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 VIII.

De secunda visione, scilicet intelligentiae per fidem sublevatae, tractatio prima, quae agit de altitudine fidei.

Summarium

Introductio. Caelum habet tria: est sublime, stabile, spectabile, 1. — Ob easdem proprietates fides vocatur caelum, 2. — Fides habet lumen et nubem; est altissima, firmissima, speciosissima, 3. — Pars I. De altitudine fidei, secundum altitudinem sublimitatis et altitudinem profunditatis, sive secundum mysterium Trinitatis et incarnationis, 4. — De utraque altitudine loquitur

Scriptura, 5. — Utraque est incomprehensibilis, praesertim secunda, 6. — Visio Isaiae de utraque, 7. — Duplex lumen; duo Seraphim, clamantes ter Sanctus; admirabile Dei nomen, 8-10. — Epilogus primae partis, 11. — Pars II. De sex alis utriusque Seraph et de duodecim articulis fidei. Sex articuli de Deo, figurati per sex alas primi Seraph; de tribus alis in latere dextero et tribus personis in Deo, 12. — Tres alae in latere sinistro et triplex emanatio in creaturam, 13. — Quomodo sibi respondeant sex alae, 14. — Sex articuli de incarnatione, figurati per sex alas secundi Seraph, secundum descensum et ascensum, 15. 16. — Duodecim articuli praedicati a duodecim Apostolis; in his consistit cultus Dei, 17. — Figura in V. T., 18. — Ordo duodecim articulorum, 19.

1. Vocavit Deus firmamentum caelum; factum est vespere et mane, dies secundus¹. Sequitur opus secundae diei, quae est secunda visio intelligentiae per fidem sublevatae, et de ea non dicitur: vidit, sed vocavit. Ad litteram hoc caelum est sublime, stabile et spectabile: sublime quantum ad situm, stabile quantum ad formam, spectabile quantum ad claritatem. Sublime est; unde in Proverbiis²: Caelum sursum, et terra deorsum; hoc ipso, quod caelum est nobile, in ordine universi superiorem locum obtinet, et terra infimum. — Est etiam stabile quantum ad formam, quia movetur non mutando locum, sed in loco et circa medium; Iob³: Tu forsitan cum eo fabricatus es caelos, qui solidissimi quasi aere fusi sunt? — Est etiam spectabile quantum ad multitudinem ornatuum; Iob⁴: Spiritus eius ornavit caelos; et Ecclesiasticus: Species caeli, gloria stellarum, mundum illuminans in excelsis Dominus. Ab ista conditione ultima denominatur caelum a caelando, non ab abscondendo, sed a sculpendo, quia scribitur per ae diphthongum, quia ornatum et quasi sculptum est luminaribus.

2. Per firmamentum autem intelligitur visio fidei. Fides enim reddit sublimem animam vel intelligentiam, quia transcendit omnem rationem et investigationem rationis; reddit stabilem, quia excludit dubitationem et vacillationem; reddit etiam spectabilem, quia multiformem ostendit claritatem. Vocatur ergo fidei firmitas caelum, quia facit intelligentiam sublimem per investigationem; stabilem, dum stabilit in veritate; spectabilem, dum replet eam multiformi lumine. Unde Daniel⁵: Qui docti fuerint fulgebunt quasi splendor firmamenti. Sed nemo doctus est, nisi doceatur a Deo, quia nemo venit ad Patrem nisi per me, ait Salvator; et in Ioanne: Erunt omnes docibiles Dei. Ad fidem nullus docetur nisi per Deum; et quia venit a voce Dei, ideo dicitur: Vocavit Deus firmamentum caelum: Unde non dicit: vidit Deus firmamentum, sed vocavit, quia firmitas fidei magis est in credulitate quam in contemplatione; credulitas autem est per auditum, quia fides ex auditu, ut ait Apostolus ad Romanos⁶, et antea: Corde creditur ad iustitiam.

3. Fides autem magis est in confessione veritatis quam in communicatione lucis; unde ore confessio fit ad salutem⁷. Unde fides quodam modo videt, quodam modo non videt; unde non videre est fidei meritum, credere autem fidei lumen. Est ergo firmamentum-caelum, quia substantia sperandarum rerum; et est lumen, quia argumentum non apparentium⁸, unde habet lumen et habet nubem. — Vocavit Deus firmamentum caelum; in Ecclesiastico: Altitudinis firmamentum species caeli in visione gloriae. Et haec tria tangit hic, scilicet sublimitatem, stabilitatem et speciositatem. Est enim haec visio fidei alta, firma et speciosa. Haec fides nobilissima est, firmissima et speciosissima. Multi tamen habent hanc fidem, et eam non cognoscunt, quia fides habet faciem velatam; unde habet quoddam velamen nigrum ante faciem. Facit etiam de turpibus animabus altissimas; unde in Actibus⁹: Fide purificans corda eorum.

4. Altitudo autem fidei in duobus est: in altitudine sublimitatis et in altitudine profunditatis. De prima altitudine Ecclesiasticus¹⁰ dicit: Altitudinem caeli et latitudinem terrae et profundum abyssi quis dimensus est? Quasi diceret, super omnem humanam rationem est nosse sublimitatem fidei, dilatationem caritatis, venerationem divini timoris. — De secunda, in Ecclesiaste¹¹: Alta profunditas; quis inveniet eam? scilicet per rationem; transcendit enim investigationem nostram. Et licet altitudo et profun-

ditas in corporibus idem sint, distinguuntur tamen secundum rationem; et Apostolus distinguit, cum dicit: Ut possitis comprehendere, quae sit longitudo, latitudo, sublimitas et profundum.

5. De his duobus Ecclesiasticus¹: Ego in altissimis habito, et thronus meus in columna nubis. Altitudo fidei consistit in cognitione Dei aeterni, profunditas autem in cognitione Dei humanati. De primo scriptum est²: Excelsior caelo est, et quid facies? De secundo subiungitur: Profundior inferno, et unde cognosces? Profunditas Dei humanati, scilicet humilitas, tanta est, quod ratio deficit. — Altitudo Dei investigabilis est; unde mirabilis facta est scientia tua ex me; confortata est, et non potero ad eam³. — Item, in altissimis dicit, in quantum fides docet Deum aeternum; thronus meus in columna nubis dicit, in quantum docet Deum humanatum. De his duobus Apostolus ad Romanos⁴: O altitudo divitiarum sapientiae et scientiae Dei, quam incomprehensibilia sunt iudicia eius et investigabiles viae eius! Sapientia quantum ad notitiam Dei aeterni, scientia quantum ad notitiam Dei humanati. Unde firmamentum factum est in medio aquarum, hoc est fides, ut cognoscat anima ea quae sunt super firmamentum, et quae sub firmamento sunt. Et haec sapientia est divinarum rerum, et scientia humanarum⁵.

6. Incomprehensibilis est sapientia, per quam iudicat omnia; sed maxime incomprehensibilis, quae vadit per vias investigabiles. De quo in Proverbiis⁶: Tria sunt difficilia mihi, et quartum penitus ignoro: viam aquilae in caelo, viam colubri super petram, viam navis in medio mari, et viam viri in adolescentula. Via aquilae in caelo fuit in Christi ascensione; via colubri, in resurrectione, quia coluber in petra innovatur, ubi dimittit vetustam pellem; via navis in mari, in passione; via viri in adolescentula, in incarnatione, quam penitus se dicit ignorare; et verum est secundum humanam rationem, sed secundum fidem secus est.

7. Est ergo duplex altitudo firmamenti: una, per quam suprema respicit; altera, per quam infima; una, per quam docet cognoscere Deum aeternum; altera, Deum incarnatum. De his duobus dicitur Isaiae sexto⁷ in visione, quae omnium suarum visionum fuit radix: Vidi Dominum sedentem etc., usque ibi: Plena est omnis terra gloria eius. Et statim sequitur excaecatio Iudaeorum et illuminatio gentium. Unde dicit Ioannes: Haec dixit Isaias, quando vidit Dominum; et sequitur: Excaeca cor populi huius et aures eius aggrava. Unde illuminatio gentium fuit excaecatio Iudaeorum. Et de hoc exclamat Apostolus: O altitudo divitiarum etc.

8. Dicit ergo Isaias: Vidi, scilicet visione intelligentiae per fidem sublevatae et stabilitae in sublimitate sapientiae aeternae, per quam est duplex lumen inflammativum et seraphicum⁸; quod quidem seraphicum facit clamare tripliciter; et facit fides duplici seraphicatione animam seraphicam et facit mentes alatas senis alis.

9. Intellectus enim noster per fidem illuminatus clamat tripliciter: Sanctus, sanctus, sanctus. Sunt enim duo Seraphim stabiliti in nobis per fidem, et quilibet clamat triplici exclamatione, tamen non nisi semel Dominus Deus⁹. Notitia enim Dei est notitia trium personarum cum unitate essentiae; unde tres sunt, qui testimonium dant in caelo, Pater, Verbum et Spiritus sanctus, et hi tres unum sunt. Intellectus ergo seraphicatus, id est illuminatus et inflammatus per fidem, clamat ter sanctus. Alter Seraph respondet: Sanctus, sanctus, sanctus: quia, sicut in Deo aeterno est trinitas personarum cum unitate essentiae, ita etiam in Deo humanato sunt tres naturae cum unitate personae¹⁰. — Et isti sunt duae radices fidei, quas qui ignorat nihil credit: ut corpus, anima, Divinitas. Sanctus Christus sanctum habet corpus; sanctus Christus sanctam habet animam; sanctus Christus sanctam habet Divinitatem. Sanctus exterius, sanctus interius, sanctus superius.

10. Hae sunt duae cognitiones fidei illuminantes et ardentes, triformiter ad unitatem reductae. Clamare autem dicuntur propter admirationem, quia utrumque est admirabile; unde in Psalmo¹¹: Domine Dominus noster, quam admirabile est nomen tuum in universa terra! Minuisti eum paulo minus ab Angelis; gloria et honore coronasti eum. Et vere admirabile nomen quantum ad Deum aeternum, quia ibi est vera distinctio personarum cum unitate essentiae, per quam sunt summe conformes, summe concordes, summe coaequales, coaeterni, consub-

stantiales, coessentiales. — Item, est admirabile, quoniam tres naturae coniunctae sunt: supremum cum infimo sine depressione, primum cum ultimo sine innovatione, simplex cum composito sine compositione.

11. In his tribus omnia mirabilia radicantur; et sunt iuncta cognitio Divinitatis et humanitatis, quia incarnatio non cognoscitur, nisi cognoscatur distinctio personarum. Si enim non cognoscas Trinitatem, ita bene Pater incarnatus est vel passus, ut Filius; et es Sabellianus et Patripassianus. — Item, si ponas Trinitatem et non incarnationem, testimonium habes in caelo, et non accipis in terra; cum tamen tres sint, qui testimonium dant in terra, spiritus, aqua et sanguis¹. In spiritu Divinitas, in aqua corpus, in sanguine, ubi est vita animae, anima. Per sanguinem enim Christi spiritus aquae iungitur, quia mediante anima Divinitas coniungitur corpori.

12. Habemus ergo duos Seraphim clamantes et admirantes; restat dicere, quare sex alas habent, et tunc videbuntur ea quae fidei sunt. Fides enim est in Deum aeternum et humanatum. — Fides in Deum aeternum est una illustratio senarum alarum; et hoc dupliciter: aut quantum ad distinctionem personarum, aut quantum ad diffusionem Trinitatis in creaturam secundum essentiam, virtutem et operationem². — Primo modo sunt tres articuli, scilicet Patris ingeniti, Filii unigeniti a solo Patre, Spiritus sancti ab utroque spirati. Isti sunt tres alae in latere dextero, scilicet in aeternitate; nec potest addi nec minui ad emanationem, ut scilicet sit producens tantum et non productum, quia sic esset infinitas; si esset tantum productum, et non producens tantum, sic esset infinitas ex parte ante; ergo necesse est ponere producens et productum simul, ut ad invicem cohaereant. Aliter in divinis esset distinctio sine ordine; distinctio autem sine ordine confusio est: unde necesse est, quod Spiritus sanctus procedat ab utroque; et hoc dicunt omnes sapientes Graeci, nec est controversia nisi de nomine; et per consequens iste fuit error in fatuis Graecis³.

13. Similiter in sinistro sunt tres alae, in quantum ab una essentia, virtute et operatione est diffusio in creaturam. Et secundum hoc est triplex operatio, in quantum unus Deus est creator, sanctificator et praemiator; quia omne, quod ab ipso emanat, aut est natura, aut gratia, aut gloria. Et sic Pater et Filius et Spiritus sanctus unus creator per naturam, unus sanctificator per gratiam, unus praemiator per gloriam. Primum autem est ante tempus, secundum in tempore, tertium post omne tempus. Primum est in initio temporis, secundum in decursu, tertium in consummatione. — Est tamen creatio animae in decursu temporis, quia Pater meus usque modo operatur, et ego operor⁴. Praemiatio etiam fit in medio temporis, ut animarum, sed post fiet perfecta. — Item, creatio attribuitur Patri, quia potens; sanctificatio Spiritui sancto, quia bonus; praemiatio Filio, quia iudicabit et rex apparebit.

14. Sed quomodo respondebit ala alae? Dicendum, quod sanctificatio aut consideratur quantum ad veniam, quae quidem fit per redemptionem, et sic attribuitur Filio; aut quantum ad gratiam, et sic attribuitur Spiritui sancto. — Similiter praemiatio consideratur secundum iudicium sententiantis, et sic attribuitur Filio; aut quantum ad amorem praemiantis, et sic Spiritui sancto. Media autem operatio pervenit ad ultimam; sic tres alae disponuntur.

15. Alter Seraph propinquior est nobis et habet similiter sex alas: tres secundum descensum, et tres secundum ascensum: secundum descensum, veniendo ab ala super caput per medium ad alam super pedes. Hi sunt tres articuli secundum incarnationem, crucifixionem, descensum ad inferos secundum animam. Incepit enim a summo, quia necesse fuit, ut uniret sibi naturam, in qua appareret et per quam descenderet, quia ipse de se immutabilis est; deinde venit ad crucem, demum ad infernum. Hae alae in sinistro.

16. Tres similiter ascendendo: resurrectio de inferis in mundum, ascensio de mundo in caelum, de caelo adventus ad iudicium, ut sit ascensio ab Ecclesia militante in triumphantem. Sed primo fiet exspoliatio inferni in resurrectione, apertio ianuae in ascensione, consummatio regni in iudicio; his nihil certius.

17. Hae sex alae primae sunt sex considerationes perfectae Dei in tribus personis et tribus operibus; aliae sex secundae, sex considerationes Dei incarnati: in his ergo duodecim articuli fidei, cuius praedicatores sunt duodecim Apostoli⁵. Ala enim sublevat ad transcendendum omnem humanam rationem. Sine hac duplici consideratione nullus est cultor Dei.

18. In cuius designatione Pontifex in superhumerali habebat lapides duos: unum in dextero latere, et alterum in sinistro; et in illis duodecim nomina filiorum Israel: sex nomina in lapide uno, et sex in altero, et erant in lapide onychino lucido et ardenti⁶, in quo fides humanitatis et Divinitatis exprimitur; quae similiter exprimuntur in Symbolo a duodecim Apostolis composito. In hac fide sacrificium placet Deo.

19. In lapidibus ordinabantur nomina secundum nativitatem ipsorum, sed in Symbolo secundum dicta Apostolorum. Unde: « Credo in Deum Patrem omnipotentem, creatorem caeli et terrae »; ecce, unus articulus Patris ingeniti. — « Et in Iesum Christum, Filium eius unicum, Dominum nostrum »; secundus, Filii geniti a Patre. — Deinde sequuntur sex ad humanitatem pertinentes. « Qui conceptus est de Spiritu sancto, natus ex Maria virgine », tertius articulus. — « Passus sub Pontio Pilato, crucifixus, mortuus et sepultus », quartus articulus. — « Descendit ad inferos », quintus. — « Tertia die resurrexit a mortuis », sextus. — « Ascendit ad caelos, sedet ad dexteram Dei Patris omnipotentis », septimus. — « Inde venturus est iudicare vivos et mortuos », octavus. — « Credo in Spiritum sanctum », nonus. — « Sanctam Ecclesiam catholicam », decimus. — « Sanctorum communionem, remissionem peccatorum », undecimus. — « Carnis resurrectionem, vitam aeternam », duodecimus. — Et haec¹, secundum quod Spiritus sanctus instituit, unit, purificat quantum ad tres ultimas operationes praeter ultimum.

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COLLATION VIII.

On the second vision, that of the understanding uplifted by faith: the first treatment, which treats of the height of faith.

Summarium

Introduction. Heaven has three properties: it is lofty, stable, worth beholding, 1. — For the same properties faith is called heaven, 2. — Faith has light and cloud; it is highest, firmest, most comely, 3. — Part I. On the height of faith, according to the height of loftiness and the height of depth, that is, according to the mystery of the Trinity and of the incarnation, 4. — Of both heights Scripture speaks, 5. — Both are incomprehensible, especially the second, 6. — Isaias' vision of both, 7. — The twofold light; the two Seraphim, crying thrice Holy; the admirable name of God, 8-10. — Epilogue of the first part, 11. — Part II. On the six wings of each Seraph and on the twelve articles of faith. Six articles concerning God, figured by the six wings of the first Seraph; on the three wings on the right side and the three persons in God, 12. — Three wings on the left side and the threefold emanation into the creature, 13. — How the six wings answer to one another, 14. — Six articles concerning the incarnation, figured by the six wings of the second Seraph, according to the descent and the ascent, 15. 16. — The twelve articles preached by the twelve Apostles; in these the worship of God consists, 17. — A figure in the Old Testament, 18. — The order of the twelve articles, 19.

1. God called the firmament heaven; and there was evening and morning, the second day¹. There follows the work of the second day, which is the second vision, that of the understanding uplifted by faith; and of it it is not said he saw, but he called. To the letter, this heaven is lofty, stable and worth beholding: lofty as regards position, stable as regards form, worth beholding as regards brightness. It is lofty; whence in Proverbs²: Heaven above, and the earth beneath; by this very thing, that heaven is noble, it holds the higher place in the order of the universe, and earth the lowest. — It is also stable as regards form, because it is moved not by changing place, but in place and about the centre; Job³: Thou perhaps hast made the heavens with him, which are most strong, as if they were of molten brass? — It is also worth beholding as regards the multitude of its ornaments; Job⁴: His spirit hath adorned the heavens; and Ecclesiasticus: The beauty of heaven, the glory of the stars, the Lord enlightening the world on high. From this last property heaven (caelum) is named from engraving (caelando), not from hiding (abscondendo) but from carving (sculpendo), because it is written with the diphthong ae, since it is adorned and as it were carved with lights.

2. By the firmament, however, is understood the vision of faith. For faith renders the soul or the understanding lofty, because it transcends all reason and all investigation of reason; it renders it stable, because it excludes doubt and wavering; it renders it also worth beholding, because it shows forth a manifold brightness. The firmness of faith is therefore called heaven, because it makes the understanding lofty by investigation; stable, while it establishes it in the truth; worth beholding, while it fills it with a manifold light. Hence Daniel⁵: They that are learned shall shine as the brightness of the firmament. But no one is learned unless he be taught by God, since no man cometh to the Father but by me, says the Saviour; and in John: They shall all be taught of God. No one is taught unto faith save through God; and because it comes from the voice of God, therefore it is said: God called the firmament heaven. Hence he does not say God saw the firmament, but he called it, because the firmness of faith is more in believing than in contemplation; and believing is by hearing, since faith cometh by hearing, as the Apostle says to the Romans⁶, and before that: With the heart we believe unto justice.

3. But faith is more in the confession of the truth than in the communication of light; whence with the mouth confession is made unto salvation⁷. Hence faith in a certain manner sees, in a certain manner does not see; whence not to see is faith's merit, and to believe is faith's light. It is therefore firmament-heaven, because it is the substance of things to be hoped for; and it is light, because it is the evidence of things that appear not⁸ — whence it has light and it has cloud. — God called the firmament heaven; in Ecclesiasticus: The firmament on high is his beauty, the beauty of heaven with its glorious show. And he touches these three here, namely loftiness, stability and comeliness. For this vision of faith is high, firm and comely. This faith is most noble, most firm and most comely. Yet many have this faith and do not know it, because faith has a veiled face; whence it has a certain black veil before its face. It also makes the highest souls out of base ones; whence in the Acts⁹: Purifying their hearts by faith.

4. Now the height of faith is in two things: in the height of loftiness and in the height of depth. Of the first height Ecclesiasticus¹⁰ says: The height of heaven, and the breadth of the earth, and the depth of the abyss, who hath measured? As though he should say, it is above all human reason to know the loftiness of faith, the dilation of charity, the veneration of divine fear. — Of the second, in Ecclesiastes¹¹: A deep depth; who shall find it out? — namely by reason; for it transcends our investigation. And although height and depth

are the same in bodies, yet they are distinguished according to reason; and the Apostle distinguishes them when he says: That you may comprehend what is the length and the breadth and the height and the depth.

5. Of these two Ecclesiasticus¹: I dwell in the highest places, and my throne is in a pillar of cloud. The height of faith consists in the knowledge of God eternal, the depth in the knowledge of God made man. Of the first it is written²: He is higher than heaven, and what wilt thou do? Of the second it is added: He is deeper than hell, and how wilt thou know? The depth of God made man, namely his humility, is so great that reason fails. — The height of God is unsearchable; whence thy knowledge is become wonderful to me; it is high, and I cannot reach to it³. — Likewise, in the highest places he says, inasmuch as faith teaches God eternal; my throne in a pillar of cloud he says, inasmuch as it teaches God made man. Of these two the Apostle to the Romans⁴: O the depth of the riches of the wisdom and of the knowledge of God! How incomprehensible are his judgments, and how unsearchable his ways! Wisdom as regards the knowledge of God eternal, knowledge as regards the knowledge of God made man. Hence the firmament was made in the midst of the waters, that is, faith, that the soul may know the things which are above the firmament and those which are under the firmament. And this wisdom is of divine things, and knowledge of human ones⁵.

6. Incomprehensible is the wisdom by which he judges all things; but most incomprehensible is that which goes by unsearchable ways. Of which in Proverbs⁶: Three things are hard to me, and the fourth I am utterly ignorant of: the way of an eagle in the air, the way of a serpent upon a rock, the way of a ship in the midst of the sea, and the way of a man in youth. The way of an eagle in the air was in Christ's ascension; the way of a serpent, in the resurrection, because the serpent is renewed upon the rock, where it leaves its old skin; the way of a ship in the sea, in the passion; the way of a man in youth, in the incarnation, of which he says he is utterly ignorant — and it is true according to human reason, but according to faith it is otherwise.

7. There is therefore a twofold height of the firmament: one by which it looks to the highest things, another by which it looks to the lowest; one by which it teaches us to know God eternal, another God incarnate. Of these two it is said in Isaias, chapter six⁷, in the vision which was the root of all his visions: I saw the Lord sitting, etc., down to: All the earth is full of his glory. And immediately there follows the blinding of the Jews and the enlightening of the Gentiles. Hence John says: These things said Isaias, when he saw his glory; and there follows: Blind the heart of this people, and make their ears heavy. Hence the enlightening of the Gentiles was the blinding of the Jews. And of this the Apostle exclaims: O the depth of the riches, etc.

8. Isaias says therefore: I saw — namely with the vision of the understanding uplifted by faith and established in the loftiness of eternal wisdom, by which there is a twofold light, inflammative and seraphic⁸; and the seraphic makes one cry out threefold; and faith by a twofold seraphication makes the soul seraphic and makes minds winged with six wings.

9. For our intellect, illuminated by faith, cries out threefold: Holy, holy, holy. For there are two Seraphim established in us by faith, and each cries with a threefold exclamation, yet only once the Lord God⁹. For the knowledge of God is the knowledge of three persons with unity of essence; whence there are three who give testimony in heaven, the Father, the Word and the Holy Spirit, and these three are one. The intellect therefore seraphicated, that is, illuminated and inflamed by faith, cries thrice holy. The other Seraph answers: Holy, holy, holy: because, just as in God eternal there is a trinity of persons with unity of essence, so also in God made man there are three natures with unity of person¹⁰. — And these are the two roots of faith, which he who is ignorant of believes nothing: namely body, soul, Divinity. Holy Christ has a holy body; holy Christ has a holy soul; holy Christ has a holy Divinity. Holy outwardly, holy inwardly, holy above.

10. These are the two cognitions of faith, illuminating and burning, triformly led back to unity. And they are said to cry out because of wonder, since each is admirable; whence in the Psalm¹¹: O Lord our Lord, how admirable is thy name in the whole earth! Thou hast made him a little less than the angels; thou hast crowned him with glory and honour. And truly the admirable name as regards God eternal, because there is the true distinction of persons with unity of essence, by which they are supremely conformed, supremely concordant, supremely coequal, coeternal, consub-

stantial, coessential. — Likewise it is admirable, since three natures are conjoined: the highest with the lowest without depression, the first with the last without innovation, the simple with the composite without composition.

11. In these three all marvels are rooted; and the knowledge of the Divinity and of the humanity are joined, because the incarnation is not known unless the distinction of persons be known. For if you do not know the Trinity, the Father was just as much incarnate or suffered as the Son; and you are a Sabellian and a Patripassian. — Likewise, if you posit the Trinity and not the incarnation, you have the testimony in heaven and do not receive it on earth; whereas there are three that give testimony on earth: the spirit, the water and the blood¹. In the spirit, the Divinity; in the water, the body; in the blood, where the life of the soul is, the soul. For through the blood of Christ the spirit is joined to the water, because through the mediation of the soul the Divinity is joined to the body.

12. We have, then, two Seraphim crying out and wondering; it remains to say why they have six wings, and then the things of faith will be seen. For faith is in God eternal and made man. — Faith in God eternal is one illustration of six wings; and this in two ways: either as regards the distinction of persons, or as regards the diffusion of the Trinity into the creature according to essence, power and operation². — In the first way there are three articles, namely of the Father unbegotten, of the Son only-begotten of the Father alone, of the Holy Spirit breathed forth from both. These are the three wings on the right side, namely in eternity; and nothing can be added or taken away as regards emanation — namely that there should be one producing only and not produced, since so there would be infinity; if there were one only produced and not producing at all, so there would be infinity on the prior side; therefore it is necessary to posit the producing and the produced together, that they may cohere with one another. Otherwise in the divine there would be distinction without order; and distinction without order is confusion: whence it is necessary that the Holy Spirit proceed from both; and this all the wise Greeks say, nor is there controversy except about the name; and consequently that error was among the foolish Greeks³.

13. Likewise on the left there are three wings, inasmuch as from one essence, power and operation there is a diffusion into the creature. And according to this there is a threefold operation, inasmuch as the one God is creator, sanctifier and rewarder; because everything that emanates from him is either nature, or grace, or glory. And so the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit are one creator by nature, one sanctifier by grace, one rewarder by glory. Now the first is before time, the second in time, the third after all time. The first is at the beginning of time, the second in its course, the third at its consummation. — Yet the creation of the soul is in the course of time, since my Father worketh until now, and I work⁴. Rewarding also takes place in the middle of time, as of souls, but afterwards it will be made perfect. — Likewise, creation is attributed to the Father, because he is powerful; sanctification to the Holy Spirit, because he is good; rewarding to the Son, because he will judge and will appear as king.

14. But how will wing answer to wing? It must be said that sanctification is considered either as regards pardon, which indeed comes about through redemption, and so it is attributed to the Son; or as regards grace, and so it is attributed to the Holy Spirit. — Likewise rewarding is considered according to the judgment of him who passes sentence, and so it is attributed to the Son; or as regards the love of him who rewards, and so to the Holy Spirit. And the middle operation reaches to the last; thus the three wings are disposed.

15. The other Seraph is nearer to us and likewise has six wings: three according to the descent, and three according to the ascent: according to the descent, coming from the wing above the head through the middle to the wing above the feet. These are the three articles according to the incarnation, the crucifixion, the descent to hell according to the soul. For he began from the highest, because it was necessary that he should unite to himself a nature in which he might appear and through which he might descend, since of himself he is immutable; then he came to the cross, at last to hell. These wings are on the left.

16. Three likewise in ascending: the resurrection from hell into the world, the ascension from the world into heaven, from heaven the coming to judgment — so that there is an ascent from the Church militant into the triumphant. But first will come the spoiling of hell in the resurrection, the opening of the gate in the ascension, the consummation of the kingdom in the judgment; than these nothing is more certain.

17. These first six wings are six perfect considerations of God in three persons and three works; the other six are six considerations of God incarnate: in these, then, are the twelve articles of faith, whose preachers are the twelve Apostles⁵. For a wing lifts one up to transcend all human reason. Without this twofold consideration no one is a worshipper of God.

18. In designation of which the High Priest had on the ephod two stones: one on the right side and the other on the left; and on them the twelve names of the sons of Israel, six names on the one stone and six on the other; and they were of onyx, shining and burning⁶, in which the faith of the humanity and of the Divinity is expressed; which things are likewise expressed in the Symbol composed by the twelve Apostles. In this faith sacrifice is pleasing to God.

19. On the stones the names were ordered according to their birth, but in the Symbol according to the sayings of the Apostles. Hence: « I believe in God the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth »; behold, one article, of the Father unbegotten. — « And in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord »; the second, of the Son begotten of the Father. — Then follow six pertaining to the humanity. « Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary », the third article. — « Suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead and buried », the fourth article. — « He descended into hell », the fifth. — « The third day he rose again from the dead », the sixth. — « He ascended into heaven, sitteth at the right hand of God the Father almighty », the seventh. — « From thence he shall come to judge the living and the dead », the eighth. — « I believe in the Holy Spirit », the ninth. — « The holy catholic Church », the tenth. — « The communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins », the eleventh. — « The resurrection of the flesh, life everlasting », the twelfth. — And these¹, according as the Holy Spirit institutes, unites, purifies, as regards the three last operations except the last.

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