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 XVII.

De tertia visione tractatio quinta, quae agit de theoriis Scripturae significatis per fructus, scilicet de considerationibus reficientibus intellectum et affectum, et primo quidem de reficientibus intellectum.

Summarium

Introductio; repetitio, 1. — Pars I. De theoriis, quae consistunt in considerationibus salutarium refectionum in genere. Ut fructus reficiunt intellectum et affectum. Multorum panis insipidus est, 2. — Ista refectio innuitur in Scriptura, 3. 4. — Anima, in qua plantata est Scriptura, est paradisus, est hortus conclusus et fons signatus, 5. — Pars II. De refectione intellectus in specie. Quid sit anima sine intelligentia veritatis; ipsa indiget obiecto, quod firmet instabiles cogitationes, 6. — Hoc praebet Scriptura, 7. — Ipsa illustrat intellectum per duodecim aspectus, 8. — Primo, ab intra per interna spectacula; secundo, ab extra per exempla proposita, 9. — Tertio, a supra per divina promissa, 10. — Quarto, ab infra per inferni tormenta, 11. — Quinto, antrorsum per praecepta directiva, 12. — Sexto, retrorsum per districta iudicia, 13. — Septimo, dextrorsum per severa solatia, 14. — Octavo, sinistrorsum per benigna flagella, 15. — Nono, ex opposito ostendendo acies triplicis belli, 16-18. — Decimo, in gyro ostendendo undique praesidia, 19. — Undecimo, e longinquo per figurarum signa duodecim in omnibus creaturis, 20-24. — Periculum pro theologo est in nimia naturalium rerum investigatione, 25. — Duodecimo, e vicino per gratiarum dona; duplex notitia: exterior et interior, 26. — Circa haec duodecim mysteria est tum lignum vitae tum lignum scientiae boni et mali, 27. — Epilogus de tempore futuro, quando non erit defensio per rationem, sed per auctoritatem, 28.

1. Protulit terra herbam virentem¹ etc. Dictum est, quod visio intelligentiae per Scripturam eruditae versatur circa tria: circa intelligentias spirituales, quae intelliguntur per congregationes aquarum; circa figuras sacramentales, per germinationem herbarum et arborum; circa theorias multiformes, per multiplicationem seminum et refectionem arborum. Istae theoriae consistunt in considerationibus temporum sibi succedentium, quae sunt seminaria quaedam et in correspondentia eorundem; aliae theoriae consistunt in considerationibus salutarium refectionum; quia non in solo pane vivit homo². Considerare debet homo, ex quo pascatur, scilicet eloquio Scripturae; unde est lignum faciens fructum. Indiget enim intellectus refectione, indiget et affectus.

2. Primo dicendum de refectione intellectus. Sed, sicut dicit Apostolus³, laborantem agricolam oportet prius edere de fructibus; quia praedicator oportet quod prius sit imbutus et dulcoratus in se, et post aliis proponat. Multi tamen volunt videri prophetae et audiri tanquam prophetae; et panis eorum vel cibus insipidus est et male coctus et frigidus, et detinent populum et parum proficiunt.

3. Notandum, quod sicut fructus oblectat visum et gustum, tamen principalius visum oblectat sua pulcritudine et decore, gustum vero dulcore et suavitate; sic et istae theoriae reficiunt intellectum suo decore et affectum sua suavitate. — Hoc innuit Scriptura dicens⁴: Plantaverat autem Dominus Deus paradisum voluptatis a principio, in quo posuit hominem etc. Hoc dictum est per recapitulationem post septimam diem, quia ista plantatio facta fuit tertia die.

4. Sequitur⁵: Produxitque omne lignum pulcrum visu et ad vescendum suave: lignum vitae in medio paradisi, lignum scientiae boni et mali, ut intellectum suo decore reficeret et affectum suavitate. Consummatio autem erat in ligno vitae, si lignum scientiae caveretur. Terra ergo est Scriptura, quae produxit omne lignum pulcrum visu quantum ad intellectum, et ad vescendum suave quantum ad affectum, scilicet multiformes theorias oblectantes et reficientes. In paradiso caelesti non est plantatio nisi rationum aeternarum; et licet ibi sit refectio de praedestinationibus omnium Sanctorum, potissime tamen gaudebo de mea praedestinatione; et hoc innuit Salvator⁶: Gaudete, quia nomina vestra scripta sunt

in caelis. — Paulus potuit loqui de paradiso caelesti, qui raptus fuit usque ad tertium caelum; nos nescimus, sed loquimur de terrestri.

5. Est autem anima paradisus, in qua plantata est Scriptura, et habet mirabiles suavitates et decores. Unde in Cantico¹: Hortus conclusus, soror mea sponsa, hortus conclusus, fons signatus, emissiones tuae paradisus. Anima est hortus, in qua sunt sacramentalia mysteria et spirituales intelligentiae, ubi scaturit fons spiritualium emissionum; sed conclusus est et fons signatus, quia non patet immundis, sed illis, de quibus: Novit Dominus qui sunt eius. Hunc hortum sapientia aeterna diligit et circa eum versatur; unde in Ecclesiastico²: Ego sicut fluvius Doryx exivi de paradiso. Hunc hortum rigavit ille qui omnes plantat; quam enim plantationem non plantat, illa eradicabitur. Omnis plantatio, inquit, quam non plantavit Pater meus caelestis, eradicabitur. Sequitur: Dixi: Rigabo hortum meum plantationum et inebriabo prati mei fructum. — Rigat autem sanguine, quo aspersus est liber et omnis populus; rigat etiam affluentia Spiritus sancti manantis ab ipso, quam Scriptura habet, et quam invenimus in Scriptura. Haec sunt ergo ligna pulcra visu et ad vescendum suavia ratione fructuum pulcrorum et dulcium.

6. De refectione intellectus dicendum. Sicut enim corpus sine cibo perdit virtutem, decorem et sanitatem; sic anima sine intelligentia veritatis tenebrescit et infirma, deformis et instabilis fit in omnibus; oportet ergo refici. Hinc est, quod mens vagabunda, non habens cibum discurrit et est instabilis. Unde: Peccatum peccavit Ierusalem; propterea instabilis facta est³; et ideo, eiecta de paradiso, vagatur et dat pretiosa quaeque pro cibo ad refocillandam animam. Unde haec est passio misera. Propter quod nihil sanius, nisi ut figantur cogitationes, ne vagentur in malum. — Unde Ioannes Cassianus⁴ venit cum multis ad quendam sanctum Patrem et conquestus est de instabilitate cogitationum, et quod in nullo poterat firmare intellectum. Et ille respondit: Si unquam versificati fuerant, et si tunc de illis cogitabant. Responderunt, quod in tantum, quod vix de aliquo alio cogitare poterant, immo etiam dormiendo cogitabant. Dixit ille, quod illud erat propter consuetudinem. Unde oportet assuescere circa rem aliquam, quae, cum in mentem venerit, non sit mala.

7. Haec autem est Scriptura, ubi non unum, sed multa inveniuntur, in quibus est delectatio spiritualis; et sic non exibimus hortum paradisi, sed est anima ut operans et custodiens⁵ et facit sibi ex ea hortum parvum in mente deliciosum. — In hac sola scientia est delectatio, non in aliis. Philosophus dicit, quod magna delectatio est scire, quod diameter est asymeter costae; haec delectatio sit sua; modo comedat illam.

8. Egreditur autem de Scriptura quaedam lux seu illustratio in intellectum iunctum imaginationi, ut non pateat egressus sapienti, et hoc aspiciendo ad duodecim, scilicet intra, extra, supra; infra, ante, retro; dextrorsum, sinistrorsum; ex opposito, in gyro; e longinquo, e vicino.

9. Illustrat Scriptura suis pullulationibus ab intra per interna spectacula; proponit enim spiritualia spectacula nobilia, quae specialiter sunt radicalia fidei; ab extra per exempla extrinseca, de quibus tota Scriptura est plena. Si vis exemplum patientiae, respice Iob et Tobiam; si magnanimitatis, respice David contra Goliam, et Iudam Machabaeum; si fidei exemplum, Abraham et Virginem gloriosam, cuius fides transcendit fidem Abrahae. Abraham enim credidit, posse se habere filium de sterili sene; sed Maria, quod Virgo conciperet de Spiritu sancto, credidit; neque concepisset, nisi credidisset⁶. Si exemplum caritatis, vide Moysen, qui dixit: Aut dimitte eis hanc noxam, aut dele me de libro tuo, quem scripsisti. Si exemplum misericordiae, in Ecclesiastico: Hi sunt viri misericordiae, quorum pietates non defuerunt. Si de iustitia, fortitudine, prudentia, munditia, de omni virtute honesta proponit tibi exempla. Quia virtus consistit circa operationes particulares, ideo non sufficit regula interius directiva, nisi sit exemplum particulare; et ideo Scriptura utrumque ponit. Contra iram dedit regulam: Responsio mollis frangit iram⁷; vide exemplum de Abigail, quae fregit iram David.

10. Item, illustrat a supra per divina promissa; docet enim Scriptura de his quae sunt supra. Unde

Apostolus¹: Scimus, quoniam, si terrestris domus nostra huius habitationis dissolvatur, quod aedificationem ex Deo habemus, domum non manufactam, aeternam in caelis; et: In domo Patris mei mansiones multae sunt, ait Salvator; in Psalmis dicitur: Filii hominum sub umbra alarum tuarum sperabunt. Inebriabuntur ab ubertate domus tuae, et torrente voluptatis tuae potabis eos, quoniam apud te est fons vitae; et in lumine tuo videbimus lumen; et illud Apocalypsis: Agnus, qui in medio throni est, reget illos et deducet eos ad vitae fontes aquarum; et in Psalmo: Delectationes in dextera tua usque in finem. Proponit ergo nobis divina promissa.

11. Item, illustrat ab infra proponendo inferni tormenta. Psalmus²: Pluet super peccatores laqueos; ignis et sulphur et spiritus procellarum pars calicis eorum; Apocalypsis: Et pars eorum in stagno ignis et sulphuris. Et ascendet fumus tormentorum eorum in saecula saeculorum. Haec proponit Scriptura a principio, ubi dictum est, quod tenebrae erant super faciem abyssi, usque ad finem. — Proponit ergo interna spectacula, extrinseca exempla, caelestia promissa, inferni supplicia.

12. Si ista tibi non sufficiunt, sed vis exire et alibi quaerere refectionem intellectus; adhuc dabit tibi alias arbores, alios fructus, in quibus potes refici. Illustrat antrorsum per praecepta directiva; retrorsum, per districta iudicia; dextrorsum, per severa solatia; sinistrorsum, per dulcia seu benigna flagella. — Oportet enim lumen habere ante se. Mandatum enim lucerna est, et lex lux³; haec dirigit in caelum, unde: Si vis ad vitam ingredi, serva mandata, quibus adduntur consilia; haec proponit nobis Scriptura ubique. Unde in illo Psalmo: Beati immaculati, et: Legem pone mihi, Domine, viam iustificationum tuarum etc., in omni versu fit mentio de mandatis vel sub nomine legis, vel testimonii, vel eloquii, vel alicuius nominis aequivalentis. Unde etiam apud Hebraeos omnes versus unius octonarii ab eadem littera incipiunt; quod non potuit servari apud nos, ut viginti duae litterae respondeant viginti duobus octonariis; et quilibet habet octo versus. Unde etiam Augustinus⁴ turbatus fuit circa tantam identitatem; quod tamen est magna scientia et mira varietas. Nam et ipse Augustinus semel vidit unam arborem pulcherrimam, habentem viginti duos ramos, et quilibet habebat octo ramusculos, et de illis guttae dulcissimae rorabant. Et intellexit, quod illa arbor esset Psalmus: Beati immaculati in via. Unde meditatio legis summe necessaria est; Psalmus⁵: Beatus vir qui non abiit in consilio impiorum, sed in lege Domini fuit voluntas eius. Et erit tanquam lignum, quod plantatum est secus decursus aquarum. In Ecclesiastico: In multis operibus eius ne fueris curiosus, sed quae praecepit tibi illa cogita semper.

13. Item, illustrat retrorsum per districta iudicia. Semper enim fecit Deus districta iudicia de transgressionibus praeceptorum, ut de lucifero, de Adam, de uxore sua, de Cain, de luxuriosis, super quos diluvium venit, de superbis, qui aedificaverunt turrim in Chananaeis, de Israel. Similiter, novum testamentum plenum est iudiciis. Iudicium autem est retro, praeceptum ante. Iudicium respicit praeceptum; si transgredieris, punieris; nisi sequaris lucem dirigentem, gladius percutiet te; Psalmus⁶: Nisi conversi fueritis, gladium suum vibravit, arcum suum tetendit et paravit illum, et in eo paravit vasa mortis, sagittas suas ardentibus effecit. Arcus, iudicium Scripturae; duritia ligni, vetus testamentum; chorda, quae lignum flectit, novum testamentum; iudicia leviora et duriora, sagittae. Psalmus: Lex Domini immaculata convertens animas; testimonium Domini fidele, sapientiam praestans parvulis. Iudicia Domini vera, iustificata in semetipsa etc.

14. Item, dextrorsum illustrat per severa solatia. Nec sine causa dicuntur solatia severa et flagella benigna, quia solatia sunt periculosa. Vide Adam, Saul, Salomonem, Ieroboam idololatram et primum angelum, quibus omnibus solatia temporalia et excellentiae fuerunt occasio ruinae. Sunt autem occasio ruinae, quando placent; quando autem non placent, non se ingerit homo. Unde Christus noluit habere solatium temporale, quia cadent a latere tuo mille, et decem millia a dextris tuis⁷ etc. Plus debet quis velle esse in ista parte, in qua pauciores cadunt.

15. Item, sinistrorsum per benigna flagella illustrat. Unde Dominus permisit, Abel iustissimum

interfici. Vide Noe, qui centum annis fabricavit arcam, et posuit ibi quidquid habebat; et totus mundus ipsum deridebat. — Et addidit hic, quod rex Franciae non posset hodie talem facere, qui considerat eam secundum suam mensuram cubitorum geometricorum¹. — De Abraham similiter, Isaac et Iacob, qui peregrinati fuerunt; et Ioseph, qui exaltari non poterat, nisi praecessisset venditio, incarceratio et humiliatio. Vide Moysen, quem Deus debebat praeponere toti mundo, quomodo fuit humiliatus; pascebat oves per quadraginta annos unius sacerdotis². Similiter David, quamdiu fuit in tribulatione, fuit optimus et ad regnum venit per tribulationes; et post, cum fuit in prosperitate, multa peccata commisit. Similiter Ezechias in infirmitate valde humilis fuit, sed postea superbus in adventu nuntiorum Babyloniorum. Vide Eliam pauperculum, qui non habebat ad comedendum, nisi quod corvus sibi ministrabat et illa paupercula vidua; qui tamen caelum claudebat. Vide Ioannem Baptistam, qui septem annorum intravit desertum et ibi super lapillos iacebat. Similiter de Christo et de Apostolis. Similiter dicit Paulus³: Lapidati sunt, secti sunt, tentati sunt, in occisione gladii mortui sunt, circuierunt in melotis etc. Flagella ergo sunt suavissima. Aut ergo Deus flagellat, aut non. Flagellat autem omnem filium, quem recipit. Probata est haec per particularia; ergo debet inferri universaliter.

16. Adhuc etiam habet Scriptura arbores ad reficiendum. Illustrat autem ex his quae sunt ex opposito. Ostendit enim nobis acies infinitas contra nos, modo per septem duces⁴, modo unum bellum, modo multa. Istud bellum est ab illo die, quo Michael et Angeli eius proeliabantur cum dracone. Imminet autem nobis triplex bellum: bellum domesticum, bellum civile et campestre. — Primum cum carne, quae habet multas acies; haec ancilla semper parata est aperire, sicut Eva. Unde: Ab ea quae dormit in sinu tuo, custodi claustra oris tui⁵.

17. Item, bellum civile est tentatio mundi. Omnis enim creatura est in muscipulam⁶, quia creaturae pulcritudo trahit homines. Unde: Vanitas, inquit, vanitatum, et omnia vanitas. Quid habet homo de universo labore suo, quo laborat sub sole? Vane et frustra fit de quo nihil relinquitur homini in morte, et ideo cuncta vanitas; in Psalmo: Averte oculos meos, ne videant vanitatem.

18. Item, est bellum campestre, hostile cum daemonibus, qui die ac nocte infestant, modo magnificando, ut praesumamus, modo per considerationem scientiae, modo per considerationem sanctitatis; modo faciunt hominem iracundum, et sic diabolicum et adimpletum spiritu malignitatis; et faciunt eum cadere in tristitiam et desperationem, et sic de aliis. Haec docet fugere Scriptura. Quae enim scientia docet fugere contrarias potestates? Nulla.

19. Item, illustrat in gyro, ut, non esse fugiendum, quia undique praesidium habemus. Habemus enim ipsum Dominum et Angelos circa nos; unde in Psalmo⁷: Montes in circuitu eius, et Dominus in circuitu populi sui. Unde puero Elisaei clamante propter latrones Syriae, qui volebant eum capere, dixit Elisaeus: Domine, aperi oculos pueri huius, et aperuit Dominus. Et ecce, mons plenus equorum et curruum igneorum in circuitu Elisaei. Iacob etiam, timens fratrem suum, vidit Angelos, unde dixit: Castra Dei sunt haec. Unde Psalmus dicit: Dominus illuminatio mea et salus mea, quem timebo? Et alibi: Nisi quia Dominus erat in nobis, dicat nunc Israel etc., usque in finem.

20. Item, illustrat e longinquo per figurarum signa; facit autem figuras de omnibus. Omnia autem, quae sunt in mundo, reducuntur ad duodecim, quibus utitur Scriptura, quae sunt signa longinqua: caelestes formae, elementares naturae, meteoricae naturae, minerales naturae; naturae germinum, natatilium, volatilium, gressibilium; humana organa, humanae vires, humana opera, humanae artes.

21. Primum ergo est forma caelestis. Utitur enim Scriptura omnibus caelis et stellis; Psalmus⁸: Caeli enarrant gloriam Dei, et opera manuum eius annuntiat firmamentum; et Ecclesiasticus: Altitudinis firmamentum pulcritudo eius, species caeli in visione gloriae.

22. Formae elementares: ignea, aerea, aquea, terrea; omnibus utitur Scriptura. — Naturae meteoricae, ut nube, pluvia, rore, nive etc.; et luminibus apparentibus in caelo, fluminibus, stagnis, quibus

omnibus utitur. — Naturae etiam sunt minerales, ut septem metalla principalia et lapis pretiosus, ut lapis onychinus; in Genesi¹ legitur: Ibi invenitur bdellium et lapis onychinus; et ibidem: Ubi nascitur aurum; et aurum terrae illius optimum est. Et in Apocalypsi duodecim lapides pretiosi. — Sunt etiam naturae germinum, ut arborum, herbarum, plantarum, seminum; de olere, gramine aliisque tractat de terra nascentibus.

23. Sunt etiam naturae natatilium, ut tractat de leviathan², de piscibus, de cetis. — Sunt naturae volatilium, ut de accipitre; de aquila, de columba, de passere; et est magnum mysterium, quare tantum tria genera volatilium ponuntur in sacrificio³. Loquitur etiam de avibus lucifugis et de amatricibus lucis. — Item, de animali gressibili, de serpente, de colubro: Quasi a facie colubri fuge peccatum⁴; qualiter permisit Deus tentationem fieri per serpentem. Item, de vulpibus, de capra, de porcis, de cervo, de hinnulo, de ursu, de bobus. Nec sine mysterio etiam tantum tria genera gressibilium offerebantur vel sacrificabantur.

24. Item, naturae hominis, de cuius partibus Scriptura tractat partim ad Deum translatis, partim ad Angelos. Unde Dionysius⁵ ostendit, quid significant membra humana in Angelis. — Item, vires vegetabiles, vires sensibiles, rationales etc., quibus omnibus Scriptura per totum utitur. — Item, de operibus humanis, ut constructione domorum, puteorum, agricultura, mercatura; et de omnibus artibus liberalibus et mechanicis. Theologus modo eis utitur ut arithmeticus, modo ut astrologus, modo ut geometer; modo videbis eum rhetorem, modo medicum.

25. In hac consideratione est periculum, quia periculum est nimis longe recedere a Scripturae domo; puer enim nunquam vult multum recedere a domo. Sic periculum est in scientiis, quod tantum diffundant se per considerationes harum scientiarum, ut postea ad domum Scripturae redire non possint, et quod intrent domum Daedali⁶, ut exire non possint. Melius est enim tenere veritatem quam figuram. Si ego viderem faciem tuam et rogarem te, ut apportares mihi speculum clarum, ut ibi viderem faciem tuam; stulta esset ista petitio. Sic est de Scripturis sanctis et figuris aliarum scientiarum.

26. Item, illustrat per gratiarum dona e vicino, quae supplent omnia, quae non habet industria. Multi enim venerunt hospites scientiae, scilicet ad domum nostram et ad nostram industriam; sed in his debet industria ponere terminum. Unde illustrat haec Scriptura e vicino; unde non oportet longe ire pro re, quae prope est. Describit enim Scriptura dona Spiritus sancti per totum; in Ioanne⁷: Iesus fatigatus ex itinere sedebat super fontem; sequitur: Omnis, qui bibit ex aqua hac, sitiet iterum; qui autem biberit ex aqua, quam ego dabo ei, fiet in eo fons aquae salientis in vitam aeternam. — Unde duplex aqua notatur; describitur enim notitia una exterior, de qua qui plus bibet plus sitit; alia interior, de qua⁸: Qui credit in me, sicut dicit Scriptura, flumina de ventre eius fluent aquae vivae. Hoc autem dixit de Spiritu sancto, quem accepturi erant credentes in eum. Istae sunt aquae de fontibus Salvatoris, scilicet notitiae gratiarum reficientes animas.

27. Iuxta haec mysteria est mysterium ligni vitae et mysterium ligni scientiae boni et mali⁹. Qui enim tantum quaerit notitiam gustat de ligno scientiae boni et mali. Et hoc significatum est in Isaia: Pro eo quod abiecit populus ille aquas Siloe, quae currunt cum silentio, et assumsit magis Rasin et filium Romeliae; propter hoc, ecce Dominus adducet super eos aquas fluminis fortes et multas. Ut dicit Hieronymus, aquae Siloe currunt cum magno murmure: ergo manifestum, quod intellectus alius est ibi. — Aquae currentes cum silentio sunt sacra Scriptura, quae nisi in silentio addisci non potest; et ibi fit illuminatio. In signum huius dictum est caeco¹⁰: Vade, lava in natatoria Siloe, quod interpretatur Missus. Aquae enim istae per revelationem sunt. Sed oportet

prius linire oculos luto ex sputo et pulvere facto; saliva est sapientia; pulvis, caro Christi; lutum, fides de mysterio incarnationis. — Qui autem quaerunt Rasin et filium Romeliae sunt qui quaerunt exteriores scientias. Et ideo princeps Assyriorum dominabitur eis¹; Dominus voluit. Et hic notandum est, quod filii Israel furtive habuerunt vasa argentea Aegypti²; sed postea nunquam voluit Dominus, quod reverterentur.

28. Et dixit: Credite mihi, quod adhuc erit tempus, quando nihil valebunt vasa aurea vel argentea, id est argumenta; nec erit defensio per rationem, sed solum per auctoritatem. Unde in signum huius Salvator, quando tentatus fuit, non defendit se per rationem, sed per auctoritates³, et tamen bene scivisset per rationes. Significavit enim, quid facturus est corpus suum mysticum in tribulatione futura.

---

COLLATION XVII.

On the third vision: the fifth treatment, which treats of the contemplations of Scripture signified through the fruits, that is, of the considerations that refresh the understanding and the affection, and first indeed of those that refresh the understanding.

Summarium

Introduction; recapitulation, 1. — Part I. On the contemplations which consist in considerations of the salutary refreshments in general. How the fruits refresh the understanding and the affection. Many men's bread is tasteless, 2. — This refreshment is intimated in Scripture, 3. 4. — The soul, in which Scripture is planted, is a paradise, is a garden enclosed and a fountain sealed, 5. — Part II. On the refreshment of the understanding in particular. What the soul is without the understanding of truth; it needs an object to steady its unsettled thoughts, 6. — This Scripture supplies, 7. — It illumines the understanding through twelve regards, 8. — First, from within through inner sights; second, from without through examples set forth, 9. — Third, from above through the divine promises, 10. — Fourth, from below through the torments of hell, 11. — Fifth, forwards through the directing precepts, 12. — Sixth, backwards through the strict judgments, 13. — Seventh, to the right through the severe consolations, 14. — Eighth, to the left through the kindly scourgings, 15. — Ninth, from the opposite side, by showing the battle-lines of the threefold war, 16-18. — Tenth, round about, by showing the defences on every side, 19. — Eleventh, from afar through the twelve signs of the figures in all creatures, 20-24. — There is danger for the theologian in too great an investigation of natural things, 25. — Twelfth, from near at hand through the gifts of graces; the twofold knowledge, exterior and interior, 26. — Around these twelve mysteries there is both the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, 27. — Epilogue on the time to come, when there will be no defence by reason, but by authority, 28.

1. The earth brought forth the green herb¹ and so on. It has been said that the vision of the understanding instructed through Scripture turns upon three things: upon the spiritual understandings, which are understood through the gatherings of the waters; upon the sacramental figures, through the sprouting of the herbs and the trees; upon the manifold contemplations, through the multiplication of the seeds and the refreshment of the trees. These contemplations consist in considerations of the times succeeding one another, which are certain seed-beds, and in the correspondence of the same; other contemplations consist in considerations of the salutary refreshments; because not in bread alone doth man live². A man ought to consider from what he is fed, namely from the utterance of Scripture; whence it is the tree that beareth fruit. For the understanding needs refreshment, and the affection needs it too.

2. First we must speak of the refreshment of the understanding. But, as the Apostle says³, the husbandman that laboureth must first partake of the fruits; because the preacher must first be steeped and sweetened in himself, and afterwards set it before others. Yet many wish to be seen as prophets and to be heard as prophets; and their bread or food is tasteless and badly baked and cold, and they hold the people back and profit them little.

3. It is to be noted that, just as fruit delights the sight and the taste, yet delights the sight chiefly by its beauty and comeliness, but the taste by its sweetness and pleasantness; so also these contemplations refresh the understanding by their comeliness and the affection by their sweetness. — This Scripture intimates when it says⁴: And the Lord God had planted a paradise of pleasure from the beginning, wherein he placed man, and so on. This was said by way of recapitulation after the seventh day, because that planting was made on the third day.

4. There follows⁵: And he brought forth every tree fair to behold and pleasant to eat of: the tree of life in the midst of paradise, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, that it might refresh the understanding by its comeliness and the affection by its sweetness. But the consummation lay in the tree of life, if the tree of knowledge were guarded against. The earth, therefore, is Scripture, which brought forth every tree fair to behold as to the understanding, and pleasant to eat of as to the affection, namely the manifold contemplations that delight and refresh. In the heavenly paradise there is no planting save of the eternal reasons; and although there is refreshment there from the predestinations of all the saints, yet most of all I shall rejoice over my own predestination; and this the Saviour intimates⁶: Rejoice, because your names are written

in heaven. — Paul was able to speak of the heavenly paradise, who was caught up as far as the third heaven; we do not know it, but we speak of the earthly one.

5. Now the soul is a paradise, in which Scripture is planted, and it has wondrous sweetnesses and comelinesses. Whence in the Canticle¹: A garden enclosed, my sister, my spouse, a garden enclosed, a fountain sealed, thy plants are a paradise. The soul is a garden, in which are the sacramental mysteries and the spiritual understandings, where there springs up the fountain of the spiritual outflowings; but it is enclosed and a fountain sealed, because it does not lie open to the unclean, but to those of whom it is said: The Lord knoweth who are his. This garden the eternal wisdom loves and busies itself about; whence in Ecclesiasticus²: I came out as a stream of the river Doryx from paradise. This garden he watered who plants all things; for the planting which he does not plant, that shall be rooted up. Every plant, he says, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up. There follows: I said: I will water my garden of plants, and I will water abundantly the fruits of my meadow. — And he waters it with blood, with which the book and all the people were sprinkled; he waters it also with the abundance of the Holy Spirit flowing from himself, which Scripture has, and which we find in Scripture. These, therefore, are the trees fair to behold and pleasant to eat of by reason of their fair and sweet fruits.

6. We must speak of the refreshment of the understanding. For just as the body without food loses its strength, its comeliness and its health; so the soul without the understanding of truth grows dark and becomes weak, deformed and unsettled in all things; it must therefore be refreshed. Hence it is that the wandering mind, having no food, runs about and is unsettled. Whence: Jerusalem hath grievously sinned; therefore is she become unstable³; and therefore, cast out of paradise, it wanders and gives all its precious things for food to refresh the soul. Whence this is a wretched suffering. On which account nothing is more wholesome than that the thoughts be fixed, lest they wander into evil. — Whence John Cassian⁴ came with many others to a certain holy Father and complained of the instability of his thoughts, and that in nothing could he steady his understanding. And he replied by asking whether they had ever composed verses, and whether they were then thinking of them. They answered that it was so far the case that they could scarcely think of anything else, indeed that they thought of them even while sleeping. He said that this was because of habit. Whence one must grow accustomed to some thing which, when it comes into the mind, is not evil.

7. And this is Scripture, where not one but many things are found in which there is spiritual delight; and so we shall not go out of the garden of paradise, but the soul is there as one working and keeping⁵ it, and makes for itself out of it a little garden, delightful in the mind. — In this science alone is there delight, not in the others. The Philosopher says that it is a great delight to know that the diameter is incommensurable with the side; let that delight be his; let him now eat it.

8. Now there goes out from Scripture a certain light or illumination into the understanding joined to the imagination, so that no way out lies open to the wise man, and this by looking to twelve things, namely within, without, above; below, before, behind; to the right, to the left; from the opposite side, round about; from afar, from near at hand.

9. Scripture illumines by its shoots from within through inner sights; for it sets forth noble spiritual sights, which are especially the roots of faith; from without through outward examples, of which the whole of Scripture is full. If you want an example of patience, look to Job and Tobias; if of magnanimity, look to David against Goliath, and Judas Machabeus; if an example of faith, Abraham and the glorious Virgin, whose faith surpassed the faith of Abraham. For Abraham believed that he could have a son from a barren old woman; but Mary believed that a Virgin should conceive of the Holy Spirit; nor would she have conceived, had she not believed⁶. If an example of charity, see Moses, who said: Either forgive them this trespass, or strike me out of the book that thou hast written. If an example of mercy, in Ecclesiasticus: These were men of mercy, whose godly deeds have not failed. If of justice, fortitude, prudence, cleanness, of every honourable virtue it sets before you examples. Because virtue is concerned with particular operations, therefore an inwardly directing rule does not suffice unless there be a particular example; and therefore Scripture sets down both. Against anger it gave a rule: A mild answer breaketh wrath⁷; see the example of Abigail, who broke the wrath of David.

10. Likewise, it illumines from above through the divine promises; for Scripture teaches concerning those things which are above. Whence

the Apostle¹: We know that, if our earthly house of this habitation be dissolved, we have a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in heaven; and: In my Father's house there are many mansions, says the Saviour; in the Psalms it is said: The children of men shall hope under the covert of thy wings. They shall be inebriated with the plenty of thy house, and thou shalt make them drink of the torrent of thy pleasure, for with thee is the fountain of life; and in thy light we shall see light; and that word of the Apocalypse: The Lamb, who is in the midst of the throne, shall rule them and shall lead them to the fountains of the waters of life; and in the Psalm: At thy right hand are delights even to the end. It sets before us, therefore, the divine promises.

11. Likewise, it illumines from below by setting forth the torments of hell. The Psalm²: He shall rain snares upon sinners; fire and brimstone and storms of winds shall be the portion of their cup; the Apocalypse: And their portion shall be in the pool of fire and brimstone. And the smoke of their torments shall ascend up for ever and ever. These things Scripture sets forth from the beginning, where it is said that darkness was upon the face of the deep, right up to the end. — It sets forth, therefore, the inner sights, the outward examples, the heavenly promises, the punishments of hell.

12. If these do not suffice you, but you wish to go out and to seek the refreshment of the understanding elsewhere; it will still give you other trees, other fruits, in which you can be refreshed. It illumines forwards through the directing precepts; backwards, through the strict judgments; to the right, through the severe consolations; to the left, through the sweet or kindly scourgings. — For one must have a light before oneself. For the commandment is a lamp, and the law a light³; this directs to heaven, whence: If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments, to which are added the counsels; these Scripture sets before us everywhere. Whence in that Psalm: Blessed are the undefiled, and: Set before me for a law the way of thy justifications, O Lord, and so on, in every verse mention is made of the commandments, either under the name of law, or of testimony, or of word, or of some equivalent name. Whence also among the Hebrews all the verses of one group of eight begin with the same letter; which could not be kept among us, so that the twenty-two letters should answer to the twenty-two groups of eight; and each has eight verses. Whence also Augustine⁴ was troubled at so great a sameness; which nevertheless is great knowledge and wondrous variety. For Augustine himself once saw a most beautiful tree, having twenty-two branches, and each had eight little branches, and from them the sweetest drops fell like dew. And he understood that that tree was the Psalm: Blessed are the undefiled in the way. Whence the meditation of the law is in the highest degree necessary; the Psalm⁵: Blessed is the man who hath not walked in the counsel of the ungodly, but his will was in the law of the Lord. And he shall be like a tree which is planted near the running waters. In Ecclesiasticus: In many of his works be not curious, but the things which he hath commanded thee, think on them always.

13. Likewise, it illumines backwards through the strict judgments. For God has always made strict judgments upon the transgressions of the precepts, as upon Lucifer, upon Adam, upon his wife, upon Cain, upon the lustful, over whom the flood came, upon the proud, who built the tower among the Chanaanites, upon Israel. Likewise, the new testament is full of judgments. But the judgment is behind, the precept before. The judgment looks back to the precept; if you transgress, you will be punished; unless you follow the light that directs, the sword will strike you; the Psalm⁶: Except you will be converted, he hath brandished his sword, he hath bent his bow and made it ready, and in it he hath prepared the instruments of death, he hath made ready his arrows for them that burn. The bow is the judgment of Scripture; the hardness of the wood, the old testament; the string, which bends the wood, the new testament; the lighter and heavier judgments, the arrows. The Psalm: The law of the Lord is unspotted, converting souls; the testimony of the Lord is faithful, giving wisdom to little ones. The judgments of the Lord are true, justified in themselves, and so on.

14. Likewise, to the right it illumines through the severe consolations. Nor without cause are they called severe consolations and kindly scourgings, because consolations are dangerous. See Adam, Saul, Solomon, Jeroboam the idolater and the first angel, to all of whom temporal consolations and excellences were the occasion of ruin. But they are an occasion of ruin when they please; but when they do not please, a man does not thrust himself upon them. Whence Christ would not have temporal consolation, because a thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand⁷ and so on. A man ought rather to wish to be on that side on which fewer fall.

15. Likewise, to the left it illumines through the kindly scourgings. Whence the Lord permitted that Abel, the most just, be

slain. See Noah, who for a hundred years built the ark, and put there whatever he had; and the whole world derided him. — And he added here that the king of France could not make such a one today, if one considers it according to its measure of geometrical cubits¹. — So too of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, who were pilgrims; and of Joseph, who could not be exalted unless the selling, the imprisonment and the humbling had gone before. See Moses, whom God was to set over the whole world, how he was humbled; he fed the sheep for forty years of a single priest². So too David: as long as he was in tribulation he was excellent and came to the kingdom through tribulations; and afterwards, when he was in prosperity, he committed many sins. So too Ezechias in sickness was exceedingly humble, but afterwards proud at the coming of the messengers of the Babylonians. See Elias in his poverty, who had nothing to eat except what the raven ministered to him and that poor widow; and yet he shut up heaven. See John the Baptist, who at seven years old entered the desert and there lay upon pebbles. So too of Christ and of the Apostles. So too Paul says³: They were stoned, they were cut asunder, they were tempted, they were put to death by the sword, they wandered about in sheepskins, and so on. Scourgings, therefore, are most sweet. Either, then, God scourges, or he does not. But he scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. This has been proved through particular cases; therefore it ought to be inferred universally.

16. Furthermore Scripture also has trees for refreshing. And it illumines from those things which are from the opposite side. For it shows us infinite battle-lines against us, now through seven leaders⁴, now one war, now many. That war is from that day on which Michael and his Angels fought with the dragon. And a threefold war hangs over us: the domestic war, the civil war and the pitched war. — The first is with the flesh, which has many battle-lines; this handmaid is always ready to open, like Eve. Whence: From her that sleepeth in thy bosom, keep the doors of thy mouth⁵.

17. Likewise, the civil war is the temptation of the world. For every creature is turned into a snare⁶, because the beauty of the creature draws men. Whence: Vanity, he says, of vanities, and all is vanity. What hath a man more of all his labour, wherewith he laboureth under the sun? That is done vainly and to no purpose of which nothing is left to a man at death, and therefore all is vanity; in the Psalm: Turn away my eyes, that they may not behold vanity.

18. Likewise, there is the pitched war, the hostile war with the demons, who by day and by night beset us, now by magnifying us, that we may presume, now through the consideration of knowledge, now through the consideration of holiness; now they make a man wrathful, and thus devilish and filled with the spirit of malice; and they make him fall into sadness and despair, and so of the rest. These things Scripture teaches us to flee. For what science teaches us to flee the contrary powers? None.

19. Likewise, it illumines round about, so that we need not flee, because on every side we have a defence. For we have the Lord himself and the Angels about us; whence in the Psalm⁷: Mountains are round about it, and the Lord is round about his people. Whence, when Eliseus' servant cried out on account of the robbers of Syria who wished to take him, Eliseus said: Lord, open the eyes of this boy, and the Lord opened them. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Eliseus. Jacob also, fearing his brother, saw Angels, whence he said: These are the camps of God. Whence the Psalm says: The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? And elsewhere: If it had not been that the Lord was with us, let Israel now say, and so on, to the end.

20. Likewise, it illumines from afar through the signs of the figures; and it makes figures out of all things. Now all things which are in the world are reduced to twelve, which Scripture uses, which are the signs from afar: the heavenly forms, the elemental natures, the meteoric natures, the mineral natures; the natures of growing things, of swimming things, of flying things, of walking things; the human organs, the human powers, human works, human arts.

21. The first, then, is the heavenly form. For Scripture uses all the heavens and the stars; the Psalm⁸: The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament proclaimeth the work of his hands; and Ecclesiasticus: The firmament on high is his beauty, the beauty of heaven in the vision of glory.

22. The elemental forms: fiery, airy, watery, earthy; Scripture uses them all. — The meteoric natures, as cloud, rain, dew, snow and so on; and the lights that appear in heaven, rivers, pools, all of which

it uses. — There are also mineral natures, as the seven principal metals and the precious stone, as the onyx stone; in Genesis¹ we read: There is found bdellium and the onyx stone; and in the same place: Where gold groweth; and the gold of that land is the best. And in the Apocalypse, twelve precious stones. — There are also the natures of growing things, as of trees, herbs, plants, seeds; of the pot-herb, of grass and of the other things springing from the earth it treats.

23. There are also the natures of swimming things, as it treats of leviathan², of fishes, of whales. — There are the natures of flying things, as of the hawk; of the eagle, of the dove, of the sparrow; and it is a great mystery why only three kinds of flying things are set down in the sacrifice³. It speaks also of the birds that shun the light and of those that love the light. — Likewise, of the walking animal, of the serpent, of the snake: Flee from sin as from the face of a serpent⁴; how God permitted the temptation to be made through the serpent. Likewise, of foxes, of the she-goat, of swine, of the stag, of the fawn, of the bear, of oxen. Nor is it without mystery that also only three kinds of walking things were offered or sacrificed.

24. Likewise, the natures of man, whose parts Scripture treats of as transferred partly to God, partly to the Angels. Whence Dionysius⁵ shows what the human members signify in the Angels. — Likewise, the vegetative powers, the sensitive, rational powers and so on, all of which Scripture uses throughout. — Likewise, of human works, as the building of houses and of wells, agriculture, trade; and of all the arts, liberal and mechanical. The theologian uses them now as an arithmetician, now as an astrologer, now as a geometer; now you will see him a rhetorician, now a physician.

25. In this consideration there is danger, because it is dangerous to withdraw too far from the house of Scripture; for a boy never wants to withdraw far from home. So there is danger in the sciences, that men should so pour themselves out through the considerations of these sciences that afterwards they cannot return to the house of Scripture, and that they enter the house of Daedalus⁶, so that they cannot get out. For it is better to hold the truth than the figure. If I were seeing your face and were to ask you to bring me a clear mirror, that I might see your face in it; that request would be foolish. So it is with the holy Scriptures and the figures of the other sciences.

26. Likewise, it illumines through the gifts of graces from near at hand, which supply all that industry does not have. For many have come as guests of knowledge, namely to our house and to our industry; but in these things industry ought to set a limit. Whence this Scripture illumines from near at hand; whence one need not go far for a thing which is close by. For Scripture describes the gifts of the Holy Spirit throughout; in John⁷: Jesus, being wearied with his journey, sat upon the well; there follows: Everyone that drinketh of this water shall thirst again; but he that shall drink of the water that I will give him shall become in him a fountain of water springing up into life everlasting. — Whence a twofold water is noted; for there is described one knowledge, the exterior, of which he who drinks more thirsts more; another, the interior, of which⁸: He that believeth in me, as the Scripture saith, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. Now this he said of the Holy Spirit, whom they should receive who believed in him. These are the waters from the fountains of the Saviour, namely the knowledges of the graces, refreshing souls.

27. Beside these mysteries there is the mystery of the tree of life and the mystery of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil⁹. For he who seeks knowledge only tastes of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. And this is signified in Isaias: Forasmuch as this people hath cast away the waters of Siloe, that go with silence, and hath rather taken Rasin and the son of Romelia; therefore behold, the Lord will bring upon them the waters of the river, strong and many. As Jerome says, the waters of Siloe run with a great murmuring: therefore it is plain that another sense is there. — The waters running with silence are sacred Scripture, which cannot be learned except in silence; and there illumination comes about. As a sign of this it was said to the blind man¹⁰: Go, wash in the pool of Siloe, which is interpreted Sent. For these waters come by revelation. But one must first

anoint the eyes with clay made of spittle and dust; the spittle is wisdom; the dust, the flesh of Christ; the clay, faith concerning the mystery of the incarnation. — But those who seek Rasin and the son of Romelia are those who seek the exterior sciences. And therefore the prince of the Assyrians shall rule over them¹; the Lord willed it. And here it is to be noted that the children of Israel took by stealth the silver vessels of Egypt²; but afterwards the Lord never willed that they should return there.

28. And he said: Believe me, that there will yet be a time when vessels of gold or of silver will avail nothing, that is, arguments; nor will there be defence by reason, but only by authority. Whence, as a sign of this, the Saviour, when he was tempted, did not defend himself by reason, but by authorities³, and yet he would well have known how to do it by reasons. For he signified what his mystical body is to do in the tribulation to come.

---