; the third of the unlocking of the Scriptures, in the Apocalypse. After which there can be no other.

16. In these twelve mysteries is the whole of Scripture. Job and Esther, Tobias, Judith cohere with the others: because Job coheres with the Law and the Prophets, the other three cohere with the books of restoration. — Whence he said¹ that at one time the book of Job was of such authority among the Jews that it was placed in the ark, where were the rod and the tables. — These are the twelve trees budding in paradise. In each of these there are twelve lights of the understandings of the Scriptures, namely allegory, anagogy and tropology; and twelve twelves are 144, and there results the number, namely, of those signed and the number of the city². Whence in the Psalm: Open thou my eyes, and I will consider the wondrous things of thy law.

17. Of these twelve trees I wish to build and raise a tabernacle in my heart. — In paradise there was the tree of life, and there was the tree of the knowledge of good and evil³, and so in all the mysteries of Scripture there is unfolded Christ with his body, and antichrist and the devil with his body. And in this manner Augustine made the book On the City of God, where he begins from Cain and Abel⁴. In the first ten books he treats of God and reproves idolatry; in four others of the beginning of the Church; in another four of its progress; in the last four of the consummation of the Church. For all the Saints prefigured Christ as much by deed as by word, as Job also more by deed than by word, as Gregory says in the third book of the Morals.

18. Let us speak therefore of Christ, who is the tree of life in the midst of paradise⁵; who is signified in the four things which are in the first mystery, from that place: In the beginning he created, up to this: it was corrupted. He is signified therefore by the greater light, by the tree of life, by Adam's marriage, and most of all by Abel slain: because Christ was slain by his own brethren; and a sign was set upon the Jews, that they should not be slain, but be vagabonds and fugitives upon the earth.

19. In the second mystery, namely of the purging of crimes⁶, he is signified by Noe's begetting, who had three sons, and it signifies Christ, who had three sons, namely Greeks, Jews, Latins; since the title was written in Greek, Hebrew and Latin letters. He is signified by the ark that was built, which answers to the body of Christ principally, secondarily to the Church. He is signified by the bow in the clouds, which is the sign of the covenant. He is signified by Noe uncovered, lying drunken in his tent. Christ was made drunk with love of his bride and was stripped upon the cross, whom that most wicked Cham derided.

20. In the mystery of the calling he is signified by four things: by the sacrifice of Isaac, since properly by Abraham God the Father is signified; by Isaac, I say, who carried the wood upon his own neck⁷, namely the wood of the cross. Christ is signified by Jacob making his wives fruitful; by Judah, who had two sons, Zara and Phares, of whom many things are said in the blessings, as that passage of Genesis: Juda is a lion's whelp; to the prey, my son, thou art gone up; resting thou hast couched as a lion, and as a lioness, who shall rouse him? Whence also the lawgiver inserted that figure concerning the two sons of Judah by Thamar. He is signified also most fittingly by Joseph, who, sold by his own, was exalted among strangers. — These are the twelve principal mysteries before the time of the Law.

21. Under the Law, in the mystery of the giving of the Law he is signified by the rod of Moses, with which he scourged Egypt, with which he dried the seas, which is the rod of strength which the Lord sent forth out of Sion⁸. He is signified by the ark of the testament, by the many things laid up in it. He is signified by the ornament of the Pontiff, as by the mitre, the ephod and so on; at whose death the fugitives had to return to their own. He is signified also by the rite of sacrifice, by the lamb, the ram, the calf and so on; all which are referred to Christ.

22. In the mystery of the laying low of enemies Christ is likewise signified by Joshua's entering in, who divided

the Jordan, where the form of baptism is given, and made the waters which were going down into the dead sea return to their own origin¹, that is, souls. He is signified by his own conflict. He is signified by his own triumph, who destroyed Jericho, hanged the kings, and afterwards divided the land by lines and is the bringer-in into the land of promise. So Christ brings us into heaven by his own entering in.

23. In the mystery of the promotion of judges he is signified by Caleb, whose strength endured, who was an explorer of the land from the tribe of Judah²; by Othoniel, who on account of his victory had Axa to wife; by Gedeon, of whom in Isaiah: As in the day of Madian; by Samson, who in almost all things is referred to Christ: by the slaying of the lion, by the gates carried off, who also slew more in his death than while alive. By the loss of his hair he cannot signify Christ, but he signifies the Christian, who loses the sevenfold grace of the Holy Spirit. Whence when something cannot be made a mystery in the head, it is to be transferred to the members.

24. In the mystery of the anointing of kings he is signified by David, by Solomon, by Ezechias, by Josias. — David is a figure in many things. — Solomon signifies Christ except in the matter of his wives, in whom nothing good can be signified. Whence in the Canticle³, where it is said: There are threescore queens and fourscore concubines, and young maidens without number; it does not speak of wives according to the letter, but rather they are set down there in a mystical way, in whom are signified perfect and imperfect souls. — He is signified by Ezechias: I said, quoth he, in the midst of my days I shall go to the gates of hell. — Josias also signifies Christ, upon whose death the Lamentations were made: How doth the city sit solitary that was full of people? She is become as a widow, the mistress of the Gentiles; the prince of provinces is made tributary.

25. But in the mystery of the revelation of the Prophets he is signified specially by a vision, by a sign, by a word, by a deed. First indeed by a vision, as he saw⁴ a boiling caldron, and so of the rest; and likewise a rod watching, in the same place. Second, by a sign, as concerning Eliseus and Giezi, who carried the staff over the boy, and he did not revive; and afterwards he himself lay upon him; which according to Gregory signifies the Law and Christ. Third, by a word, which they heard but did not see, as they said⁵: The word which the Lord hath spoken upon him. Fourth, by a deed, as in the deed of Jonas, who was three days in the whale's belly, as the Lord was for three days in the sepulchre. — In the mystery of the revelation of the Prophets he is signified by the song of harmony; in the Psalm⁶: On the psaltery of ten strings, where David learns to prophesy; by the light of wisdom in the sapiential books; by the epithalamial canticle, which is of the bride of Christ, in the Canticle; by the vision of prophecy, which is in diverse ways: one saw Christ as a rod watching, another upon a high throne, another clothed⁷.

26. In the mystery of restoration he is signified first by Esdras, who restored the Scripture and the letters⁸; by Nehemiah, who restored the city; by Zorobabel, who restored the temple; by Jesus, son of Josedec, who restored the rite of worshipping God.

27. In the mystery of the redemption of men Christ is signified as the meek man in Matthew, as the triumphing lion in Mark; whence in the same⁹: Looking round about on them with anger; as the slain calf in Luke; whence: There was in the days of Herod a priest, and it has an eye to the passion; as the flying eagle as regards the Divinity in John: In the beginning was the Word etc.

28. In the mystery of the diffusion of grace he is signified as the bountiful diffuser in the Acts, when he gave the Holy Spirit; as the loving diffuser, as in Paul, in whom the Acts of the Apostles are consummated; whence Luke says few things of the other Apostles and passes at once to Paul — who gave the Holy Spirit; as is plain of those twelve who had been baptized in the baptism of John¹⁰ — nor is it a wonder, since he himself was Benjamin and a ravening wolf, the last of the Apostles, by whom the order to come is signified. He is signified as the prudent diffuser in the canonical epistles, as the wise diffuser in the Epistles of Paul.

29. In the mystery of the unlocking of Scripture he is signified after the manner of one presiding, as is plain by the son of man in the midst of the candlesticks¹, who had seven stars, that is seven Churches; after the manner of one doing battle, as the lamb with the beast, with the dragon, in the vials and the trumpets; after the manner of one triumphing, since he had a sharp sword and a sharp sickle; after the manner of one beatifying, since he saw a new heaven and a new earth.

30. These therefore are the mysteries about the tree of life, namely of Scripture, which begins from eternity and is terminated unto eternity. Whence: In the beginning God created heaven and earth; and at the end: I saw a new heaven and a new earth. These are the forty-eight boards of the tabernacle: twenty on one side, and twenty on the other, on the hinder part eight; in which is placed the ark², namely Christ, containing in himself all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, upon whom the Cherubim look. And these are the twelve trees about the tree of life.

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