Bonaventure

Dubium circa litteram Magistri.

In parte ista circa litteram quaeritur⁹, qualiter intelligitur illud verbum ultimum de pedibus sedentis: quis sit sedens, et quid solium, et quae via.

Respondeo: Dicendum, quod sedens iste Deus est sive Christus, qui requiescit in summa pace, quae exsuperat omnem sensum¹⁰. — Solium autem dici potest sancta Scriptura propter sui eminentiam; vel etiam anima sancta, quae dicitur sedes sapientiae¹¹; aut certe Virgo Maria, in quam descendit ad habitandum Dominus; vel etiam natura assumta, in qua posuit tabernaculum suum¹.

— Facies autem huius est maiestas Divinitatis, quam videbimus, cum erimus gloriosi. — Pedes vero sive via sunt opera finalia, quae sunt velata, sicut illa quae pertinent ad finem mundi. — Media vero inter Dei magnitudinem aeternam et nostram magnificationem² futuram sunt opus creationis et redemptionis.

Incipit igitur Magister a facie Maiestatis in primo, et decurrit per media in secundo et tertio, et terminavit in pedibus sive in imis in quarto³.

Isti autem pedes nunc sunt velati, sed tunc discooperientur, quando facies manifestabitur. Hoc autem erit, quando «Deus ita erit conspicuus, ut videatur a singulis nobis in singulis nobis, videatur ab altero in altero, videatur in semetipso, videatur in creaturis omnibus, videatur etiam per corpora in omni corpore, quocumque fuerint spiritualis corporis oculi, acie perveniente, directi⁴». «Tunc videbimus, amabimus, laudabimus»; tunc apparebit Christus, vita nostra, et nos apparebimus cum ipso in gloria⁵; ad quam nos perducat Pontifex et praecursor noster Iesus Christus, Filius Dei et beatae Mariae, dominae et adiutricis nostrae, sua pia misericordia; cui est benedictio et claritas et sapientia et gratiarum actio, honor et virtus et fortitudo per infinita saecula saeculorum. Amen⁶.

EXPLICIT LIBER QUARTUS ET ULTIMUS FRATRIS BONAVENTURAE SUPER SENTENTIAS.

Nota de apparatu. Quaracchi restarts its footnote numbering on every printed page. The numbered notes below are therefore labelled by page: notes 9–11 of page 1053 and notes 1–6 of page 1054. Notes 1–8 of page 1053 anchor in the preceding chunk (p2-a2-q3). Note 9 of page 1053 is printed in two physical halves — it begins at the foot of the left column and its unnumbered continuation opens the right-hand footer register; both halves are given here as one entry. Note 4 of page 1054 behaves the same way, its unnumbered continuation opening the right-hand register of that page. Page 1054 is the last body page of the volume; its register ends the apparatus of Book IV.

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A doubt concerning the text of the Master.

In this part, concerning the text, it is asked⁹ how that last word is to be understood, concerning the feet of the one seated: who the one seated is, and what the throne is, and what the way is.

I respond: It must be said that this one seated is God, or Christ, who rests in the highest peace, which surpasses all understanding¹⁰. — The throne, moreover, can be said to be holy Scripture on account of its eminence; or also the holy soul, which is called the seat of wisdom¹¹; or indeed the Virgin Mary, into whom the Lord descended to dwell; or also the assumed nature, in which he placed his tabernacle¹.

— The face of this, moreover, is the majesty of the Godhead, which we shall see when we are glorified. — The feet, however, or the way, are the final works, which are veiled, such as those which pertain to the end of the world. — The middle things, however, between God's eternal greatness and our future magnification² are the work of creation and of redemption.

The Master therefore begins from the face of the Majesty in the first [book], and runs through the middle things in the second and the third, and has ended in the feet, or in the lowest things, in the fourth³.

These feet, however, are now veiled, but then they will be uncovered, when the face shall be manifested. And this will be when "God will be so conspicuous that he may be seen by each of us in each of us, may be seen by one in another, may be seen in himself, may be seen in all creatures, may be seen also through bodies in every body, wherever the eyes of the spiritual body shall have been directed, with their gaze reaching there⁴." "Then we shall see, we shall love, we shall praise"; then Christ, our life, will appear, and we shall appear with him in glory⁵; to which may he lead us, our Pontiff and forerunner Jesus Christ, the Son of God and of blessed Mary, our Lady and helper, by his loving mercy; to whom is blessing and brightness and wisdom and thanksgiving, honour and power and might through infinite ages of ages. Amen⁶.

HERE ENDS THE FOURTH AND LAST BOOK OF BROTHER BONAVENTURE ON THE SENTENCES.

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