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Prologus, §2

Breviloquium · Prologus

Textus Latinus
p. 203

§ 2. De longitudine sacrae Scripturae.

Habet etiam haec Scriptura sacra longitudinem, quae consistit in descriptione tam temporum quam aetatum, a principio scilicet mundi usque ad diem iudicii. Describit autem7 per tria tempora mundum decurrere, scilicet per tempus legis naturae, legis scriptae et legis gratiae, et in his tribus temporibus septem distinguit aetates. Quarum prima est ab Adam usque ad Noe, secunda a Noe usque ad Abraham, tertia ab Abraham usque ad David, quarta a David usque ad transmigrationem Babylonis, quinta a transmigratione usque ad Christum, sexta a Christo usque ad finem mundi, septima decurrit cum sexta, quae incipit a quiete Christi in sepulcro, usque ad resurrectionem universalem, quando incipiet resurrectionis octava8. — Et sic Scriptura est longissima, quia in tractando incipit a mundi et temporis exordio in principio Genesis, et pervenit usque ad finem mundi et temporis, scilicet in fine Apocalypsis.

p. 204

Recte autem universum tempus, quod decurrit secundum triplicem legem, scilicet inditam interius, datam exterius et desuper1 infusam, decurrit per septem aetates et consummatur in fine sextae; ut sic mundi decursus respondeat exordio et maioris mundi decursus correspondeat decursui vitae minoris mundi, scilicet hominis, propter quem factus est2. Nam prima aetas mundi, in qua facta est ipsius mundi formatio, casus daemonum et confirmatio Angelorum, recte respondet primae diei, in qua facta est lux et distincta est a tenebris3. — Secunda, in qua per arcam et diluvium et salvati sunt boni et deleti mali, respondet secundae diei, in qua per firmamentum facta est distinctio aquarum ab aquis. — Tertia, in qua vocatus est Abraham, et inchoata synagoga, quae fructificare et generare debebat prolem ad Dei cultum, correspondet diei tertiae, in qua apparuit terra et protulit herbam virentem. — Quarta, in qua viguit regnum et sacerdotium, quia David rex ampliavit cultum divinum, respondet diei quartae, in qua facta est formatio luminarium et stellarum. — Quinta, in qua transmigrantes inter populos multos versati sunt et tribulati, respondet diei quintae, in qua facta est formatio piscium ex aquis4. — Sexta aetas, in qua natus est Christus in hominis effigie, qui est vere imago Dei, respondet sextae diei, in qua formatus est homo primus. — Septima, quae est quies animarum non habens finem, respondet septimae diei, in qua requievit Deus ab omni opere, quod patrarat5.

Et sic distinguuntur hae septem aetates propter insignia facta, quae fuerunt in earum exordiis, ratione quorum respondent diebus formationis mundi. Vocatur autem prima aetas infantia, quia, sicut infantia tota oblivione deletur, sic illa prima aetas per diluvium est consumta6. — Secunda, pueritia; sicut enim in pueritia loqui incipimus, sic in secunda aetate facta est distinctio linguarum. — Tertia dicitur adolescentia, quia, sicut vis generativa incipit tunc in actum suum exire, sic tunc vocatus est Abraham, et data est ei circumcisio, et facta est promissio de semine. — Quarta dicitur iuventus, quia, sicut in iuventute floret hominis aetas, sic quarta aetate sub regibus floruit synagoga. — Quinta, senectus, quia sicut in senectute vires minuuntur, et decidit pulcritudo, sic et in transmigratione factum est de Iudaeorum sacerdotio. — Sexta aetas dicitur senium, quia, sicut illa est, quae copulatur cum morte, habens tamen magnam lucem sapientiae; sic sexta aetas mundi terminatur cum die iudicii, et in ea viget sapientia per doctrinam Christi.

Sic igitur totus iste mundus ordinatissimo decursu a Scriptura describitur procedere a principio usque ad finem, ad modum cuiusdam pulcherrimi carminis ordinati, ubi potest quis speculari secundum decursum temporis varietatem, multiplicitatem et aequitatem, ordinem, rectitudinem et pulcritudinem multorum divinorum iudiciorum, procedentium a sapientia Dei gubernante mundum7. Unde sicut nullus potest videre pulcritudinem carminis, nisi aspectus eius feratur super totum versum; sic nullus videt pulcritudinem ordinis et regiminis universi, nisi eam totam speculetur. Et quia nullus homo tam longaevus est, quod totam possit videre oculis carnis suae, nec futura potest per se praevidere; providit nobis Spiritus sanctus librum Scripturae sacrae, cuius longitudo commetitur se decursui regiminis universi.

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English Translation

§ 2. On the length of sacred Scripture.

This sacred Scripture also has a length, which consists in the description both of times and of ages, namely from the beginning of the world to the day of judgment. Now it describes7 the world as running its course through three times, namely through the time of the law of nature, of the written law, and of the law of grace; and within these three times it distinguishes seven ages. Of these the first is from Adam to Noah, the second from Noah to Abraham, the third from Abraham to David, the fourth from David to the transmigration of Babylon, the fifth from the transmigration to Christ, the sixth from Christ to the end of the world; the seventh runs alongside the sixth, and begins from Christ's rest in the sepulchre and lasts until the universal resurrection, when the eighth, that of the resurrection, will begin8. — And thus Scripture is of the greatest length, because in its treatment it begins from the beginning of the world and of time at the opening of Genesis, and reaches to the end of the world and of time, namely at the close of the Apocalypse.

And rightly does the whole of time, which runs its course according to a threefold law — namely the law implanted within, the law given without, and the law infused from above1 — run through seven ages and reach its consummation at the end of the sixth; so that thus the course of the world may answer to its beginning, and the course of the greater world may correspond to the course of the life of the lesser world, namely of man, for whose sake it was made2. For the first age of the world, in which took place the formation of the world itself, the fall of the demons, and the confirmation of the Angels, rightly answers to the first day, on which light was made and separated from the darkness3. — The second, in which through the ark and the flood the good were saved and the evil destroyed, answers to the second day, on which through the firmament was made the separation of the waters from the waters. — The third, in which Abraham was called and the synagogue begun, which was to bear fruit and beget offspring for the worship of God, corresponds to the third day, on which the earth appeared and brought forth the green herb. — The fourth, in which kingship and priesthood flourished, since King David enlarged divine worship, answers to the fourth day, on which was made the formation of the lights and of the stars. — The fifth, in which those in the transmigration dwelt among many peoples and were afflicted, answers to the fifth day, on which was made the formation of the fishes out of the waters4. — The sixth age, in which Christ was born in the likeness of man, who is truly the image of God, answers to the sixth day, on which the first man was formed. — The seventh, which is the rest of souls having no end, answers to the seventh day, on which God rested from all the work that he had done5.

And thus these seven ages are distinguished by reason of the notable deeds which occurred at their beginnings, on account of which they answer to the days of the world's formation. Now the first age is called infancy, because, as infancy is wholly blotted out by forgetfulness, so that first age was consumed by the flood6. — The second, childhood; for just as in childhood we begin to speak, so in the second age was made the division of tongues. — The third is called adolescence, because, as the generative power then begins to go forth into its act, so then Abraham was called, and circumcision was given to him, and the promise concerning his seed was made. — The fourth is called youth, because, as in youth a man's age is in flower, so in the fourth age the synagogue flourished under the kings. — The fifth, old age, because, as in old age strength is diminished and beauty falls away, so also in the transmigration it happened to the priesthood of the Jews. — The sixth age is called decrepitude, because, as that is the age which is joined with death, yet possesses a great light of wisdom, so the sixth age of the world is brought to its term with the day of judgment, and in it wisdom flourishes through the teaching of Christ.

Thus, therefore, this whole world is described by Scripture as proceeding from beginning to end in a most orderly course, after the manner of a certain most beautiful and ordered poem, where one can contemplate, according to the course of time, the variety, manifoldness, and equity, order, rightness, and beauty of the many divine judgments proceeding from the wisdom of God governing the world7. Hence, just as no one can see the beauty of a poem unless his gaze is carried over the whole verse, so no one sees the beauty of the order and governance of the universe unless he contemplates the whole of it. And because no man is so long-lived that he can see the whole of it with the eyes of his flesh, nor can he foresee future things of himself, the Holy Spirit has provided us with the book of sacred Scripture, whose length is commensurate with the course of the governance of the universe.

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Apparatus Criticus
  1. 7
    S etiam, Vat. et 1, 3 enim.
    S has etiam, the Vatican edition and 1, 3 enim.
  2. 8
    August., IV. de Gen. ad lit. c. 11. n. 21, ad solvendam quaestionem: quare Deus in die septimo requievit ab operibus suis, adducit etiam quietem Christi in sepulcro: Ipse quippe die sabbati requievit in sepulcro etc. Idem, Epist. 55. (alias 119.) c. 13. n. 23, docet, octavo numero significari resurrectionem, ideoque nunc diem dominicum celebrari: « Erat antea requies mortuorum; resurrectio autem nullius erat... ut postquam facta est talis resurrectio in corpore Domini, ut praeiret in capite Ecclesiae quod corpus Ecclesiae speraret in fine, iam etiam dies dominicus, id est octavus, qui et primus, inciperet celebrari ». Cfr. Hexaëm. serm. 16; tom. III. pag. 33, nota 12. et tom. IV. pag. 854, nota 10, ubi loci August. de sex aetatibus mundi allegati sunt, inter quos excellit I. de Gen. contra Manich. c. 23. n. 35. seqq., utpote in quo dantur duae subnexae expositiones. — S addit aetas.
    Augustine, On Genesis according to the Letter IV, c. 11, n. 21, in solving the question why God rested from his works on the seventh day, also adduces Christ's rest in the sepulchre: For he himself rested in the sepulchre on the sabbath day, etc. The same, Letter 55 (elsewhere 119), c. 13, n. 23, teaches that by the number eight the resurrection is signified, and that the Lord's day is therefore now celebrated: « Formerly there was a rest of the dead; but there was resurrection for no one… so that, after such a resurrection had taken place in the body of the Lord, that it might go before in the head of the Church what the body of the Church would hope for at the end, the Lord's day also, that is the eighth, which is also the first, might begin to be celebrated ». Cf. the Hexaëmeron, sermon 16; vol. III, p. 33, note 12; and vol. IV, p. 854, note 10, where the passages of Augustine on the six ages of the world are cited, among which stands out On Genesis against the Manichees I, c. 23, n. 35 ff., inasmuch as two connected expositions are given in it. — S adds aetas.
  3. 1
    B C I M superius; multi codd. omittunt interius et desuper. Inferius fide codd. delevimus mundi ante exordio et etiam ante factus est.
    B C I M have superius; many codices omit interius and desuper. Below, on the authority of the codices we have deleted mundi before exordio and etiam before factus est.
  4. 2
    Aristot., II. Phys. text. 24. (c. 2.): Utimur tanquam propter nos omnibus, quae sunt; sumus enim quodam modo et nos finis. Cfr. II. Sent. d. 15. a. 2. q. 1.
    Aristotle, Physics II, text 24 (c. 2): We use all things that are as if for our own sake; for we too are in a certain way an end. Cf. Book II of the Sentences, d. 15, a. 2, q. 1.
  5. 3
    Gen. 1, 3. seqq. Ibid. vv. seqq. narratur creatio et distinctio primorum dierum usque ad sextum. — De mundi formatione, casu daemonum etc. cfr. II. Sent. d. 2. p. I. a. 2. q. 3; d. 3. p. II. a. 1. q. 1. seq. et d. 12. a. 1. et 2. — De arca et diluvio Gen. 7, 1. seq. — De Abraham cfr. Gen. 12, 1. seqq. — De David vide II. Reg. c. 1. seqq. — De transmigratione cfr. IV. Reg. 17-25. et Tob. 1, 1. seqq. — De Christo nato vide Luc. 2, 1. seqq.; Colos. 1, 13. de ipso dicitur: Qui est imago Dei invisibilis, primogenitus omnis creaturae.
    Genesis 1:3 ff. In the following verses ibid. the creation and separation of the first days is narrated, down to the sixth. — On the formation of the world, the fall of the demons, etc., cf. Book II of the Sentences, d. 2, p. I, a. 2, q. 3; d. 3, p. II, a. 1, q. 1 f.; and d. 12, aa. 1 and 2. — On the ark and the flood, Genesis 7:1 f. — On Abraham cf. Genesis 12:1 ff. — On David see 2 Kings, c. 1 ff. — On the transmigration cf. 4 Kings 17–25 and Tobias 1:1 ff. — On the birth of Christ see Luke 2:1 ff.; Colossians 1:13 says of him: Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature.
  6. 4
    L V addunt et avium. Pro versati A B C vexati.
    L V add et avium. For versati A B C have vexati.
  7. 5
    Gen. 2, 2. — Superius pro quae est Vat. et 1, 3 in qua est.
    Genesis 2:2. — Above, for quae est the Vatican edition and 1, 3 have in qua est.
  8. 6
    Gen. 7, 21. seqq. — August., I. de Gen. contra Manich. c. 23. n. 35: Quasi vespera huius diei fit diluvium, quia et infantia nostra tanquam oblivionis diluvio deletur. — De distinctione linguarum in turris Babel aedificatione vide Gen. 11, 6. seqq. Ibid. 12, 1. seqq. et 17, 4. seqq. de Abraham et circumcisione. — Superius post prima aetas D F addunt ostium mundi.
    Genesis 7:21 ff. — Augustine, On Genesis against the Manichees I, c. 23, n. 35: The flood comes about as it were as the evening of this day, because our infancy too is blotted out as if by a flood of forgetfulness. — On the division of tongues at the building of the tower of Babel see Genesis 11:6 ff. Ibid. 12:1 ff. and 17:4 ff. on Abraham and circumcision. — Above, after prima aetas D F add ostium mundi.
  9. 7
    Cfr. August., Epist. 138. (alias 5.) c. 1. n. 5. — E F G L O quae gubernat [F G gubernavit] mundum. Superius pro multiplicitatem et aequitatem 1 multiplicem aequitatem. Inferius pro ordinis Vat. et 3 ordinationis.
    Cf. Augustine, Letter 138 (elsewhere 5), c. 1, n. 5. — E F G L O have quae gubernat [F G gubernavit] mundum. Above, for multiplicitatem et aequitatem edition 1 has multiplicem aequitatem. Below, for ordinis the Vatican edition and 3 have ordinationis. ---
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