The Abel Distinctions (Corpus Christianorum in Translation, 37) 9782503593937, 2503593933

Table of contents :
Table of Contents
Introduction
Bibliography
Peter the Chanter, Distinctiones Abel
Indices

Citation preview

PETER THE CHANTER THE ABEL DISTINCTIONS

CORPVS CHRISTIANORVM IN TRANSLATION

37

CORPVS CHRISTIANORVM Continuatio Mediaeualis 288, 288A

PETRI CANTORIS DISTINCTIONES ABEL

edidit Stephen A. Barney

TURNHOUT

FHG

PETER THE CHANTER The Abel Distinctions

Introduction, translation, and notes by Stephen A. Barney

H

F

© 2021, Brepols Publishers n. v., Turnhout, Belgium. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the prior permission of the publisher.

D/2021/0095/100 ISBN 978-2-503-59393-7 E-ISBN 978-2-503-59394-4 DOI 10.1484/M.CCT-EB.5.122845 ISSN 2034-6557 E-ISSN 2565-9421 Printed in the EU on acid-free paper.

For David, Michael and Alison, Benjamin and Asher and in memory of Beverly

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction

9

Bibliography Primary Sources Reference Works Secondary Sources

29 29 39 39

Peter the Chanter, The Abel Distinctions

43

Indices Index of Biblical Citations Index of Sources General Index

659 661 694 706

INTRODUCTION

The date of the birth of Peter the Chanter (Petrus Cantor) is unknown; he died in September, 1197.1 From 1183 until 1197 he was Master in the cathedral school of Notre-Dame in Paris, and as cantor or precentor (head of the choir) there he was second only to the dean in rank. He had a vigorous career as teacher, preacher, and in public service, with special commissions from popes and King Philip Augustus. His family was of the minor nobility of Hodenc-en-Bray in the Beauvaisis (Department of the Oise, Picardy). He was educated and spent the early part of his career at the cathedral school of Reims; in several documents he is named Peter of Reims. He never advanced beyond the order of the diaconate, and shortly before his death he assumed the habit of the Cistercian order. He was a prolific author. Much of his work, mostly unedited, was biblical commentary.2 He is the first scholar to have written commentaries on all the books of the Bible, presumably thus For an account of Peter the Chanter’s life, including a calendar of the life records, see J. W. Baldwin, Masters, Princes, and Merchants. The Social Views of Peter the Chanter and His Circle, Princeton, 1970, I, p. 3–16 and II, p. 1–8. This Introduction borrows from the Introduction (in English) to my edition of the work, Petri Cantoris Distinctiones Abel (CCCM 288, 288A), Turnhout, 2020, vol.  288, p. 15–329, and from my article, ‘Visible Allegory: The Distinctiones Abel of Peter the Chanter’, in Allegory, Myth, and Symbol (Harvard English Studies, 9) – ed. M. W. Bloomfield, Cambridge, MA, 1981. 2  The sole piece of his commentary to appear in print is Petrus Cantor, Glossae super Genesim. Prologus et Capitula 1–3 – ed. A.  Sylwan (Studia Graeca et Latina Gothoburgensia, 55), Göteburg, 1992. Lists of manuscripts of much of 1 

9

Introduction

recording the substance of his lectures at the school. His most widely copied and influential work is his Verbum abbreviatum, a wide-ranging treatise on ethics, ‘moral theology’, that is extant in several versions.3 Another major work is the Summa de sacramentis, beginning with a series of discussion of disputed matters with regard to the sacraments, and continuing at length with treatments of various moral issues.4 Still unedited is his inquiry into resolving apparent contradictions in Scripture, the De tropis loquendi.5 The last part only of the Chanter’s De penitentia et partibus eius, a treatise on prayer ‘De oratione et speciebus eius’, has been edited.6 None of these works has been precisely dated. The work translated here, Distinctiones Abel, is among the first, and is perhaps the very first full and independent example, of the genre ‘distinctiones’.7 The origin and prime use of the genre can the Chanter’s work appear in F. Stegmüller (with the assistance of N. Reinhardt), Repertorium biblicum medii aeui, 11 vols, Madrid, 1950–1980. 3  A shorter version appears in the Patrologia Latina (205, col.  15–554). All three versions have been edited by M.  Boutry: Verbum abbreuiatum. Textus alter (CCCM, 196B), Turnhout, 2012; Verbum abbreuiatum. Textus prior (CCCM, 196A), Turnhout, 2012; Verbum abbreuiatum. Textus conflatus (CCCM, 196), Turnhout, 2004. 4  Pierre le Chantre, Summa de sacramentis et animae consiliis – ed. J.A. Dugauquier, 3 parts in 4 vols. (Analecta Mediaeualia Namurcensia, 4, 7, 16, 21), Louvain and Lille, 1954–1967. 5  A full study of this work is L. Valente, Phantasia contrarietatis: contradizzione scritturali, discorso teologico e arti del linguaggio nel ‘De tropis loquendi’ di Pietro Cantore († 1197) (Testi e studi per il ‘Corpus philosophorum medii aevi’, 13), Florence, 1997. The Prologue to De tropis is printed in F. Giusberti, Materials for a Study of Twelfth Century Scholasticism, Naples, 1982. 6  R. C. Trexler, The Christian at Prayer. An Illustrated Prayer Manual Attributed to Peter the Chanter (d. 1197) (Medieval and Renaissance Texts and Studies, 44), Binghamton, NY, 1987. 7  In the seminal study of the genre, A Wilmart takes it as the first such collection: ‘Un répertoire d’éxègese composé en Angleterre vers le début du XIIIe siècle’, in Mémorial Lagrange (Cinquantenaire de l’École Biblique et Archéologique Française de Jérusalem) – ed. L. H. Vincent, Paris, 1940, p. 307–46. Other important studies of distinctiones collections are R. H. Rouse and M. A. Rouse, ‘Biblical Distinctions in the Thirteenth Century’, Archives d’ histoire doctrinale et littéraire du Moyen Age 41 (1974), p. 27–37, and ‘Statim inuenire: Schools, Preachers, and New Attitudes to the Page’, in Renaissance and Renewal in the Twelfth Century – ed. R. L. Benson – G. Constable, Cambridge, MA, 1982, p. 201–28.

10

Introduction

best be presenting by considering a passage from a sermon by Peter Comestor († c. 1178), Chancellor of Notre-Dame and hence a scholarly colleague of the Chanter’s in Paris. The sermon takes for its theme Proverbs 25, 16: Son, thou hast found honey; eat what is sufficient, lest being glutted therewith thou vomit it up.8 Furthermore, so that you may know how to distinguish one sort of honey from another, consider the diverse types of honey in the natural world, for aside from the wild honey that is gathered from reeds, which perhaps was eaten by the forerunner of the Savior [John the Baptist], there are four kinds of honey. Honey is found on the surfaces of fields on leaves or grass. It is found in the trunks of trees, whence primitive people who fed on acorns and beech mast would seek out their meager sustenance. It is gathered from handmade boxes that are called ‘beehives’, which the shepherd Aristaeus invented for collecting the swarm of bees when he retrieved them from the rotting corpse of a bullock. Honey is also found in apertures in rocks. In accordance with these four types of honey, understand that there are four types of knowledge. The first is philosophy, which the Philosopher [Aristotle] calls ‘theoretical’; the second, which he calls ‘practical’; the third, which he calls ‘sophistical’; the fourth, unknown to the Philosopher, which we call ‘evangelical’. The first is like honey on the surface of a field, because philosophers have made conspicuous those natural causes which God had hidden in created things, in order that they themselves would be conspicuous, according to this: We have magnified our tongue (cf. Ps. 11, 5). ‘Practical’ knowledge is like the honey in tree trunks, because it is particularly known to be indispensable for the needs of people. ‘Sophistical’ knowledge is like the honey concealed in boxes, for it is apparent and not real. To this kind of knowledge the brazen and foolish woman calls those who pass by, claiming that stolen waters are sweeter, and that hidden bread is more pleasant (cf. Prov. 9, 13–17). ‘Evangelical’ knowledge is like the honey from a rock, activated, that is, by the rock on which the Church is founded (cf. Matth. 16, 18). With the first knowledge the philosopher is concerned; with the second, the statesman; with the third, the heretic; with the fourth, the catholic. The first has to do with the secrets of nature; the sec8 

The Comestor’s Sermon 31 (PL, 198, col. 1794B-D).

11

Introduction

ond with the management of affairs; the third with the death of the soul; the fourth with eternal blessedness. Hence the first is as it were honey that puffs up; the second, honey that stings; the third, honey that destroys; the fourth, honey that nourishes. For the first kind of knowledge puffs up, according to this: Knowledge without charity puffeth up (cf. I Cor. 8, 1). The second kind torments, according to this: The sweetness of human happiness is mingled with much bitterness (Boethivs, Consolation of Philosophy 2, pr. 4, 66–67). The third kind kills, whence we read: A living dog is better than a dead lion (Eccle. 9, 4). The fourth kind gives life, like a fount of living water flowing into eternal life, whence Peter says: Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life (John 6, 69).

This kind of sermon, teasing out (distinguishing) the multiple senses of a term of religious interest, became increasingly popular from the twelfth century on. It is not hard to imagine a preacher finding helpful a schematic outline of such enumerated distinctions. One might set a ‘title’ to the left – Honey – and expand it as the four types of honey, themselves explicated as the corresponding four types of knowledge, the four types of human knowers, four concerns, four effects, and four supporting citations: HONEY

Of fields Of trunks Of hives Of rocks

so KNOWLEDGE

Theoretical Practical of Sophistical Evangelical

Philosopher Statesman re Heretic Catholic

Nature Affairs that Death Blessedness

Puffs up Stings see Destroys Nourishes

In constructing the Abel Distinctions, Peter the Chanter employed two innovations: he collected a large number of such schemata,9 and he arrayed them in the alphabetical order of their key words. The use of alphabetization for a substantial treatise was itself a novelty.10 Another very early collection of distinctiones, the Pantheologus of Peter of Cornwall († 1221), was written before Of the 1684 articles, a good number are cross-references rather than fully articulated distinctiones. 10  See L. W. Daly, Contributions to a History of Alphabetization in Antiquity and the Middle Ages (Collection Latomus, 90), Bruxelles, 1967. Before The Abel Distinctions, classification by alphabet was used primarily for materials like military rosters or such word-lists as glosses. An important example is the alphabetized list of etymologies that comprises Book X of Isidore’s Etymologies. 9 

12

I Cor. Boethius Eccle. John

Introduction

1191, probably about 1189, and it was arranged (like the proto-distinctiones collections of Eucher of Lyons and of pseudo-Melito of Sardis) according to topic rather than alphabet. But a few years after it was published, Peter had second thoughts, and added to his work an alphabetical list of chapters ‘according to the new fashion, that is to say, in alphabetical order’.11 Some of the earliest distinctiones collection are arranged according to the text of the Bible, especially the Psalter. Such are the Distinctiones in psalmos of Michael of Meaux, reportedly (but dubiously?) said to be compiled before 1185; The Summa super Psalterium of Prévostin (1196–1198); and the Distinctiones super Psalterium of Peter of Poitiers, perhaps c. 1190.12 Finally a few very early distinctiones collections were arranged like the Chanter’s by alphabet. One of these, the Distinctiones dictionum theologicum of Alain de Lille, was apparently completed some time between 1179 and 1195.13 Possibly also of the twelfth century are four other collections: the Distinctiones theologice of William de Montibus († 1213), the Distinctiones a uoce of Raoul de Longchamp († after 1213), the Rosa alphabetica (after 1193) probably by Petrus Capuanus the Elder († 1214), and the collection called Angelus.14 ‘Secundum nouum modum scilicet per litteras alphabeti’. Rouse and Rouse, ‘Statim inuenire’, p. 216, n. 42. 12  On Michael see Baldwin, Masters, Princes, I, p. 45–46 and II, p. 35. For Prévostin see G. Lacombe, La vie et les œuvres de Prévostin (Bibliothèque Thomiste, 11), Kain, Belgium, 1927. For Chancellor Peter of Poitiers see P.  S. Moore, The Works of Peter of Poitiers, Master of Theology and Chancellor of Paris (1193–1205) (Diss., Catholic University of America. Publications in Mediaeval Studies, University of Notre Dame, 1), South Bend, IN, 1936, especially p. 78–96. 13  Printed in the Patrologia Latina, 210, col. 685–1011. 14  See J. Goering, William de Montibus (c. 1140–1213). The Schools and the Literature of Pastoral Care (Pontifical Institute of Mediaeval Studies. Studies and Texts, 108), Toronto, 1992; Radulphus de Longo Campo, Distinctiones. Vocabularium semanticum seculi XII (circa 1190) dictionibus illustratum – ed. J. Sulowski (Mediaeualia Philosophica Polonorum, 22), Wrocław, 1976; W. Maleczek, Petrus Capuanus Kardinal, Legat am vierten Kreuzzug, Theologe (1214 †) (Publikationen des Historischen Instituts beim Österreichischen Kulturinstitut in Rom, sec. 1, 8), Vienna, 1988, p. 236–45. Angelus is printed from Early Modern editions in Patrologia Latina, 112. col. 849–1088, and there mis-attributed to Rabanus Maurus; it was possibly compiled by Garnier de Rochefort (†? after 1225), abbot of Clairvaux 11 

13

Introduction

The eighty-eight manuscripts of the Abel Distinctions attest to the success of the work, and of the whole genre. In the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries dozens of distinctiones collections were made, many by friars, and thousands of copies were produced by scribes. The continuing vogue for them is indicated by a number of Early Modern printed editions, including the two (that of Alain de Lille, and Angelus) that were reprinted in the Patrologia Latina. Four or five manuscripts from the early thirteenth century name Peter the Chanter as the author, and there is no early counter-evidence. Early ascriptions (these are not exactly ‘titles’) by the scribes who copied the manuscripts are varied: (in translation) ‘the book called Abel’, ‘distinctiones’, ‘distinctiones arranged alphabetically’, ‘Abel’, ‘theological distinctiones’, ‘certain moral distinctions’, ‘a treatment of distinctiones’, ‘distinctions by alphabet’. Early hands other than the main copyists used the same terms: ‘a book of distinctiones’, ‘Here begin the articles (tituli) of distinctiones of the alphabet’, ‘very useful distinctiones’. Those writing of the work before my edition appeared typically called it the ‘Summa which is called Abel’, borrowing the ascription used in the chronicle by Alberic de Trois-Fontaines († c. 1252).15 The title I have chosen, Distinctiones Abel, is synthetic, but it happens to appear, by fifteenth-century hands, in two manuscripts. The date of the Abel Distinctions is not known. It was surely completed before the Chanter’s death in 1197. It was compiled after (1186–1193), but Garnier may simply have been the scholar who mingled Angelus with The Abel Distinctions, as preserved in several manuscripts associated with Clairvaux. More detail about these texts and some of their thirteenth-century successors is provided in the Introduction to my edition. 15  Alberic’s notice is printed in F. S. Gutjahr, Petrus Cantor Parisiensis. Sein Leben und Seine Schriften, Graz, 1899, p. 58. See the Chronica Albrici monachi Trium Fontium, ed. P. Scheffer-Boichorst, Monumenta Germaniae Historica. Scriptorum, vol. 23, Hanover, 1874. The modern use of Summa quae dicitur Abel derives from the work of Cardinal J. B. Pitra, who first printed extracts of The Abel Distinctions and borrowed the title from Alberic: Spicilegium Solesmense, complectens sanctorum patrum scriptorumque ecclesiasticorum anecdota hactenus opera, tom. 2 and 3, Paris, 1855.

14

Introduction

the date of a major source, Peter Comestor’s Historia scholastica, whose first recension is assigned to c. 1170. Later in the 1170s the Comestor († c. 1178) issued a second, much more widely diffused recension, which may be the version that Peter the Chanter used.16 Another firm dating-point is the Chanter’s reference (article E40.e) to the ‘blessed’ (i.e., ‘saint’) Thomas Becket, who was canonized on 21 February 1173. Likewise in article C47.g he refers to ‘Saint’ Bernard, who was canonized on 18 January 1174. Further precision of the date of Abel rests on probabilities. External evidence so far unearthed is no help. There are two recensions of Abel, of which one, which I call ‘alpha’, is in my opinion earlier. One manuscript contains excerpts from this version, and it may have been copied as early as the 1170s.17 What is probably the oldest manuscript of the later, beta version (used as the basis of my edition and this translation) could be equally old.18 Of other manuscripts that I judge to be very early, from the late twelfth century to the early thirteenth, only one other, as it happens, is an alpha manuscript; the rest are betas.19 The character of the work suggests that it is a compilation accumulated over many years, possibly developed alongside the biblical commentaries that Peter very likely produced while lecturing at Notre-Dame, beginning as early as the early 1170s. Their editors argue that the Chanter worked on the Verbum abbreuiatum and the Summa de sacramentis for much of the time from 1189 to 1193. A good guess would be that the earlier recension of the Abel Distinctions was completed between 1178 and 1188. Any of the distinctiones collections noted above that were or may have been completed in the twelfth century could have preceded Abel. But observe that the Chanter’s collection is, compared with the other early ones, messy: a good many of its articles See Petrus Comestor, Scholastica historia. Liber Genesis – ed. A. Sylwan (CCCM, 191), Turnhout, 2005, p. lix–lxi, lxxxiv. 17  Rome, Biblioteca Angelica, MS 257, f. 26r–129v. 18  Klosterneuburg, Augustiner-Chorherrenstift, MS 330, f. 51ra–111va. 19  The alpha manuscript has the sigil L in my edition; the betas are Av Ly Pz Y Pn Ph Tx and the manuscript used as the copy-text of my edition, R (Reims, Bibliothèque municipale, MS 508). 16 

15

Introduction

Reims, Bibliothèque municipale (Carnegie), 508, f. 4r

16

Introduction

amount to definitions of terms, sermons, collections of sentences on a topic, anecdotes, and other materials, rather than articulate arrays of distinguished senses. The relation of the titles to the body of the articles varies. Further, the alpha version presents a good number of lapses in alphabetization, many of these (but not all) corrected in beta. The other early distinctiones collections are more orderly and consistent, as are the collections made in the thirteenth century. It can be argued that Wilmart was right, that the Abel Distinctions is the first of the lot, providing an inchoate but influential model for the rest. The Abel Distinctions are innovative in their presentation of arrays of distinctiones in a persistent schematic form. Many of the earliest and most accurate manuscripts have the form of display that was almost certainly that of the author. As in the example Honey above, a title in the left margin is connected by ‘rays’, very likely in red ink, to the beginnings of the various distinctiones, each of which is justified left within the text frame. Usually the titles have a colored littera notabilior for an initial. Often these are distinctive ‘Lombard letters’, and often these title initials alternate in color, usually in red and blue.20 All these particulars of layout concur in thirty-three of the eighty-eight manuscripts of Abel. The photograph reproduced here is of the first page of the Abel Distinctions in the manuscript used as the copy-text of the Latin edition, manuscript 508 of the municipal library of Reims (R), from near the beginning of the thirteenth century. The work is of above average but not deluxe craftsmanship, very handsomely decorated. The main scribe is highly skilled, writing a workmanlike rather than calligraphic hand in ink that is now brown. Three lines from the bottom of the page to the right is a parasign touched in red, signaling the continuation of the biblical verse (Eccli. 51, 31) that is left incomplete on the line below. A very careful corrector of this whole manuscript, who writes in an Italian hand as indicated by the characteristic Italian sign for the word Color plates at the beginning of my edition, vol. 288, illustrate typical layouts. Googling ‘Lombard letters’ or ‘Lombardic capitals’ retrieves many examples of this display script, usually used for initials. 20 

17

Introduction

qui, doubtless motivated by reference to a copy that is generally superior to the (itself excellent) exemplar used by the main scribe, felt the need to add the words et congregamini (‘and gather’) running into the right margin. At mid-page in the right margin a reader has placed a typical ‘Nota’ sign (‘Take note of this’), constructed of an N with (top to bottom) a T, O, and A formed on its right-hand stem. The page represents the norm of early copies, and probably the authorial or at least archetypal copy, of Abel. The original measures about 28 by 20.5 centimeters. A modern hand wrote in ink at the upper right a set of folio (not page) numbers which were written over an earlier set from the fifteenth century. Red rays fan out from the title in the left margin, connecting it with the several distinctiones. These rays are not of the same red as the red of alternate initials of the titles, and there is evidence that (as often) the red rays were added after the main text of the manuscript was completed – in fact, here, probably added in Italy, where the manuscript was held for a time, not until the fourteenth century. The writing is guided by ruling in faint brown crayon or lead; these rules were themselves guided by pricking down the outer edges of the sheets. Most of this pricking has been cropped; none is visible on the photograph. The rules provide for the horizontal lines, and vertical sets of rules guide the edges of the text block as well as the title initials and the titles themselves. This page is the first page of its gathering, and as such it is the ‘hair’ side of the parchment, darker and a bit rougher than the lighter-colored and smoother ‘flesh’ side that would appear on the verso of the folio. The rougher, hair sides were usually placed on the outsides of gatherings. Around the edges of the page, especially at the top, can be seen even in the photograph the mass of speckles, little dots, which are the remains of the hair follicles of the animal, probably a sheep, from which the parchment was taken. The initial letters of the titles are Lombard letters in alternating red and blue ink. They are ‘pen-flourished’ with relatively simple decorations in the alternate color. The first initial ‘A’ is modest compared with many manuscripts.

18

Introduction

Here is the Latin of the first article, with the standard abbreviations expanded and punctuation added: Abel dicitvr principivm ecclesie – Propter innocentiam. Et quod innocens esset, perhibet Christus testimonium dicens: A sanguine Abel iusti, etc. Et ‘iustus’ legitur, non ‘iustificatus’: non enim legitur per­pe­trasse peccatum. – Propter martirium. Primus enim martirium sustinuit. Vnde: Agnus occisus est ab origine mundi et in sanguine martirum dicitur fundata ecclesia. – Propter uirginitatem. Virgo enim fuit, prefigurans agnus sine macula. Vnde Abel interpretatur ‘nil hoc’, quia non fecit semen super terram.

The Chanter’s distinctiones collection, innovative in its schematic form, is likewise innovative in its use of alphabetization, as noticed above. In this technique of organizing a large mass of information he was notably representative of his era in the Latin West, for the mid- to late-twelfth century was an age of organization. The rising wealth of Europe, the ‘Renaissance of the Twelfth Century’, made possible a steadily increasing accumulation of manuscript copies of writings by the Church Fathers and their successors, natural scientists, jurists and canonists, commentators of various kinds. The sheer mass of such material, especially in centers of libraries like Paris, made obvious a need for techniques to ease access to the store of learning. A number of the major works of the period provide just such help: for law, Gratian’s Decretum; for biblical commentary, the Glossa ordinaria; for philosophy and theology, the various Summae and Sententiae, especially Peter Lombard’s Sentences; for biblical history, Peter Comestor’s Historia scholastica. Several florilegia, collections of sententiae from the Fathers and others, with which a preacher might lard a sermon, were produced. With the Chanter’s example, the thirteenth century saw an explosion of such materials now arranged in alphabetical order. Among these was the development, in the thirteenth century, of full concordances of the Bible and massive encyclopedias, important successors of the distinctiones tradition.

19

Introduction

The Abel Distinctions achieved early and widespread influence. All but five of its eighty-eight manuscript copies were made before the fourteenth century, and at least forty-seven appear to have been made within a generation of Peter the Chanter’s death. It seems that every major Western center of learning wanted its own copy, from Uppsala to Lisbon, Rome to York. Copies were made in countries that are now France (at least fifty), England (at least nine), Italy (at least six), Germany (6), and a scattering in Spain, Austria, and Portugal. Twenty-three copies are excellent and obviously expensive productions. At least forty-three of the manuscripts have known medieval (pre-1500) owners. Religious houses were the predominant owners. Thirteen were in ‘secular’ (nonmonastic) institutions, mainly (ten) in cathedral chapters (like the school at Notre-Dame of Paris) and church libraries. Seven were owned by houses of canons regular, five by mendicant convents, and eighteen by monasteries. Evidence of use of the work is abundant. At least nine of the copies were ‘chained’ to a table or bookcase in a library, available for consultation by the members but resistant to private borrowing or theft. Such works were obviously in considerable local demand. The large amount of marginalia by hands other than the main scribes in most of the copies, from the vast addition of further distinctiones by various hands in an important Paris manuscript, MS lat. 3236 B (collated in my edition with the sigil P) to the occasional ‘Nota’ sign in many manuscripts, indicates intense engagement with the work by hundreds of users. Aside from Abel’s sources (treated below), further information about its early intellectual milieu derives from other writings that were copied and bound up with it in early copies. (This list excludes ‘composite’ manuscripts that simply and belatedly joined copies of texts for convenience of storage and binding.) Thirty codices contain Abel originally joined with other works. Several of these contain Abel with a few short works, sermons and the like, of the kind that often appear filling out the quires of a longer work. A number supplement the Abel Distinctions with a further set of distinctiones. Five codices, made in Clairvaux or Cistercian daughter-houses, contain the Chanter’s text intermingled, largely

20

Introduction

retaining alphabetical order, with another distinctiones collection called (from its first word) Angelus. Remarkable, three copies of Abel were copied with the Aurora, a versified commentary on the Bible by Peter Riga († 1209). Peter Riga was a canon of the cathedral of Reims, and may well have overlapped with the Chanter’s years there. Other works associated with Abel are likewise by authors very likely personally known to Peter the Chanter, all linked with the Paris cathedral or with the Parisian house of Saint-Victor. Among these are Alain de Lille’s Summa de arte predicatoria, and further Alain’s De sex alis Cherubim and Liber poenitentialis, both found in a separate segment of a copy of Abel but from the same time and place; the Distinctiones super Psalterium of Peter of Poitiers († 1210), chancellor of Paris cathedral; two copies of the Liber exceptionum by Richard of Saint-Victor († 1173); and De diuersis by Stephen Langton († 1228), whom John Baldwin identified as a member of Peter the Chanter’s ‘circle’.21 A miscellany of other works originally copied along with Abel: a segment of the Bible; two copies of versions of the Interpretations of Hebrew Names by or derived from Jerome; Robert of St. Paar’s Penitentiary (c. 1200); a segment of the Concordia caritatis of Ulrich von Lilienfeld († c.  1358); the early guide to interpretation, the Regulae Thigonii; excerpts from an anonymous De proprietate sermonum uel rerum; an anonymous treatise on the Trinity; two works by Bernard of Pavia († 1213) in a manuscript from Florence, the Summa de matrimonio and Summa de electione prelatorum; an anonymous and acephalous commentary on the Psalms; an excerpt of Remi of Auxerre († 908), Commentaria in Psalmos; a Summa de timoribus et penis inferni; the De igne purgatorio of pseudo-Patrick; the Summa uirtutum by Guilelmus Peraldus († 1209); anonymus, ‘De propositione naturarum et numerorum secundum alteritatem et multiplicationem’; Hildebert of Lavardin († c. 1133), Oratio ad tres personas Trinitatis. With the exception of the mathematical treatise ‘De propositione naturarum’ these works, joined to Abel by the scribes of 21 

See fn. 1 above.

21

Introduction

religious communities, complement the Chanter’s own emphasis on moral theology, the sacramental life, preaching, and a literary world dominated by the Bible. The kinds of work not represented tell the same story: practically no treatises in the arts of the trivium and quadrivium, no Aristotelian philosophy, no secular history, no non-biblical poetry or fiction, no formation in the ‘classics’ of ancient Greece and Rome. It is a culture in which Geoffrey of Monmouth, Chrétien de Troyes, and Aristotle scarcely existed, a deeply conservative and schoolish culture within the Latin Church. The Abel Distinctions might as well have been written in the fifth century as the twelfth. The fact that the great majority of its statements are in fact borrowed from earlier sources attests to its retrospective quality: it is innovative in ordination and traditional in content, and makes no claim to ‘originality’ in the modern sense. Peter the Chanter drew on the sources most used by Western European clerics of his time. Of course the main source is the Vulgate Bible, generally in the form of the ‘Paris Bible’ (similar to the Clementine Vulgate published in 1592), although Peter, like his contemporaries, often quotes from the early (pre-Jerome) versions known as the Old Latin (Vetus Latina, VL), versions still in liturgical use. He quotes passages from every book of the Bible except Abdias (Obadiah) and the second and third epistles of John. The biblical citations of Abel are listed in the Latin edition (vol. 288, p. 377–487). It is not surprising that the book most often cited is the Psalter, among the prophets, Isaiah, and among the Gospels, Matthew. The other sources on which Peter drew are listed in the Latin edition of the Abel Distinctions (vol. 288, p. 488–548). Except for several homilies embedded in Abel – replete with exempla, apostrophes, direct addresses to auditors – that appear to be Peter the Chanter’s own work (e.g., U79), almost all of the longer treatments of topics are borrowed from others. The main sources are those in common use, and obviously available in the libraries where Peter worked: the Glossa ordinaria, Gratian’s Decretum, and mainly Peter Lombard’s Sentences and his commentaries on the Psalms and

22

Introduction

the letters of Paul. Along with his Historia Scholastica, the sermons of Peter Comestor and of Peter of Blois († c. 1211), provided him practically word for word with several extended passages. In contrast with his usage in Verbum abbreviatum, in Abel he seldom presents quotations from pagan, ‘classical’ authors. Like almost all authors of his era, most if not all of his quotations of the classical writers are at second hand. Bits of Juvenal appear thrice; of Virgil, Seneca, Ovid, Horace, twice each; and Claudian, Macrobius, Statius, once each. Macrobius is the only pagan that Peter explicitly names (C5.a), there borrowing from Peter Comestor; the Chanter may have thought Macrobius was a Christian. Like his contemporaries, Peter the Chanter makes extensive use of handbooks and florilegia in preference to original authors, or for that matter, in preference to his own experience. For instance, although there are many vestiges of the Chanter’s personal knowledge of the liturgy of the Church, including four references to the ecclesia parisiensis,22 it is surprising and disappointing that Notre-Dame’s cantor for some fourteen years, years that overlapped with the great development at Notre-Dame of the polyphonic organum under masters like Léonin, refers only once, and then rather abstractly and at second hand (from Peter Lombard), to music as such (D10). Aside from the vast compendia of sayings of the Fathers and later Church writers like the Decretum and the Glossa ordinaria, Peter made much use of a contemporary liturgical handbook, the Summa about ecclesiastical offices by John Beleth († 1182) and the Book of Sparks (Liber scintillarum), a florilegium, a handy collection of sententiae arranged under headings like ‘Charity’ and ‘Alms’, by Defensor Locogiacensis (fl. c. 700). Again like his contemporaries, Peter usually neglects to name the sources from which he borrows, especially such writers from his own era as Peter Lombard, Peter Comestor, John Beleth, Bernard of Clairvaux, Alain de Lille, and many others. But more than most writers of the time he does specify sources, especially of such The four references to the Paris church are in articles A28, D69, F18, and P131. Other interesting treatments of liturgical matter appear in articles A32, B4, C14, D99, E38, E40, I80, M101, M104, O86–87, P36, P131, S62, T16, V12, V67–71. 22 

23

Introduction

auctoritates as Augustine, Jerome, Pope Leo, and Cassiodorus. Of course many of his citations adopt the incorrect citations of his intermediating sources. Peter seldom names the collections from which he borrows, but he does refer explicitly twenty-three times to the Glossa ordinaria (as well as a few times to unspecified biblical glosses), some twenty times to the Decretum, and a handful of times to the Lombard’s Sentences and the Vitas patrum. He often uses Peter Comestor’s Historia Scholastica, but names it only twice. However, the Chanter twice refers to Peter Comestor by his name (‘Petrus Manducator’ [= Comestor], A45 and ‘Master Comestor’, I42.b) – these are the only namings of contemporaries in Abel. In neither instance can I find the references in the Comestor’s writings, and Peter the Chanter may be reporting local hearsay or his own witness of the Comestor’s views. These citations greatly understate the actual use the Chanter made of these authorities. Altogether in the Distinctiones Abel I have located specific and identifiable borrowings from over a hundred Christian authors and over three hundred separate works. There are roughly 2500 borrowed passages, averaging about four per page of the Latin text. Aside from these, the following are the authorities explicitly named in the Abel Distinctions, and the article in which they first appear: Pope Alexander (M104.c), Ambrose (C106.c), Anastatius (C47.g), Augustine (A45), Basil (S28.a), Bede (C47.g), Bernard (C47.g), Cassiodorus (C5.b), Cesarius (I15), Chrysostom (E57.a), Pope Clemens (F41), Pope Cornelius (I104), Cyprian (M138), Pope Fabian (C163.d), Bishop Fructuosus (E34.c), Gregory the Great (A44), Hilary (C161.c), Hrabanus Maurus (C47.g), Isidore (C27), Jerome (C47.g), Laurentius (E57.d), Pope Leo (B4.c), Macrobius (C5.a), Pope Pius (I105.b), and Prosper (E57.d). Again, the Chanter’s distinctiones collection, like all his works, is schoolish: its interest is teaching and preaching. It will say a vice is dangerous ‘chiefly to clerics’. Clerics recited Psalms every day; Peter will quote a Psalm verse without troubling to specify ‘in the Psalm’ and he will quote only the first few words, expecting his reader to supply the rest, along with its common interpretation as

24

Introduction

registered in the Glossa ordinaria and elsewhere. Many articles are so terse and elliptical that only readers versed in biblical exegesis could make sense of them. It packages information, like the seven petitions of the Lord’s Prayer or the articles of the Creed, that future curates would find helpful in catechizing their flocks. In teacherly fashion it strives for plainness of style, carefully glossing terms that might present any difficulty with a ‘that is to say’. But along with its relentlessly paraenetic and pragmatic character, as a by-product of its form the Abel Distinctions evince an intellectual play, a delight in the discovery and articulate presentation of the multiple ‘spiritual’ senses of words. To find, for example, that the apostles are like mountains (A78.d) because they first caught the glory of Christ as mountains first catch the rays of the sun is only partly to explicate the ‘holy mountains’ of Psalm 86, 1 and the mountains that ‘receive peace’ of Psalm 71, 3. It is also a leap with the mind in a way that gives pleasure in itself. Like a lively metaphor it issues from a stroke of the imagination and seems to glow with the possibility of further analogies: how else is Christ like the sun? how else are the apostles massive and high? It freshens and deifies the natural world. In his article The letter is obscure (L57), Peter lists three reasons for Scriptural allegory: it exercises us, it is beautiful, it results from original sin. I would emphasize the second as a prime motive for writing or reading the Abel Distinctions. So, the form of the work in itself generates meaning. The principle of parallelism is crucial. In a large majority of articles, the sections containing separate senses of the key words are parallel in form, an organization enforced by such articulating terms as ‘Because…’ or ‘Sometimes…’ or ‘With respect to…’, or of such traditional schemata as Innocents / Martyrs / Virgins or Militant / Triumphant or Contrition / Confession / Satisfaction. Once such a schema is initiated it summons its proper completion, such that a series Innocents / Martyrs / Hope would be disconcerting – ugly. The apogee of distinctiones would be an article whose sections are organized by rhyming words of the same grammatical case and declension, a type approached by such sets as stulti / infirmi / sancti or labore / timore / dolore.

25

Introduction

Among the schemata on which the Chanter draws are various types. Some are sets of things already articulated in the Bible: the gifts of the Magi, the horses of the Apocalypse, the things that drive a person from home. More frequent are schemata suggested by the qualities of things: the fact that oil illuminates, feeds, heals, rises above other liquids, and signifies peace, makes it like mercy. The fact that dogs are born blind, will not acknowledge their masters, have corrosive teeth, lick blood, and return to their own vomit, makes them like bad prelates. Another common type of schema distinguishes senses according to logical or rational or grammatical categories. Such are false / true, good / better / best, quality / quantity / place / time, or equal / less / more. To these we can add many distinctiones articles that are articulated by assertation and negation, or on the permutated assertions and negations of sets of things. The article They are cast down (A2), for example, distinguished four types of the abject: those who are cast down but do not cast down, who cast down but are not cast down, who cast down and are cast down, who neither cast down nor are cast down – that is, the permutations of the verb (abiciunt) in positive / negative and active / passive combination. I hasten to remind ourselves that many of the articles have no such beautiful articulations. Many list items simply for their informational value: the hours of the day, the Ten Commandments, the Beatitudes, the orders of angels. Many simply amount to homilies, complete with direct addresses to the reader / auditor. Many are grab-bags of biblical and patristic sententiae on a topic of interest like charity, as it were the materials for a homily or treatise. And there are in fact a number of ‘failed’ articles, which begin an articulated set but decline to complete it (sometimes, one suspects, by scribal error; sections beginning with the same word are easy to skip over). There are loose ends and incoherencies enough. The various modes of well-formed articulation of senses might themselves be articulated. I would identify three prominent types. First, there are schemata of equal order, like the sins or furnishings of a room or the times of day, though all these can be graded as well. Second, graded order, usually ascending, like the states of life or the senses of Scripture, or ‘holy / holier / holiest’. Third,

26

Introduction

permutative and combinative order, like the assertions and negations. These schemata seem to lock meaning into place, and serve both mnemonic and aesthetic purposes. By the persistence of such forms, such different conceptual sets as Virgin / Married / Widowed and Causal / Efficient / Figural are drawn into an overarching similarity of order that is satisfying in itself, generative of new connections, and powerfully controlling of the mass of scriptural exegesis and generally of religious discourse. The principles at work are fundamentally taxonomic and numerological. It should be noted that in the Abel Distinctions Peter the Chanter displays the unthinking antisemitism of Christians in Western Europe of his time, as in articles I82, I83, I84. His statements are not designed to arouse disgust or terror, statements of the kind that can be found in his era and especially in the following centuries. But neither are they innocent or excusable. This work translates the Latin edition which is based on a review and sample collations of all eighty-eight manuscripts, full collation of four manuscripts, and supplementary collation of an additional four manuscripts at places where the readings are in doubt. Collated in full are three manuscripts of the later, more orderly recension that I call beta, all of the early thirteenth century: Reims, Bibliothèque municipale, 508, f. 2r–113r Paris, Bibliothèque nationale, lat. 3236B, f. 47ra–96ra Nîmes, Bibliothèque Carré d’Art, 42, f. 1r–72v With these, collated in full, a manuscript of the alpha recension, copied near the turn of the thirteenth century: Luxembourg, Bibliothèque nationale, 125, f. 73ra–200vb The additional collations at doubtful points are from four beta manuscripts, all of the early thirteenth century: Paris, Bibliothèque nationale, lat. 3333, f. 4r–221r Paris, Bibliothèque national, lat. 3388, f. 1r–178r Eton College Library, 83, f. 84r–197v Berlin, Staatsbibliothek, Theol. lat. qu. 132 (Rose 190), f. 2r–135v This translation includes the Latin of the ‘titles’ of the distinctiones in small caps. Spelling of the Latin follows that of the copy text, Reims MS 108, rather than standard dictionary spelling.

27

Introduction

The thousands of quotations from the Bible in the main follow the Douai-Reims translation of the Vulgate into English (ad 1582 and 1609) as published in modernized spelling by P. J. Kenedy & Sons, New York, 1914. Often I have included in the translation fuller versions of biblical texts that were truncated in the Latin edition. I have altered the Douai translation, remaining faithful to the Latin, when its diction or phrasing is archaic and unintelligible to some readers, or when a particular term if not changed would obscure Peter the Chanter’s point. If sometimes the Douai versions seem unclear, it is usually because the underlying Latin is unclear – especially in the poetic language of the Psalms. Where the biblical quotations in the Latin edition differ from the Vulgate, usually conforming to Vetus Latina readings still in common use in the liturgy (as indicated by the abbreviation ‘VL’), I have modified the English translation accordingly. For ease of reading, longer articles in Abel are broken into paragraphs, whereas they are not in the Latin edition. The Latin edition refers to the sources of the text as far as I have been able to locate them. This translation presents only a small portion of these sources – only those where the fact that a source is being quoted or used is made explicit. The numbering of articles and sections within the articles is editorial. The original disposition is explained with reference to the photograph reproduced above. The institutions and people to whom I am grateful for help with this work are thanked in the Acknowledgments (vol.  288, p. 7–8) in the Latin edition.

28

BIBLIOGRAPHY

CCCM

Corpus Christianorum, Continuatio Mediaevalis

CCSL

Corpus Christianorum, Series Latina

CSEL

Corpus Scriptorum Ecclesiasticorum Latinorum

PL

Patrologia Latina

SC

Sources Chrétiennes

Primary Sources Abbo Flor., Can.  = Abbo abbas Floriacensis, Collectio canonum (PL, 139), Paris, 1863, col. 473–508. Abelard., Sent. I = Petrvs Abaelardvs, Sententie magistri Petri Abaelardi – ed. D.  Luscombe et  al., in Opera theologica, VI (CCCM,  14), Turnhout, 2006, p. 5–152. Alan. Ins., Quoniam homines = Alain de Lille, Quoniam homines, in P. Glorieux, ‘La somme “Quoniam homines” d’Alain de Lille’, Archives d’ histoire doctrinale et littéraire du moyen âge, 20 (1954 for 1953), p. 119–359. Alberic the monk, Chronica Albrici monachi Trium Fontium – ed. P. Scheffer-Boichorst (Monumenta Germaniae Historica. Scriptorum, 23), Hanover, 1874. Alcvin., Virt. et uit. = Alcvinvs, De uirtutibus et uitiis liber (PL, 101), Paris, 1863, col. 613–40.

29

Bibliography

Ambr., Bon. mort. = Ambrosivs, De bono mortis – ed. C. Schenkl (CSEL, 32/1; Sancti Ambrosii Opera, 1), Wien, 1896, p. 703–53. Ambr., Fid. = Ambrosivs, De fide – ed. O. Faller (CSEL, 78; Sancti Ambrosii Opera, 2), Wien, 1962, p. 3–307. Ambr., Off. = Ambrosivs, De officiis – ed. M. Testard (CCSL, 15), Turnhout, 2000. Ambr., Parad. = Ambrosivs, De paradiso – ed. C. Schenkl (CSEL, 32/1; Sancti Ambrosii Opera, 1), Wien, 1896, p. 263–336. Ambr., Tob. = Ambrosivs, De Tobia – ed. C. Schenkl (CSEL, 32/2; Sancti Ambrosii Opera, 2), Wien, 1897, p. 519–73. Ambrosiast., In Cor.  = Ambrosiaster, Commentarius in Epistolas Paulinas, Pars secunda: In epistulas ad Corinthios  – ed. H.  J. Vogels (CSEL, 81, 2), Wien, 1968. Anon. Ital., Hom.  = Anonymvs Italiae s. IX, Homeliae XIV  = XIV homélies du Xe siècle d’un auteur inconnu de l’Italie du nord – ed. P. Mercier (SC, 161), Paris, 1970. Ps.  Anselm. Lavd., In Matth.  = Ps.  Anselmvs Lavdvnensis, Enarrationes in euangelium Matthei (PL, 162), Paris, 1889, col. 1227–1500. Avg., Bapt. = Avgvstinvs, De baptismo – ed. M. Petschenig (CSEL, 51), Wien – Leipzig, 1908, p. 145–375. Avg., Bon. uiduit.  = Avgvstinvs, De bono uiduitatis – ed. J.  Zycha (CSEL, 41), Wien, 1900, p. 305–43. Avg., C. mend. = Avgvstinvs, Contra mendacium – ed. J. Zycha (CSEL, 41), Wien, 1900, p. 469–528. Avg., Ciu.  = Avgvstinvs, De ciuitate Dei – ed. B.  Dombart, A.  Kalb (CCSL, 47–48), Turnhout, 1955. Avg., Diuers. quaest. = Avgvstinvs, De diuersis quaestionibus octoginta tribus – ed. A. Mutzenbecher (CCSL, 44A), Turnhout, 1975, p. 3–249. Avg., Doctr. christ. = Avgvstinvs, De doctrina christiana – ed. J. Martin (CCSL, 32), Turnhout, 1962. Avg., Enchir. = Avgvstinvs, Enchiridion ad Laurentium de fide et spe et caritate – ed. E. Evans (CCSL, 46), Turnhout, 1969, p. 49–114.

30

Bibliography

Avg., Epist. = Avgvstinvs, Epistulae 1–30; 31–123; 124–184A; 185–270 – ed. A. Goldbacher (CSEL, 34/1–2, 44, 57), Wien, 1895-1911. Avg., In epist. Ioh.  = Avgvstin, Commentaire de la première épître de S. Jean – ed. P. Agaësse (SC, 75), Paris, 1961. Avg., In euang. Ioh.  = Avgvstinvs, In Iohannis euangelium tractatus CXXIV – ed. R. Willems (CCSL, 36), Turnhout, 1954. Avg., In Ps.  = Avgvstinvs, Enarrationes in Psalmos – ed. E.  Dekkers, J. Fraipont (CCSL, 38–40), Turnhout, 1956, 19902. Avg., Serm. – CCSL, 1–50 = Avgvstinvs, Sermones de uetere testamento – ed. C. Lambot (CCSL, 41), Turnhout, 1961. Avg., Serm. – PL  = Avgvstinvs, Sermones (PL, 38–39), Paris, 1865, col. 23–1638. Avg., Vera relig.  = Avgvstinvs, De uera religione – ed. W.  M. Green (CSEL, 77/2), Wien, 1961, p. 3–81. Avg., Vtil. c. = Avgvstinvs, De utilitate credendi – ed. J. Zycha (CSEL, 25/1), Praga, 1891, p. 3–48. Ps. Avg., Essent. diu. – Ps. Avgvstinvs, De essentia diuinitatis (PL, 42), Paris, 1865, col. 1199–1208. Ps. Avg., Serm. – PL = Avgvstinvs, Appendix complectens sermones supposititios (PL, 38–39), Paris, 1865, col. 1735–2354. Ps. Avg., Ver. fals. paen. = Ps. Avgvstinvs, De uera et falsa poenitentia (PL, 40), Paris, 1865, col. 1113–30. Ps. Avg. Belg., Serm. – ed. Caillau = S. Aurelii Augustini Hipponensis operum Supplementum I Continense Sermones ineditos extractos ex Archivo Montis-Cassini et ex Biblioteca Laurentiana-Medicea Florentiae – ed. A. B. Caillau, B. Saint-Yves, Paris, 1836. Ps. Avg. Belg., Serm. erem. = Ps. Avgvstinvs, Sermones ad fratres eremo commorantes (PL, 40), Paris, 1841, col. 1235–1358. Barth. Ex., Fat. error. = Bartholomaevs Exoniensis, Contra fatalitatis errorem – ed. D. N. Bell (CCCM, 157), Turnhout, 1996. Barth. Ex., Penit. = Bartholomaevs Exoniensis, Paenitentiale, in A. Morey, Bartholomew of Exeter, Bishop and Canonist. A Study in the Twelfth Century, Cambridge, Eng., 1937, p. 175–300.

31

Bibliography

Ps.  Basil., Ad fil.  = Admonitio  S. Basilii ad filium spiritualem, in P.  Lehmann, Die Admonitio  S. Basilii ad filium spiritualem (Sitzungsberichte der Bayerischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, Philosophisch-historische Klasse, 7), München, 1955, p. 30–63. Beda, Hom. euang. = Beda Venerabilis, Opera homiletica. Homeliarum euangelii libri II – ed. D. Hurst (CCSL, 122), Turnhout, 1955, p. 1–378. Beda, In Act. = Beda, Expositio Actuum apostolorum – ed. M. L. W. Laistner (CCSL, 121), Turnhout, 1983, p. 3–99. Beda, In epist. cath. = Beda, In epistolas septem catholicas – ed. D. Hurst (CCSL, 121), Turnhout, 1883, p. 181–342. Beda, In Gen. = Beda, Libri quatuor in principium Genesis usque ad natiuitatem Isaac et eiectionem Ismahelis adnotationum – ed. C. W. Jones (CCSL, 118A), Turnhout, 1967. Beda, In Luc.  = Beda, In Lucae euangelium expositio – ed. D.  Hurst (CCSL, 120), Turnhout, 1960, p. 5–425. Beda, In Marc.  = Beda, In Marci euangelium expositio – ed. D.  Hurst (CCSL, 120), Turnhout, 1960, p. 431–648. Beda, Retract. in Act.  = Beda, Retractatio in Actus Apostolorum – ed. M. L. W. Laistner (CCSL, 121), Turnhout, 1983, p. 103–63. Beda, Temp. rat. = Beda, De temporum ratione liber – ed. Ch. W. Jones (CCSL, 123B), Turnhout, 1977. Bernard., Serm. super Cant.  = Bernardvs Claraevallensis, Sermones super Cantica Canticorum – ed. J. Leclercq, C. H. Talbot, H. M. Rochais (Sancti Bernardi Opera, 1–2), Roma, 1957–1958. Bernard. Morl., Van.  = Bernardvs Morlanensis monachvs Clvniacensis, De uanitate mundi = Ps. Bernardvs Claraevallensis (Bernardvs Clvnisiensis), Carmen paraeneticum ad Rainaldum (PL, 184), Paris, 1862, col. 1307–14. Bvrch. Worm., Decret. = Bvrchardvs Wormatiensis, Decretorum liber (PL, 140), Paris, 1853, col. 537–1058. Caes. Arel., Epist. = Caesarivs Arelatensis, Opuscula et epistolae (PL, 67), Paris, 1865, col. 1089–1164. Caes. Arel., Serm.  = Caesarivs Arelatensis, Sermones – ed. G. Morin (CCSL, 103–04), Turnhout, 1953.

32

Bibliography

Can. hibern. = Canones et poenitentialia hibernica collectiones rec. A, in Die irische Kanonensammlung – ed. H. Wasserschleben, Leipzig, 18852. Cantus = Cantus: A Database for Latin Eccleciastical Chant – Inventories of Chant Sources. University of Waterloo, Ont., 1987– . Cassian., Inst.  = Iohannes Cassianvs, De institutis coenobiorum et de octo principalium uitiorum remediis libri XII – ed. M.  Petschenig (CSEL, 17), Wien, 1888, p. 3–231. Cassiod., In Ps.  = Cassiodorvs, Expositio Psalmorum I–CL – ed. M. Adriaen (CCSL, 97–98), Turnhout, 1958. Cassiod., Ios. Antiq. = Flavivs Josephvs, Antiquities (= De antiquitatibus) – ed. R. M. Pollard et al. in The Latin Josephus, from MS Bamberg Msc.Class.78, 2013–2019, on line. Ps.  Clemens, Epist.  = Ps.  Clemens, Epistolae (PG, 1), Paris, 1853, col. 349–509. Ps. Clemens, Recog. = Ps. Clemens, S. Clementis Romani Recognitiones Rufino Aquilei presbytero interprete – ed. E. G. Gersdorf, col. 1, lib. 6, cap. 5 (Bibliotheca Patrum Ecclesiasticorum Latinorum Selecta), Leipzig, 1838, p. 149. Conc. Agath. = Concilium Agathense a. 506, in Concilia Galliae A. 314-A. 506 – ed. C. Munier (CCSL, 148), Turnhout, 1963, p. 192–228 Conc. Aurel. a. 538 = Concilia Galliae a. 511–695 – ed. C. de Clercq (CCSL, 148A), Turnhout, 1963, p. 114–30. Conc. Later. III a. 1179 = Concilium Lateranense III (1179) – ed. A. Larson, K.  Pennington (CC Conciliorum oecumenicorum generaliumque decreta, II/1), Turnhout, 2013, p. 125–47. Defensor Locog., Scint.  = Defensor Locogiacensis monachvs¸ Liber scintillarum – ed. H. Rochais (CCSL, 117), Turnhout, 1957, p. 1–234. Ephr., De die iudic. = Sancti patris nostri Ephraem opera omnia quae exstant, vol. III: Sermo de die iudicii – ed. J. S. Assemani, Roma, 1746. Evseb. Gallic., Hom. = Evsebivs ‘Gallicanvs’, Collectio homiliarum – ed. F. Glorie (CCSL, 101, 101A), Turnhout, 1970–1971. Fvlg. Rvsp. Fid. = Fvlgentivs Rvspensis, De fide ad Petrum seu De regula fidei – ed. J. Fraipont (CCSL, 91A), Turnhout, 1968, p. 711–60.

33

Bibliography

Garner. Rvpif., Serm. = Garnerivs Rvpifortensis, Sermones (PL, 205), Paris, 1855, col. 559–828. Girald., Spec. eccl.  = Giraldvs Cambrensis, Speculum ecclesie – ed. J. S. Brewer (Rerum Britannicarum Medii Aevi Scriptores, 21/4), London, 1873, p. 3–354. Glos. ord. = Biblia Latina cum Glossa ordinaria. Facsimile reprint of the editio princeps (Adolph Rusch of Strassburg, 1480–81), I–IV – ed. K. Froehlich, M. T. Gibson, Turnhout, 1992. Consulted via https://gloss-e.irht. cnrs.fr/. Gratian., Decret.  = Concordia discordantium canonum seu Decretum Magistri Gratiani – ed. Æ. Friedberg (Corpus iuris canonici, 1), Leipzig, 1879. Greg. M., Dial. = Grégoire le Grand, Dialogues – ed. A. de Vogüé (SC, 251, 260, 265), Paris, 1974–1980. Greg. M., Epist. = Gregorivs Magnvs, Registrum epistolarum. Libri I–XIV – ed. D. Norberg (CCSL, 140, 140A), Turnhout, 1982. Greg. M., In euang. = Gregorivs Magnvs, Homiliae in euangelia – ed. R. Étaix (CCSL, 141), Turnhout, 1999. Greg. M., In Ez.  = Gregorivs Magnvs, Homiliae in Hiezechihelem prophetam – ed. M. Adriaen (CCSL, 142), Turnhout, 1971. Greg. M., Moral. = Gregorivs Magnvs, Moralia in Iob. Libri I–XXXV – ed. M. Adriaen (CCSL, 143, 143A, 143B), Turnhout, 1979–1985. Greg. M., Past. = Grégoire le Grand, Règle Pastorale – ed. B. Judic (SC, 381–82), Paris, 1992. Hier., Adu. Iouin. = Hieronymvs, Aduersus Iouinianum libri duo (PL, 23), Paris, 1883, col. 221–352. Hier., Epist. = Hieronymvs, Epistulae – ed. I. Hilberg (CSEL, 54–56), Wien, 1910–1918, 19962; ed. J. Divjak (CSEL, 88), Wien, 1981. Hier., In Eccle.  = Hieronymvs, Commentarius in Ecclesiasten – ed. M. Adriaen (CCSL, 72), Turnhout, 1959, p. 249–361. Hier., In Gal. = Hieronymvs, Commentarii in epistulam Pauli apostoli ad Galatas – ed. G. Raspanti (CCSL, 77A), Turnhout, 2006. Hier., In Ier.  = Hieronymvs, In Hieremiam prophetam libri VI – ed. S. Reiter (CCSL, 74), Turnhout, 1960.

34

Bibliography

Hier., In Is. = Hieronymvs, Commentariorum in Esaiam libri I–XVIII – ed. M. Adriaen (CCSL, 73, 73A), Turnhout, 1963, p. 1–799. Hier., In Matth. = Hieronymvs, Commentariorum in Matheum libri IV – ed. D. Hurst, M. Adriaen (CCSL, 77), Turnhout, 1969. Hier., In Os. = Hieronymvs, Commentarii in prophetas minores: In Osee prophetam – ed. M. Adriaen (CCSL, 76), Turnhout, 1969, p. 1–158. Hier., In Ps. = Hieronymvs, Commentarioli in Psalmos – ed. G. Morin (CCSL, 72), Turnhout, 1959, p. 177–245. Hier., Nom. hebr.  = Hieronymvs, Liber interpretationis hebraicorum nominum – ed. P. de Lagarde (CCSL, 72), Turnhout, 1959, p. 57–161. Hier., Tract. in Ps. I = Hieronymvs, Tractatus in librum Psalmos – ed. G. Morin (CCSL, 78), Turnhout, 19582, p. 3–352. Hier., Virg. Mar.  = Hieronymvs, De perpetua uirginitate B.  Mariae aduersus Heluidium liber unus (PL, 23), Paris, 1883, col. 193–216. Ps.  Hier., In Marc.  = Ps.  Hieronymvs, Expositio euangelii secundum Marcum – ed. M. Cahill (CCSL, 82), Turnhout, 1997. Hil., In Matth.  = Hilaire de Poitiers, Sur Matthieu, I–II – ed. J. Doignon (SC, 254, 258), Paris, 1978–1979. Hildeb., Serm. = Hildebertvs Cenomanensis, Sermones (PL, 171), Paris, 1893, col. 339–964. Honor. Avg., Elucid. = Honorivs Avgvstodvnensis, Elucidarium – ed. Y. Lefèvre, L’Elucidarium et les Lucidaires (Bibliothèque des Écoles françaises d’Athènes et de Rome, 180), Paris, 1954, p. 359–521. Honor. Avg., Gemma = Honorivs Avgvstodvnensis, Gemma animae siue de diuinis officiis (PL, 172), Paris, 1854, col. 541–738. Hraban., Martyrol. = Hrabanvs Mavrvs, Martyrologium – ed. J. McCulloh (CCCM, 44), Turnhout, 1979, p. 3–134. Hvgo Mirom., De hom. = Hvgo de Miromari, De hominis miseria, mundi et inferni contemptu – ed. F. Wendling (CCCM, 234), Turnhout, 2010. Ps. Hvgo S. Vict., In epist. Pauli = Ps. Hvgo de S. Victore, Quaestiones et decisiones in epistolas D. Pauli (PL, 175), Paris, 1854, col. 431–634. Ps. Innoc. III, In VII Ps. poen. = Ps. Innocentivs III, Commentarium in septem Psalmos poenitentiales (PL, 217), Paris, 1855, col. 967–1130.

35

Bibliography

Ioh. Bel., Diu. off. = Iohannes Beleth, Summa de ecclesiasticis officiis – ed. H. Douteil (CCCM, 41A), Turnhout, 1976. Ioh. Garland., Aequiu. = Iohannes de Garlandia, Aequiuoca cum commento, [Reutlingen], [c. 1490]. Isid., Diff. II  = Isidorvs Hispalensis, Liber differentiarum II – ed. M. A. Andrés Sanz (CCSL, 111A), Turnhout, 2006. Isid., Orig.  = Isidorvs, Etymologiarum siue Originum Libri XX – ed. W. M. Lindsay (Oxford Classical Texts), 2 vols, Oxford, 1911. Isid., Sent. = Isidorvs, Sententiae – ed. P. Cazier (CCSL, 111), Turnhout, 1998. Isid., Synon. = Isidorvs, Synonyma – ed. J. Elfassi (CCSL, 111B), Turnhout, 2010. Isid. Mercator, Decret. coll. = Isidorvs Mercator, Decretalium collectio (PL, 130), Paris, 1853, col. 2–1178. Ivo, Decret.  = Ivo Carnotensis, Decretum (PL, 161), Paris, 1855, col. 9–1038. Leo M., Serm.  = Leo Magnvs, Tractatus septem et nonaginta – ed. A. Chavasse (CCSL, 138, 138A), Turnhout, 1973. Ps.  Leo M., Serm.  = Ps.  Leo Magnvs, Sermones (PL, 54), Paris, 1881, col. 477–522. Liber Quare = Liber Quare – ed. G. P. Götz (CCCM, 60), Turnhout, 1983. Macr., Sat. = Ambrosivs Theodosivs Macrobivs, Saturnalia – ed. R. A. Kaster, Oxford, 2011. Max. Tavr., Serm. = Maximvs Tavrinensis, Collectio sermonum antiqua nonnullis sermonibus extrauagantibus adiectis – ed. A. Mutzenbecher (CCSL, 23), Turnhout, 1962. Papias, Elem.  = Papias, Elementarium doctrinae rudimentum, Wien, 1485 (on line). Petr. Bles., Serm. = Petrvs Blesensis, Sermones (PL, 207), Paris, 1855, col. 559–776. Petr. Cantor, Abbreu. A  Textus alter  = Petrvs Cantor, Verbum adbreuiatum. Textus alter – ed. M. Boutry (CCCM, 196B), Turnhout, 2012.

36

Bibliography

Petr. Cantor, Abbreu. A Textus prior = Petrvs Cantor, Verbum adbreuiatum. Textus prior – ed. M. Boutry (CCCM, 196A), Turnhout, 2012. Petr. Cantor, Abbreu. B  = Petrvs Cantor, Verbum adbreuiatum. Textus conflatus – ed. M. Boutry (CCCM, 196), Turnhout, 2004. Petr. Cantor, Dist. Abel = Petrvs Cantor, Distinctiones Abel – ed. S. A. Barney (CCCM, 288, 288A), Turnhout, 2020. Petr. Cantor, In Gen.  = Petrvs Cantor, Glossae super Genesim. Prologus et Capitula 1–3 – ed. A.  Sylwan (Studia Graeca et Latina Gothoburgensia, 55), Göteburg, 1992. Petr. Cantor, Sacram. = Pierre le Chantre, Summa de sacramentis et animae consiliis – ed. J.-A. Dugauquier, 3 parts in 4 vols (Analecta Mediaeualia Namurcensia, 4, 7, 16, 21), Louvain and Lille, 1954–1967. Petr. Cav., In I Reg. = Petrvs Cavensis, Commentaria in primum librum Regum = Gregorivs Magnvs, In librum primum Regum expositionum libri VI – ed. P. Verbraken (CCSL, 144), Turnhout, 1963, p. 49–614. Petr. Chrys., Serm. = Petrvs Chrysologvs, Sermones (PL, 52), Paris, 1894, col. 183–682. Petr. Comestor, Hist. schol. = Petrvs Comestor, Historia scholastica (PL, 198), Paris, 1855, col. 1049–1722. Petr. Comestor, Hist. schol. I–CCCM = Petrvs Comestor, Scolastica historia. Liber Genesis – ed. A. Sylwan (CCCM, 191), Turnhout, 2005. Petr. Comestor, Serm.  = Petrvs Comestor, Sermones (PL, 198), Paris, 1855, col. 1721–1844; et Hildeberto Cenomanensi falso attributi Sermones (PL, 171), Paris, 18932, col. 343–964 [n. 5, 14, 20, 29, 39, 50, 53, 59–60, 62–64, 68–70, 73, 85, 90, 93, 102, 119, 121, 125]. Petr. Lomb., In epist. Pauli = Petrvs Lombardvs, Collectanea in omnes D. Pauli apostoli epistolas, Pars I (PL, 191), Paris, 1879, col. 1297–1696; Pars II (PL, 192), Paris, 1880, col. 9–519). Petr. Lomb., In Ps. = Petrvs Lombardvs, Commentarii in totum psalterium (PL, 191), Paris, 1871, col. 31–1296. Petr. Lomb., Sent. = Petrvs Lombardvs, Sententiae in IV libris distinctae, I–II – ed. I. Brady (Spicilegium Bonauenturianum, 4–5), Grottaferrata, 19713–19813.

37

Bibliography

Petr. Pictav. II, Sent.  = Petrvs Pictaviensis, Sententiarum libri quinque (PL, 211), Paris, 1855, col. 782–1280. Petr. Pictav. III, Summa = Petrvs Pictaviensis, Summa de confessione. Compilatio praesens – ed. J. Longère (CCCM, 51), Turnhout, 1980. Pomer., Vita contempl.  = Ivlianvs Pomerivs, De uita contemplatiui libri III (PL, 59), Paris, 1862, col. 415–520. Prosp., Epigr. = Prosper Aqvitanvs, Epigrammata ex sententiis S. Augustini (PL, 51), Paris, 1861, col. 497–532. Prvd., Psych. = Avrelivs Prvdentivs Clemens, Psychomachia – ed. M. P. Cunningham (CCSL, 126), Turnhout, 1966, p. 149–81. Radbert., Assumpt.  = Paschasivs Radbertvs, De assumptione s. Mariae Virginis – ed. A. Ripberger (CCCM, 56C), Turnhout, 1985, p. 109–62. Radvlf. Long. Camp., Dist. = Radvlphvs de Longo Campo, Distinctiones. Vocabularium semanticum seculi XII (circa 1190) dictionibus illustratum – ed. J.  Sulowski (Mediaeualia Philosophica Polonorum, 22), Wrocław, 1976, p. 17–191. Regino, Synod. caus.  = Regino Prvmiensis Abbas, De ecclesiasticis disciplinis et religione christiana libri duo (PL, 132), Paris, 1853, col. 187– 370. Rob. Melodvn., In epist. Pauli = Œuvres de Robert de Melun, II: Quaestiones de epistolis sancti Pauli – ed. R. M. Martin (Spicilegium Sacrum Lovaniense, 13), Louvain, 1938. Rvfin., Basil. Reg. = Basilivs Caesariensis, Basili Regula a Rufino Latine uersa – ed. K. Zelzer (CSEL, 86), Wien, 1986, p. 5–221. Sicard. Crem., Mitrale = Sicardvs Cremonensis, Mitralis de officiis – ed. G. Sarbak, L. Weinrich (CCCM, 228), Turnhout, 2008. Simon Tornac., Disput.  = Simon Tornacensis, Disputationes – ed. J.  Warichez, Les Disputationes de Simon de Tournai (Spicilegium sacrum Lovaniense, 12), Louvain, 1932. Vita Isid. = Vita Sancti Isidori una cum Adbreuiatione Braulii Caesaraugustani episcopi de uita sancti Isidori Hispaniorum doctoris (BHL 4486) in Opera hagiographica anonyma medii aevi: Vita medio aeuo – ed. J. C. Martin-Iglesias (CCCM, 281), Turnhout, 2016, p. 23–105.

38

Bibliography

Vita Laun. = Vita Launomari presbyteri, in AASS Ian. II, Antverpiae, 1643, p. 229–35. Vitae patr.  = Vitae patrum, siue Historiae eremeticae, 3.5–7 libri decem (PL, 73), Paris, 1860, col. 739–810; 855–1062.

Reference Works Stegmüller, Repertorium  = F.  Stegmüller (adiuvante N.  Reinhardt), Repertorium biblicum medii aeui, 11 vols, Madrid, 1950–1980 Walther, Initia = H. Walther, Initia carminum ac uersuum medii aeui posterioris Latinorum. Alphabetisches Verzeichnis der Versanfänge mittellateinischer Dichtungen, Göttingen, 1959, 19692. Walther, Prouerbia = H. Walther, Prouerbia sententiaeque latinitatis medii aeui (ac recentioris aeui). Lateinische Sprichwörter und Sentenzen des Mittelalters (und der frühen Neuzeit) in alphabetischer Anordnung, 9 vols, Göttingen, 1963–1986.

Secondary Sources Baldwin, J. W., Masters, Princes, and Merchants. The Social Views of Peter the Chanter & His Circle, 2 vols, Princeton, 1970. Barney, S.  A., ‘Visible Allegory: The Distinctiones Abel of Peter the Chanter’, in Allegory, Myth, and Symbol – ed. M. W. Bloomfield (Harvard English Studies, 9), Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1981, p. 87–107. Daly, L.  W., Contributions to a History of Alphabetization in Antiquity and the Middle Ages (Collection Latomus, 90), Bruxelles, 1967. Giusberti, F., Materials for a Study of Twelfth Century Scholasticism, Naples, 1982. Goering, J., William de Montibus (c. 1140–1213). The Schools and the Literature of Pastoral Care (Pontifical Institute of Mediaeval Studies. Studies and Texts, 108), Toronto, 1992.

39

Bibliography

Gutjahr, F. S., Petrus Cantor Parisiensis. Sein Leben und Seine Schriften, Graz, 1899. Heist, W. W., The Fifteen Signs Before Doomsday, East Lansing, Michigan, 1952. Lacombe, G., La vie et les œuvres de Prévostin (Bibliothèque Thomiste, 11), Kain, Belgium, 1927. Maleczek, W., Petrus Capuanus. Kardinal, Legat am vierten Kreuzzug, Theologe (1214 †) (Publikationen des Historischen Instituts beim Österreichischen Kulturinstitut in Rom, 1/8), Vienna, 1988. Moore, P. S., The Works of Peter of Poitiers, Master in Theology and Chancellor of Paris (1193–1205) (Publications in Mediaeval Studies, University of Notre Dame, 1), South Bend, Indiana, 1936. Pinna, I. M., ‘De participatione in iure poenali canonico’, Apollinaris, 15 (1942), p. 68–69. Pitra, J. B., Spicilegium Solesmense, complectens sanctorum patrum scriptorumque ecclesiasticorum anecdota hactenus opera, tom. 2 and 3, Paris, 1855, available on line. Rouse, R.  H. – M.  A. Rouse, ‘Biblical Distinctions in the Thirteenth Century’, Archives d’Histoire Doctrinale et Littéraires du Moyen Âge, 41 (1974), p. 27–37. Rouse, R. H. – M. A. Rouse, ‘Statim inuenire: Schools, Preachers, and New Attitudes to the Page’, in Renaissance and Renewal in the Twelfth Century – ed. R. L. Benson – G. Constable, Cambridge, Mass., 1982, p. 201–28. [Repr. in Rouse, Authentic Witnesses, p. 191–219]. Tavormina, M. T., ‘Mathematical Conjectures in a Middle English Prose Treatise: Perfect Numbers in Dives et Pauper’, Traditio, 49 (1994), p. 271-86. Trexler, R.  C., The Christian at Prayer. An Illustrated Prayer Manual Attributed to Peter the Chanter (d.  1197) (Medieval and Renaissance Texts and Studies, 44), Binghamton, New York, 1987. Valente, L.  Phantasia contrarietatis: contraddizione scritturali, discorso teologico e arti del linguaggio nel De tropis loquendi di Pietro Cantore († 1197) (Testi e studi per il ‘Corpus philosophorum medii aeui’, 13), Florence, 1997.

40

Bibliography

Vernet, A. – J.-P. Bouhot – J.-F. Genest, La bibliothèque de l’abbaye de Clairvaux de XIIe au XVIIIe siècle, 2 vols, Paris, 1979. Wilmart, A., ‘Un répertoire d’exégèse composé en Angleterre vers le début du XIIIe siècle’, in Mémorial Lagrange (Cinquantenaire de l’École Biblique et Archéologique Française de Jérusalem) – ed. L. H. Vincent, Paris, 1940, p. 307–46.

41

Peter The Chanter The Abel Distinctions

LETTER A

1. Abel is said to be ‘the beginning of the Church’ (Abel dicitvr principivm ecclesie) a. Because of his innocence. Christ bears witness to his innocence, saying: From the blood of Abel the just (Matth. 23, 35). The reading is ‘just’, not ‘justified’, because we don’t read that he committed any sin. b. Because of his martyrdom, for he was the first to undergo martyrdom. Whence: The Lamb, which was slain from the beginning of the world (Apoc. 13, 8), and the Church is said to have been founded on the blood of martyrs. c. Because of his virginity, for he was a virgin, prefiguring the Lamb without blemish (Ex. 12, 5). Whence ‘Abel’ is interpreted as ‘nothing from this’, because he did not produce his seed upon the earth (cf. Gen. 4, 25). 2. They are cast down (Abicivntvr) a.  Some are cast down by the world, but they don’t cast down. Of these it is said: The poor you will have always with you (Matth. 26, 11; John 12, 8; Mark 14, 7). b. Some cast down but are not cast down. Whence: I have chosen to be an abject in the house of my God (Ps. 83, 11). c. Some cast down and are cast down. Whence the Apostle: The world is crucified to me, and I to the world (Gal. 6, 14).

45

Letter A

d. Some neither cast down nor are cast down. Whence: He hath put down the mighty from their seat.a And the Lord to the apostles: You are still of this world, because the world loves you (cf. John 15, 19; 8, 23).

8

3. Humiliation is (Est abiectio) a. Sometimes what is only a matter of reputation. Whence the Apostle: We are made as the offscouring of all (I Cor. 4, 13). Again, Isaiah with regard to Christ: We have seen him as it were a leper and a man despised, and as one struck by God and afflicted (Is. 53, 2–4). b.  Sometimes a matter of the humility of one repenting. Whence we read of David in the book of Kings that he threw himself down from the throne of the kingdom and didn’t blush to confess his sin (cf. II Sam. 12, 16 and 13). c. Sometimes a matter of the commission of sin. Whence it was said to the synagogue: How exceeding base and abject art thou become, going the same ways over again! (Jer. 2, 36). Again: Man when he was in honor did not understand (Ps. 48, 13 and 21). 4. Abyss means (Abyssvs dicitvr) a. Sometimes a bad person. Whence: Gathering together the waters of the sea, as in a vessel; laying up the abysses in storehouses (Ps. 32, 7). b.  Sometimes Scripture. Whence: The abyss calleth upon the abyss (Ps. 41, 8). c. Sometimes the depths of vices. Whence: Thou hast brought me back again from the abysses of the earth (Ps. 70, 20). d. Sometimes the depths of the judgments of God. Whence: Thy judgments are a great abyss. e.  Sometimes the depths of the human heart. Whence: The heart of man is deep and unsearchable; who can know it? (Jer. 17, 9 VL; cf. Eccli. 42, 18). 5. They dwell in unity (Habitant in vnvm) a. Some of them in faith, concerning whom the Apostle says: I  beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, a 

The citation would fit better in section c.

46

Letter A

that you all feel the same, and that there be no schisms among you (I Cor.  1, 10). And he says this for this reason, because as much as brotherly love is the more pleasing in the sight of God and humankind, just so much is it the more egregious if dissensions and schisms are nourished among people. b.  Some in charity. Whence: The multitude of believers had but one heart and one mind (Act. 4, 32). Again: Behold how good, that is, how profitable, and how pleasant it is, that is, how delightful – for there are some good things that are not delightful – for brethren to dwell together in unity! (Ps. 132, 1). This is proper for all Christians, who should dwell in unity both in thought and in faith, but it is particularly proper for monasteries and the brothers who dwell together in unity not only in heart but also in body, and also for those brothers of Judea who dwelt in unity with all their goods laid at the feet of the apostles (cf.  Act. 4, 34–35). Of these it is said: They had one heart and one mind, and all things were common unto them (Act. 4, 32). c. Some in blessedness. Whence: Holy Father, grant that those whom thou hast given me may be one, as we also are (John 17, 11). 6. The word ‘dwell’ denotes (Habito significat, scilicet hoc verbvm notat) a. Sometimes permanence, as: Blessed are they that dwell in thy house, O Lord; they shall praise thee for ever and ever (Ps. 83, 5). b. Sometimes delight and pleasantness, as: Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! (Ps. 132, 1). c. Sometimes security, as with the mother of Elisha: I dwell in the midst of my own people (IV Kings 4, 13). d. Sometimes lordship, whence: He was just, dwelling among them (II Pet. 2, 8). 7. There is a threefold weaning (Ablactatio triplex est) a. First, from the milk of one’s mother, which is done in the third year. b. Second, from the milk of infancy, which is done in the seventh year.

47

9

Letter A

c.  Third, from the milk of childhood, which is done in the twelfth year. From the multiple senses of this term ‘weaning’ there sometimes arises a threefold exposition, as at the passage where Samuel’s mother brought him after he was weaned to Silo to serve in the temple (cf. I Sam. 1, 21–24).

10

8. Abundance (Habvndantiam) or riches are given to some and taken from some by God, as in the article Riches (D 74 and 77). 9. A  person approaches or draws near God (Accedit homo ad Devm sive appropinqvat) a. Through baptism into the faith, whence: Come ye to him, by adhering to the faith and running with the two feet of the twofold charity,a and be enlightened, don’t be blind like the Jews, and your faces, that is, your minds, shall not be confounded, that is, will not fail to receive their reward in the future (Ps. 33, 6). b. Through penitence, whence: Return, return, O Sulamitess! (Cant. 6, 12), who is interpreted as ‘captive’. c. Through acquiring knowledge, whence: Man shall come to a deep heart, and God shall be exalted (Ps. 63, 7–8). Again, in the book of Wisdom, Wisdom says: Approach me, ye unlearned, and gather yourselves together (Eccli. 51, 31). d. Through a good life, whence: Until I go into the sanctuary of God (Ps. 72, 17). Again: They are divided by the wrath of his countenance, and his heart hath drawn near (Ps. 54, 22). e. Through a blessed life, whence: Come, ye blessed of my Father (Matth. 25, 34). 10. Martyrs are called a ‘heap of testimony’ (Acervvs) as below in the article Martyrs (M60). 11. In Adam were (In Adam fvit) disobedience, the act, and pride, as below in the article Baptism (B4).

a 

The twofold charity is love of God and neighbor.

48

Letter A

12. They cling to God (Adherent Deo) a.  Some of them in pretense, whence: Many believed in him and he did not trust himself unto them (John 2, 23–24). b. Some because of an opportunity for a time only. Jesus responded to one of these: The foxes have holes, etc. (Matth. 8, 20; Luke 9, 58). c. Some because of God himself, but inordinately, like Peter, who said: Lord, be propitious unto yourself, that you undergo not such things (Matth. 16, 22 VL), when the Lord said: Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and the Son of man, etc. (Matth. 20, 18; Mark 10, 33; Luke 18, 31). d. Some because of God and ordinately, like Stephen and Lawrence, on whose feast day is sung this verse: My soul hath clung after thee (Ps.  62, 9). ‘After’ as if not ‘before’, which the sons of Zebedee asked for (cf. Matth. 20, 20–21), nor ‘with’ God, which the devil presumed to be in saying: I will set my throne in the north and I will be like the most high (Is. 14, 13–14 VL). 13. As an aid from God one speaks (Adivtorivm Dei dicitvr) a. Sometimes of a shield, whence: His truth shall compass thee with a shield (Ps. 90, 5). b. Sometimes of shoulders, whence: He has overshadowed thee with his shoulders, and under his wings thou shalt trust (Ps. 90, 4), and in many other ways. 14. Of Adoration (Adorationis) there are two kinds, as below in the article Prayer (O90). 15. The advent of Christ is fourfold (Adventvs Christi qvadrvplex est) a. One is in the flesh, whence: If I had not come and had not spoken to them, they would not have sin (John 15, 22), that is, only sin. b. The second is through the infusion of grace, whence: We will come to him, and will make our abode with him (John 14, 23). c. The third is for judging, whence: Behold, the Lord shall come, and all his saints with him (Zach. 14, 5; Jude 14).

49

11

Letter A

12

d.  The fourth is for rewarding, whence: And passing he will minister unto them (Luke 12, 37). We are obliged to believe in all of these, but the first, that is, in the flesh, to love greatly; the second and fourth, to long for; the third, to fear. Of the first the ancient fathers like Simeon (cf. Luke 2, 25–32) would say: ‘Do you think I will see it? Do you think I will hold out?’ O that thou wouldst rend the heavens, and wouldst come down (Is. 64, 1), says Isaiah, and the prophet: Put forth thy hand from on high,  etc. (Ps.  143, 7). Again: With expectation I have waited for the Lord (Ps.  39, 1). Again: My soul hath slumbered through the tedium (Ps. 118, 28) of waiting. Again: Bow down thy heavens and descend (Ps. 143, 5; 17, 10). And assuming the persona of the ancients [we chant]: ‘O Adonai, O key of David, come to set us free, come to save us’.a For this reason the Lord said to the apostles: Many kings and prophets have desired to see the things that you see, and have not seen them; and to hear the things that you hear, and have not heard them (Luke 10, 24). The first advent was in the past, the second in this day, the third and fourth in the future. The first was humble, the second and fourth desirable, the third terrifying. The first was in the womb. Furthermore, in the first the Lord came to be incarnate, to redeem humankind. In the first he came to be judged, punished, scourged, crucified, and to die. In the first he displayed humility, mercy, meekness, and patience. In the third he showed his loftiness, justice, and severity. In the first he was mild; in the third, severe. In the first the Lord came to convert sinners, saying: Come to me, all you that labor, and are burdened, and I will refresh you (Matth. 11, 28). In the third, to turn sinners away from himself, saying: Depart from me, you cursed, into everlasting fire (Matth. 25, 41). 16. God provides adversity (Adversa dat Devs) for five reasons, as below in the article Punishment (P64).

13

17. Flattery (Advlatio) a. That is beneficial and harms no one is a venial sin. a 

Cantus 003988.

50

Letter A

b. That injures is a mortal sin, especially for clerics, for as we read in the Decretum and on the Psalm ‘O God, come to my assistance’ at the passage, That say to me, ‘Tis well, ‘tis well (Ps. 69, 1 and 4), the saints say, ‘The tongue of a flatterer harms more than the hand of a pursuer’. And elsewhere on the Psalms it is said that no offense is comparable to this. 18. Of adultery (Advlterii) there are four kinds, as below in the article Fornication (F41). 19. Advocates or judges (Advocatos sive ivdices) a. We have three of these: penitence before a priest, righteousness before an angel, the mercy of God before God himself – as below in the article Judge (I87). 20. There are four natural passions (Affectiones natvrales svnt qvatvor) a. Fear is first, at the brow, as you would crown the head. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Eccli. 1, 16; Ps. 110, 10). b. Hope second, in the back of the head, because it is only concerned with future things and of those things that are not seen (cf. Rom. 8, 24; II Cor. 4, 18). c. Joy third, on the right, as every joy is in the Lord, who sets us on the right. d. And grief fourth, on the left, for one ought to grieve for one’s transgressions – our own, that is, or others’. And these, namely transgressions, are the cause of the setting of the goats on the left (cf. Matth. 25, 33). And regarding these four the poet said: From this they fear, they desire, they rejoice, and they grieve (Virgil, Aeneid 6, 733).

21. The affections of humans are called ‘feet’ (Affectvs hominis pedes dicvntvr) a. Because just as feet carry people from place to place, so an affection carries them from one thought to another.

51

14

Letter A

b. Because they scurry about here and there, whence: I have restrained my feet from every evil way (Ps. 118, 101). c.  Because they trample earthly things, whence the Apostle: All these things I count but as dung (Phil. 3, 8). d.  Because they support the body of good works, whence: ‘Your state of mind (affectus) imposes a name on your behavior’.a Again: ‘What you wish to do but cannot, God imputes to you as a thing done’.b 22. God afflicts (Affligit) a person for five reasons, as below in the article Punishment (P64). 23. They are afflicted (Affligitvr): the good, the wicked, the rich, and the poor, as below in the article Punishment (P69). 24. Hagiographa (Agyographa) that is, ‘writings about holy things’, is the common term for all the books of Holy Scripture. Those books whose truth and authority are not in doubt are called hagiographa.

15

25. ‘Apocrypha’ (Apocripha) means the same as ‘hidden things’ or ‘unknown things’. Books are called apocryphal in two respects, either when their truth is in doubt or when their author is unknown. Such are the book of Maccabees, the book of Wisdom, and Ecclesiasticus – which they say was composed by Jesus the son of Sirach – and the books of Tobit and Judith. These are called apocryphal because their authors are unknown, but because their truth is not in doubt they are received by the Church. However, if neither their truth nor their author is known, they are not received. Such are the books The Infancy of the Savior and The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, although the assumption is not doubted – but certain things are interspersed whose truth is not known.

a  b 

Ambrose: Ambr., Off. 1, 30, 147 (p. 53, l. 31). Glos. ord. on Ps. 57, 3 from Augustine: Avg., In Ps. 57, 4 (p. 711, l. 6).

52

Letter A

26. Christ is called a lamb (Agnvs dicitvr Christvs) from ‘agnon’, which means ‘pious’, and Christ redeemed us because of his piety alone. Or he is called ‘lamb’ from ‘recognizing’ (agnoscendo), for those who treat natural philosophy tell us that however numerous might have been the herd, a lamb would know its mother at a long distance by her bleat alone. Note these qualities in Christ: a countless throng were standing near Christ crucified. Some were mocking, wagging their heads, and saying: Vah, thou that destroyest the temple of God (Matth. 27, 39–40; Mark 15, 29). Others wept over an innocent man condemned (cf. Luke 23, 27). Others beat their breasts (cf. Luke 23, 48), marveling at what they were seeing. Yet in such a great crowd he recognized his mother, because he commended the virgin to the virgin (cf. John 19, 26–27). 27. Christ is called the Lamb for three reasons (Agnvs triplici de cavsa dicitvr Christvs) a. Because he recognized his Father by obeying unto death, as the Apostle says: for us Christ became obedient unto death, even to the death of the cross (Phil. 2, 8 VL). b. Because he recognized humankind by redeeming it. c. Because while hanging on the cross he recognized his mother and commended her, the virgin, to a virgin, namely John (cf. John 19, 26–27). 28. Three times in the mass is said the Agnus Dei (Agnvs Dei ter dicitvr in missa) a. The Lamb of God who recognized his Father obedient unto death (Phil. 2, 8). Who takest away the sins of the world (John 1, 29) – for he took them away from us and destroyed them through his passion – ‘have mercy upon us’. b. Lamb of God (John 1, 29) who recognized humankind by redeeming it, Who takest away the sins of the world, ‘have mercy upon us’. c. Lamb of God who while hanging on the cross recognized his mother and commended her, the virgin, to a virgin (cf. John 19, 26–27), Who takest away the sins of the world, ‘grant us thy peace’. It is said three times because his body is understood to have three

53

16

Letter A

17

forms, namely, the mystic one that is glorified in heaven, the one that still walks on earth, and the one that rests in the tomb until the day of judgment. ‘Have mercy on us’ is said twice. The third time we vary it because it is drawn from the Old Testament where, when they would cry out to the Lord, they would say: Spare, O Lord, spare thy people, and the third time they would vary it, saying: And give not thy inheritance to reproach (Joel 2, 17). In that they would say ‘spare’ twice, we say ‘have mercy upon us’ twice, and because they would vary it the third time, saying ‘and give not thy inheritance to reproach’, we vary it, saying ‘grant us thy peace’. However, among churchmen it is usual to question whether they should say ‘shall weep’ or ‘were weeping’ in the aforesaid authority: Between the porch and the altar the priests were weeping, saying: Spare, Lord, etc. (Joel 2, 17). We say that in Joel we have ‘shall weep’, and in Ezra, ‘were weeping’ [citation unidentified]. Note that in some churches the Agnus Dei is said thrice continuously, that is, before the priest receives the Lord’s body. In others it is said once before the receiving, and after the receiving – that is, of the eucharist – twice. Of the first group the reasoning is this: when Christ is present on the altar we ask for mercy and peace from him, because we are redeemed through him. Of the second group the reasoning is this: we ask that he have mercy on us and grant us peace even when he is not present in body on the altar, to show that we confide in him while present but also while absent. And this variation is made likewise in the funeral mass in the Parisian church: ‘Lamb of God,  etc., grant them rest. Lamb of God, etc., grant them indulgence. Lamb of God, etc., grant them everlasting rest’, as in the Psalm: The house of Israel… The house of Aaron… They that fear the Lord (Ps. 113, 9–11) – just as we sometimes say, ‘Give me something. Give me something to wear. Give me a cloak’. 29. We call those ‘aliens’ (Alieni dicvntvr) a. Who don’t partake of the sacraments of the Church, such as Jews and pagans, whence: The children that are aliens have lied to me (Ps. 17, 46).

54

Letter A

b.  Who lack charity, whence: Charity is an individual and unique fount of good things, of which the alien does not partake (Prov. 5, 15–18 VL). c.  The damned, whence: Amen I say to you, I  know you not (Matth. 25, 12). 30. Other (Alivd) a. Sometimes denotes another thing. b.  Sometimes, the contrary. Whence the Greeks, misunderstanding this pronoun ‘other’, say that we are liable to anathema, because in the Creed where we have ‘who proceeds from the Father and the Son’, they don’t have ‘Son’, for they don’t grant that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Son, but from the Father only, for in their chief councils they have written at the end of the Creed: ‘One who teaches “a contrary thing” (aliud) or who preaches “a contrary thing” (aliud), let him be anathema’. The Apostle would say the same thing: Whoever has preached to you other than I preach, let him be anathema (Gal. 1, 8–9). ‘Other’, that is, the contrary.a 31. Alleluia (Allelvia) is called the ‘angelic voice’, because it was uttered at length by angels. Whence in the Apocalypse: After these things I heard as it were a great voice of trumpets in heaven, saying: Alleluia (Apoc. 19, 1). 32. Alleluia (Allelvia) a.  Children customarily sing this on non-feast days, because they have the privilege from their age that angels have through grace. b. Adults, on feast days, to signify that in the eighth age, rising up unto a perfect man (Eph. 4, 13), we praise God. And note that although ‘alleluia’ is nearly the same as ‘praise to you, Lord, King of eternal glory’, because ‘alleluia’ is nevertheless an utterance expressing greater joy, it is silenced in the season from Septuagesima through Section b is drawn from Peter Lombard: Petr. Lomb., Sent. 1, 11, 1, 3 (vol. 1, 2, p. 115, l. 4–15). a 

55

18

Letter A

Lent. Even so, the translation is offered up, because there should never be cessation from the praise of God. Similarly, in a Psalm we often put ‘let it be so’ for ‘amen’. And note that in the octave of Easter the word ‘alleluia’ is rarely doubled, because it signifies our joy in the resurrection of Christ, but then it is doubled, because it signifies both the resurrection of Christ and our future resurrection – or it can refer entirely to our future, because we have risen with respect to our souls and we will rise again with respect to our bodies.

19

33. Altar (Altare) a. Material, whence in Exodus: You shall make an altar of earth and concave to me (Ex. 20, 24; 27, 8). b.  That which is offered, namely, the eucharist. Whence the Apostle: We have an altar, whereof they have no power to eat who serve the tabernacle (Hebr. 13, 10) of the flesh. c. That upon which an offering is made, namely, faith. Whence: The sparrow hath found herself a house, and the turtledove a nest where she may lay her young ones (Ps. 83, 4). On this altar one’s good works should be offered; elsewhere they are not deserving of glory. d. That because of which an offering is made, that is, eternal blessedness. Whence: And I will go in to the altar, etc. (Ps. 42, 4). Again: Then shall they lay calves upon thy altar (Ps. 50, 21), that is, new peoples. e. By an altar is understood the human mind, whence in the Old Testament it was commanded that a quadrangular and concave altar be made (cf. Ex. 30, 2; 27, 8). Quadrangular because the human mind should be defended by four main virtues, namely justice, prudence, temperance, and fortitude. And the same mind should be concave for receiving the word of God and the fire of love, for a convexity repels things poured on it. Whence in Leviticus it was commended to cast aside the crop of the throat and the feathers when a turtledove or pigeon would be offered in a burnt offering (Lev. 1, 14 and 16). The crop of the throat signifies the swelling of pride; the feathers, the inane searching of sublimities. Therefore cast these aside from the burnt offering – lest you puff up about your knowledge, or vainly you expend your effort in searching for

56

Letter A

sublimities that human understanding doesn’t grasp – so that in this way you may be a concave altar. The horn of this altar is the eminence of the mind, that is, the contemplation of supernal matters. Whence: Appoint a solemn day, that is, clarity and exultation of mind, among dense thickets, or frequent uses of virtues, by going even to the horn of the altar (Ps. 117, 27), that is, up to the eminence of the mind, which is the altar, that is, with them bringing you to contemplation, saying: Thou art my God (Ps. 117, 28).

20

34. Loftiness is (Altitvdo est) a. Good, in wisdom, whence the Apostle: Do not become children in sense, but in malice be children, so that in your minds you may be perfect (I  Cor. 14, 20). For a person should be small in pride, but lofty in wisdom. b. Bad, in pride, whence: Lord, my heart is not exalted (Ps. 130, 1), that is, it has been humbled. 35. ‘Amen’ is used (Amen ponitvr) a. Sometimes as a wish, as in Jeremiah when he responded to Hananias (cf. Jer. 28, 6). b. Sometimes as a response, as when it is used responsively in the choir of a church. c. Sometimes as a confirmation, as in the Gospel: Amen, amen I say to you (John 1, 51, etc.). In the church of Chartres ‘amen’ is used as a response with a lowered voice and by few people because we read in the Apostle that ‘amen’ is the response of the unlearned (idiota) (cf. I Cor. 14, 16). Now idiota is said to be someone who among others knows only his own idiom; or, idiota, ‘separated from the ear’ – for ydus means ‘division’, ota, ‘the ear’ – as if not understanding what one hears. Or idiota, ‘separated from iota’, that is, from literacy, for iota is the smallest letter – therefore a person is called idiota who doesn’t even know the smallest letter. 36. A friend is (Amicvs est) a. Feigned, that is, a friend in name only. Whence Solomon: There is a friend that is only a friend in name, and in time of need he will desert you (Eccli. 37, 1; 6, 10), and the Lord to Judas: Friend,

57

21

Letter A

whereto art thou come? (Matth. 26, 50). Again: Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? (Matth. 22, 12). b. Temporary. Of this kind are those who believe for a while, and in time of temptation they fall away (Luke 8, 13). c. Or a companion at table, says Jesus the son of Sirach (Eccli. 6, 10). d. True, one who says with Paul: Neither death, nor life, shall separate me from the love of Christ (Rom. 8, 38–39). Truly this was revealed to the Apostle, and furthermore anyone can say the same thing, because death or life doesn’t separate a person from God, but the person on his own separates himself from God and withdraws himself from the grace of God that God offers freely to humans – just as someone who closes his eyes withdraws the light from himself; it is not God’s doing. For God denies grace to no one. e. By the revelation of hidden things, whence the Lord in the Gospel: But I have called you friends, because all things whatsoever that I have heard, etc. (John 15, 15). f. By the display of works, whence: You are my friends, if you do the things that I command you (John 15, 14). g. We call someone a friend ‘in need’ who doesn’t abandon a person in need, as we read in the Acts of the Apostles (cf. Acts 10, 24).

22

37. Every anathema (Anathema) strictly speaking is an excommunication, but not the converse. For every separation from one’s brotherly society is an excommunication, as in the case of public penitence or when what is granted to one person is forbidden to another, such as the body of Christ. Anathema is a condemnation or a separation from God, which ought not to be made unless for great cause, as the Apostle does, saying: If anyone love not our Lord Jesus Christ, let him be anathema, maranatha (I Cor. 16, 22), that is, ‘separated from God’ or ‘condemned’ until ‘the Lord may come’, or, ‘in the advent of the Lord’, for ‘maranatha’ means ‘the Lord comes’. At the Council of Meaux a canonical authority teaches that anathema is ‘an eternal damnation to death, and should not be imposed except for mortal sin and on a person who

58

Letter A

otherwise cannot be corrected’.a But the meaning of excommunication is plain from a letter of Pope Urban, saying: ‘One who is excommunicated, as the Apostle says, is excommunicated for this reason, that the spirit may be saved in the day of judgment (I Cor. 5, 5). For excommunication is a teaching, not an utter destruction, unless perhaps the excommunication issues from contempt and pride’. Excommunication is the last calling back to the Church, as we read in the Decretum. 38. An anathematization or excommunication or eradication is (Anathematizatio sive excommvnicatio sive eradicatio est) a. Damnable, such as if a bishop would excommunicate a king or even a prince or group of people – that is, if a large number are guilty – without the exercise of great deliberation and discretion as to whether it should be done. b. Hasty, such as if someone would play with the sword of Peter by childishly excommunicating, a thing which shouldn’t be done so stupidly and indiscreetly. c. Suspicious, when someone is excommunicated before his sin is manifest. This should not be done according to the example in the Gospel of the Lord prohibiting the cockle to be uprooted although it was young and tender, lest perhaps the wheat might be uprooted (Matth. 13, 29). 39. ‘Handmaid’ means (Ancilla dicitvr) a. Sometimes the Church, because of its subjection. Whence: Thou hast subjected all things under his feet (Ps. 8, 8). Again: Behold, as the eyes of the handmaid (Ps. 122, 2). b.  Sometimes the blessed Virgin, because of her humility. Whence: Because he hath regarded the humility of his handmaid (Luke 1, 48). c. Sometimes the synagogue, because of its servile fear. Whence: Cast out the handmaid and her son (Gal. 4, 30; Gen. 21, 10). From this sentence to the end of the section the source is Gratian., Decret. 2, 24, 3, 37, citing an unidentified place in Urban. a 

59

23

Letter A

d. Sometimes the apostles, because of their bustling about and the fragility of their flesh. Whence in the book of Wisdom, when a meal had been prepared the householder sent her maids, that is, the apostles, to bring in those who had been invited (Prov. 9, 3). 40. ‘Angel’ means (Angelvs dicitvr) a. Sometimes the Son of God, whence Isaiah: An angel of great counsel (Is. 9, 6 LXX). b.  Sometimes a good spirit, whence: Who maketh his angels spirits (Ps. 103, 4), that is, messenger spirits. c. Sometimes an evil spirit, whence: In his angels the Lord found wickedness (Job 4, 18). d. Sometimes an unreasoning creature, whence in the Acts of the Apostles it is said of Herod Agrippa that he saw above him an angel of the Lord (Acts 12, 23), that is, an owl. e.  Sometimes a righteous man, whence: The lips of the priest ought to be clean, because he is the angel of the Lord of hosts (Mal. 2, 7). Further, it is said that women should not appear unveiled in the presence of an angel of the Lord, that is, a priest (cf. I Cor. 11, 10).

24

41. Angels and all saints are called fire (Angeli et omnes sancti dicvntvr ignis) a. Because of the burning of the heart through charity, whence: I am come to cast fire on the earth (Luke 12, 49). b. Because of the consuming of vices, whence Isaiah: One of the seraphims flew to me, and with a pebble taken from the altar with tongs he touched my lips (Is. 6, 6–7). c. Because of their illumination, whence the Lord: You are the light of this world (Matth. 5, 14). 42. To angels (Angelis) human nature is equated when it shall have been made incorruptible. This authority is the comment on this verse: Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord (Ps. 32, 12).a

a 

Peter Lombard: Petr. Lomb., In Ps. 32, 12 (col. 333A).

60

Letter A

43. Angels (Angeli) a.  Are our guardians, for two angels are assigned to each person: one bad, for exercising us, the other good, for guarding us. Whence in Matthew at this place: If thy eye scandalize thee (Matth. 18, 9), the Gloss says, ‘It is a great honor for souls that each one from birth has its own angel assigned to it for safekeeping’.a Again, at this place: Their angels always see the face of my Father (Matth. 18, 10), he speaks of ‘their’ angels, those for whom they are assigned for safekeeping – so we read in the Sentences.b b.  Are our ministers, always solicitous of our salvation, with the Apostle bearing witness: They are all ministering spirits, sent for them who receive the inheritance of salvation (Hebr. 1, 14). c. Fight for us, as is written in the Apocalypse: There was a great battle in heaven, when the archangel Michael fought with the dragon (Apoc. 12, 7). ‘Heaven’ is the Church, in which Michael fights with the devil because he reins him in with the command of supreme mercy so that he may not do as much harm as he would like. d. Conquer for us, as is said in the same book: Now is come salvation, and strength, and victory, because the accuser of our brethren is cast forth (Apoc. 12, 10). e. Rejoice for us, because the angels of God have joy upon one sinner that doth penance (Luke 15, 7 VL). f. Weep for us, as the prophet says: The angels of peace shall weep bitterly (Is. 33, 7). At that time the angels of God weep bitterly, when they see us preferring vices over virtues. g. Are present at the end for any Christian, for this is read in The Lives of the Fathers, and it is collected from the life and legend of blessed Martin and blessed Furseus, as below in the article Usury (U79) – when a person struggles in extremis they stand by him, not only good angels, but even the evil ones. For blessed Martin saw a demon standing by him as he was about to depart, and he said: ‘Why are you standing here, bloodthirsty beast?’ a  Glos. ord. on Matth. 18, 10, citing Jerome: Hier., In Matth. 18, 10 (p.  159, l. 569–72). b  Section a is from Peter Lombard: Petr. Lomb., Sent. 2, 11, 1, 1 (vol.  1, 2, p. 379, l. 23 – p. 380, l. 11).

61

25

Letter A

26

Also, in the comment on the gutting of the fish in Tobit,a it is read that the devil stood by Christ when he was dying on the cross so that he might see whether there was any blemish of sin in him. Therefore what can we expect for ourselves? Indeed, the angels who lie in wait for her heel (Gen. 3, 15) are present at a person’s end so that they might at least overthrow in death anyone whom they could not conquer in life. They set before him whatever in the world he held very dear, such as his wife and children and things of this kind. Nevertheless, between the good and the bad – that is, angels – their own lawsuit is engaged in the meantime. The bad angels allege in the first instance the pride of the flesh, the pride of eyes, the pride of life (cf. I John 2, 16), frequent perjuries, adulteries, pride, wrath, envy, and beyond these they added the other vices that the person in question committed or wished to commit. ‘That person put himself under arrest when he willingly subjected his neck to our lordship while nobody was treating him violently’. Elsewhere we read – but of the wicked – that while the soul is present the devil alleges the following: ‘I wanted to draw you to lechery; you outstripped my cunning. I wanted to inflame you to gluttony; you anticipated my precaution. I wanted to deceive you through pride and you outdid me in pride. I wanted to dupe you through greed and you were greed itself’. The comment on Luke at this place: He wept over it, that is, Jerusalem, saying, ‘If thou also hadst known, etc. The days shall come upon thee, and thy enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round’ (Luke 19, 41 and 43). ‘The days will come’, says the Gloss, ‘when inimical demons will surround souls leaving their bodies, dragging them from the trench into the company of their own damnation. And they will surround them on all sides and confine them, when they will repeat before their eyes the iniquities not only of their works but also of their speech and thought’.b The good angels for their part adduce in the first place faith, hope, and charity, and the other virtues, along with their works, and especially their works of charity, for faith without works is dead a  b 

Glos. ord. on Tob. 6, 4. Glos. ord. on Luc. 19, 41–43.

62

Letter A

(James 2, 20). Finally, witnesses are produced in their midst. But the wicked angels first display the handwritten decree in which they had written all the sins or transgressions of the person being considered, and even their methods, places, and times (cf. Col. 2, 14). And the Lord says that the sins were written down through Jeremiah: The sin of Juda is written with a pen of iron (Jer. 17, 1). Again, though Malachi: Behold it is written before me: I will not be silent (Is.  65, 6; cf.  Mal. 3, 16). Then they produce those persons against whom the one being considered burned with injustice. Further, those are produced in whose sight or hearing or any mode of knowing the one being considered sinned. Against this, however, the paupers of Christ are brought in, to whom the person being tried distributed his alms. Saints, too, are produced, whose feast days he very devoutly celebrated. But when all these may not suffice, finally in their midst are produced drops of the blood that flowed from the side of Christ. When these matters were formally concluded and the business finished, the evil angels forthwith retreated in confusion, but the good angels, rejoicing with unspeakable joy, bring the soul to be placed in the bosom of Abraham. If there should be anything in it that should be purged, they transport it to the fire of purgatory where, as we gather from the Lives of the Fathers, we believe that there are various locations of punishment and various different punishments according to one’s deserts. Its upper part, where souls are purged more leniently, is called ‘the mouth of the lion’, whence the Church prays: ‘Deliver them from the mouth of the lion’ (Ps. 21, 22). But the lower part, where they are purged more harshly, is called ‘the deep pit’, whence the Church prays thus: ‘and from the deep pit’ (cf. Ps. 68, 15; 29, 4). The evil angel, that is, Lucifer, was created in a superior place, that is, in the empyrean. Whence Isaiah, reviling the fall of Lucifer, says thus: How art thou fallen, O Lucifer, who didst rise in the morning? (Is. 14, 12). And the same prophet wasn’t silent about his haughtiness, saying: I will ascend into heaven and I will set my throne in the north, and I will be like the most high (Is. 14, 13–14 VL). If he was created in the superior heaven, to what heaven did he propose to ascend? Therefore it is to be understood in this way: ‘I will ascend into heaven’, that

63

27

Letter A

28

is, to the preeminence of him who created me, ‘and I will be like him’ as exempt from a superior yoke. ‘For just as my creator is considered subject to no superior, so I wish to be considered obliged to no higher being’. And from this is, ‘I will ascend into heaven’, etc. Likewise we read of his fall in the Apocalypse, thus: Lucifer drew down a third part of the stars with himself (cf. Apoc. 8, 12; 9, 1), that is, a great part of the angels, who gave their assent to his enormity. But some of those angels who were ruined because of his transgression were bound in the lower regions until the time of the Antichrist, for in that time Satan will be set loose and the ability to rage against the children of the kingdom as much as against the children of unbelief will be imparted to him by God. But others were allotted a dwelling for themselves in that gloomy aerial region, and this was for the confounding of those who fight for a worldly garland and eagerly focus on transitory benefits. Of these, the Psalmist: The wicked walk round about (Ps. 11, 9)…a The Apostle doesn’t ignore that struggle, saying: For our wrestling is not only against flesh and blood, but against the principalities and powers of this darkness (Eph. 6, 12 VL). 44. The ‘order’ of angels (Angelorvm) is the term for the throng of celestial spirits, as we read in the Sentences,b whose number, that is, of angels, is finite to God but infinite to humans. And as Gregory says about this place in Daniel: Thousands of thousands ministered to him – which is an infinite number – and ten thousand times a hundred thousand stood before him (Dan. 7, 10) – which is a finite number. He spoke through a finite and an infinite number to signify that the number of angels is finite to God and as infinite to us as the sands of the sea and the hairs of our head, which are all numbered (Luke 12, 7; Matth. 10, 30).c

29

45. Of orders of angels (Angelorvm) there are nine and there were only nine from which the good ones were established. But Scripture says that some fell from particular orders, not beAt this point the manuscripts present a garbled text or leave a blank space. Peter Lombard: Petr. Lomb., Sent. 2, 9, 2, 2 (vol. 1, 2, p. 371, l. 10–12). c  Gregory the Great: Greg. M., Moral. 17, 13 (p. 862, l. 4–7). a 

b 

64

Letter A

cause they were in the orders and afterwards were ruined, but because if they had remained constant some of them would have been in particular orders. And we reada that a tenth order is to be replenished from humans, not because a tenth order is made from them but because what was fallen from the angels will be restored from humans. Whence a tenth order could be made, and hence it is that the Lord exacts the tithe from us, and therefore we give it to him. But Gregory says in the same place in the Sentences that humans are received into beatitude not according to the number that fell but according to the number of those who remained. And Augustine in the same place says that it is to be restored from humans according to the number who fell. Both can be right: for master Peter Manducator saidb that there were two orders in heaven of those praising God. In the first were all the angels and as many virgins as the angels who fell. In the second there were as many of the other faithful people as there were angels and virgins in the first. And these two orders signify the two choirs in a church, that is, two orders of clergy: a right and a left. The right signifies the order of angels and virgins; the left, of the other faithful people. The right signifies the Jewish people; the left, the pagans. We speak of nine orders of angels. Now the first, that is, the first order, is the Angels who announce lesser matters. The second, Archangels who announce greater things. Third, Virtues, through whom signs and miracles are made. Fourth, Powers, who rein in the adversary Virtues by their own power, lest they have the strength to tempt humans as much as they wish to. The fifth is the Principalities, who are the principal expounders of divine mysteries. Sixth, the Dominations, who are above the Principalities and Powers. Seventh, the Thrones, who are called the seats of God because the Lord may sit on them, as Gregory says in the same place

Peter Lombard: Petr. Lomb., Sent. 2, 9, 3, 4 (p. 373, l. 7–10) and 2, 9, 6, 1 (p. 375, l. 7–11). The Lombard cites Gregory (unidentified place) at Sent. 2, 9, 7, 1 (p. 376, l. 3–5) and Augustine at 2, 9, 2, 2 (p. 376, l. 2) from Avg., Enchir. 9, 29 (p. 65, l. 19–21). The argument in this paragraph is not transpicuous. b  The source in Peter Comestor is unidentified, perhaps oral – he and the Chanter were in Paris at the same time. a 

65

30

Letter A

in the Sentences,a and through them He may determine and send down judgments. Eighth, the Cherubim stand out above the others in knowledge – for ‘cherubim’ means ‘fulness of knowledge’. Ninth, the Seraphim, who burn with charity above the others – for ‘seraphim’ means ‘burning’ or ‘inflaming’. These names were given to them not for themselves but for us. But Michael, Gabriel, Raphael are not the names of orders but of spirits. And some say that of these there is a single name for one spirit properly and individually, but others that the name is not of one individually and determinately, but is now of this one, now of that one, according to their character, for what they are commissioned to announce or bring. Likewise there are certain names of demons that some think are proper to a single one, but others think are common to many. 46. The evil angel, that is, the devil, is called a hunter (Angelvs malvs, scilicet diabolvs, dicitvr venator)b a. Because of the tools of hunters that he uses, for he has snares, whence: They have thought of hiding snares; they have said, ‘who shall see them?’ (Ps. 63, 6). Again: They prepared a snare for my feet, and they bowed down my soul (Ps. 56, 7). b. He has a pit, whence: They dug a pit before my face (Ps. 56, 7). c. He has arrows, whence: They have prepared their arrows in the quiver, to shoot, etc. (Ps. 10, 3 LXX).

31

47. The evil angel, that is, the devil, is called a lion (Angelvs malvs, scilicet diabolvs, dicitvr leo) a. Because of his regal character, whence: For the prince of this world cometh to me, and in me he hath not any thing (John 14, 30).

The paragraph is from Peter Lombard: Petr. Lomb., Sent. 2, 9, 2, 2 (p. 371, l. 10–24) and 2, 9, 3, 3 (p. 372, l. 4–21), drawing from Gregory the Great: Greg. M., In evang. 34, 7–10 (p. 305, l. 148 – p. 309, l. 357); further the Lombard’s Sent. 2, 10, 2, 1 (p. 278, l. 9–17). b  The articles A46 through A51 are repeated under Devil (D40–47); many manuscripts correctly omitted these articles here. a 

66

Letter A

b. Because of his strength, whence: When a strong man armed keepeth his court, those things are in peace which he possesseth (Luke 11, 21). c. Because of the heat of his desire, whence in Job: His strength is in his loins, and in his navel (Job 40, 11). d. Because of his thirst for blood, whence: Your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, goeth about seeking whom he may devour (I Pet. 5, 8). 48. The evil angel, that is, the devil, is called (Angelvs malvs, scilicet diabolvs, dicitvr) a. A lion, when he walks and openly rages, as in the primitive Church, in the persecution of martyrs. b. A dragon, when he flies secretly and craftily. He was a dragon when, the storm having calmed and, by the grace of God, the Church having expanded, he stirred up heresies so that he might secretly bring harm. When these were rooted out by Augustine and other doctors, he roused up in the Church false brothers who will endure until the time of Antichrist, in which time there will be such persecution as hath not been from the beginning of the world (Matth. 24, 21). c. A serpent, when he creeps and binds. Against this one the woman in the Apocalypse fights (cf. Apoc. 12, 4 and 9), and Samson, and Moses in the desert (cf. Num. 21, 6–9). 49. The evil angel, that is, the devil, is called a false prosecutor (Angelvs malvs, scilicet diabolvs, dicitvr calvmpniator) a. Because he is a liar, whence in the Gospel he is called ‘the father of lies’ (cf. John 8, 44). b. Because he accuses, whence in the Apocalypse: because the accuser of our brethren is fallen (Apoc. 12, 10). And he falsely accused Job, saying: Doth Job worship God in vain? (Job 1, 9). c. Because he oppresses the innocent, whence: Your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, goeth about seeking whom he may devour (I Pet. 5, 8).

67

Letter A

32

50. The evil angel, that is, the devil, is called ‘the sinner’, putting the epithet for the name (Angelvs malvs, scilicet diabolvs, dicitvr peccator antonomasice) a. Because he was the first to sin. b. Because he made humankind sin. c. Because he sins every day. d. Because he sins against God and his neighbor and himself. Against God, whence: I  will ascend into heaven, etc. (Is. 14, 13). Against his neighbor, whence: By the envy of the devil, death came into the world (Wis. 2, 24). Against himself, whence: How art thou fallen, O Lucifer, etc. (Is. 14, 12). 51. The evil angel, that is, the devil, is called (Angelvs malvs, scilicet diabolvs, dicitvr) a. Satan, that is, ‘the adversary’, whence in the Gospel: Go behind me, Satan (Mark 8, 33). b. A demon, that is, ‘knowing one’, in mockery of him, because he promised knowledge to the first parents and took it away, saying: You shall be as gods, knowing good and evil (Gen. 3, 5). c. The devil (diabolus), that is, ‘flowing downward’, or ‘biting in body and soul’, from ‘dia’ which is ‘two’, and ‘bolus’ which is ‘little bite’. d. Leviathan, that is, ‘the increase of them’, that is, of the first parents, to whom he promised an increase, that is, knowledge, as was said above [section b]. e.  Reseph, that is, ‘creeping (repens) on the breast and belly’, because he makes us creep in our breast, that is, in thought, and in our belly. f. Behemoth, that is, ‘animal’. g. Zabulus. All these significations are in Job.

33

52. The evil angel (Angelvs malvs) a. Is understood by way of a blackberry, because first it’s white, second red, and third and finally dark and despicable. b. Sets a snare for those fasting, as below in the article Fasting (I4).

68

Letter A

53. The soul is allotted diverse names for its diverse activities and it is called (Anima pro diversis actibvs diversa nomina sortitvr et dicitvr) a. Sometimes the whole person. Whence: Eight souls were saved in Noah’s ark (I Pet. 3, 20). Again: Jacob went down into Egypt with seventy souls (Deut. 10, 22; cf. Ex. 1, 5; Gen. 46, 27; Acts 7, 14). b. Sometimes this present life (vita), or one’s sensuality. Whence in the Gospel: He that hateth his life [anima] in this world for me, that is, this present life or one’s sensible being, keepeth it unto life [vita] eternal (John 12, 25; Matth. 10, 39). This is taken in one way here, in another way above. What follows is the same: And he that loveth his life [anima] shall lose it (John 12, 25). Surely it is a good thing for anyone to lose his life (anima), lest he be lost. I’d rather lose my life to preserve it than to preserve it so that I lose it. c. Sometimes a person’s spirit, which after the day of judgment will be glorified with the body or will be eternally put to death with the body. Concerning this it is said: Bless the Lord, O my soul (Ps. 102, 1 and 2), and: My soul hath stuck close to thee (Ps. 62, 9). 54. The term ‘soul’ is put (Anima ponitvr) a. Sometimes for the will, whence, speaking in the person of Christ: And I covered my soul in fasting (Ps. 68, 11), that is, my will. b.  Sometimes for power, whence as above: And I covered my soul in fasting, that is, I did not exercise my power of avenging. 55. Anima is called (Anima dicitvr) a. ‘The soul’ when it animates the body. b. When it desires, ‘will’. c. When it knows, ‘mind’. d. When it judges the right, ‘reason’. e. When it recalls, ‘memory’. f. When it feels, ‘sense’. g. When it discerns, ‘intellect’. 56. The soul (Anima) for the sake of teaching is said to have two potential parts. The upper, namely reason, has two parts: wisdom concerning supernal matters, which can desire nothing

69

34

Letter A

except the good, with which we contemplate God; and a lower knowledge, which so conducts itself in the world that it may live without complaint unless it is corrupted by Eve, that is, by the flesh. And the lower, namely sensuality, which likewise has two parts: an upper, with regard to permitted and necessary things, as eating and drinking; and a lower, with regard to illicit things, such as fornicating and things of this kind – and this is called the serpent who prompts Eve.

35

57. The soul is troubled (Anima pertvrbatvr) a. Sometimes by its own sins, whence: I roared with the groaning of my heart (Ps. 37, 9). b.  Sometimes by compassion for the sins of one’s neighbor, whence the Apostle: Who is weak, and I am not weak? (II Cor.  11, 29). c. Sometimes by one’s own infirmity, whence: My soul is sorrowful even unto death (Matth. 26, 38; Mark 14, 34). d. Sometimes by compassion for the adversity of one’s neighbor, whence: The Lord wept over the city of Jerusalem, saying, ‘If thou also hadst known’ (Luke 19, 41–42). 58. The soul faints away (Anima deficit) a. In desiring future things, whence: My soul hath fainted after thy salvation (Ps. 118, 81). Again: How lovely are thy tabernacles. O Lord of hosts! My soul longeth and fainteth, etc. (Ps. 83, 2). b. In pining for temporal things, whence: My flesh hath fainted away (Ps. 72, 26). c.  In contemplating eternal things, whence: My soul melted (Cant. 5, 6). 59. The soul (Anima) is adorned or crowned with four principal virtues, as below in the article Crown (C154). 60. There are brutes (animales svnt) a. Some in their knowledge, not in their life, those who live well and know little, like the apostles in former times.

70

Letter A

b.  Others in their life and not in their knowledge, like evil people who know and teach well and live badly. These give their tongue to God and their soul to the devil. c. Others in both, who know little and live badly. 61. The year (Annvs) a. A ‘natural’ year starts from any hour or point of time and reaches to the same hour or point. b. A ‘common’ year, from the first of January. c. A ‘legal’ year, from the first new moon of April. d. An ‘emergent’ year, from some memorable event, as Romans compute their years from the founding of the city, the children of Israel from the exodus from Egypt, Christians from the incarnation of the Lord. Using this year it is said that Paul was converted in the first year after the passion of the Lord, that is, in the first emergent year, but in the second common year. 62. There is a year (Annvs est) a. Of sterility, from the beginning of the world up to the advent of Christ. Whence: Behold, for these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I find none (Luke 13, 7). b. Of bounty, that is, of fulness, from Christ up to the end of the world. Whence: When the fulness of time was come, God sent his Son, etc. (Gal. 4, 4). c. Of retribution, in the heavenly fatherland. Whence: When the year of retribution shall have come (cf. Is. 63, 4; 34, 8). 63. The year of God (Annvs Dei) has four seasons, that is, four evangelists, and twelve months, that is, twelve apostles, as we read in the comment on Lukea where we are told the prophecy of Isaiah, who speaks of the acceptable year of the Lord (Luke 4, 19; cf. Is. 61, 1–2). 64. An antiphon (Antiphona) denotes a good intention, as a Psalm, a good accomplishment. Whence we chant a Psalm with a 

Glos. ord. on Luke 4, 17–19.

71

36

Letter A

an antiphon, because we ought to begin and finish whatever we undertake with good intention. 65. An antichrist is (Antichristvs est) one who denies with his work what he says with his mouth. Whence in the comment on the Epistle to Titus, ‘Whoever denies Christ with his deeds’, etc.a

37

66. Christ had anguish (Anxietatem habvit Christvs) a.  In his body, whence: His sweat became as a drop of blood, trickling down upon the ground (cf. Luke 22, 44). b. In his spirit, whence: My spirit is in anguish within me, my heart within me is troubled (Ps. 142, 4). 67. Christ appeared three times as God, on the same day of the year over the years (Apparvit Christvs tripliciter vt Devs, in ipsa die apparitionis, per temporvm revolvtionem) a.  On the thirteenth day after his birth he appeared to the kings of the pagans while a star stood over where the child was, for by offering frankincense to him they confessed him to be God by this gift. b. In his thirtieth year on the same day he appeared to John the Baptist and to the crowds who gathered to him through the witness of the Father, and he deigned to be baptized by John. And there the heavens were opened above him, and the voice of the Father thundered, ‘This is my beloved Son’ (Matth. 3, 16; Luke 3, 21). And there the Holy Spirit appeared in the likeness of a dove, because for those baptized in the Spirit, the doors of heaven are opened (Matth. 3, 16; Luke 3, 21; Ps. 77, 23). Hence in that place the mystery of the Trinity has been introduced: the Father in the voice, the Son in the man, and the Holy Spirit in the dove. Whence that day is called ‘epiphany’, that is, ‘manifestation’ or ‘appearance’, because in the star he became manifest as the Son of God to the pagans; he was revealed in the waters of baptism by the a 

Glos. ord. on Tit. 1, 16.

72

Letter A

voice of the Father and the opening of heaven; he was manifested at the marriage in the conversion of water into wine. c. In the following year, on the same day, he was invited to the wedding where the chief steward was present (cf.  John 2, 8–9), and he appeared as God before his mother and his disciples and the wedding guests by the changing of water into wine. The first is properly called an epiphany, from ‘epi’, which is ‘above’, and ‘phanos’, which is ‘manifestation’. The second, a theophany, from ‘theos’, which is ‘God’. The third, a bethphany, from ‘beth’, which is ‘house’.

38

68. Christ appeared (Apparvit Christvs) a. Ten times after the resurrection; five times on the day of the resurrection. b. First, to Mary Magdalene in the garden, when she thought he was the gardener (cf. John 20, 15). c. Second, to her and the other Mary coming back from the tomb, and they prostrated themselves at his feet (cf. Matth. 28, 9). If it were asked who the other Mary was, we say that it is uncertain. d.  Third, to Simon, that is, Peter, but where is not known (cf. Luke 24, 34). e. Fourth, to the two disciples going to Emmaus, who recognized him in the breaking of bread (cf. Luke 24, 30–31). f. Fifth, to the same two and to ten apostles, when Thomas was absent, when they were in a dining room, and they told how they knew him in the breaking of bread (Luke 24, 35). 69. Christ appeared (Apparvit Christvs) a. After eight days, with Thomas present, the doors being shut, entering the same dining room he also appeared to them, saying: Thomas, put thy finger into my side (John 20, 26–27). b. Seventh, to seven disciples at work fishing at the sea of Tiberias (cf. John 21, 1–13). The third (John 21, 14), not with respect to appearances, but with respect to the number of days – and this term, namely ‘the third’, should not be construed as an adverb. c. For the eighth time to many in Galilee, whence this appearance was more general (cf. Matth. 28, 16–18).

73

39

Letter A

d. Twice on the day of the ascension. First, when eating together with them, he commanded them, that they should not depart from Jerusalem (Acts 1, 4). e. Second, when, with clouds bearing him up, while they looked on, he was raised up into heaven (Acts 1, 9).

40

70. The apostles are called hair (Apostoli dicvntvr capilli) a. Whence in the Canticle of Canticles: Thy hair is as a flock of goats, which come up from mount Galaad (Cant. 4, 1; 6, 4). Whence in a figure of Christ it was said: Go up, thou bald head (IV Kings 2, 23), because when Christ went up on the cross he was stripped of all his hair, that is, the apostles. b. Because they adorn Christ as hair adorns the head. Whence Isaiah, aiming his utterance at Christ, says: Thou shalt with all these as with an ornament (Is. 49, 18). c. Because of their insignificance and lowliness, for they were base and abject to the unbelievers and unfaithful ones. Whence: The saints had trial of mockeries and stripes, moreover also of bands and prisons. They were stoned, they were cut asunder, they were tempted, etc. (Hebr. 11, 36–37). d.  Because of their rooting in the head. Whence: They were founded on the foundation (Eph. 2, 20). 71. The apostles are called heavens (Apostoli dicvntvr celi) a.  Because of the lightning-flashes of miracles. Whence the saying of the Apostle: ‘Not only in exhortation, but also in the working of miracles’ (cf. I Thess. 1, 5; I Cor. 2, 4). b. Because of the splendor of their lives, whence: You are the light of this world (Matth. 5, 14 VL). c.  Because of their secret preservation of the word of God. Whence: To you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God (Mark 4, 11; Matth. 13, 11; Luke 8, 10). d. Because of the diversity of their radiance as if they were the zodiac. Whence: The beauty of the house shall divide spoils (Ps. 67, 13).

74

Letter A

e. Because of their uniform knowledge of the course, whence Peter: We cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard (Acts 4, 20). And Paul: The word of God is not bound in me (II Tim. 2, 9), and elsewhere: You are as lights in the firmament of heaven (Gen. 1, 14; Phil. 2, 15). 72. The apostles were emboldened (Apostoli svnt confirmati) a. By word, whence: Fear ye not them that kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul (Matth. 10, 28). b. By example, whence: I have given you an example, that you should do so (John 13, 15). Again: Christ died for us, leaving you an example that you should follow his steps (I Pet. 2, 21). c. By interior inspiration, whence: Stay in the city, till you be endued with power from on high (Luke 24, 49). Again: For the Holy Ghost shall teach you everything (Luke 12, 12). From these it is evident that they were emboldened both in mind and in body. d. And in miracles, whence: But they going forth preached every where, the Lord working withal, and confirming the word with signs that followed (Mark 16, 20). 73. The apostles were honored (Apostoli svnt honorificati) a. In their calling, and in their election as apostles. Whence: You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you (John 15, 16). b. In their suffering. Whence Luke in the Acts of the Apostles: And they went from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were found worthy to suffer reproach for the name of Christ (Acts 5, 41). c. In their conversion of the faithful. Whence the Apostle: As long as I am appointed the apostle of the gentiles, I honor my ministry (Rom. 11, 13). d.  In their profession of faith. Whence: You, who have followed me, in the regeneration, when the Son of man shall sit, etc. (Matth. 19, 28). e. In their glorification. Whence it is said that they will have the gold crown and the aureole (cf. Ex. 25, 25), that is, the vision of

75

41

Letter A

God and the company of those who were converted to the faith or to good works by their preaching or example. 74. God chose the apostles (Apostolos) not from philosophers or proud rich people but from the most humble and the poor. Whence: The foolish and the weak hath God chosen, that he might confound the strong (I Cor. 1, 27). Peter was a fisher, Paul a persecutor. They were not chosen in one day, but on one day they were worthy to obtain martyrdom.

42

75. The apostles are called ‘the inheritance’ (Apostoli dicvntvr hereditas) a. Whence: Ask of me, and I will give thee the gentiles for thy inheritance (Ps. 2, 8). Again: Behold, the inheritance of the Lord are children; the reward, the fruit of the womb (Ps. 126, 3). b. Because of their sure possession and sure liberation. Whence: No one can snatch my sheep (John 10, 29). c. Because of their cultivation. Whence: I have set thee over nations, and over kingdoms, to root up, and to pull down, and to demolish, and to build, and to plant (Jer. 1, 10). d. Because of their food. Whence: My meat is to do the will of my Father (John 4, 34). 76. The apostles are called lamps (Apostoli dicvntvr lvcerna) a. Because of the light received from another, whence in the gospel: That you may be the children of light (John 12, 36). b. Because of their illuminating, whence: You are the light of this world (Matth. 5, 14). c. Because of the earthen fragility of their flesh. Whence: We have this treasure in earthen vessels (II Cor. 4, 7). 77. The apostles are called mountains (Apostoli dicvntvr montes) a. Because a ‘mountain’ (mons) is so called as if it were a ‘mass’ (moles) blocking the new sun. Thus the apostles are mountains because they first received the rays of faith from Christ.

76

Letter A

b. Because ‘mountain’ (mons) is so called from ‘to shelter’ (munire). Thus the apostles are mountains either because they shelter us or because they are sheltered by Christ. c. Because a mountain is called a land lifted up on high. Thus apostles are mountains because they are lifted up higher than other earthly things. 78. Apostles are called mountains – Apostoli dicvntvr montes) a.  Because of the strength or steadfastness of their faith, whence: They that trust in the Lord shall be as mount Zion, etc. (Ps. 124, 1). b.  Because of the eminence of their virtues, whence: Mountains are round about it (Ps. 124, 2). c. Because of their fortifying, whence it is said of the Church: Terrible as an army set in array (Cant. 6, 3). d. Because of their first receiving of the rays of the sun, whence: Let the mountains receive peace for the people (Ps. 71, 3). Again: For the law shall come forth from Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem (Is. 2, 3). e. Because of their knowledge, whence Isaiah: And in the last days the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be prepared (Is. 2, 2). 79. The apostles are called winds (Apostoli dicvntvr venti) a. Because of their souls, of whose origin we are ignorant. Just as we are ignorant of the winds, which are not seen but are felt, so it is with the soul. b. Because of their speed, because just as winds or spirits are speedy, so imitators of the apostles should be speedy in preaching and in works of mercy. Whence: Who are these, that fly as clouds? (Is. 60, 8). 80. The apostles are called arrows (Apostoli dicvntvr sagitte) a.  Because of their speed, whence: Who are these, that fly as clouds? (Is. 60, 8).

77

43

Letter A

b. Because of their mission accomplished at a distance, whence: Absent in body, but present in spirit, I  have given him to Satan (I Cor. 5, 3 and 5). c. Because of their piercing and wounding, whence: The weaned child shall thrust his hand in the hole of the asp and the den of the basilisk (Is. 11, 8).

44

81. The apostles are called clouds (Apostoli dicvntvr nvbes) that is, are compared to clouds, together with all rectors of the Church and preachers and all the saints, for four reasons, namely: a.  Because of their origin from water, because they likewise have their origin from water – of baptism. b. Because of their ascending, because clouds ascend, and they likewise reach up high, that is, to eternal life, and they speak about it, and for its sake they do whatever they do. c. Because of rain, because they rain down doctrine, they thunder with admonitions, they flash with miracles – which if preachers these days do with their words, yet they negate them with their deeds (Tit. 1, 16). d.  Because of their swiftness, whence Isaiah: Who are these, that fly as clouds removed from the whirlwinds of the world, and innocent as doves to their windows? (Is. 60, 8). The saints guard their windows, that is, the five senses of the body, lest through them as if through windows death might enter their souls. Again: Be ye therefore wise as serpents (Matth. 10, 16). 82. The apostles are called (Apostoli dicvntvr) a. Foundations, whence: The foundations thereof are in the holy mountains; the Lord loveth, etc. (Ps. 86, 1–2). b.  Cities, whence: A  city seated on a mountain cannot be hid (Matth. 5, 14 VL), that is, the apostles on Christ, because it is not enough for prelates but that they be manifestly good. 83. The apostles are called (Apostoli dicvntvr) a.  Light, for they ought to shed light on their imitators through good works. Whence: So may your good works shine be-

78

Letter A

fore men, etc., not for any other reason than that those seeing them may glorify your Father (Matth. 5, 16). b.  Kings, whence: Myrrh and myrrh-oil and cassia from thy garments, from the ivory houses, out of which the daughters of kings have delighted thee (Ps. 44, 9); kings, that is, the apostles, according to one exposition, who sired the daughters in the faith of Jesus Christ.a 84. The storeroom of God is (Apotheca Dei est) a. A person, as the temple of God is holy, which you are (I Cor. 3, 17), where the gifts of the Holy Spirit are stored away. Whence: Upon whom will my spirit rest, if not upon the humble and quiet, and trembling at my words (Is. 66, 2 VL). b. The heavenly banquet. Whence: Thou shalt make them drink of the torrent of thy pleasure (Ps. 35, 9). c. Sacred Scripture, or the Church. Whence: He brought me into the cellar of wine, and set in order charity in me (Cant. 2, 4). ‘Of wine’, he says, because the Church offers wine to drink, that is, the love of God, with which drinkers become so drunk that they forget their parents and their former life. ‘Set in order charity in me’, that is, arrange charity in me in an orderly way, namely that I should love God in the first place and then my neighbor, and this in various levels, so that in the first place is the Father and in the last my enemy. 85. Water signifies (Aqva significat)b a.  Sometimes the Holy Spirit, whence: And he shall be like a tree which is planted near the running waters (Ps. 1, 3), that is, he shall be made a person according to the working of the Holy Spirit. Again: He that has believed in me, ‘Out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water’ (John 7, 38). b. Sometimes the wisdom of God, whence, as above: And he shall be like… (Ps. 1, 3). ‘Waters’, that is, according to the wisdom with which he holds up a person; that is, a person will be made one with the wisdom of God. a  b 

Peter Lombard: Petr. Lomb., In Ps. 44, 9 (col. 443A-B). The article draws from Peter Lombard: Petr. Lomb., In Ps. 1 (col. 63B-C).

79

45

Letter A

46

c. Sometimes the race of mortals, whence, as above, according to a third exposition: And he shall be like a tree, etc. (Ps. 1, 3). ‘Waters’, that is, according to the flood of peoples, because he has appeared in the likeness of the flesh of sin. And John in the Apocalypse: Many waters, many peoples (Apoc. 17, 15). 86. There is water (Aqva est) a.  Of cupidity in this present world, whence in the gospel: Whosoever drinketh of this water, shall thirst again (John 4, 13). b. Of vice generally, or of voluptuousness, whence Jacob said to his son Reuben: Thou art poured out as water, grow thou not, because thou wentest up to thy father’s bed (Gen. 49, 4). c.  Of tribulation, whence: We have passed through fire and water, and thou hast brought us out into a refreshment (Ps.  65, 12). d. Of charity or grace, whence: He that believeth in me, ‘Out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water’ (John 7, 38). e. Of doctrine, whence: Let thy fountains be conveyed abroad, and in the streets divide thy waters (Prov. 5, 16). Again: He hath turned a wilderness into pools of waters (Ps. 106, 35).

47

87. A human being, or peoples, or nations are likened to water or waters (Aqve sive aqvis homo, popvli, sive gentes conparantvr) a. Because of their flowing back to their origin. For just as water flows from the sea and flows back into the sea, so a human being passes from earth into earth. Whence: ‘Remember that you are ash, into ash you will return’ (cf. Gen. 3, 19; Job 10, 9). b.  Because of the succession of progeny. Whence: One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh (Eccle. 1, 4). Whence also David said of the death of his son: I shall follow him; he shall not return to me (II Sam. 12, 23). c. Because of its movement, for a human being changes from childhood into adolescence, and so on, just as water from channel to channel. Whence: Man born of a woman, living for a short time, is filled with many miseries, etc. (Job 14, 1).

80

Letter A

d. Because of the insignificance of the element. Whence: Behold the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted to him as nothing, and vanity (Is. 40, 15 and 17). e. Because of their depth. Whence Jeremiah: The heart of man is deep, and unsearchable, and who can know it? (Jer. 17, 9 VL). 88. To water (Aqve) preachers are likened, as below in the article Preachers (P116). 89. To a spider (Aranee) are likened the Jews, and all evil people, and infidels, and any human, as below in the article Evil people (M20). 90. The will (Arbitrivm) is called ‘free’ because it can move in any direction, that is, toward one thing or toward another. And it is freer toward the bad than the good, but it is freer in a good person than a bad. More will be said of the freedom of the will in the article Liberty (L52). 91. There is a tree that is (Arbor est) a. Good, that is, good will. Whence in the gospel: A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit (Matth. 7, 18). b. Evil, that is, evil will. Whence: Neither can an evil tree bring forth good fruit (Matth. 7, 18). 92. The ark (Archa)a a.  Of ‘conversation’, or ‘liberation’, as Noah’s ark, of which is was said: Make me an ark of smoothed or polished or pitched timbers (Gen. 6, 14) in which the whole seed of the earth will be saved. This ark was made by Noah – in the Incarnation, that is, by God the Father, ‘of smoothed timbers’ through exemption from sin, ‘of polished timbers’ through the splendor of virtues, ‘of pitched timbers’ through fulness of grace, even ‘of joined timbers’ through union with the Word. It is set amid the flood – in the NaThe whole article borrows from Garnerius of Rochefort: Garner. Rvpif., Serm. 40 (col. 827A-B, 828A). a 

81

48

Letter A

49

tivity; a dove was received in it – through the Baptism; a window was opened in the side of the ark – in the Passion; the Lord closed its crystalline door from the outside – in the Resurrection; little rooms and third floors were made in it – in the Ascension; a dove was sent from it – in the sending of the Holy Spirit, that is, in the day of Pentecost; clean and unclean animals were preserved in it – through the preaching of the apostles in the joining of Jews and gentiles at the cornerstone; it came to rest as if on the mountains of Armenia – in the end of the world (cf. Gen. 6–8). Just as the character of the incarnate Word, as was said, is expressed in the ark, so the mystery of the Holy Spirit is signified by the dove. The raven that was sent from the ark and didn’t return signifies false Christians who, when they at some time are sent to the outside because of some crisis, stay outside, because they cling to visible things. But the dove that returned signifies good people who, when they are sent out because of the need of their neighbors, come back and bring the olive branch, because they have accomplished a work of mercy. b. Of ‘signification’. Whence it was said to Moses: Make me an ark of setim wood (cf. Deut. 10, 3; Ex. 25, 10). In this ark were stored a golden pot, manna, the tablets of the testament, the rod of Aaron (Hebr. 9, 4); the book of Deuteronomy was stored in the side of the ark. In the golden pot we understand the humanity of Christ; in the manna, his divinity; in the tablets, the joining of the two laws; in the rod of Aaron, priestly and royal power; in the book of Deuteronomy, the second law, that is, the gospel, the consummation in Christ. This ark signifies Christ. This ark is carried around Jericho for seven days (cf. Josh. 6) when Christ is preached in the world up to the end of the age which rolls around in seven ‘days’. The bearers of this ark are the apostles, all the saints, and all the preachers, of whom it is said: Their sound hath gone forth into all the earth (Ps. 18, 5). c. Of the treasury. About this it is written that the priest Joiada made a treasury in the temple. He placed an ark in it, making a hole in the top (cf. IV Kings 12, 9). In it was kept money needed for restoring the good repair of the temple. Therefore in this ark, namely the one that was in the temple, that is, in its meaning, we

82

Letter A

keep the treasure that we have in Christ, in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom with regard to his divinity and knowledge with regard to his humanity (Col. 2, 3). d. Of salvation, that is, Christ, in whom according to the Apostle are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Col. 2, 3). e.  Of sanctification, that is, the Church. Whence: Arise, O Lord, into thy resting place, thou and the ark, which thou hast sanctified (Ps. 131, 8). 93. To the ark (Arche) is likened the Church, as below in the article The Church.a 94. An architect is understood (Architectvs accipitvr) a.  In a good way: in general, that is, God; in particular, any prelate of the Church; singularly, any human being. b. In a bad way: in general, the devil; in particular, a heretic; singularly, a false Christian. 95. Some people burn (Ardent) and shed light, as below in the article John (I68–71). 96. God seeks to clarify (Argvit) as we also do, as below in the article Prelates. Further on arguing, in the article Prelates.b 97. God has weapons with which he punishes us (Arma habet Devs qvibvs nos pvnit) a. Arrows, namely, sacred Scripture, the divine word, that is, divine utterance. Whence: The arrows of the mighty (Ps. 119, 4), that is, the apostles. And all righteous people are called arrows of God. Whence: As arrows in the hand of the mighty (Ps. 126, 4). The apostles are called arrows by a triple rationale, as above in the article Apostles (A80). Also, punishments inflicted by God are a  b 

A blank cross-reference. This cross-reference, and its parallel at D31, is also omitted in the manuscripts.

83

50

Letter A

51

52

called arrows of God. Whence: For thy arrows are fastened in me (Ps. 37, 3). And God has threats for arrows, whence: Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit, shall be cut down, and shall be cast into the fire (Matth. 7, 19; Luke 3, 9). And he has three other arrows with which, that is, he wounds his enemies so that he may make them friends. The first is the sting of lost money; the second, the plague of bodily harm; the third, the hammer of the idea of hell. The arrows for heretics are perverse teachings, namely, their teachings. Whence: To shoot in the dark the upright of heart (Ps. 10, 3). And perverse words are called arrows, whence: The arrows of children become their wounds (Ps. 63, 8). b. Lances: losses of lands and things of this kind as appear in territories overseas, in wars, storms, famine, and the like. c.  The sword in the last instance, namely the brand, that is, eternal damnation. But sometimes he punishes with this sword temporally, sometimes eternally. Of this sword it is said: I  will make my arrows drunk with blood, and my sword shall devour flesh (Deut. 32, 42). First he pierces with arrows like an archer and, unless we stop attacking him, that is, sinning, he pierces with lances, and finally with the sword. Truly we are enemies of God because by sinning we offend God, and he and his weapons will not cease unless we cease, for he fights against us because we first fight against him by sinning. But he desires peace, saying: Turn ye to me, and I will turn to you (Zach. 1, 3). If we wish for peace we have ready intercessors, like the blessed Mary and all the saints of God. d. And we ourselves are also called weapons of God with which he fights. Whence: Take hold of arms, that is, we ourselves, and shield (Ps. 34, 2). The shield is the protection of God’s good will, for good will is called the shield of God. 98. The weapons (Arma) of Christians, and especially of prelates, with which they should defend themselves and do battle, what are they if not virtues and good works? – and the shield of faith; the helmet of hope; the breastplate of charity the sword of the spirit which is the word of God (Eph. 6, 11–17); the lance of prayer, which is raised up to the Lord and directed against the enemy; greaves, from walking about in diverse places; bow and arrows,

84

Letter A

from preaching; the bridle, from temperance; spurs, from vigils and fasting. Moreover, in this spiritual militia the body is the horse, the soldier is the spirit. But whoever is not armed with these arms is not a soldier of Christ, for without these no one can be a soldier of Christ. And whoever is not a soldier of Christ is his enemy, as he bore witness: He that is not with me, is against me (Luke 11, 23). Therefore let everyone who is willing strive to be armed with these weapons. Let all people strive with the Apostle to go to battle, so that after the victory they may deserve to be crowned by Christ – and especially prelates, so that when ‘the strong man armed’ has been vanquished, the laurel of eternal blessedness may be given to him in triumph. 99. The weapons (Arma) with which the Apostle commands us to be armed are the virtues. For the Apostle says: Put you on the armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the deceits of the devil (Eph. 6, 11). ‘The armor of God’, that is, the virtues, ‘that you may be able to stand steadfast against the deceits of the devil’ who works evil in hiding. And it is necessary for you to stand, for our wrestling, that is, our battle, is not against flesh and blood only, that is, against humans or the vices that arise from flesh and blood, but against principalities, that is, demons who rule over others, and powers (Eph.  6, 12), that is, against those who are potent above others, who are set over others. Then he expounds this, saying: But against the rulers of the world, that is, against the devil and his angels, whom he calls ‘rulers of the world’ because they rule over lovers of the world – not the world itself – the world of this darkness, because they are rulers of those whom they cast headlong into works of darkness. He specifies still more particularly, to wit, against the spirits of wickedness, that is, against spiritual and wicked beings, in high places (Eph. 6, 12), that is, for celestial things; indeed, they fight to take away our celestial heritage. 100. The weapons (Arma) of priests are what are called their holy vestments, as below in the article Vestments (V17). 101. An armed (Armatus) populace without God is unarmed.

85

53

Letter A

54

102. Christ ascended (Ascendit Christvs) a.  In the Incarnation, whence Isaiah: The Lord will ascend upon a swift cloud, that is, flesh immune from sin, that is, the body of the holy virgin, and will enter into Egypt, literally, or into the world, and the idols of Egypt shall be moved (Is. 19, 1). In the first clause he showed the result of the incarnation, second, of the nativity, third, the result of both. And note that just as in the exodus of the children of Israel from Egypt there was not a home in Egypt in which, under God’s supervision, there did not lie a dead first-born, so there is now not a temple in which an idol has not toppled. b. From water, whence: Jesus ascended from the water into the desert (Matth. 3, 16; 4, 1). c.  In preaching, whence: Jesus ascended onto a mountain (Matth. 5, 1). d. Upon an ass, whence: Fear not, daughter of Zion. Behold thy king cometh to thee, meek, sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of her that is used to the yoke (John 12, 14; Matth. 21, 5). e. In his Passion, that is, on the cross. Whence: And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all things to myself (John 12, 32). Again: As Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, etc. (John 3, 14). f. In his Resurrection, according to this: Who ascendeth upon the west, the Lord is his name (Ps. 67, 5). Again: All power is given to me in heaven and in earth (Matth. 28, 18). g. In the Ascension, whence: Christ ascended on high, he led captivity captive (Eph.  4, 8). Again: Thy magnificence is elevated above the heavens, God (Ps. 8, 2). h.  In the human heart, whence: Man shall ascend to a deep heart, and God shall be exalted (Ps. 63, 7). i. Into the world, whence: Their sound hath gone forth into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world (Ps.  18, 5). Again: I will be exalted among the nations, and I will be exalted in the earth (Ps. 45, 11). j.  In hell, whence: He has broken gates of brass and iron bars (Ps. 106, 16). k. On the Day of Judgment, whence: The Lord alone shall be exalted on that day (Is. 2, 11).

86

Letter A

103. A  good person ascends or is exalted (Ascendit sive exaltatvr homo bonvs) a. In working of miracles, whence: He that believeth in me, the works that I do, he also shall do, etc. (John 14, 12). b. Through contemplation, whence: Jacob saw angels ascending and descending (Gen. 28, 12). c. From virtue to virtue, whence: In his heart he hath disposed ascensions (Ps. 83, 8 and 6). d. From seeking out celestial matters, whence: Man shall come to a deep heart, and God shall be exalted (Ps. 63, 7). e. In collecting the future reward, whence: The horns of the just shall be exalted (Ps. 74, 11). 104. An evil person ascends (Ascendit homo malvs) through pride, as does the devil. Whence: I will ascend into heaven, and I will put my throne in the north, and I will be like the most high (Is. 14, 13–14 VL). And in a similar way Christ, and a good as well as a bad person, and the devil, are said to descend, as below in the article Descends (D16–21). And the devil and a human being are said to fall, as in the article Fall (C50–51). 105. Some people are said to ascend (Ascendvnt) or be exalted so that they may be cast down. Whence: When they were lifted up thou hast cast them down (Ps. 72, 18). Again: I have seen the wicked highly exalted, and lifted up like the cedars of Lebanon (Ps.  36, 35). ‘They are lifted up on high’, says the Gloss, ‘so that they might tumble with a heavier fall, and “as the step is higher, so the fall is heavier”’.a 106. The courts of the Lord are thronged (Atria Domini freqventantvr) a. For praising, whence: Praising I will call upon the Lord, and I shall be saved from my enemies (Ps. 17, 4). b. For prayer, whence: I will come into thy house, Lord; I will worship towards thy holy temple, and I will give glory to thy name (Ps. 5, 8; 137, 2). a 

Glos. ord. on Matth. 25, 34.

87

55

Letter A

56

c. For instruction, whence in the book of Wisdom: Draw near to me, ye unlearned, and gather yourselves together in the house of discipline (Eccli. 51, 31). d. For receiving the sacrament, whence: Appoint a solemn day, with shady boughs, even to the horn of the altar (Ps. 117, 27). 107. Avarice (Avaricia) is the guardian of the devil, because just as a householder sets a guardian in his home, so also the devil sets avarice in a person. Of avarice the Apostle says: The desire of money is the root of all evils just as pride is the beginning (I Tim. 6, 10; Eccli. 10, 15). Again: No fornicator, or covetous person, will have part in the kingdom of Christ (Eph. 5, 5). 108. A greedy person (Avarvs) and a covetous one are compared to a person with dropsy, as below in the article dropsical (I2). 109. Sacred authority (Avctoritas) that is, Sacred Scripture, is expounded in four ways, as below in the article Scripture (S43).

57

110. Some wish to hear (Avdire) a. And to know and to carry out the gospel commands, and these are good. b. Others to hear and to know, but not to carry out, and these are evil. c. Some to hear, but not to know or to carry out, and these are worse. d. Some not to hear or know or carry out, and these are the worst, perhaps clinging to this statement: The servant who knew the will of his lord, and did not according to his will, shall be beaten, etc. (Luke 12, 47). Of such people Solomon says: He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, his prayer shall be an abomination (Prov. 28, 9). And this is what is said elsewhere, that of those seeking God there are some who ask but don’t perform his works. Whence Isaiah: Cry, cease not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and show my people their wicked doings. For they seek me from day to day, and desire to know my ways (Is. 58, 1–2), says the

88

Letter A

almighty Lord. Some neither seek God nor perform his works, of whom it is said: Their madness is according to the likeness of a serpent (Ps. 57, 5). John says about the first: He that is of God, heareth the words of God (John 8, 47). But what follows – Therefore you hear them not, because you are not of God – can be understood of the second or third or fourth. 111. God turns away for a time (Avertit se Devs ad tempvs) a. In order to correct, whence: Thou turnedst away thy face from me, and I became troubled (Ps. 29, 8). b. In order to forgive sins, whence: Turn away thy face from my sins (Ps. 50, 11). c.  In order to punish eternally, whence: I  will not visit upon your daughters when they shall commit fornication (Hos. 4, 14). 112. A bird (Avis) a. Reaching on high, that is, a righteous person. Fish and birds are made of the same material. Fish, that is, evil people, remain in the waters of this world; birds, that is, good people, reach on high. b. Soaring on high, that is, an angel. Whence: Detract not the king in thy private chamber, because the birds of the air will tell him (Eccle. 10, 20). c. Of ravening, that is, the devil. Whence in the parable of the seed: The birds of the air ate it up (Luke 8, 5; Matth. 13, 4; Mark 4, 4). d. Of consuming, that is, the tumult of evil thoughts. Whence: Abram drove the birds away from the flesh of the sacrifices (Gen. 15, 11). e. A prelate, whence a bird builds its nest in a mustard plant (cf. Matth. 13, 32; Mark. 4, 32; Luke 13, 19), that is, a prelate in the catholic faith. 113. A gold crown is (Avrea est) what all the elect will have in the vision of God, that is, all who will be saved (cf. Ex. 25, 25). 114. A little gold crown or aureole (Avreola) in the retinue, which all those will have by whose preaching or example

89

58

Letter A

others are converted, such as Paul who converted many – which prelates are obliged to do, because it doesn’t suffice for prelates or priests if they are good unless, insofar as they are able, they make their subjects good, for they ought not to enter alone (cf. Ex. 25, 25). But note that some will enter alone, that is, not having an aureole, and will have a greater reward than some who will enter with a great multitude, just as is noticed in the court of a king or the pope, for sometimes someone who enters there alone is honored more than someone in a throng of companions. 115. Some offer gold (Avrvm) as below in the article They offer (O28, 29, 33).

90

LETTER B

1. ‘Babylon’ means (Babilon dicitvr) a.  Sometimes ‘the world’ or ‘human intercourse’. Whence: Upon the rivers of Babylon, there we sat and wept (Ps. 136, 1). b. Sometimes ‘paganism’. Whence: I will be mindful of Rahab and of Babylon knowing me (Ps. 86, 4). c.  Sometimes ‘the confounding of sinfulness’. Whence: O daughter of Babylon, miserable… (Ps. 136, 8). Again: O daughter of Zion, thou shalt go down to Babylon, there thou shalt be delivered (Mic. 4, 10). 2. Among those who are in Babylon (De hiis qvi svnt in Babilone) a. Some are close to the border of Babylon, such that there are those who fall and immediately recover and do penance. b. Some are at the border, such that there are those who partly serve God, partly the world. c. Some are in the middle of Babylon, who take delight in money and weep over temporal losses. 3. In baptism (In baptismo) both original and present sins are forgiven. For this reason the duty of satisfaction for sin should not be imposed upon those who are baptized, even adults, because they have been made innocent. Their white garment signifies this.

91

59

Letter B

60

4. In baptism are three things (In baptismo svnt tria) a. Water, that is, the pure element. b. The word, that is, the invocation of the holy Trinity. c. And the remission of sins. And this is what we read in comment on the Apostle Paul and in the Sentences:a ‘Christ granted the administering of baptism to his servants, but kept this power for Himself. If He wishes, he may grant this to his own people’. Some propose that this is the power of water, so that one may be baptized in water only; others say it is of the invocation, lest people might be called ‘Petrines’, from Peter, and the like; others say it is of the remission of sins. Note that in Adam there was the disobedience, the act itself, and pride. For this reason in baptism we renounce ‘Satan’ for disobedience, ‘and all his works’ for the act, ‘and all his pomps’ for pride. Pope Leo says: ‘Let no more than one come forward to receive baptism, whether a man or a woman. Let the same be done in confirmation also’.b 5. There is a baptism (Baptismvs est) a. Of foreshadowing. Whence: Our fathers were all baptized in the cloud and in the sea (I Cor. 10, 1–2). b.  Of water. Whence: Go, teach ye all nation, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost (Matth. 28, 19). c.  Of the mind. Whence: He upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining upon him, he it is that baptizeth (John 1, 33). d. Of martyrdom. Whence: I have a baptism wherewith I am to be baptized; and how am I straitened until it be accomplished? (Luke 12, 50). 6. Baptism (Baptismvs) is the first plank after the shipwreck, penitence the second, as below in Penitence (P70). a  Peter Lombard: Petr. Lomb., Sent. 4, 5, 2, 2 (p. 266, l. 1–13) from Augustine: Avg., In euang. Ioh. 5, 7 (p. 1417, l. 44). b  Pope Leo’s decree is reported in Gratian., Decret. 3, 4, 101 (col. 1394, l. 10– 13), but he specifies that only one person should come forward to receive the infant from his or her baptism, a different idea.

92

Letter B

7. Of the blessed (Beati svnt) a. Some are reputed to be, namely those abounding in wealth. Whence: They have called the people happy, that hath these things (Ps. 143, 15). b. Some are on the way, namely those having powers. Whence: Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jona, because flesh and blood hath not revealed it to thee, but my Father (Matth. 16, 17). c. Some have grasped it, namely those who continually adhere to God. Whence: Blessed are they that dwell in thy house, O Lord (Ps. 83, 5). Again: Blessed are they that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God (Luke 14, 15). 8. We speak of eternal blessedness (Beatitvdo eterna dicitvr) a. Sometimes as a table. Whence: That you may eat and drink at my table, in the kingdom of God (Luke 22, 30). b. Sometimes as a bed. Whence: Look, I and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee (Luke 11, 7). c.  Sometimes as a house. Whence: I  have loved, O  Lord, the beauty of thy house, and the place where thy glory dwelleth (Ps. 25, 8). 9. Blessedness (Beatitvdo) a.  Of temporal things. Whence: They have called the people happy, that hath these things (Ps. 143, 15). b.  Of spiritual things. Whence: Blessed is the people that knoweth jubilation (Ps. 88, 16). c. Of eternal things. Whence: Blessed are they that dwell in thy house, O Lord; they shall praise thee for ever and ever (Ps. 83, 5). d. Of innocence. Whence angels are said to be created blessed, that is, innocent. e. Universal and absolute. Whence one is called blessed whose every wish is fulfilled. Angels are not said to be created, even though they are perfect, with this blessedness. But perfection is of many kinds, as below in Perfection (P78–81).

93

61

Letter B

62

63

10. Eternal blessedness is of many kinds yet is only one thing (Beatitvdo eterna mvltiplex est et vna sola) a. Which the eye hath not seen, nor ear heard; nor hath it entered into the heart of man, what things God hath prepared for them that love him (I Cor. 2, 9). To this blessedness the Savior himself in the gospel has invited us in many ways. b. To a first kind He invites us, saying: Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven (Matth. 5, 3). Humility grants us this. One is poor in spirit who is not troubled by abusive behavior. c.  To a second: Blessed are the meek, for they shall possess the land (Matth. 5, 4). To this blessedness we are exalted by divine worship and compassion for our neighbor. Mild or meek is one who is not troubled even by abusive words thrown in his face. Patience of abusive language is more perfect than of abusive behavior. For this reason a greater reward is promised to the meek than to the poor, because the poor are promised to ‘have’ the kingdom, whereas the meek to ‘possess’ it, and it is a greater thing to possess the kingdom than simply to have it, for we have many things that we do not possess. Truly those are meek and gentle and patient who harm nobody and yield to the wicked. But there are some who want to be so meek that they care nothing for others’ conduct: they advise nobody about the good and turn nobody from evil. But such lenience is not very praiseworthy, because they should be meek in such a way that they harm nobody, patiently undergo evils brought against them, and deliver encouragement to good people toward better things and correction to wicked people about their evildoing. It is said of the Savior: For thou, O Lord, art sweet and mild (Ps. 85, 5). And this: It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God (Hebr. 10, 31). Although it seems so, this is not a contradiction, because He is ‘sweet’ to his friends and ‘mild’ to those converting to the faith, and this is on account of his great mercy. ‘It is a fearful thing to fall’, etc.: This pertains to the justice that the Lord will display on the Day of Judgment, for though now it may seem to be asleep, then it will show forth as terrible to the wicked.

94

Letter B

d. To a third: Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted (Matth. 5, 5). To this we are led by the holy fear of the Lord which endures for ever and ever (Ps. 18, 10). And a greater reward is promised to those who mourn than to the poor and meek, because to the poor he promises to have the kingdom, which is great; to the meek, to possess it, which is greater; and to mourners, comfort, which is greatest. Comfort, that is, one’s joy in the possession of the kingdom, for it is greater to rejoice in the possession of the kingdom than simply to possess the kingdom. e. To a fourth: Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after justice, for they shall have their fill (Matth. 5, 6). To this we are led by a strong desire for the heavenly fatherland. The justice of humans in this life is almsgiving, fasting, and prayer. So we read in the comment on the letter to the Ephesians.a f. To a fifth: Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy (Matth. 5, 7). To this we are led by piety, which moves us toward our neighbor. And on this place in Matthew: Judgment will be done without mercy to him that hath not done mercy (James 2, 13), that is, works of mercy. g. To a sixth: Blessed are the clean of heart, for they shall see God (Matth. 5, 8). Continence leads us to this. We are made clean by baptism, penitence, and almsgiving. Of the first it is said: Wash ourselves, be clean (Is. 1, 16). Of the second: Create a clean heart in me, O God (Ps. 50, 12). Of the third: Give alms and behold, all things are clean unto you (Luke 11, 41). Again, the prophet: Shut up alms in the heart of the poor, and it shall pray for you to the Lord, for as water extinguishes fire… (Eccli. 29, 15 VL). h. To a seventh: Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God (Matth. 5, 9). Patience is most valuable for this, For widowed is the virtue that Patience doesn’t support.b

Woe to them that have lost patience (Eccli. 2, 16 VL), for they lose also the crown of patience, for no one who isn’t patient is righta  Not found in glosses to Ephesians, but in Glos. ord. on Ps. 42, 5 and Peter Lombard: Petr. Lomb., In Ps. 42, 6 (col. 437B), from Augustine: Avg., In Ps. 42, 8 (p. 481, l. 18–19), and elsewhere. The Chanter cites the saying several times. b  Prudentius, Psychomachia 177.

95

64

Letter B

65

eous. Again in a canonical epistle: Be patient therefore, brethren, until the coming of the Lord (James 5, 7). The peacemakers are those who, when evil is inflicted on them, don’t in the least repay it with evil, and who not only keep peace for themselves, but also bring others who are quarreling back to the harmony of peace. Such people are rightly called children of God, imitators of God. i. Likewise to an eighth He invites us, saying: Blessed are they that suffer persecution for justice’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven (Matth. 5, 10). He returns to the first beatitude because it is wholly necessary to us and to all people that ‘what the furnace does to gold, and the file to iron, and the flail to grain, such does tribulation to the righteous man’.a It is surely necessary. In fact, courage, which brings in this beatitude, fortifies and strengthens all of them, lest they fail in the struggle. See, you hear of eight beatitudes, yet there is only one beatitude, at which one arrives by the foresaid or other paths. Do you wish to be blessed? Hope and fear produce blessed ones, as you have here: The house of Aaron hath hoped in the Lord (Ps. 113, 10).b 11. There is a war (Bellvm) a. Against one’s own body, because the body trembles. b. Against the world; the world rages. c. Against the devil; the devil ambushes.c Of the flesh the Apostle says: The flesh lusteth against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh (Gal. 5, 17). Again: Make not provision for the flesh in its concupiscences (Rom. 13, 14). Again: The corruptible body is a load upon the soul, and the earthly habitation presseth down the mind – or spirit – that museth upon many things (Wis. 9, 15). Again: Keep the doors of thy mouth from her – that is, from sensuality – that sleepeth in thy bosom (Mic. 7, 5). Of the world, the Lord says in the gospel: Wonder not if the world hate you (I John 3, 13), for it hath hated me before you (John 15, 18). For just as the world hates Christ, so also it hates those who are of Christ. Saints conquer this world, whence: Saints by faith conquered kingdoms (Hebr. 11, 33). Proverbial (Walther, Proverbia 25811, etc.), based on Wis. 2, 6. The next verse (113, 11) continues: They that fear the Lord have hoped in the Lord. c  The schema alludes to the familiar triad – the world, the flesh, and the devil – as found in the baptism liturgy and elsewhere. a 

b 

96

Letter B

Of the devil Peter speaks in his canonical epistle, saying that he is a lion who goeth about us seeking whom he may devour (I Pet. 5, 8). Again, the Apostle: For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers (Eph. 6, 12). The war against the flesh involves sweet things; against the world, vain things; against the devil, evil things. Those three wage war on us; it is only these three that hinder the course of our salvation. Yet for this reason they are necessary for us, because there is no victory, there is no crown, where there is no struggle. There is no patience where there is no persecution, tribulation, temptation, ambush, and the like – for ‘what the furnace does to gold, the file to iron, the flail to grain, this does tribulation to the righteous man’.a 12. We even suffer war or ambush (Bellvm eciam sive insidias patimvr) a. From fleshly friends. Whence: If thy eye scandalize thee, pluck it out and cast it from thee (Matth. 18, 9). b. From visible enemies. Whence: They are dead who sought the life of the child (Matth 2, 20). c. From invisible enemies. Whence Peter in his canonical epistle: Your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion (I Pet. 5, 8), etc. 13. A war is called (Bellvm dicitvr) a. Foreign, the one that is between a human and the devil, that is, a person’s temptation by the devil. b. Civil, between one and one’s spouse, or parents, or neighbor. c.  ‘More than civil’ or intestine, between the flesh and the spirit. 14. The devil’s war against God is fourfold (Bellvm diaboli contra Devm qvadrvplex est) a. The first was in the wilderness of paradise. b. Second, in the wilderness of the desert. c. Third, in the desert of the world. a 

See the note to B10.i above.

97

66

Letter B

d. Fourth, in the wilderness of the soul. Pride challenged Him to the first war, ignorance to the second, malice to the third, envy to the fourth. In the first war he fought by making himself equal to God, but he fell. In the second he attacked with temptation, but he succumbed. In the third he invaded with the Passion, but he perished. In the fourth he fights against Christ – that is, His members – but often he succumbs.

67

15. Blessing is understood (Benedictio accipitvr) a. Sometimes in a good sense. Whence: Bless the Lord, O my soul (Ps. 102, 1 and 2 and 23; 103, 1 and 35), that is, praise him. Again: We that live bless the Lord (Ps. 113, 26). b. Sometimes in a bad sense. Whence Job would offer this kind every day for his sons, for he would say: Lest perchance my sons have sinned, and have blessed – that is, have cursed – the Lord in their hearts (Job 1, 5). Again, Job’s wife said to him: Bless – that is, curse – the Lord and die (Job 2, 9). 16. A blessing (Benedictio) a. Of a sinister kinda in external, temporal matters, and this is common as much to good as to bad people. Of this kind is said: The Lord blessed Job and he was multiplied exceedingly (Job 42, 12; 8, 7). And Laban said to Jacob: Serve me still for seven years, for God hath blessed me for thy sake (Gen. 30, 27). Again: In the dew of heaven from above and from the fat of the earth shall thy blessing be (Gen. 27, 39). Again, the Lord blessed the house of Laban because of Jacob. b. Of a good kind internally: in this present world through grace. Whence: Blessed be you of the Lord, who made heaven and earth (Ps. 113, 15). In the future to glory, that is, it pertains to the guaranty of glory. Whence: Come, ye blessed of my Father (Matth. 25, 34), etc. Again: May God, our God, bless us, may He bless us (Ps. 66, 7–8), etc. c. Of eternal predestination. Whence the Apostle: He foreknew and predestinated us to be made conformable to his Son (Rom. 8, 29). With ‘of a sinister kind’ (sinistre) and ‘of a good kind’ (dextere) Peter may play on the idea of a priest’s giving a blessing with ‘the left (sinister) hand’ or ‘the right (dexter) hand’. a 

98

Letter B

The first kind of blessing is corporal, the second and third spiritual. Or we can distinguish it in this way: There is a blessing of temporal things or a temporal blessing, and a blessing of spiritual things or a spiritual blessing, and a blessing of eternal things or an eternal blessing. Whenever we say this blessing – namely, ‘In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit’ – we say it in invocation, wishing, except in baptism, for then we speak it in affirmation. 17. The Creator blesses the creature in three ways (Benedicit creator creatvre tribvs modis) a. By filling one with grace. Whence: May God, our God, bless us (Ps. 66, 7). b. By multiplying in number and merit. Whence the Lord to Abraham: Blessing I shall bless thee and I shall multiply thee (Hebr. 6, 14). c. By granting one eternal blessing. Whence the Apostle: Who hath blessed us with every blessing in heavenly places, that is, in Christ (Eph. 1, 3). 18. The creature blesses the Creator in four ways (Benedicit creatvra creatori qvatvor modis) a. By faithfully confessing. Whence the angel to Tobit: Bless ye the God of heaven, and in the sight of all… (Tob. 12, 6). b. By undergoing adversities patiently. Whence Job: If we have received good things at the hand of God, why should we not receive evil? (Job 2, 10). c. By conducting oneself well. Whence one doesn’t cease praising who doesn’t cease conducting oneself well or acting well. d. By presenting to Him occasion for praise. Whence: Bless the Lord, all the works of the Lord (Ps. 102, 22). 19. A person blesses God (Benedicit homo Devm) a. With heart. Whence: O my soul, bless thou the Lord (Ps. 102, 22). b. With mouth. Whence: I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall be always in my mouth (Ps. 33, 2). c.  With works. Whence one who always behaves well is always praising, and conversely one who behaves badly blasphemes

99

68

Letter B

against God. And as the Apostle says, ‘It is a greater sin to blaspheme against God than to perjure oneself’.a

69

20. Being twice married (Bigamia) is not a sin, but a kind of irregularity, although a twice-married person is prevented from assuming sacred orders, because of the sacrament – for the Lord says, One is my dove (Cant. 6, 8) – and because of the scandal. 21. Blasphemy (Blasphemia) against God is a mortal sin, as below in Oath (I105). 22. Goods (Bona) a. Of the times, or temporary, that is, fleeting and false goods, of which it is said: Son, thou didst receive good things in thy lifetime (Luke 16, 25). b. For the time being, that is, spiritual goods like the virtues, or even goods of the Law, but these will pass away. c. Beyond time, that is, eternal goods, the highest good. 23. Three things keep a person in a good state (In bono): love of God, fear of Gehenna, desire for the heavenly kingdom. 24. There are two goods (Bona dvo svnt): the virtue faith and imperfect charity, of which it is better to have only one than both at once. 25. There are three kinds of goods (Bonorvm tria svnt genera. Est bonvm) a. A good that is good in itself and for the one doing it, but is bad for the person for whom it is done, as when the gospel is preached to obstinate people. b.  A good that is good in itself, for the one doing it, and for whom it is done, as preaching the gospel, namely when it is preached out of charity and to the faithful. a 

Augustine: Avg., C. mend. 19, 39 (p. 524, l. 4).

100

Letter B

c. A good that is good in itself and for the person for whom it is done, but bad for the one doing it, as when the gospel is preached to the laity not out of charity. Yet in whatever way a good thing is done, even for vainglory and the like, it should always be taken in a good way. Indeed, anyone wishing to take it in a bad way sins mortally. And there is a good that when it is done isn’t good in itself, or to the one doing it, or to the one for whom it is done, but from which good emerges – for sometimes a righteous person falls so that he might rise again the stronger. For God never allows bad things to be done unless a good would emerge from it. 26. There is a good (Bonvm est) a. Of the genus of good things. Whence, whatever is not of faith is sin (Rom. 14, 23), even though it may be good, that is, of the genus of good things. b. Profitable. c. Worthy of recompense. d. Meritorious. e. The highest kind, the summum bonum. 27. Properly speaking, one is ‘good’ (Bonvs) toward oneself, just as one is ‘just’ toward one’s neighbor. Whence Joseph is called a good and a just man (Luke 23, 50): good with respect to himself, just with respect to his neighbor. 28. Oxen (Boves) is a term for priests and all preachers, as below in Priests.a 29. Christ is called the arm of the Father (Brachivm patris dicitvr Christvs) a.  With regard to his humanity, for God works all things through him. Whence: All things were made by him, and without him was made nothing (John 1, 3). The reference is properly to the article Prelates (P124) or to an article among the Priest(s) articles that has not been transmitted. The figure ‘priest: ox’ is common. a 

101

70

Letter B

71

b. And because he is from the Father as the arm is from the body. Isaiah: To whom is the arm of the Lord revealed (Is. 53, 1; John 12, 38; Rom. 10, 16). c. And because he makes the Father visible, as an arm is visible. Whence: Lord, who hath believed our report? (ibid.). d. And because, just as we carry burdens with our arm, so also Christ carried his sheep in his arm. Whence: And he himself has carried them that are with young (Is. 40, 11). e. And because we fight with the arm. Whence: Be thou our arm in the morning, and our salvation in the time of trouble (Is. 33, 2). 30. The arm of God (Brachivm Dei) is his strength. Whence: With thy arm of thy strength thou hast redeemed thy people (Ps. 76, 16).

102

LETTER C

1. One falls (Cadit) or lapses, either a human or a devil, as below in Fall (C51). 2. Transitory is a term (Cadvca dicvntvr) for temporal things, as below in Temporal.a 3. Shoes are (Calciamenta svnt) a.  Of the union of divinity and humanity. Whence: Into Idumea will I stretch out my shoe (Ps. 59, 10). Again: The latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to loose (Luke 3, 16), or the expression of his humanity, that is, the incarnation. b. Of dead works. Whence: Put off the shoes from thy feet, for the ground whereon thou standest is holy ground (Ex. 3, 5). c. Of the examples of those fathers who are now dead. Whence the Apostle: Having shoes on their feet for preaching the gospel (cf. Eph. 6, 15). And these are called shoes with reference to the hide of a dead animal.b 4. To a shoe (Calciamento) is compared the gospel, as below in Gospel (E80). An empty cross-reference. The sense may be clarified by a definition in Papias, Elem., s.v. Calciamenta: ‘Shoes are made from the hides of dead animals, and they protect one’s feet. They signify the examples given to us by the holy fathers’. For the idea see Gregory the Great: Greg. M., In euang. 22, 9 (p. 191, l. 267–68). a 

b 

103

72

Letter C

73

5. Chalice (Calix) a. In the literal sense is a goblet, with which we take a warm drink, that is, a drink that makes us warm. Macrobius Theodosius says a chalice (calix) is a cup that the Cylices invented and called a ‘cylix’, which now, with the letter ‘i’ changed to ‘a’, is called a ‘calix’.a b. Or the Passion, according to Cassiodorus. Whence: I will take the chalice of salvation (Ps. 115, 13), that is, the Passion, which is called a chalice from a similitude, because it is a pleasant drink, and is so called because it is drunk within one’s capacity. Whence: For God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that which you are able (I Cor. 10, 13). Concerning this chalice the Lord said to his disciples: Can you drink the chalice that I shall drink? (Matth. 20, 22; Mark 10, 38). c. Of salvation, which is offered for eternal salvation. Or of salvation, that is, Jesus, who first suffered and offers his sufferings to be imitated. For this reason precious, that is, dear, in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints (Ps. 115, 13 and 15). d. Or properly it is called the cup with which wine is measured. Therefore Christ received that chalice because he lay in the tomb to a measured extent, only for the three days. e. Further, what the saints drink is called the chalice of confession. Whence also the three children in the furnace (Dan. 3), as Mark says in that place: You shall drink of the chalice that I drink of (Mark 10, 39).b Yet others take the chalice and baptism as the same thing, namely, as martyrdom. 6. Candles (Candele) are extinguished little by little in the office we call Tenebrae, as below in Tenebrae (T16). a  Sections a, b, d, and e are borrowed from Peter Comestor: Petr. Comestor, Hist. schol., Hist. euang. 113 (col. 1595D–1596A). See Macrobius: Macr., Sat. 5, 21, 18 (p. 346, l. 15–18); Cassiodorus: Cassiod., In Ps. 10, 7 (p. 116, l. 124–28) and 15, 5 (p. 139, l. 105–06); and Peter Lombard: Petr. Lomb., In Ps. 115, 3 (col. 1030D– 1031A). An old Greek word for ‘cup’ is kylix; a Cilix (pl. Cilices) is a Cilician. b  Possibly the text is corrupted here. Jerome speaks of the ‘chalice of confession, which the three youths in the fiery furnace drank of ’: Hier., In Matth. 20, 23 (Bk. 3, p. 178, l. 1079–80).

104

Letter C

7. Whiteness (Candidatio) a. Temporal, that is, temporal prosperity. b. Of grace, and praiseworthy. Whence: And I shall be made whiter than snow (Ps. 50, 9). c.  Of sin, and blameworthy. Whence: God shall curse thee, thou whited wall (Acts 23, 3). 8. The white (Candor) a. Of fortune, which is common to good and wicked people. Whence: The Lord shall break the cedars of Lebanon (Ps. 28, 5). Lebanon means ‘whiteness’ and signifies white. b.  Of innocence. Whence: Her Nazarites were whiter than snow (Lam. 4, 7). c.  Of glory. Whence: His garment was made white as snow (Dan. 7, 9). 9. Four things are to be commended in a dog (In cane qvatvor svnt commendanda) a. Its useful barking. b. Its healing tongue. c. Its marvelous acuteness of sense, because with only a trace of air it senses game at a great distance. d.  Its commendable fidelity, because through the thick and thin of death it follows and submits to its master unto death. Anyone who has carefully examined his books knows without a doubt that these qualities are to be found in father Augustine, because as if barking he disputed against heretics and false brothers, and as if healing he had words of eternal life, which is a healthy antidote against the vexations of this world and the languishing of one’s spirit. 10. A dog (Canis) a. Is born blind. b. Recognizes its master. c. Has gnawing teeth. d. Licks blood.

105

74

Letter C

75

e. Returns to its vomit. According to these five characteristics wicked prelates are compared with dogs. Of them is said: Woe to you, dumb dogs – lazy, sleepy – not able to bark (Is. 56, 10) – that is, to preach. But according to the other characteristics spoken of above – namely that a dog barks, heals wounds with its tongue, sticks to its master, smells things placed at a distance with its keen sense, stays faithful to its master – good prelates are compared with dogs, and even because of their rabid hunger. 11. These are called dogs (Canes dicvntvr) a. Unclean people, that is, sinners. Whence: The dog is returned to its vomit, and the sow that was washed to her mire (II Pet. 2, 22). b. Persecutors. Whence: For many dogs have encompassed me (Ps. 21, 17). c. Lazy people. Whence Isaiah: Dumb dogs – lazy, sleepy – not able to bark (Is. 56, 10). d. Good preachers. Whence: That the tongue of thy dogs be red with the same blood of thy enemies (Ps. 67, 24). And for their rabid hunger they are called dogs. Whence: And they shall suffer hunger like dogs and shall go round about the city (Ps. 58, 7). e. Jews, because of their indiscriminate barking. Whence: For many dogs have encompassed me (Ps. 21, 17). f.  Heathens, because of their uncleanness. Whence: It is not good to take the bread of the children and to cast it to the dogs (Matth. 15, 26; Mark 7, 27). 12. Some sing (Cantant qvidam) a. In joy. Whence: Rejoice in the Lord, O ye just; praise becometh the upright (Ps. 32, 1). b. To lighten their labor. Whence: Let them sing in the ways of the Lord (Ps. 137, 5). Again: Thy justifications were the subject of my song (Ps. 118, 54). c. So that they might attract others. Whence, as one panel of a curtain draws the next: And he that heareth, let him say: Come (Apoc. 22, 17).

106

Letter C

13. Some sing (Cantant qvidam) a. A song:a those who have not experienced the fall of sinning. b. A lament, who have risen again from sin through the lamentation of penitence. c. Woe, who sin and don’t repent. And this is what is said elsewhere, that some die in Egypt, others don’t, as below in They die (M121). d. Purely, that is, in faith, for: Without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebr. 11, 6). e. With right works, for: Faith without works is dead (James 2, 17). f. With pure intention, for: If thy eye be innocent, thy whole body shall be lightsome (Matth. 6, 22; Luke 11, 34). And this is the pure song, namely, to sing purely, with right works, with pure intention. 14. There are three gospel canticles and, because they are in the gospel, they are sung standing (Cantica evvangelica svnt tria et, qvia svnt evvangelica, stando cantantvr) a. First is the Magnificat (Luke 1, 46–55) which, although it was first uttered by the blessed Mary when Elizabeth greeted her, is sung second, that is, in the sixth canonical hour, Vespers, because of what we read there – because he hath regarded the humility of his handmaid, that is, of the Church and of Mary herself – and this happened in the sixth age, for then, namely in the sixth age, God regarded humankind. Further, the Incarnation is in question in the verse: He hath received Israel, etc., and therefore it is sung in the sixth divine office. b. Second, the Benedictus (Luke 1, 68–79), which, although it was uttered second by Zachariah to his newborn son, is sung first, because it treats of the Resurrection in the verse, And hath raised up an horn of salvation to us, and it speaks to the child who was the dawn of the sun. Hence it is sung in the office Lauds, which similarly treats of the Resurrection, as in the Psalm ‘Dominus regnavit’ (‘The Lord hath reigned’, Ps. 92, 1). And because Christ rose in the morning, it is sung at first light. a 

The song, lament, and woe are from Ezekiel 2, 9.

107

76

Letter C

77

c. Third, Nunc dimittis (Luke 2, 29–32). This is sung in the seventh office, because the seventh age is of those in repose where there will be peace. And because one treats of this peace in this canticle, it is sung in the seventh office. 15. ‘Song’ is of three kinds (Canticvm triplex est) a. Of old things. b. Of newness. c.  Of jubilation. The old song is of the wretchedness of this world. Those who have no charity sing that song. The new song is of the joy of hope. Those who have charity sing this constantly even though they are sleeping. The song of jubilation responds to the vision of hope. About the first time is written: Upon the rivers of Babylon, etc. (Ps. 136, 1). About the second: Sing ye to the Lord a new canticle; let his praise be in the church of the saints (Ps. 149, 1). About the third: Rejoice to God our helper; sing aloud to the God of Jacob (Ps. 80, 2). Again: Rejoice in God with a loud noise (Ps. 32, 3). The first is done in penitence, the second in innocence, the third in glory. The first song is sung after the crossing of the Red Sea, as if on the banks of the sea; the second after the long wanderings in the wilderness, as if on the banks of the Jordan; the third after the universal effort, in the holy land of promise. 16. ‘A canticle (Canticvm) of a psalm’ or the converse is read in the titles of psalms (e.g. Ps. 65 or 29 or 47), and hence take note that the nominative always precedes the genitive.a

78

17. A  song is called new (Canticvm dicitvr novvm [cf. Ps. 95, 1]) a. From the novelty of the matter: new, because a virgin gave birth. Whence: The Lord hath made a new thing upon the earth (Jer. 31, 22). b. With regard to its doctrine. Whence the Athenians said of Paul: Who is this word sower, preacher of new gods (Acts 17, 18).b So the titles are Canticum psalmi or Psalmus cantici, and not Psalmi canticum or Cantici psalmus. b  Verse 19 says Paul speaks of a ‘new doctrine’. a 

108

Letter C

c. With regard to new works. Whence the Truth: If I had not done among them the works that no other man hath done, they would not have sin (John 15, 25), that is, sin only. d. With regard to the Descent into hell and the redeeming of those held captive. Whence Zachariah: Thou also by the blood of thy testament hast led thy prisoners out of the pit, wherein is no water (Zach. 9, 11).a e.  With regard to the Resurrection and Ascension. Whence the Apostle: He announced for us a new way, that is, a veil, that is to say, his flesh (Hebr. 10, 20). f. With regard to his Advent to judgment. Whence: For behold I create new heavens and a new earth (Is. 65, 17). 18. The song of the Incarnation is called new (Canticvm de incarnatione dicitvr novvm) a. Because of the newly incarnate Christ. Whence: The Lord will make a new thing upon the earth: a woman shall compass a man (Jer. 31, 22). b. Because of the new commandment, to love one’s enemies. Whence: You have heard that it hath been said to the people of old: Thou shalt love thy friend and hate thy enemy. But I say to you: Love your enemies, do good to them that hate you (Matth. 5, 43–44; Luke 6, 27). Again: A new commandment I give unto you (John 13, 34). c. Because of the renewed person. Whence: Be renewed in the spirit of your mind (Eph. 4, 23). Again: Renew thy signs, and work new miracles (Eccli. 36, 6). 19. The New Testament is called a new song (Canticvm novvm dicitvr Novvm Testamentvm) a. Because of its precepts. Whence: You have heard that is hath been said to the people of old, etc. (Matth. 5, 43; Luke 6, 27). b.  Because of its promises. Whence: Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven (Matth. 5, 3). In the Old Testament are promised temporal things, in the New, spiritual. The account of the Harrowing of Hell in the Gospel of Nicodemus (24, 2) says the newly released captives sang Ps. 95, 1. a 

109

79

Letter C

c. Because of its signs. Whence: Renew thy signs, and work new miracles (Eccli. 36, 6). d. Because of its effect. Whence: Put on the new man, who according to God is created in justice and holiness of truth (Eph. 4, 24).

80

20. Hair is called (Capilli dicvntvr) a.  Vice. Hair is understood as vice, as it is written: One is bound fast with the hairs of his own sins (Prov. 5, 22). Hence those who perform penitence accordingly grow their hair and beard to demonstrate the abundance of wrongdoing that weighs down the head of a sinner, and they wear hair shirts, for a hair shirt is a reminder of sins. But after they do penance they remove the hair and beard to signify that they have now abandoned vice. b. Worldly things. Whence: Mary anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair, and the house was filled with the odor of the ointment (John 12, 3). And we are held to do likewise, that is, to anoint the feet of Christ with our superfluous goods, that is, to feed the poor both corporally and spiritually. c. Superfluous or excessive designs. Whence in the Old Testament priests are commanded to shave. Whence: Son of man, shave thy head and beard (Ezek. 5, 1). Ministers in the Church still observe this precept, as if to say – that is, they ought to say – ‘Look, I  have nothing superfluous’. Would that it were so! For when someone incepts as a cleric, he begins to remove his hair, signifying that he accordingly abandons temporal goods. And this nowadays is turned upside down, because the further he is promoted, the more he strives to pile up temporal goods. d. Good designs. Whence: A hair of your head shall not perish (Luke 21, 18). e. Good works, or virtues. Whence: Your hairs are numbered (Luke 12, 7). Again: No razor shall come upon the head of the Nazarenes (I Sam. 1, 11). f. The apostles and all the faithful. Whence: Thy hair is as a flock of goats which come up from mount Galaad (Cant. 4, 1; 6, 4). Whence in a prefiguring of Christ it was said: Go up, thou bald head (IV Kings 2, 23), because when Christ went up on the cross

110

Letter C

he was despoiled of all his hair, that is, the apostles. And why the apostles are called hair is set forth above in Apostles (A70). g. Angels and the universal elect, that is, all the saints. Whence in the book of Daniel: His garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like clean wool (Dan. 7, 9). Again: They are multiplied above the hairs of my head (Ps. 68, 5). 21. There is a captivity (Captivitas est) a. Of demons, in the prison of the airy region. Whence: I saw Satan like lightning falling from heaven (Luke 10, 18). b. Of humans: Through mortal sin. Whence the Apostle: I see another law, fighting against the law of my mind (Rom. 7, 23).a Through venial sin. Whence the same Apostle: Unhappy man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death? (Rom. 7, 24). Through the punishment of hell. Whence: Be in agreement with thy adversary whilst thou art in the way with him, lest he deliver thee to the judge, and the judge to the torturer, and he cast thee into prison (Matth. 5, 25). 22. Of the captivity of Christ and of his good members (De captivitate Christi et bonorvm membrorvm) a. One was of Christ, namely of his punishment in the likeness of sinful flesh (Rom. 8, 3). Again: I am poor and sorrowful (Ps. 68, 30). b. Two captivities were of good people, namely, of punishment and of venial sin. Whence the Apostle: Unhappy man that I am (Rom. 7, 24). Again: If we say that we have no sin, we are unprofitable servants (I John 1, 8; Luke 17, 10). c. Three were of wicked people: punishment and guilt, namely of both venial and mortal sin. Whence: Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin (John 8, 34). d. Two will be in the future: guilt, because the pride of them that hate thee ascendeth continually (Ps. 73, 23); and punishment, because their worm shall not die, and their fire shall not be quenched (Is. 66, 24). Tobit: He gave all he could to the captives (Tob. 1, 3). a 

Paul continues: ‘captivating me in the law of sin’.

111

81

Letter C

82

23. The head is (Capvd est) a.  In the literal sense, the mind, to which all one’s conduct should yield. Of this head one says: ‘those who live wickedly like beasts are mortally (capite) condemned’. b. In the mystical sense, Christ, without whom it is useless to live. Of this head, namely Christ, is said: Christ is the head of the Church (Eph. 5, 23). c. In the moral sense, humility, which is the chief (capud) of the virtues, and which fosters the whole array of our acts. And of this head, that is, humility, is said: ‘Piling up virtues without humility is like carrying dust in the wind’.a 24. Burning coals mean (Carbones dicvntvr) a.  Sometimes vices. Whence: Burning coals shall fall upon them, etc. (Ps. 139, 11). b. Sometimes holy people that give light to others. Whence: The sharp arrows of the mighty, with coals that lay waste (Ps. 119, 4). c.  Sometimes charity. Whence: If thy enemy be hungry, give him to eat; if he thirst, give him to drink. For doing this, thou shall heap coals of fire upon his head (Rom. 12, 20). 25. A prison is (Carcer est) a.  The human body. Whence: Bring my soul out of prison (Ps.  141, 8). b. Hell. Whence: Thou hast brought them out of the pit, wherein is no water (Zach. 9, 11). c. The world. d. The material tomb. e. The aerial region that is the prison of evil spirits. 26. Charity is (Caritas est) as the blessed Gregory says, love of God and of neighbor.b And whatsoever good things we would that men should do to us, do we also to them. For this is the law and the prophets (Matth. 7, 12). Gregory the Great: Greg. M., In euang. 7 (p. 52, l. 162–63), etc. Defensor Locog., Scint. I, sent. 42, 44, 45 (p. 6), from Gregory the Great: Greg. M., Moral. 7, 23 (p. 352, l. 5–6) and In euang. 26 (p. 220, l. 55–56), etc. a 

b 

112

Letter C

27. Perfect charity (Caritas perfecta is), as Isidore says, love toward God and neighbor,a for all goodness proceeds from charity and humility. 28. Charity means (Caritas dicitvr) a. Sometimes the whole Trinity, and in this way it is the name of an essence. b.  Sometimes the name of a Person, as when one says: ‘The Holy Spirit is Charity’. And this term is appropriate for the Holy Spirit, for this same Person is the love and goodness of the Father and the Son. c. Sometimes motions of the soul or mind. And these are separate things, for one is the motion by which God is loved and the other that by which one’s neighbor is loved. A motion of the soul, I  say, issues from the character and free will of the soul, and it means ‘loving’. Whence Augustine: ‘I call charity a motion of the soul’.b d. Sometimes a quality of mind, namely love, as here: And now there remain faith, hope, and charity, these three (I Cor. 13, 13). e. Sometimes an external work, as in the gospel: Greater love than this no man hath, that one lay down his life for his friends (John 15, 13). f. Sometimes the law of God. Whence the Apostle: Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so you shall fulfil the law of Christ (Gal. 6, 2). g. Sometimes the name of a maiden. 29. Charity is like a deer (Caritas comparatvr cervo) a. Because of its swiftness. Whence: ‘Charity is never idle’.c For it always scurries about, always helps. One having charity is never idle, is always helpful. Again: ‘Charity either fails or helps’.d Isidore: Isid., Sent. 2, 3, 7a (p. 98, l. 24–25) and Diff. II, 2, 34 (p. 90, l. 3–4), etc. Peter Lombard: Petr. Lomb., Sent. 1, 17, 6, 6 (p. 150, l. 34 – p. 151, l. 2) from Augustine: Avg., Doctr. christ. 3, 10 (p. 87, l. 32). c  A common saying, from Gregory the Great: Greg. M., In evang. 30, 2 (p. 257, l. 43–44). d  Another common saying, from Augustine: Avg., In evang. Ioh. 9, 2 (p. 362, l. 5–6). a 

b 

113

83

Letter C

84

b. Because it sops up poison, for it sops up the poison of sins. Whence: Charity covereth a multitude of sins (I Pet. 4, 8). c. Because of its liveliness. Whence: Whether prophecies shall be made void, or tongues shall cease, or knowledge shall be destroyed, charity never falleth away (I Cor. 13, 8). 30. Charity is called perfect (Caritas dicitvr integra) a. Because of its perpetuity. Whence: ‘In saints, death does not interrupt the order of charity’.a Again: Charity never falleth away (I Cor. 13, 8). b. Because of its constancy. Whence: Love is strong as death, jealousy as hard as hell (Cant. 8, 6). c.  Because of its comprehensiveness. Whence the Apostle: Thou shalt not kill; thou shalt not commit adultery, and whatever other commandment there is, all are encompassed in one phrase: Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself (James 2, 11 and 8). 31. Charity is compared with oil or is called oil, because like oil (Caritas comparatvr oleo sive dicitvr olevm, qvia ad modvm olei) a. It gives light to the blind. b. It feeds the hungry. c. It heals the sick. d. It penetrates hard things. e. It floats on top, because it raises us up to supernal regions. 32. Charity is the virtue (Caritas est illa virtvs) a. That envieth not (I Cor. 13, 4). If you are drawn to the jealousy of envy, if you are led by hatred, if you envy someone else’s goods, if you bite by detracting others, you don’t have charity. b. That dealeth not perversely (I Cor. 13, 4), for it deprives no action of its deserved outcome; rather, it adorns everything, it gives shape to the shapeless.

A saying found for instance in Simon of Tournai: Simon Tornac., Disput. I (p. 21, l. 18–19). a 

114

Letter C

c. That is not puffed up (I Cor. 3, 4). If you are exalted through pride you will be not the friend but the enemy of charity. If you wish to be charity’s neighbor, submit yourself to the rule of humility. d. That is not ambitious (I Cor. 13, 5). To be like charity, don’t seek honors, don’t strive for worldly riches. These don’t remove but rather bring on the hunger of desire; they don’t quench but rather induce thirst. e. That seeketh not her own (I Cor. 13, 5), but the things that are Jesus Christ’s (Phil. 2, 21). One who is a child of charity doesn’t seek for one’s own belongings but rather for what is one’s neighbor’s, so that one’s own belongings may be God’s, not to benefit oneself but one’s neighbor, not to serve oneself but God, to have God, to enjoy God and live. 33. Charity is said to increase (Caritas dicitvr avgeri) a. Sometimes according to one’s disposition, and b. Sometimes according to one’s purpose. These two cannot be diminished. c. Sometimes according to one’s ardor, and d. Sometimes according to the multitude of one’s works. These two can either be diminished or increased. 34. Charity is strong (Caritas est fortis) a. Whence the Apostle: Neither death nor life shall separate me from the charity of God (Rom. 8, 38); rather I will persevere. b. Because it never falleth away (I Cor. 13, 8); rather it will persevere. c. Because of its unchanging nature. Whence: I live, now not I, but Christ liveth in me (Gal. 2, 20). d. Because it separates a person from fleshly friends as death separates the soul from the body. Whence: Love is strong as death (Cant. 8, 6), that is, charity is. Charity is likened to death because, just as nothing can withstand death, so nothing can harm charity.

115

85

Letter C

Whence: ‘Have charity, and do what you will’.a This is the mother and caretaker of all the virtues, because when charity increases the other virtues also do, and when charity decreases the other virtues also do. Hence it is that all the other virtues, even held all at once, don’t suffice, whereas this one alone without the others suffices.

86

35. Charity excels the other virtues (Caritas est excellentior aliis virtvtibvs) a.  Because of its permanence. Whence: Charity never falleth away (I Cor. 13, 8). b. In its essence, because, as John the apostle says: God is charity, and he that abideth in charity abideth in God, and God in him (I John 4, 16). c. Because of its efficacy. Whence: ‘Have charity, and do what you will’. These are the words of saints in the glosses.b d.  Because of the exceptional quality of its special favor, because ‘charity is its own fount of which others don’t partake’.c 36. Charity is called broad (Caritas dicitvr lata) a.  Because of its comprehensiveness. Whence, ‘Have charity, and do what you will’.d I say ‘because of its comprehensiveness’ because it contains all the commandments, such as thou shalt not commit adultery, thou shalt not steal, and the like. b. Because of its extension to one’s enemies. Whence: Love your enemies; do good to them that hate you (Matth. 5, 44; Luke 6, 27). c. Because of the magnitude of its reward. Whence: Good measure pressed down and shaken together and running over (Luke 6, 38). d. Because of its continuation. Whence: The Lord lives, whose fire is in Zion and his furnace in Jerusalem (Is. 31, 9). A common slight misquotation (caritas for dilectio, ‘love’) of Augustine’s dictum: Avg., In epist. Ioh. 7, 8 (p. 328, l. 12). b  The citation from Augustine (note just above) is quoted in the Glos. ord. on I John 4, 11, and elsewhere. c  Glos. ord. on I Cor. 13, 1, etc., from Augustine: Avg., In Ps. 103, 1, 9 (p. 1482, l. 75–77), referring broadly to Prov. 5, 16–17. d  See the note to C34.d. a 

116

Letter C

37. Charity is called (Caritas dicitvr) a. The end of the commandment. Whence Paul: The end of the commandment is charity, from a pure heart and a good conscience and an unfeigned faith (I Tim. 1, 5). b. A more excellent way of going to God. Whence the Apostle: I will show unto you yet a more excellent way (I Cor. 12, 31). Again: If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, etc. (I Cor. 13, 1). 38. Of charity (Caritatis) a. The breadtha is considered so that one’s enemy is loved, for charity should be extended even to enemies. In the hope of eternal reward we should perform charity. b. The length, so that it perseveres up to the end. c. The altitude or height, so that everything may be done for God, because whatever we do we should do with good intention and in hope of reward. d. The depth is observed in this, that one ascribe nothing good to oneself but all to the grace of God. To investigate his causes is too deep, beyond human understanding – for example, why does he harden this or that person,b or why does he reprove this person and love that one? We should fear and wonder at this with the Apostle, saying: O the depth of the riches of the wisdom and of the knowledge of God! How incomprehensible are his judgments! (Rom. 11, 33). 39. The result of charity or mercy is manifold (Caritatis vel misericordie mvltiplex est effectvs) a. Preaching. Whence: Go, teach ye all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost (Matth. 28, 19). Again: Preach the gospel to every creature (Mark 16, 15). b. Correcting in mercy. Whence: The just man shall correct me in mercy (Ps. 140, 5). Again: Thy rod and thy staff, they have comforted me (Ps. 22, 4). c. Offering condolence to those suffering. Whence the Apostle: Who is weak, and I am not weak? (II Cor. 11, 29). a  b 

The article works out the four dimensions of charity specified in Ephesians 3, 18. Cf. Romans 9, 18.

117

87

Letter C

88

40. Charity is an ethereal love (Caritas est amor etherevs) a.  Because with it angels love themselves. Whence the Lord said to Moses: Make for me the tabernacle according to the pattern of the tabernacle that I showed thee in the mount (Ex. 26, 30), that is, you will set up a Church Militant like the Church Triumphant and you will love yourselves in the Militant as in the Triumphant. b. Because it is handed down from above. Whence: Every best gift and every perfect gift is from above (James 1, 17). c. Because it ascends on high and lasts into eternity. Whence: Whether prophecies shall be made void, or tongues shall cease, or knowledge shall be destroyed, charity never falleth away (I Cor. 13, 8). 41. Charity is (Caritas est) a sufficiency of knowledge, because it is sufficient for anyone having knowledge, whether little or much, if he have charity. As here: ‘Have charity, and do what you will’.a These are the words of saints in the Gloss. This can be put even more expressively: ‘Whatever kind of knowledge there may be, and however extensive, is half-completed and imperfect without charity’. Whence: If I should have all prophecy and should know all mysteries and all knowledge and all faith so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing (I  Cor. 13, 2). But with charity added, knowledge is completed. Again: If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, etc. (I Cor. 13, 1).

89

42. Charity ought (Caritas debet) to be set in order. Whence: The king brought me into the cellar of wine, he set in order charity in me (Cant. 2, 4). ‘Of wine’, it says, because the Church gives wine to drink, that is, the love of God, by which the faithful get so drunk that they forget their parents and their former life. ‘He set in order charity in me’, that is, he disposed charity in me in an order, namely that in the first place I would love God, then my neighbor, and this in distinct gradations so that the Father is See the note to C34.d above. The Chanter speaks of the words of saints ‘in the glosses’ (in glossis); this almost always means material in the Glossa ordinaria. a 

118

Letter C

in the first place and my enemy in the last. Love your enemies, says the Lord, do good to them that hate you (Matth. 5, 44; Luke 6, 27). 43. Charity has (Caritas habet) a. Two pinions, that is, two wings. Whence: If I take my wings early in the morning (Ps. 138, 9), that is, two wings, namely love of God and neighbor. b.  Its own cross, as below in The cross of obedience (C177). 44. Charity (Caritas) is compared with fire, as below in Fire (I19). 45. Charity is (Caritas est) a commandment, as below in Commandment (M34). 46. Charity (Caritas) laments over humankind, as below in Human (O47). 47. Charity (Caritas) a. Doesn’t take place except between two people, whence to signify this the Lord called the apostles two by two. Whence the gloss on Matthew at the place where he called the two brothers, namely Peter and Andrew, and then other two brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John, and they forthwith left their father and followed him (Matth. 4, 18–22 and Glos. ord. ad loc.). Whoever doesn’t have charity is an enemy of God and a friend of the devil, because the devil is always trying to extinguish charity. Whence Augustine: ‘There is nothing more beautiful to God than the virtue of love, nothing more desirable to the devil than the quenching of charity’.a One has charity indeed who both loves his friend in God and loves his enemy for the sake of God. Whoever lacks charity loses all the good that he has, but it is given abundantly to a person having charity, because whoever has charity also gets the other gifts. Defensor Locog., Scint. 3, 24 (p. 14) and 1, 25 (p. 4), quoting from Gregory the Great: Greg. M., Past. 3, 23 (p. 414, l. 33–35), etc. a 

119

90

Letter C

91

b. One doesn’t have charity unless one loves God more than oneself. How does one have charity if he loves sin more than God, that is, doesn’t abandon sin for God’s sake? c. True and perfect charity is to love a friend in God and an enemy for God’s sake. One who dies with perfect charity is immune from the fire of Purgatory, but not one with imperfect charity. d. Again the Savior in the gospel: Greater charity no man hath than that a man lay down his life for his friends (John 15, 13). The apostle John: God is charity, and he that abideth in charity abideth in God, and God in him. By this hath the charity of God appeared towards us, because he hath laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren (I James 4, 8; 4, 9; 3, 16). e. Augustine: ‘Without charity, whatever we do is of no use for us’,a because if I should have prophecy, and should know all mysteries, etc. (I Cor. 13, 2). Again: If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, etc. (I Cor. 13, 1). Again: ‘Without the love of charity, although someone may believe rightly, he can by no means attain to blessedness’.b f. Ephraem says: ‘Charity is the pillar and ground (I Tim. 3, 15) of a holy soul’.c g. From charity alone and compassion for our wretchedness, Christ, obedient to the Father, endured death. In love of God the first thing is to hate evil and love the good. Indeed, no one truly loves God unless he first hates evil. You that love the Lord, says the prophet, hate evil (Ps. 96, 10). But most surely it happens that one who loves God is loved by God. And because the proof of love is manifest in works, it happens again that one who keepeth not God’s commandments (I John 2, 4) doesn’t love God. If anyone love me, says the Lord, he will keep my word (John 14, 23). Again: You are my friends if you do the things I command you (John 15, 14). Again: He that loveth me not, keepeth not my words (John 14, 24). Hence John the apostle and evangelist says: If anyone says that ‘I love God’, and keepeth not his commandments, he is a liar (I John 4, 20 et 2, 4). a  Ibid. 1, 9 (p. 3), citing Augustine. Cf. Augustine: Avg., Epist. 173, 5 (vol. 44, p. 643, l. 19–21). b  Ibid. 1, 12, quoting Isidore, Sent. 2, 3, 2 (p. 97, l. 7–8). c  Source in the works of Ephraem (Ephr., ed. J. S. Assemani) unidentified.

120

Letter C

Indeed, we truly love if we keep his commandments and we restrain ourselves from our own pleasures. Again, the Savior in the gospel: Greater love no man hath, etc. (John 15, 13) – this should be understood as works of charity, but it seems a greater charity for one’s life to be laid down for one’s enemies, because where there is a greater struggle, there is a greater crown, that is, a crown of more merit or the occasion for a greater crown. The apostle Peter: Let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth (I John 3, 18). Hence without doubt one loves God who hates what God hates, that is, wickedness and vanity and the like, as it is written: Thou hatest all the workers of iniquity (Ps. 5, 7). And this: Thou hast hated them that regard vanities to no purpose (Ps. 30, 7). Rooted in this charity the Apostle said: Who shall separate me from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or hunger, or nakedness, or danger, or the sword? (Rom. 8, 35). There is an interior love to which the perfect are held as much as the imperfect. Of this it is spoken to everyone: Love your enemies, etc. (Matth. 5, 44; Luke 6, 27). But that this is said: One who hates not his father and mother and wife and children cannot be my disciple (Luke 14, 26), that is, who doesn’t put the love of God ahead of love for temporal things, is not contrary to this. It is an exterior love to which the perfect are held, for it is allowed for the imperfect to retain signs of hate, such as greetings and the like, and even exterior kindnesses, but it is not allowed for the perfect to retain the signs of hate, still less kindnesses.a Again, God should be loved because he hath first loved us (I  John 4, 10) and, so that he would be loved by us, he gave us four gifts. The first and least gift that God gave humans so that he might be loved by them is the whole world itself. For God made whatever visibly exists for the sake of humanity – the heavens and earth and all that is in them, night and day and the like. A second gift of God is what he gave to humankind, namely that he made it in his image and likeness. Great and wondrous is this gift of God. a  The difficult sense seems to be that those striving for perfection cannot indulge even in such outward displays of affection toward (properly ‘hated’) relatives as pleasant greetings and other kindnesses. The source differs and is easier: Peter of Poitiers: Petr. Pictav. II, Sent. 3, 16 (PL, 211, col. 1077B). The text may be corrupt.

121

92

Letter C

93

The third gift of God is the grace that he granted us in the redemption, when he sent us his Son, that is, when he spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us (Rom. 8, 32), as John says: God so loved the world as to give his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him may not perish, but may have life everlasting (John 3, 16). Again: I lay down my life for my sheep (John 10, 15). God keeps and promises a fourth gift, namely the gift of future glory, that is, the glory, eternal life, which will be a joy ineffable and invisible in the way of this world. Of this is said: The joy that the eye hath not seen, etc. (I Cor. 2, 9). For all these gifts we ought to love God. But how much should we love him? With thy whole heart, that is, wisely, and with thy whole soul, that is, sweetly, and with thy whole mind, that is, mindfully, and with thy whole strength (Mark 12, 30; Matth. 22, 37; Luke 10, 27), that is, valiantly – for there are three strengths of the soul: the rational, concupiscent, irascible – and in whatever other ways he can be loved. Or: seek for nothing except for God, and desire nothing against God. And take note of the gloss on that place, With my whole heart have I sought after thee (Ps. 118, 10): one who doesn’t seek with the whole heart is careless and is rejected.a Therefore he says: Do not thou reject me (ibid.). Or, ‘with my whole heart’, that is, my whole intellect, ‘with my whole soul’, that is, with all my will, and ‘my whole mind’, that is, my whole memory, so that we gather in him all our thoughts, life, and intellect. And in this way may we serve him, because who loves much serves much, and who perfectly loves perfectly serves; conversely who loves not serves not. Augustine: ‘With thy whole heart’, that is, with your intellect free from error, ‘with thy whole soul’, that is, with your will without contrary will, ‘with thy whole mind’, that is, mindfully without forgetting’.b Saint Bernard: ‘With thy whole heart’, that is, wisely, ‘with thy whole soul’, that is, sweetly, ‘with thy whole mind’, that Peter Lombard: Petr. Lomb., In Ps. 118, 10 (col. 1050B-C). Restating Augustinian ideas, Peter of Poitiers is the source here: Petr. Pictav. II, Sent. 3, 23 (col. 1095B). Most of this article is a collection of such material for a treatise or sermon on charity rather than a set of distinctions. a 

b 

122

Letter C

is, valiantly’.a The first refers to the Son of God, the second to the Holy Spirit, the third to the Father. Others speak of ‘With all thy heart’, etc., as above everything, above every creature. But one who hates a human doesn’t love God with one’s whole heart. The apostle John says: He that loveth his brother walketh in the light, and there is no scandal in him. But he that hateth his brother walketh in darkness and is in darkness and knoweth not whither he goeth, because the darkness hath blinded his eyes (I John 2, 10–11). Reckon everyone to be your brother. Let us therefore love God, because God first hath loved us (I John 4, 19). Again he says: If any man say, ‘I love God’, and hateth his brother, he is a liar (I John 4, 20) and the truth is not in him (I John 2, 4). This commandment we have from God, that he who loveth God love also his brother (I John 4, 21). Paul: The love of our neighbor worketh no evil. Love therefore is the fulfilling of the law (Rom. 13, 10). Walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us and hath delivered himself for us (Eph. 5, 2). Again, a gloss on Galatians: ‘All the law is fulfilled in one word, “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself”, that is, as much as thyself, that is, in order that he might have God. And as much as you can, bring it about that your neighbor might do those things by which he may be saved. “As” here denotes likeness rather than quantity, according to some’.b To them that love God, all things work together unto good (Rom. 8, 28). That eye hath not seen, etc. (I Cor. 2, 9). God is not loved unless one’s neighbor is loved. Whence Bede in his homily on the text, Feed my sheep (John 21, 17): ‘God cannot truly be loved without one’s neighbor, nor one’s neighbor without God’.c Paul would say: I wished to be an anathema from Christ for my brethren (Rom. 9, 3). Again: I would that all men were even as myself (I Cor. 7, 7). Whoever loves God, loves so much that he would lay down his life for him if need be. Whoever loves his neighbor, Bernard., Serm. sup. Cant. 20, 3–4 (vol. 1, p. 116, l. 17–18 and 26–27). That is, love your neighbor in the same way as you love yourself, not love your neighbor as much as yourself. The wording of the quotation, probably its source, is pseudo-Hugh of Saint Victor: Ps. Hvgo S. Vict., In epist. Pauli on Rom., q. 308 (col. 507A). c  Beda, Hom. euang. 2, 22 (p. 342, l. 5–6). a 

b 

123

94

Letter C

95

96

loves so much that he would lay down his life for him if need be. Love of God and neighbor is charity, love of God for the sake of having God. Many love God for God’s sake, but not for the sake of having him, rather because he feeds them and gives them temporal goods, as a dog loves his master who feeds him. Such love is not charity. It is love of one’s neighbor for his sake, because whatever good things we would that men do for us, so we also should do for them. For this is the law and the prophets (Matth. 7, 12). Some love God vehemently but not wisely, namely those who love God not for himself but for the good things he gives them. Others wisely but not vehemently, that is, not yet up to the point of taking up the cross and following Christ (Matth. 16, 24). Others wisely and vehemently and even sweetly, those who merely for God’s sake, naked follow the naked Christ.a In this manner Paul was loving, saying: Far be it from me to glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ (Gal. 6, 14). Again: Who shall separate me from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation?, etc. (Rom. 8, 35). Again, to the Galatians: God is my witness, how I long after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ (Phil. 1, 8).b But above all these things have charity, which is the bond of perfection (Col. 3, 14). Again: If any man love not our Lord Jesus Christ, let him be anathema, maranatha (I Cor. 16, 22), that is, separated from or condemned by God, as above in Anathema (A37). Others love God neither wisely nor vehemently, because they deny with their works what they say with their mouths. Against these the Apostle: If any man love not our Lord Jesus Christ, let him be anathema, maranatha (I Cor. 16, 22), as was said above. And the prophet: He that doth these things shall not be moved for ever (Ps. 14, 5). He doesn’t say, ‘who speaks these things’ – or reads, or thinks, or preaches, and the like – but ‘who does’. Again: By thy commandments I have understanding; therefore I have hated every way of iniquity (Ps. 118, 104). Again: By what doth a young man correct his way? By observing thy words (Ps. 118, 9) – not ‘in speaking’ but ‘in observing’. a  The Chanter several times quotes this widespread saying, ‘nudi nudum Christum sequi’, which derives from Jerome: Hier., Epist. 125, 20 (vol. 56/1, p. 142, l. 8). b  Modern English versions of the Greek original read, ‘with the compassion of Christ Jesus’.

124

Letter C

In the gospel: Love your enemies (Matth. 5, 44; Luke 6, 27). ‘To love one’s enemies is to give good for evil’, as says the gloss on Open thou my eyes, etc. (Ps. 118, 18).a And the Gloss says this on the text in Corinthians, If one member suffer any thing, all the members suffer with it (I Cor. 12, 26): ‘So that they may care no less for another than for themselves’.b Here it is clearly said that we ought to care no less for others than for ourselves. Jerome on Matthew: ‘If we haven’t forgiven in our heart what wrong is done against us, even what has been forgiven will be exacted from us through penitence’.c And that a forgiven sin will be exacted, that is, come back, Rabanus on Matthew says that ‘even original sin, that is, mortal sin, returns because of sinning’.d Again, Augustine: ‘Anyone will receive the same kind of indulgence from God that he has given to his neighbor’.e Forgiving is almsgiving, whence Augustine: ‘one who gives indulgence for sin gives alms’.f Isidore says, ‘Sins cannot be forgiven for one who doesn’t forgive a person sinning against him’.g Again, of hatred it is said that there is scarcely any sin except hypocrisy that the Lord persecutes more than hatred. Again, in the gospel, If you will forgive men their offences, your heavenly Father who is in heaven will forgive you your offences. But if you will not forgive men their offences, neither will your Father forgive you your offences (Matth. 6, 14–15). Again, the Lord in Matthew: Whosoever is angry with his brother shall be in danger of the judgment. And this: If thou offer thy gift at the altar, etc. (Matth. 5, 23). Again in the same gospel: All things whatsoever you would that men should do to Peter Lombard: Petr. Lomb., In Ps. 118, 18 (col. 1054C). Glos ord. ad loc., and Peter Lombard: Petr. Lomb., In epist. Pauli on I Cor. 12, 18 (PL, 191, col. 1657A). c  Peter Abelard: Abelard., Sent. I  286 (p.  149, l.  3431–33) mistakenly cites Jerome; the sentence is ultimately from Gregory the Great: Greg. M., Dial. 4, 62 (p. 204–06, l. 21–24). d  Peter Lombard: Petr. Lomb., Sent. 4, 22, 1, 3 (p. 386, l. 20 – p. 387, l. 3). The sentence has not been identified in the works of Hrabanus Maurus. e  Defensor Locog., Scint. 5, 8 (p.  23), from pseudo-Augustine: Ps.  Avg., Serm. – PL (col. 2329). f  Beda, In Luc. 4, 11 (p.  241, l.  429–30), from Augustine: Avg., Enchir. 19 (p. 88, l. 28). g  Isidore: Isid., Sent. 3, 27, 4–5 (p. 264, l. 13–14). a 

b 

125

97

Letter C

98

you, do you also to them likewise, for this is the law and the prophets (Matth. 7, 12) – that is, in one sentence they are fulfilled with regard to loving one’s neighbor, this being: Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself (Matth. 19, 19). Again, the apostle John says, in the epistle that is read on the third Sunday after Pentecost: We know that we have passed from death to life because we love the brethren. He that loveth not abideth in death. Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer. And you know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in himself. In this we have known the charity of God, because he hath laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. He that hath the substance of this world and shall see his brother in need, and shall shut off his compassion from him, how doth the charity of God abide in him? My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and truth (I John 3, 14–18). Anastasius: ‘If you don’t forgive a wrong done against you, you aren’t making a prayer for yourself, but you’re bringing a curse on yourself. For you are saying this, “Forgive me just as I have forgiven”’.a There: And forgive us our debts, , etc. (Matth. 6, 12). The Apostle: He that loveth his neighbor hath fulfilled the law (Rom. 13, 8). Again: Love therefore is the fulfilling of the law (Rom. 13, 10). Again: Owe no man any thing but to love one another (Rom. 13, 8). Again: To no man rendering evil for evil (Rom. 12, 17). Pray for them that persecute you and curse not (Matth. 5, 44; Rom. 12, 14), but on the contrary, blessing them. But note that some say that it is said in the Old Testament: Thou shalt love thy neighbor and hate thy enemy, which is the contrary of this: Love your enemies (Matth. 5, 43–44). But surely that is not handed down from the Old Testament or by Moses, but is set forth by people learned in the law who supposed that the Lord would have it thus. Again, this seems to be contrary: I have hated the unjust (Ps. 118, 113), that is, injustices. And Solomon says, Be not a friend to an angry man (Prov. 22, 24). Again: Who hates not his father and mother (Luke 14, 26), that is, who does not put the love of God before the love of temporal things. And: Love your enemies (Matth. 5, 44); this should be unDefensor Locog., Scint. 5, 19 (p. 24), citing Anastasius, from an unidentified source. a 

126

Letter C

derstood of interior love. Again, concerning love owed to enemies, in Exodus: If thou see the ass of him that hateth thee lie underneath his burden, thou shalt not pass by, but shalt lift him up with him (Ex. 23, 5). Again, Moses: If thou meetest the sheep of thy enemy going astray, bring it back (Deut. 22, 1). Again, Paul: If thy enemy be hungry, give him to eat; if he thirst, give him to drink (Rom. 12, 20). 48. Flesh means (Caro dicitvr) a. Nature, that is, it is put for the nature of the flesh because it signifies the whole truth of the fleshly things. Whence: And all flesh shall see the salvation of our God (Luke 3, 6). Again: My heart and my flesh have rejoiced in the living God (Ps. 83, 3). b.  The corruption of the flesh, for it signifies the corruption of the flesh. Whence: Flesh and blood will not possess the kingdom of God, neither shall corruption possess incorruption (I Cor. 15, 50). Again, the Apostle: I know that there dwelleth not in me that which is good, that is to say, in my flesh (Rom. 7, 18), that is, in the kindling of sin. c.  Fleshly weakness, namely fleshly understanding or the kindling of sin. Whence: Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jona, because flesh and blood hath not revealed it to thee, but my Father (Matth. 16, 17). 49. Chastity (Castitas) is threefold, as below in Virginity (V41). 50. The fall of a person or the lapse is manifold, because one falls (Casvs hominis sive lapsvs mvltiplex est, qvia cadit) a. Sometimes within and not outwardly. The first fall or lapse is serious. We understand the first kind in what we read about the children of Israel: In their hearts they turned back into Egypt (Acts 7, 39). b.  Sometimes outwardly and not within. The second kind is more serious. The second appears in the apostle Peter, who in fleshly fear denied Him to whom he clung with all his heart. c.  Sometimes both at once, both within and outwardly. The third is most serious. The third kind is in Judas and in those who

127

99

Letter C

100

have both depraved thoughts and evil actions. A person falls within through pride, outwardly through wrongdoing. Therefore there is an interior fall or lapse, namely depraved thought, and an exterior, evil action. Also, as an authority says: ‘The higher the step, the heavier the fall’,a that is, with regard to the punishment, not with regard to the crime, because one having more charity is more punished for losing it than someone else losing less charity, even though they sin equally. But others say that this authority should be understood as limited by this adverb, ‘frequently’, so that the sense would be: ‘The higher the step,  etc.’, that is, ‘it frequently happens that the higher the step, etc.’ Similarly this: ‘The more a transgressor’s gift of knowledge, the greater his guilt’. And similarly this: ‘Woe to the prelate to whom his underling is equated’. 51. There is a fall or lapse (Casvs est sive lapsvs) a.  Of humility, because a person falls through humility. Whence in the Apocalypse: Four and twenty fell on their faces in the sight of God and the Lamb (Apoc. 5, 8 et 14; 11, 16). b. Of weakness. Whence Job: A just man falls seven times in a day (Prov. 24, 16), namely through venial sin, and he doesn’t cease to be just. c.  Of headlong ruin. Whence: And fall, when he shall have power over the poor (Ps. 10, 10 [= 9, 31]), which is said of Antichrist, according to one interpretation. d.  Of eternal damnation. Whence: All they that go down to the earth shall fall (Ps. 21, 30). Again: A thousand shall fall at thy side (Ps. 90, 7). So a human falls in four ways, but the devil falls through mortal sin, whence Isaiah: How art thou fallen, O Lucifer, who didst rise in the morning? (Is. 14, 12). The first fall is of good people, the second of the weak, the third of those established in the present, the fourth of the damned. A widespread proverb: Walther, Proverbia 23589. Cf, ‘The bigger they are, the harder they fall’. This and the next proverb, ‘The more a transgressor’s gift’, are found in one of the Chanter’s frequent sources, Simon of Tournai: Simon Tornac., Disput. 4 (p. 29, l. 32–34) and 49 (p. 142, l. 20–21). Simon was Peter’s contemporary in the schools of Paris. The maxim ‘Woe to the prelate’ has not been identified elsewhere. a 

128

Letter C

52. There is a throne (Cathedra est) or seat of God, of the devil, of Peter, of Moses, as below in Seat (S52, 55, 56). 53. To a cedar (Cedro) are likened the righteous, as below in The Righteous (I118). 54. There are three material heavens (Tres svnt celi materiales) a. The empyrean, which as soon as it was made was filled with holy angels. And it is called the empyrean, that is, the fiery, from its brightness, not from its heat. For pyr in Greek means ‘ignis, fire’ in Latin. Of this heaven it is said: There was silence in heaven (Apoc. 8, 1). Again: The heaven of heaven is the Lord’s, that is, he gave the empyreal heaven ‘to the Lord’, that is, to Christ in that he was human, but the earth he hath given to the children of men, so that they may purify themselves on it, because the dead shall not praise thee (Ps. 113, 16–17). b.  The sidereal. Whence: O  ye stars of heaven, bless the Lord (Dan. 3, 63). c. The aerial. Whence: The fowls of the air devoured it (Luke 8, 5; Matth. 13, 4; Mark 4, 4). 55. The spiritual heavens (Celi spiritvales) are manifold, namely angels, apostles, the souls of the righteous. Some speak of a fourth heaven above the empyrean, where the human Christ is, as we read on Genesis: In the beginning God created heaven and earth (Gen. 1, 1).a Of this it is said: I will ascend into heaven (Is. 14, 13). 56. The heavens are (Celi svnt) a.  Concealers of celestial things, that is, sacred scripture. Whence: Lord, bow down thy heavens (Ps. 143, 5). b. Disclosers of celestial things, namely, the apostles. Whence: The heavens show forth the glory of God (Ps. 18, 1).

The four heavens are treated in Peter Comestor’s discussion of the opening of Genesis: Petr. Comestor, Hist. schol. I, 4 (p. 11, l. 2–4). a 

129

101

Letter C

102

57. Heaven means (Celvm dicitvr) a. Sometimes God the Father, or equality with God. Whence: His going out and his circuit is from the end of heaven (Ps. 18, 7). b. The Son of God. Whence: The heaven of heaven for the Lord (Ps. 113, 16), that is, Christ is for the Lord, that is, for the honor of the Lord.a c. Holy scripture. Whence Isaiah: The heavens shall be folded together as a book (Is. 34, 4). Again: Stretching out the heaven like parchment (Ps. 103, 2).b Again: Who covereth the heaven with clouds (Ps. 146, 8), that is, covers sacred scripture with figures and mysteries. Therefore the Law is called heaven, because, as luminaries are fixed in heaven, so saints are fixed in the Law of God, that is, in sacred scripture, by meditating on it so that they cannot be moved.c d.  Angels or the souls of the righteous. Whence: The Lord’s throne is in heaven (Ps. 10, 5). Again: For ever, O Lord, thy word standeth firm in heaven (Ps. 118, 89), that is, among the angels or in the Church, that is, among good people, because not on earth, that is, among the wicked. e.  The apostles. Whence: The heavens show forth the glory of God (Ps. 18, 1). But why the apostles are called the heavens is set forth in The apostles (A71). 58. Heaven is called a wilderness, as below in Wilderness (D23) (Celvm dicitvr desertvm, vt infra in Desertvm) 59. Heaven (Celvm) a. Of heavens, or heaven of heaven, is Christ. Whence above: The heaven of heaven is the Lord’s (Ps. 113, 16). a  Peter here takes Domino as a dative of advantage, ‘for the sake of the Lord’, rather than (as usual) as a dative of possession, ‘is the Lord’s’; hence the modification here of the Douai translation. b  Again modifying the Douai translation of pellem (animal hide), which has ‘pavilion’ (tent made of hides) rather than ‘parchment’. c  ‘Law is called heaven’ by Peter Lombard, the source of this sentence: Petr. Lomb., In Ps. 93, 12 (col.  869C). As the stars are ‘fixed’, so holy people become steadfast in righteousness by their study of scripture.

130

Letter C

b. Of heaven, especially greatly learned people who are taught by God alone, like Solomon, who was his student for one night (cf. III Kings 3, 5–15); and the apostles, for one hour (John 13–16); and Paul, for three days (Acts 9, 9); and David, who said: I will hear what the Lord God will speak in me (Ps. 84, 9). He didn’t say, ‘to me’, but ‘in me’, that is, in my heart, and by means of this, namely inspiration, many have been taught. c. Those moderately learned. These are called ‘heaven’, just as lesser ones, that is, those subject to either greatly or moderately learned people, are called ‘earth’, as in this place: The heaven of heaven is the Lord’s, but the earth he has given to the children of men (Ps. 113, 16). 60. Against heaven (In celvm) some people set their face, as below in Face (O98). 61. There is a heaven that is (Celvm est) a.  Inferior, that is, the apostles. Whence: The heavens show forth the glory of God (Ps. 18, 1). b.  In the middle, Christ, who is the mediator. Whence: The Lord hath looked from heaven (Ps. 32, 13). c. Superior, that is, equality with the Father. Whence: His going out is from the end of heaven (Ps. 18, 7). Again, Isaiah of Lucifer: I will ascend into heaven and I will exalt my throne and I will be like the most High (Is. 14, 13–14). ‘There he calls heaven the highness of God’, as we read in the Sentences, ‘to which’, namely the highness, ‘he wishes to be made the peer. So it is: “I will ascend into heaven”, that is, to equality with God’.a 62. A little room or tabernacle (Cenacvlvm sive tabernacvlvm) a. The flesh of Christ. Whence: He hath set his tabernacle in the sun, and he, as a bridegroom (Ps. 18, 6). b. The flesh of any human. Whence the Apostle: We who are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened, because we would not be stripped (II Cor. 5, 4). a 

Peter Lombard: Petr. Lomb., Sent. 2, 2, 6 (p. 341, l. 10–12).

131

103

Letter C

104

c.  The Church Militant. Whence the Lord to Moses: Thou shalt rear up for me the tabernacle according to the pattern that you saw on the mountain (Ex. 26, 30; 25, 40). Again: The Lord loveth the gates of Zion above all the tabernacles of Jacob (Ps. 86, 2). d. The Church Triumphant. Whence: How lovely are thy tabernacles, O Lord of hosts. My soul longeth… (Ps. 83, 2–3). 63. The little room that the Son of God made for us is threefold (Cenacvlvm qvod fecit nobis Dei Filivs triplex est) a. First in the flesh; the first was in the chamber of the virgin. Concerning the first we read in the gospel of the angel saying to Mary: The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the most High (Luke 1, 35). b. Second in the Church; second in this world. Concerning the second, in Genesis, the Lord spoke to Noah, discussing the building of the ark as a figure of the Church: Chambers and third stories shalt thou make in it (Gen. 6, 16). c. Third, in eternal life; the third in heaven. Concerning the third we read in the Psalm: Lord, who shall dwell in thy tabernacle? (Ps. 14, 1). 64. In a first little room Christ put, in the manner of the Sunamite woman (In cenacvlo primo ad modvm svnamitis posvit Christvs)a a. A table, in the celebration of the Supper. He set a table at the Supper when he truly gave his body and blood to his disciples in the form of bread and wine. Of this table the Apostle says: You cannot be partakers of the table of Christ and of the table of devils (I Cor. 10, 21). b. A stool, in the Passion. He sat on a stool in the Passion when on a tree he humbled himself unto death, even to the death of the This and the next two articles expound IV Kings 4, 10, in which a Sunamite woman says, ‘Let us therefore make him (the prophet Elisha) a little chamber (cenaculum), and put a little bed in it for him, and a table, and a stool, and a candlestick, that when he cometh to us he may abide here’. Peter delays the quotation until well below, in C66.d. A cenaculum, literally a dining room, came to mean any small room, like the upper room of the Last Supper. a 

132

Letter C

cross (Phil. 2, 8). As He himself says in a Psalm: Thou hast known my sitting down, and my rising up (Ps. 138, 2). c. A bed, in the office of the Entombment, for on the sabbath he rested in the tomb as if in bed, as He himself says through the prophet: My flesh shall rest in hope (Ps. 15, 9). d. A candlestick, in the Resurrection, that is, in the display of his rising again. 65. In a second little room (In cenacvlo secvndo) a.  He put a table, namely sacred scripture, of which in the Psalm: Let their table become as a snare before them, etc. (Ps. 68, 23). b. A stool, in imitation of his Passion. for Christ suffered for us, leaving you an example (I Pet. 2, 21). The psalm-writer invites us to this stool, saying: Rise ye after you have sitten, you that eat the bread of sorrow (Ps. 126, 2), that is, after the sitting of humility, that is, of the Passion, because exaltation follows humiliation. c. A bed, that is, the resting place of contemplatives. Whence in the gospel: There shall be two men in one bed: the one shall be taken and the other shall be left (Luke 17, 34). The good one shall be taken up to glory, the wicked one shall be left to damnation. d. A candlestick, that is, the light of good works. Whence: So let your good works shine and glorify your Father who is in heaven (Matth. 5, 16). 66. In a third little room he will put (In cenacvlo tercio ponet) a. A table, that is, the eternal feast. As He himself says: That you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom (Luke 22, 30). b. A stool, that is, the judicial power. Whence: You who have followed me shall sit on seats judging the twelve tribes of Israel (Matth. 19, 28). c. A bed, that is, the rest of the blessed. Whence in the gospel parable: And my children are with me in bed (Luke 11, 7). d. A candlestick, that is, God himself, the light of souls, as the prophet says: The Lord is my light (Ps. 26, 1). He also puts the light of bodies there, for there shall the just shine as the sun in the kingdom of my Father (Matth. 13, 43). Therefore since every good flows

133

105

Letter C

106

107

to us from the fount of divine goodness, what shall we render to the Lord for all that he hath rendered to us? (Ps. 115, 12). One small thing at least for the manifold and great: let us make for him a tabernacle in ourselves where, as we read in Canticles, he may lie in the midday (Cant. 1, 6). This is the very temple of which the Apostle says: The temple of God is holy, which you are (I Cor. 3, 17). But this tabernacle is a small thing of human weakness, and it should be small in our esteem, when we have done all things well, let us say, ‘We are unprofitable servants; we have done that which we ought to do’ (Luke 17, 10). But in this little room let us set a table for him, namely a feast for him of our behavior. For the food and repast of God is that we do his will, as he himself says: My food is to do the will of my Father who is in heaven (John 4, 34). Let us set a stool for him, that is, let us be righteous, for the throne of God is the soul of a righteous person. Let us set for him a bed, as he himself says: On whom will my Spirit rest, if not on the humble and resting (Is. 66, 2 VL). Let us set a candlestick for him, namely the light of good works, as he says in the gospel: Let your loins be girt, and lamps burning in your hands (Luke 12, 35), so that, because we have readied this dwelling so honorably, we may ascend from the first little room to the second, from the second to the third. This is the little room about which the Sunamite woman spoke to her husband: I perceive that this is a man of God, who often passeth by us. Let us make for him a little chamber and put in it a table and a stool and a bed and a candlestick (IV Kings 4, 9–10). The Sunamite speaks to her husband of Elisha, so that they might make a little chamber for him. Elisha, whose name means ‘the salvation of God’, is Christ. Sunamite, which means ‘captive’ or ‘scarlet’, signifies the soul, which Christ redeemed from the devil’s captivity by his blood. Elisha often visited the Sunamite woman, because Christ often comes to the soul in many ways. By the husband is understood the intellect. Indeed, the Sunamite woman consulting her husband, that is the faithful soul by means of the intellect, makes for Elisha, that is, Christ, a chamber, through spiritual intercourse, a little one, through humility. And she furnishes a bed, through contemplation, and a table, through reading the scriptures, and a

134

Letter C

stool, through teaching children. She also puts a candlestick in it, the provision of true light. This Sunamite woman, that is, the holy Church, lay at the feet of Elisha for the sake of the resurrection of her son (cf. IV Kings 4, 27), because the holy Church humbly prayed to the Lord through her fathers for the redemption of humankind. The Lord also gave the law through Moses, as if he sent a staff by means of his servant (cf. IV Kings 4, 29–31), but the servant by means of the staff, that is, fear of the law, could not resuscitate the dead son, because the law brought no one to perfection (Hebr. 7, 19). Elisha himself lay down on the dead body, because although he was in the form of God, he emptied himself, taking the form of a servant (Phil. 2, 6–7). Forthwith the child whom the staff couldn’t resuscitate came back to life through the spirit of love. 67. With a deer (Cervo) is compared charity, as below [sic] in Charity (C29). 68. Circumcision (De circvmcisione) is treated in this way in the gloss on the first epistle of Paul, namely, Romans: ‘Here we see for whom circumcision was first instituted, and why, and how it profited and why it was changed in the age of grace with baptism its successor. It was first recommended to Abraham, so that it was commanded in the age of the law, and thus it was put to the test as to whether it would be fulfilled or not. Just as Adam received a mandate that he shouldn’t eat of the tree, and as circumcision was commanded of Abraham, so also of his seed, that is, the Hebrew people born from him. And it was done on the eighth day with a stone knife on the fleshly prepuce, as it had been written’.a 69. Circumcision was given for five reasons (Circvmcisio data fvit qvinqve de cavsis) a.  First, so that Abraham by his obedience to the mandate would please God, whom Adam had displeased with his lie. This and the following two articles are from Peter Lombard: Petr. Lomb., In epist. Pauli on Rom. 4, 9 (PL, 191, col. 1371C–1372C), with parallels in the Lombard’s Sent. and on Romans 4 in the Glos. ord. a 

135

108

Letter C

109

b. Second, as a sign of the great faith of Abraham. For he believed that he would have a Son in whom all the nations would be blessed through faith, and through whom a spiritual circumcision would be accomplished, just as he himself was made righteous. c. Third, so that this people would be distinct from every nation by this sign. d. Fourth, so that with circumcision performed on the virile member, where the creation of mortal beings is begotten and where the libido usually dominates, it might make known one’s keeping of chastity of mind and body and one’s cutting away unchasteness. e. Fifth, the command was for this reason, that one could not better signify that original sin was taken away through Christ. Indeed, every man is born with a prepuce, just as also with original sin. Therefore circumcision was commanded to be done on the fleshly prepuce because it was instituted as a remedy, that is, against the original sin that we, conceived in concupiscence, contract from our forebears – concupiscence that dominates more in that member. And because man first was aware of the crime of disobedience in that member, it was fitting that he first receive the sign of obedience in that member. It was done on the eighth day with a stone knife, because after the seventh age of this life, in the eighth age, which will be the age of the resurrected, every corruption of flesh and spirit will be cut away from the elect by the rock Christ. Then we will be freed from the servitude of corruption, then the soul of everyone believing in him will be circumcised from sin. Hence there are two benefits of that sacrament, namely the circumcision of sins in the present and the circumcision of every corruption in the future. In its era circumcision granted remission of sins, just as baptism does in our time. For Gregory says: ‘What the water of baptism accomplishes for us, faith alone did for the ancients or for children, or the power of sacrifice for our ancestors, or the mystery of circumcision for those who rose from the stem of Abraham’.a And Bede says the same in other wording.b Peter Lombard, ibid., from Gregory the Great: Greg. M., Moral. 4, Praef., 3 (p. 160, l. 69–72). b  Peter Lombard, ibid., from Beda, In Act. 15, 9 (p. 66, l. 20–22). a 

136

Letter C

See, it is evident in these authorities that forgiveness of sins is rendered through circumcision just as through baptism. Why then was circumcision replaced with baptism? 70. Circumcision was changed into baptism (Circvmcisio mvtata est per baptismvm) a. Because the sacrament of baptism is more complete. b. Because it is more common, since women can’t be circumcised. c. And because it is more filled with grace. For in circumcision only sins are forgiven, but through it one isn’t offered grace for doing good works, nor are virtues given or strengthened. But in baptism sins are also forgiven, and grace for doing works is conferred, and virtues are strengthened. Therefore the Apostle rightly said that Abraham received circumcision only as a sign (Rom. 4, 11). 71. Circumcision (Circvmcisio) was done on the eighth day in the old law to show that in the eighth age every old condition of guilt and punishment will be removed from the faithful. And note that Abraham circumcised not only himself and his son, but also his whole household. Thus also the Ninivites enjoined a fast not only on people but also on beasts, not only on adults but also on little children and nursing babes, in order to attain God’s mercy (cf. Jonah 3, 5). So also you, circumcise your whole household, that is, every member of your body. Close the openings of your house, lest death enter through the windows (Jer. 9, 21). Enjoin a general fast on all your members. 72. By ashes we understand (In cinere intelligitvr) a. The humbleness of our condition or our weakness. Whence the Lord to Adam: Remember, O man, that ashes thou art, and into ashes shalt thou return (Gen. 3, 19). As if it were said to a person: Why are you proud, earth and ashes? (Eccli. 10, 9). What is flesh but flesh? If the flesh clothes itself with purple and fine linen or whatever silk stuff, still flesh is but flesh. Therefore it is said: ‘Remember’, etc. Likewise, To a person asking, ‘What have I been,

137

110

Letter C

111

what am I, what will I be?’, a philosopher replied thus: ‘Vile seed, a crock of shit, food for worms’.a b. Penitence, because ashes and sackcloth are the weapons of the penitent. Ashes are made from branches because Christ compares himself to a vine and Christians to its branches (cf. John 15, 5) which, as long as they are on the vine, surpass every woody plant in good qualities, but cut from the vine, they are the worst of all and only good for burning. 73. There is a bread or food (Cibvs est vel esca) a. Of divine will. Christ said of this: My food is to do the will of my Father who is in heaven (John 4, 34). b.  Of the soul in Christ, that is, contemplation of divinity. Christ never fasted from this, whence: I set the Lord always in my sight (Ps. 15, 8). c.  Of scripture. Nor did He fast from this, whence: Not in bread alone doth man live, but in every word that proceedeth from the mouth of God (Matth. 4, 4; Deut. 8, 3; Luke 4, 4). d. Of human intercourse, from which He fasted in the Passion, because he incorporated to himself no one except the one thief. Of this it is said in this place: And I covered my soul in fasting (Ps. 68, 11). e.  Corporal. Christ fasted from this, whence: When he had fasted forty days and forty nights, etc. (Matth. 4, 2). 74. There is a bread or food (Cibvs est vel esca) a. Of those beginning, in penitence. Whence: My tears have been my bread day and night (Ps. 41, 4). b. Of those advancing: holy scripture. Whence: You have sat at the table; see what kind of things are set before you (Prov. 23, 1) and know that such things are appropriate to set before you. c. Of those perfected: the eucharist. Whence: But let a man prove himself, and so let him eat of that bread and drink of the chalice (I Cor. 11, 28). d. Of those attaining the eternal feast. Whence: That you may eat and drink at my table, in my kingdom (Luke 22, 30). A widespread saying: Walther, Proverbia 25173a; Peter Comestor: Petr. Comestor, Serm. 14 (PL, 198, col. 1762C), etc. a 

138

Letter C

75. This is the circumcision of the Christian life from vices (Hec est circvmcisio vite christiane a viciis). Whence: If an evil thought rises in your heart, grind it under your feet and dash thy little ones against the rock and turn away thy eyes that they may not behold vanity (Ps. 118, 37). Stop thy ears that they may not hear the voice of the ardent charmers (Ps. 57, 5–6). Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile (Ps. 33, 14). With bit and bridle bind fast thy jaws (Ps. 31, 9) so that drunkenness and fleshly desire may not rule over you. Keep, I say, your tongue, because life and death are in the power of the tongue (Prov. 18, 21). Let your loins be girt (Luke 12, 35) with strength (Prov. 31, 17). Put thy feet into the fetter of wisdom (Eccli. 6, 25). If thou didst see a thief, do not run with him, and with adulterers do not be partakers (Ps. 49, 18). Circumcision of the doings of one’s hands is necessary. But if someone should glory about the cleanness of his members, saying, ‘I have not shed blood; I have not plundered another’s property against the will of the Lord; I have shaken my hands from all bribes (Is. 33, 15)’ and the like, it is clear that this doesn’t suffice, but rather let a person beware lest his heart exult and his members become unclean. 76. A handwriting is (Cirographvm est) a.  The sentence of the decree (cf.  Col.  2, 14) given by God: For in what day soever thou shalt eat of it, thou shalt die the death (Gen. 2, 17). The decree of God is: Of the tree of knowledge of good and evil thou shalt not eat (Gen. 2, 17). b. The sin of Adam, of which we were guilty when Christ redeemed us. c. The memorial of our transgression of that commandment. Of this triple handwriting of the decree of God the Apostle speaks, saying: Blotting out the handwriting that was against us (Col. 2, 14), that is, the sentence, etc. 77. There is a city (Civitas est) a. Of the wicked. Whence Hosea: I am God and I change not, and I will not enter into the city (Mal. 3, 6; Hos. 11, 9). b.  Of the good. Whence: Jerusalem, which is built as a city, whose sharing… (Ps. 121, 3).

139

112

113

Letter C

c. Of the blessed. Whence the Apostle: Abraham looked for the future Jerusalem, of which city the builder and maker is God (Ps. 11, 10). 78. The city of the wicked began from Cain (Civitas malorvm incepit a Chaym) a. Because he hid his crime. Am I my brother’s keeper? (Gen. 4, 9). b. Because he envied his brother. Whence it was said to him: Why is thy countenance fallen? If thou do rightly, rightly you will receive; but if not, sin forthwith shall be present at the door (Gen. 4, 6–7). c. Because he despaired. Whence: My iniquity is greater than that I may deserve pardon (Gen. 4, 13). d. Because he remained obstinate and because he was made a vagabond on the earth. 79. There are three cities of refuge (Civitates refvgii svnt tres)a a. The contrition of penitence. b. Affliction of the flesh. c. Desire for the heavenly life, as below in Remedy (R20).

114

80. In a city there are (In civitate est) a. The king. b. Officials. c. Commoners. In the same way in human wrongdoing, which we understand by ‘city’: the king, the devil; officials, one’s hands and feet; commoners, tumultuous thoughts. 81. Christ cried out (Clamavit Christvs) a. Teaching. Whence: And saying these things he cried out: ‘He that hath ears to hear, let him hear’ (Luke 8, 8). b.  Lamenting. Whence: And he cried out, saying: ‘Lazarus, come forth’ (John 11, 43). c.  Dying. Whence the Apostle: Who in the days of his flesh poured out prayers and supplication to him that was able to save a 

The cities of refuge are discussed in Joshua 20.

140

Letter C

him from death (Hebr. 5, 7). The first outcry was as a lesson, the second as an example, the third as a remedy. Therefore you also, cry out, as the Lord through Isaiah commanded you to do, saying: Cry, cease not, etc. (Is. 58, 1), as below in Preaching (P113). 82. A sinner cries out (Clamat peccator) a. With heart, when one consents and knowingly takes pleasure in sin. Whence: They have thought and spoken wickedness (Ps. 72, 8). b.  With mouth. Whence: They have proclaimed abroad their sin as Sodom, and they have not hid it (Is. 3, 9). c. With work. Whence: Because I was silent my bones grew old, whilst I cried out all the day long (Ps. 31, 3). d. Habitually. Whence: The cry of Sodom riseth up to me (Gen. 18, 20 VL). 83. There is an outcry (Clamor est) a. Of vanity. Whence: When thou dost do an almsdeed, sound not a trumpet (Matth. 6, 2). b. Of good works. Whence: If people shall hold their peace, the stones will cry out (Luke 19, 40), that is, the stones that were split in the Passion of the Lord. Or, ‘the stones’, that is, stony people, that is, having hearts of stone. c.  Of evil works. Whence: The cry of Sodom riseth up to me (Gen. 18, 20 VL). d. Of preaching. Whence: Cry, cease not, lift up with courage thy voice (Is. 58, 1). e. Of prayer. Whence: In my trouble I cried to the Lord, and he heard me (Ps. 119, 1). Again: Hear, O Lord, my prayer, and let my cry come unto thee (Ps. 101, 2). f. Evidence of a deed. Whence: His blood crieth to me from the earth (Gen. 4, 10), that is, the evidence of the misdeed that was committed has the force of an outcry. 84. An outcry (Clamor) a. Sometimes denotes the intention of the heart, as we read of Moses and Susanna (cf. Ex. 14, 15, etc., and Dan. 13, 24).

141

115

Letter C

b. Sometimes hearing. Whence: Cry, cease not (Is. 58, 1). c. Sometimes the wholeness of the heart. Whence: I cried with my whole heart (Ps. 118, 145). 85. Cloistered people (Clavstrales) are constrained by a triple bond, as below in Vows (V76), and by a double chain, as in Bonds (V32). 86. Of clerics (Clericorvm) there are two kinds, some ecclesiastics, some scholastics, and in either there are good and wicked people.

116

87. Of ecclesiastic clerics (Clericorvm ecclesiasticorvm) a.  Some are subordinates. Good subordinates are those who serve God in a church ministry for the sake of an eternal reward, content with tithes and firstfruits and offerings, so that serving the altar they may make a living from the altar. b. The bad ones are those who think gain is godliness (I Tim. 6, 5), who make the house of God a house of traffic (John 2, 16) and satisfy their pleasures from the patrimony of the Crucified. c. Some are prelates. Good prelates are those who instruct their subordinates well by word and example, being made a pattern of the flock from the heart (I Pet. 5, 3). Bad ones are those who seek more to preside than to benefit, loving the first places at feasts, and salutations in the market place (Matth. 23, 6–7). 88. Of scholastic clerics (Clericorvm scolasticorvm) a. Some are teachers. Good teachers are those who teach with a true love of the truth and twist back the face of the turtledove to its scapulars (cf. Lev. 5, 7–8), that is, following up with works what they teach by mouth.a Bad teachers are those who, adulterating the word of God for the sake of temporal reward or vainglory, teach while loving the first chairs, and to be called by men, Rabbi The sense seems to be that a teacher’s face or mouth (os) should be turned back on himself, so that he practices what he preaches. a 

142

Letter C

(Matth. 23, 6–7). Such people are rather talkers (dictores) than teachers (doctores), for they talk and don’t perform. b. Some are auditors. Good auditors are those who listen to the word of God so that they may understand, and fulfill with works what they understand, and furthermore instruct others to do the same, according to that saying of the Psalm: I will teach the unjust thy ways, etc. (Ps. 50, 15). Bad ones are those who learn the word of God for the sake of greed or boasting, who rather wish to seem than to be scholars, and who love to hear more than to perform, not taking note that not the hearers of the law but the doers shall be justified before God (Rom. 2, 13), as Augustine says.a 89. Christ should be constrained (Cogendvs est Christvs) a. By confessions. b. By vigils. c. By fasting. d. By disciplines. e. By arcane mysteries. f. By jubilations. g. By groans. h. By sighs. For when the Lord was walking along with two disciples, although he wished to be taken in with them and by them, nevertheless he made as though he would go further (Luke 24, 28). Likewise when Lot worshiped the two angels and begged that they would enter his home, they dissembled and said, ‘By no means, but we will abide in the street’ (Gen. 19, 2). But of the disciples we read: And they constrained him (Luke 24, 29). And of Lot it is written that he constrained the angels to enter the town. O holy constraint, O commendable violence that made guests of Christ and the angels! When one takes in a pauper as a guest, one is more deserving by treating him kindly than by offering him food and drink. Whence in the gospel, the Lord to the Pharisee: I entered into thy house, thou gavest me no water for my feet (Luke 7, 44). Hence it is the case One important manuscript, Luxembourg, Bibl. nat., 125, corrects by changing Peter’s lapse, Augustinus, to Apostolus. a 

143

117

Letter C

118

that one’s passion for hospitality should be such that guests, namely paupers, should not only be called but even coerced. Again, with regard to hospitality, in Joshua, Rahab took in the spies (cf. Josh. 2, 1). And in Job: The stranger did not stay without (Job 31, 32). In the gospel, Zacheus received the Lord into his house with joy (Luke 19, 6). Martha received the Lord into her house (Luke 10, 38). Peter: Using hospitality one towards another without murmuring (I Pet. 4, 9). Again: Hospitality do not forget, for by this some have entertained angels whom they have taken in as guests (Hebr. 13, 2). 90. Thought is (Cogitatio est) a. Good, by which many are saved. b. Evil, by which many are damned. For by thought alone, that is, by that delighting in thought which is taken for one’s will, a person is saved or damned. Whence the Apostle in his first letter speaks in this way about the day of judgment: Who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness to them, and their thoughts between themselves accusing or also defending one another, in that day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel (Rom. 2, 15–16). And this is the meaning: ‘Who show the work’, etc., that is, who show the signs of works. ‘The work of the law written in their hearts’, that is, firmly fixed in their reasoning. ‘Their thoughts’ (cogitationum, genitive plural), etc.: genitives are put for the ablative in the style of the Greeks, who lack the ablative case – so says the Gloss.a Moreover, we are to understand that thoughts accuse or defend souls ‘in that day’, surely not those thoughts that then will be but those that are now in us. 91. Understanding (Cognitio) or knowledge is twofold, as below in Knowledge (S33).

119

92. Dove (Colvmbe): by this name all spiritual things are designated, because: One is my dove (Cant. 6, 8). For the Holy Spirit appeared in the form of a dove. Glos. ord. on Rom. 2, 15; Peter Lombard: Petr. Lomb., In epist. Pauli on Rom. 2, 14–16 (PL, 191, col. 1346A-B). a 

144

Letter C

93. To a dove (Colvmbe) preachers are compared, as below in Preachers (P119). Again, concerning a dove, namely in Ark (A92). 94. Christ is compared to a column (Colvmpne comparatvr Christvs) a. Because of his strength. Whence: When a strong man armed keepeth his court, all those things are in peace which he possesseth (Luke 11, 21). b. Because of his beauty. Whence: Beautiful above the sons of men (Ps. 44, 3). c. Because of his loftiness. Whence: He that is of the earth, of the earth speaketh; he that cometh from heaven is above all (John 3, 31). d. For his uprightness. Whence: And all whatsoever he shall do shall always prosper (Ps. 1, 3). And from Solomon: Straight is his way, and his path more direct (cf. Is. 26, 7). 95. They are eaten or consumed (Comedit sive man­ dvcat) a. Some by the Church. Whence it was said to Peter: Sacrifice and eat (Acts 10, 13; 11, 7). b. Some by God. Whence: ‘Believe, and you have eaten’.a c. Some by the devil. Whence: Perhaps they had swallowed us up alive (Ps. 123, 3). 96. In dining or in taking food these are considered (In comestione vel in cibo svmendo considerantvr) a. The time, so that the hour isn’t anticipated. b. The manner, so that food is taken with moderation, not too eagerly. c. The quality, so that the food is not too fancy or too expensive. d. The quantity, so that it’s not too much. Whence Jerome: ‘A belly full of wine, quickly heating up, froths up in desire’.b a  Peter Lombard: Petr. Lomb., In epist. Pauli on I  Cor. 11, 26 (PL, 191, col. 1647D), from Augustine: Avg., In euang. Ioh. 25, 12 (p. 254, l. 8–9). b  Peter Lombard: Petr. Lomb., In epist. Pauli on Tim. 3, 1 (PL, 192, col.  344A),  etc., from Jerome: Hier., Epist. 69, 9 (vol.  54, p.  696, l.  12–13); cf. Walther, Prouerbia 44202i.

145

120

Letter C

97. Alteration or change (Commvtatio vel immvtatio) a. From evil to good, which is the change of the right hand of the most High (Ps. 76, 11, Hebr. version). Whence Isaiah: Blessed is the man who changes anew his strength and takes wings as an eagle (Is. 40, 31). b.  From good to better. Whence: Reaching from faith unto faith (Rom. 1, 17). Again: They shall go from virtue to virtue (Ps. 83, 8). Again in the gospel: Grace for grace (John 1, 16), that is, eternal life will be granted for one’s virtues, that is, ones freely exercised, namely faith, hope, and charity. c. From better to best, that is, in blessedness. Whence: All the days in which I am now in warfare I expect until my change come (Job 14, 14). 98. There are fetters (Conpedes svnt) a. Of guilt. Whence Jeremiah: He hath built round about me; he hath made my fetters heavy (Lam. 3, 5 and 7). b. Of punishment. Of this it is said: The revenging blood of thy servants, which hath been shed, let the sighing of those who are fettered come in before thee (Ps. 78, 10). c. Of commandments. Whence: My son, put thy feet into the fetters of Wisdom (Eccli. 6, 24–25). Whence the cloistered are called fettered people.

121

99. There are seven columns said to be in the church (Colvmpne svnt septem qve dicvntvr esse in ecclesia) a. First, the blessed Mary. b. Second, the angels. c. Third, the patriarchs and prophets. d. Fourth, the apostles. e. Fifth, the martyrs. f. Sixth, the confessors. g. Seventh, the virgins.

146

Letter C

100. These seven columns are called (Hee septem colvmpne dicvntvr) a. Sometimes seven lamps. b. Sometimes seven candlesticks. c. Sometimes seven vials. d. Sometimes seven eyes. 101. To eat (Comedere) a. Before hunger is idle. b. With hunger, permitted. c. After hunger, meritorious. d. After satiety, superfluous. 102. There is a conception (Conceptio est) a. Of seed, when a man comes to a woman, and it is called ‘conception’ (conceptio) as if a ‘taking up together’ (simul captio). b. Of natures, when the soul is infused into the body on the forty-sixth day, at which time it contracts sins from corrupted flesh. 103. Copulation is (Concvbitvs est) a. Carnal, when a man is not able to abstain, which would be a mortal sin unless it were excused by the benefits of marriage, but then it is a venial sin. b.  Impetuous, when it occurs in a sacred place or when the woman is menstruating, and then it is a mortal sin. c. Conjugal, when it is done only for the sake of procreating offspring, and then it is meritorious. This one is always good, the others always bad. Whence every copulation except the legitimate one brings on hell. Whence the Apostle: Fornicators and adulterers He will judge (Hebr. 13, 4). 104. Concupiscence (Concvpiscentia) is longing, but not every sort, because concupiscence is both of what is possessed and what is not possessed, but longing is only for what is missing in this life.

147

122

Letter C

105. Confession (Confessio) a. Of praise. Whence: Give praise (confitemini) to the Lord (Ps. 104, 1; 105, 1; 117, 1; 135, 1). But how shall a sinner praise? But to the sinner God hath said, ‘Why dost thou declare my justice?, etc. (Ps. 49, 16). Again, I will give thanks (Confitebor) to the Lord with my mouth, and in the midst of many I will praise him (Ps. 108, 30). Again, in the gospel: I confess to thee, etc. (Matth. 11, 25; Luke 10, 21). b. Of sin. Whence: Confess to the Lord (Ps. 105, 1, etc.), that is, praises and sins. This pertains to praises. Again, with regard to confession of sin the prophet says: Tell thy iniquities to justify thyself (Is. 43, 25–26). Again, James in his canonical epistle: Confess your sins one to another and pray one for another, that you may be saved (James 5, 16). Because of its confession of praise and of sin the tribe of Judah merited the kingdom among the other tribes. And in this way it is evident that confession is commended in both the Old and New Testaments.

123

106. There is a confession (Est confessio) a.  Of one’s heart, namely of contrition in sorrow. Whence: Confess to the Lord with your whole heart (cf. Ps. 9, 2; 137, 1). And here: Pour out your hearts before him (Ps. 61, 9), that is, your wicked thoughts, by confessing your sins, hoping for good things, praying for indulgence, lamenting your downfall. Indeed, ‘pour out your hearts’ through tears. God is our helper for ever (Ps. 61, 9). Therefore why are you afraid amidst your wickedness? Contrition should have two things: sorrow for the past, because one has sinned; resolution for the future, that one will not otherwise sin. Contrition should be undertaken for three things, namely for evil doing, evil speech, evil will. Likewise oral confession and satisfaction for the same three. ‘Contrition takes the place of baptism’, says an authority,a so that if someone is contrite and wishes to but cannot be baptized, God is pleased with contrition – whence: A contrite and humble heart God will not despise (Ps. 50, 19) – and similarly with prayer and almsgiving, as below in He is pleased (P90). a 

Peter Lombard: Petr. Lomb., Sent. 4, 4, 4, 3 (p. 255, l. 11–12), etc.

148

Letter C

Contrition or compunction, which is almost the same, is very beneficial. Whence Augustine: ‘One who doesn’t have compunction doesn’t have a pure prayer’.a Again: ‘A benign compunction is a treasure, an ineffable joy in a person’s soul. For blessed is the one who has compunction according to God. Compunction is the healing of a soul, compunction is the enlightening of the spirit, compunction is the forgiveness of sins, compunction brings the Holy Spirit to oneself, compunction makes the only begotten Christ dwell in oneself ’.b Elsewhere it is said: ‘Where tears abound, vile thoughts don’t approach’.c b. Of one’s mouth, for shame. Whence James: Confess your sins one to another (James 5, 16). c.  Of works, for satisfaction. Whence: Offer up to God the sacrifice of justice (Ps. 4, 6). And penance consists of these three confessions. For we ought to confess, and not be ashamed. Why would I blush to confess what I did not blush to do? Again, why would I blush to confess what God knows? It is known to God that I have sinned, because nothing can be hidden from Him. For I know, I know, that all will be revealed to all in the Judgment. Whence: The Ancient of days sat, and the books were opened (Dan. 7, 9–10), that is, the consciences of individuals were laid open to one another. Confession of mouth is necessary. Whence the lord through his prophet: Tell thy iniquities to justify thyself (Is. 43, 25–26). Again, Paul: But with the mouth confession is made unto salvation (Rom. 10, 10). Again, Ambrose, in his book Concerning paradise: ‘No one can be justified from sin unless one has confessed the sin beforehand’.d Again, in a Lenten sermon: ‘See, now an acceptable time is here when confession frees one’s soul from death. Confession opens a  Defensor Locog., Scint. 6, 6 (p. 25). A source in Augustine has not been identifed. b  Defensor, Ibid., 6, 7 (p. 25) and 28 (p. 28). The second sentence, ‘For blessed… dwell in oneself ’, is from Ephraem: Ephr., De die iudic., II, 581C1–581AB2. c  Defensor, Ibid., 6, 30 (p. 28). Ultimate source not identified. d  Peter Lombard: Petr. Lomb., Sent. 4, 17, 1, 6 (p.  344, l.  8–10) and Gratian., Decret. 2, 33, 3, 1, 38 (col. 1167, l. 49–50), from Ambrose: Ambr, Parad. 14, 71 (p. 329, l. 15–16).

149

124

Letter C

125

paradise; confession offers the hope of salvation’.a Again, Augustine: ‘Confession of evil works is the beginning of good works’.b Again, Ambrose: ‘God takes more delight in a soul despairing and at last converted than in one which never seemed lost. For as much as a lost thing brings sorrow, so much the more it brings joy when it is found’.c Again, ‘One who confesses one’s sins and condemns them makes a covenant with God’.d Isidore says: ‘Confession justifies; confession of sin brings indulgence’; and again: ‘All hope resides in confession’.e Forgiveness precedes confession. Whence David: I will confess against myself, that is, I have deliberated concerning myself, and Thou hast forgiven not only the sin, but even the wickedness of my sin (Ps. 31, 5), that is, that I resolved not to repent – that is to say that I decided to keep quiet about my sin but to proclaim my merits.f Of this confession the prophet says: Confession and beauty are before him, holiness and majesty (Ps. 95, 6). For by confessing, from loathsome a person becomes beautiful. Therefore confess so that you might be beautiful, that is, righteous. For that reason he said ‘confession’ first and ‘beauty’ afterward. Again, with regard to oral confession it is reported that a certain unclean sinner came to where there was a madman possessed by a demon. And immediately this demoniac began to recount to everyone, in order, all his sins – the fornications, the adulteries – their manner, place, and time. But the sinner, confounded by his great shame, went away to confess. After his confession he returned, and the demoniac said to him: ‘Now I don’t know you, and whatever I knew about you before, even though I knew it, now I can’t tell it’. a  Gratian., Ibid., 39 (col. 1167, l. 51 – col. 1168, l. 2). Cf. Peter Lombard, Ibid. (p. 344, l. 4–6). From Anon. Ital. (pseudo-Ambrose), Hom. 7 (p. 186, l. 7–9). b  Defensor Locog., Scint. 8, 9 (p. 35), etc., from Augustine: Avg., In euang. Ioh. 124, 12, 13 (p. 128, l. 29–30). c  Defensor, Scint. 9, 52 and 53 (p. 44), etc.; Isidore: Isid., Sent. 2, 14, 4–5 (p. 125, l. 19–27). d  Defensor, Scint. 8, 10 (p. 35). e  Defensor, Scint. 8, 37 (p. 38), from Isidore: Isid., Synon. 1, 53 (p. 43, l. 514–15). f  Several authorities specify the reverse, that confession precedes forgiveness, but Peter the Chanter follows the argument of Peter of Poitiers that Psalm 31, 5, indicates that remission (in the past tense) precedes confession (in the future tense): Petr. Pictav. II, Sent. 3, 12 (col. 1071B).

150

Letter C

Again we are told that, when a certain ship fell into danger and all feared a wreck, a certain one ran through the ship among them all, confessing his sins before them all, and immediately, when the storm had subsided, everyone forgot all that he had told them. Again, concerning confession of mouth, we read in the Sentences: ‘However much someone confesses, so much the more easily he is forgiven’.a But note that some excuse themselves. ‘Why’, they say, ‘did God make humans so that they are able to sin, and not rather that they cannot at all?’ – as if it would be better for humans to be unable than to be able. But where there cannot be sin there cannot be merit. But on the epistle of Paul, where it is asked why God made humans able to sin, holy authorities answer thus: ‘If God would say, humans would not understand’.b Again, in a comment on Genesis, where it is asked why God allowed Adam to be tempted or to sin when He knew that he would fall, holy authorities answer thus: ‘Because He willed it’. Again, the holy authorities: ‘And if one asks why he willed it, the question is foolish, in asking the cause of the divine will’.c 107. Confession (Confessio) a. Cunning, as this: The woman whom thou gavest me gave me, and I did eat (Gen. 3, 12). b. Branded or damnable, either despairing or despaired of, like the confession of Cain, saying: My iniquity is greater than that I may deserve pardon (Gen. 13). And Judas: I have sinned in betraying innocent blood (Matth. 27, 4). c. Piecemeal, when one confesses a part of one’s sins and dismisses a part. Whence Jerome: ‘It is the highest wickedness to hope for a half-pardon from Him who is the highest good. But of what use is it if a whole city is protected but one loophole remains through which the enemy may enter?’d Peter Lombard: Petr. Lomb., Sent. 4, 17, 3, 6 (p. 350, l. 10). The source of this sentence has not been located. c  Both sentences are from Peter Comestor: Petr. Comestor, Hist. schol. I, 25 (p. 47, l. 49–53). d  The source has not been identified in Jerome. The first part of the saying appears in Simon of Tournai: Simon. Tornac., Disput. 77 (p. 223, l. 18–20), and a 

b 

151

126

127

Letter C

d. Feigned or simulated. Whence: This people honoreth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me (Matth. 15, 8; Mark 7, 6). e. Deceitful, like the confessions of the scribes and Pharisees: Master, we know that thou art a true speaker, and teachest the way of God, etc. (Matth. 22, 16; Mark 12, 14). f.  Prideful, like the confession of the Pharisee, saying: I  give thee thanks that I am not as the rest of men (Luke 18, 11). g. Pious and devout, like the publican, saying: O God, be merciful to me a sinner (Luke 18, 13). Of this kind we read: His work is confession and magnificence (Ps. 110, 3). Again: I confess to thee, O Lord, Father of heaven and earth (Matth. 11, 25; Luke 10, 21). 108. There is silence, not a confession of praise (Confessione lavdis tacetvr) a. Because of fear, like Peter, saying: I know not the man, etc. (Matth. 26, 72). b. Because of indolence. Whence Isaiah: Dumb dogs not able to bark (Is. 56, 10). c.  Because of ignorance. Whence: They have not known nor understood; they walk in darkness; all the foundations of the earth shall be moved (Ps. 81, 5). d.  Because of a deadened conscience. Whence: All iniquity shall stop her mouth (Ps. 106, 42). And in this way people forsake the praise of God. 109. A  proclaimer (Confessor) strictly is so called from a profession (confessio) of praise; a ‘confessing one’ (confitens), from a confession of sin.

128

110. We will confess (Confitebimvr) a. In the future, praise, from our whole heart. b. Out of love. Whence: There lives the Lord, whose fire is in Zion, and his furnace in Jerusalem (Ps. 31, 9). cf. Peter Lombard: Petr. Lomb., Sent. 4, 15, 7, 4 (p. 334, l. 25–26) and Gratian., Decret. 2, 33, 3, 3, 42 (col. 1225, l. 32–34). The second part is from Defensor Locog., Scint. 38, 42 (p. 145), from Gregory the Great: Greg. M., In Ez. 1, 7, 6 (p. 86, l. 104–06).

152

Letter C

c. Out of knowledge, because then we shall see God face to face (I Cor. 13, 12). d. Out of memory, because then we will have nothing but God in our memory. Whence: God will be all in all (I Cor. 15, 28). 111. One confesses rashly (Confitetvr temere) a. An infidel, for: How shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? (Rom. 10, 14). b. A faithful person remaining in criminal sin. Whence: But to the sinner God hath said, ‘Why dost thou declare my justices?’ (Ps. 49, 16). c. One who serves God for temporal prosperity. Whence: He will praise thee when thou shalt do well to him (Ps. 48, 19). 112. God breaks (Confregit Devs) a.  In a good sense. Whence: I  will kill and I will make to live, etc. (Deut. 32, 39). Again: Thou shalt break them in pieces like a potter’s vessel (Ps. 2, 9). b. With temporal punishment. Whence: I will break them, and they shall not be able to stand (Ps. 17, 39). c. With eternal punishment. Whence: With a double destruction destroy them, O Lord our God (Jer. 17, 18). 113. To break in pieces is not (Confringere non est) the same as to grind, as below in Stone (P89). 114. To be confounded is (Confvndi est) to be thrown into disorder from perversity, just as to be in awe is to fear lest punishment follow on justice betrayed. 115. There is a confounding (Confvsio est) a. Of justice, which Christ had. Whence: My soul is sorrowful even unto death (Matth. 26, 38; Mark 14, 34). Again: He troubled himself (John 11, 33). b. Of conscience, which He didn’t have. Whence: Let them be confounded who persecute me, and let not me be confounded (Jer. 17, 18).

153

129

Letter C

c. Of shame, namely when a person blushes even about those things that are falsely imputed to him. d.  Of penitence. Whence Solomon: There is a confounding leading to glory and there is a confounding leading to disgrace (Eccli. 4, 25). e. Of eternal damnation. Whence: Let all them be confounded that act unjust things (Ps. 24, 4). Again: Where dwelleth confusion and no order (Job 10, 22). 116. Good people gather (Congregantvr boni) a. In charity. Whence: And the multitude of believers had but one heart and one soul (Acts 4, 32). b. In partaking of the sacraments. Whence: One God, one faith, one baptism (Eph. 4, 5). c. In receiving the reward. Whence they all received the same penny (cf. Matth. 20, 1–16).

130

117. There is a gathering (Congregatio) a. One, of the wicked. b. Another, of the good. c. Another, of the blessed. The first is toward death, the second toward life, the third in life. God the Father confounds the first, saying: Come ye, let us confound their tongues (Gen. 11, 7). The Holy Spirit enlightened the second on the day of Pentecost, when there appeared to them parted tongues as it were of fire (Acts 2, 3). The Son will cause the third, when the Son of man shall sit on the seat of his majesty (Matth. 19, 28). Of the first we read: The kings of the earth stood up (Ps. 2, 2). Again: The congregation of bulls with the kine of the people (Ps. 67, 31). Of the second, the Lord: Where there are two or three gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them (Matth. 18, 20). Of the third we read: I will praise thee, O Lord, with my whole heart, in the council of the just and in the congregation (Ps. 110, 1). 118. A gathering (Congregatio) of priests is established for three reasons from the universal council, as below in Priests (S10).

154

Letter C

119. Marriage (Conivgivm) a. Of God. b.  Of a human. Whence Jerome on Hosea says this: ‘This is the difference between a marriage of God and of humans, that, although God doesn’t couple with virgins, he makes virgins, whereas when humans couple with virgins, they make them not virgins’.a 120. Of marriage (Conivgii) a. The good things are three, as Augustine says on the second epistle of Paul, at the passage that begins It is good for a man not to touch a woman (I Cor. 7, 1).b b.  Fidelity, so that there be no coitus with another man or woman. c. Offspring, so that they may be brought up in religion. d.  The sacrament, lest the marriage yoke be separated. But there is a double separation, namely bodily and sacramental. There should be no separation in body unless by joint consent, which sometimes is made for the sake of religion. But they cannot be separated sacramentally so long as they live, if they are fully legal persons. Surely marriage is a good thing, which certain heretics, hating weddings, deny, but which Christ, approving of weddings, attended and with a miracle commended (cf. John 2, 1–11). Further, this is apparent for this reason, because he instituted the first marriage between the first parents. Also the Apostle says: A virgin sinneth not, if she marry (I Cor. 7, 36). 121. A marriage is (Conivgivm est) a. True. b. Valid. c. Confirmed.c Glos. ord. on Hosea 2, 19, from Jerome: Hier., In Os. 1, 2 (p. 30, l. 480–83). This whole article is drawn from Peter Lombard: Petr. Lomb., In epist. Pauli on I Cor. 7, 1 (PL, 191, col. 1586D and 1586A-B); Glos. ord. on I Cor. 7, 1. The doctrine of the three goods of marriage is commonplace; the wording here has not been identified in Augustine. c  The sense is that these are the three constituents of a valid marriage. The third (confirmatum) can mean either ‘consummated’ or ‘ecclesiastically witnessed’. a 

b 

155

131

Letter C

122. There is a consecration (Consecratio) a. Evil, by an evil priest. I say ‘evil’ in the active sense, for one who is in mortal sin, sins mortally by acting so. But it is good in the passive sense, for transubstantiation is not better done by a good person or worse done by an evil person. b. Good, done by a good priest, in both active and passive senses.

132

123. There is a consenting (Consensvs) a.  Secret, if the marriage was made verbally for the present time. But if there were no witnesses, the Church joins no one. b. Manifest, in which the Church joins the participants. c. With regard to the future, with an oath added, as if someone promises or even swears to another that he will be wed at an agreed time, and she likewise. But if afterwards, the proposal having been changed, one or both go over to another coupling, there should be penance for correcting the lie or perjury, and the subsequent marriage should not be dissolved. d. With regard to the present, which makes a marriage such that, if one of the two of them should die a virgin, the other neither could nor should couple with a blood relative or relative by marriage. 124. One consents (Consentit qvis) a. Who ceases to oppose when one can and should. As at this place, Rescue the poor and needy (Ps. 81, 4), the Gloss says: ‘One who ceases to oppose when one can, consents’;a but supply ‘and should’, that is, ‘when one can and should’. b.  Through the silence of accusers. Whence: Dumb dogs not able to bark (Is. 56, 10). Whence Isaiah: Woe is me, because I have held my peace (Is. 6, 5). c. Through cooperation. Whence: If thou didst see a thief thou didst run with him (Ps. 49, 18). d. Through adulation. Whence: The sinner is praised in the desires of his soul (Ps. 9, 24). Therefore one consents by ceasing, by being silent, by acting, by adulating. a 

Glos. ord. on Ps. 81, 4.

156

Letter C

e. One who can reprove and doesn’t, as in the comment on the Apostle at this place: Purge out the old leaven (I Cor. 5, 7), that is, the consent or the sinner.a Again: ‘One who is silent, affirms’.b 125. A prelate consents to his subordinate (Consentit prelatvs svbdito) a. Through negligence. This one first should be corrected, second excommunicated, third deposed from office. b. Through licentiousness. This one should be condemned as the perpetrator of a crime. c. Through complicity. This one is more to be condemned than a perpetrator. This threefold distinction is in decretals.c 126. To consent (Consentire) a. Sometimes is put for ‘to approve’. b. Sometimes for ‘to show the way one should behave’. 127. Counsel is (Consilivm est) a. What is given to the righteous. Whence: If thou wilt be perfect, go sell all that thou hast, etc. (Matth. 19, 21). b. What is given by the righteous, as when Rebecca says to Jacob: Follow my voice and hear my words (Gen. 27, 8 and 13). And Solomon: Honor the Lord and thou shalt live (Prov. 7, 2 var.). c.  What is between righteous people. Whence: Therefore the wicked shall not rise again in judgment, nor sinners in the council of the just (Ps. 1, 5). And here: I will praise thee, O Lord, with my whole heart, in the council of the just and in the congregation (Ps. 110, 1).

Peter Lombard interprets the leaven as consenting to sin: Petr. Lomb., In epist. Pauli on I Cor. 5, 6 (PL, 191, col. 1573A). b  A legal maxim, often in the form, ‘One who is silent, consents’. See Walther, Prouerbia 24843a, etc. c  Note the Chanter’s use here of the technical term distinctio. On the kinds of illicit consent in canon law see I. M. Pinna, ‘De participatione in iure poenali canonico’, Apollinaris 15 (1942), p. 68–69. a 

157

133

Letter C

128. Counsel (Consilivm): A superior shouldn’t reject useful counsel from a subordinate, as below in Prelates.a 129. Consolation (Consolatio) a. A vain kind, of the world: But woe to you that are rich, who have your consolation here (Luke 6, 24). b. A healthy kind, of hope. Whence: This hath comforted me in my humiliation (Ps. 118, 50). c. A most certain kind, of a guilty person. Whence: Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted (Matth. 5, 5).

134

130. Concerning consorting (De consortio) with good or wicked people. The Apostle: But we beseech you that you withdraw yourselves from every brother walking disorderly (II Thess. 3, 6). Let every one depart from iniquity who calleth upon the name of the Lord (II Tim. 2, 19). Peter: ‘Therefore it is right and very right to separate a person who wants to be saved from one who doesn’t’.b Gregory: ‘It is not very praiseworthy for a good person to be with good people, but rather for a person to be good among wicked people. For just as it is a graver sin for a person not to be good among good people, so it is immensely praiseworthy for a good person to exist among wicked people’.c Isidore: ‘If you are conversant with good people, you will also be conversant with their virtue’.d The prophet: What are they to thee, a relative or friend with a proud eye and an insatiable heart? With him I would not eat. My eyes were upon the faithful of the earth, to sit with me, that is, in judgment, at the feast; the man that walketh in the perfect way, he served me at the altar, at the table, in a house, in any service A blank cross-reference; cf. C164 below. The whole article to this point is from Defensor Locog., Scint. 63, 1–3 (p. 196). Defensor cites ‘Petrus’, but such a source is unidentified; the sentence is ultimately from pseudo-Clementine Recognitions: Ps. Clemens, Recog. 6, 5 (col. 1349B). See next note. c  Defensor, Ibid. 14 (p.  197). Defensor derives the sentences attributed to Peter and Gregory from Gregory the Great: Greg. M., Moral. 1, 1 (CCSL, 143, p. 25, l. 7–8). d  Defensor, Ibid. 63, 17 (p.  198), citing Isidore; the sentence has not been identified in Isidore. a 

b 

158

Letter C

of mine. He that worketh pride shall not dwell in the midst of my house; he that speaketh unjust things, etc. (Ps. 100, 5–7). I have not sat with the council of vanity, neither will I go in with the doers of unjust things. I have hated the assembly of the malignant, etc. I will wash my hands among the innocent (Ps. 25, 4–6). Ecclesiasticus: Let just men be thy guests (Eccli. 9, 22). And a philosopher: ‘Even more’, he says, ‘one should be circumspect concerning with whom one eats and drinks than concerning what one eats and drinks’.a Augustine: ‘It is proper’, he says, ‘for a prelate to have the kind of roommates that they fear’.b Abraham circumcised his household: Go, and do thou in like manner (Gen. 17, 23; Luke 10, 37). About the flocking together and socializing of wicked people we read: If thou didst see a thief thou didst run with him (Ps. 49, 18). Augustine: ‘Any faithful person should imitate God in this manner lest he have wicked people with him, except for the sake and hope of correction. If a person sees that they are incorrigible, at least let him shun private conversation with them after many admonitions and, if he is able, let him drive them away from himself’.c Whence the Lord: If thy eye scandalize thee, pluck it out, etc. (Matth. 18, 9; Mark 9, 46). And the prophet: Judge me, O God, and distinguish my cause… deliver me from the unjust and deceitful man (Ps. 42, 1). 131. Consummation (Consvmatio) a. Beginning, that is, the consummation of charity. Whence: I have seen a consummation of all perfection (Ps. 118, 96). b. Continuing, that is, perseverance. Whence: Consummated in a short space, he fulfilled a long time (Wis. 4, 13). c. Consummating, that is, eternal life. Whence: Good measure and pressed down and shaken together and running over (Luke 6, 38). 132. Some befoul the scriptures (Contaminant scriptvras) by understanding contrary things, badly interpreting, badly living, as below in Scriptures (S44). Seneca, Epist. 2, 19, 10. A source in Augustine has not been identified. c  Again, the source in Augustine has not been identified.

a 

b 

159

135

Letter C

133. The good are befouled (Contaminantvr boni) a. By consorting with the wicked. Whence: He that toucheth pitch shall be defiled with it (Eccli. 13, 1). b. Because those wicked people suggest wicked things to good people. Whence: Let not the hand of a sinner move me (Ps. 35, 12). c. Because the good see the evil ones flourish, while they are cast down. Whence: But my feet were almost moved; my steps had wellnigh slipped (Ps. 72, 2). 134. Contemplation is called (Contemplatio dicitvr) a desert, because it is deserted by the many and inhabited by the few.

136

135. Certain contemplatives (Contemplativi qvidam) a. In the beginning give praise, for those don’t cease to praise who don’t cease to live well.a And they say with Peter: Though I should die with thee, I will not deny thee (Matth. 26, 35). b. In midcareer they grow weary, just as the disciples slept for fear, and to them the Lord said: Pray, lest ye enter into temptation (Luke 22, 40). c. At last they inwardly fail, like the apostles who abandoned the Lord and fled (cf.  Matth. 26, 56). Concerning these, in the Psalm: My eyes have failed, whilst I hope in my God (Ps. 68, 4). 136. There are two kinds of contemplatives (Contemplativvm dve svnt species) a. Scholars. For scholars are called contemplatives because they are constantly engaged in the things of which the contemplative life consists, namely in prayer, meditation, and reading. For they always pray: ‘Lord, teach me to have time for reading’.b They are always meditating and reading, in hunger and thirst, in cold and nakedness (II Cor. 11, 27), living a meager life in order to benefit themselves and others. b. Cloistered people, who choose for themselves a common life without common vices. See article B18 above. The whole article, with this quotation, draws from Peter Comestor: Petr. Comestor, Serm. 14 (PL, 171, col. 412D–413A). a 

b 

160

Letter C

137. Some people scorn (Contempnvnt qvidam) temporal goods, as below in Riches (D76). 138. Vileness is (Contemptvs est) abject baseness. And vileness and sins go hand in hand. 139. To grind (Conterere) is a different thing from to shatter, as below in Stones (P89). 140. There are three kinds of continence (Continentia tres habet species) a. Virginal, which virgins have. b. Conjugal, which good married people have. c. Widowed, which good widows have. 141. We ought to convert (Converti debemvs) a. To God, who says: Be converted to me with all your heart, in fasting and in weeping and in mourning (Joel 2, 12). b. From evildoing to innocence. c. From deadly joy to healing sorrow. d. From being proud and puffed with windy vanity to a meek and humble spirit. For to one entering the way of penitence a contrite heart and humble devotion are required first, an oral accounting second, and satisfaction by works third. In the three terms already spoken, namely ‘fasting, weeping, and mourning’, are denoted contrition of heart, confession, and satisfaction. Of the first we read: A sacrifice to God is a spirit afflicted; a contrite and humbled heart… (Ps. 50, 19). Of the second: I said I will confess against myself my injustice to the Lord, and Thou hast forgiven (Ps. 31, 5). Of the third: I have labored in my groanings (Ps. 6, 7). 142. A feast (Convivivm) a. Of wicked people. Whence: And the people sat down to eat and drink, and they rose up to play (Ex. 32, 6; I Cor. 10, 7). b.  Of good people. Whence the Apostle: We have an altar whereof they have no power to eat who serve the tabernacle (Hebr. 13, 10).

161

137

Letter C

c. The blessed people. Whence: That you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom (Luke 22, 30).

138

143. Those have a heart (Cor habent) a.  The humble, who consider themselves to be nothing, and although they may do well, they say: We are unprofitable servants; we have done that which we ought to do (Luke 17, 10). Of this kind of heart we read: Return, ye transgressors, to the heart (Is. 46, 8). b. The lofty, who seized in their minds are caught up on high (cf. II Cor. 12, 3), saying: But it is good for me to adhere to God (Ps. 72, 28). Of this heart it is said: Man shall come to a deep heart, and God shall be exalted (Ps. 63, 7–8). Hence it is that the floor of a church is inscribed from corner to corner with the alphabet, because from a humble heart to a lofty one – that is, as we either think humble things of ourselves or we become excessive in our minds – we should set written limits on ourselves with a firm heart, lest it be said of us: This man began to build and was not able to finish (Luke 14, 30). 144. A  person’s heart (Cor hominis) is called the surveillance of God, because God alone sees and considers the heart of a person. Whence only He is said to be trying and searching the entrails and hearts of people (Jer. 11, 20; 17, 10; Ps. 7, 10; Apoc. 2, 23). Jeremiah says: The heart of a person is perverse and unsearchable, and who can know it? (Jer. 17, 9). As if he would say: ‘No one but God alone’. 145. From the heart (De corde) issue all evils, as all rivers from the abyss.a Whence the Lord in the gospel of Matthew: From the heart come forth evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false testimonies, blasphemies; these are the things that defile a man (Matth. 15, 19–20). ‘From the heart come forth’, says the Gloss, ‘for they are not introduced by the devil, but rather arise from one’s own will. For the devil is an inciter, not a causative Rivers were thought to rise from a kind of underground ocean, the abyss; see Isidore: Isid., Orig. 13, 20, 1. a 

162

Letter C

agent, because he knows nothing of one’s interior state except through one’s bearing and gestures’.a 146. There is a horn (Cornv est) a. Of salvation or protection. Whence: And hath raised up an horn of salvation to us in the house of David, his servant (Luke 1, 69). b. Of royal power. Whence: There will I bring forth a horn to David (Ps. 131, 17). c. Of might. Whence: Through thee we will push down our enemies with the horn (Ps. 43, 6). d. Of pride. Whence: Lift not up your horn on high (Ps. 74, 6). 147. A crown (Corona) a. Is a single circle of gold that kings wear in major ceremonies. b. A diadem is a kind of double crown, when a kind of gold circle set with gems is added above the crown. A crown is also such natural goods of the soul as intelligence, memory, reason, understanding, immortality. But the gems set on it so as to make a diadem are the goods of grace. 148. Concerning dancing (De choreis), Gregory: ‘It is better to dig and plow on Sunday than to dance or lead dances’.b 149. There is a threefold crown (Corona triplex) a. Of pain, concerning which we read: Go forth, ye daughters of Zion, and see king Solomon in the diadem wherewith his mother crowned him in the day of his espousals, in the day of the joy of his heart (Cant. 3, 11),c as it is faithfully expounded with regard to a  Glos. ord. on Matth. 15, 19, from Jerome: Hier., In Matth. 15, 19 (p. 131–32, l. 1524–34). b  The saying occurs in John Beleth: Ioh. Bel., Diu. off. 120 (p. 226, l. 73–74); Sicard of Cremona: Sicard. Crem., Mitrale 6, 15 (p. 552, l. 651–52); and cf. Augustine: Avg., In Ps. 91, 2 (p. 1280, l. 7–8). Not identified in the work of Gregory the Great, but see similarly Greg. M., Epist. 13, 1 (p. 991–993). c  The following interpretations of the verse are from Glos. ord. on Cant. 3, 11, gl. 90–98 (p. 221–23).

163

139

Letter C

140

the first advent of the incarnate Word. Indeed, the first advent is interpreted thus: the primitive congregation of the Jews speaks to the new church of the nations converted to the faith so that they may see Christ ‘in his diadem’. And it goes: ‘O daughters of Zion’, that is, O faithful souls, ‘go forth’ from the ignorance of infidelity, ‘and see’, that is, understand, ‘king Solomon’, that is, Christ, the true God, true peacemaker, pacifying people for God, ‘in his diadem’, that is, in the crown, that is, in the humanity by which he conquered the devil, for unless God had concealed himself in flesh the devil would not have attacked him;a or, ‘in the diadem’, that is, in that crown of thorns ‘wherewith his mother crowned him’, that is, the faithless synagogue, ‘in the day of his espousals’ – that is, of the Annunciation, if it refers to the motherb (if to the Son, the day of the Resurrection, because that was an extraordinary joy, for then humankind was saved), ‘and in the day of the joy of his heart’, that is, at the time of his Resurrection, which was a joy of his heart. b. Of grace. Whence: Blessing the crown of the year of thy goodness (Ps. 64, 12), that is the circle of the year, which is from the Advent of Christ to the end of the world. c. Of glory, concerning which we read: Go forth, ye daughters of Zion (Cant. 3, 11), as it is expounded in the moral sense with regard to the second coming, to Judgment. For the primitive church invites and exhorts the new church, and one panel of the curtain draws along the next, so that it might see the sacred nature of so great a thing, be in awe of the wonder, worship the mystery, adore Christ, long for the reward, might know, ‘in his diadem’, its Savior. For it says, ‘O daughters of Zion’, that is, daughters of contemplation, who now see through a glass in a dark manner (I Cor. 13, 12), Him whom at last you will see not in a dark manner but openly, ‘go forth’ – but whence, or whither? From the swaddling clothes of useless vanities, from the dens of vices, from the vicesc a  The reference is to the ‘ransom theory’ of the Atonement, according to which Christ, by his fleshly appearance, tricked the devil into killing Him, thereby repaying the debt of original sin, yet rising again. b  In the Latin it could be either his or her espousals. c  Some manuscripts read ‘chains’ here, perhaps correctly.

164

Letter C

of carnal desires, from pride, from covetousness of another’s property – ‘and see king Solomon’, that is, Christ coming to Judgment. ‘See’, I say, so that the punishments may terrify you and the rewards invite you. Christ is rightly called king, because he rules and governs all things: The Lord hath reigned, with beauty,  etc. (Ps. 92, 1). Moreover, ‘Solomon’ means ‘peacemaker’, which aptly suits Christ, who brought us peace, peace in our hearts and the peace of heaven. It goes on: ‘In his diadem’, that is, the most holy assembly of all the saints. For by this term ‘diadem’ here what else is understood if not one glory, one crown of the head and the members? For although they are many, still it is considered one because of the inseparable unity of bridegroom and bride, that is, of Christ and the Church. 150. Christ was crowned (Coronatvs est Christvs) a.  By his mother, because in the womb of his mother at the Conception, the realms of nature and of grace were most well ordered in Him. b.  By his stepmother, that is, the synagogue, in the Passion. Whence: Go forth, ye daughters of Zion (Cant. 3, 11). c. By the Father, in the Resurrection. Whence in the Canticle: Go forth, ye daughters of Zion. d. By the daughter, that is, by the Church, in the Day of Judgment. For He will come among the senators of the land (Prov. 31, 23), because the Lord will come, and all his saints with him (Zach. 14, 5). In the midst of them he will judge all (Ps. 81, 1). Of the first crown we read: See king Solomon in the diadem wherewith his mother crowned him (Cant. 3, 11). Of the second: Platting a crown of thorns, they put it on his head (John 19, 2). Of the third: Daughters of Jerusalem, come and see the martyr with the crown with which the Lord crowned him (Cant. 3, 11). Of the fourth: Thou hast crowned him with glory and honor (Ps. 8, 6), O Lord, that is, you have made glorious and honorable people fit for a crown. But you will say: ‘The Father, not the daughter, crowned Him with this crown’. But indeed, the daughter also: the Father by providing grace, the daughter by cooperating in grace. Whence the Apostle: Yet not I alone, but the grace of God with me (I Cor. 15, 10).

165

141

Letter C

142

151. A crown (Corona) is promised to those keeping watch, laboring, not sluggish, not somnolent; for he is not crowned, except he strive lawfully (II Tim. 2, 5). 152. The crown of the mind is arranged in this way (Corona anime sic ordinatvr)a a. In the front is fear, because: The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Ps. 110, 10; Eccli. 1, 16). b. In the back, hope, because it is of future things and of those that are not seen (Rom. 8, 24). c. On the right side, joy. Whence all joy is in the Lord, who puts us on the right side. d. On the left, sorrow. For we ought to be sorrowful for our excessive behavior, which is the cause of placing the goats on the left (cf. Matth. 25, 33). 153. Of the crown (Corone) we have an example from Christ, of the tonsure from Job, as below in Tonsure (T31). 154. A crown (Corona) becomes a diadem if set above it are the four principal virtues aligned with the four natural passions. Justice with fear, for, He that feareth God will do good (Eccli. 15, 1), and renders to God what belongs to Him, and likewise to one’s neighbor. Justice is the constant and perpetual will to give what is rightfully his to anyone.b Prudence is aligned with hope, because one ought to hope with prudence, lest a person, paying too much heed to God’s justice, would say with Cain: My iniquity is greater than that I may deserve pardon (Gen. 4, 13) – or, paying too much heed to God’s mercy, presumptuously would say: Even if a mother forgets her son, yet God does not forget me (Is. 49, 15). Temperance is aligned with joy, for one always should rejoice with trembling (Ps. 2, 11), which the Apostle clearly The four sections refer to the commonly understood ‘four passions’, as also in article 154 just below. b  ‘To render to each his own’ was the standard definition of justice in both Roman and canon law. a 

166

Letter C

intimated, who, when he said: Rejoice in the Lord always, immediately added: Let your modesty be known to all men (Phil. 4, 4–5). Fortitude is aligned with sorrow: Let not the pit of sorrow swallow us up, and let not the pit shut her mouth upon me (Ps. 68, 16). And in this way the soul is equipped by the armor of justice on the right hand and on the left (II Cor. 6, 7). But this crown cannot be obtained without a struggle. Therefore a struggle, and the present tribulation, are necessary, for ‘what the furnace does to gold, the file to iron, the flail to grain, this does tribulation to the righteous person’.a 155. Above this crown (Corone hvic) a gold circlet is placed, about which see above in Aureole (A114). 156. Correction (Correctio) shouldn’t be scorned when it is beneficial, even if it is correction by a subordinate, as below in Prelates (P122). 157. One receives the sacrament or outward sign of the body of Christ (Corporis Christi sacramentvm accipit) a. A wicked person, who doesn’t receive the inward substance. Whence: For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh judgment to himself, not discerning the body of the Lord (I Cor. 11, 29). b.  A good person, who receives also the inward substance. Whence: He that eateth me liveth by me (John 6, 58). Again: Appoint a solemn day, with shady boughs, even to the horn of the altar (Ps. 117, 27).b c. In the future no one will receive the outward sign, but, by the soul, the inward substance. Whence: That you may eat and drink at my table, in my kingdom (Luke 22, 30). See B135.i above. The Glos. ord. on this Psalm verse provides much of the wording of this article, with the Augustinian distinction of res, inward substance (body and blood), and sacramentum, outward sign (bread and wine). a 

b 

167

143

Letter C

144

158. The body of Christ is called a tent (Corpvs Christi dicitvr tabernacvlvm) a. Because of the resemblance to war, because it warred against the aerial powers (cf. Eph. 2, 2). b. Because of its traveling about. Whence: The son of man hath not where to lay his head (Matth. 8, 20; Luke 9, 58). c. Because of its wayfaring. Whence: Hath rejoiced as a giant to run the way (Ps. 18, 6). d. Because of its shading. Whence: Thou hast overshadowed my head in the day of battle (Ps. 139, 8). 159. The body of Christ (Corpvs Christi) was placed in a tomb wherein no man yet had been laid (John 19, 41), as the gospel of John recounts in his Passion of the Lord. So we also should put the body of Christ where there isn’t another, that is, the devil, or sin. In the book of Kings we read that when David with thirty thousand men was bringing back the ark from the house of Aminadab, the two sons of Aminadab, namely Aioth and Oza, drove the ark. Aioth went in front and Oza followed. But when the oxen kicked back against it, the ark leaned aside. Oza reached out his hand to stabilize the ark, but in that instant his hand withered and he died (II Sam. 6, 1–8). The Gloss says that some say he was unworthy – for he wasn’t allotted this role – to touch the ark. Others say that he had relations with his wife the night before.a Others say that he should rather have carried the ark on his own shoulders and in this way shouldn’t touch it. How much more should an unworthy person refrain from approaching the body of Christ! 160. Bodies will be (Corpora ervnt) a. Agile. b. Refined. c. Glorious. d. Incorruptible. a  Not identified in the Glos. ord. The idea, including the sentiment in the last sentence of this article, appears in a thirteenth-century work, Gerald of Wales: Girald., Spec. eccl., p. 316. If the sons of Aminadab had carried the ark like a litter or sedan chair rather than driving an oxcart, the tilting incident would not have occurred.

168

Letter C

161. His body (Corpvs svvm) a. Christ blessed it mystically when on the third day he made it glorious in the Resurrection. b. He broke it mystically by subjecting it to our frailty, or to the Passion. c. He gave it to the disciples (Matth. 26, 26) literally at the Supper, and He gives it daily in church. Hilarius says that Judas was not with the disciples, that is, with the apostles, when Jesus gave them his body and blood.a All other holy authorities say he was present. 162. One should approach the body of Christ (Ad corpvs Christi accedendvm est) a. Faithfully. Whence Augustine: ‘Why do you prepare your teeth and belly? Believe, and you have eaten’.b b. Worthily. Whence: He that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh judgment to himself (I Cor. 11, 29). Again: But let a man prove himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of the chalice (I Cor. 11, 28). Bede’s comment on Luke on the Passion: ‘It is a greater sin to betray the body of Christ to sinful members than to the crucifying Jews’.c Elsewhere an authority says: ‘One who betrays Christ to sinners sins no less than the crucifying Jews, nor is it less a sin to scorn Christ reigning in heaven than to crucify Him walking on earth’.d c.  In imitation, so that if need be we would suffer for Him just as He suffered for us. Whence: Christ suffered for us, leaving you an example that you should follow his steps (I Pet. 2, 21). Every Christian should receive the flesh of Christ on the same day on which Christ took on our flesh. Certainly we are held to this not only from the institution of the Church in the new law, but also from the commandment in the Old Testament of the Lord, saying: Thou shalt not appear empty in the sight of the Lord thy God Hilary: Hil., In Matth. 30, 2 (vol. 258, p. 222, l. 1–5). See the article C95.b above. c  A precise source in Bede has not been identified, but see Beda, In Luc. 6, 22 (p. 379, l. 663–66). See G22.b below. d  Glos. ord. on Ps. 68, 22, from Augustine: Avg., In Ps. 68, 2, 6 (p. 922, l. 24– 25), etc. See G22.a below. a 

b 

169

145

146

Letter C

(Eccli. 35, 6; Deut. 16, 16) three times in the year (Ex. 23, 14; Deut. 17, 16; Ex. 34, 23): on the Pasch, Pentecost, and Scenophegia,a for the last of which we celebrate the Nativity of the Lord. And one appears ‘empty in the sight of his Lord’ who returns home on that day without the Lord. Empty indeed one approaches, and empty one retires. Nevertheless, some people abstain from this sacrament, that is, from the body of Christ.

147

163. These abstain from the body of Christ (A corpore Christi abstinent) a. Some from humility, from their recollection of their huge sins considering themselves unworthy of the eucharist and saying among themselves: Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldst enter under my roof (Matth. 8, 8; Luke 7, 6). That is commendable if it is done in consultation with one’s superior. b.  Others abstain from voluptuousness, because of their delight in the sins in which they lie or which they plan to perpetrate. To such people Christ himself says: Except you eat my flesh and drink my blood, you shall not have life in you (John 6, 54). c.  Others receive it while pretending. Of these the Apostle says: He that eateth the body of Christ and drinketh his blood unworthily, eateth and drinketh judgment to himself (I Cor. 11, 29). d. But others receive it out of devotion. To these the Spouse in the Canticle speaks: Eat, O friends, and drink, and be inebriated, my dearly beloved (Cant. 5, 1). And in the gospel: He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood abideth in me, and I in him (John 6, 57). And in the Psalm, where God manifestly invites us to this sacrament, saying: Taste and see that the Lord is sweet (Ps. 33, 9). ‘Taste’, that is, the flesh and blood of Christ. And thus ‘see’, that is, understand, how ‘sweet is the Lord’, that is, sweet is the bread, which is life for the one who consumes it. Blessed is the man that hopeth in that (Ps. 33, 9) which he eats, that is, hope through it for eternal life in the future, or in Him, that is, in Christ.b Wretched a  b 

That is, the Passover, the Feast of Weeks, and the Feast of Tabernacles. The Psalm verse concludes with in eo, ambiguously ‘in it/that’ or ‘in him’.

170

Letter C

is the one who trusts in himself or in other people. Augustine comments on that verse, All the fat ones of the earth have eaten and have adored (Ps. 21, 30): ‘The dispenser of the sacrament should not prohibit one from eating, but let him give warning about fearing the executioner. If anyone still persists in mortal sin, he should be prohibited, but he should be admonished in private’.a Therefore let whoever is in mortal sin not approach, but let him say: Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldst enter under my roof (Matth. 8, 8; Luke 7, 6). Pope Hilary: ‘If there aren’t such great sins that someone should be excommunicated, a person shouldn’t separate himself from the body of the Lord’.b Pope Fabian: ‘And if not more frequently, people should take communion at least three times a year, unless perhaps a person is prevented by a major sin, namely at Easter, Pentecost, and Christmas’. From the Council of Agde: ‘Secular clerics who haven’t taken communion at Christmas, Easter, and Pentecost are not believed to be catholic, and are not considered as among catholics’. If one asks why the body of Christ is passed down to us under the species of bread and wine rather than under other things, it is because it is very fitting, because as bread consists of many grains and wine of many grapes, so the body of Christ consists of many of the faithful; further, just as a full nourishing of bodies is of bread and wine, so of this sacrament is the full and chief nourishing of souls. 164. Correction (Correctio) or advice should not be scorned, even from a subordinate, as below in Prelates.c 165. Some people are corrected (Corrigvntvr) a. By words, because: The words of the wise are as goads and as nails deeply fastened in (Eccle. 12, 11). b. By flogging. Whence: Their infirmities were multiplied; afterwards they made haste (Ps. 15, 4). a  Peter Lombard: Petr. Lomb., In Ps. 21, 32 (col.  238C), from Augustine: Avg., In Ps. 48, 1, 3 (p. 553, l. 50–52). b  Gratian., Decret. 3, 2, can. 15–16 and 19 (col. 1319, l. 24–33 and col. 1320, l. 19–24) is the source of this and the following two statements. c  A blank cross-reference. See C128 above.

171

148

Letter C

149

166. One is corrupted (Corrvmpitvr) who is violated (rumpitur) in body and will, that is, one violated who unwillingly is violated. Whence an authority says: ‘The flesh isn’t corrupted unless the mind is first corrupted’.a In this verb ‘is corrupted’, this prefix ‘con-’ denotes a certain connection, and the sense is: the flesh is not corrupted, that is, the flesh is not ‘violated with’ (rumpitur cum) another thing, that is, with the mind present.b That is, when a woman unwillingly suffers abuse, she is only violated, but not corrupted, and as such she can be advanced to holy orders if this is evident to the Church – otherwise not. Others say that this authority is to be understood only of the first parents, in whom the mind was corrupted before the flesh. Some explain ‘the flesh isn’t corrupted unless the mind is first corrupted’ otherwise: the mind of one acting or one suffering action; and in this way one should distinguish ‘to violate’ from ‘to corrupt’. 167. Corruption is (Corrvptio est) a.  At the outset, that is, in the entry into life. Whence the Apostle: Do ye not know that that which thou sowest is not quickened except it die first (I Cor. 15, 36). b. As one progresses. Whence: All of them shall grow old like a garment (Ps. 101, 27). c. At one’s departure. Whence: And shall return to their dust (Ps. 103, 29). 168. There is a choir (Est chorvs) on the right and on the left in a church, as above in Angels (A45). 169. Concerning crows (De corvo) see above in Ark (A92). 170. ‘Tomorrow’ is taken (Cras accipitvr) sometimes for the future. Whence Jacob to Laban: My justice shall give heed to me or shall answer for me to morrow (Gen. 30, 33), that is, in the fua  Peter Lombard: Petr. Lomb., Sent. 4, 33, 4, 3 (p. 462, l. 2–5), etc., citing Isidore; Gratian., Decret. 2, 32, 5, 8 (col. 1134, l. 16–19), from Isidore: Isid., Synon. 2, 7 (p. 68, l. 65–66), etc. b  Corrumpitur = con-rumpitur with regular assimilation. The prefix con- is related to the preposition cum, ‘with’.

172

Letter C

ture. Again: As the grass which is flourishing and to morrow, that is, in the future, is cast into the oven (Matth. 6, 30; Luke 12, 28), that is, into a heap or into eternal fire. 171. There is a creation (Creatio est) a. Of nature. Male and female he created them (Gen. 1, 27). b.  Of grace. Whence an apostle: By the word of his own will hath God begotten us, that we might be some beginning of his creature (James 1, 18). c. Of glory. Whence Isaiah: Behold, I create a new heaven and a new earth (Is. 65, 17). 172. Believing (Credere). Gregory: ‘One truly believes by carrying out with works what one believes’.a ‘Those who don’t believe are more sluggish and worse than demons’, as holy authorities say in comment on an apostle, as below in Faith.b Again, note that holy authorities comment on this place, I have believed, therefore I have spoken (Ps. 115, 10): ‘one doesn’t truly believe who doesn’t speak and perform what he believes’.c 173. The sign of the cross is marked on four parts of the body (Crvcis figvra imprimitvr in qvatvor partibvs corporis) a.  On the breast, to restrain thinking and strengthen faith. Whence: With the heart we believe unto justice (Rom. 10, 10). b. On the head, because discernment and the seat of reason are there. Whence Peter says: Ready to give to every one that asketh you a reason of that faith and hope and charity which is in you (I Pet. 3, 15). c. Between the shoulder-blades, so that we might more lightly carry the burden of Christ. Whence: Take up my yoke, etc. (Matth. 11, 29). And these three marks are made by the priest in baptism.

Gregory the Great: Greg. M., In euang. 2, 26, 9 (p. 225, l. 191–92), etc. Augustine: Avg., In epist. Ioh. 10, 2 (p. 412, l. 17–18), etc. The cross-reference is to F22.b. c  Glos. ord. on Ps. 115, 1 (= 115, 10), from Augustine: Avg., In Ps. 115, 2 (p. 1653, l. 4–5), etc. a 

b 

173

150

Letter C

d. The fourth is made on the brow by the bishop in confirmation for strengthening, because of shame, lest we be ashamed to confess or fear to carry the name of Christ, that is, to preach it before kings and governors. Whence: Every one that shall confess me before men, I will also confess him before my Father. But he that shall be ashamed before men, I also will be ashamed of him before my Father (Matth. 10, 32; Luke 12, 8).

151

174. The cross is called Christ’s signifying (Crvx dicitvr significatio Christi) a. Because the conversion of the nations in the four corners of the earth is signified by the four arms of the cross. Whence: When I shall be lifted up from the earth, I will draw all things to myself (John 12, 32). b. And the crucifixion of our limbs is signified. Whence: Pierce thou my flesh with thy fear (Ps. 118, 120). c. And as an example of the Passion of Christ. Whence: Christ suffered for us, leaving you an example, etc. (I Pet. 2, 21). And the Lord to Peter: Follow me (John 21, 19). 175. There is a cross (Crvx est) a.  Of baptism. All Christians receive this cross and they are obliged to carry it and never descend from it, even though it may be said to them: Come down from the cross (Matth. 27, 40). b. Of one’s office. All who enter holy orders ascend this cross. c.  Of one’s vows. All who take vows with due consideration ascend this cross. d. Of virtue, as the cross of virginity, chastity, continence, humility, patience, obedience, almsgiving, charity, truth, perseverance, and the like. 176. One takes up the cross (Crvx tollitvr) a. Through abstinence, weakening one’s body. Whence Paul: I chastise my body, and bring it into subjection (I Cor. 9, 27).

174

Letter C

b.  Through fellow-suffering of the mind.a Whence: Who is weak, and I am not weak? (II Cor. 11, 29). c. Through shedding of blood. d. Through generosity of almsgiving. For a miser would rather fast than give alms. Mark treats of abstinence and compassion here: Let him deny himself and take up his cross (Mark 8, 34; Matth. 16, 24; Luke 9, 23). 177. There is a cross (Crvx est) of obedience and penitence, to which contemplatives, that is, all those who are cloistered, are constrained. These are more restricted than Christ, because they are held to perform with their tongue on this cross what Christ did on his cross. Hence let us see what Christ did on the day of his Passion and before he would mount the cross, so that we imitators of the Lord’s Passion might carefully consider these things. Being accused, he was silent; patiently he sustained whips and taunts; willingly he mounted the cross, for he was offered up because he willed it, and he allowed his whole body to be stretched on the cross, as he says through the prophet: They have dug my hands and feet; they have numbered all my bones (Ps. 21, 17). Mounted on the cross the Lord thirsted, prayed for his enemies, commended his mother to the disciple, gave up his spirit. In this way, thirsting for the salvation of one’s neighbor, you say: Who is weak, and I am not weak? (II Cor. 11, 29). Also we are obliged to pray for our enemies, according to the Lord’s commandment, saying: Pray for them that persecute and calumniate you (Matth. 5, 44; Luke 6, 28). We should watch over the mother of the Lord, that is, holy Church, with our examples and prayers, as the Lord says of us through the prophet: Upon thy walls I have appointed watchmen (Is. 62, 6). We should give up our spirit before we come down, for we should die on it, that is, our cross, because Christ died on his. Indeed, he was not willing to descend from the cross when the Jews shouted: If he be the king of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we a  Some manuscripts read ‘Through compassion for one’s neighbor’ (Per compassionem proximi), making slightly easier sense and in accordance with the sources, ultimately from Gregory the Great: Greg. M., In euang. 2, 32, 3 (p. 280, l. 68–70). Probably the Chanter’s immediate source was corrupt.

175

152

153

Letter C

154

will believe him. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross (Matth. 27, 42 and 40). Let Christ the king of Israel come down now from the cross, that we might see and believe (Mark 15, 32). But why didn’t he descend? So that the fulness of the Gentiles should come in (Rom. 11, 25). And when he saw on one side, weeping, his mother, whose soul the sword of the Passion pierced (Luke 2, 35), and standing on the other side the disciple whom he loved, and lamenting nearby those women who had followed him from Galilee, he sees and hears Peter making suggestions to him and saying, Be kind unto thyself, Lord (Matth. 16, 22 LXX); he hears his adversaries reproaching him and saying: If thou be the Son of God, etc. (Matth. 27, 40) – why didn’t he come down? So that he might show that he is the Son of God, and fulfill everything. An example, says the Lord, I have given you, that you also do so (John 13, 15). Likewise, if the world, if demons, if one’s own flesh cry out and say, ‘Come down from the cross! You are young; you can ascend when you are old’, say to them, ‘Nothing is more certain than death; nothing is less certain than the hour of death. I will keep watch, and I will remain on the cross, until bowing my head I will give up the spirit (John 19, 30), lest it be said of me: This man began to build, and was not able to finish (Luke 14, 30). I am not a dog that I would return to his vomit (Prov. 26, 11; II Pet. 2, 22). Having forgotten the things that are behind, with the Apostle I will stretch myself forth to those that are before (cf. Phil. 3, 13). My Lord, Jesus Christ, didn’t descend from the cross when they said to him: Come down from the cross, and we will believe thee (Matth. 27, 42). He died on his cross of suffering for my sake, although all temporal things may be taken away from me. For the Physician to whom I have committed myself knew when temporal goods should be given, and also when they should be taken away’. A Christian should always be on this cross, not in body but in spirit, not in flesh but in mind. But if you don’t crucify yourself in sufferings, at least crucify yourself on the gibbet of charity, for charity has its own cross, its own image of the cross.

176

Letter C

178. On this cross (In hac crvce) a. The height is the love of God.a b. The breadth, love of neighbor. c. The depth, love of oneself. d. The length, perseverance in good. In the height of the cross raise yourself up through the love of God by fearing God, by praying to God. Extend your hands in the breadth, that is, show good works by supporting the poor, caring for the needy, clothing the naked, comforting the sick, consoling the imprisoned. For one’s hands are the two kinds of works: necessary and voluntary. By the right hand understand necessary works, as eating, sleeping, and the like, which are fixed to the cross by the nail of temperance and sobriety. By the left hand, voluntary works, which are entirely restrained by the nail of prudence, for a convert shouldn’t follow his own will. In the depth of the cross crucify your feet, that is, your flesh, by mortification of your flesh in fasting, in vigils, lest we enter into temptation, because, if we will be associates of the Passion of Christ, without doubt we will be also of his Resurrection. In the length of charity persevere in good up to the end, by toiling up to the reward, by striving up to the laurel. 179. The cross is (Crvx est) the enfeebling of the flesh, in which we should be crucified ‘with the vices and concupiscences’. Whence the Apostle to the Galatians: And they that are Christ’s have crucified their flesh, that is, enfeebled it, struggling with the vices of their works and the concupiscences of desires (Gal. 5, 24). Indeed, a Christian should always hang on this cross in this life, so that he would be affixed there with nails, that is with the commandments of righteousness, just as Christ was affixed to the cross by nails. Therefore one is crucified with scorn for the flower of this world, one who regards temporal things as dung and casts them down, and caught up in the course of contemplation subjects himself to the will of the greater One. One is crucified in all things who maintains his will against his own flesh.

a 

The four dimensions are from Ephesians 3, 18.

177

155

Letter C

180. Of the cross (In crvce) there are two beams. One is placed crosswise, and it is shorter and signifies forbearance in adversity. The other is upright and is longer, and it signifies perseverance to the end. But both these two are very necessary. 181. The cross (Crvcem) was chosen by Christ for a mystery, for he didn’t wish to be stabbed or stoned or to undergo any other kind of suffering but the cross, for the sake of a mystery. For the cross has four sections of wood: the upright, the crosswise, the subterranean, and the mocking piece placed above. Whence the Apostle to the Ephesians: That you may be able to comprehend…a

156

182. What is (Qve sit) a. The breadth, that is, the transverse beam, the breadth of charity. Christ had his hands stretched out in the broad dimension, one to the north and the other to the south, and in the extension of his hands he displayed joyousness and charity. And this broad dimension signifies the breadth of charity, which should be extended not only to friends but also to enemies. Whence: Love your enemies, etc. (Matth. 5, 44; Luke 6, 27). We ought to comprehend (Eph. 3, 18) the breadth of charity by loving even our enemies. b. The length, that is the upright beam, or the length of charity, that is, the perseverance of charity. On the upright beam, which was the length, was the body of the Lord, having his face to the east, his feet to the west, to signify that he drew to himself the four corners of the earth. Whence: When I will be lifted up from the earth, I will draw all things to myself (John 12, 32), that is, some from all. And this signifies the length of charity, that is, the perseverance that we ought to have. For he that shall persevere unto the end, he shall be saved (Matth. 10, 22). And because all this could be from vainglory, namely that we would have the breadth of charity, and the length, that is the perseverance, it is necessary that we do all this only with the intention of eternal reward – and therefore fittingly he says: c. The height. The height was the tablet on which was the title (John 19, 19) and hope of reward, because whatever we do we a 

The next article dilates upon the continuation of this verse, Ephesians 3, 18.

178

Letter C

should do with good intention and the hope of eternal reward. Whence in chanting we include Psalms with an antiphon that denotes a good intention. And therefore it follows: d. And depth. Deep are the secrets of the judgments of God – namely why he reproves this person and loves that one – which we should fear and wonder at, with the Apostle saying: O the depth of the riches of the wisdom and of the knowledge of God!, etc. (Rom. 11, 33). Notice that Christ on the cross joins his feet and spreads apart his hands, because Adam stretched apart his feet and joined his hands. Again, note that Christ was sorrowful in the Passion. Whence through the prophet: O all ye that pass by the way, attend and see if there be any sorrow like to my sorrow! (Lam. 1, 12). 183. Of the cross (In crvcis) a. In preaching of the cross all the saints rejoice. Whence the Apostle: Whether by occasion or by truth, let Christ be preached; in this I rejoice and will rejoice (Phil. 1, 18). b. In the benefit of the cross they rejoice. Whence the Apostle: But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord (Gal. 6, 14). 184. Facing the cross (Ante crvcem) we perform three adorations on Good Friday, saying: ‘Agios o Theos’, etc.,a in two languages, namely Greek and Latin, for the third is silent. And we do this in opposition to the three mockings, that is, accusations, with which the Jews chiefly mocked Christ, saying: This man said, ‘I am able to destroy this temple’, etc. (Matth. 26, 61), but in these three especially, that he made as if to be the Son of God and the king of the Jews, and is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar (Matth. 22, 17; Mark 12, 14; Luke 20, 22). John was present at the Passion of Christ, and therefore on Good Friday we read the gospel according to him, that is, according to John. The Lord multiplied prayers on the cross, and for that reason the Church multiplies its prayers on Good Friday, as a  At the service of the Adoration of the Cross on Good Friday is chanted the Trisagion. It begins with one choir singing ‘Agios o Theos’ (O holy God) and the other choir singing its Latin translation, ‘Sanctus Deus’. The third language would be Hebrew.

179

157

Letter C

158

159

below in Prayer (O92). A person who hurls insults at his brother spits in Christ’s face. A person who harms his neighbor not only with words but with deeds beats Christ’s face with blows. One who hardens his heart against his brother in hatred and spite cloaks Christ’s face. A person who utters deceitful words with a hollow heart offers gall and vinegar to the Lord on a sponge. A person who plots evil against his neighbor pierces Christ’s side with a lance. A person who reaches out his hands for bribes or unclean activity affixes Christ’s hands with nails. A person who readily and swiftly runs toward evil affixes the Lord’s feet to the cross. On the other hand, if you wish to heal the wounds you have inflicted on Christ, and to resuscitate the Christ who was killed again by you and in you, change your perverse doings to good works. If hitherto you have inflicted verbal reproaches on your brothers, bless them, don’t curse them, and in this way you will wash the Lord’s face on which you have spat. If you have harmed them by works, offer them a helping hand. If you harbor brotherly hatred in your heart, pour out with confession the inveterate poison of iniquity, and in this way you will wash the Lord’s face. If hitherto you have reached out your hands for bribes or unclean activity, restore what has been taken and offer it toward works of piety for the poor, and in this way you will pull the nails from the Lord’s hands and you will heal not only the wounds, but even the scars of the wounds in the Lord’s hands. If hitherto you have plotted evil against your neighbor, plot otherwise for the benefit of your neighbor, and in this way you will heal the wound that you made in Christ’s side. If hitherto you have had feet swift to shed blood (Rom. 3, 15), now run to make peace – because: Blessed are the feet of them that carry peace (Rom. 10, 15) – and in this way you will restore healed the feet of Christ that you wounded. You will even be able to wash the healed feet, if for God’s sake with a pure heart you bear up under an injustice inflicted on you by your brothers. Indeed, one who bows down to wash feet and humbly cleans away the dirt, is also himself washed. Whence the Lord in the gospel: If you will forgive men their offences, my heavenly Father will forgive you your offences. But if you will not forgive men their offences, neither will your Father forgive you your offences (Matth.

180

Letter C

6, 14–15; Mark 11, 25). For if from humility you forgive an offence of your brothers, you are imitators of Christ, who not only forgave but even prayed for those who crucified him, saying: Father, pay no attention to them, for they know not what they do (Luke 23, 34). 185. One who wishes to take up the cross (Qvi crvcem) should do three things. Whence: One who will come after me, etc. (Luke 9, 23; Matth. 16, 24; Mark 8, 34) – he says three things, namely: Let him deny himself through servitude, take up his cross through abasement, follow, that is, through adversity. And he invites us to the three things – servitude, abasement, adversity – for through these three we can recover those three that the soul of Adam lost in paradise, namely liberty, honor, felicity or beatitude. Through servitude, liberty; through abasement, the honor of the vision of God; through adversity, the felicity or beatitude, that is, the company of angels. ‘Himself’, he particularly says, so that we might deny not only our belongings, but also our body and senses and reason. ‘Take up the cross’, he says, for the cross is taken up in four ways, as above. ‘His’, he says, so that it may be taken up on one’s own body. ‘Daily’, he says, so that not for a time, like wicked people, but always, that is, it is taken up with perseverance even in adversity. ‘Follow me’, such that we do this not for human favor or temporal payment, but for Christ. 186. A chamber (Cvbicvlvm) is the hiding place of the heart. Whence: Enter into thy chamber, and having shut the door, pray to thy Father in secret (Matth. 6, 6). 187. Cupidity (Cvpiditas) is the general name for all the vices, whence it is called the root and origin of all vices or evils (I Tim. 6, 10). Sometimes the term is restricted to greed, to money, and to those temporal things. 188. These things dissuade us from cupidity (A cvpiditate hec nos dehortantvr) a. Our innate poverty, because: Naked came I out of my mother’s womb (Job 1, 21). Again: We brought nothing into this world, and we can carry nothing out (I Tim. 6, 7).

181

160

Letter C

b. Our brief life. Whence: Thou fool, this night thy soul is required of thee, and whose shall those things be which thou hast provided? (Luke 12, 20). In the Lives of the Fathers: ‘Nakedness in no way benefits one who has cupidity’.a 189. An avaricious person (Cvpidvs) is like a dropsical one, us below in Dropsical (I2). 190. They run (Cvrrvnt) a. Who fulfill the commandments of God by entertaining the poor and things of this kind, like Martha. b. They sit, the contemplatives, who if not in body, nevertheless in mind observe the commandments of God.b c. They lie down, the infirm who cannot, that is, will not, rise from sin, yet fearing and saying: I have not dared to lift my eyes toward heaven (Luke 18, 13) – and for these the Church prays.

161

191. There is a chariot (Cvrrvs est) a.  Of the blessed. Whence Elijah was snatched up in a fiery chariot (cf. IV Kings 2, 11). b. Of wicked people in this world. Whence: Some trust in chariots, and some in horses, but we will call upon the name of the Lord our God (Ps. 19, 8). c.  Of demons. Whence: Pharaoh’s chariots and his army he hath cast into the sea (Ex. 15, 4). 192. The chariots (Cvrrvs) a. Of pharaoh are manifold, and we come upon and see them rather often in this region of ours: b. The chariot of malice, which has four wheels: ferocity, impatience, audacity, impudence. Swift are these wheels toward evil. c.  Of luxuriousness, which has four wheels: gluttony of the belly, desire of uncleanness, softness of clothing, the laxity of sleep and idleness. Defensor Locog., Scint. 30, 26 (p. 120). A source in the Lives of the Fathers has not been identified. b  Martha and Mary were types of the active and contemplative lives. a 

182

Letter C

d.  Of greed. The wheels that draw the chariot of greed are grasping and rapacity, solicitude for possessing and fear of losing. e.  Of pride: the wheels envy, wrath, slander, despair or presumptuousness. These are four wheels tending toward death. In all these chariots there are demons: contempt of God and obliviousness of death. Notwithstanding that it was written, Some trust in chariots, and some in horses, etc. (Ps. 19, 8), setting aside the chariots of pharaoh in which is the perdition of souls let us revert to the chariots of Aminadab (cf. Cant. 6, 11) in which is salvation, as the prophet says: Who will ride upon thy horses, and thy chariots are salvation (Hab. 3, 8). Just as pharaoh has his chariots, so our Aminadab has his horses and his four-horse chariots. For don’t justice, prudence, temperance, and fortitude constitute a four-horse chariot? Isn’t this the chariot and four-horse vehicle of Elijah? This chariot is drawn not only by the four evangelists, but also by the four states of the life of religious people: beginning, progressing, running, and arriving. Do you wish to see the chariots of our Aminadab going toward eternal life? One chariot is devotion, meditation, prayer, reading. Another chariot is contrition of heart, confession of mouth, satisfaction for sin, and avoidance of wrongdoing. There is also another chariot: hatred of the world, scorn for it, compassion for one’s neighbor, love of God. But also faith in the Incarnation, Passion, Resurrection, and Ascension make for us a very spacious chariot. Another is perhaps more cramped: purity of conscience, harshness of life, the humility of obedience, the austerity of discipline. But if the scrolls of sacred scripture are diligently unrolled in one’s examination of such things, the tongue would fail sooner than the words.

183

162

LETTER D

163

1. The damnation of the wicked is said to be manifest (Dampnatio malorvm dicitvr aperta) a. Because of the manifest indignation of God, for: He will be like a mighty man that hath been surfeited with wine (Ps. 77, 65). b. Because of his manifest accusation. Whence: I was thirsty, and you gave me not to drink (Matth. 25, 42). c. Because of his manifest curse. Whence: Go, you cursed, into everlasting fire (Matth. 25, 41 VL). 2. Whitening (Dealbatio) a. One kind is good. b. The other is evil. 3. Again, the good whitening (Item dealbatio bona) a.  One kind is good, the good whitening of snow – a good whitening is in the mind and is the infusion of grace. b. Another is better, as snow is better – the better kind will be in the glorification of the flesh. c. Another kind is best, excellent beyond snowy – the best will be from the fruition of the divine vision. 4. Again, the whitening of the wicked (Item dealbatio malorvm) a. One kind is of hypocrites. We read of this one: Woe to you hypocrites, because you are like to whited sepulchres (Matth. 23, 27).

184

Letter D

b.  Another, of the rich. We read of this one: The Lord shall break the cedars of Lebanon (Ps. 28, 5). 5. There is a tithe (Est decima) a. Of days, as Lent, which was established as a tithe of days; look for this in Fast (I12). b. Of one’s proceeds, for in the old law it was commanded that people should give a tenth of all their belongings. Whence in Exodus, the Lord to Moses: Thou shalt not delay to pay thy tithes and firstfruits to me (Ex. 22, 29). And in Deuteronomy we read that the Hebrews would make two tithings each year; look for this in Alms (E55). And from the council of Rouens we have this decree: ‘All tithes of the land, whether of grain or of the fruits of trees, are the Lord’s, and sanctified to him are the oxen and sheep and goats that pass under the shepherd’s rod; every tenth that cometh shall be sanctified to the Lord. It shall not be chosen neither good nor bad, neither shall it be changed for another. If any man change it, both that which was changed and that for which it was changed shall be sanctified to the Lord, and shall not be redeemed. (Lev. 27, 30–33). But those unwilling to give, let them be admonished according to the command of the Lord, once, twice, three times. If they won’t be corrected, let them be bound by the chains of anathema until they do satisfaction and a suitable amending’.a Hence how might one excuse himself who keeps his property back, that is, his tithes and firstfruits, or exacts them from others – nay rather, if I would speak more truly, rapes them, as certain soldiers rape foreign women? And if he is remiss, how does he avoid the penalty if he doesn’t pay the whole amount from his possessions, that is, how does he think he will avoid a penalty? – when Augustine would say: ‘A sin is not forgiven unless what is taken is restored’.b Even monks, who are called perfect, how, if they don’t pay properly, do they presume to avoid a penalty? For all, even the imperfect, are obliged to pay tithes and firstfruits; therefore much Gratian., Decret. 2, 16, 7, 5, inscriptio (col. 801, l. 36–45). Augustine: Avg., Epist. 153, 6 (CSEL, 44, p.  419, l.  7–8), and a byword: Walther, Prouerbia 38986. a 

b 

185

164

Letter D

165

more the perfect, like monks, for whom it is not even permitted to sue for their possessions at law, for it was said to them: If someone take away thy coat, let go thy cloak also with him, and if one strike thee on one cheek, turn to him also the other, and if anyone force thee, etc. (Matth. 5, 39–40). And they should be a stumbling-block for no one, and they are obliged to relinquish everything in which there is danger of eternal damnation. For many great theologians are in doubt and dispute among themselves as to whether monks sin if they retain their tithes. Yet at last they resolve the matter: it is for the perfect to choose, of two options, the one in which there is no danger of eternal damnation. But there is no danger in paying tithes, but there is doubt in withholding them; therefore they are much more obliged to give, indeed, to pay up, rather than to withhold, indeed, than to despoil. God even wanted for himself a tithe of humans, when he appropriated the tribe of Levi for the administration of his service. 6. Tithes (Decime) should be give not only from your own preferred possessions but even from plunder seized by force. Hence Abraham, when the five kings who captured his nephew Lot and the four kings with him were conquered, was not only to give tithes from the booty, but also to divide it so that he picked from the best tithes for the priest, namely Melchisedech. And at that time we read that tithes were first given, as from the time of Abel the firstfruits were given.

166

7. Tithes (Decime) and firstfruits are paid to God because he is the Alpha and Omega, that is, the beginning and the end, for firstfruits should be given from the first things, just as tithes from the last. Firstfruits signify the beginning of good works and tithes their consummation, for beyond the number ten one cannot count except by reduplication. And we give tithes so that the tenth order might be restored from us – not that there were ten orders, for there were never but nine, but because from each of those nine so many fell that a tenth order could be made from them. But firstfruits should be made from all proceeds; for this reason we pay them from the days of the year. Whence we undertake the

186

Letter D

fasts of the four seasons for those, that is, the firstfruits, so that we pay one for thirty days.a 8. Lowering of the eyes (Declinatio ocvlorvm) a. Because of cupidity. Whence: They have set their eyes bowing down to the earth (Ps. 16, 11). And in the book of Jesus the son of Sirach: The eyes of fools are in the ends of the earth (Prov. 17, 24); but the eyes of a wise man are in his head (Eccle. 2, 14). b. Because of humility, as the publican: O God, be merciful to me a sinner (Luke 18, 13).b c. Because of piety, such as when Christ bowing himself down, wrote on the ground (John 8, 6) in order to pay heed to our condition. d. To display our condition, as when we pray prostrate to call to mind the fragility of our flesh. Whence: Our belly cleaveth to the earth (Ps. 43, 25). e. For the very element of our sinning, which is earthly, so that we may despise it. 9. The decree of God is (Decretvm Dei est) of the tree of knowledge of good and evil thou shalt not eat (Gen. 2, 17). 10. A fainting is (Defectvs est) a. Praiseworthy and desirable. Whence: My soul hath fainted after thy salvation (Ps. 118, 81), not ‘away from thy salvation’. That fainting is good, for such a fainting indicates a strong desire for a good not yet acquired but very eagerly wished for, as with Simeon and the ancients who desired the Christ. Whence there are those seven sacramental antiphons before Christmas – namely ‘O Adonai! O root of David!’ and the others with which the advent of the Savior is soughtc which are chanted in the second tone, because they invoke the one who is God and man. And there are seven a  The fasts of the four seasons (Ember Days) are of three days each (Wednesday, Friday, Saturday), spaced out in Advent, Lent, post-Pentecost, and September. The twelve days are one-thirtieth of the 360-day year. b  The publican would not so much as lift up his eyes towards heaven (Luke 18, 13). c  The ‘O’ antiphons of Advent.

187

167

Letter D

because in him is the fulness of sevenfold grace.a And now all the righteous desire his second coming. b. Culpable. A fainting from good to evil is bad, just as from evil to good is good. But ‘fainting’ by itself without a modifier is usually taken in the bad sense, just as ‘growing’ in a good sense unless ‘in something’, as when is said: They grow (Proficiunt) into worse (II Tim. 3, 13),b and we read this: Fainteth after (Latin in) salvation (Ps. 118, 81), not ‘away from (Latin a) salvation’. 11. The dead (Defvncti) a. Are said to sleep, as below in The dead (M131). b. Some are very good. b. Some mediocre. c. Some very bad, as below in the letter O there: The Church prays (O72).

168

12. Those are swallowed up (Deglvtivntvr) a. Who knowingly sin, or sin from pride, as those who although they knew God, they have not glorified him as God (Rom. 1, 21). b. Who sin from envy, as the Jews who said: He casteth out devils by Beelzebub, the prince of devils (Luke 11, 15). c. Who sin from weakness, as one who would say: Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak (Ps. 6, 3). 13. Transgressions (Delicta) or sins: these are hard for us to understand, as below in Sins (P46). 14. Teeth (Dentes) a.  Sometimes are taken in a bad sense. Whence: God shall break their teeth (Ps. 57, 7). Again: Whose teeth are weapons and arrows (Ps. 56, 5). b. Sometimes in a good sense. Whence in the Canticles: Thy teeth as flocks of sheep that are shorn, which come up from the washIs. 11, 2–3 lists the seven ‘spirits’ of grace. The term defectus strictly means ‘a failing, a defect’. Peter contrasts it with profectus, ‘growth, success’, seeing that one can fall away, faint (Douai translation) toward salvation or grow in evil. a 

b 

188

Letter D

ing (Cant. 4, 2), that is, preachers, expositors, from baptism, from whom are removed superfluous things, and sometimes necessary things – hence it says ‘shorn’. And preachers are called teeth because they gnaw sins and grind holy scripture, that is, expound it. Again, in the same book: Thy teeth as sheep (Cant. 6, 5). 15. Teeth (Dentes) a. Some are in front. These first are the incisors; first, like incisors, were the apostles and the first saints who separated the firstfruits of the gentiles from the dough of the lost ones. Whence is was said to Peter: Kill, and eat (Acts 11, 7). b. Others in the middle. The middle are the canines; these middle ones like canines are holy expositors who for the sake of the truth boldly barked against the impudence of heretics. Whence in the psalm: The tongue of thy dogs be red (Ps. 67, 24). c. Others at the end. The last ones are called grinders (molars); the last ones as if grinders are the modern fathers who eat of the crumbs that fall from the table of their masters (Matth. 15, 27), very finely crush them, and understand certain things better than certain of their masters. Hence it is that, unless they cleave the hoof, that is, the letter from the spirit, and chew on the law of God by meditating day and night (Ps. 1, 2), and thus crush the food of the soul, that is, the word of God, by expounding it to others, they are shown to be animals that are unclean in the law. 16. Devils are teeth (Dentes diaboli svnt) a. Some through slander. The Apostle calls us back from this slander, saying: If you bite, take heed ye be not consumed one of another (Gal. 5, 15). b.  Others through rapacity. The Psalmist speaks against the teeth of rapacity, saying: Who devour my people as they eat bread (Ps. 13, 4). c.  Others through gluttony. The Lord threatens the punishment of hell for the teeth of gluttony, where he says: There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matth. 8, 12; 22, 13; 24, 51; 25, 30; Apoc. 20, 15). For those teeth will ache with the chattering of cold that in this world take delight in gluttony.

189

169

Letter D

17. Teeth are spoken of as (Dentes dicvntvr) preachers or prelates, as below in Preachers (P117).

170

18. Christ descended (Descendit Christvs) a. In the Incarnation. Whence: He shall come down like rain upon the fleece (Ps. 71, 6). b. Through compassion. Whence: Jesus coming down from the mountain stood in a plain place (Luke 6, 17). c. Through examination of people’s deserving. Whence: I will descend and see whether they have done (Gen. 18, 21). Again: I went down into the garden, etc. (Cant. 6, 10). d. Through death. Whence: ‘He descended into hell’.a 19. A  human descends (Descendit homo) through sin. Whence: O daughter of Zion, descend to Babylon, there thou shalt be healed (Mic. 4, 10). 20. A prelate descends (Descendit prelatvs) a.  Through compassion, according to this from the Apostle: For whether we be transported in mind, it is to God, or whether we be sober, it is for you (II Cor. 5, 13). b. Through humility. Whence all good people are called lilies of the valley (Cant. 2, 1).b 21. The evil angel descended (Descendit angelvs), that is, the devil, though his fall. Whence: How art thou fallen, O Lucifer, who didst rise in the morning? (Is. 14, 12). Also God, humanity, and the devil ascend; look for this in the letter A (A102–104). 22. There is a triple descent (Descensvs triplex est) a. First is into the feebleness of guilt. The first descent is guilt. Of the first it is written: My spirit hath fainted away. Turn not away thy face from me, lest I be like unto them that descend unto the pit (Ps. 142, 7). A phrase from the Apostle’s Creed. The Glos. ord. on Cant. 2, 1 indicates that ‘of the valley’ refers to the humble, which prelates should condescend to be. a 

b 

190

Letter D

b. Second into the compassion of mercy. The second is mercy. Of the second: Seeing I have seen the affliction of my people, and am descended to deliver them (Acts 7, 34; Ex. 3, 7–8). c. Third in the exhibition of humility. The third is benevolence. Of the third: He bowed the heavens and descended, and darkness was under his feet (II Kings 22, 10; Ps. 17, 10). 23. This term ‘desert’ is taken in several ways (Hoc nomen ‘desertvm’ mvltipliciter accipitvr) a. Augustine in his sermon ‘The hardening of Pharaoh’ says: ‘Our love faithfully and firmly first believes this, that God never deserts a person unless he is first deserted by the person’.a b. There is further a desert of the heart, that is, a cessation of vices, which is also named a ‘vacation of the heart’. Without this desert there is no salvation. Therefore let us see whether prelates of the Church have this desert, namely those who build up Zion in blood (Mic. 3, 10), who are haughty at the horn of the altar and behave wantonly with the patrimony of the Crucified One. Isaiah inveighs against them in this way: Woe to those who build up Zion in their blood, that is, who disgrace holy Church with their friends and relatives, and in so doing annul their ecclesiastical status. Again, Gregory: ‘A prelate of the Church’, etc., as below in Alms (E57). c. The desert of the hermit, that is, a wilderness, of which John the Baptist speaks thus: I am the voice of one crying in the desert (John 1, 23), that is, in a wilderness. For John was crying out in both deserts, that is, that of the hermit and that of the heart. Moses in Exodus has in mind this desert when speaking thus to pharaoh: We will go three days’ journey into the wilderness, to sacrifice unto our God in the desert (Ex. 3, 18; 5, 3; 8, 27–28). In Egypt, that is, in the darkness of vices, one shouldn’t sacrifice to God, for the Highest doesn’t approve sacrifices unless they issue from a clean conscience. d.  The desert of heaven. For heaven, that is, the kingdom of heaven, is called a desert, as if it were deserted by the angels who fell to ruin through their disobedience. Whence Isaiah in taunting Lua  Bartholomew of Exeter: Barth. Ex., Fat. error. 171, 1 (p. 161–62) from Caesarius of Arles: Caes. Arel., Serm. 101, 2 (p. 416–17, l. 1–3).

191

171

Letter D

172

173

cifer’s fall speaks thus: How art thou fallen, O Lucifer, who didst rise in the morning (Is. 14, 12). Lucifer was created in the upper heaven, as is told in the article Angels (A43). And heaven is called a desert because the first human abandoned it. That heaven may be called a desert we gather from the gospel thus: when ninety-nine were left in the desert, that is, in heaven, the Lord Jesus Christ went after the one who had wandered off which was lost (Luke 15, 4). Elsewhere this sheep is called a groat, whence: Rejoice with me, my neighbors, that is, the angelic powers, because I have found the groat which I had lost (Luke 15, 9), that is, by the benefit of the affliction of my Passion I have delivered humankind from its ancient enslavement. e. The fourth desert is mortal guilt, that is, everyone in a state of mortal sin is called a desert, and through this guilt any soul is deserted by God. In this way it becomes a kind of desert, that is, deserted and abandoned by God. Whence Isaiah: The land that was desert and impassible shall be glad (Is, 35, 1), that is, the gentiles, who earlier, with the dining table of the whole Trinity deserted and abandoned, ran after idols; afterwards they were grafted into the olive tree, that is, the Church of God. Of this fourth desert Isaiah elsewhere: Send forth, O lord, the lamb, the ruler of the earth, from the Rock of the desert to the mount of the daughter of Zion (Is. 16, 1).a ‘From the Rock of the desert’, that is, from the hardness of the gentiles worshiping idols. He says ‘from the Rock of the desert’ both because they worshiped a rock and because they were in a desert and also deserted. 24. Also called a desert (Desertvm eciam dicitvr) a. The Mosaic law. Whence Moses sweetened the bitter waters of Mara in the desert by casting a tree into them (Ex. 15, 23–25). b. The gentiles. Whence: He hath turned a wilderness into pools of waters, etc. (Ps. 196, 35), and: Many are the children of the desert, more than of her that hath a husband (Is. 54, 1; Gal. 4, 27). c. And contemplation is called a desert, because it is deserted by many and inhabited by few. The place name ‘Petra’ refers to several places (= Hebrew ‘Sela’). Peter the Chanter seems to take it as a common noun. a 

192

Letter D

25. In the desert (In deserto) Moses and his people were in doubt, as below in One doubted (D114). 26. Christ descended (Descendit) a. Through humility. b. The devil through pride. 27. This world is called a desert (Desertvm dicitvr mvndvs iste) a. Because of our pilgrimage. Whence: We have not here a lasting city, but we seek one that is to come (Hebr. 13, 14). b. Because of labor. Whence Job: Man is born to labor, and the bird to fly (Job 5, 7). c. Because of indigence. Whence: I am poor and sorrowing, but the Lord is careful for me (Ps. 39, 18). d.  Because of the prompting of serpents, that is, of demons. Whence: There are creeping things without number (Ps. 103, 25). And this world is called a desert because, as a desert is savage, so this world is savage. 28. Desire is (Desiderivm est) a. For a thing possessed, which is both now and in the future. Whence: On whom the angels desire to look (I Pet. 1, 12). b. For a thing not possessed, and this is in the present time. 29. The desire of the poor, that is, of saints, is (Desiderivm pavpervm, idest sanctorvm, est)a a.  To be delivered from evil. Whence: Who shall deliver me from the body of this death? (Rom. 7, 24). b.  To enjoy Christ. Whence: I  wish to be dissolved and to be with Christ (Phil. 1, 23). c. To join with the Church in the bond of charity. Again: Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity (Ps. 132, 1).

a 

The Lord hath heard the desire of the poor (Ps. 9, 38).

193

174

Letter D

30. The Jews disparaged Christ (Detrahebant Ivdei Christo) a.  By denying him. Whence in the book of Wisdom: He boasteth that he hath knowledge of God, and calleth himself the son of God (Wis. 2, 13). b.  By attributing to him what he doesn’t have. Whence: He casteth out devils by Beelzebub, the prince of devils (Luke 11, 15). c. By diminishing his works. Whence, when he had given bread to five thousand people from five loaves, they said: Moses gave us bread from heaven for forty years (John 6, 32). d. By diminishing the number of the faithful. Whence: Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, who go round about the sea and land to make one proselyte (Matth. 23, 15). The Apostle: Whisperers and detractors are hateful to God (Rom. 1, 29–30). From the sayings of Basil: ‘If someone disparages a person that is in charge, let him do penitence for seven days separated from the company of the Church – as did Mary, sister of Aaron, who disparaged Moses (Num. 12, 15)’.a 31. God (Devs) accuses, as below in Prelates.b

175

32. The term ‘God’ is used (Hoc nomen ‘Devs’ ponitvr) a. Sometimes in the strict sense, and then it signifies the divine essence. b. Sometimes loosely as suppositing for a person, and so it has to be used with distinguishing verbs or nouns, as: ‘God begets’ – here the term is supposited for the Father; ‘God is begotten’ – here for the Son; ‘God proceeds’ – here for the Holy Spirit. 33. God is (Devs est) a. Sweet in his example. b. Sweeter in his promise. c. Sweetest in the reward. Ivo, Decret. 13, 67 (col. 815C-D), from Rufinus: Rvfin., Basil. Reg. interrog. (p. 88, l. 8–11). b  An empty cross-reference; cf. A96. a 

194

Letter D

34. God is (Devs est) a.  In his godhead, or nature or essence. Whence in Exodus: Hear, O Israel, the Lord thy God is one God (Mark 12, 29; Deut. 6, 4). b. In name only. Whence: For all the gods of the Gentiles are devils (Ps. 95, 5). c. In power, as prelates and rectors of churches. Whence: Thou shalt not speak ill of the gods, and the princes of thy people thou shalt not curse (Ex. 22, 28). Again: I have appointed thee the God of Pharaoh (Ex. 7, 1). d. By adoption. Whence: I have said, ‘You are gods, and all of you sons of the most High’ (Ps. 81, 6). e. By worship, as vices, as: Whose God is their belly (Phil. 3, 19). f. Angels are also called gods. Whence in Genesis, gods sending winds overturned the tower of Babel.a 35. God (Devs) is called ‘the Compassionate’, as below in Compassionate (M103). 36. God is sought (Devs qveritvr) a. Through good works. b. Through faith. Whence: Seek ye the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near (Is. 55, 6), says Isaiah. While you are alive, ‘seek ye’ – seek with faith, works, innocence. ‘While he may be found’ – while there is room for penitence. In the future he will be seen, he will not be found. ‘Call upon him while he is near’ – in fact, while we have time. c.  Through contemplation. Whence: I  sought him whom my soul loveth (Cant. 3, 1). d.  Through the offering of religious rites. Whence Hosea: With their flocks and with their herds they shall go to seek the Lord, and shall not find him, because is withdrawn from them (Hos. 5, 6).

Not biblical; see Peter Comestor: Petr. Comestor, Hist. Schol. I, 40 (p. 76, l. 13–14). a 

195

176

Letter D

37. Christ is called the right hand of God the Father (Dextera Dei patris dicitvr Christvs) a. Because of his works, because all things were made through him. Whence: In the beginning, that is, in the Son, God made heaven and earth (Gen. 1, 1). b. Because of his protection. Whence: And thou hast given me the protection of thy salvation, and thy right hand hath held me up (Ps. 17, 36; Is. 49, 2). c. Because of the assault of enemies. Whence: The right hand of the Lord hath wrought strength, etc. (Ps. 117, 16). ‘The right hand’, that is, Christ, who is the right hand of the Father. ‘Strength’ – it is great strength to exalt the humble, to deify a mortal human, to give glory from subjection, victory from suffering, heaven to those of earth.

177

38. The right hand of God is called (Dextera Dei dicitvr) a. The Son of God. Whence: The right hand of the Lord hath wrought strength (Ps. 117, 16), that is, Christ. b. Equality with the Father. Whence: Sit on my right hand (Ps. 109, 1; Matth. 33, 44; Mark 12, 36; Luke 20, 42), that is, ‘Reign with me as equal to me’. c. Divine protection. Whence: I set the Lord always in my sight, for he is at my right hand, that I be not moved (Ps. 15, 8) – so that through the right hand is understood the equality that Christ has with the Father. Again: Let thy hand be upon the man of thy right hand, etc. (Ps. 79, 18). d.  Eternal retribution. Whence some are stationed on the right, but others on the left. 39. By the right hand (Per dexteram) is understood eternity; by the left, these temporal things, or the mystery of the Incarnation of Christ. Whence in the Canticle of love: His left hand is under my head, and his right hand shall embrace me (Cant. 2, 6; 8, 3). These temporal things are ‘under my head’, that is, beneath my mind, because ‘My mind scorns these things’, says the bride, ‘and yet it is sustained by them’. Or ‘left hand’, that is, the mystery of the Incarnation and the gifts that he gives in the present

196

Letter D

world, ‘under my head’, that is, in my mind. ‘And his right hand’, that is, eternity, will receive me. Or, by the right hand of Christ is understood the time of Christ’s mortality and ability to suffer. Wherefore in a papal bull the image of blessed Peter is put on the left side, because blessed Peter adhered to God when he was mortal and capable of suffering; but the image of blessed Paul is put on the right side, because he adhered to God when he was immortal and impassible, that is, in glory after the Resurrection. 40. Devils are called hunters (Diaboli dicvntvr venatores)a a. Because of the tools of hunters that they use, for they have snares. Whence: They have thought of hiding snares; they have said: ‘Who shall see them?’ (Ps. 63, 6). Again: They have prepared a snare for my feet, etc. (Ps. 56, 7). b. And they have pits. Whence: They dug a pit before my face and they are fallen into it (Ps. 56, 7). c. They have arrows. Whence: They have prepared their arrows in the quiver, etc. (Ps. 10, 3 LXX). 41. The devil is called a lion (Diabolvs dicitvr leo) a.  Because of his regal character, whence: The prince of this world cometh to me, and in me he hath not any thing (John 14, 30). b. Because of his strength, whence: When a strong man armed keepeth his court, in peace, etc. (Luke 11, 21). c. Because of the heat of his desire, whence in Job: His strength is in his loins, and in his navel, etc. (Job 40, 11). d. Because of his thirst for blood, whence: Your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, goeth about seeking whom he may devour (I Pet. 5, 8). 42. The devil is called (Diabolvs dicitvr) a. A lion, when he walks and openly rages, as in the primitive Church, in the persecution of the martyrs. Articles D40–47 repeat material in articles A 46–52. Some manuscripts delete the Angelvs malvs set. a 

197

178

Letter D

b. A dragon, when he flies and does harm secretly and craftily. He was a dragon when, the storm having calmed and, by the grace of God, the Church having expanded, he stirred up heresies so that he might secretly bring harm. When these were rooted out by Augustine and other learned people, he roused up in the Church false brothers who will endure until the time of Antichrist, in which time there will be such persecution as hath not been from the beginning of the world (Matth. 24, 21). c. A serpent, when he creeps and binds. Against this one the woman in the Apocalypse fights (cf. Apoc. 12, 4 and 9), and Samson, and Moses in Egypt (cf. Num. 21, 6–9).

179

43. The devil is called a false prosecutor (Diabolvs dicitvr calvmpniator) a.  Because he is a liar, whence in the gospel he is called ‘the father of lies’ (cf. John 8, 44). b. Because he accuses, whence in the Apocalypse: The accuser of our brethren is fallen (Apoc. 12, 10). And he falsely accused Job, saying: Doth Job worship God in vain? (Job 1, 9). c. Because he oppresses the innocent, whence: Your adversary the devil, as a lion, etc. (I Pet. 5, 8). 44. The devil (Diabolvs) is understood by way of a blackberry, because first it’s white, second red, third and finally dark and despicable. 45. The devil is called ‘the sinner’, putting the epithet for the name (Diabolvs dicitvr peccator antonomasice) a.  Because he sins against God, his neighbor, and himself. Against God, whence: I  will ascend into heaven, etc. (Is. 14, 13). Against his neighbor, whence: By envy of the devil, death came into the world (Wis. 2, 24). Against himself, whence: How art thou fallen, O Lucifer, who didst rise in the morning? (Is. 14, 12). b. Because he made humankind sin. c. Because he sins every day. d. Because he makes humankind sin every day.

198

Letter D

46. The devil (Diabolvs) sets a snare for those fasting, as below in the article Fasting (I4). 47. The devil is called (Diabolvs dicitvr) a. Satan, that is, ‘the adversary’, whence in the gospel: Go behind me, Satan (Mark 8, 33). b. A demon, that is, ‘knowing one’, in mockery of him, because he promised knowledge to the first parents and took it away, saying: You shall be as gods, knowing good and evil (Gen. 3, 5). c. The devil (diabolus), that is, ‘flowing downward’. d. Leviathan, that is, ‘the increase of them’, that is, of the first parents, to whom he promised an increase, that is, knowledge, as was said above. e.  Reseph, that is, ‘creeping (repens) on the breast and belly’, because he makes us creep in our breast, that is, in thought, and in our belly, that is, lechery. f. Zabulon. g. Behemoth, that is, ‘animal’. All these significations are in Job. 48. God speaks something (Dicit aliqvid Devs) a. Either in creating, as: God hath spoken once (Ps. 61, 12). b. Or in disposing. Whence: The Lord said to my Lord, ‘Sit thou at my right hand’ (Ps. 109, 1). ‘Said’, that is, eternally disposed. ‘To my Lord’, that is, to the Son who is my Lord, even in that he was human. The prophet speaks in our way when he says ‘said’, as if equipped like a human. For he didn’t utter by mouth, but he spoke by means of a thing, that is, by a doing – or better, by means of a thing, that is by a creation. Or, ‘said’, that is, eternally disposed, as was said above. c. Or in completing a work. Whence: He spoke, and there came flies, etc. (Ps. 104, 31). Again, in the book of Kings, God said that he would appear in a cloud, and he appeared in a cloud (cf. I Sam. 3, 21).a d.  Or in warning, as: Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit, etc. (Matth. 7, 19; 3, 10). a  The verse in Samuel says, And the Lord again appeared in Silo, for the Lord revealed himself to Samuel in Silo, according to the word of the Lord: hence the speaking caused the appearance. For the non-biblical notion ‘in a cloud’ see Peter of Cava: Petr. Cav., In I Reg. 2, 156 (p. 202, l. 3196–3213).

199

180

Letter D

181

49. A human speaks (Dicit homo) with heart, with mouth, with works. Whence the Apostle: No man can say ‘the Lord Jesus’ but by the Holy Spirit (I Cor. 12, 3), that is, by heart, mouth, works. Of an utterance it is said: Not every one that saith to me, ‘Lord, Lord’, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven (Matth. 7, 21) – this means, by the utterance only. 50. Day (Dies) as a single thing means that single eternal day that has no night. That is the day in which the true sun, namely Christ, never sets. Of this day is said: By thy ordinance the day goeth on (Ps. 118, 91), whereas our day ends with night.

182

51. ‘Days’ in sacred speech (Dies in sacro eloqvio) a. Are virtues. Whence: Every day will I bless you (Ps. 144, 2). Again, Moses: The fire shall always burn, and the priest shall feed it, putting wood on it every day (Lev. 6, 12). b. The time of the Incarnation is called a day. Whence: This is the day which the Lord hath made, etc. (Ps. 117, 24). We say that the Lord has made this day because although God made all days, yet this one in particular, not because he made it more than others, but because he did more in it than in others; in this the Lord came, in this it is fitting to rejoice. Therefore: Let us be glad and rejoice therein (Ps. 117, 24), because the devil lost his rights,a and humankind was restored. c. Is called judgment, that is, the Day of Judgment, as below in the article The Day of Judgment is said to be secret and open (I97–98). d. The eighth age, that is, eternal beatitude. Whence that verse, namely ‘This is the day’, etc. (Ps. 117, 24), is frequently chanted in Eastertide to represent that joy which will be in the eighth age – for which, namely the eighth age, all the other ages were made. Again: Thou wilt add days to the days of the king (Ps. 60, 7): ‘days’ of glory to ‘days’ of grace. The ‘Devil’s Rights’ theory of atonement held that the devil deserved through the Fall to possess humankind – but then the Incarnation paid off (redeemed) the due punishment. a 

200

Letter D

e. Human understanding. Whence the Apostle: To me it is a very small thing to be judged by you, or by man’s day (I Cor. 4, 3), that is, ‘by one’s understanding’ or ‘by a person remaining in his own day’, which is called ‘his own’ because one can use it for good or for evil. The day of the Lord will be in the future. 52. we speak of as ‘day’ (Dies dicitvr) a. Christ. Whence: Are there not twelve hours of the day? (John 11, 9). And he is called the midday. Whence: Where thou feedest, where thou liest in the midday (Cant. 1, 6). b. The Father and the whole Trinity is one day, of which Christ is the day of the day. Whence: Show forth from day to day, that is, light from light, his salvation (Ps. 95, 2), that is, Christ. c. The apostles. Whence: Days shall be formed, and no one in them (Ps. 138, 16). And all the saints. Whence: Day to day uttereth speech (Ps. 18, 3), that is, shining of shining, that is, saints of saints, because they abundantly utter ‘the Word’, that is, the Wisdom begotten of the Father. d. Either Testament. Whence: Show forth from day to day his salvation (Ps. 95, 2). e. Delight. Whence Job: Let the day perish wherein I was born and in which it was said, ‘A man child is conceived!’ (Job 3, 3).a f. The literal day. 53. The Day (Dies) of the Lord is called great and open and secret, as below in Judgment (I97–99). 54. A  person’s days are called few (Dies hominis dicvntvr parvi) a. Because they are brief. Whence: My days have declined like a shadow (Ps. 101, 12). b. Because they are evil. Whence Jacob to the pharaoh: The years of my life are brief, and few, and evil, a hundred and thirty years, and they are not yet come up to the years of my fathers (Gen. 47, 9).

a 

The sense is that joy perished at his conception.

201

183

Letter D

c. Because they aren’t as good as the day of the Lord will be. Whence: Better is one day in thy courts above thousands (Ps. 83, 11). 55. The days (Dies) a. Of the evil come to an end. Whence: For my days are vanished like smoke (Ps. 101, 4). b. Of the good are closed in such a way that they will be opened again in eternity. Whence: Better is one day in thy courts above thousands (Ps. 83, 11). They are closed when the soul is separated from the body; they will be opened when the soul returns to the body. 56. There is a day (Dies est) a. Of guilt. Whence Job: Cursed be the day wherein I was born; let not the day in which my mother bore me be blessed (Jer. 20, 14; cf. Job 3, 1 and 3). Again: Sufficient for the day is the evil thereof (Matth. 6, 34). b. Of punishment. Whence: My days have declined like a shadow (Ps. 101, 12), and of these, Jacob: The days of my life are few, etc. (Gen. 47, 9). c. Of grace, that is, the time of the Incarnation. Whence: The night is passed and the day is at hand (Rom. 13, 12). Again: Thou wilt add days to the days of the king (Ps. 60, 7). Again: To day if you shall hear his voice (Ps. 94, 8; Hebr. 3, 7). d.  Of glory. Whence: Holiness becometh thy house, O  Lord, unto length of days (Ps. 92, 5). 57. Difficulty (Difficvltas) or obscurity lies in the literal sense for three reasons, as below in Letter (L57). 58. Sometimes God delays giving (Devs differt qvandoqve dare) a. So that the delayed thing might be sought more eagerly. b. So that given at last it might be kept more diligently. c.  And so that we may not cease from praying. A  mother is wont to do this for her child by throwing his bread to the dogs.

202

Letter D

59. The finger of God sometimes signifies (Digitvs Dei significat qvandoqve) a. The diversity of graces, because the Spirit is one and its gifts are diverse or divided (cf. I Cor. 12, 4–11; Is. 11, 2). Whence in the Canticles: My hands dropped with myrrh and my fingers were full of the choicest myrrh (Cant. 5, 5). b. The diversity of the three persons. Whence Isaiah: Who hath poised with three fingers the bulk of the earth (Is. 40, 12). Here a finger signifies any of the three persons of the Trinity. c. The third person in the Trinity. Whence the Truth: But if I by the finger of God cast out devils, doubtless the kingdom of God is come upon you (Luke 11, 20). And in Exodus, the magicians of pharaoh failing in the third of the signs said that this is the finger of God (Ex. 8, 19), that is, Moses did this through the Holy Spirit. 60. There is a threefold worthiness (Dignitas triplex est) a. Of competence or power. b. Of merit. c.  Of office. From this threefold worthiness rises the exposition of this verse: The latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to loose (Matth. 3, 11; Mark 1, 4; Luke 3, 16), that is, to unfold the mystery of the shod divinity. Or, ‘I am not worthy to loose the latchet of his shoes’, that is, I am not of such merit that I might be his spouse, whose spouse would be the future Christ. Note that it was the custom in the Old Law that, if someone didn’t wish to continue the lineage of his brother who had died, another person would marry the wife of that brother who had repudiated her, and she would take off his shoe and spit in his face, and it would be a very great scandal in Israel (cf.  Deut. 25, 5–10). Or, ‘I am not worthy’, etc., that is, it is not my office, ‘to loose the latchet of his shoes’, that is, to preach, because I was not sent for preaching but for baptizing (cf. I Cor. 1, 17). We should not think that he lied in this, saying he was not worthy: of worthiness of competence, of merit, of office.

203

184

185

Letter D

61. There is an enlargement (Dilatatio est) a. Through love. Whence the Apostle: My mouth is open to you, O ye Corinthians, and my heart is enlarged (II Cor. 6, 11). b.  Through delight. Whence: I  walked in the innocence of heart, etc. (Ps. 100, 2). Again Ezekiel: I beseech thee, Lord, remember how I have walked before thee in truth (Is. 38, 3). c. Through understanding. Whence: Enlarge thy mouth, and I will fill it (Ps. 80, 11). 62. Concerning love (De dilectione), above in Charity (C26–47). 63. A Double cloak is (Diplois est) a doubled garment and it signifies a double mixing (cf. Ps. 108, 29), that is, of body and soul. Whence: With a double destruction destroy them, O Lord our God (Jer. 17, 18).

186

64. To learn (Discere) a. In order to get money, is simony. Whence Micah: Her princes have judged for bribes and her priests have taught for hire and her prophets divined for money (Mic. 3, 11). b. To have knowledge, pride. Whence: For they seek me from day to day, and desire to know my ways (Is. 58, 2). c. To be known to have knowledge, vainglory. Whence in the gospel: For they make their phylacteries broad, and enlarge their fringes (Matth. 23, 5). d. To be edified, prudence. Whence: A good understanding to all that do it (Ps. 110, 10). e. To edify others, charity. Whence: Let thy fountains be conveyed abroad, and in the streets divide thy waters (Prov. 5, 16). 65. On Friday (In die Veneris) a. Adam was created. b. Adam sinned. c. Cain slew Abel. d. The flood came on the earth. e. David killed Goliath.

204

Letter D

f. The prophet Elijah slew 154 men in Jerusalem (cf. III Kings 18, 22 and 40). g. John the Baptist was beheaded. h. The Lord was crucified. i. Mary was assumed into heaven. j. Saint Peter was crucified, Paul beheaded. k. The blessed Stephen was stoned. l.  There will be a fight between Antichrist and Elijah and Enoch and those from every tribe of the children of Israel (Apoc. 7, 4). 66. Quarrelsome people (Discordes) as Gregory says in his Pastoral Care: ‘Quarrelsome people should most surely be aware that however much they are strong in virtues, in no way can they become spiritual persons’.a Hence Paul says: Whereas there is among you envying and contention, are you not carnal? (I Cor. 3, 3). Hence again he says: Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see God (Hebr. 12, 14). Holiness is the perfection of good works or chastity of mind and body. And in the gospel: Every kingdom divided against itself shall be brought to desolation (Luke 11, 17; Matth, 12, 25). Solomon: Among the proud there are always contentions (Prov. 13, 10). An evil man always seeketh quarrels, but a cruel angel shall be sent against him (Prov. 17, 11). Jesus the son of Sirach: Strive not in a matter which doth not concern thee (Eccli. 11, 9). Isidore: ‘Don’t defile your mouth over someone else’s wrongdoing. Examine your own vices; don’t take heed of others’. Don’t seek to investigate what is none of your business’.b Many descry the vices of others and don’t observe their own. 67. A Dispenser (Dispensator) is like a calf, for when a calf gathers grain and chaff with its own labor it is content with the chaff, leaving the grain for his master’s use. In this way that dispenser is good who assigns the poor and meaner goods for himself Gregory the Great: Greg. M., Past. 3, 22 (p. 402, l. 4–7). Defensor Locog., Scint. 70, 16 (p. 211, l. 16–18), from Isidore: Isid., Synon. 2, 50–52 (p. 103, l. 526 – p. 105, l. 549). a 

b 

205

187

Letter D

and manages the better things for the convent, according to this sentence of Gregory: ‘The best dispenser is one who keeps nothing for himself’.a 68. Disputations (Dispvtationes) are beneficial when only the ways of the Lord are considered. All the ways of the Lord are mercy and truth (Ps. 24, 10).

188

69. A distinction is called (Distinctio dicitvr)b a. Sometimes a sub-distinction, that is, an incomplete distinction or utterance, as when one says ‘Blessed the man’ (Ps. 1, 1), because it sometimes happens, because of the breaking-off of the utterance, that a pause in speaking occurs in such a place, which otherwise shouldn’t be done. Hence it is that a certain archdeacon of Paris, a person of great authority indeed, when he would read in the Paris church the reading that begins, In the beginning God created heaven and earth (Gen. 1, 1), didn’t wish to make a division after God also said (Gen. 1, 9 and 24), because he said that there was not a closure there, that is, a distinction, that is, a complete sentence. And it is the same thing to distinguish ‘by phrase and clause and sentence’c as to ‘by sub-distinction and part-distinction and distinction’. b. Sometimes a part-distinction, that is, what would be a complete sentence if it weren’t for an adjacent continuation, as when one says, Blessed the man who hath not walked in the counsel of the ungodly (Ps. 1, 1).d c.  Sometimes a distinction, that is, a truly complete distinction, that is, utterance, because nothing pertaining to it follows.

Jerome: Hier., Epist. 52, 16 (vol. 54, p. 440, l. 5–6). Distinctio here doesn’t have its meaning, used elsewhere (and in the title of this work), of ‘a distinct sense of a term’, but rather means a grammatical ‘complete sentence’, where subdistinctio (sub-distinction) means ‘phrase’ and media distinctio (part-distinction) means ‘clause’. c  The phrase per cola et commata et periodum often occurs in grammar and rhetoric texts to describe the divisions of a complete utterance. d  The psalm-verse continues, nor stood in the way of sinners, nor sat in the chair of pestilence; only after this whole utterance is the distinctio complete. a 

b 

206

Letter D

70. Christ is said to be a Severe (Districtvs) judge, as below in Judge, specifically Severe judge (I88). 71. The rich are burdened (Divites onerati) with the baggage of this world, for as the Truth witnesses: It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man, that is, one either having or loving riches, to enter into the kingdom of heaven (Matth. 19, 24; Luke 18, 25). 72. The rich (Divites), the greedy, the covetous are compared to a dropsical person, as below in Dropsical (I2). 73. Riches or temporal goods are called transitory (Divicie sive temporalia bona dicvntvr cadvca [‘falling things’]) a. In themselves, because they pass away (cadunt, ‘fall away’). Whence: Vanity of vanities, and all is vanity (Eccle. 1, 2). b. In us, because they draw humans to their fall (casum), that is, to mortal sin. Whence: Some fell upon thorns (Matth. 13, 7; Mark 4, 7; Luke 8, 7). 74. God gives riches or temporal things (Divicias sive temporalia dat Devs) a. To some in order to draw them in, as the Jews. Whence: Hear, O Israel, the commandments of life, and if you keep them I will give you a land flowing with milk and honey (Bar. 3, 9; 1, 20). b. Sometimes as a comfort. Whence: His left hand is under my head, etc. (Cant. 2, 6; 8, 3). c. Sometimes toward damnation. Whence: But indeed for deceits thou hast put it to them; when they were lifted up thou hast cast them down (Ps. 72, 18). For Gregory comments on Exodus: ‘Sometimes prosperity is granted to call people to a better life, sometimes more fully to damn them for ever’.a

a 

Gregory the Great: Greg. M., Past. 3, 26 (p. 442, l. 55–58).

207

189

Letter D

75. Riches (Divicie) a. Are acquired with toil. b. Are possessed with fear. c. Are lost with sorrow. O how nicely that philosopher heaped scorn on wealth, the one who submerged in the sea the receipts in gold for his belongings that he had sold, saying: ‘Go to the bottom (pessum), most evil (pessime) riches; I will submerge you lest I be submerged by you’.a

190

76. Riches should be despised (Divicie contempni debent) a. Because they pierce one’s mind with solicitude. Whence in the gospel they are compared with thorns (cf. Matth. 13, 7; Mark 4, 7; Luke 8, 7), because at first they are soft and at last they pierce and hold back those passing by. b.  Because they beget haughtiness. Whence: Their iniquity hath come forth as it were from fatness (Ps. 72, 7). c.  Because they aren’t possessed for long. Whence: When he shall die he shall take nothing away, nor shall his glory descend with him (Ps. 48, 18). d.  Because they impede the way of going toward God. Whence in the gospel: It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye, etc. (Matth. 19, 24; Mark 10, 25; Luke 18, 25). Again: A rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven (Matth. 19, 23). Again: Woe to you that are rich, for you have your consolation (Luke 6, 24). Paul: Charge the rich of this world not to be haughty, nor to trust in the uncertainty of riches, but in the Lord who giveth us abundantly all things to enjoy (I Tim. 6, 17). They that will become rich fall into temptation and into the snare of the devil (I Tim. 6, 9). Solomon: Riches shall not profit in the day of revenge, but justice shall deliver from death (Prov. 11, 4). He that trusteth in his riches shall fall (Prov. 11, 28). Blessed are the poor in spirit (Matth. 5, 3). But the mighty shall be mightily tormented; a greater punishment is ready for the more mighty (Wis. 6, 7 and 9). Jesus the son of Syrach: Riches are good to him that hath no a 

Pseudo-Augustine: Ps. Avg., Serm. – ed. Caillau 16, 4 (Append., p. 98a).

208

Letter D

sin in his conscience (Eccli. 13, 30). Blessed is the rich man that is found without blemish (Eccli. 31, 8). Poverty is very wicked in the eye of the ungodly (Eccli. 13, 30). Jerome: ‘For however greater the honor, so much greater the danger’.a A braggart swiftly runs into an ambush. It is not praiseworthy to possess riches, but to disdain them for Christ’s sake. Isidore: ‘Beware of honors that you cannot have without guilt’.b ‘It is very rare for one who possesses riches to get to rest’.c 77. God takes riches or temporal goods from us (Divicias sive temporalia svbtrahit nobis Devs) a. As a mother takes food from her little one when she spurns him, so also the Lord takes the wealth of temporal things from us, sometimes even fair weather or rain and things of this kind. b. Because we misuse them, so that after we get them back we use them better, and that we keep what is possessed better and more diligently. 78. Riches are compared with reeds (Divicie comparantvr harvndini) a. Because they are fragile. For the fashion of this world passeth away (I Cor. 7, 31). b. Because they deceive. Whence the Apostle: Charge the rich of this world, etc. (I Tim. 6, 17). c.  Because they puncture. For just as a reed may easily be broken and a person leaning on it deceived so that his hand is wounded or injured, so riches are quickly broken and those leaning on them deceived, injured, and wounded. For it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle (Matth. 19, 24; Luke 18, 25). And one who heaps up riches or wealth carries a fire in his lap (cf. Prov. 6, 27); a person who strives for wealth sleeps with a snake. Pseudo-Augustine the Belgian: Ps. Avg. Belg., Serm. erem. 62 (col. 1346B). Defensor Locog., Scint. 58, 55 (p. 189), from Isidore: Isid., Synon. 2, 88 (p. 135, l. 969). c  Defensor, 58, 61 (p. 189). a 

b 

209

191

Letter D

79. Riches and every felicity of temporal things are compared to a pit (Divicie et omnis felicitas temporalivm comparantvr fovee) a. Because of their downfall. Whence: And he is fallen into the pit he made (Ps. 7, 16). Again: When they were lifted up thou hast cast them down (Ps. 72, 18). b.  Because of their darkness. Whence: They have slept their sleep, and all the men of riches have found nothing (Ps. 75, 6). c. Because they are hard to get out of. Whence: It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle (Matth. 19, 24; Luke 18, 25). 80. Riches are said to be without substance (Divicie dicvntvr esse sine svbstantia) a. Because a person is never sated with them, for ‘the love of money increases as much as money itself increases’.a b. Because they swiftly pass away. Whence: When he shall die he shall take nothing away, nor shall his glory descend with him (Ps. 48, 18). c.  Because he incurs eternal punishment for their sake. Whence: Woe to you who have your consolation here (Luke 6, 24).

192

81. They scorn riches or temporal goods (Divicias sive temporalia contempnvnt) a.  Some in will and also in actuality, like the true cloistered people who have received this advice: If thou wilt be perfect, etc. (Matth. 19, 21), and they say with Paul: The world is crucified to me, and I to the world (Gal. 6, 14). Again: But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ (Gal. 6, 14). Again: We count all things as dung (Phil. 3, 8). These people neither possess nor love riches unless they are spiritual riches. b.  Some in will and not in actuality, as prelates, of whom is said: As having nothing, and possessing all things (II Cor. 6, 10). Of such is said: If riches abound, set not your heart on them (Ps. 61, 11). They possess and don’t love. a 

Juvenal, Satires 14, 139, and hence proverbial: Walther, Proverbia 3731.

210

Letter D

c. Some neither scorn riches nor esteem them less than God, as certain married people, for whom is said: Unless a person renounce all that he possesseth, etc. (Luke 14, 33). Again: Thou storest up and thou knowest not for whom thou shalt gather these things (Ps. 38, 7). Again: I will pull down my barns and I will build greater (Luke 12, 18). d. Some indigent in actuality but not in will, as paupers who are not poor in spirit. And therefore those are not paupers of Christ who desire things and cannot have them. Of these it is said: ‘The worst wheel of the cart carries the hay and creaks’.a And to such people is said: It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man (Matth. 19, 24; Luke 18, 25), that is, one loving riches, which is understood also of those having riches if they love them. Such people don’t have, but love and desire. 82. Those loving riches (Divicias) and not rich people are reproved by the Apostle, here: Charge the rich of this world not to be highminded, etc. (I Tim. 6, 17). On this the Gloss: ‘Note that the Apostle didn’t fear riches but the disease of riches, that is, pride’.b Again, Solomon: Nothing is more wicked than the covetous man. There is not a more wicked thing than to love money (Eccli. 10, 9–10). For gold and silver hath destroyed many (Eccli. 8, 3). Again, Augustine: ‘Woe to those who have sworn to increase things that will pass away, whence they will lose eternal things’.c Which of us, if he lie in the mire, wouldn’t rather get out than stay? What is this world and its covetousness and all its riches if not mire and dung? Of these lovers of riches it is said: They have rotted like beasts in their dung (Joel 1, 17). Listen to the Apostle, who counts those things as dung (cf. Phil. 3, 8). But perhaps someone says, as the devil or his members, ‘Brother, why do you scorn the riches of this world? Don’t you know of Job, Cf. Walther, Proverbia 5514, etc.; Peter Lombard: Petr. Lomb., In Ps. 132, 3 (col. 1184D); Augustine: Avg., In Ps. 132, 12 (p. 1934, l. 14–15), etc. b  Glos. ord. on I Tim. 6, 17; Peter Lombard: Petr. Lomb., In epist. Pauli on I Tim. 6, 17+ (PL, 192, col. 361D), from Augustine: Avg., Serm. 36, 2 (CCSL, 41, p. 434, l. 29–30). c  Cf. Canones hibernica: Can. hibern. 35, 2 (p. 147), etc. a 

211

193

Letter D

abounding in flocks and herds, whose storehouses are full, flowing out of this into that (Ps. 143, 13), who was especially commended by the Lord in this fashion: Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is not like him in the earth? (Job 1, 8). Has David slipped from your memory, the king and prophet who abounded in wealth above everyone of his era? Of whom the Lord: I have found a man according to my own heart (Acts 13, 22; Ps. 88, 21). Don’t you know that wealth is the substance of alms? The Lord, commending these before others, says: Give alms, and all things are clean unto you (Luke 11, 41)’. Again, he adds: ‘If you don’t want to amass anything for yourself, you have friends, children, and relatives who after your death will be the reproach of men and the outcast of the people, etc. (Ps. 21, 7) – as below in For those fasting (I4).

194

83. They grasp after riches or abundance (Divicias sive habvndantiam appetvnt) a. Some out of necessity alone. Whence Solomon: Give me neither riches nor poverty (Prov. 30, 8). b. Some for dispensing. Whence the Apostle: Labor with your hands (I Cor. 4, 12), so that you may have what you may dispense to the poor. c. Some for the heaping up of wickedness, as: He storeth up and he knoweth not for whom he shall gather those things (Ps. 38, 7). d. Some to satisfy their voluptuousness. Whence: I will destroy my barns, etc. (Luke 12, 18). 84. Those who love riches (Divicias amantes) are tormented whether they have them or don’t. For if they have them they are tormented because they are worried about keeping them – whence: Where thy treasure is, there is thy heart also (Matth. 6, 21; Luke 12, 34) – and about multiplying them, like the person to whom it was said: Miser, this night thy soul is required of thee, and whose shall those things be that thou hast gathered? (Luke 12, 20). If they don’t have them, they are likewise tormented by the love of possessing. Whence the Apostle: They that wish to become rich fall into temptation and into the snare of the devil, and into many unprofitable desires (I Tim. 6, 9).

212

Letter D

85. For temporal riches (Pro diviciis temporalibvs) we should always pray to God with a condition, namely that he see that it good for us. 86. God teaches us (Docet nos Devs), that is, explains, that is, causes us to know. 87. God teaches us (Docet nos Devs) a. Sometimes by internal inspiration. Whence: I will hear what the Lord God will speak in me (Ps. 84, 9). b. Sometimes by means of inborn ability to discern. Whence it is also said concerning philosophers who, although they knew God, they have not glorified him as God (Rom. 1, 21). c. Sometimes by means of the scriptures. Whence: Search the scriptures (John 5, 39). 88. God teaches (Docet Devs) a. Sometimes by word. Whence: Go, teach ye all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit (Matth. 28, 19). b. Sometimes by example. Whence: Learn of me, because I am meek and humble of heart (Matth. 11, 29). c. Sometimes by the lash. Whence: Who framest labor in commandment (Ps. 93, 20). From Jerome: ‘By every lash and pain you shall be taught, O Jerusalem’.a Whence the lash is also called a discipline, as there: The discipline of our peace was upon him (Is. 53, 5). 89. God teaches us (Docet nos Devs) a. How we should pray, as below in Prayer (O79–81, etc.). b. In many ways, or more properly we would say he ‘calls’ us, as below in He calls (V72). 90. Learned clerics (Doctores) or priests are called oxen, as in Priests.b a  b 

Jerome: Hier., In Ier. 2, 13, on Jeremiah 6, 8 (p. 66, l. 9–10). Not under Priests (Sacerdotes), but see Oxen (B28) or Prelates (P124).

213

195

Letter D

91. Learned clerics of the Church (Doctores ecclesie) or preachers or rectors are called clouds, as below in Preachers.a They are also called heaven, as above in Heaven (C59). They are also called watchmen, as below in Prelate (P121). They are also called towers, as below in Preachers (P119).

196

92. Doctrine (Doctrina) a. Spiritual has these four qualities, in its likeness to salt: b. It preserves flesh, through penitence. c. It kills vermin, that is, evil thoughts. d. It pickles the heart, through wisdom. e.  It cures – the rot of vices. Doctrine is sweetest when lips fulfill with works what they preach by mouth. 93. The doctrine of Christ is called a clamor (Doc­ trina Christi dicitvr clamor) a. Because of its openness. Whence Peter to the Lord: Behold, now thou speakest plainly, and speakest no proverb (John 16, 29). b.  Because of its rebuking. Whence: Woe to you scribes and Pharisees (Matth. 23, 13–29). And elsewhere: A depraved and perverse generation (cf. Ps. 77, 8; Matth. 17, 16; Luke 9, 41). c. Because of its threatening. Whence: Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit shall be cut down and shall be cast into the fire (Matth. 7, 19; Luke 3, 9). 94. We should lament (Dolere) and weep bitterly about our own sins and those of others, and for their dwelling in this life, as below in To weep (F30). 95. Christ lamented (Dolvit Christvs) a. For himself or within himself in a natural manner. Whence: Come and see if there be any sorrow like to my sorrow (Lam. 1, 12). b. For the apostles. Whence: All my friends have despised me (Lam. 1, 2). Again: I have prayed for thee, Peter (Luke 22, 32). c. For the Jews. Whence: Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do (Luke 23, 34). a 

Not under Preachers (Predicatores), but see Apostles (A81).

214

Letter D

96. Guile (Dolvs) a. Is sometimes one thing in the heart, another in the mouth, concerning which we read: Blessed is the man to whom the Lord hath not imputed sin, and in whose spirit there is no guile (Ps. 31, 2), because sin hasn’t been imputed to him. b. Or, although one is a sinner, one proclaims that he is righteous. But a person who accuses himself lacks guile. Such a one was Nathanael, of whom the Lord said: Behold a true Israelite, in whom there is no guile (John 1, 47). And that humble publican who said: Lord, be merciful to me a sinner (Luke 18, 13).

197

97. Lordship (Dominivm): No one should presume to have lordship over another, as below in Rule (R7). 98. ‘The Lord be with you’ (Dominvs vobiscvm) a. Pharaoh said this first, as we read in Exodus, but ironically, when Moses wished to leave with his men and woman and herds: So be the Lord with you, as I shall let you and your herds go (Ex. 10, 10). b. Second, Booz to the reapers, greeting them thus: The Lord be with you (Ruth 2, 4). Booz said this first, that is, speaking positively. c. Third, the prophet Zachariah [sic] to the king Asa returning from his victory (II Chron. 15, 2). Also Moses said it, but negatively, to the people Israel murmuring in the desert: Do not, for the Lord is not with you (Num. 14, 42). 99. ‘The Lord be with you’ (Dominvs vobiscvm): a deacon says this only when about to read the gospel and in blessing the paschal candle, because then he assumes the persona of Christ. 100. A house is (Domvs est) a.  Spiritual. Whence the Apostle: The temple of God is holy, which you are (I Cor. 3, 17). b. Material. Whence: My house shall be called the house of prayer (Is. 56, 7; Matth. 21, 13; Mark 11, 17; Luke 19, 46). Again: Holiness becometh thy house, O Lord, etc. (Ps. 92, 5). c. Heavenly, of which Jesus: In my Father’s house there are many mansions (John 14, 2). The first is as it were a consistory court in

215

198

Letter D

which the saints judge themselves. The second as it were a refectory where the saints dine on good works. The third as it were a dormitory in which the saints rest with a pure conscience.

199

101. A house of God is a name for (Domvs Dei dicitvr) a.  Sacred scripture. Whence: In the house of God we walked with consent (Ps. 54, 15). b.  Eternal beatitude. Whence: We shall go rejoicing into the house of the Lord (Ps. 121, 1). Again: I have loved, O Lord, the beauty of thy house (Ps. 25, 8). c.  The present Church. Whence: My house shall be called a house of prayer (Is. 56, 7; Matth. 21, 13; Mark 11, 17; Luke 19, 46). Again: Holiness becometh thy house, O  Lord (Ps. 92, 5). Again: I have loved, O Lord, the beauty of thy house, and the place where thy glory dwelleth (Ps. 25, 8). The beauty of this house is the saints. Or thus: ‘Lord, I  have loved’,  etc., that is, I  have loved to make myself a beautiful house for you, ‘and the place where thy glory dwelleth’, that is, a place in which you may dwell gloriously. Again, the house of the Church, which you may find in Church at the article Catholic Church (E15). d.  The Church Triumphant. Whence: I  will come into thy house, O Lord (Ps. 5, 8). Again: In my Father’s house there are many mansions (John 14, 2). e. Christ. Whence: The highest of them is the house of the heron (Ps. 103, 17). f. A holy person. Whence: ‘The soul of a righteous person is the seat of wisdom’.a Again: On whom shall rest my Spirit if not on the humble and quiet and trembling at my words? (Is. 66, 2 VL). Again: The temple of God is holy, which you are (I Cor. 3, 17). Again Augustine of the words of the Lord: ‘Your body is itself the temple of the Holy Spirit. Be attentive then as to what you do with the temple of God. If in this church you choose to commit adultery within its very walls, how might it be more impious for you?’ b Walther, Proverbia 34775c, from Augustine: Avg., In Ps. 46, 10 (p.  535, l. 19), etc. b  Augustine: Avg., Serm. – PL 82 (PL, 38, col. 512C). a 

216

Letter D

g. The conscience. Whence: Distribute her houses, that ye may relate it in another generation (Ps. 47, 14). h. A person’s spirit (animus).a Of this house we read: Wisdom hath built herself a house, etc. (Prov. 9, 1). It was said to the spirit: Take order with thy house (Is. 38, 1), as Isaiah said to Ezechias the king of Judah. The spirit orders its house by its virtues, which also should be set in order lest they immoderately go wild. The house of the spirit is precisely a human. I call the spirit the rational power to which, as a paterfamilias, the custody of our body and soul is assigned. Of this house Solomon says: ‘There are three things that don’t allow a person to have peace in his house: smoke, dripping water, and a bad wife’,b that is, the sin of ignorance, the sin of suggestion, the sin of one’s own covetousness. But there: He hath devised iniquity on his bed (Ps. 35, 5) is thus interpreted: ‘There are three thing’, etc. ‘Smoke’ is the sins that, rising from the covetousness of the flesh, darken one’s mind. ‘Dripping water’ is the sins that pour forth from elsewhere. ‘A bad wife’ is the wisdom of the flesh that is inimical to God, or a bad conscience that opposes the reason. Therefore if one’s own or another person’s vices trouble someone, let him flee to his bed, and there if he find a good wife he will rest; if bad, he will be disturbed the more. A good spouse or a good wife is the wisdom of God. 102. A human’s house is (Domvs hominis est) a. One’s own flesh. Whence Job: They that dwell in houses of clay (Job. 4, 19). b.  Made by hand and visible. Whence the steward: When I shall be removed from the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses (Luke 16, 4). 103. A demon’s house is (Domvs demonis est) a.  The world. Whence: Behold, now shall the prince of this world be cast out (John 12, 31). Animus can mean spirit, soul, mind, passion, etc. This proverbial saying (Walther, Proverbia 29, 30832, etc.) and the rest of the article through ‘will be disturbed the more’ is based on Sicard of Cremona: Sicard. Crem., Mitrale 1, 5 (p. 24, l. 15–17); Peter Lombard: Petr. Lomb., In Ps. 35, 4 (col. 363B-C); Glos. ord. on Ps. 35, 5. a 

b 

217

200

Letter D

b. The perverse heart of a human. Whence: I will return into my house whence I came out (Matth. 12, 44; Luke 11, 24). c. The children of faithlessness, vessels of iniquity (Gen. 49, 5), of whom one says: I will return into my house, etc., as above.

201

104. Distinguish between gifts and offerings and sacrifices (Distingve inter dona et mvnera et sacrificia) a. Gifts are what are conferred on us by a superior. b. Offerings, which are presented by us to a superior. c. Sacrifices, which are offered to the Creator to be transferred into the true sacrifice. And therefore in the canon of the mass the priest, making the sign of the cross, says: ‘These gifts, these offerings, these holy sacrifices’. He prays with the first for the holy catholic Church, second for our absent fellows, third for those standing at hand. 105. The gifts (Dona) of the Holy Spirit are seven, as below in the letter S under Gifts of the Holy Spirit’.a 106. The dead are said to sleep (Dormire), as below in The dead (M131). 107. Three gifts (Dona tria) were given by God to a person, so that He might be loved by him, as above in Charity (C47). 108. There is a sleep (Dormitio est) a. Of punishment. Whence: Lazarus our friend sleepeth (John 11, 11). b. Of guilt. Whence: They that sleep, sleep in the night, and they that are drunk are drunk in the night (I Thess. 5, 7). c. Of grace. Whence: In peace and in the selfsame I will sleep and I will rest (Ps. 4, 9). d. Of the body. Whence: My soul hath slumbered through heaviness; strengthen thou me in thy words (Ps. 118, 28). a 

A blank cross-reference, but see S61 and V45.

218

Letter D

109. Christ sleeps (Dormit Christvs) a. In us. Whence: Rise thou that sleepest, etc. (Eph. 5, 14). b.  Away from us. Whence: Arise, why sleepest thou, O  Lord? (Ps. 43, 23), and he is said to sleep when he delays giving. c. In himself, in the Passion. Whence: ‘I have slept and begun a slumber’.a 110. One sleeps (Dormit) a. In the earth, who is buried in earthly things. He sees neither with the heart nor the eyes. b.  Another on a stone. One who sleeps on a stone is at rest. Indeed, sleeping with his eyes he keeps watch with his heart and deserves to see angels, as Jacob, as we read in Genesis (28, 11–12), wishing to rest, laid a stone under his head and saw in his dreams a ladder and angels ascending and descending. 111. Some sleep (Dormivnt qvidam) a. In contemplation. Whence: I sleep, and my heart watcheth (Cant. 5, 2). Again: There shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left (Luke 17, 34). b. In the hope of rising again. Whence: We will not have you ignorant concerning them that are asleep (I Thess. 4, 12). c.  In eternal rest. Whence: My children are with me in bed (Luke 11, 7). Again, in the Canticle of love: Our bed is flourishing (Cant. 1, 15). d. In slumber. Whence: Sleep ye now and take your rest (Matth. 26, 45; Mark 14, 41). e.  In sin. Whence: Rise thou that sleepest and arise from the dead, and Christ shall enlighten thee (Eph. 5, 14). And this is to say: O thou ‘that sleepest’ in sins, ‘rise thou’ through confession and ‘arise’ through satisfaction ‘from the dead’, that is, from future damnation, and ‘Christ’, who is the sun of justice (Mal. 4, 2), ‘will enlighten thee’ here through faith and hope, and in the future through his appearance. f. In death. Whence: Lazarus our friend sleepeth (John 11, 11). a 

An Easter antiphon based on Psalm 3, 6.

219

202

Letter D

203

112. Those sleep (Dormivnt) who are in mortal sin or live with the intention of mortally sinning. Sleeping is for the forgetful and dull. Those sleep who at one time fall in sinning, at another rise again in repenting. Whence: My soul hath slumbered through heaviness (Ps. 118, 28). One waiting with fatigue has a sleepiness that is called sloth, that is, weariness. Those who die in mortal sin go to sleep. We read of this: Enlighten my eyes that I never sleep in death (Ps. 12, 4). 113. Doubting (Dvbitatio) a.  Of incredulity or slowness, as in Thomas to whom it was said: Put in thy hand, etc., and be not faithless, but believing (John 20, 27). b. Of infidelity, as in a Jew or pagan who doesn’t have faith. c. Of piety, as in John the Baptist who, seeing in spirit that in a short time Christ would suffer and descend into hell because of his great love, said: Art thou he that art to come, or look we for another? (Matth. 11, 3; Luke 7, 19 and 20). 114. He doubted (Dvbitavit) a. Moses in the desert at the Water of Contradiction doubted God’s will (cf. Num. 20, 12–13). b. The people doubted the power to bring water; therefore none but Caleb and Joshua entered the promised land (cf. Num. 14, 30). 115. Two will be (Dvo ervnt) a. In the field:a these are the learned clerics of the word, that is, prelates and all preachers. The field is the mind of the listener. The ‘two in the field’ are the two different kinds of preachers in the Church, as it were the field, namely those who sincerely proclaim Christ and those who adulterate the word of God. b.  In a bed: beloved spouses,b that is, contemplatives. who choose leisure and quiet and are figured by the name of bed, and a  The two in the field, the bed, and at the mill blend the accounts in Matth. 24, 40–41 and Luke 17, 34–35. b  Amici sponsi may mean ‘beloved spouses’ or ‘espoused lovers’ or ‘lovers of the Spouse’, the bridegroom of the Song of Songs (= Christ).

220

Letter D

are occupied with neither secular nor ecclesiastical business. The bed is their diligent embrace. The one shall be taken who for God’s sake pursues continence, so that living without worry one may ponder the things that are God’s. But one who chooses the monastic life for human praise or for some corruption of vices shall be left by God. c. At the mill are secular people, that is, the laity. The mill is the circuit of the world. For there are two different kinds of those who follow the world of changeable things, who are designated with the feminine gender in the gospel of Matthew because they are governed by a greater counsel as women are governed by men. ‘At the mill’ are said to be married people who are in the mutability of temporal things, who undergo the tribulation of this flesh. Of these ‘one shall be taken up’, those who possessed as if not possessing, and the other ‘shall be left’, those who put their trust in fickleness of riches. The good person ‘will be taken up’ to glory in the future; the wicked person ‘shall be left’ to damnation. Let each person therefore look to how he is and what sort of person he may make of himself so that he should be taken up, not left – because there are only these three kinds in the Church. These three kinds or this threefold status is denoted by the distinction of the three men whom Ezekiel foresaw would be saved: Noah, Daniel, and Job (Ezek. 14, 14). Understand in Noah, prelates; in Daniel, celibates; in Job, married people. Again, look for the threefold status in the letter S (S970), and parallel material in Church which is called a ladder (E17). 116. There is a hardness (Dvricia est) a. Of desire, which was in certain apostles, as in Thomas who said: Except I shall see… I will not believe (John 20, 25). b. Of humility. Whence the Lord said to the two disciples going to Emmaus: O  foolish, and slow of heart to believe in all the things which the prophets have spoken (Luke 24, 25). c. Of stubbornness. Whence the disciples said: This saying is hard (John 6, 61).

221

204

205

LETTER E

206

1. There is a hebdomad or week (Est ebdomada sive septimana) a. Of ages. b. Of days. c. Of a month. d. Of a year. e. Of a seventh decade. f. Of times, that is, of human life, which advances on earth and is not repeated. g.  There are seven: ages that are from the beginning of the world to its end; days; years; the Septuagint of the year. 2. Drunkenness is twofold (Ebrietas dvplex est) a. Corporeal, arising from immoderate drinking. Whence the Apostle: Be not drunk with wine, wherein is luxury (Eph. 5, 18). He doesn’t say ‘with wine’ in a single sense, because wine has multiple senses. b. Spiritual: Of God, when someone, forgetful of earthly matters, eagerly strives for the divine either in the present or the future. Whence, of the present or of the future, that is, with regard to the drunkenness of grace or of glory, it is said: They shall be inebriated with the plenty of thy house (Ps. 35, 9), that is, of the present Church or of the future Jerusalem – for then those will be drunk, that is, fulfilled, in actuality, who now are hoping. And of the torrent of thy pleasure, that is, of the Holy Spirit, thou shalt make them drink (Ps. 35, 9). Or, ‘of the torrent of thy pleasure’ in another reading, that is,

222

Letter E

of delight in you, which is called a torrent not because it is a transitory blessing but because it is abundant, ‘thou shalt make them drink’, and you can do so for with thee is the fountain of life (Ps. 35, 10). Of the devil, when someone forgetful of divine things eagerly strives for earthly things. Of the first kind Solomon says: Wine goes in smoothly at the beginning, but in the end it will bite like a snake (Prov. 23, 32). Again, Basil: ‘As a fish gets ready to take the hook, so a drunkard to take in the enemy’.a Again, the Apostle to the Romans: Take heed, lest your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness (Luke 21, 34). In Genesis: The two daughters of Lot were with child by their drunk father (Gen. 19, 36). Again, from the Decretals of Eutician: ‘We command Christians to be wary in every way of the great evil of drunkenness, whence all the vices issue. But we decree that those who don’t wish to shun this should be excommunicated until there is a suitable improvement’. Again, from the sayings of Bishop Fructuosus: ‘If anyone in ecclesiastic orders is found drunk, let him do penance on bread and water for three months’.b Again Jesus the son of Sirach: A workman that is a drunkard shall not be rich (Eccli. 19, 1). Again, Isidore: ‘Drunkenness so alienates one’s mind that he doesn’t know where he is’.c

207

3. In the Church (In ecclesia) militant their are two choirs or orders praising God, that is, of clerics (cf. II Esdr. 12, 39). Likewise in the Church Triumphant there will be two orders, namely of angels and humans, as above in Angels (A44). 4. The Church (Ecclesia) a. Militant on earth is called the kingdom (regnum) of heaven because it is ruled (regitur). Whence: He that is the lesser in the kingdom of heaven, that is, in the Church Militant, namely Christ, who was considered by some to be lesser than John, is greater than he (Matth. 11, 11; Luke 7, 28), that is, than John. The source in Basil is unidentified. Eutician and Fructuosus are cited in Bartholomew of Exeter: Barth. Ex., Penit. (p. 269, l. 33–34 – p. 270, l. 1–5), from Burchard of Worms: Bvrch. Worm., Decret. 14, 2 and 9 (col. 889C, 891D). c  Isidore: Isid., Sent. 2, 43, 2 (p. 187, l. 5). a 

b 

223

208

Letter E

b. Triumphant in heaven is called the kingdom of heaven because it rules (regit). Whence: He that is the lesser in the kingdom of heaven, that is, in the Church Triumphant, is greater than he (Matth. 11, 11; Luke 7, 28), that is, than John living in the way.a 5. The Church is said to have begun with Abel (Ecclesia dicitvr incepisse ab Abel) because we read that he was righteous, and underwent the first martyrdom, and was a virgin, as is said above in Abel (A1), in the first quire.b 6. The Church is discerned (Ecclesia distingvitvr) a. In an audience chamber. b. In a dining room. c. In a bedroom. For a human should first discuss and air his sins before he approached the Lord’s table, as the Apostle says: But let a man prove himself, and so let him eat of that bread and drink of the chalice (I Cor. 11, 28). And thus probed he can approach the Lord’s table and then with a pure conscience take his rest in the bedroom of his heart.

209

7. The Church is called (Ecclesia dicitvr) a. Militant. The Church Militant is called a tent because, as a tent is for people at war or on pilgrimage, so is the Church in which we are pilgrims. Whence: Woe is me, that my sojourning is prolonged! (Ps. 119, 5). For we are wayfarers. Whence: We have not here a lasting city, but we seek one that is to come (Hebr. 13, 14). Whence: The life of man upon earth is a warfare (Job 7, 1). And the Lord to Moses: Make for me a tent according to the pattern that thou has seen in the mount (Ex. 26, 30). Again: The Lord loveth the gates of Zion above all the tents of Jacob (Ps. 86, 2). Again: Lord, who shall dwell in thy tabernacle? (Ps. 14, 1). b. Triumphant. Whence: How lovely are thy tents, O Lord of hosts! (Ps. 83, 2). Again: That they may receive you into everlasting tents (Luke 16, 9). a  b 

‘In the way’: that is, still alive. ‘The first quire’ or gathering, with reference to the composition of a codex.

224

Letter E

8. The Church is called great (Ecclesia dicitvr magna) a. Because of its diversity of persons. Whence: Lift up thy eyes round about, and see: all these are gathered together, they are come to thee (Is. 60, 4). b. Because of the immensity of its places. Again: Their sound hath gone forth into all the earth (Ps. 18, 5; Rom. 10, 18). Again: From the rising and from the setting of the sun (Ps. 106, 3). c. Because of the multitude of its merits. Whence: I will multiply thy seed as the stars of heaven (Gen. 22, 17; 26, 4). d. Because of the abundance of its rewards. Whence: That eye hath not seen, etc. (I Cor. 2, 9; Is. 64, 4). Again: Good measure, etc. (Luke 6, 38). 9. The Church is called one because of the unity (Ecclesia dicitvr vnica propter vnitatem) a. Of the Spouse. Whence in Canticles: One is my dove (Cant. 6, 8). b. Of the faith. Whence: And they that went before and they that followed cried: ‘Hosanna!’ (Mark 11, 9), that is, ‘Save, I pray’. c.  Of baptism. Whence: One Lord, one faith, one baptism (Eph. 4, 5). 10. The Church (Ecclesia) includes all the faithful from first to last, and according to different conceptions it is assigned different appellations. Whence sometimes it is called queen, sometimes bride, etc. 11. The Church is called (Ecclesia dicitvr) a. Sometimes a queen. Whence: The queen stood on thy right hand (Ps. 44, 10). And it is called queen because it rules the people. b. Sometimes a bride, because as a bride is married to a groom, so the Church is married to God. Whence: They have bound a crown to me as a groom, and as a bride he hath adorned me with an ornament (Is. 61, 10 VL). c. Sometimes a handmaid, because it serves with charity and because it bears children not for itself but for the Lord. But there is another handmaid that serves with fear, that is, the synagogue.

225

210

Letter E

Whence: Cast out the bondwoman and her son, for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the free woman (Gen. 21, 10; Gal. 4, 30). 12. The Church is called (Ecclesia dicitvr) a. The bride, among the patriarchs. It is called a bride because with the gifts of grace it is betrothed, and it is to be married with him forever. Whence the Apostle: For I have espoused you to one husband, etc. (I Cor. 11, 2). b. The beloved, among the prophets. c. The neighbor, among the apostles. d. The dove, with Mary and Joseph. e. The beautiful one, among the confessors. f.  The sister, among the virgins. In the gospel the Lord calls the Church his sister, saying: For whosoever shall do the will of my Father, that is in heaven, he is my brother, and sister, and mother (Matth. 12, 50; Mark 3, 35). And he speaks of the primitive Church as brothers: Go, tell my brethren (Matth. 28, 10).

211

13. The Church is called a mountain (Ecclesia dicitvr mons) a. Because of its visibility. Whence: A city seated on a mountain cannot be hid; and no one lights a candle and puts it under a bushel (Matth. 5, 14–15). b. Because of its enlightening. Whence: Like the precious ointment on the head… which descendeth upon mount Zion (Ps. 132, 2). c. Because of the loftiness of its saints. Whence: I have lifted up my eyes to the mountains, etc. (Ps. 120, 1). 14. The Church is called earth (Ecclesia dicitvr terra) a. Because of the thirty-fold fruita which is in married people. b. Because of the sixty-fold which is in widows and celibates. c. Because of the hundred-fold which is in virgins and prelates and martyrs. a 

4, 8).

The three levels of fruits are from the Parable of the Sower (Matth. 13, 8; Mark

226

Letter E

15. The universal Church (Ecclesia) is called a house or the ground. Whence: We have blessed you out of the house of the Lord (Ps. 117, 26), that is, out of the universal Church, from which is baptism and every blessing. This is the holy ground about which the Lord spoke to Moses: Put off the shoes from thy feet, for the ground whereon thou standest is holy ground (Ex. 3, 5). This is the good ground in the gospel that brings forth fruit thirty-fold, sixty-fold, and a hundred-fold, in which we should stand upright toward the sky, not lie down heavy with the torpor of earthly things, loosening the shoes from our feet, that is, the dead works from our passions. 16. The Church is (Ecclesia est) the house of God. Its foundation is Christ. Whence the Apostle: Other foundation no man can lay,  etc. (I  Cor. 3, 11). The prophets and apostles are called a foundation. Whence: The foundations thereof are in the holy mountains (Ps. 86, 1). Again: Built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets (Eph. 2, 20). 17. The Church is called (Ecclesia dicitvr) a ladder. Whence: Jacob saw a ladder in his sleep, the angels also of God ascending and descending by it, and the top thereof he saw touching heaven (Gen. 28, 12). On this ladder are all those predestined to life. This ladder is the whole Church, which in one part struggles on the earth and in the other triumphs in heaven. On this ladder the various rungs are the orders, because in the Church some are beginners, some on their way, and some perfected. The beginners are on a lowly rung, those on the way higher, and the perfected are at the top. And of these some are at the mill, some in the field, some in bed (cf. Luke 17, 34–35; Matth. 24, 40–41). The mill is the wheel of this world, the field the mind of one listening, the bed is the loving embrace. At the mill are worldly people, in the field those learned in the word, in the bed the lovers of the Spouse. Those who are at the mill go about the earth, for they seek temporal goods; those in the field cultivate the earth and sow the seed of the word in minds; those in bed are resting in heaven for knowledge of eternal things because they pay no attention to

227

212

Letter E

earthly things. At the bottom of this ladder are the weak, in the middle the active, at the top the contemplative. The weak lie at the bottom, the active stand at the middle, the contemplative are at rest at the top. The active ones compassionate the weak and so descend, for they are the angels of God ‘ascending and descending’: ascending to higher contemplation, descending in the compassion of mercy. On this ladder the weak one is afflicted, the active one is afflicted, but the weak one by the lassitude of sins, and so he cannot ascend, the active one by the compassion of mercy, and so it suits him to descend. But the descent has multiple meanings. And this ladder stands on the earth, which has a threefold meaning.a 18. The Church is called a dove (Ecclesia dicitvr colvmba) a. Because of its fertility. Whence: Many are the children of the desolate, more than of her that hath a husband (Is. 54, 1). b. Because of its simplicity. Whence: Be ye wise as serpents and simple as doves (Matth. 10, 16). c.  Because of its groaning sound. Whence: I  roared with the groaning of my heart (Ps. 37, 9).

213

19. The Church is called (Ecclesia dicitvr) a. The winepress. b. And the floor (Hos. 9, 2). And the Church is called a floor for the same reason that it is called a winepress, and vice  versa, because as on the floor the wheat is separated from the chaff, and as in the winepress the wine is separated from the husks of the grapes, so in the Church the good are separated from the evil by the effort of its ministers – not separated in place, because mixing with evil people is necessary for good people in this life just as chaff is mixed with wheat up to the harvest. But in the future they will be separated in place, because the grain will be stored in barns but the chaff burned in unquenchable fire.

a 

See E14 above.

228

Letter E

20. The Church is compared with a winepress, because in a winepress (Ecclesia comparatvr torcvlari, qvia in torcvlari) a.  The grapes are pressed; likewise Christians in tribulations. Whence: We were pressed out of measure above our strength (II Cor. 1, 8). b. The wine is separated from the grapestones; likewise in the Church the good from the evil. Whence: Now is the judgment of this world (John 12, 31). c. The wine is stored up and the grapestone trod under foot; likewise the good are chosen and the evil cast out. Whence: Come, ye blessed,  etc. (Matth. 25, 34), and: Depart from me, ye cursed (Matth. 25, 51). 21. The church is compared to a vine (Ecclesia vinee comparatvr) a. Because of the multitude of believers. Whence: The multitude of believers had but one heart, etc. (Acts 4, 32). b. Because of its order. Whence the Apostle: Do ye all things decently and according to order (I Cor. 14, 40). For just as a vine has many and orderly branches, and produces fruit, so the Church has many faithful and orderly people, and produces fruit. The roots of this vine are the apostles and prophets and holy fathers, for, just as a root draws sap from the earth not for itself but for the trunk, nor the trunk for itself but for the bunch of grapes, so those forebears got fruit from Christ not for themselves but for us. c. Because of its shade. Whence Jeremiah in Lamentations: The breath of our mouth, the anointed lord, is taken in our sins, to whom we said: ‘Under thy shadow we shall live’ (Lam. 4, 20). d. Because of its placement in the ground. Whence the Apostle: I count all these things as dung, that I may gain Christ (Phil. 3, 8). 22. The Church is compared to the moon (Ecclesia lvne comparatvr) a. Because at first it was small. Whence: My sister is still little, and hath no breasts (Cant. 8, 8). Again: I am alone until I pass (Ps. 140, 10).

229

214

Letter E

b. And because it grows a little at a time. Whence: Unless the grain of wheat falling into the ground die, etc. (John 12, 24). c.  And because it still has a leaden color. Whence: As a lily among thorns, etc. (Cant. 2, 2). Again: I am black, but beautiful (Cant. 1, 4). d.  And because it has its light from the true sun. Whence: Without me you can do nothing. Again: I am the true vine, but you the branches (John 15, 5). e. Because of the variation of its quantity. Whence Solomon: One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh (Eccle. 1, 4). f. Because of its poverty of its own light and its stain of obscurity, as was said.

215

23. The Church toils or sighs (Ecclesia laborat sive gemit) a. For its own sins. Whence: I have labored in my groanings, etc. (Ps. 6, 7). b. For others’ sins. Whence the Apostle: Who is weak, and I am not weak? (II Cor. 11, 29). c. For its delaying of beatitude. Whence: Woe is me, that my sojourning is prolonged! (Ps. 119, 5). d. For sustained persecution. Whence: We were pressed out of measure, so that we were weary (II Cor. 1, 8). 24. The Church toils (Ecclesia laborat) a.  With the general persecution. Whence: The wicked have wrought upon my back (Ps. 128, 3). b. With the grief of those who are falling. Whence: Rachel bewailing her children would not be comforted, because they are not (Matth. 2, 18; Jer. 31, 15). c. With the fear of those surviving. Whence: I waited for him that hath saved me from pusillanimity of spirit (Ps. 54, 9). 25. The Church is troubled (Ecclesia vexatvr) a. Openly by the wicked. Whence: Fear ye not them that kill the body (Matth. 10, 28).

230

Letter E

b. Secretly by the wicked. Whence: The sons of my mother have fought against me (Cant. 1, 5). c.  By the fleshly. Whence: If thy eye scandalize thee, pluck it out, etc. (Matth. 18, 9; Mark 9, 46). 26. The Church has three enemies (Ecclesia habet tres hostes) a.  Executioners. Whence: Fear ye not them that kill the body (Matth. 10, 28). b. Heretics. Whence: They went out from us, but they were not of us (I John 2, 19). Again: The sons of my mother have fought against me (Cant. 1, 5). c. False brothers. Whence: He who ate my bread hath greatly supplanted me (Ps. 40, 10). Again: Peril from false brethren (II Cor. 11, 26). Likewise any man has three enemies: his own flesh – from which the Apostle protected himself saying: I  chastise (castigo) my body (I  Cor. 9, 27), that is, I  live chastely (castum ago), and again: Keep the doors of thy mouth from her that sleepeth in thy bosom (Mich. 7, 5); the world – whence: Little children, love not the world, nor the things which are in the world (I John 2, 15), and again: God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross, etc. (Gal. 6, 14); and the devil – whence: Your adversary the devil as a roaring lion, etc. (I Pet. 5, 8). 27. The Church has (Ecclesia habet) a. The roses of martyrs. b. The lilies of virgins. c. The violets of the confessors. d. The saffron of the celibate. e. The ivy of married people. f. The incense of prayer. g. The myrrh of mortification. h. The aloe of contrition. 28. The Church (Ecclesia) is said to have seven columns, as below [sic] in Columns (C99–100).

231

216

Letter E

29. The Church (Ecclesia) has four impediments, which elsewhere are called persecutions, as below in Persecutions (P85). 30. The Church sighs (Ecclesia gemit) a. Because of its own fragility. Whence: Unhappy man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body, etc. (Rom. 7, 24). b. Because of the oppression of evildoers. Whence: The wicked have wrought upon my back (Ps. 128, 3). c. Because of the company of the evildoers. Whence: Who will give me wings like a dove? (Ps. 54, 7). d. Because of the delaying of beatitude. Whence: Woe is me, that my sojourning is prolonged (Ps. 119, 5). 31. The Church (Ecclesia) has three kinds of preachers, as below in Preachers (P118).

217

32. The church (Ecclesia) a. Will be exalted here by its merit. Whence: I was exalted like a cedar in Lebanon (Eccli. 24, 17). b.  And in the future by reward. Whence: ‘Thou shalt exalt them forever (Ps. 27, 9)’.a 33. The Church (Ecclesia) has two choirs or orders of those praising God, as above in Angels (A44). 34. The Church (Ecclesia) prays in three ways, as below at this place: We pray (O65). 35. Someone is a member of the church in three ways (De ecclesia est aliqvis tripliciter) a. Sometimes only by predestination. b. Sometimes only by partaking of the sacraments. c. Sometimes only by participating in righteousness in the present or by the application of grace. d. Sometimes in these three ways, or in two of them. a 

A chant; Cantus g01020.

232

Letter E

36. The Church sings psalms or prays once in a night (Ecclesia psallit sive orat semel in nocte) a. Namely at midnight, according to this: I rose in the middle of the night, etc. (Ps. 118, 62). And ‘the middle of the night’ doesn’t mean the midpoint of night but rather the middle part of the night, whatever is between dusk and dawn. b. Because Christ was born in the middle of the night, when shepherds were keeping the night watches over their flock and the Lord said to them: ‘Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, that shall be to all the people. For this day is born to you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord, in the city of David’ (Luke 2, 8–11). c. Because in the middle of the night Christ arose. Samson prefigured this when rising in the middle of the night he carried the gates of Gaza to the brow of a mountain. d. Because in the middle of the night Peter denied Christ. e. Because the Lord will come in judgment in the middle of the night, as is written: At midnight there was a cry made: ‘Behold, the bridegroom cometh, go ye forth to meet him’ (Matth. 25, 6). And this was prefigured when the exterminating angel struck the firstborn of Egypt, of humans and cattle (Ex. 12, 29). f. Or, it is said that the Lord will come in the middle of the night not because he will come at night but because of the uncertainty of the time, as the Lord says in the gospel: But of that day and hour no one knoweth, no not the angels or the Son (Matth. 24, 36; Mark 13, 32). And elsewhere it is said that that day will be bright. Whence: ‘Our God shall come manifestly (Ps. 49, 3) and all his saints with him, and there will be in that day a great light’.a 37. The Church sings psalms or prays seven times a day (Ecclesia psallit sive orat septies in die) a.  At daybreak the Church celebrates the Matins and Lauds because the world was created at that hour, and then the created angels burst forth in praise of God – whence the Lord to Job: Where wast thou when the morning stars praised me? (Job 38, 4 and 7) – and because then, when the Resurrection was announced by a 

An antiphon in Advent: Cantus 002509; cf. Cantus 006393a.

233

218

Letter E

219

220

the angels, joy returned in the morning to the disciples and those who staggered were raised upright – whence in the morning canticle we read: And hath raised up an horn of salvation to us (Luke 1, 69) – and because the Egyptians were drowned in the morning (Ex. 14, 24–28). b. At Prime, because at that hour the Lord was judged and handed over bound to Pilate (Matth. 27, 1). At that same hour he appeared after the Resurrection to the seven disciples who were fishing, standing on the shore and saying: Children, have you any food? (John 21, 5). c. At Tierce, because at that hour the Lord was crucified by the tongues of the Jews, according to this: Whose teeth are weapons and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword (Ps. 56, 5). At the same hour on the day of Pentecost in a chamber of Zion the Holy Spirit descended in fiery tongues on one hundred and twenty men (Acts 1, 15; 2, 3 and 15). d. At Sext, because at that hour the Lord was stretched on the wood of the cross, and he drank vinegar, and there was darkness over the whole earth (Matth. 27, 45; Mark 15, 33; Luke 23, 44). e.  At Nones, because at that hour the Lord Jesus was praying for his crucifiers (Luke 23, 34) and crying out: Into thy hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit (Luke 23, 46), and fixed with nails, bowing his head, he gave up the spirit (John 19, 30; Matth. 27, 50; Mark 15, 37; Luke 23, 46), and pierced with a lance he offered the two testaments to drink for our salvation (John 19, 34).a The veil of the temple was rent, the earth quaked, the rocks were rent, the graves were opened, and many bodies of saints that had slept arose (Matth. 27, 51–52). And then the darkness ended. f. At Vespers, because at that hour the Lord at the supper gave his disciples his body and blood in the form of bread and wine, and established that this be done thereafter in memory of him. Also at the same hour he was buried (Matth. 27, 57), and at the same hour he was recognized by the disciples in the breaking of bread (Luke 24, 29). g. At Compline, because at that hour the Lord being in agony prayed the longer. And his sweat became as drops of blood trickling A common interpretations links the blood and water with the Old and New Testaments. a 

234

Letter E

down upon the ground (Luke 22, 43). At the same hour he was protected by guards (Matth. 27, 66), and at the same hour when the doors were shut he stood in the midst of the disciples and said, ‘Peace be to you’ (John 20, 19–20 and 26). Of these aforesaid regular hours, which are eight, we read: Pray without ceasing (I Thess. 5, 17), that is, not omitting the regular hours. The way of chanting these is handed down by the Psalmist, but the number has its origin in Esdras, for it is read that Esdras, in Jerusalem, in the days of the Feast of Tabernacles, ascending a wooden pulpit, recited the law of the Lord which he had recovered to the whole assembly of the children of Israel. For he read it four times in the night and four times in the day (II Esdr. 8, 4; 9, 3). Yet we, although we chant eight times, we chant only once at night and seven times in the day. And there is another reason why those hours are privileged: because in the gospel the Lord makes mention of these only and not of others, where he said that a householder went out early in the morning to hire laborers into his vineyard, and others came at the first hour, the third, the sixth, the ninth, and the eleventh (Matth. 20, 1–9). And we praise Seven times a day (Ps. 118, 164), because seven are the ages of a human or of the world, and God should be praised in all these, even in infancy. Whence: Out of the mouths of infants and of sucklings thou hast perfected praise (Ps. 8, 3). And the blessed Nicolaus would suckle at breasts on Wednesdays and Fridays once a day.a All the foresaid hours are privileged, but in three of the hours, namely Tierce, Sext, and Nones, Jews would pray, as below in They would pray (O50). 38. The dedication of a church consists of five things, which are (Ecclesie dedicatio consistit in qvinqve, qve svnt) a. Sprinkling. A church is sprinkled with water in which three things are mixed in: salt, ash, and wine. But it should be done with an aspergillum made of hissop.

The story of Nicolaus is found in John Beleth: Ioh. Bel., Div. off. 11 (p. 28, l. 99–102), Peter of Poitiers: Petr. Pictav. III, Summa, 37 (p. 41, l. 9–11), etc. a 

235

221

Letter E

b. Inscription. It is inscribed with the Greek and Latin alphabet in lines drawn from corner to corner and intersecting at the midpoint in the form of a cross. c.  Anointing. Also it is smeared with holy chrism at twelve places. d. Lighting. For it is lit with twelve candles at the same places. e.  Blessing. Finally a dedication is concluded with a bishop’s blessing. And this dedication, that is, of a church or a temple of God, is called a sanctification or benediction.

222

39. Likewise these five things are appointed for a catholic (Similiter hec qvinqve assignantvr in viro catholico) a. Sprinkling. For a holy person is sprinkled first with the water of penitence. Peter was sprinkled with this water when he wept bitterly so as to wash away the stain of his triple denial. Of the same thing the prophet says: Every night I will wash my bed (Ps. 6, 7), and elsewhere: My tears have been my bread (Ps. 41, 4). But this water should have three things with it: salt, ash, and wine. Salt: the fear of God and faith in the Incarnation of Christ. Whence in Leviticus: Thou shalt put salt of the covenant of the Lord thy God on every sacrifice (Lev. 2, 13). For the fear of the Lord is the accompaniment of every stage. For whatever Christian offers sacrifices, the fear of the Lord should be before his eyes in everything. For the sacrifice that any Christian should offer is threefold, namely of heart, of mouth, of works. Ash is the memory of the human cycle. For our life is like a line drawn in a circle to return to the same point: beginning from dust and through natural failings progressing as it were in a circle it returns to dust, as was said to the human by the Lord: Earth thou art and into earth thou shalt go (Gen. 3, 19 VL). Moreover, wine is the memory of the Lord’s Passion. These three things make the water of penitence holy and pleasing to God. For who, having fear of the Lord, recollecting the memory of the last things, the memory of God condemned to a most shameful death for one’s sake (Wis. 2, 20), would not resolve into tears? Who is so stonehearted that he is not wholly shaken, and trembles, saying: Thou hast moved my earth and hast troubled it; heal, etc. (Ps. 59, 4).

236

Letter E

b. An inscription, which is twofold, for it should be written indelibly on the tablet of the heart and on the pavement of the body. This is the rigorous discipline of our order, handed down to us by the holy fathers and set down in writings. And this should be written indelibly from corner to corner, that is from a humble heart to a lofty heart. A humble heart is one that, although it does well in all things, calls itself an unprofitable servant (cf. Luke 17, 10). It is a lofty heart when someone is snatched aloft in mind, saying: But it is good for me to adhere to my God (Ps. 72, 28). But from a humble heart up to a lofty one, that is, whether we feel that we are humble or we are expansive in mind, we should firmly keep these inscribed limits on ourselves, lest perhaps it may be said of us: This man began to build and was not able to finish (Luke 14, 30). The inscription on the body is visible, such as the tonsure of the head, meanness of clothing, gait, gesture, bearing, and the like. These inscriptions are imprinted on us so that we can truly say: ‘He set a sign on my face, so that besides him I may admit no other lover’a or inscriber. But these signs are from corner to corner of the body, that is, from head to feet, so that no irregularity may seem to have a place on us from the sole of the foot to the crown of the head, or from the beginning of our profession to the end of our life.b c. Anointing: imitation of the apostles, which cloistered people propose for themselves, those whose heart is one and whose soul is one in the Lord (cf. Acts 4, 32), who as monks should provide for themselves and others, those who have chosen to protect themselves alone.c It is not permitted for them to baptize, or preach to others, or enjoin penitence. Or, by the twelve anointings are understood the twelve virtues to which a Christian should be enjoined. For there are four cardinal virtues, and each of these has two collateral virtues, as below in Virtues (V47). An antiphon: Cantus 004346. Peter the Chanter’s source in the last article and this one is a sermon by Peter Comester: Petr. Comestor, 39 (PL, 198, col. 1814D–1815A-D). The Chanter removed some but not all traces of the Comestor’s original audience, people in regular orders like the Augustinians of St. Victor in Paris, whereas the Chanter usually seems to address clerics in general, regulars and seculars, and the laity. c  Playing on the original sense of ‘monk’ (monachus), one who is alone. a 

b 

237

223

Letter E

224

225

d. Lighting, because the said virtues should shine. Whence: So let your good works shine before men, etc. (Matth. 5, 16). After your loins are girt, lamps are burning in your hands (Luke 12, 35). e.  The final blessing, which will occur when our glory appears, when this mortal hath put on immortality (I Cor. 15, 54), when the Spirit will say to our wretched spirit that it may rest from its labors (Apoc. 14, 13), and the Lord himself: Come, ye blessed of my Father, etc. (Matth. 25, 34). In the dedication of a church, or its consecration, which is the same thing, is sung the office: ‘The whole earth adores you, God’,  etc.a This is because Augustus Caesar made an edict, for the glory of the Roman empire, that someone come from each city to Rome, bringing from there as much dirt as he could enclose in his fist. And this was done just so, and from that dirt was made a little mound upon which was founded a church. Therefore on the day of that dedication the office ‘The whole earth,  etc.’ is chanted, as was said.b 40. A  church is reconsecrated (Ecclesia reconsecratvr) a. If there is doubt about the consecration, because what is not known to have been done is not said to have been repeated. b. If its major altar is moved. c. If the walls are changed. d. If the church is burned, that is, entirely. e. If blood is shed in it by homicide. But if a martyr is killed in a church, as was blessed Thomas in Canterbury,c then the church is not polluted but rather consecrated. And in the church of blessed James the Lombards fought against the Franks for custody of the altar, and sometimes they killed each other.d And if a similar happening should sometimes occur, it is not then proper for it to be reconsecrated. An antiphon of the dedication office: Cantus 006046za, from Ps. 65, 4. The story is found in John Beleth: Ioh. Bel., Div. off. 76, l. 2–15. c  Thomas Becket was canonized in 1173, so the Abel Distinctions were completed after that date. d  The source of this story has not been identified. a 

b 

238

Letter E

f. If it is polluted by semen by adultery or fornication. g. If it was consecrated by a heretic. h. If it was consecrated without sanctuaries.a Yet today there is a custom that the Roman church approves, that if it polluted on the outside by human semen or blood, it is not reconsecrated but reconciled. 41. They build a temple (Edificant templvm) a. Some upon the earth, those who understand but don’t perform. Whence: One who heareth my words and doth them not shall be like a man building upon the sand (Matth. 7, 26; Luke 6, 49). b. Some with a wall without stone, that is, the weak. Whence: A leaning wall and a tottering fence (Ps. 61, 4). c. Some on a rock, that is, Christ, those who are stable in virtue. Whence the Apostle: If the tabernacle of this habitation be destroyed, build a house in heaven (II Cor. 5, 1). 42. Some build with (Edificant qvidam) a. Gold.b By gold is understood the love of God. b. Silver. By silver, love of neighbor. c. Precious stones. By precious stones, good works. d. Wood. e. Hay, and f. Stubble. By wood, hay, and stubble, flammable things, that is, venial sins, that is, the sins of those who cling to earthly things, and yet lay everything aside for God. These are called flammable because they will be entirely purged in purgatorial fire. And this, namely the fire, is treated in the comment on the second epistle of Paul: ‘So much more severe will be that fire than whatever a person can suffer in this life’.c By the wood is understand small sins, that is, venial; by the hay, lesser ones; by the stubble, the least.

a  The sanctuaries would be recesses near the altars where saints’ relics would be kept. b  The building materials are named in I Cor. 3, 12. c  Peter Lombard: Petr. Lomb., Sent. 4, 21, 2 (p. 380, l. 13–14), from Augustine: Avg., In Ps. 37, 3 (p. 384, l. 33–35).

239

226

Letter E

43. There is a feeling (Est affectio) a.  Of the heart. Whence: Who is weak, and I am not weak? (II Cor. 11, 29). b.  Of works. Whence: One who shall see his brother in need and shall shut up his bowels from him, how doth the charity of God abide in him? (I John 3, 17). c. Of body, which even Christ had, of which is said: Greater love than this no man hath, etc. (John 15, 13).

227

44. A threefold pouring out is made (Effvsio fit triplex) a. That it may perish. Whence: Pour out your hearts before him (Ps. 61, 9), that is, your sins. Again, Jeremiah: Arise, give praise in the night in the beginning of thy watches and pour out thy heart as water (Lam. 2, 19). For if a person reveals his sins, God covers them, and vice versa. If a person accuses himself, God excuses, and vice versa. b. That it may appear. Whence: Pour out the sword, and shut up the way, etc. (Ps. 34, 3). ‘Pour out the sword’, that is, make your sword appear. c. That it may make fruit. This is said in a likeness, as seed is said to be poured out and to be sown on the earth. 45. The shedding of the blood of Christ (Effvsio s­ angvinis Christi) is fivefold, and look for this in Blood.a 46. A person goes out of Egypt in a spiritual sense (De Egypto exitvr spiritvaliter) a. By partaking of the sacraments. Whence Peter: Do penance and be baptized every one of you (Acts 2, 38). b. By good works. Whence: Give alms, and behold, all things are clean unto you (Luke 11, 41). c. By renunciation of temporal things. Whence: If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell all that thou hast (Matth. 19, 21 VL).

a 

There is no article Blood (Sanguis), but see O49 where the five are named.

240

Letter E

d. By the dissolution of the body and the soul. Whence Solomon: He pleased God and was beloved, living among sinners he was translated (Wis. 4, 10). 47. Egypt has the firstborn (Egyptvs habet primogenita) a.  Virtues, for ‘Egypt’ means ‘affliction’. For those afflicting the Church are slain as to their firstborn because they lose their virtues. b. The chief vices, namely the seven, because ‘Egypt’ signifies ‘the world’. For God slew the firstborn of Egypt, that is, the vices of the world. Whence: The Lord slew every firstborn in the land of Egypt (Ex. 12, 29). 48. There is a going forth (Est egressvs) a. Of eternity. Whence: His going forth is from the beginning, from the days of eternity (Mic. 5, 2). Again: His going out is from the end of heaven (Ps. 18, 7). b. Of a temporal birth. Whence: For out of thee shall come forth the captain that shall rule my people Israel (Matth. 2, 6; Mic. 5, 2). Again: There shall come forth a rod out of the root of Jesse (Is. 11, 1). Again: Thou wentest forth for the salvation of thy people (Hab. 3, 13). c. Of miraculous works. Whence: Cease to do perversely; learn to do well (Is. 1, 16–17). d. Of human help. Whence: Thou, O God, wilt not go out with our armies (Ps. 43, 10; 59, 12). 49. There is an evil going forth (Egressvs malvs est) a. From true things to erroneous. b. From permanent to transitory. c.  From decent to shameful. In the first going forth someone goes forth from God, in the second from one’s neighbor, in the third from himself. From God, through idolatry, from one’s neighbor through greed, from oneself through voluptuousness. The first going forth is of heretics, the second of the covetous, the third of those given to the flesh. Of the first going forth it is said to the bride of the Canticle of Canticles: If thou know not thy-

241

228

Letter E

self, fairest among women, go forth and feed thy kids, that is, those subject to fetid errors, beside the tents of the shepherds (Cant. 1, 7), that is, following the dogmas of heretics. Of the second going forth was Judas, who led by avarice went out to sell his lord, indeed the Lord of the whole world. In the third going forth Dinah, the daughter of Jacob went out, who went out to see the country of Emor and Sichem was in love with her (Gen. 34, 1–2). She is the soul that, seduced by eager curiosity, went out to see carnal thoughts, and it embraced them and, with the guardian of its puberty set aside, copulated with the devil in the land of the country of Emor, that is, in the land of dissimilitude, in an alien land.

229

50. There is a good going forth (Egressvs bonvs est) a. From the flesh to the spirit, because the first is bestial, the second spiritual. b. From nature to those things that are beyond nature, through meditation on the divine law. c. From the world to the Father by the dissolution of the soul and the flesh. d. In the first going forth there is labor and sorrow. In the first going forth we go forth from Egypt. In the second is savoring and beauty. In the second we walk around in the wilderness. In the third is glory and honor. In the third we go we go forth from the desert and we enter the promised land. The first going forth leads to the state of penitence, the second to the state of justice, the third to the state of glory. 51. Almsgiving (Elemosina) of a true kind is in the first place to offer oneself to God, and then one’s belongings. Of this it is properly said: Give alms, and behold, all things are clean unto you (Luke 11, 41). Again, the Apostle: As water quencheth a fire, etc. (Eccli. 3, 33 VL). 52. There is an election (Est electio) a. Of predestination, of which the Apostle says: God chose us before the foundation of the world (Eph. 1, 4).

242

Letter E

b. Of justification, of which the Lord says: You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you (John 15, 16). c. Of eternal glorification, of which we have in the gospel: They chose out the good into vessels (Matth. 13, 48). 53. God chose some (Elegit Devs qvosdam) a. For eternity. Whence: God chose us before the foundation of the world (Eph. 1, 4). Again: For eternity Jacob hath he loved, but Esau he hath hated (Rom. 9, 13; Mal. 1, 2–3). b. For a time. Whence: Have I not chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil? (John 6, 71). c. In the future he will choose the good apart from the wicked by gathering the goats to his left and the sheep to his right. Whence: The kingdom of heaven is like a net cast into the sea, etc. (Matth. 13, 47). 54. Almsgiving. And concerning this it can be said: ‘It makes no difference, whether you don’t give or whether you seize another’s goods’; and this: ‘if you haven’t fed, you have killed’ (Elemosina. Et de hec dici potest: ‘Non refert an tva non des an aliena raptas’ et illvd: ‘Si non pavisti, occidisti’).a a. One kind is corporeal, and this consists of the six works of mercy. Corporeal alms, namely generosity with temporal things, should always be done from a rightful good rightfully acquired. Whence Solomon: He that offereth sacrifice of the goods of the poor is as one that sacrificeth the son in the presence of his father (Eccli. 34, 24). Again, Gregory: ‘Those alms are pleasing in the eyes of our Redeemer which are not compiled from illicit things or from wickedness, but which are expended from things that are permitted and properly acquired’.b Augustine in his homilies: ‘Perhaps someone thinks and says, “There are many very rich people, they a  The source of the first saying has not been identified; at the end of E58 below it is attributed to Ambrose. The second is from Gratian., Decret. 1, 86, 21 (col. 302, l. 42–44), etc., from pseudo-Leo the Great: Ps. Leo M., Serm. 4, 2 (col. 491A). b  Gratian., Decret. 2, 14, 5, 7 (col.  739, l.  13–20), from Gregory the Great: Greg. M., Epist. 9, 219 (p. 785, l. 73–75).

243

230

Letter E

231

232

are greedy and covetous; I don’t sin if I steal from them and give to the poor”. But this kind of thinking is snuck in by the cunning of the devil, for if he gave everything that he stole, he would add to rather than lessen the sin’.a And this alms is threefold. First what is made from one’s own manual labor, which is the most beneficial. Of this is said: Thou shall eat the labors of thy hands,  etc. (Ps. 127, 2). Second what is made from a rightful patrimony of inheritance granted from one’s parents, which is less beneficial. The third is when someone dispenses the patrimony of Christ that was faithfully entrusted to him for the poor. Priests are held to do this, and whoever is set up as a dispenser for the Church. But this is the least beneficial. And note that there are decrees that alms cannot be given from goods that are gotten through usury, through plunder, through fraud, through theft, through simony, for such alms have not passed into the ownership of the receiver; alms can be made from goods that are given to prostitutes and stage-actors and astrologers, for these pass into the ownership of the receiver. Again, it is written: Honor the Lord with thy just labors (Prov. 3, 9). Therefore one who wickedly grasps so that he might rightfully give, it stands beyond a doubt that he dishonors the Lord. b. The other kind is spiritual, and it corrects a neighbor who is sinning: it loves the hater and forgives one sinning against him, and it shows by teaching him what things are God’s, because this spiritual good, that is, alms, has many kinds. For it is spiritual almsgiving when we forgive, love, and teach, and when we pray for others or when we pacify quarrelers or correct wrongdoers. All Christians are held to this, but chiefly priests and prelates are held to correct others. This is a special alms that quenches sins as water quenches fire (Eccli. 3, 33 VL), for alms means ‘the water of God’, and this is deemed more powerful than others. Of the first and the second, that is, of the corporeal and spiritual, Isaiah says: Deal thy bread to the hungry,  etc. (Is. 58, 7). Again, concerning both kinds Augustine says as recorded in the Decretum: ‘You are guilty Gratian., Decret. 2, 14, 5, 3 (col.  739, l.  13–20) from Caesarius of Arles: Caes. Arel., Serm. 183, 7 (p. 748, l. 1–8). a 

244

Letter E

of as many homicides as the needy people whom you didn’t help when you could have’.a ‘Deal out’ so that it may help many: He hath distributed, he hath given to the poor (Ps. 111, 9; II Cor. 9, 9). We deal out bread to the hungry when we manifest to others faith in Christ, who is the living bread, and the holy scriptures, which is spiritual nourishment for us. ‘Thy bread’, not others’ bread. And the needy, from whom we expect no reward, and the harborless bring into thy house, a rented one if you don’t have your own. Offer a roof, receive heaven. If you can’t offer bread, when thou shalt see one naked, cover him with faith, with virtues, by word and example. And despise not thy own flesh (Is. 58, 7), a sinner like you, considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted (Gal. 6, 1). Again, in Proverbs: Charity covereth all sins (Prov. 10, 12). Again, it is understood of both kinds of alms that Tobit gave all that he could get to the captives (Tob. 1, 3). 55. There are alms (Elemosina est) a. That should be given to anyone who asks, about which it is said: Give to every one that asketh thee (Luke 6, 30), either a thing or correction. b. That shouldn’t be given to just anyone, of which it is said: ‘Let alms sweat in your hand until you find a righteous person to whom you may give’,b that is, a person to whom you should give. For we read in the comment on Deuteronomyc that every year the Hebrews would give two tithings of their goods. They divided off the first for the Levites; of this it was said: ‘Let alms sweat in your hand until you find one to whom you may give’. Again they took a tenth of the nine remaining parts and they kept back this second tithe for themselves, and from it, three times a year, when they went up to Jerusalem, they made offerings and meals for themselves and their households, and invited the Levite who also had come up with them as a roommate (cf. Ex. 18, 25–32). For the Source not identified. Simon of Tournai: Simon Tornac., Disput. 47 (p. 135, l. 19–20), etc., from Augustine: Avg., In Ps. 102, 12 (p. 1462, l. 10–11). c  This account is drawn from Peter Comestor: Petr. Comestor, Hist. schol. on Deut. 5, 5 (col. 1251C–1252A). a 

b 

245

233

Letter E

same use they kept back for themselves the second animal after the firstborn, that is, the second firstborn. And likewise after the first-fruits they put away at last for themselves a kind of second first-fruits. And Moses commanded them to bring these second things to a holy place and for them to be eaten before the Lord. Moreover in the third year when the two tithes had been offered, as has been said, they would make still a third tithe for the use of the poor, and they would store this with themselves so that they would have the wherewithal from which they would give to a pilgrim or guest, to an orphan or widow, to the needy, and even to the Levites if they were in need (cf. Deut. 14, 28–29; 26, 12–14). But they spent nothing for their own use. About this it was said: Give to every one that asketh thee (Luke 6, 30). 56. Each person should first give alms (Elemosinam qvisqve debet primo facere) a. To himself, by ceasing to sin. Whence: My child, have pity on thy own soul, pleasing God (Eccli. 30, 24). b.  Then to one’s neighbor. Whence the Apostle: If any man have not care of his own, and especially of those of his house, he hath denied the faith and is worse than an infidel (I Tim. 5, 8). c. Third to one’s enemy. Whence: If thy enemy be hungry, give him to eat (Prov. 25, 21; Rom. 12, 20). d.  Either corporeally – whence: Deal thy bread to the hungry, etc. (Is. 58, 7) – e. Or spiritually. Whence: Lord, thou didst deliver to me five talents, etc. (Matth. 25, 20). This is the righteousness of humans in this life: almsgiving, fasting, and prayer, as is read in the comment on the epistle to the Ephesians.a

234

57. In almsgiving four things should be considered (In elemosina qvatvor svnt adtendenda) a. The reason why someone is asking, that is, under what color one asks. For if one asks because he is a stage-player or the like, Identified not in comment on Ephesians, but in the Glos. ord.; see the note on B10.e above. a 

246

Letter E

we should not give to him. Whence John Chrysostom: ‘To give to stage-players is nothing other than to make sacrifices to idols’.a Again: Do good to the righteous and give not to the ungodly (Eccli. 12, 6), that is, not for his ungodliness but out of charity. If he is asking out of charity, that is, because he is a stage-player, you shouldn’t give to him.b b. The amount that is asked for, that is, whether one asks for a large or small amount. c. The benefit. For I would rather help a parent than another person, a neighbor rather than a stranger. Whence the Apostle: If any man have not care of his own, etc. (I Tim. 5, 8). But in the glosses it is held that in spiritual matters you should not have regard for the flesh.c d. The status of the person who is asking, that is, whether he be rich or poor. For alms should be given not to the rich but to the poor only. Whence the Lord in the gospel: If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell all that thou hast and give to the poor (Matth. 19, 21) – he doesn’t say, ‘to the rich’. Again: When thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not thy friends, neighbors, nor the rich by whom you be invited again, but call the poor, the blind, the lame (Luke 14, 12–13), from whom you may receive no benefit, so that in this way you can be gathered into the barn of your Savior. Again John the evangelist: If someone hath the substance of this world and shall see his brother in need, and shall shut up his bowels from him, etc. (I John 3, 17). Again, Lawrence: ‘The hands of poor people have carried off to heaven the riches of the Church that you are looking for’.d And David: He hath distributed, he hath given to the poor (Ps. 111, 9). He says three things: ‘He hath distributed’, because not in one place, not to one person; ‘he hath given’ freely, he has not sold; ‘to the poor’, not to the rich. And therefore: His justice continueth for ever and ever (Ps. 110, 3), that is, his just reward continueth for ever (Eccli. 18, 22). The saying is proverbial but has not been identified in John Chrysostom. The sense seems unlikely, but the reading appears to be authentic, although at least one manuscript (probably correcting) reads, ‘if he is not asking…’. c  The idea is not in the Glos. ord. on I Tim. 5, 8, and the source has not been identified. d  An antiphon on the feast of St. Lawrence (Aug. 10); Cantus 001642. a 

b 

247

235

Letter E

236

Again, Isaiah: Deal thy bread to the hungry,  etc. (Is. 58, 7). ‘Thy’, not another’s; ‘deal’,a if you can’t give it all or so that it will benefit many. ‘We deal bread to the hungry’ when we manifest to others our faith in Christ who is the living bread, and the holy scriptures which is spiritual nourishment for us. Therefore a prelate sins mortally who gives a prebend to an unworthy relative when he can give it to a worthy outsider. A deserving person who worthily receives a cure of souls rather gives than receives a benefit. A favorable time for giving can be considered even though the four things mentioned above come into agreement at once; perhaps someone may hold back his alms for better uses, or perhaps for his own present need. For the Apostle says: Not that to others should be consolation, and you burthened (II Cor. 8, 13 VL). This is not a commandment but an allowance. But any prelate who spends prebends of the Church or other ecclesiastic goods on the indigent and letteredb men only, goods owed to other uses, deserves Gehenna for himself. Whence Gregory: ‘A prelate of the Church administering Church property who considers better things and doesn’t do them falls in the sight of God’.c Again, Gregory: ‘One who gives the property of the poor, that is, Church property, property held from the patrimony of Christ, property acquired by the shedding of the blood of our Savior, to the rich and not to the poor, makes sacrifices to demons’.d Again Prosper, The Contemplative Life, chapter ten: ‘The pastor of a church shouldn’t disburse anything to those whose own property is sufficient, seeing that to give to those who have is nothing other than to lose’.e

The Isaiah verse has literally ‘break’ for ‘deal’. Material here repeats from E54.b above. b  All the manuscripts consulted read ‘lettered’, though the sense seems to require ‘illiterate’. c  Not identified in Gregory; cf. Simon of Tournai: Simon. Tornac., Disput. 4 (p. 29, l. 21–22). d  Source not identified. e  The work formerly attributed to Prosper of Aquitaine is by Julianus Pomerius (5th c.): Pomer., Vita contempl., here p. 26a. The Chanter quotes from Gratian., Decret. 2, 1, 2, 7 (col. 409, l. 39–41). a 

248

Letter E

Jerome says: ‘The glory of a bishop is to provide for the needs of the poor; his shame is to be zealous for his own wealth’.a Again, the Apostle: I have revered no man according to the flesh (II Cor. 5, 16), that is, no man in the Church of God with the outward appearance of fleshliness. Again the Lord to Moses: One may be chosen as a priest or Levite for me who would say to his father and to his mother, ‘I do not know you’ (Deut. 33, 9). Therefore the prelate sins mortally who gives a prebend to an unworthy relative when he can give it to a worthy outsider.b A deserving person who worthily receives a cure of souls rather gives than receives a benefit. Again, David: They are cursed who decline from thy commandments (Ps. 118, 21). The prophet Amos, despising those who are falling away, says: Hear the word of the Lord, kine of Samaria, that go in with state into the house of Israel (Amos 4, 1; 6, 1). For those people comply with and acquiesce to the rich; they don’t defend orphans and widows in lawsuits. Those people are haughty at the horn of the altar and wantonly frolic with the patrimony of the Crucified. They go beyond the right measure of decency in food, in drink, in dress, in company, and they go about their dioceses not for the gain of souls but so as to milk whatever they can from their subordinates beyond the bishop’s portion or what is prescribed, against John the Baptist. John the Baptist says to certain soldiers thirsting for salvation: ‘Do violence to no man; be content with your pay (Luke 3, 14), exact nothing from your subordinates beyond what is prescribed’. If therefore secular princes are held to this standard by law, how much more should be rectors or prelates of the Church? But they, thirsting for milk and wool (cf. Ezek. 34, 3), gather not the poor but the rich to their tables. Despising hospitality, against God and the Apostle (cf. Hebr. 13, 2; Rom. 12, 13), they partake of food and drink indifferently with usurers, homicides, adulterers. Not only that, what is much worse, they invite such people to have breakfast with them, when only the poor should be invited a  Gratian., Decret. 2, 12, 2, 71 (col. 710, l. 38–40), from Jerome: Hier., Epist. 52, 6 (vol. 54, p. 425, l. 13–15). b  This and the next sentence repeat from just above. Such repetitions shed light on the process of composition of the Abel Distinctions.

249

237

Letter E

by them. Of such people says the prophet in the persona of Christ: Fat bulls have besieged me (Ps. 21, 13). Woe to these wretched and unfeeling people, who spend church property, that is, the property of the poor, the money of those mourning, the ransom for captives, on food for their carnal friends or the rich! With what conscience do such people approach to celebrate divine services? Alas, the wretches don’t heed what the Lord did when tribute was being exacted from him! For he said to Peter: Go to the sea and take the stater in the mouth of that fish which first comes to thee and give it for me and for thee (Matth. 17, 26). On that place, namely in Matthew, the saints say: ‘Although the Lord had money in his purse, nevertheless he said it would be impious to convert to his own use what he had in his purse for the needs of the poor’.a Hence why do prelates or rectors of the Church, instructed by this example, arrogantly convert the testament of the Crucified to their own use and to the use of their relatives or rich people, that which was committed to them only for spending on the poverty of the hungry and the ransom of captives? The kingdom of God is not promised to such people, but to the poor. But if they put their trust in religious vestments and protracted prayer or the cycle of psalms or the heaping up of masses, the Lord reproves them, as below in Greedy priests (S13).

238

58. Alms (Elemosina) freely given are not said to be given but sown. Whence the Apostle to the Corinthians, calling on them for generosity in almsgiving: He who soweth sparingly shall also reap sparingly (II  Cor. 9, 6). One who sparingly gives in a sad mood gives much or little, but one who cheerfully gives only a little, it is not little but much that he has given. Nay, rather he has sown, for as a sowing is multiplied, so alms is returned a hundredfold. Whence the Lord is said to take as usury: Blessed is he that understandeth concerning the needy (Ps. 40, 2). It doesn’t say ‘concerning the rich’. Again, note: it doesn’t say ‘that gives’, for it is better to understand concerning the needy than to give to a needy Glos. ord. on Matth. 17, 26, from Jerome: Hier., In Matth. 17, 26, lib. 3 (p. 156, l. 469–71), etc. a 

250

Letter E

person. ‘To understand concerning the needy’ is to give even to one not asking, and blessed is the one who anticipates the voice of a person about to ask. Therefore he doesn’t say ‘who sparingly gives’ but ‘who sparingly sows’. Therefore we shouldn’t sparingly sow, that is give alms in a sad mood, but cheerfully. For God loveth a cheerful giver, says the Apostle (II Cor. 9, 7). For all merit consists of the will. But we inquire concerning the poor, who sow sparingly or not at all, whether they also reap sparingly. The solution: One who is only slightly generous does not sow sparingly if his will is ready to give if he had more. Therefore one should be said to sow sparingly who has little love, whether he gives more or less, and this one sparingly reaps, that is, receives little recompense in eternal life. Again, Paul: Every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labor (I Cor. 3, 8). Again: For what things a man shall sow, those also shall he reap (Gal. 6, 8). Again, one who has sown well will get good wheat. And how much or what we should give is clear from the sayings of Jerome, speaking thus: ‘One who is proven to keep for himself more than is necessary is guilty of stealing another’s property’.a Again, Ambrose in the Decretum: ‘Feed a person dying of hunger. For whoever of you can preserve a person by feeding, if you have not fed, you have killed’.b Again, Ambrose: ‘It makes no difference whether you don’t give your own goods or you steal another’s’. 59. So great is the easiness of almsgiving (Elemosinarvm tanta) that it’s easier for anyone to give alms than to find a reasonable excuse for not giving alms, especially since the Lord pays heed not to how much is given, but to with what spirit it is given. Whence also the poor widow who cast two mites into the treasury is shown to have cast more than all (Mark 12, 41–44; Luke 21, 1–4). a  Gratian., Decret. 1, 42, 1 dictum ante (col. 151, l. 20–21); not identified in Jerome. b  For this saying and the next see above, the title of E58 and the note there. Not identified in Ambrose.

251

239

Letter E

240

60. Alms (Elemosina) a.  Sometimes are called a mercy. Whence Augustine: ‘One who gives mercy to a sinner gives alms’.a b.  How much generosity of almsgiving is good for obtaining eternal life can be considered from the authority of divine scripture, when it is said: Give alms, and behold, all things are clean unto you (Luke 11, 41). For in this way God is pleased. Again, the Apostle: As water quencheth fire, etc. (Eccli. 3, 33 VL). Again: Blessed is he that understandeth concerning the needy and the poor (Ps. 40, 2). And we are commanded through Isaiah: Deal thy bread to the hungry, etc. (Is. 58, 7). Indeed, redeem thou thy sins with alms (Dan. 4, 24). Therefore give earthly bread to the poor, so that you may have heavenly. Prepare a roof so that you may possess the sky. You wish to be an excellent trader, an outstanding money-lender, a shrewd mercenary: give what you can’t keep, so that you may acquire what you can’t lose; give a little so that you may acquire a hundredfold; give an alien holding so that you may acquire eternal life. For ‘He who doesn’t extend his hand to the poor according to his ability, in vain reaches out a hand to God’, as an authority says in a comment on Ecclesiasticus.b The Lord himself calls us to generosity of almsgiving in the gospel, saying: There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen (Luke 16, 19). On this the saints comment: ‘The greedy man is not reproved because he stole another’s good, but because he didn’t give of his own. How then will it be for one who steals another’s goods, if the one who didn’t give of his own is damned forever?’c Again, it should be noted that this greedy man is not named with a proper name, because he is not written in the book of life. But Lazarus, who deserves to be written, is named. Again, there is a comment here: ‘Faithless people of this kind will see the good people in order to increase their punishment up to the day of judgment, but the good, to increase their glory, will always see the damned’.d See C47.g above. Glos. ord. on Matthew 12, 13, etc. c  Glos. ord. on Luke 16, 19, etc. (the story of Dives and Lazarus), and pseudoAnselm of Laon: Ps. Anselm. Lavd., In Matth. 25 (col. 1464D). d  Source unidentified, but cf. Glos. ord. on Luke 16, 19–26; Honorius of Autun: Honor. Avg., Elucid. 3, 5 (col. 1161A). a 

b 

252

Letter E

61. Withdrawal (Elongatio) or flight has manifold senses, as below in Flight (F44). 62. We conceal the utterances of God (Eloqvia Dei abscondimvs) a. For ourselves. Whence: But Mary kept all these words, pondering them in her heart (Luke 2, 19). b. For our weak children. Whence: A faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath appointed over his family (Matth. 24, 45). c. For the undeserving. Whence: Give not that which is holy to dogs (Matth. 7, 6). 63 There is a jealousy or zeal (Est emvlatio sive zelvs) a.  Of love, that is, it is put for love. Whence in the book of Kings: O Lord, I have been zealous for thy house (III Kings 19, 10 and 14). b. Of solicitude, that is, it is put for solicitude. Whence: For I am jealous of you with the jealousy of God (II Cor. 11, 2). Again: The zeal of thy house hath eaten me up (Ps. 68, 10; John 2, 17). c. Indignation, that is, it is put for indignation, as: Be not emulous of evildoers, etc. (Ps. 36, 1). Again, in the Apostle: Wraths, quarrels, contentions, emulations,  etc. (Gal. 5, 20). The first is good, the second better, and the third the worst. Zelus means envy, but properly it is the love of a man for his wife.a Whence a man is called jealous when he can’t bear it if someone speaks with her or even looks at her or has access to her. Similarly God is called a zealot who loves the soul of anyone, as if always fearing lest the soul be corrupted. And that God is called a zealot he says himself in giving the law: I am the Lord thy God, mighty and jealous, visiting the sins of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me, and showing mercy unto thousands to them that love me and keep my commandments (Ex. 20, 5–6).

The concepts ‘zeal’ and ‘jealousy’, kinds of ardent love, are mingled in Latin zelus and its relatives. The translation here switches between the terms as needed. a 

253

241

Letter E

64. Again concerning alms (Item de elemosina) in Deuteronomy: Don’t return to glean the sheaves that you’ve left in the field, or the olives that remain in the trees, nor should you gather the remaining clusters and the spilt grain, but leave them for the poor (cf. Deut. 24, 19–21). 65. A bishop (Episcopvs) a. Sometimes is diligent toward his subordinates. And then it is not allowed for the archbishop to take for himself anything that belongs to the charge of the bishop. b.  Sometimes is negligent. And then, after several warnings, the archbishop and suffragan bishops of the Church can licitly take charge. 66. Horses (Eqvi) a. Whitea signify the status of innocents and virgins. b.  Pale, the status of confessors because of their affliction of the flesh. c. Red or rufous, the status of martyrs that wash their robes in the blood of the Lamb (Apoc. 22, 14).

242

67. By a horse sometimes is understood (Per eqvvm intelligitvr qvandoqve) a. Pride, as here: At thy rebuke, O God of Jacob, they have slumbered that mounted on horses (Ps. 75, 7), that is, horses of pride. Again: Vain is the horse for safety (Ps. 32, 17). b. Preaching. Whence in Canticles: To my company of horsemen, in Pharaoh’s chariots, have I likened thee (Cant. 1, 8). c. Christ himself, as in Genesis: Let him be a snake in the way, a serpent in the path, that biteth the horse’s heels that his rider may fall backward (Gen. 49, 17). 68. Heresies (Hereses): Sometimes sacred scripture speaks of these as various kinds of idolatry. As here: ‘Rejoice, O virgin Mary,

a 

The colors are from Apocalypse 6, 2–8.

254

Letter E

you have destroyed all heresies’;a for by the nativity of Christ and through his preaching it has come about that today idolatry has been utterly abolished, nor is there any people today who don’t worship one God. 69. ‘A heretic is’ (‘Hereticvs est’), as says Augustine, ‘someone who either invents or follows false and novel opinions for the sake of his temporal profit and chiefly of his glory and preeminence’.b Again, Pope Urban: ‘One who defends the error of another is much more damnable than one who errs, because not only does he err but also he sets up and confirms stumbling-blocks for others. Whence, because he is a teacher of error, he is not only a heretic but also should be called a heresiarch’.c 70. Inheritance (Hereditas) is a term for the apostles and all the saints, as above in Apostles (A75). 71. Someone is raised up to God (Erigitvr qvis ad Devm) a.  Through understanding and conversion. Whence: Lift up your heads and see the countries, for they are white, etc. (John 4, 35; Luke 21, 28). b. Through penitence and going straight. Whence: Rise thou that sleepest, etc. (Eph. 5, 14). c. Through longing and consolation. Whence: I have lifted up my eyes (Ps. 120, 1; Ezek. 8, 5; Dan. 8, 3; 10, 5; Zach. 1, 18; 2, 1; 5, 9). Again: To thee have I lifted up my eyes (Ps. 122, 1). Again: Lift up your heads; behold, your redemption is at hand (Luke 21, 28). 72. Someone is snatched up (Eripitvr qvis) from tribulation or from persecution in three ways, as below in Persecvtion (P84). An antiphon at the feast of the Purification (February 2): Cantus 002924. Gratian., Decret. 2, 24, 3, 28 (col.  998, l.  10–12); Peter Lombard: Petr. Lomb., Sent. 4, 13, 2, 2 (p. 314, l. 23 – p. 315, l. 2), from Augustine: Avg., Vtil. c., 1, 1 (p. 3, l. 6–9). c  Gratian, Decret. 2, 24, 3, 32 (col. 999, l. 4–8). a 

b 

255

243

Letter E

73. Some err (Errant qvidem) a.  Through ignorance. Whence: He caused them to wander where there was no passing, and out of the way (Ps. 106, 40). b.  Through pride. Whence: Who when they knew God, they have not glorified him as God, but became vain in their thoughts (Rom. 1, 21). c.  In the prosperity of the haughty or the adversity of the depressed. Whence: Decline not to the right hand, nor to the left (Prov. 4, 27).

244

74. An age of the world (Etatvm mvndi) a. The first was from Adam to Noah. This had its trouble, that Cain killed his brother. b. The second from Noah to Abraham. Its trouble is notable, that the flood of waters covered the face of the earth. c.  The third from Abraham to David. In this age Abraham with his brother Aran were thrown by the Chaldeans into a fire, across which they were carried.a Indeed, Abraham was carried across by the Lord, but Aran died. d. Fourth, from David to the Babylonian exile. In this age we think few indeed are ignorant of how David suffered hardship at the hands of Saul, of his enemies, of his son. e. Fifth, from the Babylonian exile to Christ. In this age the people of God were taken captive, the holy city was toppled, the temple destroyed, the law burnt up. f. Sixth, from Christ to the end of the world. These six are the ages of the living. In the sixth age Christ was flogged, mocked, spat upon, filled with reproaches, condemned to a most vile death. g. Seventh of those at rest, which begins from the Passion of the Lord. h. The eighth will be of those rising again, which will begin from Judgment Day and will last forever. But these are not called ‘ages’ because of the number of their years – specifically, ­millenia – as some would have it, but because of certain more wonderful The idea of the fire derives from a common interpretation of the name Ur, Abraham’s home town, as ‘fire’. Cf. Gen. 11, 27–31; II Esdras 9, 7; and Beda, In Gen. 3, 11 (p. 166, l. 845–51); Glos. ord. on Gen. 11, 28. a 

256

Letter E

things that occurred at the beginning of each. For in the beginning of the first the constitution of the world was accomplished; of the second, the cleansing of the world by the flood; of the third, circumcision was instituted against original sin; of the fourth, the anointing of kings; of the fifth, the migration of the people of God into Babylon; of the sixth, the Incarnation of the Son of God; of the seventh, the opening of the heavenly gate; and the beginning of the eighth will be the resurrection of bodies and the full recompense of the good and the wicked. 75. An age in the life of a human (Etas in vita hominis) a. The first is infancy. b. The second, childhood. c. The third, adolescence. d. The fourth, youth. e. The fifth, the manly age. f. The sixth, old age. 76. ‘Eternal’ is used (‘Eternvm’ ponitvr) sometimes in holy scripture for ‘never’. Whence Peter said: Thou shalt never (in eternum) wash my feet (John 13, 8), that is, you will never (numquam) wash my feet. 77. The evangelists will be treated in ‘Christ’ (De evvangelistis in Christo dicetvr).a 78. The gospel (Evvangelivm) in its broad sense is spoken of as the whole New Testament. 79. The gospel is the power of God (Evvangelivm est virtvs Dei) a. Because it proclaims his power. b. Because forgiveness of sins is brought about by faith in the gospel. That is, in the third article titled Christ at the end of the text. These articles fall at the end because of the regular abbreviation of Christus as Χ� ρ� ς, taking the Greek chi as a roman X. a 

257

245

Letter E

c. And because it is unto salvation to one that believeth (Rom. 1, 16),a that is, for eternal life, not to one believing unto death. 80. The gospel is called a shoe (Evvangelivm dicitvr calciamentvm) a. Because, as a shoe is good against three things, namely things that are rough or thorny, poisonous, and cold, so the gospel. b.  Against the rough or thorny because it makes everything smooth. Whence: My yoke is sweet (Matth. 11, 30). Again: Be not solicitous, saying, etc. (Matt. 6, 31). c.  Against poison. Whence: I  have given you power to tread upon serpents and scorpions (Luke 10, 19). d. Against the cold of infidelity. Whence: Thy word is fiercely aflame (Ps. 118, 140). Again, Solomon: Every word of God is fire tried (Prov. 30, 5). 81. The gospel is called (Evvangelivm dicitvr) a yoke because, as two beasts are joined under a yoke, that is, two oxen or an ox and an ass, so there are two nations under the gospel, Judaic and gentile.

246

82. Some people evangelize (Evvangelizant qvidam) a. With greed. Whence: Who devour my people like bread (Ps. 13, 4). b. With weakness. Whence: The hireling is he who seeth the wolf coming and flieth (John 10, 12). c. With strength. Whence the Apostle: For when I am weak, then I am stronger (II Cor. 12, 10 VL). 83. ‘Well done’ is used (Evge ponitvr) a. Sometimes in a good sense. Whence: Well done, good and faithful servant (Matth. 25, 21 and 23; Luke 19, 17). And this is ‘well done’ (euge) as if ‘well born’ (bene genite).b a  The whole verse in Romans is, ‘For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power (virtus) of God unto salvation to every one that believeth’. b  The play is on a presumed etymology: eu-ge from eu (‘well’) + ge-nite, the Latin vocative adjective, ‘born’ (ignoring the last four letters).

258

Letter E

b. Sometimes as if applauding, as ‘well said’. Whence: ‘Ah yes! (Eia!): do what you do’.a c. Sometimes mockingly or fawningly. Whence: Let them be presently turned away blushing for shame that say to me: ‘Tis well, ‘t is well (Euge, euge) (Ps. 69, 4). And according to some the term is aspirated and then pronounced heuge, as if ‘badly born’.b 84. There are eunuchs (Svnt evnvchi) a. Who were born so from their mother’s womb (Matth. 19, 12). The Gloss on Matthew says that such people do not ‘have a reward, because they are continent by necessity, not by will’.c b. Who were made so by force by men (Matth. 19, 12) and are not continent by will. c. Who have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven (Matth. 19, 12), who have willingly devoted themselves to chastity. The first are called ‘castrati’, that is, born chaste (caste nati). The second, ‘spayed’, from ‘spatha’, the instrument by which they are cut. Third, ‘eunuchs’, from eu, which is ‘good’, and nike, which is ‘victory’. 85. They are exalted or (Exaltatvr sive) ascend: Christ, a good or bad person, and even the devil, as above in One ascends (A102–104). And the Church is exalted, as above in Church (E32). 86. A  person is hearkened to in many ways. To be hearkened to is (Exavditvr qvis mvltipliciter. Exav­ diri est) a. To be heard to completion, that is, to be heard to the end, which is when what is asked for is accomplished, as was done when demons asked that they might enter into swine, and they were hearkened to, that is, heard to completion, because what they asked for was accomplished (Matth. 8, 31; Mark 5, 12; Luke 8, 32). Compounded errors. We now examine eia rather than euge. And the instantiating sentence in other, later writers is ‘Do quickly (citius) what you do’ or ‘Do well (bene) what you do’. b  Another etymological play: euge = heu-ge = heu (‘alas’) + ge (as above), hence male genite, ‘badly born’. c  The whole article is drawn from Glos. ord. on Matth. 19, 12. a 

259

247

Letter E

248

b. To be heard according to one’s deserts, as was said to Cornelius: Cornelius, thy prayer is hearkened to and thy alms are accepted (Acts 10, 31 VL). c. To be more than heard, that is, to be heard above one’s asking, as was done for Paul praying that the sting of Satan might be removed from him, the sting that was given to him for maintaining his humility, as he said himself: Lest the greatness of the revelations should exalt me, etc. (II Cor. 12, 7). And he was hearkened to, that is, more than heard, because the sting was not removed, because if it had been removed it would be a condemnation for him; as the Lord said to him: For power is made perfect in infirmity (II Cor. 12, 9). And in this way Zachariah was hearkened to, that is, more than heard, who, when he was offering incense to the Lord, prayed for the liberation of his people (Luke 1, 8–13). I say ‘his’ people, because the high priest was in Israel, for that people was held in Roman captivity. Therefore he prayed, and he was hearkened to, that is, more than heard, because God gave him a son, namely John the Baptist – which he didn’t ask for. And likewise he was hearkened to with respect to spiritual liberation – which he didn’t ask for – yet not for the corporeal liberation that he did ask for. And it was greater to be hearkened to in this way than if he had been hearkened to about what he was asking for. 87. Transport (Excessvs) or ecstasy is of many kinds, as below in Ecstasy (E96). 88. Excommunication is (Excomvnicatio est) the final calling back to the Church, as we read in the Decretum.a 89. There is an excommunication or eradicationb (Est excomvnicatio sive eradicatio) a.  Injurious, as if a bishop would excommunicate a king or even a prince or group of people, that is, if a multitude is guilty, without great counsel and great discretion applied as to whether it should be done. a  b 

Source not identified. This article repeats some material from A38.

260

Letter E

b. Hasty, as if someone were to play with the sword of Peter by excommunicating in a childish way, a thing that should not be done foolishly and indiscreetly. c.  Suspect, when someone is excommunicated before his sin is manifest, which shouldn’t be done according to the example of the Lord, who didn’t wish to uproot the weeds when they were tender lest perchance the wheat were uprooted (Matth.  13, 29). Make a distinction between excommunication and anathema, as above in Anathema (A37). 90. There is an emptying out (Exinanitio est) a. Of destruction. Whence: Empty it out, empty it out, even to the foundation thereof (Ps. 136, 7). b. Of humbling. Whence: Emptied himself, taking the form of a servant (Phil. 2, 7). c. Of depth. Whence: The dregs thereof are not emptied (Ps. 74, 9). Christ emptied himself out, that is, descended to inane things or united to himself an inane form, that is, a mutable one. Or, he emptied himself out, that is, subjected himself to emptiness.a But note that there is a threefold sense of emptiness, namely: ­curiosity, found in the rich, eager for earthly things – this was not in Christ – but immortality and immutability. 91. Exordium (Exordivm), onset, beginning: inquire at the article Inicivm (I42). 92. They expect (Expectant)b a.  Some expect their reward whom nevertheless the Reward does not expect, of whom it is said: I know you not (Matth. 25, 12; Luke 13, 25 and 27). Again: A thousand shall fall at thy side, etc. (Ps. 90, 7). Again: Woe to them that desire the day of the Lord! To what end? (Amos 5, 18).

The Latin here is vanitas, both emptiness and vanity. ‘Expect’ could also be rendered ‘await something, wait for something, look out for something’. a 

b 

261

249

Letter E

b. There are some who don’t expect, but whom He expects, like Saul, of whom it was said to Ananias: This man is a vessel of election (Acts 9, 15). c. Some expect whom He expects. Whence: As to the rest, there is laid up for me a crown of justice (II Tim. 4, 8). d. Some neither expect nor are expected. 93. They expect Christ (Expectant Christvm) a.  The foolish, that is, Jews. Whence the Samaritan woman: I know that the Messiah cometh (John 4, 25), that is, ‘will come’. b. The weak. Whence they also ask: Lord, wilt thou in this time restore again the kingdom of Israel? (Acts 1, 6). Again: We hoped that it was he that should have redeemed Israel (Luke 24, 21). c. The ancient saints expected that he was about to come in the flesh. Whence: With expectation I have waited for the Lord, etc. (Ps. 39, 2). d.  Modern saints expect that he will come to judgement. Whence: We look for the Savior, our Lord Jesus Christ (Phil. 3, 20). 94. To upbraid is (Exprobrare est) to curse someone to his face.

250

95. Christ expected the Father (Expectavit Christvs Patrem) a. In his Passion. Whence: My hour is not yet come (John 2, 4). b. In his Resurrection. c. In his calling of the nations. 96. There is an ecstasy or transport (Est exstasis sive excessvs) a. Of the bodily senses, of the kind that the disciples going to Emaus had (cf.  Luke 24), or the Sodomites outside Lot’s house (cf.  Gen. 19). And this is called aurisia in Greek, ‘unseeing’ in Latin. b.  Of perception, as when someone see images of things but not the thing, like Peter when he saw a vessel descending filled with all kinds of beasts, and he heard: Sacrifice, and eat (Acts 10,

262

Letter E

13 VL). And Moses saw the burning bush, whence he said: I will go and see this great sight (Ex. 3, 3). Again, the Apostle: Whether we are sober, it is for you; or whether we be transported, it is to God (II Cor. 5, 13). c. Of the reason or in the reason, as of the transport of Paul, who was caught up to the third heaven (II Cor. 12, 2). d.  From the reason, when a person haughtily thinks that he understands what he cannot, as: When they knew God, they have not glorified him as God or given thanks, but burned in their lusts (Rom. 1, 21 and 27; Dan. 13, 8), that is, in their hearts. 97. Evil people exult or rejoice (Exvltant sive gloriantvr mali) a.  Over their committing evil or damnable deeds. Whence: Why dost thou glory in malice?, etc. (Ps. 51, 3). Again: They glory when they have done evil (Prov. 2, 14). b. Over an abundance of temporal goods. Whence: They spend their days in wealth, and in a moment of an hour they go down to the last hell (Job 21, 13). Again: Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years (Luke 12, 19). c.  Over their oppression of their underlings. Whence: Why dost thou glory in malice?, etc. (Ps. 51, 3). 98. The saints exult or glory (Exvltant sive gloriantvr sancti) a. In the cross, as above in Cross (C183). b.  In God. Whence Jeremiah: He that glorieth may glory in God (I Cor. 1, 31; Jer. 9, 24). Again: In her left hand riches and glory (Prov. 3, 16). c. About the brightness of their conscience, that is, in a pure conscience. Whence: Our glory is this, the serenity of our conscience (II Cor. 1, 12). d. About the hope of rest. Whence: Rejoicing in hope (Rom. 12, 12). Again: The expectation of the just is joy (Prov. 10, 28). e. About the conversion of their brothers. Whence: You are my glory (I Thess. 2, 20). Again: There shall be joy in heaven upon one sinner doing penance (Luke 15, 10).

263

251

Letter E

252

f. About their evading punishment. Whence: The just shall rejoice when he shall see the revenge (Ps. 57, 11). g.  About their enjoyment of God. Whence: I  rejoiced at the things that were said to me (Ps. 121, 1). Again: Rejoice in the Lord, O  ye just (Ps. 32, 1), because they enjoy that good that eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath it entered into the heart of man, etc. (I Cor. 2, 9). 99. Evil people exult (Exvltant mali) in haughty tyranny. Whence in the gospel: They love the first places at feasts, and to be called by men, ‘Rabbi’ (Matth. 23, 6–7). 100. Exulting or (Exvltatio sive) a. Joy will occur in the future, because a believer will rejoice no less over a good stranger than over himself. Beyond this he will live a blessed and unending life. b. There will surely be joy for everyone in this life about the resurrection of the flesh, the communion of saints, and about eternal life. c. There will be joy in the future for all, about seven things – which no one has in this world, even if he were king of the whole world – possessed by all the saints without fear of losing them, namely life without death, youth without old age, light without darkness, joy without sorrow, peace without discord, favor without injustice, reign without change. Beyond this our bodies will be nimble, fine, incorruptible, immortal, impassible, and glorious.

253

101. The exultation or glorying (Exvltatio sive gloria) a. Of evil people is empty. Whence: Mourning taketh hold of the end of joy (Prov. 14, 13). b.  Of the militant, half-complete. Whence: As sorrowful, yet always rejoicing (II Cor. 6, 10). c. Of the triumphant, complete. Whence the Truth: And your joy no man shall take from you (John 16, 22). And elsewhere: That your joy may be full (John 16, 24). Again: But coming they shall come with joyfulness, carrying their sheaves (Ps. 125, 6). The first kind, that is, joy, is false, frivolous, and vain, because it’s about

264

Letter E

temporal things. The second is true but half-complete, because it is still mixed with sorrow. The third is true, complete, and perfect, because then God shall wipe away all tears from eyes of the saints (Apoc. 21, 4). This will be that joy that eye hath not seen, etc. (I Cor. 2, 9). Of this joy says a certain versifier: No one can tell or understand or ponder The joys of the righteous, or the torments of the criminal.a

But some purchase this joy, as below in Kingdom (R13).

a 

Bernard of Cluny: Bernard. Morl., Van. (col. 1310A).

265

LETTER F

254

1. We speak of as the face of God (Facies Dei dicitvr) a. The Son, who is the image and likeness of God. Whence: Show us thy face and we shall be saved (Ps. 79, 4). Again: I entreated thy face with all my heart (Ps. 118, 58), that is, to see Christ, and he prays for the mercy of the first coming. Or it has to do with the second coming: ‘I have entreated thy face’, that is, the majesty of the deity. b. The presence of the deity, that is, the majesty itself. Whence Moses to the Lord: Show me thy face; and to him the Lord: Man shall not see me and live (Ex. 33, 13 and 20). Again, the Apostle: We see now through a glass, etc. (I Cor. 13, 12). c. His appearing. Whence Jacob: I have seen the Lord face to face, and my soul has been saved (Gen. 32, 30). d. The knowledge of his majesty. Whence: Turn away thy face from my sins (Ps. 50, 11). 2. There is a face (Facies est) a. Of vengeance. Whence: Turn away thy face from my sins (Ps. 50, 11). b. Of grace. Whence: Show us thy face, and we shall be saved (Ps. 79, 4 and 8 and 20). c. Of glory, when we shall see him face to face (I Cor. 13, 12). 3. A misdeed (Facinvs), an abomination, and a disgrace are different, as below in Vices.a a 

A blank cross-reference; cf. N7 below.

266

Letter F

4. There is a falsity (Falsitas est) a. Of devising. Whence: They have devised counsels which they have not been able to establish (Ps. 20, 12). b. Of speech. Whence: The arrows of children are their wounds, and their tongues against them are made weak (Ps. 63, 8). c.  Of transient things. Whence: They have slept their sleep (Ps. 75, 6). d. Of the first kind is said: But inwardly they are ravening wolves (Matth. 7, 15). Of the second: Beware of false prophets who come (Matth. 7, 15). Of the last: In the clothing of sheep (Matth. 7, 15). e. Of ostentation. Whence: They make their phylacteries broad (Matth. 23, 5). 5. Sometimes we speak of hunger as (Fames dicitvr qvandoqve) a. An immoderate appetite for eating, that is, a strong hunger, which a person wouldn’t have unless he had sinned. b. Any appetite for eating, which a person would have unless he had sinned and ate. 6. There is a hunger (Fames est) a. Which is only a hardship. Whence: In hunger and thirst, in cold and nakedness (II Cor. 11, 27). b.  Which is both guilt and punishment. Whence Jeremiah: The little ones have asked for bread, and there was none to break it unto them (Lam. 4, 4). And Isaiah: Behold my servants shall eat, and you shall be hungry (Is. 65, 13). c. For justice, which is meritorious. Whence: Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after justice (Matth. 5, 6). 7. God made us (Fecit nos Devs) a. With regard to the body and the soul. Whence: He made us, and not we ourselves (Ps. 99, 3). b. He remade us with regard to the soul. Whence: Come to me, all you that labor, and are burdened, and I will refresh you (Matth. 11, 28).a a 

‘I will refresh’ is literally ‘I will remake’ (reficiam).

267

255

Letter F

256

c.  He will reform us with regard to the body in the future. Whence the Apostle: Who will reform the body of our lowness, made like to the body of his glory (Phil. 3, 21). 8. Temporal felicity (Felicitas) or riches are compared with pits, as above in Riches (D79). 9. Through a woman (Per feminam) a. Death entered the world. b. Joseph was imprisoned (cf. Gen. 39, 20). c. Naboth was killed (cf. III Kings 21). d. Samson was chained (cf. Judges 16, 21). e. Isboseth was killed (cf. II Sam. 4, 5). f. Solomon was made an apostate (cf. III Kings 11, 4). g. David was a homicide and traitor (cf. II Sam. 11, 15). h. Sisera was stabbed by a tent peg (cf. Judges 4, 21). i. The blessed John, precursor and baptist of the Lord, was beheaded (cf. Matth. 14, 10; Mark 6, 27). j. The Adversary, who took away from Job both his children and his possessions, left him his wife, not as a solace for her husband but as the consummation of his malice, so that he might defeat through a woman the man whom he had not defeated by persecution, and what he couldn’t do with lashes he might bring about through the words of a woman.

257

10. Grass is put sometimes (Fenvm ponitvr qvandoqve) a. To signify beasts of burden or the righteous Whence in Job, of the devil: He eateth grass like an ox (Job 40, 10). b. To signify humans or human flesh generally. Whence: All flesh is grass, and, Indeed the people is grass (Is. 40, 6 and 7). c. To signify the wicked. Whence: The grass which today flourishes and to morrow is cast into the oven (Matth. 6, 30; Luke 12, 28). 11. ‘Leaven’ is used (Fermentvm dicitvr) a. Sometimes in a good sense, as in the gospel: The kingdom of heaven is like to leaven which a woman took and hid in three measures of wheat (Matth. 13, 33; Luke 13, 21). ‘Leaven’ here signi-

268

Letter F

fies charity; ‘a woman’ divine wisdom or the soul; ‘wheat’ hearts or thinking; ‘three measures’ three kinds of people – people of natural law, of written law, of grace – or three powers of the soul – reason, desire, anger. b. Sometimes in a bad sense, as in the Apostle: Purge out the old leaven (I Cor. 5, 7), that is, one’s consent or a sinner who corrupts others. Here he speaks of ‘old leaven’ as vainglory or oldness of life that is purged by newness of life. Again in the gospel: Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the leaven of Herod (Mark 8, 15; Matth. 16, 6 and 11; Luke 12, 1). The leaven of the Pharisees is the pretense of religion, the stinginess of greed, the intemperance of covetousness; the leaven of Herod is homicide, adultery, audacity of swearing. The leaven by whose admixture the whole lump is corrupted (I Cor. 5, 6) is the greed and incontinence of clerics which corrupts those in their charge by a perverse imitation, as is written: My priest that is anointed, if he shall offend, he will make my people offend (Lev. 4, 3). For what will a simple layperson do, if not that which he sees his spiritual father doing? 12. Festivity (Festivitas) or celebration is of three kinds, as below in Celebration (S81–82). 13. ‘Faithful’ is said of (Fidelis dicitvr) a. God. In commitments. Whence the Apostle: I know whom I have believed, and I am certain that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him (II Tim. 1, 12). In promises. Whence the same: I know the Lord Jesus was minister of the circumcision for fulfilling the promises made unto the fathers (Rom. 15, 8). b.  A human, that is, one truthful of speech. Whence: Give peace, O Lord, to them that patiently wait for thee, that thy prophets may be found faithful (Eccli. 36, 18). Or a person is called ‘faithful’ from ‘faith’. Whence: ‘The first way of believing is faithful Abraham’.a From the first two lines of the Preface of Prudentius’s Psychomachia. And Galatians 3, 9: ‘faithful Abraham’. a 

269

258

Letter F

14. Faith is (Fides est) to believe what you don’t see. ‘There is no reward for faith unless what we believe lies hidden’, as we read on this place: Sit thou at my right hand (Ps. 109, 1), that is, in the Gloss.a

259

15. We speak of faith (Fides dicitvr) a. Sometimes as the conscience. Whence the Apostle: All that is not of faith is sin (Rom. 14, 23), that is, of the conscience, that is, what is done against one’s conscience, even if it is good, that is, from the class of good things. b. As an unformed quality of mind, of which is said: The devils believe and tremble (James 2, 19). Again of this unformed faith is said: If I should have prophecy and should know all mysteries and all knowledge and all faith, that is, not informed by charity, so that I could remove mountains, etc. (I Cor. 13, 2) c.  As a quality of mind informed by charity. Whence the Apostle: Faith is the substance of things to be hoped for (Hebr. 11, 1). Of this is said: If you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, etc. (Matth. 17, 19; Luke 17, 6). This is the foundation of the other virtues, for: First to take the field in the fickle chances of battle Is Faith, ready to fight.b

Without this we can’t please God (Hebr. 11, 6). d. As what we believe, that is, the collection of articles of faith. Whence: ‘This is the catholic faith’, etc. Again, ‘Whoever wishes to be saved’, etc.c e. As the movement of faith. Whence faith, that is, the movement of faith, is called the foundation of the other virtues. f. A kind of credulity which rises from appearances, which is not meritorious. Whence: Now I have told you, before it come to pass, that when it shall come to pass, you may believe (John 13, 19).

Glos. ord. on Ps. 109, 1, from Augustine: Avg., In Ps. 109, 8 (p. 1607, l. 2–3). Prudentius, Psychomachia, l. 21–22. c  Articles from the Athanasian Creed. a 

b 

270

Letter F

g.  As a matter of faith. Whence: Stretching from faith unto faith (Rom. 1, 17). Whence we speak of an enigmatic faith and a comprehensive faith.a h. As purity of conscience. Whence: All that is not of faith is sin (Rom. 14, 23); that is, whatever is done against faith, that is, against one’s conscience. i. The bond of mutually preserved chastity. Whence there are three goods of marriage: fidelity, offspring, and the sacrament. 16. Faith (Fides) a. One kind is of knowledge, by which we believe that God exists, and it is by this that the devils believe and tremble (James 2, 19). b.  Another, of consent, by which we believe in God and his word. Only the faithful have this, that is, by believing, and so it is that there is one faith by which we believe and another that we believe. c. Another kind is trust, that is, to trust in God; only the righteous have this. For to trust in God is to reach to him by faith and charity. Whence one asks whether a sinner who is in the Church in body but not in mind, in name but not in spirit, in number but not in merit, lies when he says, ‘I believe in God’. No, because in utterances of this kind, namely the Lord’s Prayer and the Creed, a faithful person speaks not in his own persona but in the persona of the whole Church, like a priest saying ‘Let us pray’. 17. Faith (Fides) a. Sometimes is great, as here in the gospel: O woman, great is thy faith (Matth. 15, 28), that is, with respect to her devotion and perseverance, not with respect to her understanding. b. Sometimes middling or small, about which the Lord to Peter: O thou of little faith, why didst thou doubt? (Matth. 14, 31). He had a small amount with respect to his constancy but not with respect to his devotion. And hence it is not a contradiction that one brings The source of much of this article is Peter of Poitiers: Petr. Pictav. II, Sent. 3, 21 and 60 (col. 1089D–1094B and 1191D). At the latter place he clarifies that from faith unto faith is from enigmatic to comprehensive faith. a 

271

260

Letter F

as an objection: if faith is one thing, therefore great and small are the same. But great and small are relatives; otherwise it would not truly be said: ‘That mountain is great’; ‘This millet is small’.

261

262

18. There are twelve articles of faith in the Apostles' Creed (Fidei articvli svnt dvodecim in Symbolo apostolorvm) a. The first is: ‘I believe in God’, etc., and it pertains to the Father. b. Second: ‘and in Jesus Christ’, etc., and this pertains to God the Son. c.  Third: ‘Who was conceived’,  etc., and this pertains to the human Son. d. Fourth: ‘Under Pontius Pilate’, etc. e. Fifth: ‘On the third day’, etc. f. Sixth: ‘He ascended into heaven’, etc. g. Seventh: ‘From thence he will come’, etc. h. Eighth: ‘I believe in the Holy Spirit’, etc. i. Ninth: ‘The holy catholic Church’, and ‘exists’ is understood. And in this article is understood the consecration of bread and wine or transubstantiation, which is one of the articles of faith. But this statement doesn’t include baptism, which is not an article but a co-article. j. Tenth: ‘The remission of sins’. k. Eleventh: ‘The resurrection of the flesh’. l. Twelfth: ‘The life everlasting. Amen’. And note that the bishop of Lyon inquired of the Paris masters why, in the creed of the Nicene Council that is chanted at mass, was this article of faith not included: ‘He descended into hell’. To this certain masters responded thus: Because mass is sung on Sunday, on which day death was destroyed by the Resurrection of Christ and the descent to hell was emptied out. Others thus: Because all this, namely ‘suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried, he descended into hell’, is a single article alone and under the major part the minor is understood. Others thus: Because before the Passion of the Lord it was certain that all descended into hell and, if he rose again, it follows also that he descended into hell. Others

272

Letter F

thus: The phrase was not included because only the soul of Christ descended, and thus not in its proper sense and by synecdoche is Christ said to have descended.a 19. Trust or vain and false presumption is placed (Fidvcia sive presvmptio vana et falsa consistit) a. In riches. Whence: Do not trust in the uncertainty of riches (I Tim. 6, 17). Again: They that trust in their own strength and glory in the multitude of their riches (Ps. 48, 7). Again: Put not your trust in princes (Ps. 145, 2). b. In bodily goods, like those who think mere chastity of the body suffices, to whom is said: Trust not in lying words, saying: ‘The temple of the Lord, it is the temple of the Lord’ (Jer. 7, 4). c. In one’s own strength. Whence: Vain is the horse for safety (Ps. 32, 17). d. In knowledge. Whence Isaiah: Let not the strong man glory in his strength, nor the rich man in his riches, nor the wise man in his wisdom (Jer. 9, 23), because knowledge and things of this kind are not ours, because we will dismiss these and all temporal things for salvation. 20. From faith (Ex fide) comes not only righteousness but also blessing and eternal life. 21. Children exist (Filii svnt) a. By begetting. Whence: Abraham begot Isaac (Matth. 1, 2). Again, the prodigal son: I am not worthy to be called thy son (Luke 15, 19), which we ought to say to God. b. By the creation of their nature, because God made us and not we ourselves (Ps. 99, 3). c. By their rearing. Whence: I have brought up children and exalted them, but they have despised me (Is. 1, 2). d. By the granting of grace. Whence: He gave them power to be made the sons of God, to them, etc. (John 1, 12). Probably influenced by the term synodice (‘in accordance with a synod’s decree’), scribes put synodochen and synedochen for Peter’s synecdochen. a 

273

263

Letter F

e. By adoption. Whence: I have said: ‘You are gods and all of you sons of the most High’ (Ps. 81, 6). f. By being born again. Whence: My little children, of whom I am in labor again (Gal. 4, 19), and those are the children of the cross. g. By eternal heritage. Whence: Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God (Matth. 5, 9). In this way there was no son of Judas. h. By imitation. Whence: That you may be the children of your Father who is in heaven (Matth. 5, 45). i. By unbelief. Whence the Apostle to the Ephesians: The spirit that now worketh on the children of unbelief (Eph. 2, 2), which can be understood in both the active and passive sense, that is, those who disbelieve and those concerning whom there is unbelief. j. Of wrath. Whence the Apostle to the Ephesians: We were by nature children of wrath (Eph. 2, 3), that is, of vengeance, of punishment, of hell, that is, bound to eternal damnation. He says, ‘by nature’, because, with the first sinning of a human, vice grew into our nature.

264

22. From faith comes (Ex fide est) a. Justice. Whence in Genesis: Abram believed God, and it was reputed to him unto justice (Gen. 15, 6), that is, for forgiveness of sins and the observance of a good life. b.  Blessing, that is, eternal beatitude. Whence in Genesis: O Abraham, in thee all the nations shall be blessed (Gen. 12, 3; 18, 18; 22, 18; 26, 4). ‘In thee’, that is, in thy seed, that is, in Christ, they ‘shall be blessed’ with eternal beatitude. Again, James the Apostle: Even as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead (James 2, 26). Again, about faith itself, the Truth: He that believeth in me, the works that I work, he also shall do, and greater than these he shall do (John 14, 12). Look for an exposition of this authority in the article Justification (I110). Again, on this place in the Apostle to the Galatians: For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but faith that worketh by charity (Gal. 5, 6), the Gloss says: ‘ faith without works is dead, that is, does not save, and faith without love

274

Letter F

is of the devil. For the devils also believe and tremble (James 2, 19). But those who don’t believe are duller and worse than demons’.a That is, with respect to this matter, but not in the simple sense; reasonably it should be understood thus: I know that the earth is full of the profession of faith, but still the prophet complains that faith has perished from the earth (cf. Jer. 7, 28). For Think you the Son of man, if he should come now, would he find faith on earth? (Luke 18, 8). Would he regard as faith this feigned faith of careless and scorning people, such that he would deem the credulity of demons better than the unbelief of Christians? For the devils believe and tremble (James 2, 19), humans neither believe nor tremble. Demons worship one in whom they believe; humans neither fear nor worship one in whom they believe, and hence they are judged more severely for contempt. Therefore let’s not be deceived about the general term ‘faith’, as if any sort of faith should be deemed as for righteousness, for, as James says, faith without works is dead (James 2, 26). On the epistle to the Hebrews: the children of Israel by faith passed through the Red Sea (Hebr. 11, 29). By faith Abraham offered Isaac his son (Hebr. 11, 17) and by faith he obeyed the Lord who said: Go forth out of thy country and from thy kindred and out of thy father’s house (Gen. 12, 1; Acts 7, 3). By faith the walls of Jericho fell down by the going round them seven days (Hebr. 11, 30). The saints by faith conquered kingdoms, wrought justice, that is, fair judgment, obtained promises (Hebr. 11, 33), that is, what was promised, such as victory. And many other promises were made to such fathers as David, Abraham, and others. They stopped the mouths of lions (Hebr. 11, 33), as did Daniel, as if they conquered not only humans but also beasts. They quenched the violence of fire, as did the three boys thrown into the furnace of Nebuchadnezzar. They escaped the edge of the sword, as did Joshua, David, and many others. They recovered strength from weakness, as did Ezekiel and Job. And they became valiant in battle, that is, in warfare, as did Joshua and Judas Maccabee and many others. They put to flight, that is, in a rout, Glos. ord. on Gal. 5, 6, from Augustine: Avg., In epist. Ioh. 10, 2 (p.  402, l. 7–9). a 

275

265

Letter F

266

the armies of foreigners, that is, of enemies. Women received their dead raised to life again (Hebr. 11, 34–35). ‘They received’ through Elijah and Elisha those coming ‘to life again’. Again concerning faith, in John: As many as received him, he gave them power to be made the sons of God, to them that believe in his name (John 1, 12). He that believeth in him is not judged (John 3, 18). I am the resurrection and the life. He that believeth in me, although he be dead, shall live, and every one that liveth and believeth in me shall not die for ever (John 11, 25–26). Because thou hast seen me, Thomas, thou hast believed; blessed are they that have not seen, and believed (John 20, 29). Thy faith hath made thee whole (Matth. 9, 22; Mark 5, 34; 10, 52; Luke 7, 50; 8, 48; 17, 19; 18, 42). Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, ‘Only believe, and thy daughter will be whole’ (Mark 5, 36). To the Ephesians: Without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebr. 11, 6). In the Acts of the Apostles: And immediately there fell from Paul’s eyes as it were scales, and he received his sight (Acts 9, 18). He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved (Mark 16, 16). In Numbers the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, ‘Because you have not believed me, you shall not bring these people into the promised land’ (Num. 20, 12). In John: He that doth not believe is already judged (John 3, 18). 23. Of children (Filiorvm) a. Some are the children of humans. The first are by birth; the first are begotten through fleshly desire; of the first is said: O ye sons of men, how long will you be dull of heart? (Ps. 4, 3). b.  Others, of demons. The second, by imitation; the second, from depraved suggestion; the Lord inveighs against the second, saying: You are of your father, the devil (John 8, 44). c. Others, of saints. The third, by instruction; the third, from water and the spirit; for the third is said: Bring to the Lord, O ye children of God (Ps. 28, 1). d.  Others, children of God. The fourth, by adoption; the fourth, from merit and grace; to the fourth a second adoption is promised here: Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God (Matth. 5, 9).

276

Letter F

24. By ‘children’ (Per filios) are understood good works, as here: Thy children as olive plants (Ps. 127, 3). 25. There is a child (Filivs est) a. Of evil, as Judas. b. Of perdition, as the Antichrist. c. Of serpents: Jews. Whence: Generation of vipers, etc. (Matth. 23, 33; Luke 3, 7). d.  Of the devil, as was said: You are of your father, the devil (John 8, 44). 26. A child or a human is (Filivs vel homo est) a. From a woman without a man, as Christ in that he was human. b. From the earth, as Adam. c. From a man without a woman, as Eve. d. From a rib, as Eve. e. From neither a man or a woman, as Adam. f. From a human, that is, a virgin, namely God. g. From a man and a woman, as are we. And so there is a human or the child of a human, namely all of us. 27. There is an end (Finis est) a. Of consuming. Whence we say, ‘The candle is finished’ or ‘used up’ and the like. And in this way we speak of the end, that is, of the consumption – of new moons – and of the destruction of the outer shell – of the letter – whence the law is the shadow, Christ the end.a b. Of consummation, as when we say, ‘The house is finished’, that is, completed, or ‘the book’, and the like.

The compressed statement presumes knowledge of the commonplaces that the literal sense of the Bible is the shell, the spiritual sense the kernel, and that the Old Testament is the shadow or foreshadowing of the body, the reality which is the New Testament. The terms are from Colossians 2, 16–17: Let no man therefore judge you in food or in drink, or in respect of a festival day, or of the new moon, or of the sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the body is Christ. a 

277

267

Letter F

c. Christ is of the consummation in this world for justice, in the future for the crown. d. Of behavior, namely evildoing, in this world for guilt, in the future for hellish punishment. e. Of the law, through the fulfilling of the things promised. f. Of the finish of one’s life. Whence: The Lord shall judge the ends of the earth (I Sam. 2, 10). g. We also speak of the end at which a work aims, for it concerns to what end it is done. h. Of a distinction. Whence: ‘He that is to come will come and will not delay (Hebr. 10, 37; Hab. 2, 3); now there will be no fear about our ends’,a through which we understand a certain distinction between body and soul. 28. The scourges of God (Flagella dei) are sustained by a human for five reasons, as below in Punishment (P64).

268

29. We bend (Flectimvs) our knees in prayer for five reasons, as below in Praying (O66). 30. We should weep (Flere debemvs) a. For our own sins, as David would do, saying: I have labored in my groanings (Ps. 6, 7). And this is with regard to past things, so that things don’t remain to be punished in the future; whence fearing this the prophet said: O Lord, rebuke me not in thy indignation (Ps. 6, 2; 37, 2). With regard to present things, that they may not be in a person even though they are not known to be. Whence the Apostle: I am not conscious to myself of any thing, yet I am not hereby justified (I Cor. 4, 4). Again: Who can understand sins? From my secret ones cleanse me (Ps. 18, 13). With regard to future things, that they may not happen. Whence: Blessed is the man that is always fearful (Prov. 28, 14). And because one should weep and pray about things past, present, and future, certain priests say, ‘And may God forgive you of all your sins past, present, and future’.b Past, that is, a  b 

An advent response, Cantus 004502, etc. A prayer found in some sacramentaries, at mass.

278

Letter F

forgiveness for past things; present, that is protection for present things; future, that is, precaution about the future. b. For strangers, saying with the prophet David: My eyes have sent forth springs of water because they have not kept the law (Ps. 118, 136). Again: My zeal hath made me pine away because my enemies forgot thy words (Ps. 118, 139). In this way the Lord wept over Lazarus and over the holy city of Jerusalem, saying: If thou also hadst known (Luke 19, 42), that is, if you had known your sins, you also would have wept like me. And the Apostle: Who is weak, and I am not weak? (II Cor. 11, 29). c. For the expansion of blessedness, as David: Woe is me, that my sojourning is prolonged! (Ps. 119, 5). d. Fourth, we should weep for desire of the celestial fatherland, just as he wept who said: Upon the rivers of Babylon, there we sat and wept (Ps. 136, 1). ‘The rivers of Babylon’ are everything that is loved here, upon which ‘we sat’ by spurning them and ‘we wept’ not (except for the sake of Zion), as many do who weep for temporal losses and the persecutions that are necessary for us, and rejoice in lucre. O how blessed are they that weep now for these things, for they shall laugh! O how blessed are they that mourn about these things, for they shall be comforted (Matth. 5, 5). For: They that sow in tears shall reap in joy (Ps. 125, 5), when God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes (Apoc. 7, 17; 21, 4), that is, of the saints. Those tears are very necessary for penitents because, as an authority says, ‘Where tears abound unclean thoughts don’t come near’.a e. But of tears, some are pious, those which we shed for ourselves: I have labored in my groanings (Ps. 6, 7), etc. f. Some are more pious, those which we shed for others, which if they aren’t good for others, nevertheless they are good for ourselves. Whence: Going they went and wept, etc. (Ps. 125, 6). g. Now the ancient fathers would carry a handkerchief for wiping away their flowing tears, for whom it was said: Blessed are ye that weep now, etc. (Luke 6, 21). For Bede says in his Martyrology that father Arsenius would always carry a handkerchief either in Defensor Locog., Scint. 6, 30 (p. 28), from Ephraem: Ephr., De die iudic. (p. 581b, B). a 

279

269

Letter F

270

271

his hand or in his lap for the flowing tears,a which our eyes should shed. But many wish to please God by shedding copious tears. And yet in a flood of waters they shall not come nigh unto him (Ps. 31, 6). What are tears good for if they don’t proceed from a contrite and humble heart? Blessed, he says, those who mourn, that is, in their hearts, for they will be comforted (Matth. 5, 5). For there is a mourning in the shedding of tears and in sorrow of heart, which, that is, the mourning that is in sorrow of the heart, is divided into upper and lower watered land (Joshua 15, 19). The lower watered land is divided into lament for one’s own sins, of which David: I have labored in my groanings, etc. (Ps. 6, 7), and in lament for others, of which the Apostle: Who is weak, and I am not weak? (II Cor. 11, 29), and in lament for the prolongation of our present exile, whose modeb is the lament of those saying: Upon the rivers of Babylon (Ps. 136, 1). Again: Woe is me, that my sojourning is prolonged! (Ps. 119, 5). The upper watered land is treated in the lament for the desire of the celestial fatherland. Note that a greater reward is promised for those mourning than for the meek or poor, as above in Beatitude (B10). Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted (Matth. 5, 5). Woe to you that now laugh (Luke 6, 25). Rather you should weep, because it is said: Blessed are you that weep now (Luke 6, 21). I read that the Christ whom we follow wept, but never laughed. Mourning is wont to be for those who are dear, as someone mourns when he loses his dear ones, father, mother, child, or someone close. Alas, how many mourn for corporeal losses, who despise mourning for spiritual losses. When someone is infirm or dies, friends weep; but when he sins damnably, when he fornicates, when he calls his brother fool (cf. Matth. 5, 22), they don’t mourn. O  insane sanity! O blind sight! O  dead life! Of things that shouldn’t be mourned, or mourned only a little, they deeply mourn. And of things that should be deeply mourned, that is, a  The story is in Peter Comestor: Petr. Comestor, Serm. 41 (PL, 198, col.  1820A), not from Bede but from Hrabanus Maurus: Hraban., Martyrol., month 7, day 19 (p. 69, l. 162–65). b  Here modus is presumably a musical mode, one of the forms in which a psalm would be chanted.

280

Letter F

spiritual losses, they don’t mourn, but even rejoice over them. Of this, I say, Isaiah prophesied, saying: Woe to you that call evil good, and good evil, that put darkness for light, and light for darkness, bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter (Is. 5, 20). Let us not mourn for the loss of dear ones, but let us mourn for the loss of good works and virtues. Let a corrupt person mourn the loss of virginal integrity. Let the proud mourn the loss of humility. Let the irate mourn the loss of eternal tranquility. Let the greedy mourn the loss of generosity. Let the drunkard mourn the loss of sobriety. Let the malicious mourn the loss of charity. For blessed are those who mourn now through penitence, for they shall be comforted (Matth. 5, 5) through indulgence, and then also through righteousness, but finally through glory. O how few are those who mourn or diligently inquire after the sins of their parents or dear ones, whereas they often inquire after the health of their bodies, whether they have food or clothing, houses, fields, horses, flocks, herds, gold, silver, temporal peace, whether they have the favor of the powerful and rich, and they are solicitous concerning their friends about those things that pertain to their bodies. But they give no heed to the things that pertain to the salvation of their souls, namely whether they are clean from vices, free from sin, distinguished in good works, if they have God’s peace with everyone, if they work good to all men, but especially to those who are of the household of the faith (Gal. 6, 10). One should be afraid lest such people lack eternal salvation and lack those things that are of the spirit, for they don’t at all seek for those things that are of the spirit. It’s very hard that one can have tears for the death of friends or for some temporal loss, but can’t have them for the death of his soul. 31. Christ wept (Flevit Christvs) a. At the raising of Lazarus. b. When he entered the holy city of Jerusalem, saying: If thou also hadst known (Luke 19, 42). c. On the cross, according to the Apostle, saying: With a strong cry and tears (Hebr. 5, 7) he gave up the spirit.

281

272

Letter F

32. There is a fount (Fons est) a. Of learning. This waters. b. Of charity. This heals. c. Of blessedness. This inebriates. The fount of learning is sealed with illumination and revelation. Whence: Let thy fountains be conveyed abroad, that is, your doctrine shared with others, and in the squares divide thy waters (Prov. 5, 16), that is, in those who have a breadth of charity. The fount of charity is sealed with discernment. Whence: Let there be a fount of thine own of which a stranger may not be partaker (Prov. 5, 17 VL). ‘Fount’ is of charity; ‘stranger’, a heretic or infidel or one existing in mortal sin. The fount of eternity is closed off (cf. Cant. 4, 12) for the elect by separation. Whence: For with thee is the fountain of life (Ps. 35, 10). Therefore a fount is sometimes called doctrine, sometimes charity, sometimes blessedness.

273

33. We speak of the form of God (Forma Dei dicitvr) a. Sometimes as the essence of God. Whence: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God (Phil. 2, 7). b.  Sometimes as the Son of God. Whence: Who being the brightness of his glory, and the figure of his substance (Hebr. 1, 3). c. Sometimes a likeness to God. Whence: God formed man to his image and likeness (Gen. 1, 27; 2, 7; 5, 3). 34. Fornication (Fornicatio), homicide, and the like, insofar as they are actions, are from God; in other respects they are from humankind or from the devil. 35. Fornication is (Est fornicatio) a. Spiritual or in a broad sense, that is, which is committed by any mortal sin, namely when the soul, which is the bride of Christ, is separated from its bridegroom, that is, from Christ, and wedded to the devil. And of this it is said: For behold, they that go far from thee shall perish; thou hast destroyed them that fornicate apart from thee (Ps. 72, 27). b. Corporeal or fleshly, or in a narrow sense, which is the same thing. Corporeal fornication is every unclean pollution. Corpo-

282

Letter F

real fornication is every coitus except the legitimate. However it is performed, it is a mortal sin. Whence the Apostle: Fornicators and adulterers God will judge (Hebr. 13, 4), that is, he will eternally damn them. Again, the Apostle to the Ephesians: For know this and understand that no fornicator, or unclean, or covetous person (which is a serving of idols), hath inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God (Eph. 5, 5), that is, in the kingdom of heaven, which is of the Father and the Son. Uncleanness is incontinence related to sensual desire, however it is performed. Covetousness is called ‘a serving of idols’ because, as an idolator worships an idol and deserts God, so a covetous person worships money and deserts God, that is, scorns him, because he neither fears nor keeps his commandments, for he doesn’t grant to, but rather steals from poor people what is theirs. Again, he says: Fly fornication (I Cor. 6, 18). Again: He who is joined to a harlot, is made one body. Know you not that your bodies are members of Christ? Shalt thou then take the members of Christ and make them the members of an harlot? Your members are the temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you (I Cor. 6, 15–19). Again, Solomon: A  woman that is a harlot shall be trodden upon as dung (Eccli. 9, 10). In Deuteronomy: If a man lie with another man’s wife, they shall both die, that is to say, the adulterer and the adulteress (Deut. 22, 22). To the Romans: This is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from fornication (I Thess. 4, 3). In Tobit: Take heed to keep thyself from all fornication and pride, for from it all perdition took its beginning (Tob. 4, 13–14). Again, Gregory: ‘If there are any priests or deacons or subdeacons who lie in the sin of fornication, we interdict them, on behalf of almighty God and by the authority of saint Peter, from entering a church until they repent and emend themselves. But if any prefer to persevere in their sin, let none of you presume to hear them perform the office, because their blessing turns into a curse, and their prayer into sin, as the Lord testifies through the prophet Malachi: ‘I will curse’, he says, ‘your blessings’ (Mal. 2, 2)’.a Again, concerning Gratian., Decret. 1, 81, 15 text. (col. 284, l. 28 – col. 285, l. 4), citing Gregory the Great. Not identified in Gregory. a 

283

274

Letter F

275

this corporeal deed, namely fornication, the Apostle says: Every sin that a man does is without the body, but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body (I Cor. 6, 18). ‘Without the body’, to be understood, ‘except lechery’, for the exterior of the body is polluted by lechery alone, not by envy or greed and the like. Or otherwise: ‘Every sin that a man does’, except lechery, ‘is without the body’, that is, apart from one’s wife. We should flee all fornication and all lechery, because fornication or lechery takes away one’s money, corrupts the body, diminishes one’s reputation, gives infirmity, that is, palsy, to the body, blindness to the eyes. It is the enemy of one’s reputation, the enemy of one’s purse, the enemy of God, the enemy of one’s neighbor. It stinks to God, pleases the devil. It infects the soul, offends God, steals away eternal life. Its stench ascends to heaven; its fire descends to hell. This is the filth of the flesh, the dung-pit of the body, the hatred of an angel, the discord of a neighbor, the food of the devil. Why go into detail? It brings body and soul to hell. 36. Perhaps (Forsitan) a.  Sometimes is used ironically or mockingly, as here: And I said, ‘Perhaps darkness shall cover me’ (Ps. 138, 11). And here: ‘Perhaps therefore, borne through the windy seas’.a b. Sometimes to express doubt. Whence: My soul hath passed through a torrent; perhaps had passed through a water insupportable (Ps. 123, 5). 37. To a pit (Fovee) is compared temporal felicity, as above in Riches (D79). 38. Brothers are (Fratres svnt) a. Those who are begotten from the same father or the same mother. Whence: Thy brother came deceitfully (Gen. 27, 35 VL). b. Cousins, as James, the brother of the Lord. c. Those who are of the same tribe. Whence: If thy brother sell himself to thee (Lev. 25, 39). a 

Ovid, Heroides 17, 3.

284

Letter F

d. Those who are of the same situation by origin. Whence: Sitting thou didst speak against thy brother and against thy mother’s son, etc. (Ps. 49, 20). e. Those who live together in a community. Whence: Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity (Ps. 132, 1). Jerome: ‘Consider every person to be your brother’.a

276

39. A  sword (Framea) means vengeance. Whence: Bring out the sword (Ps. 34, 3), that is, multiply revenge. Or, a sword is the same as the soul of a righteous person. 40. There is a fruit (Frvctvs est) a. Of the womb. Whence: Of the fruit of thy womb, etc. (Ps. 131, 11). Again: Our earth shall yield her fruit (Ps. 84, 13). b. Of virtue. Whence the Apostle: But the fruit of the Spirit is peace, patience, joy, goodness, benignity (Gal. 5, 22). c.  Of works. Whence: By their fruits you shall know them (Matth. 7, 16). Again: By the fruit of their corn, their wine, and oil, they are multiplied (Ps. 4, 8). d.  Of retribution. Whence: And other some fell upon good ground, and being sprung up, yielded fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixtyfold, some a hundredfold (Luke 8, 8; Matth. 13, 8). 41. Fornication (Fornicatio) is sometimes called adultery. But there are four kinds of adultery. Simple fornication, about which is said: Fly fornication (I Cor. 6, 18). Adultery, of which Pope Clement speaks thus: ‘Which of all the sins is more serious than adultery? For it holds the second place in punishment, where those hold the first place who go astray from God’.b Incest. And the sin against nature. But in the Sentences it is distinguished in this way: ‘One kind is fornication, another defiling, another adultery, another incest, another abduction. Although fornication is the genus of every illicit coitus a  Defensor Locog., Scint. 3, 26 (p.  14) citing Jerome. The saying is from pseudo-Basil: Ps. Basil., Ad fil. 4 (p. 37, l. 16–17). b  Peter Lombard: Petr. Lomb., Sent. 4, 38, 2, 10 (p. 481, l. 20–23); Gratian., Decret. 2, 32, 7, 16 text. (col. 1144, l. 25–27), from Isidore Mercator: Isid. Mercator, Decret. coll., Epist. I ad Iac. (col. 22B-C) = Ps. Clemens, Epist. 1, 5 (col. 466D–467A).

285

277

Letter F

which is performed with other than one’s spouse, still specifically it is understood in the use of widows or prostitutes or mistresses. Defiling is properly speaking the illicit deflowering of virgins. Adultery is the violation of another’s bed, whence it is called adultery (adulterium), as if one’s approach “to another’s bed” (alterius thori). Incest is the abuse of blood relatives or relatives by marriage, whence those are called incestuous who abuse a blood relative or a relative by marriage. Abduction is committed when a young woman is violently brought away from her father’s house so that having been corrupted she may be taken as a wife; it consists of violence inflicted either on the young woman or on her parents’.a Or thus: 42. Fornication (Fornicatio) a.  Corporeal. Minor: simple fornication. Major: by adultery and against nature and the like. b. Spiritual. Minor: by any sin, as above. Major: by idolatry. 43. To grain (Frvmento) Christ is compared, as below in Grain (G14–15).

278

44. Fruit is (Frvctvs est) a. Thirtyfold,b with regard to faith in the holy Trinity, which married people are therefore said to have if they would do spiritually what those who are thirty years old are said to do corporeally, that is, so that they might be rebels against the world, against the devil, against their own body. And so manfully they war against vice, as those who are thirty years old in body are fit to do such things – and such an age is fit for marriage. b.  Sixtyfold, with regard to the perfection of good works, which good widows and all celibate people are said to have because they do what sexagenarians are said to do. And what do they do? In them sexual desire cools and they begin to scorn worldly things and to love heavenly things, living chastely.

a  b 

Peter Lombard: Petr. Lomb., Sent. 4, 41, 5, 1 (p. 500, l. 2–13). The distinctions refer to the parable of the sower: Luke 8, 8; Matthew 13, 8.

286

Letter F

c.  A hundredfold, with regard to contemplation of eternal goods, which prelates, learned clergy, and all good preachers, virgins, and martyrs have, because they do what centenarians are liable to do, for they wish to die, and they hold in contempt everything worldly and they contemplate heavenly things. The Lord requires of all Christians that they bring forth much fruit, but more from all prelates and priests by preaching and suffering, to whom is owed the little gold crown of preaching above the gold crown of their own and private counsel (cf. Ex. 25, 25). 45. There is a fleeing (Fvga est) a. Of prudence and caution. Whence: If they shall persecute you in one city, flee into another (Matth. 10, 23). b. Of compassion and mercy, as Christ fled from the disciples of John into Galilee, lest the disciples of John become worse because they saw him doing more miracles (cf. John 4, 1–3). But therefore those words are not contradictory: If they shall persecute you, etc., and the saying in the canonic epistle: Not forsaking the flock, etc. (Hebr. 10, 25). Therefore if a prelate is persecuted and not his flock, he can and should flee, for as was said, the Savior says: They shall persecute you, etc. But if your flock would suffer damage, a prelate should set up a wall for the house of Israel (Ezek. 13, 5). c.  As a sign. Whence the Lord fled from Judea to the sea (cf. Matth. 4, 13), that is, to the gentiles, and vice versa. d.  Of pride, when someone disdains to be with others and flees, judging that he is a better person, and moves to the wilderness or some religious place. 45. God fled, setting us an example (Fvgit Devs nobis exemplvm dando) a. From the wicked. Whence: Arise, let us go hence (John 14, 31; Matth. 26, 46; Mark 14, 42). b. From the good, when he exposed them: Why hast thou forsaken me? (Matth. 27, 46; Mark 15, 34). c. He also fled when he concealed knowledge of himself. Whence: Man shall come to a deep heart, and God shall be exalted (Ps. 63, 7–8).

287

279

Letter F

46. Saints flee their persecutors (Fvgivnt sancti persecvtores) a. In body, by changing their place. Whence: If they shall persecute you, etc. (Matth. 10, 23). And they do this from fear of punishment. b. In spirit, by not consenting. Whence: Flee you from the midst of Babylon (Jer. 51, 6). So also we should flee sin. In a figure of this thing the Lord, about to cure the deaf mute, took him away from the crowd (cf. Mark 7, 32–33). c.  Eternally, by passing to their rest. Whence: Our soul hath been delivered as a sparrow, etc. (Ps. 123, 7).

280

47. The saints flee (Fvgivnt sancti) a. From the company of the wicked. Whence: I have gone far off flying away, and I abode in the wilderness (Ps. 54, 8). b.  Eternal punishment. Whence: Ye offspring of vipers, who hath taught you to flee from the wrath to come? (Luke 3, 7). 48. The just shall shine (Fvlgebvnt) as the sun (Matth. 13, 43) for the splendor of their bodies and their impassibility and like sparks for their subtlety they shall run to and fro among the reeds (Wis. 3, 7) for their agility.a 48. Smoke (fvmvs) a. Of being carried away. Whence: ‘The light of the wicked like the storm; his day like smoke that is always scattered abroad (Wis. 5, 15; Job 18, 5)’.b b. Of prayer. Whence: The smoke of spices of the prayers of the saints ascended up before God from the hand of the angel (Apoc. 8, 4). c. Of compunction. Whence: He toucheth the mountains, and they smoke (Ps. 103, 32). Again: And the house was filled with smoke (John 12, 3), that is, the soul feels compunction.

a  b 

For the terms compare C160. Pseudo-Innocent III: Ps. Innoc. III, In VII Ps. poen., Ps. 5 (col. 1083B).

288

Letter F

49. A foundation is laid (Fvndamentvm posvit) a. By Christ. Whence the Apostle: The foundation is laid by Christ Jesus (I Cor. 3, 11), who alone is the foundation. b.  By the Apostle. Whence he himself says: According to the grace of God that is given to me, as a wise architect I lay the foundation (I Cor. 3, 10). These two, though they seem to be, are not contradictory, for Christ laid the foundation on his very self, the sacraments of salvation in which faith is operant, but the Apostle laid a foundation by grafting the faith into the hearts of the faithful. 50. A foundation (Fvndamentvm)a a.  Of penitence. From this, Jesus and John began to preach. Whence: Do penance, the kingdom of heaven is at hand (Matth. 3, 2). b. Of faith. For faith is called the foundation of all the other virtues. c. Of baptisms – plural – because they are threefold: in water, in blood, and in penitence. d. Of the laying on of hands. e. Of faith in the resurrection. f. Of the coming of the Lord in judgment – and he himself is called the foundation. These are the six foundations of the Christian religion, without which there is no salvation. 51. There is a cord or rope (Fvnicvlvs est sive fvnes) a. Of holy scripture. Whence: A threefold cord is not easily broken (Eccle. 4, 12), that is, holy scripture is understood in three ways: historically, allegorically, morally. This is the threefold cord in holy scripture – the historical, allegorical, and moral senses – or the three catholic virtues: faith, hope, charity. b. Of heredity. Whence: The ropes are fallen unto me in goodly places, for my inheritance is goodly to me (Ps. 15, 6). c. Of wickedness. Whence: The cords of the wicked have encompassed me (Ps. 118, 61). Again: Woe to you that draw cords of iniquity (Is. 5, 18). a 

The six foundations are listed in Hebrews 6, 1–2.

289

281

Letter F

d. Of deceit. Whence: They have stretched out cords for a snare (Ps. 139, 6). e.  Of hellish punishment. Whence: Bind his hands and feet, and cast him into the exterior darkness (Matth. 22, 13).

282

52. There is a rage (Fvror est) a. Interior, a certain blindness in the soul. b. Exterior, namely, temporal punishment. c. Superior, namely, hellish damnation.

290

LETTER G

1. The hen is commended, because Christ is compared to a hen (Gallina commendatvr, qvia galline comparatvr Christvs) a. Because, as a hen more eagerly feeds and fosters her chicks than other birds, which is recognized from her clucking and the spreading of her feathers, so also Christ. Whence: How often would I have gathered together thy children, as the hen doth gather her chickens, and thou wouldest not? (Matth. 23, 37). b. And because, as a hen protects from a kite with her wings, so Christ from the devil by humbling himself. c. And because a hen, even though it is a domesticated animal, won’t tolerate being touched, so also Christ, although he is with us up to the consummation of the world, is not touched with our full cognition or even with thought. Whence: Man shall come to a deep heart (Ps. 63, 7). d. And because, just as a hen is more commendable and tastier for human eating than the other birds, so the eucharist is a more excellent food for the soul than others. 2. A cock (Gallvs) signifies a preacher; a cock’s crow, preaching. Whence in Mark: Before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice (Mark 14, 30; Matth. 26, 34). The first cockcrow signifies the Resurrection of Christ; the second, the second resurrection, that is, ours, which will be in the future. Again, here in Luke: As

291

283

Letter G

284

he was yet speaking, the cock crew (Luke 22, 60). The Gloss says of the mystic sense: ‘The cock is some learned cleric who crowed and chided sleepy people saying: Awake, ye just, and sin not (I Cor. 15, 34)’.a 3. Joy (Gavdivm) or exultation has many senses, as above in Exvltation (E100). 4. Begetting or (Generatio sive) nativity has many senses, as below in Nativity (N2–5). 5. Nations (Gentes) are compared to water, as above in Water (A87). 6. Knees (Genva) are bowed in prayer for three reasons, as below in Praying (O66). 7. Genuflexions (Genvflexiones) are made three times before the cross, as above in Cross (C184). 8. The sword of God is called (Gladivs Dei dicitvr) a. The word of God in this present time, by which the good are severed from the wicked, children from parents. Whence: I came not to send peace, that is, restful ease in temporal goods, but the sword (Matth. 10, 34), that is, the preaching by which the good are cleft from the wicked. Again: The word of God is living and effectual, and more piercing than any two-edged sword (Hebr. 4, 12). b. The power of judgment in the future, by which they will be parted even in place. Whence: Two-edged swords, that is, cutting on both sides, because they will judge the evil to be damned and the elect to be saved, in their hands (Ps. 149, 6), that is, the hands of the saints, who will pass judgment with the Lord. Hence it is that in the Apocalypse an angel has a sword twice sharp in his mouth (Apoc. 1, 16), because of this double power. Glos. ord. on Luke 22, 60, from Beda, In Luc., lib. 6, on Luke 22, 60 (p. 392, l. 1150–52). a 

292

Letter G

c.  The vengeance of God, with which he punishes in time and eternally. Whence: My sword is inebriated in blood (Is. 34, 5–6). Again: And my sword shall devour flesh (Deut. 32, 42). Or make distinctions in this way: There is a sword of preaching, of the power of judgment, and of temporal vengeance, namely of punishment, or of eternal damnation. And there is a material sword and a spiritual sword, of which is said: Behold, here are two swords, and he replied: It is enough (Luke 22, 38 VL). And hence it is that in the Apocalypse the angel has the sword twice sharpened in his mouth, because of this double power, as aforesaid. But what, it is asked, of those bishops or archbishops who are counts or viscounts, by whose authority thieves are put to death, whether they commit mortal sin when they are told: Thou shalt not kill (Ex. 20, 13; Deut. 5, 17; Matth. 5, 21) and: All that take the sword shall perish with the sword (Matth. 26, 52)? It is answered, that the judge doesn’t kill, but the law, as here: Eye for eye, life for life, etc. (Ex. 21, 23–24; Deut. 19, 21); and, if a woman were taken in adultery, she would be stoned (Lev. 20, 10; John 8, 5).

285

9. Christ is called a sword (Gladivs dicitvr Christvs) a.  Because of his brightness. Whence: God shall come manifestly (Ps. 49, 3). b. Because of his terror. Whence: A mighty tempest round about him (Ps. 49, 3). c. Because of his cutting. Whence in the Apocalypse: And from his mouth came out a sharp two-edged sword (Apoc. 1, 16). d. Because of the similarity of their construction, because one part is grasped, the other part cannot be grasped. Thus Christ is grasped in his humanity, like a hilt by which, that is, his humanity, he may be drawn out; but he cannot be grasped in his divinity. 10. There is a glory (Gloria est) a. Of human regard. Whence: I seek not my own glory; there is one that seeketh and judgeth (John 8, 50). Shunning this, the Lord says with regard to the blind man given sight: Tell nobody (Mark 8, 26). On this verse we read: ‘Proclaim your blindness, not your

293

286

Letter G

virtue. And Paul says: I was a blasphemer (I Tim. 1, 13) and I persecuted the church of God (I Cor. 15, 9)’.a Again: When he knew that they would come to take him by force and make him king, he fled (John 6, 15). He fled the glory of the summit but willingly went to the cross so that his members would learn to flee the regard of the world, and in no way to fear its terrors. b. Of the equality of the Son with the Father. Whence: Every tongue should confess that the Lord Jesus Christ is in the glory of God the Father (Phil. 2, 11). c. Of the Resurrection. Whence: Arise, O my glory (Ps. 56, 9; 107, 3). d. Of his majesty. Whence: When Christ shall appear, who is our life, then we also shall appear with him in glory (Col. 3, 4). e. Of the multitude of saints. Whence: ‘Glorious is God in his saints (Ps. 67, 36)’.b

287

11. Christ had glory (Gloriam habvit Christvs) a. At his Conception, for he entered the world without a stain. b. At his birth, for the brightness of God shone round about the shepherds and the angels sang ‘Glory to God in the highest’ (Luke 2, 9 and 14). c. In his preaching of his doctrine, for he was teaching as one having power, not as the scribes and Pharisees (Matth. 7, 29; Mark 1, 22). d.  In his working of miracles, for he did works that no other man could do, as he himself said: ‘If I had not come, etc., they would not have sin’ (John 15, 24 and 22), that is, such great sin. e. In his Passion, for: The rocks were rent (Matth. 27, 51). f. In his Descent into hell: Because he hath broken gates of brass, and burst iron bars (Ps. 106, 16). g.  In his Resurrection. Whence in the Psalm: And my flesh hath flourished again (Ps. 27, 7). h. In his Ascension. Whence: Who mounteth above the heaven of heavens, to the east (Ps. 67, 34). a  b 

Glos. ord. on Mark 8, 26. Cantus a01234, etc.

294

Letter G

12. There is a ranking (Gradvs est) a.  Of offices. Whence: And he gave some apostles and some prophets and some doctors, etc. (Eph. 4, 11). b. Of honors. Whence: Friend, go up higher (Luke 14, 10). c. Of merits. Whence: They shall go from virtue to virtue (Ps. 83, 8). d. Of rewards. Whence: One is the glory of the sun, another of the moon, another of the stars (I Cor. 15, 41). Again: And it brought forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixtyfold, some an hundredfold (Matth. 13, 8). Again: In my Father’s house there are many mansions (John 14, 2). Again: For star differeth from star in glory (I Cor. 15, 41). 13. The art of grammar (Grammatica) can be good for one’s life when it is taken up for better uses. Christ had his own arts of grammar, dialectic, and rhetoric. What is the art of grammar? Correctly to write and correctly to speak.a One writes correctly who writes the mandates of Christ on his heart. One speaks correctly who speaks, by mouth and by works, the mandates written on his heart. The art of dialectic is the distinguishing of the true from the false. But one distinguishes the true from the false who chooses eternal and permanent things and scorns temporal and fleeting things: the former is true, the latter false. What is the art of rhetoric? To speak suitably for persuasion. One does this who vigorously begs for his mercy with heart, mouth, and works. This is the trivium of our Savior. This is the trivium that we should always study and postpone for no reason. From dialectic the devil strives to make a horned syllogism, in which there is one conclusion to everything, namely eternal damnation.b His syllogisms are horned because he tries to draw a conclusion for us both as to good and as to bad. If we do well, he makes an argument; if we do badly, likewise. If we do well, the major premise is being puffed up about our good, the minor premise, vaunting. Of this, a  A commonplace of grammar books. The three arts mentioned constitute the ‘trivium’ of liberal arts; dialectic is logic. b  A horned syllogism is a dilemma (‘the two horns of a dilemma’), a kind of sophistry. For example: What you haven’t lost, you possess. You haven’t lost a million dollars. Therefore you possess a million dollars.

295

288

Letter G

the conclusion is eternal damnation. If we do badly, the major premise is the perpetration of wickedness, the minor premise is persevering in evil. The conclusion is eternal damnation. Woe to those for whom things are concluded with that conclusion!

289

14. There is a grain of wheat (Est granvm frvmenti) a.  Namely Christ. Whence: Unless the grain of wheat falling into the ground die, itself remaineth alone (John 12, 24). Christ is compared to a grain of wheat because he is the wheat by which the faithful soul should live and, though there are many kinds of seed grain, nevertheless he compares himself to none except wheat. Whence it is the custom of the Church to prepare the body of Christ from this grain only. And although this authority is properly interpreted as about the true grain, that is, about Christ, who by his death allied humankind with himself, because he redeemed it, nevertheless it can be interpreted as about preaching, and about any prelate or about any Christian. b. Preaching. Whence: Unless the grain of wheat falling, etc. c. A prelate. Whence: Unless the grain of wheat falling, etc. d. Any Christian. Whence: Unless the grain of wheat, etc., that is, any Christian, into the ground, that is, into this earthly life, die, that is, unless he die to earthly things by abandoning them, so that he is crucified to the world like Paul (cf. Gal. 6, 14), itself remaineth alone, because, unless we fall to the earth through humility and penitence and cleave our belly to the earth (Ps. 43, 25) like David (cf. II Sam. 12, 16–17) and mortify our flesh on the earth, we will be alone and it will be said of us: Woe to him that is alone (Eccle. 4, 10). 15. Christ is called a grain of mustard seed, that is, is compared to a grain of mustard seed (Granvm synapis dicitvr Christvs, idest grano synapis comparatvr) a. Mustard seed, that is, the catholic faith. Whence: If you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, etc. (Matth. 17, 19; Luke 17, 6). b. Because it is contemptible, dark, and despicable, whence: We have seen him having no beauty nor comeliness (Is. 53, 2).

296

Letter G

c.  Because it is a little thing when it is sown, and so Christ. Whence: A little stone cut out of a mountain without hands (Dan. 2, 34 VL). d. Because it grows up into a great tree, and so Christ. Whence: Their sound hath gone forth into all the earth (Ps. 18, 5; cf. Dan. 2, 35). e. Because as much as it is ground up, so much the more it gives off its odor, and when it remains whole it doesn’t give off odor, and so Christ. Whence: We will run to the odor of thy ointments (Cant. 1, 3). For Christ, having been ground up, having suffered various torments and lashes, dead and buried, gave off an odor by rising again, ascending, and sending the Holy Spirit. 16. Sometimes grace means (Gracia dicitvr) ‘given freely (gratis)’, sometimes ‘doing a favor (gratum)’. 17. The grace of God is called (Gratia Devs dicitvr) God giving freely and with grace, that is, with divine inspiration, that is, the working of God by which one’s spirit is moved to loving God and one’s neighbor. 18. The grace of God is (Gratia Dei est) a. Operant. Whence: By the grace of God I am what I am (I Cor. 15, 10). Operant grace is called that by which good is made from evil. b. Cooperating. Whence: The grace of God in me hath not been void (I Cor. 15, 10). Cooperating grace is called that by which the better is made from the good and virtues are increased, and it always benefits. c. Consummate. Whence: Grace for grace (John 1, 16). Or grace is thus: incipient, persevering, and saving. Whence: Thou hast held my right hand through incipient grace, and by thy will thou hast conducted me through persevering grace, and with thy glory thou hast received me (Ps. 72, 24) through saving grace. 19. The grace of the Holy Spirit is compared to wine (Gratia Spiritvs sancti comparatvr vino) a. For its sweetness. Whence: In thy sweetness, O God, thou hast provided for the poor (Ps. 67, 11).

297

290

Letter G

291

b. For its delirium. Whence: I live, now not I (Gal. 2, 20). Again: Drink, O friends, and be inebriated, my dearly beloved (Cant. 5, 1), that is, separate yourselves from temporal things and contemplate spiritual things. c. For rejoicing. Whence: The apostles went from the presence of the council, rejoicing, etc. (Acts 5, 41). Again: Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, ye just (Ps. 31, 11). Again: I rejoiced in the things that were said to me (Ps. 121, 1). d. For its heating. Whence: My heart grew hot within me, etc. (Ps. 38, 4). Again: Was not our heart burning? (Luke 24, 32). Again: There came a burning fire in my bones, and I was weary, not being able to bear it (Jer. 20, 9). 20. Heaviness is (Gravitas est) a. Bad, as of sin. Whence: O ye sons of men, how long will you be heavy of heart? (Ps. 4, 3). Again: Iniquity sits on a talent of lead of great weight (Zach. 5, 7  VL). Thence it is said: They sank as lead, etc. (Ex. 15, 10). b. Good. Whence: I will praise thee in a heavy people (Ps. 34, 18). 21. Sometimes heaviness is called (Gravitas dicitvr qvandoqve) a. A difficulty in the literal level, whence heretics were said to be heavy. b. Punishment. Whence: The corruptible body is heavy upon the soul (Wis. 9, 15). 22. Sometimes a thing is called heavier (Gravivs dicitvr qvandoqve) a. With regard to its outcome. Whence the sin of Adam was heavier than others. Again, Bede on Luke, specifically on the Passion of the Lord: ‘It is a heavier sin to blaspheme against God in heaven than those did who killed him while he walked on earth’,a because the former harms the whole Church, but by killing Christ Glos. ord. on Ps. 68, 22, from Augustine: Avg., In Ps. 68, 2, 6 (p. 922, l. 24– 25), etc. Not identified in Bede. a 

298

Letter G

they harmed only themselves. Jerome on the epistles of Paul: ‘It is a heavier sin to blaspheme against God than to perjure oneself’.a b.  With regard to its being despised. Whence Cain sinned more heavily than Adam. Again, Bede on Luke: ‘It is a greater sin to betray the body of Christ to his sinful members than to the crucifying Jews’.b 22. Gluttony is called (Gvla dicitvr) mire, with which a person befouls himself like a pig. It defiles the body, it makes excrement, it piles up a dung-pit, it begets drunkenness, it leads to lechery. It fills the stomach before the spirit, the belly before the mind.

a  Glos. ord. on Eph. 4, 31, citing Augustine, from Augustine: Avg., C. mend. 19, 39 (p. 524, l. 4–7). Not identified in Jerome. b  The Chanter also quotes this in Petr. Cantor, Abbreu. B, 28 (p. 133, l. 12– 13). Not identified in Bede.

299

292

LETTER I

293

1. An idiot is said (Ydiota dicitvr) to be one who only knows no other than his own idiom (ydioma), as above in Amen (A35). 2. To a dropsical person (Ydropico) is compared a rich person or any greedy or covetous person because, as the more a dropsical person drinks, the more he thirsts, so the more a greedy or covetous wretch heaps up transitory goods, the more through his covetousness he strives to rake in more. Woe, said the Lord, to you that are rich, for you have here your consolation (Luke 6, 24). 3. They fast (Ieivnant) a. Some because of the powerlessness of their nature, as children. b. Others for avarice, as a greedy person. c. Some for appearances sake, as hypocrites. The Lord rebukes these fasts (cf. Matth. 6, 16). d. Others for eternal life, as the faithful. The Lord chose these fasts. e. Others for the health of their bodies, as the infirm. 4. The devil sets a threefold snare for fasting people (Ieivnantibvs triplicem laqvevm opponit diabolvs) a. The snare of gluttony. For he says: ‘You torment yourself too severely! For it is written: Let your service be reasonable (Rom. 12, 1).

300

Letter I

Although it is written make not provision for the flesh in its concupiscences (Rom. 13, 14), nevertheless it is not written, “make not provision for the flesh in its necessities”. For the flesh is one of the four things that should be loved that you are obliged to love by the commandment.a But how do you love your flesh when you take away what it needs? The necessities are sleep, idleness, rather dainty dishes, drink, when you fast. Therefore eat more sumptuously when you fast!’ He insinuates this and similar things, but you say to him: ‘Judas, dost thou betray the Son of man with a kiss? (Luke 22, 48). You urge sleep and idleness on me, when God doesn’t promise the crown except to those keeping watch and laboring. You urge more lavish drinking and daintier food, but meat for the belly and the belly for the meats, God shall destroy both it and them (I Cor. 6, 13). I have another food to eat which thou knowest not (John 4, 32). I will delight in the Lord, and he will give me the requests of my heart (Ps. 36, 4)’. b. The snare of greed, saying: ‘My child, by the grace of God you have tamed your flesh by fasting; you have put off daintier foods and more lavish drinking for the sake of the kingdom of heaven, and you have gathered nothing for yourself. Yet you have friends, children, or relatives who after your death will be the reproach of men and the outcast of the people (Ps. 21, 7) if you leave them as paupers. It is written: No man hateth his own flesh (Eph. 5, 29). And the Apostle says: One who neglects care of his own is cruel and impious and is worse than an infidel (I Tim. 5, 8). Likewise: The poor you have always (John 12, 8; Matth. 26, 11; Mark 14, 7). Indeed, those whom you see now are not true paupers; therefore store up for posterity and make some money for your children and endow them, so that after your death they will bless your soul’. But you, saintly man, say with blessed Ambrose: ‘I haven’t enriched myself so that I may endow my relatives. I remember that in pharaoh’s dream the lean cows devoured the fat ones (cf. Gen. 41, 1–4), because in religious men, or rather those who are reputed

The devil refers to Augustine: Avg., Doctr. christ. 1, 23 (p. 18, l. 6–9), often quoted by later writers. The four things are God, our neighbor, ourselves, our body. a 

301

294

Letter I

295

to be religious, the fleshly love that they have for their relatives entirely consumes spiritual love’.a c. The snare of vainglory, saying: ‘Look, you are not as the rest of men (Luke 18, 11), gluttonous, devouring, and voracious, and the like. See, you are free from the snares of gluttony and greed. You even hate your relatives for the sake of Jesus Christ, and for God’s sake you consider the goods of the world as dung’. The devil insinuates these and similar notions. Against these the holy man: ‘Indeed I am not as the rest of men, for I am a sinner and an unprofitable servant (Luke 17, 10). And therefore I have not dared to lift up my eyes, but O thou, Lord, be merciful to me a sinner (Luke 18, 13). For not only have I sinned in thought, word, and deed, but I have also done wrong by omission, that is, omitting to think, speak, and act well. Who knows what crimes besides these? For the Apostle says: I am not conscious to myself of any thing, yet am I not hereby justified (I Cor. 4, 4)’. It is good to fast, but it is better to give alms. Fasting without almsgiving is like a lamp without oil. 5. fasting is commended in many ways (Ieivnii commendatio mvltiplex est) a. For Eve, as long as she abstained, was a virgin and remained in paradise. When she violated the commandment to fast, she felt a corruption in her flesh and was set under the man and remained in paradise no longer. b. Likewise Adam, because he violated the fast, fell from the delights of paradise into the greatest wretchedness. c. After a fast, Moses spoke with God (cf. Ex. 24, 18; 25, 1). d. After a fast, Elijah was taken up into heaven in a fiery chariot (cf. IV Kings 2, 11). e. In the time of King Hezekiah and Isaiah, Jerusalem was liberated from Sennacherib by a fast, when eight hundred and five soldiers were slain from heaven, and were incinerated lest they stink, but Sennacherib alone with ten men fled to Nineveh where after forty days he succumbed, slain by his own sons (IV Kings 19, 35–37). a 

A source in Ambrose has not been identified.

302

Letter I

 f. With Jonah’s preaching, pardon came to the Ninevites who were making a fast of penitence in sackcloth and ashes (Jonah 3, 5–10). g. Joshua, son of Nave, by fasting slowed the course of the sun and moon for more than a day at Gibeon and conquered the enemy (Josh. 10, 9–13).

296

6. Fasting (Ieivnivm) a. Who commanded it? God, saying to the first man: Of the tree of knowledge of good and evil thou shalt not eat (Gen. 2, 17). b. Where, that is, where did God make the command? In paradise. c. Who fasted, and when? Moses before the law, Isaiah under the law, Christ in the era of grace. 7. Fasting is so called (Ieivnivm dicitvr) from ‘jejunum’ (ieiunum), which is a certain empty gut in a human corpse. And as we fast, we likewise should be empty of vices as much in soul as in body. Whence Augustine on John: ‘There is a great and general fast, to abstain from wickedness and fleshly pleasures. This is the full and perfect fast’.a And Paul: We should live soberly, and justly, and godly in this world (Tit. 2, 12). 8. Fast (Ieivnivm) a. Specific, that is, abstinence from food. b. Generic, namely, abstinence from vices in each of our members. The Ninivites enjoined a fast not only for people but also for beasts, not only for adults but also for children and those still at the breast, so that they could obtain God’s mercy. And Abraham circumcised not only his son, but also his whole household. Go, and do thou in like manner (Luke 10, 37). All Christians, and chiefly prelates who live off the patrimony of Christ, are bound to observe both fasts. Nevertheless both of their sacks, that is, corporeal and spiritual, should be bound off before they are full.b The whole article is from John Beleth: Ioh. Bel., Diu. off. 8 (p. 21, l. 14–21), quoting from Augustine: Avg., In euang. Ioh. 17, 4 (p. 172, l. 21–23). b  Whether the sacks (saccus) are purses, bellies, or scrotums, is not clear. a 

303

297

Letter I

9. A fast (Ieivnivm) a. One kind is of virtue, as in saints. b. Another is of necessity, as in beggars. c. Another is of vanity or pretense, as in hypocrites. 10. Fasting (Ieivnivm) a. For the kingdom of heaven: the Lord approves. b. For gain, so that you may hold onto your goods, he prohibits here: When you fast, etc. (Matth. 6, 16).a c. For human approval: he prohibits. d. For preserving the health of the body he neither prohibits nor approves, because it is indifferent and can be done for a good or wicked purpose. 11. A fast (Ieivnivm) a. One kind is rational, when we take food and drink moderately so that our nature may not be weakened. Whence the Apostle: Let your service be reasonable (Rom. 12, 1), not in rioting and drunkenness (Rom. 13, 13). b. Another is irrational, as if someone wishes to fast for two or three days or for a week. God doesn’t approve of such a fast, whence the fast that some make from Maundy Thursday to Easter is prohibited. c. Another is of the greatest toll, of those who eat nothing but roots and herbs, as John the Baptist and Mary the Egyptian.

298

12. There is a fast (Ieivnivm est) a.  Of an institution, as in Lent and other fasts instituted by the holy fathers. For in the old law the holy fathers rendered to God their tithes and first-fruits from all their belongings, and we should do likewise, even of our very selves. Therefore Lent was instituted as a tithe of days, for there are three hundred and sixty-five days in a year – of which the tenth part is thirty-six days – and a quarter, that is, six hours.b On that account Augustine wanted the a  b 

The citation better fits the next section. Lent is Quadragesima, ‘the forty days’. ‘Tithe’ and ‘tenth’ are the same.

304

Letter I

first mass of the vigil of Easter to be celebrated at night.a Whence in the collect we say: ‘God, who this holy night’, etc.b Therefore it is called ‘Quadragesima’, as if ‘four (quatuor)’ with ‘ten’ (decima), for to thirty-six days, which are the tithe, are added four. The first is the day of sanctification and three are of the first-fruits. But according to some the first day mentioned above, that is the Wednesday that is at the beginning of the fast,c we fast for the five days mentioned above that are above the thirty-six, and thus we fast for thirty-seven days as a tithe. And because the day mentioned above, which is designated as the beginning of the fast, belongs to the tithe and the thirty-six mentioned above, therefore a mass is sung after Nones, and after the mass we says Vespers before dinner, as in Lent. But on three following days there is a fast as one of the fasts of the four seasons, which are in the following week.d The fasts of the four seasons are conducted so as to make up the first-fruits of days, so that we make up one for each thirty days, and they are conducted in four months of the year. Now six apostles have instituted only four fasts: Peter and Paul have a single one in common, because their passions fell on the same day; likewise Simon and Judas (Thaddaeus), one; Matthias, third; Andrew, fourth. The others don’t have fasts: the feast of Philipp and James is between Easter Day and Pentecost, which is a time of happiness and joy; James of Zebedee was killed by Herod on the feast of Unleavened Bread (Passover), therefore neither a fast should be held nor a feast should be celebrated; the blessed Bartholomew was flayed on one day and died on another, and hence if it were held it would be held on the third day before; Barnabas is not among the number of the apostles; Matthias was not among the primitive Most of this article is from John Beleth: Ioh. Bel., Diu. off. 10–11. His citation of Augustine is from Augustine: Avg., Serm. - PL 221 (In vigil. Pasch. III) (PL, 38, col. 1089–90). b  The collect of the first mass of Easter Day. c  That is, Ash Wednesday. What follows is not entirely intelligible, but the gist is that to the tithe of the year are added a few fast days to make up the forty days of Lent. d  The fasts of the ‘four seasons’ are the Ember Days, four annual fasts of three days each (Wednesday, Friday, Saturday). One of the Ember Days fasts falls between the first and second Sundays of Lent (see I13 below). The twelve Ember Day fasts total one-thirtieth of the year. a 

305

299

Letter I

apostles; the feast of the blessed John the evangelist is on the third day after Christmas Day, and hence has no fast. b. Of inspiration, as with blessed Nicolaus who would breastfeed only on Wednesday and Fridays. c. Of dispensation, which is conducted on the vigils of great feasts, as at Christmas. And this kind of institution is so called as if dispensatio were ‘compensation for diverse matters (in diuersis pensatio)’, because a fast is placed here against the reveling and drunkenness that were done then, that is, on vigils. d. Of devotion, that is, when someone fasts at his own discretion, as with blessed Martin, and Nicholaus, or James, that is, those on pilgrimage to their shrines.

300

13. The fasts of four seasons (Ember Days) are conducted in four months (Ieivnia qvatvor temporvm fivnt in qvatvor mensibvs) a. The first in the first week of March. b. The second in the second week of June, that is, it should be conducted then, but so as not to delay the fast of exultation it is done in the week of Pentecost, and therefore on those three days we sing the ‘Alleluia’ and the ‘Gloria’ and the ‘Te Deum’. c. The third in September, on the third Wednesday from whatever day the aforesaid month begins. d. The fourth in the fourth week of December. And it should be noted that those fasts are drawn from the Old Testament, whence we read in Zachariah: The fast of the fourth month and the fast of the fifth and the fast of the seventh and the fast of the twelfth (Zach. 8, 19). These fasts the Jews would celebrate for this reason, that Nabuzardan seized Jerusalem in the fourth month and in the fifth destroyed it at the command of Nebuchadnezzar; in the seventh month Godolias, whom Nabuzardan had placed in authority over the children of Israel, was slain in a sedition (IV Kings 25, 8–25; Jer. 39, 9; 41, 2); in the tenth month, because then the news came to Babylon about the death of Godolias, and then they fasted. But when they returned from captivity, wishing to abandon these fasts, Zachariah consulted the Lord, who said to him: ‘As they fasted in adversity, so they should fast in prosperity’ (cf. Zach. 7, 2–7).

306

Letter I

14. In fasting there are five things (In ieivnio svnt qvinqve) a. Abstinence from food. b. Abstinence from sin. c. Almsgiving. d. Confession. e. Prayer. 15. Fasting (Ieivnivm) should always be accompanied by almsgiving and prayer, but chiefly almsgiving, so that what is taken from gluttony may add to alms, for alms without fasting is better than fasting without alms. Whence, it is good to fast but better to give alms. Again, alms suffices without fasting, but fasting doesn’t suffice without alms. Fasting with alms is a double good. Fasting without alms is like a lamp without oil. Again, Ambrose: ‘Abstinence from food doesn’t suffice alone unless it is joined by good works’.a But fasting with prayer is of such great efficacy that a certain kind of demon can’t be cast out except with them working together, as the Lord says: This kind of demon can be cast out by nothing but by prayer and fasting (Matth. 17, 20; Mark 9, 28). And this is the righteousness of humans, prayer and alms, as we read in comment on the epistle to the Ephesians.b Jerome says: ‘Fasting should be moderate, lest the stomach be weakened too much, for moderate and temperate food is good for the flesh and the soul’.c Again: ‘Set for yourself as severe a fast as you can bear’.d Again he says: ‘It is better by far to eat a small amount every day than to eat one’s fill only rarely. That rain is best that comes down to the ground little by little, and a sudden and excessive storm on a slope ruins fields’.e Cf. John Cassian: Cassian., Inst. 5, 10 (p. 88, l. 13–15). See B10.e above, but here ‘fasting’ is accidentally omitted from the triad. c  Defensor Locog., Scint. 10, 17 (p. 48), from Jerome: Hier., Epist. 125, 7, 1 (vol. 56/1, p. 124, l. 15–18). d  Defensor, Scint. 10, 21 (p. 49), from Jerome: Hier., Epist. 52, 12, 1 (vol. 54, p. 435, l. 6–7). e  Defensor, Ibid., from Jerome: Hier., Epist. 54, 10 (vol. 54, p. 477, l. 15–18). a 

b 

307

301

Letter I

Gregory: ‘A person fasts not for God but for himself if what he withdraws from the belly for a while isn’t given to the indigent but is stored up to offer to the belly later’.a Isidore: ‘A person who abstains from food and behaves viciously imitates demons. Further, those don’t abstain from food in a good way who don’t fast from bad behavior or from worldly ambition’.b ‘For sensual desire increases with food, lechery is conquered by fasting’.c Caesarius: ‘What good does it do if we afflict our flesh with fasts and vigils, and we don’t emend our mind or don’t take care of what is inside us?’d Jerome: ‘Abstinence of the body is a splendid thing with God when the spirit fasts from vices. What’s the good of making the body thin by abstinence if the spirit is swollen with pride?’e

302

16. Jerusalem means ‘vision of peace’ and sometimes signifies (Ihervsalem visio pacis interpretatvr et significat qvandoqve) a. The Church Militant, which is sited not on a mountain but in a valley. b.  The Church Triumphant, because of the interpretation. Whence the Apostle: The Jerusalem which is above, which is our mother (Gal. 4, 26). Note the same interpretation of ‘Zion’. 17. Jerusalem is called (Ihervsalem dicitvr) a. In the historical sense, that is, literally, that bloody city that killed prophets (cf. Luke 13, 34), of which is said: It cannot be that a prophet perish out of Jerusalem (Luke 13, 33). b. In the mystic sense, the Church Militant. c. In the moral sense, the soul of a righteous person. Of this is said: Arise, be enlightened, O Jerusalem! (Is. 60, 1), that is: ‘O you soul that has fallen through sin, arise through virtue! That Gregory the Great: Greg. M., Past. 3, 19 (p. 378, l. 98–101). Defensor, Scint. 10, 39 (p. 50), from Isidore: Isid., Sent. 2, 44 (p. 191, l. 44–47). c  Defensor, Scint. 10, 40 (p. 51), from Isidore: Isid., Synon. 2, 14 (p. 72, l. 120 – p. 73, l. 123). d  Defensor, Scint. 10, 61 (p.  53),  etc., from pseudo-Caesarius of Arles, i.e. Eusebius ‘Gallicanus’: Evseb. Gallic., Hom. 39, 4 (p. 459, l. 71–74). e  Jerome: Hier., Epist. 148, 22 (vol. 56/1, p. 348, l. 3–8). a 

b 

308

Letter I

has fallen through unbelieving and infidelity, rise through faith! You who wallow in vices, you who sleep in the torpor of vices, rise and keep watch and be enlightened, O  Jerusalem, for thy light the Son of God is come, made human, and the glory of the Lord of miracles, or the Son of God is risen upon thee (Is. 60, 1). ‘O Church, rise’, I say, ‘through confession, through the virtues, you who have fallen through vice. And when you have risen, you will be enlightened, according to this of the Apostle: Rise thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, that is, from sin, and Christ shall enlighten thee (Eph. 5, 14)’. For this is the light that enlighteneth every man that cometh into this world (John 1, 9). And it is: ‘O you who sleep in sin, rise through confession, and arise through satisfaction, and Christ, who is the sun of justice (cf. Mal. 4, 2), will enlighten you – here through faith and hope, and in the future face to face’. Rise therefore and be enlightened, for thy light is come, that is, the Son of God has appeared in the world. d.  In the anagogic sense, the Church Triumphant gathered from the angels and blessed spirits. Of this is said: The Jerusalem which is above, which is our mother (Gal. 4, 26). And this is the fourth Jerusalem, small and meager, which although it is not a city is nevertheless like a city. Hence I understand what it was written about it: Jerusalem which is built as a city (Ps. 121, 3); for it is not truly ‘like a city’, but rather it is a house, and truly a home, because the house of God and the gate of heaven (Gen. 28, 17). That house, that is, place, has been dedicated and consecrated to God so that pleasing oblations might be offered in it. 18. Fire (Ignis) a. One kind burns up, as hay. b. One examines, as silver. c. One tries, as gold. Likewise tribulation: burns up those who succumb to it. Whence: Let them be as hay on the tops of houses (Ps. 128, 6). It examines others, as Paul, who said: And lest the greatness of the revelation should exalt me, etc. (II Cor. 12, 7). It tries others, that is, it shows that they have been tried. Whence: As gold he hath proved them (Wis. 3, 6).

309

303

Letter I

304

19. There is a fire (Ignis est) a. Of charity, or heavenly grace, which is the same thing. This is the spiritual fire of which is said: God hath sent fire into my bones, and hath chastised me (Lam. 1, 13). Again, our Savior in the gospel: I  am come to cast fire, that is, charity, on the earth, and what, that is, what other, will I but that it be kindled? (Luke 1, 49), that is, kindled in the hearts of the faithful. This is the very fire of which Moses says: The fire on the altar shall always burn, and the priest shall feed it putting wood on it every day (Lev. 6, 12). ‘Every day’, that is, constantly, incessantly. ‘Wood’, that is, three things: the example of holy conduct, the word of holy preaching, the duty of divine ministry – for these three woods for feeding the fire are necessary for priests. It is indeed right that a priest should be holy in conduct, solicitous in preaching, devout in ministry, as will be said in the article Priest (S5). ‘Days’ in sacred parlance are the virtues. Every day, says the prophet, I will bless thee (Ps. 144, 2). b. Of the judiciary power. Whence: A fire shall go before him (Ps. 96, 3). c. Of purgation. Whence: We have passed through fire and water, etc. (Ps. 65, 12). d. Of present punishment, that is, of any tribulation. Whence: Thou hast proved us, O God; thou hast tried us by fire (Ps. 65, 10). Again: He shall baptize you in the Spirit and fire (Matth. 3, 11; Luke 3, 16). e.  Of spite. Whence: For my heart hath been inflamed,  etc. (Ps. 72, 21). f. Of conscience. Whence: Their worm shall not die, and their fire shall not be quenched (Is. 66, 24), says Isaiah. A material worm, or the worm of conscience: For the moth eats them up as a garment, and the worm gnaws (Is. 51, 8). g. Of any sin. Whence: Fire has fallen on them and they have not seen the sun (Ps. 57, 9), that is, the fire of covetousness and lechery, and they have not seen the sun of justice (Mal. 4, 2). Again: Things set on fire, that is, badly inflamed with love of covetousness, and dug down, that is, wrongly humbling with fear, at the rebuke of thy countenance, that is, of your grimace in judgment, shall perish

310

Letter I

(Ps. 79, 17). That fire, namely of malice, covetousness, and indeed of every sin, is called ‘strange’ (cf. Lev. 10, 1). h. Of purgatory, about which there is treatment in comment on the second epistle of Paul and in the Sentences, where he speaks of the purgatorial fire, as we read: ‘That fire will be yet more severe than anything a person could bear in this life’.a Again, Augustine in the Sentences: ‘This fire, although it is not eternal, is awesomely severe. It goes beyond any pain that anyone has ever suffered in this life. Such great pain has never been found in the flesh, although martyrs have suffered wondrous torments’.b Again, Augustine: ‘The mildest purgatorial pain is more severe than any temporal pain that is with us’.c Perfect people pass through those pains less, as below at Pains of purgatory (P66). i. Of Gehenna. Whence: A fire is kindled in my wrath and shall burn even to the lowest hell (Deut. 32, 22). 20. A material fire (Ignis materialis) a. Burns or inflames the things that are in it. b. Warms things that are nearby. c. Enlightens things that are distant. d.  Emits smoke. So Christ and so the Holy Spirit or charity: burns, inflames, and consumes the vices that are in a person through penitence and true contrition. Whence: Our God is a consuming fire (Hebr. 12, 29). Again: I am come to cast fire on the earth (Luke 12, 49). Because no one hides himself from his heat (Ps. 18, 7), and especially those who are nearby, through the word of life and spiritual consolation. He enlightens every person coming into this world, that is, those who were distant from the path of righteousness, through good works. Among the penitent, whence: Touch the mountains and they shall smoke (Ps. 143, 5), those transported with pride, that is, they confess themselves sinners, because smoke provokes tears, by which we understand penitence. a  Peter Lombard: Petr. Lomb., Sent. 4, 21, 2 (vol. 38, p. 380, l. 13–14), from Augustine: Avg., In Ps. 37, 3, 33 (vol. 38, p. 384, l. 33–34). b  Peter Lombard: Petr. Lomb., Sent. 4, 20, 1, 5 (vol. 38, p. 373, l. 6–10), from pseudo-Augustine: Ps. Avg., Ver. fals. paen. (col. 1128A). c  Robert of Melun: Rob. Melodvn., In epist. Pauli on I Cor. 1, 7 (p. 174, l. 14–17).

311

305

306

Letter I

21. Ignorance (Ignorantia) is a sin when we don’t know what we should know, like the articles of faith, which, if we don’t know them, is ignorance, as that of prelates lacking knowledge of the scriptures. 22. Ignorance is (Ignorantia est) a. Excusable, as knowing how God may be three and one. And this is called invincible, because it can’t be overcome, and it is a punishment but not a sin. b. Inexcusable, as when a person refuses to know what pertains to salvation. And this is called conquerable, because it can be overcome by study or exercise, and it is a mortal sin. Of this is said: He would not understand that he might do well (Ps. 35, 4). Again, Gregory in the Morals: ‘Those who know what things are God’s are known by the Lord, and those who don’t know what things are God’s are not known by the Lord, according to the witness of Paul, who says: If any man know not, he shall not be known (I Cor. 14, 38)’.a That is to be understood concerning one who would not understand that he might do well (Ps. 35, 4). Again, Gregory: ‘One who is stupid in sin will be knowing in punishment’.b Again, Jerome: ‘No ignorance excuses you from sin’.c

307

23. There is a cheerfulness (Ilaritas est) a. In the heart. Whence: For our glory is this, the testimony of our conscience (II Cor. 1, 12). b. In works. Whence: God loveth a cheerful giver (II Cor. 9, 7). c. In the conversion of brothers. Whence the Apostle: For you are my glory, my joy, my crown (I Thess. 2, 20; Phil. 4, 1). 24. An illusion is (Illvsio est)d a. From a superfluity of humours. From feebleness of nature. Then it isn’t blamed. a  Gratian., Decret. 1, 38, 10 (col. 143, l. 3–6), citing Gregory’s Morals, from Gregory the Great: Greg. M., Past. 1, 1 (p. 132, l. 35–38). b  Gratian., Decret. 1, 38, 10 (col. 143, l. 7). Not identified in Gregory the Great. c  Isidore: Isid., Synon. 2, 100 (p. 145, l. 1080). d  The illusion in question is a nightmare or other deceptive nocturnal vision.

312

Letter I

b.  From intoxication and drunkenness. From the thoughts that went before. Then it is blamed. 25. There is an invitation (Invitatio est) a. To lechery. b. To merchandise. c. To benevolence or well-doing. d. To mercy. 26. An alteration (Inmvtatio) or change is of three kinds, as above in Change (C97). 27. An imperative verb is sometimes used (Imperativvm verbvm ponitvr qvandoqve) a. Imperatively or as a command, as: Honor thy father and thy mother (Ex. 20, 12; Matth. 15, 4; 19, 19; Mark 7, 10). b.  For congratulating. Whence: Praise ye the Lord from the heavens (Ps. 148, 1). c. Predictively or as a foretelling. Whence: Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up (John 2, 19). d. In advising or counseling. Whence: Go, sell all that thou hast and give to the poor (Matth. 19, 21). e.  Prayerfully, as: ‘Be present, we beseech you, O  almighty God’.a f. Permissively. Whence: Be angry, and sin not (Eph. 4, 26). g. For tempting. Whence: Go and sacrifice thy son Isaac on the mountain, etc. (Gen. 22, 2). h.  Ironically or mockingly. Whence the Lord to Judas: That which thou dost, do quickly (John 13, 27). And thus: It commands, exhorts, predicts, counsels, prays, Permits, tempts, angers: the imperative.b

A common phrase in church services. John of Garland: Ioh. Garland., Aequiu., s.v. Imperatiuus; cf. Walther, Initia 8778. a 

b 

313

308

Letter I

28. ‘Vain’ means (Inane dicitvr) a. Sometimes false. b. Sometimes useless. c. Sometimes impossible. 29. Force is (Impetvs est) a. Good. Whence: The force of the river maketh the city of God joyful, the flooding of the Holy Spirit makes the holy Church joyful; the most High hath sanctified his own tabernacle (Ps. 45, 5), that is, the Church, or the body that he took on from a virgin. b. Bad. Whence: ‘Force manages everything badly’.a 30. Some people lower (Inclinant) their eyes to the ground, some lift them to heaven, as below in Eyes (O16–17).

309

31. God rebukes in the present time (Increpat Devs in presenti) a. Sometimes by threatening. Whence: Not so the wicked, not so, etc. (Ps. 1, 4). Again: Every tree that doth not yield good fruit, etc. (Matth. 3, 10; Luke 3, 9). b. Sometimes by inspiring or rebuking. Whence: Rebuke the wild beasts of the reeds, etc. (Ps. 67, 31). c.  Sometimes by censuring. Whence: Go behind me, Satan (Mark 8, 33). d. Sometimes by performing for his own will and not rationally. Whence: And he rebuked the Red Sea (Ps. 105, 9). 32. The rebuking of the wicked will happen in the future (Increpatio malorvm fit in fvtvro) a. First: Rise, ye dead (Eph. 5, 14). b.  Second, I  was hungry, and you gave me not to eat,  etc. (Matth. 25, 42). c. Third: Go, you cursed, into everlasting fire (Matth. 25, 41 VL). Of this is said: Things set on fire and dug down shall perish at the rebuke, etc. (Ps. 79, 17), as above in Fire (I19.g). And this rebuke is called a gate in Zephaniah, here: From the first gate there will be a a 

Stativs, Theb. 10, 704–05; Walther, Prouerbia 14306, etc.

314

Letter I

lament and a howling from the second (Zeph. 1, 10), in an unusual way in Gate (P100.i). 33. There is a bowing down (Incvrvatio est) a. Of sin. Whence the devil says to a person: Bow down, that we may go over (Is. 51, 23). b. Of pain. Whence the wife of Phinees bowed herself and bore a son (I Kings 4, 19–20). c. Of grace. Whence: Hearken, O daughter, and see, and incline thy ear (Ps. 44, 11). 34. Painless are (Indolorii svnt) those who don’t feel pain, that is, who are lashed by God and aren’t made better. God doesn’t save such people for himself, but for themselves, because it is a corporeal matter only. Whence: His right hand hath wrought for him salvation, and his arm is holy (Ps. 97, 1).a 35. Clothing is (Indvmentvm est) a. Interior, namely, of virtues. Whence: I will clothe her priests with salvation (Ps. 131, 16). b. Exterior, namely, of good works. Whence Solomon: At all times let thy garments be white, and let pure water flow down from thy head (Eccle. 9, 8). c. Above, namely Christ. Whence the Apostle: Put you on the Lord Jesus Christ (Rom. 13, 14). d. Below, that is, Gehenna. Whence: Let them that detract me be clothed with shame, and let them be covered, etc. (Ps. 108, 29). e.  Of immortality. Whence the Apostle: When this mortal hath put on immortality (I Cor. 15, 54). 36. By the term ‘hell’ we understand (Nomine inferni intelligitvr) a.  Sometimes our lower part, that is, of the body. Whence: The sorrows of death have compassed me, and the perils of hell have found me (Ps. 114, 3). The Glos. ord. on this verse comments: ‘Many are saved corporeally, but for themselves, not for him. Having received bodily health they behave licentiously…’ a 

315

310

Letter I

311

b.  Sometimes the sublunar region, as here: For thy mercy is great towards me, and thou hast delivered my soul out of the lower hell (Ps. 85, 13). c. Sometimes the region of the dead. Whence: O hell, I will be thy bite (Hos. 13, 14). d. Sometimes the region of the wicked. Whence: Thou art he that hast drawn me out of the womb (Ps. 21, 10) of hell, concerning which Solomon says: Whatsoever thy hand is able to do, do it earnestly, for there is not wisdom, there is not counsel, there is not redemption in hell, whither thou art hastening (Eccle. 9, 10). Again, about this is said: No order, but everlasting horror dwelleth (Job. 10, 22). ‘No order’, because the elements then will not entirely have the qualities or properties that they have now. For then, fire will not consume or give light, but it will torment. There is no contradiction in that it is said: Let him pass from the snow waters to excessive heat (Job. 24, 19), for there will be no order, even though they pass. And here take note that there were five places from the beginning: hell, that is, eternal damnation; the cool place, or limbo of hell, or lap of Abraham; the purgatorial fire; the present way; and the fatherland. At the Resurrection, however, the limbo was taken away and there are now only four. But a place-name is given to eternal blessedness, and on Judgment Day the purgatorial fire will be removed. After the Judgment the present way will be removed, and at last there will be only two: eternal damnation and eternal blessedness. There will be no middle place, for whoever will not be in eternal blessedness will be without end in eternal damnation. There will be a vast firmament of chaos between these two. 37. Infidels (Infideles) are compared to spiders, as below in The Wicked (M20). 38. Weak means (Infirmvs dicitvr) a. Not strong in faith. Whence: Him that is weak in faith, take (Rom. 14, 1). b. Or easily becoming ill. Whence: I will glory in my infirmities (II Cor. 12, 9).

316

Letter I

c.  Or ill in the present time. Whence: Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak (Ps. 6, 3). And note that, for those infirm in body almost all corporeal food is tasteless, so for those infirm in mind spiritual food is without taste, as abstinence, prayer, preaching, and the like, just as conversely everything is savory for the healthy. 39. God inflicts (Infligit) punishment on people for five reasons, as below in Punishment (P64). 40. Ungrateful to God is said to be (Ingratvs Deo dicitvr) a.  One who attributes to himself what he has from another. Whence: Our lips are our own (Ps. 11, 5). b. One who ascribes what he has to his own merits. Whence: O  Lord, I  gave thee thanks that I am not as the rest of men,  etc. (Luke 18, 11). c. One who attributes to another what is God’s. Whence: These are thy gods, O Israel (Ex. 32, 8). d. One who returns evil for good. Whence: They repaid me evil for good, etc. (Ps. 34, 12). 41. There is an entrance to God (Ingressvs est ad Devm) a. Through faith. Whence: I am the door, says the Lord. By me, if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall find pastures, etc. (John. 10, 9). b. Through good conduct. Whence: Go ye into his gates with praise (Ps. 99, 4). c. Through partaking of the sacraments. Whence also a priest about to approach the altar says: I  will go in to the altar of God (Ps. 42, 4). d. Through eternal reward. Whence: Enter thou into the joy of thy lord (Matth. 25, 21 and 23). Again: Come in before his presence with exceeding great joy (Ps. 99, 2).

317

312

Letter I

313

42. Distinguish between ‘beginning’ and ‘opening’ and ‘prologue’ (Distingve inter inicivm et principivm et exordivm) a. The beginning (inicium) is the first thing in writings, as in planting; that is, when the seed is sown, that is the outset. b.  The opening (principium) is second, as in a crop when it appears growing. Whence Master Peter Comestor of the Paris church erased inicium from the gospel and wrote principium.a For that would seem to be the principium, when the lector had spoken of the inicium in the title and not the following words. c. The prologue (exordium) third, as a crop when it sets in order (ordinat) more shoots is called the exordium. The preliminary summary of a discourse, where the matter of the whole following work is contained, can be called the inicium.b 43. Enemies are (Inimici svnt) necessary, because one who has no enemies lacks victory. 44. Christ had enemies (Inimicos habvit Christvs) a. Scribes and Pharisees. Whence: For many dogs have encompassed me (Ps. 21, 17). b. New friends, of whom is said: But Jesus did not trust himself unto them nor did he need that any should give testimony of man, for he knew what was in man (John 2, 24–25). c. Feigned friends. Whence: Master, we know that thou art a true speaker and teachest the way of God in truth (Matth. 22, 16; Mark 12, 14). d.  Other enfeebled people, who said: This saying is hard (John 6, 61), and: They went backward (John 18, 6).

The gospel of Mark opens, ‘The beginning (inicium) of the gospel…’ The reader (lector) of the gospel would say, in a normal introduction (title, titulum) to a reading, that he was reading the inicium of the gospel of Mark, and then would in effect repeat, ‘The inicium of the gospel…’ To avoid this redundancy Peter Comestor altered the first word of the gospel. His notion may not have been written down, or at least not preserved among his writings. b  Inicium here seems to be an archetypal error or authorial slip of the pen for exordium. a 

318

Letter I

45. A  human has enemies (Inimicos habet): himself, the world, the devil, as above in War (B11). 46. One is called an enemy of God (Inimicvs Dei dicitvr) a. Who gives to an idol the worship owed to God. Whence: And served the creature rather than the creator (Rom. 1, 25). b. A Jew who persecuted Christ and the apostles, or a heretic, of whom is said: Until I make thy enemies thy footstool (Matth. 22, 44; Ps. 109, 1; Acts 2, 35; Hebr. 1, 13). 47. Iniquity means (Iniqvitas dicitvr) a.  Sometimes ‘against justice (equitas)’ and inimical to it. Whence: I have hated the unjust (iniquos) (Ps. 118, 113). b. Sometimes for ‘not with equity (equitate)’ or inequality (inequalitas). Whence: For better is the iniquity of a man than a woman doing a good turn (Eccli. 42, 14), and: Make unto you friends of the mammon of iniquity (Luc. 16, 9). Also, every transgression contains inequity, and therefore every sin is called iniquity: mortal sin, because it is against equity; venial sin, because it is not from equity. 48. An injury (Inivria) a. Against God is called blasphemy. b. Against one’s neighbor, insult. 49. An injury or malice (Inivria sive invidia) a. Of heart, that is, in one’s heart, which is called rancor or fraternal spite, which should be opposed by love. Whence: Love your enemies, etc. (Matth. 5, 44; Luke 6, 27). Of this is said: As a worm corrupts wood, so malice corrupts a person (Prov. 25, 20). b.  Of mouth, which is called blasphemy or detraction or a curse. Prayer opposes this. Whence: Pray for them that persecute and calumniate you (Matth. 5, 44). c. Of works, which is called ‘injury’ in the strict sense. A display of doing well counters this. Whence: Do good to them that hate you (Matth. 5, 44; Luke 6, 27). This is threefold:a a  The sense is that responses to physically inflicted injuries are threefold, as spelled out in the following article.

319

314

Letter I

315

50. Injury of works consists (Inivria operis consistit) a.  Of affliction of one’s own person. Whence: If one strike thee on one cheek, turn to him also the other (Luke 6, 29; Matth. 5, 39). b.  Of force. Whence: If someone will force thee one mile, go with him other two (Matth. 5, 41). c. In taking. Whence: If someone takes away thy coat, let go thy cloak also unto him (Matth. 5, 40). 51. Injury or (Inivriam sive) molestation some sustain patiently, some impatiently, as below in Molestations (M112). 52. ‘Immense’ (Immensvm) in sacred scripture means that nothing is greater. 53. ‘Immortal’ means (Inmortalis dicitvr) a. Able to die and able not to die, as Adam in paradise before his sin. This was the immortality of capability. b. Able not to die – this will be a human in the future. This is necessarily the case; in God is immutability. For God is immortal, that is, immutable. Whence James: With whom there is no change, nor shadow of alteration (James 1, 17).

316

54. Uncleanness is (Inmvndicia est) a.  Interior, or in one’s first impulses. Whence the Apostle: I find another law in my members, fighting against the law of my mind (Rom. 7, 23). Or in one’s consent. Whence: Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, who are like to whited sepulchres, which outwardly appear to men beautiful, but within are filled with dead men’s bones, and of all filthiness (Matth. 23, 27). b.  Exterior, in works or in penitence. Whence: For I did eat ashes like bread (Ps. 101, 10). 55. One is innocent (Innocens est) who harms (nocet) neither himself nor another, and such a one is called righteous.

320

Letter I

Whence: ‘Be innocent, and you have perfected righteousness’.a As on this verse: I walked in the innocence of my heart (Ps. 100, 2). 56. We should be innocent (Innocentes) in heart, word, and works, as is made known here: Innocent in hands, that is, in works, and clean of heart, that is, in thoughts, who hath not taken his soul in vain – this shows that one ought to be innocent to oneself – nor swore deceitfully to his neighbor (Ps. 23, 4) – and here to one’s neighbor, in word and works. It is deceit when a person has one thing in his mouth, another in his heart. 57. There are three kinds of innocence (Innocentie tres svnt species) a.  Of speech. Whence: Death and life are in the power of the tongue (Prov. 18, 21). And here: Keep thy tongue from evil (Ps. 33, 14). b. Of thought. Whence: Let not thy lips speak guile (Ps. 33, 14). c. Of works, as is noted here: Turn away from evil and do good (Ps. 33, 15). But these three kinds are no good unless a fourth is also added, namely, perseverance. Whence: He that shall persevere unto the end, etc. (Matth. 10, 22; 24, 13). As is noted here: Seek after peace and pursue it (Ps. 33, 15). And of these three kinds is said: Thou wilt not deprive of good things them that walk in innocence (Ps. 83, 13). 58. Renewal (Innovatio) is twofold, as below in Novelty (N15–16). 59. Impediments (Impedimenta) of the Church are four, and they are elsewhere called persecutions, as below in Persecutions (P85). 60. There is an imperfection (Inperfectio est) a.  Of knowledge in this life. Whence: But we see now as if through a glass in a dark manner (I Cor. 13, 12). Peter Lombard: Petr. Lomb., In Ps. 100, 3 (col. 902A); Glos. ord. on Ps. 100, 2, from Augustine: Avg., In Ps. 100, 2 and 4 (p. 1409, l. 8 and 22–23). a 

321

317

Letter I

b. Of love or charity. Whence: The Lord lives, whose fire is in Zion, and his furnace in Jerusalem (Is. 31, 9). c. Of freedom or liberty. Whence: The corruptible body is a load upon the soul (Wis. 9, 15). 61. Ambushes or (Insidie sive) wars are manifold, as above in War (B12). 62. The intellect (Intellectvs) is the same as reason according to theologians, but not according to philosophers, as below in Knowledge (S32). There, distinguish between knowledge and intelligence and prudence and wisdom. 63. We read that Christ questioned people in four ways in sacred scripture (Interrogasse legitvr Christvs homines qvatvor modis in Sacra scriptvra) a. Sometimes to make one’s temerity evident, as when he said, Adam, where art thou? (Gen. 3, 9), that is, see what wretchedness you are placed in. b. Sometimes to reproach one’s ingratitude, as when he said: Were not ten made clean? And where are the nine? There is no one found who would give glory to God but this one (Luke 17, 17–18). c. Sometimes to have an occasion to answer, as here: Show me the coin of the tribute. Whose image and inscription is this? And they said to him: Caesar’s,  etc. Render therefore to Caesar,  etc. (Matth. 22, 19–21). See, a fitting answer! d. Sometimes to prepare us to confess, as here: What wilt thou that I do to thee? But he said: ‘Lord, that I may see’ (Luke 18, 41). See how God gave us material for confessing our sins. It shouldn’t be thought that Christ was in doubt about anything.

318

64. Some people go in to God (Intrant ad Devm qvi­ dam) a. Through contemplation. Whence: Come in before his presence with exceeding great joy (Ps. 99, 2). b. Through faith. Whence: I am the door, says the Lord. By me, if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall find pastures (John. 10, 9).

322

Letter I

c. Through imitation. Whence: Come ye to him and be enlightened (Ps. 33, 6). Again: O taste, and see, etc. (Ps. 33, 9). Again: If any man thirst, let him come to me, etc. (John 7, 37). d. Through knowing. Whence: Go into the place of the wonderful tabernacle (Ps. 41, 5). 65. God is found (Invenitvr Devs) a. Through works. Whence: Seek ye the Lord while he may be found (Is. 55, 6), that is, in this present life, not in the one to come, for in that place there will be no place for acquiring merit, that is, for oneself. But the saints who are now in the fatherland do acquire merit – for others, not for themselves. b. Through knowing or faith. Whence: We have found the Messiah (John 1, 41). 66. Malice (Invidia) or injury is threefold, as above in Injury (I49–50). 67. John the Baptist is commended by many (Iohannes Baptista commendatvr a mvltis) a. Because he was commended by Christ, saying: There hath not risen among them that are born of women a greater (Matth. 11, 11; Luke 7, 28). And wherever in the gospel occurs a mention of John the Baptist, he is commended by Christ. Therefore the one who is praised by God has no need to beg for the favor of human praise, one who can say: In the Lord shall my soul be praised (Ps. 33, 3). b. Because he was commended not only by angels but also by archangels, for his nativity was announced by the archangel Gabriel, just as the nativity of Christ was foretold, within the holy of holies (cf. Luke 1, 11–13). c. Because he rejoiced while in the womb at the coming of the mother of the Lord, and his mother, namely Elizabeth, prophesied, saying: Whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? When, she said, the voice of thy salutation sounded in my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy (Luke 1, 41–44). d. Because he was sanctified in the womb, so that he could say: From my infancy holiness grew up with me and it came out with me

323

319

Letter I

from my mother’s womb (Job 31, 18). So he was sanctified before he was born. e. Because he is magnified and lifted up by God and men by miracle. For there was a great wonder in his conception, joy in his nativity, holiness in his conduct, humility within his loftiness, truth in his preaching, zeal in his correcting, constancy in his suffering. f. Because, although he was sanctified from the womb, many times he chastised, wasted, afflicted his most innocent body, and in everything showed us the model of human conduct. g.  Because he is the angel of God, of whom is written: Behold, I am sending my angel, who shall prepare the way before thee (Matth. 11, 10; Mal. 3, 1; Mark 1, 2; Luke 7, 27). h. Because the Lord provided him as a lamp for his Christ, so that enlightening others he might prepare unto the Lord a perfect people (Luke 1, 17). For he shone with the merit of his life, he shone by word, he shone by example. Leading his angelic life, didn’t he shine across the land?

320

68. John the Baptist was called a lamp (Iohannes Baptista dictvs est lvcerna) a. For the scantiness of its light. Whence: I must decrease, but he must increase (John 3, 30). b.  For his weakness, for he was purely human. Whence the Apostle: But we have this treasure in earthen vessels (II Cor. 4, 7). c. For the darkness, because a lamp is wont to shine in darkness. Whence: The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light (Is. 9, 2). 69. John the Baptist was a lamp (Iohannes baptista fvit lvcerna) a. Lit in the womb, where he was sanctified. As: Whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? (Luke 1, 43). b. Placed out in the wilderness, where he preached, saying: I am a voice of one crying in the desert (Matth. 3, 3; Luke 3, 4; Is. 40, 3). c. Snuffed out in baptism, when he baptized Christ. Whence: I ought to be baptized by thee, and comst thou to me? (Matth. 3, 14).

324

Letter I

d. Anointed in martyrdom, when he died. Whence: John was a light, and you were willing for a time to rejoice in him (John 5, 35). For they believed that he was the Messiah. 70. John was a lamp (Iohannes fvit lvcerna) a. Burning and not shining in the womb. b. Burning and shining (John 5, 35) in the wilderness. One who burns and doesn’t shine profits himself and not others. One who shines and doesn’t burn profits not himself but others. One who shines and burns together pays what he owes to God and humankind together. 71. John the Baptist (Iohannes baptista) is called a unique lamp who alone was the precursor of the first Advent by baptizing, preaching, dying – he even was the precursor of the death of Christ. Hence it is that as a figure of this, namely that in these respects he alone was the precursor of Christ, on non-festival days only one candle goes before in the gospel procession. But on feast days there are two, by which is signified that two people come before the second advent, namely Elijah and Enoch, or, as some would have it, two come before because Jesus sent people two by two to preach (cf. Mark 6, 7). 72. Hypocrisy (Ypocrisis) a. That is in one’s deeds is tolerable and praiseworthy, because there can be either a good or bad intention in it, and we should rather judge on the right than on the left. b. That is in word only is not very praiseworthy, as when someone lives wickedly and speaks well. 73. There is a wrath (Ira est) a. Of indignation. Whence: He sent upon them the wrath of his indignation (Ps. 77, 49). Again: Thou hast mitigated all thy anger, thou hast turned away from the wrath of thy indignation (Ps. 84, 4). b. Of correction or perfecting. Whence: God scourgeth every son whom he receiveth (Hebr. 12, 6). Again: How long wilt thou be angry for ever (Ps. 78, 5).

325

321

Letter I

c. Of condemnation or consuming. Whence: That day is a day of wrath (Soph. 1, 15), in which the wicked will hear: I know you not (Matth. 25, 12; Luke 13, 25), and this: Go, you cursed, into everlasting fire, etc. (Matth. 25, 41 VL).

322

74. The wrath of a human is twofold (Ira hominis dvplex est) a. Righteous, by which someone is angered by his own or others’ sins. Of this is said: Be angry, and sin not (Ps. 4, 5; Eph. 4, 26). b. Unrighteous, by which someone hates another person. Of this it is said: Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer (I John 3, 15) in his heart, and is a murderer if not in act, then in will. And all merit consists in will, not in action, not because the sin of will is greater than that of action (for sometimes the will’s, sometimes the action’s sin is greater), but more satisfaction is enjoined for an act than for the will, as a cleric cannot be promoted whom a second marriage holds back, but a fornicator can be promoted. Again, the Apostle: Let not the sun go down upon your anger (Eph. 4, 26), that is, the anger itself will not last until sunset; or, the sun, Christ. Again, Solomon: A mild answer breaketh wrath; a harsh word stirreth up fury (Prov. 15, 1). 75. Someone is profitably angry (Irascitvr qvis salvbriter) a. For constraining his own flesh so that he can say: I chastise my body (I Cor. 9, 27). b. For correcting someone else. Whence: He scourgeth every son whom he receiveth (Hebr. 12, 6). c. For sympathizing with a sinning brother, so that he might say: Who is weak, and I am not weak? (II Cor. 11, 29). 76. God is angered (Irascitvr Devs) a. By the wicked for the sake of the good. Whence: Then he shall speak to them in his anger (Ps. 2, 5). b. By the good for punishing them. Whence: O God, thou hast cast us off and hast destroyed us; thou hast been angry, and hast had mercy on us (Ps. 59, 3).

326

Letter I

c. He will be angered by the wicked in the future, of which, that is, of which wrath, is said: O Lord, rebuke me not in thy indignation (Ps. 6, 2). 77. That is not said to be ‘repeated’ (Iteratvm) which is not known to have been done. 78. Three things come together in jubilation (In ivbilatione tria occvrrvnt) a. Understanding. Whence: Sing ye wisely (Ps. 46, 8). b. Voice. Whence: Sing to the Lord on the harp, on the harp, and with the voice of a psalm (Ps. 97, 5). c.  Deeds. Whence: A  good understanding to all that do it (Ps. 110, 10). 79. The jubilusa is (Ivbilvs est) an exulting of mind which can neither be silent nor, because of its magnitude, can it be fully expressed with the voice. 80. The jubilus expresses (Ivbilvs exprimit) a.  At the beginning of an expression, our infirmity, as: As a bridegroom (Ps. 18, 6),b and the place in Jeremiah: Ah, ah, ah, Lord God, I am a child and I cannot speak (Jer. 1, 6). b. In the middle of a prayer, imperfection of praise, as in the versicles ‘Vespertina oratio’.c Whence we should approve the custom of churches in which such versicles are presented with an incomplete (imperfecta) sentence rather than of those churches in which the complete sentence is presented. Of such imperfection is said: Thy eyes did see my imperfect being (Ps. 138, 16).d

The jubilus is the group of tones (melisma) usually chanted on the last syllable of the word alleluia, expressive of rejoicing. Here the term blends with jubilatio generally. In what follows the Chanter expresses his office. b  Cantus 002462, etc. c  A chant sung at Vespers, ‘Let an evening prayer ascend to you, O Lord’. Cantus 008240. d  Cantus 007457a. a 

327

323

Letter I

324

c. At the end of a prayer, the magnitude of desire. For as the ancient fathers desired the first Advent saying with Isaiah: O that thou wouldst rend the heavens and wouldst come down (Is. 64, 1), so we also desire the second. But according to some the jubilus signifies the joy of those who are in the fatherland, who still await the glorification of their bodies. Hence it is that on the day of Resurrection we don’t chant the jubilus, because we celebrate the full resurrection of Christ in body and soul. Likewise these aren’t chanted in the praises sung in memory of the Lord’s resurrection, for the Lord was resurrected in that very hour. But when Matins is finished, the jubilus is sung with the praises, specifically after the chants ‘Praise ye the Lord from the heavens’a and the ‘Benedictus’,b because those who are in the fatherland don’t yet have their full glorification, but in soul only. But in Compline let there be no chanting of the jubilus, because it signifies the consummated happiness of the saints who, rising up in body and soul, desire nothing more but perfectly and fully praise God. 81. Judea means (Ivdea dicitvr) a. Sometimes the whole province of the Jews, that is, the Promised Land, and then the term derives from ‘Jews’ (Iudei). Whence Pompey made all Judea his tributary. b. Sometimes the land of the two tribes,c as when Judea is distinguished from Samaria. Whence: When Joseph had heard that Archelaus reigned in Judea, etc. (Matth. 2, 22). c.  Sometimes the land of the tribe of Judah. Whence: Judea and Jerusalem, fear not (Zach. 8, 15).d 82. The Jews are preserved alive (Ivdei servantvr ad vitam) a.  For the sake of God’s justice, so that there might appear in them their punishment and diaspora because of the death of Ps. 148, 1; Cantus 003585. Cantus 920249. As the jubilus expresses desire, it is not chanted at the Resurrection when the desire is fulfilled, but only when more is wanted. c  That is, the tribes of Judah and Benjamin. d  The verse in Zachariah speaks not of Judea but of ‘the house of Judah (domus Iuda)’, but the Chanter quotes from a liturgical chant, ‘Judea and Jerusalem…’: Cantus 003511, etc. a 

b 

328

Letter I

Christ, those who said: His blood be upon us and upon our children (Matth. 27, 25). b. For the sake of strengthening or obedience, that is, as they provide a witness for us against the gentiles, because they are our book-carriers, for testimony from an adversary is praiseworthy. Whence: The elder shall serve the younger (Gen. 25, 23; Rom. 9, 12). c.  For the sake of fulfilling God’s promise, who said: If the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved (Rom. 9, 27; Is. 10, 22). d. For the sake of their conversion, which happens in an interior way through tribulation. Whence: Fill their faces with shame (Ps. 82, 17). Note that the Jews, more wicked than others because of the killing of Christ, when finally converted have become humbler and more devoted than others. Of these was composed the primitive Church in Jerusalem, and for them nothing was their own, but all things were common unto them (Acts 4, 32), and they founded the Church by their own blood. Again, it should be noted with regard to the Jews – at this place: The sons of Ephraim who bend (Ps. 77, 9)a – that Joseph, son of Jacob, had two sons, Manasses and Ephraim, whom Jacob blessed with his hands crossed, because Joseph had placed his elder son on his right (Gen. 48, 13– 14). It is evident then that Jacob was a prefiguring of the last shall be first and the first last (Matth. 20, 16; 19, 30; Mark 10, 31; Luke 13, 30) because of the Advent of the Savior, of whom John says: He that comes after me is preferred before me (John 1, 15). Thus also Abel was preferred above his elder brother Cain; and Isaac above Ishmael; and Jacob above Esau, his twin yet born first; and Phares above Zara, who put forth his hand first (Gen. 38, 27–30); and David above his elder brothers. Thus the Christian people were preferred above the Jewish people. Therefore the prophet says, signifying the Jewish people: The sons of Ephraim who bend, etc. Again, just as the ear comes before the grain and the grain is worth more than the ear, so Jews came before Christians and yet Christians have the better law. Again, note that The following passage through ‘above the Jewish people’ is drawn from the Glos. ord. on Ps. 77, 9, the same as Peter Lombard: Petr. Lomb., In Ps. 77, 12 (col. 728B). a 

329

325

Letter I

326

master Gilbert in this way convinced the Jews – and they were converted – saying: ‘Which law is better and more to be observed, that which is without mercy, that which commands that a person be stoned if he gathers wood on the sabbath (cf. Num. 15, 35), or the law that has mercy, that forgives not only seven times, but till seventy times seven times (Matth. 18, 22), and this: Go, and sin no more (John 8, 11)?’a 83. Jews (Ivdei) are called children. Whence children waited for Abraham with his ass (cf. Gen. 22, 5); ‘children’, that is, Jews; ‘with his ass’, that is, with tardiness of faith; Abraham, that is, the Father on high;b and on Judgment Day he will return to them. Whence: If the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant of Israel shall be saved (Rom. 9, 27; Is. 10, 22). The Synod of Orleans: ‘We interdict the feasting together of Jews with Christians. If they are shown to have taken part in these, they will be subject to annual excommunication for an affront of this kind’.c 84. Jews and all (Ivdei et omnes) the wicked are compared to spiders, as below in The Wicked (M20). 85. Jews (Ivdei) Would pray three times a day, as below in They prayed (O50). 86. An evil judge (Ivdex) is said to sell his tongue in keeping silent and in speaking, as below in They sell (V4). 87. Our judge in the present world is called (Ivdex noster dicitvr in presenti) a. A priest, for whom we have an advocate, penitence. b. An angel, for whom we have an advocate, righteousness. For meeting the soul as it leaves the body are angels, both good and Source unidentified; perhaps Gilbert de la Porrée († 1154). The allusion is to the common interpretation of ‘Abraham’ as ‘father of many’; cf. Gen. 17, 5. c  Conc. Aurel. 538 14(13) (p. 120, l. 162–64). a 

b 

330

Letter I

evil, because if the soul is faithful it is received by the good, but if not, by the evil. And the fact that the good and evil angels meet then is gathered from the life and legend of the blessed Martinus and the blessed Furseus, as above in Angels (A43.g). c. In the future on Judgment Day, God, before whom our advocate will be only his mercy. And we have those three judges, but only God is called a severe judge. 88. God is called a severe judge (Ivdex districtvs dicitvr Devs) a. Because he is not a respecter of persons (Acts 10, 34). For also the mighty shall be mightily tormented (Wis. 6, 7), and to the knowing is said: The servant who knew the will of his lord and did not according to his will shall be beaten with many stripes (Luke 12, 47). b. For the punishment of all sinners, that is, because he punishes all sins. Whence: No evil unpunished, as no good unrewarded.a And the Apostle: The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and injustice of men (Rom. 1, 18), that is, the vengeance ‘of God’ coming ‘from heaven’ to judgment ‘against all ungodliness’ with respect to God ‘and injustice’ with respect to one’s neighbor. He does not says ‘against all ungodly and unjust people’, to show that no sin will remain unpunished. Again, the Apostle to the Hebrews: Every transgression and disobedience will receive a just recompense of reward (Hebr. 2, 2). ‘Every transgression’, that is, doing what is forbidden, ‘and disobedience’, that is, ignoring the commandments, ‘receives a just recompense’, that is, as much as it deserves, that is, according to what it deserves, ‘of reward’, so that the quality of the punishment may correspond to the quality of the deeds. Pay attention to the individual words: ‘every transgression’ he says, to show that punishments are given for individual sins, as if he were to say: ‘Every transgressor who is guilty of many things will be punished, but for every transgression and disobedience he will receive his punishment’. ‘Just’, he says, lest it be thought that justice goes away because of mercy. But as he says ‘recompense’, this refers to the quantity of punishment, a 

A proverb: Walther, Proverbia 39079c.

331

327

328

Letter I

which will be equal to the sin, because according as the sin is more or less the punishment will be more or less. But as he says ‘of reward’, this refers to the quality of the punishment, so that those who perish in the fire of licentious desire will be punished by fire. c.  Because of endless punishment, because he punishes eternally what has been committed temporally. Whence: These shall go into everlasting punishment (Matth. 25, 46). Again: A  great chaos, etc. (Luke 16, 26). And in the comment on that place of a Psalm: He shall redeem their souls from usuries and iniquity (Ps. 71, 14), they are called usuries because more is exacted in punishments than one commits in sins.a Gregory says that ‘as a person sins in his eternity, so God punishes in his eternity’.b Therefore it pertains to the great justice of the Judge that one who in this life has never wished to be without sin will never be without punishment. d. Because of severity. Whence: A fire shall burn before him (Ps. 49, 3). But one asks why he is called severe, when elsewhere he may be called merciful. He is called merciful because he inflicts on no one punishment equally answering his guilt, because he always relaxes something of the punishment owed for the sin. It is not contradictory to what is said; if he judged strictly he would save nobody.

329

89. In the future God will judge (Ivdicabit Devs in fvtvro) a. By distinguishing (diiudicando). Whence: I was hungry, etc. (Matth. 25, 35 and 42);c by distinguishing, that is, merits and places,d as that Jerusalem would rise and Babylon would fall.

The ‘comment’ is found in the Glos. ord. on Ps. 71, 14, citing Augustine, and in Peter Lombard: Petr. Lomb., In Ps. 71, 14 (col. 664A), from Augustine: Avg., In Ps. 71, 16 (CCSL, 39, p. 982, l. 3–4). b  Gratian., Decret. 2, 33, 3, 1, 60 (col. 1175, l. 3–5), citing Gregory, from Gregory the Great: Greg. M., Moral. 34, 19 (p. 1759, l. 37–38), etc. c  The pericope in Matth. 25, 31–46 refers three times to the separation of the righteous from the wicked at the Judgment. Note that this text is cited for each of the three distinctions. d  As ‘places’ in I91.a below indicates, by places Peter means destinations: heaven or hell. a 

332

Letter I

b. By awarding (adiudicando). Whence: Come, ye blessed of my Father (Matth. 25, 34). Again: He shall judge the poor in judgment (Is. 11, 4), that is, he will save. c.  By judicially depriving (abiudicando). Whence: Go, you cursed (Matth. 25, 41 VL). Again: Let the wicked be taken, lest in the future he may see the glory of God (Is. 26, 10 VL), that is, the majesty of his divinity. Again: Fornicators and adulterers God will judge (Hebr. 13, 4), that is, he will eternally damn them. Again: Judge thou, O Lord, them that wrong me (Ps. 34, 1), that is, damn them. 90. God won’t judge (Non ivdicabit) twice in the same matter (Nah. 1, 9 VL), that is, if there is sufficient satisfaction. But one who doesn’t persevere doesn’t satisfy worthily and sufficiently. 91. God judges in the present (Ivdicat Devs in presenti) a. By distinguishing merits, although not places, because now the good are mixed with the wicked. Whence: Judge me, O God, and distinguish my cause from the nation that is not holy (Ps. 42, 1). b. By blinding. Whence: Now is the judgment of the world (John 12, 31),a and The prince of this world is already judged (John 16, 11), and one who doesn’t believe has already been judged (cf. John 3, 18). c.  By correcting, because he scourges so that we may be corrected. Whence: For the time is, that judgment should begin at the house of God (I Pet. 4, 17), that is, the saints are corrected first. d. By pitying. Whence: Judge for the fatherless and for the humble (Ps. 9, 18). And so the judgment of God is manifold both in the present and in the future, and both are just and right. Whence the Apostle: Those tribulations are for an example of the just judgment of God (II Thess. 1, 4–5). For just is the judgment of God that he allows good people to be afflicted, the wicked to prosper, so that they may fall the more heavily, according to this: When they were lifted up thou hast cast them down (Ps. 72, 18). Just below John cites Isaiah: He hath blinded their eyes (John 12, 40; Is. 6, 10). Peter’s three citations, with ‘now’ and ‘already’, focus on the present, in presenti. a 

333

330

Letter I

92. The judgments of God are sweet (Ivdicia Dei svnt dvlcia) a. For uttering or for mulling over. Whence: How sweet are thy words to my palate! More than honey, etc. (Ps. 118, 103). b. For hearing. Whence: Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life (John 6, 69). c. For performing. Whence: My yoke is sweet and my burden light (Matth. 11, 30). The first are sweet, the second sweeter, the third sweetest. 93. The judgments of God (Ivdicia Dei) are those by which the world is judged now and in the future, which are a great deep (Ps. 35, 7) and inscrutable (Rom. 11, 33 VL), as here: With my lips I have pronounced all the judgments of thy mouth (Ps. 118, 13). He doesn’t say ‘all thy judgments’ but ‘all the judgments of thy mouth’, that is, what you have said to me in words. Therefore it says ‘the judgments of thy mouth’, that is, what has been spoken through the prophets or apostles, which are the mouth of God. Therefore it isn’t a contradiction that Paul says: 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! (Rom. 11, 33).

331

94. There is a judgment (Ivdicivm est) a. Of distinguishing. Whence: Judge me, O God, and distinguish my cause (Ps. 42, 1). Again, in the gospel: For judgment I am come into this world (John 9, 39), that is, in distinguishing the good from the wicked. b. Of abjuring. Whence: Fornicators and adulterers God will judge (Hebr. 13, 4). Again: The Son of man did not come into the world to judge the world, but that the world may be saved by him (John 3, 17; 12, 47). For this should be understood with regard to either judgment, for he did not come to judge but to be judged; in the future he will judge. Therefore it is not a contradiction that it is said: The Father doth not judge any man, but hath given all judgment to the Son (John 5, 22). c.  Of blindness. Whence: He that doth not believe is already judged (John 3, 18).

334

Letter I

d. Of awarding. As here: Judge the fatherless and humble (Ps. 9, 18), that is, for the honor of the orphan. It is not a contradiction that elsewhere is said: Judge not, and you shall not be judged (Luke 6, 37; Matth. 7, 1), that is, in doubtful and uncertain matters, of which it is unsure with what intention things were done, good or evil, concerning which no one judges without risk. About doubtful and uncertain matters no one should judge by asserting confirmation, but by expressing a wish, as thus: ‘God wills that it be so’; ‘would that it were thus’. But if we want to judge by asserting confirmation, we should choose the better side, not the worse.a And the sense is: Judge not, that is, with a judgment based on suspicion, and you shall not be judged with the judgment of damnation. Yet it should be noted, as a commentator says,b that there are certain manifest goods, certain manifest evils, of which it is permitted to judge, although we may not know with what intention they are done. But there are matters in between that can be good or evil, concerning which it is risky to judge and prohibited by the Lord, and these matters, that is, the ambiguous ones, we should always ascribe to the better side. Whence the blessed Jerome: ‘If you were to see a priest raising his hand over a woman, say that he does it for blessing her’. But while it is sometimes said, By their fruits you shall know them (Matth. 7, 16 and 20), and the wicked do the same as the good, they are examined by virtue of perseverance and the false are distinguished from the true. 95. There is a judgment (Ivdicivm est) a. Authoritative, namely, of the whole Trinity, for the whole Trinity will judge with authority. b. Manifest, that is, of the Son only. Whence: The Father doth not judge any man, but hath given all judgment to the Son (John 5, 22), who, that is, the Son, alone will appear in human form on Judgment Day, so that the Jews may see him whom they pierced That is, we should give the benefit of the doubt. The idea is in the Glos. ord. on Luke 6, 37 and Matthew 7, 1, and more precisely in Robert of Melun: Rob. Melodvn., In epist. Pauli on Rom. 14, 4 (p. 161, l. 18–25). Robert presents the quotation as from Jerome, but it has not been identified in Jerome’s works. a 

b 

335

332

Letter I

(Apoc. 1, 7 VL). Whence: They shall look on him whom they pierced (John 19, 37; Zach. 12, 10). It says ‘all’ because either judgment, that is, present or future, is understood. c.  Of co-judging, which is theirs who abandon everything for Christ and naked follow the naked Christ, for whom is said: You also shall sit on twelve seats judging the twelve tribes of Israel (Matth. 19, 28). d. Of approbation, which will be everyone’s, because their conscience will prescribe for them that they will justly be either saved or damned, and will confirm the sentence of God. Hence how will it be for you, O human, on Judgment Day, when your conscience speaks against you? The elements will accuse you, the cross will harangue you, Christ will make allegations by his wounds, the nails will complain, the scars will speak, and this when that day will threaten, a day of wrath, of calamity and misery, a great day and very bitter (Zeph. 1, 14–15).a 96. Judgment (Ivdicivm) will come to one without liberating, saving, and manifest mercy to him that hath not done mercy (James 2, 13). Therefore what does one who steals another’s goods deserve, if one who doesn’t give of his own goods is eternally damned? In a comment on the epistle to the Thessalonians: ‘According to one’s character on the day that he dies, so he will be judged on Judgment Day’.b

333

97. Judgment Day is called hidden (Ivdicii dies dicitvr occvltvs) a. Because of the uncertainty of its time. Whence: At midnight there was a cry made (Matth. 25, 6). Again: But of that day and hour no man knoweth, neither an angel nor the Son (Mark 13, 32, Matth. 24, 36), says the Lord in the gospel. Again: They that are drunk, are drunk in the night, and they that sleep, sleep in the night (I Thess. 5, 7), whence they are also called children of light and of darkness (I Thess. 5, 5). The liturgical chant is similar but adds the ‘very’: Cantus 007091g. Glos. ord. on II Thess. 2, 2; Peter Lombard: Petr. Lomb., In epist. Pauli on II Thess. 2, 1+ (PL, 192, col. 316C), from Augustine: Avg., Epist. 199, 2 (vol. 57, p. 246, l. 6–7). a 

b 

336

Letter I

b. Because of uncertainty about the good and the wicked, for it is uncertain to us as to who will be the good or the wicked in the division. Whence: We shall all stand before the judgment seat of the Lord (Rom. 14, 10). c. Because of the uncertainty about the quantity of rewards or punishments, because, as Solomon says, no one knows whether he be worthy of love, or hatred (Eccle. 9, 1). And one who was worthy of love doesn’t know the quantity of punishment. Again: That eye hath not seen… what things God hath prepared for them that love him (Is. 64, 4; Rom. 2, 9). And for these three reasons the day of judgment is sometimes called night. And that it, that is, judgment, may be done at night has been signified by this, that in the middle of the night the rod of Aaron flowered (Num. 17), Samson carried the gates of Gaza, the firstborn of Egypt were struck, Peter made his denial, Christ was born and resurrected. But, as Augustine says, it is said that it will come in the middle of the night not with regard to an hour of time, but because it will come when it is not expected.a Again, of this second coming, Zachariah: Behold the Lord shall come, and all his saints with him. In that day there shall be no light, but cold and frost, and one day, which is known to the Lord, not day nor night (Zach. 14, 5–7). Again: When I shall take a time, I  will judge justices (Ps. 74, 3). Again: Because there seats have sat in judgment, seats upon the house of David (Ps. 121, 5). Paul: We shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ, that every one may render account according as he hath done, whether it be good or evil (Rom. 14, 10 and 12; II Cor. 5, 10). 98. Judgment day is called manifest (Ivdicii dies dicitvr manifestvs) a. Because of the clarity or manifestation of the one judging. Whence: Our God shall come manifestly (Ps. 49, 3). Again: A fire shall burn before him (Ps. 49, 3). b. Because of the opening of the books, that is, of consciences. Whence at that time the consciences of individuals will be laid open, Peter Lombard: Petr. Lomb., Sent. 4, 43, 3 (p. 512, l. 2–4), from Augustine: Avg., Serm. – PL 93 (PL, 38, col. 576D). a 

337

334

Letter I

and then this will be fulfilled: There is nothing covered that shall not be revealed (Luke 12, 2; Matth. 10, 26); now they are closed up. c. Because of the open vengeance. Whence: Like a mighty man that hath been surfeited with wine (Ps. 77, 65), when it will be said: Go, you cursed, into everlasting fire (Matth. 25, 41 VL). And for these three reasons the day of the Lord, that is, of judgment, is said to come. For about that day the Lord says in the gospel: But of that day and hour no man knoweth, neither an angel nor the Son (Mark 13, 32; Matth. 24, 36). And the Apostle: The day of the Lord shall so come as a thief in the night (I Thess. 5, 2). Again: That day is a day of wrath, of calamity and misery, etc. (Zeph. 1, 15). Again: In that day the mountains shall drop down sweetness (Joel 3, 18; Amos 9, 13). Again: Many will say in that day, ‘Lord, have we not cast out devils in thy name and prophesied?’ (Matth. 7, 22). But at what hour he will come, Augustine has decided above (I97.c).

335

99. Judgment day is called great (Ivdicii dies dicitvr magnvs)a a. In extent, because night doesn’t follow it. b. In works, because the whole world will be examined on that day. c. In brightness, because at that time the moon will shine like the sun, and the sun sevenfold. Whence Isaiah: And the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold, as the light of seven days, in the day when the Lord shall bind up the wound of his people (Is. 30, 26), that is, he will loosen their mortality and all their wretchedness. 100. In the judgment there will be four dispensations (In ivdicio ervnt qvatvor ordines) a. Some will judge and will not be judged, as the most good people, that is, as the apostles and other most perfect people, of whom it is said: You who have left all things (Matth, 19, 27–28), and of whom the prophet Daniel: The Lord will enter into judgment with the senators of his people (Is. 3, 14), and Solomon: Her a 

Cf. Joel 2, 31; Acts 2, 20: ‘great and manifest day’.

338

Letter I

husband is honorable in the gates when he sitteth among the senators of the land (Prov. 31, 23). And those who now live righteously and irreproachably. Whence: Until justice be turned into judgment (Ps. 93, 15), that is, the just into judges. And the poor, of whom Job: He saveth not the wicked and he giveth judgment to the poor (Job 36, 6). And the just will judge. Whence: And the just shall have dominion over them in the morning (Ps. 48, 15), that is, they will judge them in the future judgment. b. Others will neither judge nor be judged, as extremely wicked people, because they are already judged, namely, infidels, for their sentence of damnation is known to the whole Church. Of these, the prophet: Therefore the wicked shall not rise again in judgment (Ps. 1, 5), and the Lord says: But he that doth not believe is already judged (John 3, 18), and Paul: Who have sinned without the law shall perish without the law (Rom. 2, 12). c. Others will be judged and will be saved, as the moderately good people, of whom it will be said: I was hungry, I was thirsty, and you gave me, etc. (Matth. 25, 35). d. Others will be judged and will be damned, as the moderately wicked, of whom it will be said: I was hungry, I was thirsty, and you gave me not, etc. (Matth. 25, 42). It is of these that the following can be understood: Judgment will be done without mercy to him that hath not done mercy (James 2, 13). Then the wicked will say of the good, as it is written: We fools esteemed their life madness and their end without honor. Behold how they are numbered among the children of God, and their lot is among the saints. What hath pride profited us? Or what advantage hath the boasting of riches brought us? All those things are passed away like a shadow (Wis. 5, 4–5 and 8–9). And conversely the saying of the prophet Zephaniah will be fulfilled: From the first gate the noise of a cry, and a howling from the second (Zeph. 1, 10). Or otherwise more briefly: There will be two dispensations in the judgment: one of the elect, that is, of the good, and the other of the reprobate, that is, of the wicked, and each of them will have two parts. In comment on the epistle to the Philippians – here: which is of God, justice in faith (Phil. 3, 9) – the saints say that on Judgment Day only the just, borne up in the air by angels, shall meet the Lord, but the wicked

339

336

Letter I

shall remain on earth until the time when they will learn the terrible sentence of the Judge.a Jerome in the Annals of the Hebrews finds the signs of the fifteen days before Judgment Day, but he hasn’t made clear whether they are continuous or intermittent.b

337

101. These signs will precede Judgment Day (Ivdicii diem precedent hec signa) a. On the first day the sea will rise up fifteen cubits above the height of mountains, standing on its bed like a wall. b. On the second, it will descend so much that it can scarcely be seen. c. On the third, sea-beasts appearing above the sea will send a roaring up to the skies. d. On the fourth, the sea and water will catch fire. e. On the fifth, plants and trees will shed a bloody dew.  f. On the sixth, buildings will topple. g. On the seventh, stones will collide with each other. h. On the eighth, there will be a general earthquake. i. On the ninth, the land will be leveled. j. On the tenth, humans will leave their caves and will go about having lost their minds, and they will not be able to speak to each other. k. On the eleventh, the bones of the dead will rise and stand on their tombs. l. On the twelfth, the stars will fall. m. On the thirteenth, the living will die so that they might rise again with the dead. n. On the fourteenth, the heaven and the earth will catch fire. o. On the fifteenth, a new heaven and a new earth will be made, and all will rise again.

Peter Lombard: Petr. Lomb., In epist. Pauli on Phil. 3, 7 (PL. 192, col. 246B). The Chanter’s source here is Peter Comestor: Petr. Comestor, Hist. schol. in evang. 141 (PL, 198, col. 1611A-B), who cites Jerome’s Annals of the Hebrews. Such a work by Jerome appears not to exist. The idea of the fifteen signs is widespread; see W. W. Heist, The Fifteen Signs before Doomsday, East Lansing, Michigan, 1952. a 

b 

340

Letter I

102. The gospel is called a yoke (Ivgvm), as above in Gospel (E81). 103. Beasts of burden are called (Ivmenta dicvntvr) a. Sometimes, sinners. Whence in Joel: The beasts have rotted in their dung (Joel 1, 17). b. Sometimes simple folk. Whence: And their cattle he suffered not to decrease (Ps. 106, 38), that is, the simple but useful people who are not so very learned but are full of faith. c.  Sometimes preachers. Whence: Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn (I Cor. 9, 9; I Tim. 5, 18; Deut. 25, 4). Again: Who giveth to beasts their food (Ps. 146, 9). d.  Sometimes the predestinate. Whence: The householder knoweth the number of his beasts (cf. Prov. 12, 10).a e. Sometimes the flesh of Christ. Whence: He set the wounded man upon his own beast (Luke 10, 34 VL). 104. One kind of oath is licit (Ivramentvm alivd licitvm) or necessary, which is uttered concerning permitted things, and this is neither good nor bad but it is from evil (Matth. 5, 37), that is, from the weakness of those who otherwise wouldn’t believe. And this is conceded, that is, permitted. Of this Jerome in comment on Jeremiah says: ‘An oath has these three accompanying features: truth, judgment, and justice’.b ‘Truth’, that is, purity of conscience and the fulfillment, that is, that what is sworn is true; ‘judgment’, that is, discretion, that is, that it be uttered discreetly, and ‘justice’, that is, that it be permitted, that is, just. And with these three anyone avoids perjury. And ‘if these features are lacking, it will by no means be an oath, but perjury’. Again, Pope Cornelius: ‘It seems fitting that a person who will dare to swear by the saints should do this while fasting with all honesty The verse from Proverbs, ‘The just knoweth the lives of his beasts’, is not very close. The Abel saying is quoted exactly, as if biblical, by Hildebert of Le Mans: Hildeb., Serm. 39 (PL, 171, col. 538C). b  The citation and exposition are from Gratian., Decret. 2, 22, 4, 23 dictum post (col. 882, l. 1–4), who cites Jerome: Hier., In Ier. 1, 69 (p. 40, l. 23–25), and from Peter Lombard: Petr. Lomb., Sent. 3, 39, 2, 1 (p. 218, l. 21 – p. 219, l. 1). a 

341

338

Letter I

339

and fear of God. And children before the age of fourteen may not be forced to swear’.a The Lord doesn’t prohibit swearing with this kind of oath. Whence in the comment on Matthew here – But I say to you not to swear at all (Matth. 5, 34) – the saints say: ‘He doesn’t entirely prohibit swearing, but on the subject of perjury he taught a more perfect thing’.b Again, at the same passage: Thou shalt not foreswear thyself, but thou shalt perform thy oaths to the Lord thy God (Matth. 5, 33). He doesn’t say, ‘thou shalt not swear’, but ‘thou shalt not foreswear thyself ’. At that place a gloss says: ‘The Lord doesn’t prohibit a licit oath’;c ‘there is a necessity to swear and Paul swears, although it would be uttered from evil’.d Again the Apostle to the Galatians: Now the things that I write to you, behold, before God, I lie not (Gal. 1, 20). The Apostle swore, says the Gloss, ‘compelled by necessity, because unless he did it would not be believed of him’.e Again, the Apostle swore to the Corinthians, saying: For God is my witness (Phil. 1, 8). Again, the prophet Elijah swore to Obadiah, saying: As the Lord liveth, this day I will show myself to king Ahab, thy lord (III  Kings 18, 15). And the Lord himself swore. Whence: The Lord hath sworn, and he will not repent (Ps. 109, 4). Again: ‘For I have sworn by myself ’, saith the Lord (Jer. 49, 13). 105. Another kind of oath is illicit (Ivramentvm alivd illicitvm) a. Incautious, which is when something that is not completely certain is sworn, that is, when one swears that an uncertain thing is certain – and this is a mortal sin. b. Superfluous, which is uttered by those who don’t know how to open their mouths without swearing. This likewise is a mortal sin when it becomes habitual. Of this oath, that is, an illicit one, the Lord says in the gospel: Do not swear at all, neither by heaven nor by the earth, etc. (Matth. 5, 34–35). Again, Augustine: ‘So I say Cornelius is so quoted in the Gratian passage. Glos. ord. on Matth. 5, 37. c  This gloss has not been identified. d  Glos. ord. on Matth. 5, 37. e  Glos. ord. on Gal. 1, 20. a 

b 

342

Letter I

to your grace that a person who swears a false thing on a stone is a perjurer’.a And: ‘It’s no better to swear by the gospel or by anything else than by God’.b To perjure (peierare or periurare) is to swear wrongly (perperam), which is always perjury; or to perjure is to change (permutare) one’s oath, which is not always perjury but sometimes is deserving of eternal life, namely when someone swears that he will do something that is a mortal sin, for then he should change what he has sworn, and he will be held to make satisfaction for what he has wrongly sworn. Again, pope Pius: ‘If anyone should swear by the hair or head of God or in another way bring blasphemy against God, if he is in ecclesiastic orders, he should be deposed; if he is lay, anathematized. And anyone who swears by created things should be very harshly chastised’.c Again, Bede commenting on Luke, namely on the Passion of the Lord: ‘It is a more serious sin to blaspheme against God reigning in heaven than the sin of those who killed him walking on earth, because the former harms the whole Church, but by killing Christ the latter harmed only themselves’.d Again, a comment on an epistle of Paul: ‘It is a more serious sin to blaspheme against God than to commit perjury’. Again, concerning blasphemy, in Numbers: The man that curses God, whoever have heard it shall put their hands upon his head, and they will stone him (Lev. 24, 14–15). In Samuel: If one man shall sin against another, God may be appeased, but if a man shall sin against God, who shall pray for him? (I Sam. 2, 25). But those who don’t know how to open their mouths without an oath don’t heed the example given to us by an angel from the Lord. For an angel said to Abraham: In this year I will come to thee, life accompanying, and Sarah shall have a son in her womb (Gen. 18, 10).e And Paul said: If the Lord permit (I Cor. 16, 7), and James: If the Lord will (James 4, 15). Gratian., Decret. 2, 22, 5, 10 (col.  885, l.  19–20), from Augustine: Avg., Serm. – PL 180 (PL, 38, col. 978D). b  Gratian., Decret. 2, 22, 1, 11 rub. (col. 864, l. 1–2). c  Gratian., Decret. 2, 22, 1, 10 (col. 863, l. 31–34). d  See above, G22 and note, for this and the next citation. e  Peter seems to take the rather enigmatic ‘life accompanying’ (uita comite) as an mild oath like ‘as I live and breathe’. a 

343

340

Letter I

341

c. That is uttered concerning illicit things. And such an oath is always perjury, that is, ‘wrongly sworn’ (perperam iuratum), nor should it be brought to fulfillment, because it is a mortal sin, but one should repent that he swore. Such an oath, that is, an illicit one, is everywhere prohibited. 106. Justice (Ivsticia)a is not in abstaining or eating but in bearing scarcity with equanimity and in moderation, not corrupting oneself with abundance. 107. There is a justice (Ivsticia est) a. Mosaic, which says: Eye for eye, tooth for tooth (Ex. 21, 24; Matth. 5, 38), Thou shalt love thy friend, and hate thy enemy (Matth. 5, 43; Lev. 19, 18), and other sayings of this kind, whence it was called the law of death (Rom. 7, 6; 8, 2) by the Apostle. This law was given as a sign, and it didn’t confer grace. b. Gospel, which proclaims: Bless them that persecute you; bless, and curse not (Rom. 12, 14). And to him that striketh thee on the one cheek, offer also the other (Luke 6, 29; Matth. 5, 39). And: Love your enemies, etc. (Matth. 5, 44; Luke 6, 27). Again: Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer (I John 3, 15). Of this justice, the Lord in the gospel: Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after justice, etc. (Matth. 5, 6). 108. The justice of the gospel embraces three things (Ivsticia evangelica tria complectitvr) a. That you will maintain justice for yourself. Whence: Have pity on thy own soul, pleasing God (Eccli. 30, 24). For he that loveth iniquity hateth his own soul (Ps. 10, 6). And it offers three things: Fodder, lest it grow faint; a burden, lest it be wanton; a wand (Eccli. 33, 25), so that it will carry its rider, that is, the Holy Spirit, with a settled gait. Whence: I chastise my body and bring it into subjection, etc. (I Cor. 9, 27).

For iusticia a better translation is often ‘righteousness’, but for consistency’s sake I give ‘justice’ in the following articles. a 

344

Letter I

b. For God. A person maintains justice for God who loves him above all things. Whence: He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me (Matth. 10, 37). c. One maintains it for one’s neighbor who does not make him miserable or leave him miserable by word or example. By word, according to this: And they have compassed me about with words of hatred (Ps. 108, 3), and this: The poison of asps is under their lips (Ps. 13, 3; 139, 4; Rom. 3, 13). By example, because if you make another person sin because of your example, you are guilty of his very soul. Whence the Lord, speaking to the shepherds of Israel about his sheep, says: I will require their blood of your hand (Ezek. 3, 18 and 20; 33, 8). 109. The justice (Ivsticia) of humans is almsgiving, fasting, and prayer, as is read in comment on the epistle to the Ephesians.a 110. At the justification of a wicked person four things happen together in time, not in cause (Ad ivstificationem impii qvatvor occvrrvnt simvl tempore non cavsa) a.  An infusion of grace. Whence: You are justified by grace (Rom. 3, 24). b. A movement rising from grace and free will. c. Contrition. Whence: A sacrifice to God is an afflicted spirit (Ps. 50, 19). d. Forgiveness of sins. Whence: Many sins are forgiven her (Luke 4, 47). The first, that is, the infusion of grace, God does without us, but the three that follow he does with us. Hence we are said to do greater things than he, because it is a greater thing to justify a wicked person than to create heaven and earth. He created without us, but he doesn’t justify without us, and so we do greater things, as he himself says: He that believeth in me, the works that I do he also shall do, and greater than these shall he do (John 14, 12). The genitive is used

a 

See B10.e and note above.

345

342

Letter I

343

for the ablative in the manner of Greek.a And this verse is expounded in three ways. With regard to a single person, of Peter, because it was a greater thing for the sick person to be healed by the shadow of Peter (Acts 5, 15) than by touching the hem of the garment of Christ (Mark 6, 56). With regard to a specific group, of the apostles, by whose preaching almost the whole world has been converted, but on the cross Christ incorporated to himself only one person (Luke 23, 43). And when he said this, that is ‘greater than these he shall do’, he was speaking in a general way of all the just, as was explained before. Therefore it is evident that Peter singularly, all the apostles especially, and all the just generally have done greater things, not by their authority but only by their ministry. Or, ‘greater things’, that is, more unusual, for it was more unusual to heal by a shadow than by a touch. 111. Justifications are (Ivstificationes svnt) works of justice. Whence: I will keep thy justifications, that is, I will perform works of justice; do not thou utterly forsake me (Ps. 118, 8 VL),b that is, so that I would die. Again: My soul hath coveted to long for thy justifications (Ps. 118, 20), that is, works of justice. There were many justifications for the primitive people, such as that a servant, that is, a Hebrew child, according to the law, would serve no more than six years, and in the seventh would go free. Through this is signified that the faithful are servants only in this world, which is divided into six ages, and in the resurrection they will be free. Of these justifications is said: I will think of thy justifications (Ps. 118, 16).

344

112. God is justified (Ivstificatvr Devs) a.  Through his manifestation in works. Whence the Lord: Wisdom is justified by her children (Matth. 11, 19; Luke 7, 35). b. In word. Whence: That thou mayest be justified in thy words (Ps. 50, 6). a  Latin would normally have maiora his or maiora quam his for ‘greater (things) than these’, with his in the ablative case, whereas the text of John in the Vulgate has a grecism, maiora horum, hyper-literally ‘greater of these’, with horum in the genitive case. b  Peter adds here a variant reading from the VL which means, as he observes, ‘the same’, and is therefore not intelligibly translatable.

346

Letter I

113. A  wicked person is justified (Ivstificatvr homo malvs) a. By an unjust absolution. Concerning this, Isaiah says to wicked prelates: Woe to you that justify the wicked for gifts (Is. 5, 22–23). b. By the opinion of foolish people. Whence the Apostle concerning Jews: Seeking to establish their own justice, they have not submitted themselves to the justice of God (Rom. 10, 3). c.  By comparison with the very worst people. Whence the Lord through Ezekiel: Thy sister Sodom is justified from thee (Ezek. 16, 52–53). d.  A good person. Whence the Apostle: Justified by grace (Rom. 3, 24).a 114. The just are called sheep (Ivsti dicvntvr oves) a. Because of their meekness. Whence: As a meek lamb that is carried to be a victim (Jer. 11, 19). b.  Because of the similarity of their sacrifices. Whence: For thy sake we are killed all the day long, we are made as sheep for the slaughter (Ps. 43, 22; Rom. 8, 36). c.  Because of their usefulness, because whatever comes from a sheep is useful, even manure. Whence: Their sheep fruitful in young, abounding in their goings forth (Ps. 143, 13). d. For the suitableness of their flesh, for as their dead flesh refreshes us, so also the martyrs refresh us by their example. 115. A  person is called ‘just’ (Ivstvs dicitvr) toward a neighbor, just as ‘good’ in himself. Whence: Joseph was a good man because good in himself, and just (Luke 23, 50) toward his neighbor. But one who doesn’t suffer isn’t just. 116. ‘The just man shall scarcely be saved’ (I Peter 4, 18), that is, with difficulty (Ivstvs vix salvabitvr, idest cvm difficvltate) a.  Because of the battle between flesh and spirit. Whence: The flesh lusteth against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh (Gal. 5, 17). a  The Glos. ord. explains this section, observing of Romans 3, 24 that grace is ‘that by which a wicked person is justified’.

347

345

Letter I

b. Because of the inequality of merits and rewards. Whence: The sufferings of this time are not worthy to be compared with the glory to come (Rom. 8, 18). c. Because of the violence inflicted on the flesh. Whence: From the time of John the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence (Matth. 11, 12). 117. A just person is compared to a palm (Ivstvs comparatvr palme) a. Because of the bitterness of its root and the dryness of its bark. Whence: We fools esteemed their life madness, etc. (Wis. 5, 4). b. Because of its height. Whence: Our conversation is in heaven (Phil. 3, 20). c. Because of the beauty of its fronds. Whence: And though in the sight of men they suffered torments, their hope is full of immortality (Wis. 3, 4). d. Because of the lateness of its fruit, for a palm doesn’t bear fruit unless it is a hundred years old, and so a just person. Whence: Coming they shall come with joyfulness (Ps. 125, 6). Whence: The just shall flourish like the palm tree (Ps. 91, 13). 118. A just person is compared (Ivstvs comparatvr) to a cedar, because a cedar is unfading and higher than other trees, especially in Lebanon (cf. Ps. 91, 13), which means ‘whiteness’. Thus the just person will be undecaying and white with the robe of immortality. The just person is compared with these trees because these trees don’t dry out in the summer heat like hay. To hay is compared an unjust and wicked person or a haughty person, because such a one quickly dries out.

346

119. The Lord conducted the just (Ivstvm) through the right ways,  etc. (Wis. 10, 10). The just person through faith – whence: The just man liveth by faith (Gal. 3, 11; Hab. 2, 4; Rom. 1, 17; Hebr. 10, 38) – he conducted the just through justice, through charity – whence in the Canticle of love: The king brought me into the cellar of wine, he set in order charity in me (Cant. 2, 4). He conducted through strength and showed him the kingdom of God (Wis. 10, 10), that is, eternal blessedness, through hope or through

348

Letter I

the understanding of holy scripture. Whence: We see now through a glass in a dark manner (I Cor. 13, 12). 120. Of the just (De Ivstis) is said: The just shall shine as the sun (Matth. 13, 43), and like sparks because of their fine nature they shall run to and fro among the reeds (Wis. 3, 7) because of their agility. Again: Never have I seen the just forsaken (Ps. 36, 25). Again: But the just shall inherit the land (Ps. 36, 29). Again: The salvation of the just is from the Lord (Ps. 36, 39). Again: The eyes of the Lord are upon the just, etc. (Ps. 33, 16). Again: Many are the afflictions of the just, but out of them all will the Lord deliver them (Ps. 33, 20), at least spiritually. Again: The Lord keepeth all their bones (Ps. 33, 21), that is, patience and the other virtues. Again: The just shall flourish like the palm tree (Ps. 91, 13). Again: The souls of the just are in the hand of God (Wis. 3, 1). Again: God shall wipe away all tears from the eyes (Apoc. 7, 17; 21, 4) of the saints. Again: And the just shall have dominion over them in the morning (Ps. 48, 15), that is, they will judge them in the Judgment. Again: The just shall be in everlasting remembrance, etc. (Ps. 111, 7). Again, Habakkuk: The just shall live in his faith (Hab. 2, 4), that is, by his grace only. Augustine: ‘If I am just, I have nothing to fear; no one can harm me’.a ‘For a just person’, he says, ‘is bold as a lion’.b Solomon: Be not over just (Eccle. 7, 17). Gregory: ‘If justice is not measured it lapses into cruelty’.c Jesus son of Sirach: Strive for justice for thy soul; unto death fight for justice, and God will overthrow thy enemies for thee (Eccli. 4, 33). Again: He that keepeth justice shall be exalted (Eccli. 20, 30). This is the justice of people in this life: almsgiving, fasting, and prayer, as we read in the comment on the epistle to the Ephesians.d Of unjust people is said: The unjust shall be punished, and the seed of the wicked shall perish (Ps. 36, 28). Again: But the unjust shall be destroyed together, the remnants of the wicked shall perish Defensor Locog., Scint. 14, 31 (p. 69); not identified in Augustine. Ibid. 14, 32 (p.  69), from Caesarius of Arles: Caes. Arel., Serm. 105, 6 (p. 436, l. 8). c  Ibid. 14, 33 (p.  69), from Gregory the Great: Greg. M., In Ez. 1, 3 (p.  37, l. 140–41). d  See B10.e and note above. a 

b 

349

347

Letter I

(Ps. 36, 38). Again: They are laid in hell like sheep; death shall feed upon them (Ps. 48, 15). Again: There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matth. 8, 12, etc.; Ps. 112, 10). 121. There is a youth (Ivventvs est) a. Of nature, that is, of age. Whence: I have been young, and now I am old (Ps. 36, 25). Again: Young men and maidens, let the old, etc. (Ps. 148, 12). b. Of sin. Whence: The sins of my youth, etc. (Ps. 24, 7). c. Of grace. Whence: And I will go in to the altar of God, to God who giveth joy to my youth (Ps. 42, 4). d. Of glory. Whence: Thy youth shall be renewed like the eagle’s (Ps. 102, 5). e.  Of virtue. Whence: My hope, O  Lord, from my youth (Ps. 70, 5). f.  Of error or thoughtlessness. Whence as above: The sins of my youth (Ps. 24, 7). Again: By what doth a young man correct his ways? (Ps. 118, 9). g. Of chastity. Whence: For the young man shall dwell with the virgin (Is. 62, 5). Again: Young men and maidens, let the old with the younger praise (Ps. 148, 12).

350

LETTER L

1. There are lips (Labia svnt) a. Of pretending. Whence: This people honoreth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me (Matth. 15, 8; Mark 7, 6). b. Of distinguishing. Whence: I will pay thee my vows, which my lips have distinguished (Ps. 65, 13–14). c. Of sounding together, that is, the two testaments. Whence: Praise him on high-sounding cymbals (Ps. 150, 5). d. Of praise. Whence: My lips shall utter a hymn, etc. (Ps. 118, 171). e. Of confession. Whence: O Lord, thou wilt open my lips, and my mouth shall declare thy praise (Ps. 50, 17). f. Of contrition. Whence Habakkuk: My lips trembled at thy voice (Hab. 3, 16). 2. Our lips are sometimes closed (Labia nostra svnt clavsa qvandoqve) a. Because of sin. Whence: Praise is not seemly in the mouth of a sinner (Eccli. 15, 9). b. Because of the unworthiness of the listeners. Whence: Give not that which is holy to dogs, etc. (Matth. 7, 6). c.  Because of the weakness of the listeners. Whence: I  have many things to say to you that you cannot bear, etc. (John 16, 12). 3. Our lips are defiled (Labia nostra pollvvntvr) a. By speaking, as by slandering and speaking indecent words. Therefore it is said: Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from

351

348

Letter L

speaking guile (Ps. 33, 14). And: A time to speak, and a time to keep silence (Eccle. 3, 7). b. By keeping silence. Whence the prophet: Because I was silent my bones grew old (Ps. 31, 3), that is, my inner fortitude, because I was silent about what shouldn’t be kept silent and I proclaimed what shouldn’t be proclaimed. Again, Isaiah: Woe is me because I have held my peace (Is. 6, 5). Again: Dumb dogs not able to bark (Is. 56, 10).

349

4. The two testaments are called lips (Labia dicvntvr dvo testamenta) a. Because of their doctrine. Whence: What things soever were written were written for our learning (Rom. 15, 4). b. Because of their sounding together, for they sound together in commands, in promises, and in mysteries spiritually understood. c. Because of their joining together. For it is a wheel in the midst of a wheel (Ezek. 1, 16; 10, 10). 5. There is a labor (Labor est) a.  In the present world, in the understanding of scripture. Whence: In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat thy bread (Gen. 3, 19). b.  In expectation. Whence: I  have labored holding in, and I abode in the wilderness; I waited for him that hath saved me (Jer. 6, 11; Ps. 5, 8–9). c.  In daily labor. Whence: In labor and painfulness, in thirst and cold, etc. (II Cor. 11, 27). 6. Labor (Labor) of hands is necessary, as the Apostle would say to the idle: ‘Who doesn’t labor, doesn’t eat’.a Again, the prophet: For thou shalt eat the labors of thy hands (Ps. 127, 2). Again, Jerome to the monk Rusticus: ‘Do some work so that the devil may find you busy’.b But usurers, who don’t wish to labor, strive against the Proverbial; Walther, Proverbia 24404, etc. Cf. II Thess. 3, 10. Peter Lombard: Petr. Lomb., Sent. 4, 1, 5, 4 (p. 235, l. 14–16); Gratian., Decret. 3, 5, 33 (col.  1421, l.  4–6); from Jerome: Hier., Epist. 125 (ad Rusticum Monachum), 11 (vol. 56/1, p. 130, l. 6–7). a 

b 

352

Letter L

Apostle who says, ‘Who doesn’t labor, doesn’t eat’, and against him who says: In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat thy bread (Gen. 3, 19). 7. Jesus wept (Lacrimatvs) three times, as above in He wept (F31). 8. The Church is said to labor (Laborare dicitvr) in many ways, as above in Church (E23–24). 9. A person sometimes refuses to labor (Laborem recvsat qvis qvandoqve) a.  Because of humility. Whence, Jeremiah: Ah, ah, ah, Lord God, behold, I cannot speak (Jer. 1, 6). b. Because of laziness, like the servant who hid his lord’s money (Matth. 25, 18). c. For fear. Whence the merchant who saw the wolf took flight.a 10. Tears (Lacrime) and groans are very necessary for penitents. Whence: I have labored in my groanings (Ps. 6, 7). 11. Tears (Lacrime) are sometimes pious, sometimes more pious, as above in To weep (F30.e and f). 12. There is a pit (Lacvs est) a. Of sin. Whence: He brought me out of the pit of misery (Ps. 39, 3). b. Of punishment. Whence: And of the mire of dregs (Ps. 39, 3). c. Of Gehenna. Whence: Thou hast brought me out of the pit wherein is no water (Ps. 39, 3; Zach. 9, 11). 13. By a stone (Per lapidem) or a rock is understood Christ, as below in Rock (P89).

For the exemplum see Augustine: Avg., In euang. Ioh. 10, 11–13, tract. 46, 8 (p. 403, l. 21–22), etc. a 

353

350

Letter L

14. The lapse (Lapsvs) or fall of humankind is threefold, as above in Fall (C50 and 51). 15. The snares (Laqveos) of temptations will be passed over by humility, as below in Humility.a 16. Snares (Laqveos) are laid by the devil for those fasting, as above in Fasting (I4).

351

17. There is a snare (Laqvevs est) a. Of grace. Whence: My son, put thy foot into the fetters of wisdom (Eccli. 6, 25). b.  Of sin. Whence: The cords of the wicked have encompassed me, etc. (Ps. 118, 61). c. Of temporal punishment. Whence: The snare is broken, and we are delivered (Ps. 123, 7). d. Of eternal punishment. Whence: Bind his hands and feet, cast him into the exterior darkness (Matth. 22, 13). 18. There is a breadth (Latitvdo est) a. Of excessive greed. Whence: Woe to you that join house to house and field to field (Is. 5, 8). b. Of interminable punishment. Whence: Hell hath enlarged her mouth against me (Is. 5, 14; Ps. 34, 21). c. Of things deserved. Whence: And I walked broadly at large, because I have sought after thy commandments (Ps. 118, 45). d. Of the compensation of rewards. Whence: Then shalt thou wonder and abound, and thy heart shall be enlarged (Is. 60, 5). e. In a bad sense, of licentiousness. Whence Job: Thou shalt set me at large out of the narrow mouth (Job 36, 16). 19. There is a washing (Lavacrvm est) a. Of baptism. Whence: I will pour upon you clean water and you shall be cleansed (Ezek. 36, 25). Again: Wash yourselves, be clean (Is. 1, 16). a 

An empty cross-reference.

354

Letter L

b. Of penitence. Whence: Wash me yet more from my iniquity, etc. (Ps. 50, 4). Again: Every night I will wash my bed (Ps. 6, 7). c. Of almsgiving. Whence: Give alms and all things are clean unto you (Luke 11, 41). d.  Of perfection. This is divided into two, namely into the weeping that is for the transgressions of our brothers and into the weeping that is for our longing for the celestial fatherland. David would weep for the sins of his neighbors when he said: My eyes have sent forth springs of water (Ps. 118, 136). And Jeremiah: Who will give water to my head, and a fountain of tears to my eyes, so that I could weep for the slain of my people? (Jer. 9, 1). And for his own sins: I have labored in my groanings, , etc. (Ps. 6, 7). In longing for the celestial fatherland the Psalmist laments, saying: Woe is me, that my sojourning is prolonged (Ps. 119, 5). Neophytes receive the first washing, penitents the second, the merciful the third, the perfect, the fourth. 20. God will be praised (Lavdabitvr Devs) a.  In the future, with heart and tongue. Whence: The high praises of God shall be in their mouth (Ps. 149, 6), because they will not cease to praise God in heart and with tongue. b.  In the present, with tongues and works. With tongue, by preaching his virtues; with works, by doing well, living well. For one who doesn’t cease doing well and living well doesn’t cease praising. 21. A rational creature praises God (Lavdat Devm rationalis creatvra) a. With heart. Whence: Praise the Lord, O my soul (Ps. 145, 1). Again: I will give praise to thee, O Lord, with my whole heart (Ps. 9, 2). Again: And my tongue shall meditate thy justice, thy praise (Ps. 34, 28). b.  With mouth. Whence David: I  will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall always be in my mouth (Ps. 33, 2). c. With works. Whence the Apostle: Whether you eat or drink, or whatsoever you do, do all in the name of the Lord (I Cor. 10, 31). d. With example. Whence: So let your good works shine before men that they may glorify your Father who is in heaven (Matth. 5, 16).

355

352

Letter L

353

e. And even an irrational creature, by offering the material of praise. Whence: All ye works of the Lord, bless the Lord (Dan. 3, 57). But let each person beware lest in some of these ways he praises God in a strange land, that is, with an estranged conscience, that is, alienated from God by mortal sin. Whence the prophet: How shall we sing the song of the Lord in a strange land? (Ps. 136, 4). 22. There is a praising (Lavdatio est) a. Which is neither in God nor of God, as of stage-actors. b. Which is in God but not of God, as when it is sung about some saint. c. Which is in God and of God, as when it is sung about the Trinity or about one of the three Persons. 23. God is badly praised (Lavdatvr Devs male) a. For only a short time. Whence: He will praise thee when thou shalt do well to him (Ps. 48, 19). b. Wickedly, that is, when false things are preached about God. Whence Job: Divinity has no need of our lies (Job 13, 7). c.  Superficially. Whence: This people honoreth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me (Matth. 15, 8; Mark 7, 6). d. Unworthily. But to the sinner God hath said: ‘Why dost thou declare my justices?’ (Ps. 49, 16). And: Praise is not seemly in the mouth of a sinner (Eccli. 15, 9), in the likeness of a farmer who, when he manures his field, is all in mire and dung, and his work is not lovely even though it is fruitful, but when he gathers sheaves of the crops, then his labor is seemly and sweet – so the praise of a sinner: when he confesses, he also incessantly takes delight in the praise of God.

354

24. God is praised well (Lavdatvr Devs bene) a. When someone attributes all his bounty to God, in accordance with this: Thou hast wrought all our works, O Lord (Is. 26, 12). b.  When we do good works. Whence, a person who always does good works always praises God. In comment on this place: And my tongue shall meditate thy justice, etc. (Ps. 34, 28), the saints say: ‘All the day long (Ps. 34, 28) one who does all things well prais-

356

Letter L

es God; one who doesn’t cease doing well doesn’t cease praising; one who doesn’t cease being righteous doesn’t cease doing well’.a c. When we praise God with the sound of our voice. Whence: His praise shall always be in my mouth (Ps. 33, 2). 25. God is praised (Lavdatvr Devs) once at night and seven times during the day, as above in Church (E36–37). 26. From praise (A lavde) or confession some people are silent, as above in Confession (C108). 27. If we seek human praise (Si lavdem) we lose divine praise. If praise is sought here, reward is lost there. 28. Praise on the path of this life is not perfect (Lavs non est perfecta in via) a. Because of the greatness of its subject. b. Because of its continuity, because it will never be uninterrupted. c. And because we can’t wholly please God because of the kindling of sin that is within us. Whence the Apostle: I do not do that which I will, but I desire, etc. (Rom. 7, 15 and 19). d.  Because we are entangled by care for temporal things. Whence: Deliver me from my necessities, O Lord (Ps. 24, 17). e. And because here we don’t have full understanding, for: We see now through a glass in a dark manner (I Cor. 13, 12). f. And because praise of that kind will come to an end. Whence: The days will come in which neither here nor in Jerusalem shall you adore the Father (John 4, 21). 29. Perfect praise (Lavs perfecta) will occur in the future, because it will be both vocal and unceasing. Whence: The high praises of God shall be in their mouths (Ps. 149, 6), ‘because’, as the Gloss says, ‘they will not cease to praise God in heart and in Peter Lombard: Petr. Lomb., In Ps. 34, 22 (col. 357C); Glos. ord. on Ps. 34, 28, from Augustine: Avg., In Ps. 34, 2, 16 (p. 320, l. 4–5, 9). See B18.c above. a 

357

355

Letter L

tongue’.a And it is interpreted with regard to the future: Let the lips of thy neighbor praise thee, and not thy own (Prov. 27, 2 VL), says Solomon. For not he who commendeth himself, that is, on his own behalf, is approved, but he whom God commendeth (II Cor. 10, 18). Avoiding what should be disparaged isn’t perfect praise unless things that should be praised follow. 30. There is a bed (Lectvs est) a.  Of scripture. Whence in the Canticle of love: Our bed is flourishing (Cant. 1, 15). b. Of contemplation. Whence: There shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left (Luke 17, 34). c. Of the Church, that is, the Church. Whence: Threescore valiant ones surrounded the bed of Solomon (Cant. 3, 7). d. Of conscience. Whence: I will water my bed with tears every night (Ps. 6, 7). e. Of carnal pleasure, as in the same place according to another interpretation.b Again: You that wanton upon beds of ivory (Amos 6, 4). Again: If I shall go up into the bed wherein I lie (Ps. 131, 3). f. Of eternal damnation. Whence: I have made my bed in darkness (Job 17, 13). g. Of eternal blessedness. Whence: My children are with me in bed (Luke 11, 7).

356

31. There is a bed (Lectvs) a. Superior. Whence: My children are with me in bed (Luke 11, 7). b. Inferior, that is, sensuality. Whence: Take up thy bed, and walk (Mark 2, 9; Luke 5, 24; John 5, 8). c.  Exterior, namely temporal things. Whence: Let the bridegroom go forth from his bed, and the bride out of her bride chamber (Joel 2, 16). d.  Interior, that is, the conscience. Whence: Enter into thy chamber and, having shut the door, pray to thy Father (Matth. 6, 6). a  b 

Peter Lombard: Petr. Lomb., In Ps. 149, 9 (col. 1290B); Glos. ord. on Ps. 149, 6. The other interpretation is that of the Glos. ord. on Ps. 6, 7.

358

Letter L

32. Under the law (Svb lege) is one who behaves according to the law, compelled by the fear of need. This one is a slave, the next one is free. 33. In the law (In lege) is one who behaves according to the law, willingly obeying the law. 34. The law is (Lex est) a shadow of things to come (Hebr. 10, 1), which should be followed in a spiritual way, as with regard to sacrifices and figurative things of this kind. And that the law is a shadow of future things, as of the paschal lamb and the like, is maintained here: Open thou my eyes and I will consider the wondrous things of thy law (Ps. 118, 18). 35. A person destroys the law (Legem solvit) a. The Jew, by understanding it not according to the spirit but according to the letter. b. The heretic, by mixing falsity into it. c. The wicked person, by not doing according as he understands. In these ways Christ did not destroy, but fulfilled. Whence: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill (Matth. 5, 17). But what is said in the gospel – Christ destroyed the law when he healed the leper (cf.  John 7, 23) – is not a contradiction, because by healing the leper he destroyed legal rituals. 36. The law is called (Lex dicitvr) a. Sometimes the whole Old Testament. b. Sometimes the decalogue, that is, the ten commandments of the law. c. Sometimes the five books of Moses. Whence in the Acts of the Apostles the Lord opened the understanding for the disciples, that they might understand what was written of him in the law and the prophets and the psalms (Luke 24, 44–45; cf. Acts 24, 14; 28, 23).

359

357

Letter L

37. The law is threefold, as Ambrose says in his comment on the epistle to the Romans (Lex triplex est, vt ait Ambrosivs svper Epistolam ad Romanos)a a. Natural, that is, what you don’t wish to be done to you, don’t do to others, and what you would that men should do to you, etc. (Matth. 7, 12, Luke 6, 31). b. Mosaic. c. Gospel. And there is another law besides these, which was given to Adam in paradise, namely: Of every tree of paradise thou shalt eat, but of the tree of knowledge of good and evil thou shalt not eat (Gen. 2, 16–17).

358

38. There is a law (Lex est) a. Moral, which would make a person righteous, as observance of the decalogue and the tithes and first-fruits. Of this we read that, when the righteousness of that time is maintained, he promised to observant people not only temporal goods but also eternal ones. b.  Ritual, which consists of purifications and offerings and rituals of the law. And these are called ‘ceremonies (ceremonia)’ because they thought that by sacrifices of this kind they would be cleansed of rot (caries), that is, from vices, and no one had merit from that. It is said about this: The law brought no one to perfection (Hebr. 7, 19). 39. Natural law (Lex natvralis) contains two commandments, as below in Commandments of the decalogue (M28; cf. M32). 40. The law of the flesh (Lex carnis), that is, the kindling of sin. It is called a law because, seeing that a person didn’t wish to obey his superior, that is, Christ, it was just that as it were a law was given to him, that his own inferior, that is, his flesh, would not obey him. Source in Ambrose not identified. Cf. Sicard of Cremona: Sicard. Crem., Mitrale 5, 6 (p. 345, l. 184–85), etc. a 

360

Letter L

41. The law was written on two tablets (Lex in dvabvs) because the ten commandments written there are brought under two headings, namely, love of God and of neighbor. 42. The old law is called a shadow (Lex vetvs vmbra dicitvr) a. Because of similitude, for as a shadow is similar to a body, so is a figure to the truth. Whence: I have used similitudes by the ministry of the prophets (Hos. 12, 10). b. Because of its obscurity. Whence: Dark waters in the clouds of air (Ps. 17, 12). c. Because of its emptiness. Whence: The law brought no one to perfection (Hebr. 7, 18). 43. The devil is called a lion (Leo dicitvr), as above in Devil (D41). 44. A lion is (Leo est) a. God. Whence: The lion of the tribe of Judah hath prevailed (Apoc. 5, 5). b. Of God, that is, a martyr, of whom Solomon: There are three things which go well and a fourth that walketh happily: a lion, the strongest of beasts, who hath no fear of any thing he meeteth (Prov. 30, 29). This is the martyr, who soaks his feet in blood so that at last he might fly upon the wings of the winds (Ps. 17, 11). c. Zabulus,a of whom Peter: Your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, goeth about seeking whom he may devour, whom resist ye, strong in faith (I Pet. 5, 8–9). d.  Of Zabulus, that is, a wicked prince over the people (Prov. 28, 15), of which Solomon: The slothful man saith, ‘There is a lion without, in the midst of the streets’ (Prov. 22, 13), because he roars in the streets, terrorizes, and lures those who take the broad way that leads to death. The first lion is life; the second lion, a living person; the third lion, death; the fourth lion, a dead person. ‘Zabulus’ is a collateral form of (Greek) diabolos, ‘devil’. The saying from I Peter is one of the Chanter’s favorites. a 

361

359

Letter L

45. A lion (Leo) a. Living, properly called a martyr, who does not fear what a man will do against him (Ps. 55, 5), of whom Solomon: There are three things which go well, etc., as above (L44.b). b. Dead, that is someone outstanding in knowledge but wicked in life. Whence Solomon: A living dog is better than a dead lion (Eccle. 9, 4), that is, an uneducated and simple person who, although he doesn’t instruct others with his voice, nevertheless abounds in the spiritual goods of life. ‘A dead lion’, that is, someone outstanding in knowledge but wicked in life. 46. Between a litany (Inter letaniam) and a procession distinguish at the article Processions (P129.c). 47. Between the left (Inter levem) and right distinguish, above in Right (D39). 48. Some raise (Levant qvidam) Their eyes to heaven, others lower them to earth, as below in Eyes (O16–17).

360

49. There is a book (Liber est) a.  Of nature, in which a heathen doesn’t know how to read, that is, heaven and earth and all the visible things of this world, through which the invisible things of God are seen as if through a glass (I Cor. 13, 12). Whence: The invisible things of God, by those things that are perceived by the intellect are clearly seen (Rom. 1, 20). b. Of scripture or doctrine, in which a Jew can’t read. Whence: Shut up the words and seal the books, for many shall pass over and knowledge shall be manifold (Dan. 12, 4). In this book are written three words: Lamentation, and canticles, and woe (Ezek. 2, 9–3, 1), which an angel ordered Ezekiel to eat, and any utterance or reading lacking mention of those three is considered useless by God. c. Of conscience. Whence: The Ancient of days sat and now the books were opened (Dan. 7, 9–10 VL). d. Of divine predestination. Whence Moses in Genesis: Either forgive them this trespass, or strike me out of the book of life (Ex. 32, 31–32).

362

Letter L

50. Deliverance is (Liberatio est) manifest and hidden, as below in Persecution (P84.d). 51. The book of the laity is threefold (Liber laycorvm triplex est) a. Of nature, as the heavens and the earth and all creatures. b. Of depictions, as those that are made on the cross and on other places. c. The lives of the clergy. That book is stained and partly obliterated, although the laity read in it more frequently than in the two mentioned before, because they want to imitate them not in good deeds but in bad, if in any way they are done. 52. Free will is threefold (Libertas arbitrii triples est) a.  From necessity, from which it is free because it cannot be compelled by any necessity; it is free both before sin and after, for just as it can’t be compelled then, so it can’t be now. And this is inborn; we haven’t lost it. b. From sin, which humankind lost by sinning in paradise, but it is recuperated through grace. On this, the Apostle: Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty (II Cor. 3, 17). And the gospel: If the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed (John 8, 36). c. From pain and wretchedness. Humankind lost this through sin, but in the future it will be given back through grace. 53. Priests bind or loose in three ways (Ligant vel solvvnt sacerdotes tribvs modis) a.  First, when they show people bound or loosed, that is, as when they don’t wish to leave off sinning, or when one confesses and another stays silent. For then the priest shows him bound, saying, ‘You are bound’. For the Lord grants him the power of binding and loosing (cf. Matth. 16, 19; 18, 18), that is, of showing that people are bound or loosed. Likewise, when he says, ‘Your sins are forgiven’, he looses them, that is, he shows that they are loosed. b. Second, when they enjoin the satisfaction of penitence on those who confess. And likewise secondly they loose when they forgive something of the satisfaction.

363

361

Letter L

362

363

c. Third, through excommunication, and they loose through absolution. But they should loose those whom they know that God has brought to life, in a figure of which Lazarus was resuscitated by the Lord and loosed by the disciples.a Whence the Lord said to them: Loose him, and let him go (John 11, 44). For they knew that he was raised by the Lord and therefore they loosed him. 54. They bind (Ligant) a. Good people bind the good with chains of justice. Whence: My son, put thy feet into the fetters of wisdom (Eccli. 6, 25). b.  Good people bind the wicked with chains of penitence. Whence: Whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth (Matth. 16, 19; 18, 18), using either key,b that of power and that of discretion, and with what he deserves examined, that is, the one who is bound or loosed. Or thus: ‘Whatsoever thou shalt bind’, etc., using either key, the celestial court approves, although one might be unjustly bound; but he will be saved if he has observed the commandment, that is, if he has considered himself as an excommunicated person. However, if he has been justly excommunicated, he will be damned. I have said ‘unjustly’ because sometimes the Church is fallible. c. Good people bind the worst people with the chains of Gehenna. Whence: To bind their kings with fetters (Ps. 149, 8). Again: Bind his hands and feet, cast him into the exterior darkness (Matth. 23, 13). On that place in Matthew the Gloss says that there ‘those are bound in punishment who here did not wish to be bound, that is, restrained, from wickedness. Those hands’ will be bound ‘which weren’t reached out with alms’ – for ‘in vain one reaches out his hands to God’, as an authority says in a comment on Ecclesiasticus, ‘who as he was able didn’t reach out his hands to the poor. The feet’ are bound there that were here ‘slow to do good. In that place the individual members are subjected to punishments a  The Chanter carefully distinguishes between God’s power to absolve and the priests’ power to display that absolution, in accordance with John 20, 23. Jesus raised Lazarus; the disciples displayed him risen. b  Referring to the keys of St. Peter, the papal power.

364

Letter L

that here were slaves to individual vices’. Again, ‘there those are bound in punishment who here were bound in sin’.a 55. Three woods (ligna tria) are necessary for feeding the celestial fire, that is, charity, as above in Fire (I19). 56. There is a tree (Lignvm est) a. Of life, of which in Genesis. And Solomon: Wisdom is a tree of life to them that lay hold on her (Prov. 3, 18). b. Of knowledge, of which in Genesis: But of the tree of knowledge of good and evil thou shalt not eat (Gen. 2, 17). c. Of redemption. Whence Solomon: For blessed is the wood by which justice cometh (Wis. 14, 7). d. Of perdition. Whence Hosea: My people have consulted their stocks, and thy staff hath declared unto them (Hos. 4, 12). And it was a kind of staff of divination or perhaps an idol. 57. The literal text is obscure (Littera est obscvra) a.  For exercising us, as: In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat thy bread (Gen 3, 19). Again: Prick the eye and bring out tears (Eccli. 22, 24 VL). b. For enhancement or beauty, lest the plain sense should become lowly. Whence: All the glory of the king’s daughter is within in golden borders, clothed round about with varieties (Ps. 44, 14–15). c. For the sin of the first human. And for these three reasons a mystery is hidden in the historical level. Every letter kills without grace (cf. II Cor. 3, 6). 58. The tongue (Lingva) and all others members should be circumcised, as above in Circumcision (C75). 59. The tongue (Lingva) is sold in two ways, by staying silent and by speaking, as below in It is sold.b Glos. ord. on Matth. 22, 13; 12, 13; Luke 6, 10. Not identified in glosses on Ecclesiasticus. b  Probably a blank cross-reference; article V4 is not close to the sense here. a 

365

364

Letter L

60. Learned writing is (Litteratvra est) a. Worldly, of which the Apostle says: Not in wisdom of speech, lest the cross of Christ should be made void (I Cor. 1, 17). And Isaiah: Where is the learned? Where is he that pondereth the words of the law? Where is the teacher of little ones? (Is. 33, 18). b. Without charity, which it hinders. Whence: Knowledge puffeth up, charity edifieth (I Cor. 8, 1). And the Apostle: Not in speech is the word of God but in power (I Cor. 4, 20). c.  In useless things. Whence: Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which doth not satisfy you? (Is. 55, 2). d.  With charity. Whence Isaiah: The consumption abridged shall overflow with justice (Is. 10, 22). 61. To shine (Lvcere) some strive, but they don’t care to burn, as above there: John is called a lamp (I70).

365

62. They shine (Lvcent) a. Some, and don’t burn. b. Some shine and burn. c. Some neither shine nor burn, as in the same place in John (I70). But what the Apostle says: ‘Let it not be vain for you to rise in the morning before light’,a and David: It is vain for you to rise before light (Ps. 126, 2), that is, before Christ, is not a contradiction, because the Apostle speaks of material light, before which we ought to rise for celebrating the Divine Office, but the prophet speaks of spiritual light, which is Christ, before which, that is, in any other way than that by which he himself rose again, it is vain for us to rise. For he first suffered and afterwards rose again; so also we should first suffer with him, so that we might reign with him (cf. II Tim. 2, 11–12). Whoever wishes to rise otherwise labors in vain, like the sons of Zebedee (cf. Matth. 20, 20–23). 63. Lamps (Lucerna) a. The apostles are called lamps, as above in Apostles (A76). b. John the Baptist is called a lamp, as above in John (I68–70). a 

Not in Paul, but a liturgical chant based on Ps. 126, 2: Cantus 001110.

366

Letter L

64. A lamp is (Lvcerna est) a. Shining and not burning. Whence: Their lamps shall not be quenched (Is. 66, 24). b. Burning and not shining, as John the Baptist in the womb. c. A burning and a shining light (John 5, 35), as the same John in the wilderness. 65. There is a lamp (Lvcerna est) a.  Of deity, which is united with the vessel of our fragility.a Whence: No one lights a lamp and puts it under a bushel,  etc. (Matth. 5, 15; Mark 4, 21; Luke 11, 33). Again: For thou lightest my lamp, O Lord (Ps. 17, 29). b. Of intelligence. Whence: Thy word is a lamp to my feet, etc. (Ps. 118, 105). c. Of grace. Whence: I have prepared a lamp for my anointed (Ps. 131, 17). 66. To the moon (Lvne) is compared the Church, as above in Church (E22). 67. Lucifer (Lvcifer) was created in the empyrean heaven, as above in Angels (A43.g). 68. There is a sorrow (Lvctvs est) in the shedding of tears and in the spirit’s ache, as above in To weep (F30). 69. There is a mire (Lvtvm est) a. Of wickedness. Whence: Draw me out of the mire, etc. (Ps. 68, 15). Again: I  shall bring them to nought, like the dirt in the streets (Ps. 17, 43). b.  Of human weakness. Whence: Remember, I  beseech thee, that thou has made me as the clay (Job 10, 9). c. Of the original matter. Whence: And God formed man of the slime of the earth (Gen. 2, 7).

The Glos. ord. on Matthew 5, 15 clarifies: the flame of divinity fills the lampvessel of human nature. a 

367

366

LETTER M

367

1. There is a stain (Macvla est) a. Of infidelity, that is, infidelity itself, when someone becomes apostate. b. Of the Church, and the Church is never without these, that is, false brothers. Whence: Among many they were with me (Ps. 54, 19). Again: They went out from us, but they were not of us (I John 2, 19). 2. Some magnifya (Magnificant qvidam) a. Not God but themselves, of whom it is said: Let not thy own mouth praise thee, but another (Prov. 27, 2), for all praise in one’s own mouth becomes dirty. b. In pride. But: The Lord resisteth the proud, but to the humble he giveth grace (I Pet. 5, 5; James 4, 6). c. In their subtlety of knowledge. But: Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth (I Cor. 8, 1). d.  In ambition for a preferment. But: Seek not to be made a judge, lest perhaps you can’t get rid of iniquity (Eccli. 7, 6). e. In the nobility of their birth. But: The Lord shall break the cedars of Lebanon (Ps. 28, 5). f. In prating and detraction. But: Detractors are hateful to God, and whisperers (Rom. 1, 29–30). g.  In fraternal hatred and spite. But: Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer (I John 3, 15). In some instances here and below ‘glorify’ would be a more suitable translation that ‘magnify’. a 

368

Letter M

h. In piling up riches. But: Be not thou afraid, when a man shall be made rich, for when he shall die he shall take nothing away (Ps. 48, 17–18). i. In their frequent service to the Church. But: Not every one that saith to me, ‘Lord, Lord’, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven (Matth. 7, 21). 3. To magnify (Magnificare) is taken for ‘to praise’. 4. We should magnify God (Magnificare debemvs Devm) a.  With heart. Whence the mother offers an example to her children, saying: My soul doth magnify the Lord (Luke 1, 46). b. With mouth, to which the prophet invites us, saying: O magnify the Lord with me (Ps. 33, 4). c. With works, to which the Lord himself invites us, saying: So let your good works shine before men (Matth. 5, 16). 5. God is magnified (Magnificatvr Devs) a. By us, when by us he is shown to be great (magnus). b. And in us, when he is shown to be great in us, or us in him, according to which it is said: ‘Hallowed be thy name’, in us, not in God. 6. Christ magnifies (Magnificat) priests, as below in Priests (S8). 7. ‘Greater’ means (Maivs dicitvr) a. Sometimes ‘graver’ or ‘more general’. b. Sometimes done with greater contempt. Whence Judas or Cain had a greater sin than Adam. And so it is understood to be graver, as above in Graver (G22). 8. ‘greater’ means (Maivs dicitvr) a.  In commonness. Whence Augustine: ‘There is no greater punishment than to lack the vision of God’,a that is, none more This and the rest of the paragraph are from Alain de Lille: Alan. Ins., Quoniam homines 2, 4, 178 and 184 (p.  321, l.  3–9; p.  324, l.  3–8 and l.  24–29). Not identified in Augustine. a 

369

368

Letter M

369

common, that is, more general, namely with respect to damnation; it is not greater with respect to its sensation, for children who die with original sin lack the vision of God, but feel no other pain. b. In its worthiness. Worthiness of merit, as a simple little old woman is greater than a wicked bishop, that is, greater in merit. Worthiness of office, that is, a simple priest is greater than a count, that is, of a greater office. c. In its long duration. Whence: The greater of these is charity (I Cor. 13, 13), that is, the longer lasting. For faith and hope will be eliminated, but charity never falleth away (I Cor. 13, 8). d.  In authorship also someone is said to be greater than another, as God the Father is called greater than the Son. For the Son proceeds from the Father and not the reverse; nevertheless the Son is not lesser in worthiness. e. In time also someone is greater than another, that is, in time of birth. But this is in two senses, because either in one’s birth into natural life, as Ham was ‘greater’ than Shem and Japheth, or one’s birth into the life of grace, as James is called ‘the Greater’ because he was converted to faith in Christ before the other James. Moreover, the Truth says this: He that believeth in me, the works that I do he shall do, and greater than these shall he do (John 14, 12). This is treated above in Justification (I110.d). 9. The curse (Maledictio) of the serpent was in three things, because it sinned in three ways, the woman in two, the man in one. 10. The serpent was cursed in three things (Maledictvs est serpens in tribvs) a. Because he envied. For this reason it was said to him: Upon thy breast thou shalt go (Gen. 3, 14). b.  Because he lied. For this reason he was punished in his mouth, for it was said to him: Earth thou shalt eat all the days of thy life (Gen. 3, 14). And God put venom in his mouth. c. Because he deceived. For this reason he heard this: I will put enmities between thee and the woman; she shall crush thy head, etc. (Gen. 3, 15).

370

Letter M

11. The woman was cursed in two things (Maledicta est mvlier in dvobvs) a. Because she was proud. Therefore God humbled her, saying: Thou shalt be under thy husband’s violent power (Gen. 3, 16), so that he even afflicts you with blows in the deflowering, you who were subjected by love. b. Because she ate the forbidden fruit. Therefore she was punished in her fruit. Whence: In sorrow shalt thou bring forth children (Gen. 3, 16). In that he said ‘sorrow’ it was a curse; in that he said ‘thou shalt bring forth children’, a blessing – for ‘cursed’ meant ‘barren’ in the law – and in this way God didn’t forget to have mercy in punishing.

370

12. Cursed was (Maledictvs fvit) the man in one thing, because he sinned in one way, namely in eating. Therefore he heard: Cursed is the earth in thy work (Gen. 3, 17), that is, for your work, for which reason it was brought about that the earth, which before would produce good and abundant fruit spontaneously, then produced rare fruit. See how the punishment answers the sin, as below in Punishment (P67) and above in Severe judge (I88). 13. There is a curse (Maledictio est) a. Of the heart. b. Of the mouth. c. Of works, or injustice, which is treated in Injustice (I49). 14. A person curses the Lord in his heart (Maledicit Domino in corde svo) a. Who does good works not with the right intention. b. Who ascribes what he has from God to himself, not to God. 15. There are two ways of cursing (Maledictionvm dvo svnt modi) a.  In consideration of justice. The first way is permitted. In the first way the Lord said to Adam: Cursed is the earth in thy work (Gen. 3, 17), and to Abraham: I will curse them that curse thee (Gen. 12, 3).

371

371

Letter M

b. In malice of vengeance. The second, prohibited. In the second way the Apostle says: Curse not (Rom. 12, 14), and elsewhere: Railers shall not possess the kingdom of God (I Cor. 6, 10). The apostles cursed in the first way. Whence: If any man fear not God, let him be anathema (I Cor. 16, 22), that is, suspended from the communion of the faithful. 16. There is a cursed thing or a curse (Maledictvm est sive maledictio) a. Of sin, that is, according to a sin. Whence: They are cursed who decline from thy commandments (Ps. 118, 21). Again, in Deuteronomy: Every person is accursed that hangeth on a tree (Deut. 21, 23; Gal. 3, 13), that is, hanged for his wrongdoing. Christ was not cursed in this way. b.  Of punishment. Whence: Cursed is the earth in thy work (Gen. 3, 17). Again: Every person is accursed that hangeth on a tree (Deut. 21, 23; Gal. 3, 13): ‘accursed’, that is, dead. In this way Christ was cursed, because he died for all of us (II Cor. 5, 15), that is, for our transgressions. Again, the Apostle: He was made a curse for us (Gal. 3, 13).

372

17. The wicked are compared to a cedar (Mali comparantvr cedro) a. For their pride. Whence: Their iniquity hath come forth, as it were from fatness (Ps. 72, 7). b. Because they are barren. Whence: They have slept their sleep, and all the men of riches have found nothing in their hands (Ps. 75, 6). c. Because they cling to the Earth. Whence: I stick fast in the mire of the deep, and there is no sure standing (Ps. 68, 3). Again: They have set their eyes bowing down to the earth (Ps. 16, 11). Again: Whose God is their belly, who mind earthly things (Phil. 3, 19). 18. The wicked are compared to willows (Mali comparantvr salicibvs) a. Because of their bitterness. Whence: I planted thee my vineyard, and you are turned unto me into bitterness (Jer. 2, 21).

372

Letter M

b. Because of their barrenness. Whence an authority: O earth, earth, write these men rejected and barren (Jer. 22, 29–30 VL). c. For their damage from moisture. Whence: He sleepeth under the shadow in the covert of the reed, and in moist places. The willows of the brook shall compass him about (Job 40, 16–17). 19. The wicked are compared to the straw of a roof (Mali comparantvr feno tecti) a. Because of their brief flourishing. Whence: In the morning man shall grow up like grass, in the morning he shall flourish and pass away (Ps. 89, 6). b. Because of its weak root. Whence Job: I have seen a fool with a strong root, and immediately wrongly exalted (Job 5, 3). He says ‘strong’ according to their own opinion. c. Because of its origin, because, just as hay comes up in a high place, so pride. Whence: ‘Pride inhabits the minds of the sublime beings in the celestial nation, hiding under ashes and sackcloth’.a Again: I have seen the wicked highly exalted, and lifted up (Ps. 36, 35). 20. The wicked are compared to a spider (Mali comparantvr aranee) a.  Because of their destructive behavior, because, as a spider eviscerates itself in weaving, so the worst deed or will of a person harms himself before others. b. Because of their instability, because they are inconstant in commands. c.  Because of their barrenness, because they are unfruitful, without good works. Or because of their uselessness because, as the web of a spider is empty, so in the gathering of money a person labors in emptiness. d. Because of their bitterness, because they delight in wicked deeds. e. Because they are numberless, because God is said to number the good, not the wicked (cf. Matth. 10, 30; Luke 12, 7). And not only the wicked but also the faithful are compared to a spider bea 

Peter Lombard: Petr. Lomb., In Ps. 118, 51 (letter zain, 3) (col. 1069D).

373

373

Letter M

cause of their dwelling together, for as a spider flees our dwelling place and reaches on high, so the faithful soul contemplates heavenly things by scorning earthly things. And any person, that is, a righteous or an unrighteous one, is compared to a spider because of the ready dissolution of its body, for as a spider readily dissolves, so also a human readily dies. 21. The wicked are compared to serpents (Mali comparantvr serpentibvs) a.  Because of their shrewdness. Whence: The serpent was shrewder than any of the beasts of the earth (Gen. 3, 1). b. Because of their nimblea gait for deceiving. Whence: Upon thy breast thou shalt go (Gen. 3, 14). c. Because of their twisting coils. Whence: Moreover you shall slay every serpent, old and crooked, the whale that is in the sea (Is. 27, 1). d. Because of their injection of venom. Whence: The poison of asps is under their lips (Ps. 13, 3; 139, 4).

374

22. The wicked (Mali) a.  Are clamorous. Whence: The cry of Sodom ascends to me (Gen. 18, 20). b.  Unforeseen. Whence: They have hidden snares; they have said, ‘Who shall see them?’ (Ps. 63, 6). c. Hasty. Whence: That which thou dost, do quickly (John 13, 27). d.  Quickly passing. Whence: I  passed by, and lo, he was not; I sought him, etc. (Ps. 36, 36). 23. The wicked pass away (Mali perevnt) a. When they are converted. Whence: Turn the wicked, and he shall not be (Prov. 12, 7). that is, he will not be wicked. b. In sin. Whence: They perished at Endor, and became as dung for the earth (Ps. 82, 11). c. In punishment. Whence: The life of the wicked shall perish (Ps. 1, 6). a 

Possibly ‘nimble’ should rather be translated ‘smooth’ (lĕvis; lēvis).

374

Letter M

24. An evil means (Malvm dicitvr) a. Sometimes sin. b. Sometimes an affliction. c.  Sometimes guilt. Whence: For my soul is filled with evils (Ps. 87, 4), says Christ in the person of his members. d. Sometimes pain. Whence: For my soul is filled with evils, says Christ in his own person. Again: My soul is sorrowful (Matth. 26, 38; Mark 14, 34). 25. There is an evil (Malvm est) a. Against which we suffer. Again: There is no sin in the city which the Lord hath not done (Amos 3, 6), that is, punishment. b. Against which we work. 26. The commandments of God (Mandata Dei) sometimes mean an understanding of the law. Whence: Let me not stray from thy commandments (Ps. 118, 10). 27. The commandments of God (Mandati Dei) a. Some wish neither to know nor to perform them, those who are compared to the deaf asp that stoppeth her ears (Ps. 57, 5). Of these it is said: He would not understand that he might do well (Ps. 35, 4). b. Some wish to know but not to perform. Whence: For they seek me from day to day and desire to know my ways (Is. 58, 2). Again: But to the sinner God hath said, ‘Why dost thou declare my justices?’, etc. (Ps. 49, 16). c. Some to know and to perform. Whence: Blessed are they who hear the word of God and keep it (Luke 11, 28). 28. There are two commandments of natural law (Mandata legis natvralis dvo svnt) a. One is didactic. Whence: What you would that men should do to you, do you also to them (Matth. 7, 12; Luke 6, 31). b. The other is prohibitive, as: What thou would not be done to you, do not do to another (Tob. 4, 16). And these two commandments should be understood as concerning well-doing and injustices. These two commandments had to do with natural law

375

375

Letter M

– what you wish that they would do and what you don’t wish – and with three sacraments: tithes, offerings, sacrifices, that is, of animals.

376

29. Distinguish between mandates (Inter mandata) precepts, testimonies, and exempla. Jerome says at the beginning of Mark’s gospel that precepts have to do with prohibitions, as: Go ye not into the way of Gentiles (Matth. 10, 5), and the like.a Mandates are affirmative, as: A new commandment I give unto you, that you love one another (John 13, 34). Testimonies are words or deeds that bear witness to Christ, as: In the mouth of two or three witnesses every word stands (Matth. 18, 16; Deut. 19, 15; II Cor. 13, 1). Exempla are words or deeds that set an example for us so that we might do the same thing, as: Learn of me, because I am meek and humble of heart (Matth. 11, 29). 30. Distinguish between mandates (Inter mandata) and the law and testimonies. Mandates have no foreshadowing and have force at the present time, as: Thou shalt love God with thy whole heart, etc. (Deut. 6, 5; Matth. 22, 37; Mark 12, 30; Luke 10, 27). The law is the shadow of future things (Hebr. 10, 1), and it should be maintained spiritually, as with regard to sacrifices and figurative things of this kind. A testimony is a visible thing that calls something to mind. Whence Jacob says: This stone will be for a testimony (Gen. 31, 52). And the Lord says to the healed leper: Offer thy gift for a testimony (Matth. 8, 4). Thus the precepts of God are called testimonies that admonish us not to sin. And note that testimonies are taken to prohibit, mandates to require. 31. A mandate or precept is taken in three ways (Mandatvm sive preceptvm tribvs modis accipitvr) a.  For sometimes it has both a form and an intention, and then it is called a precept, as here: Honor thy father and thy mother (Ex. 20, 12). This whole article derives from pseudo-Jerome: Ps. Hier., In Marc. Prologue (p. 3, l. 47–61). a 

376

Letter M

b. Sometimes it has the form and not the intention, and then it is not a precept but the form of a precept, as here: the Lord to Abraham, Take thy son whom thou lovest, Isaac (Gen. 22, 2). c. Sometimes is doesn’t have the form, but it has the intention, and then it is a precept, as here: Thou shalt not commit adultery (Ex. 20, 14). 32. The commandments of the decalogue (Ex. 20, 2–17; Deut. 5, 6–21) (Mandata decalogi) a.  On the first tablet. I  am the Lord thy God who brought thee out of the land of Egypt. Thou shalt not have strange gods, that is, have me alone as God, for Christ is one God with the Father and the Holy Spirit. And the expression ‘thou shalt not have’ is used for the imperative ‘do not have’ in accordance with Hebrew idiom. Second: Thou shalt not take the name of thy God in vain, that is, the name of Christ should not be taken in vain, as to regard him who created all things as himself created, for truly God is one, Father and Son and Holy Spirit. In the Spirit, that is, in the gift of God, rest is promised to us. Whence the third follows. The third: Remember that thou keep holy the sabbath day, that is, don’t do menial labor on that day. These three pertain to God. b. On the second tablet. Honor thy father and thy mother with a double honor, by revering them and by ministering to their needs. Thou shalt not kill by hand or in mind or by consenting, nor inflict violence on the innocent, nor take away help for whom you could help. However, a judge doesn’t kill, but the law. Thou shalt not commit adultery, that is, have intercourse with anyone except under the pledge of matrimony. Thou shalt not steal or even seize others’ belongings. Thou shalt not bear false witness. This prohibits all lying, although some feel that God has tacitly permitted a lie that is for the good, if there is no hindrance. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife, nor his servant, nor his handmaid, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is his. This prohibits one’s coveting chattels. Thou shalt not covet the property of thy neighbor. This prohibits coveting real estate. These seven pertain to one’s neighbor. These ten commandments are written on two tablets because they

377

377

Letter M

378

all fall under two, namely to love of God and neighbor. The first tablet contains the more outstanding commandments, those that pertain to the love of God, but the second those that are lesser. 33. This mandate or (Mandatvm sive) precept was given for a time, that is: Increase and multiply (Gen. 1, 22), that is, multiply for the time being, as this: ‘Cursed is the barren’,a or cursed, that is, blessed, will be she who, with her virginity preserved, will not be barren.

379

34. There is a mandate (Mandatvm est) a. Old and inveterate, that is, a ritual mandate; a figural precept given as a sign; a temporary mandate that is given for a time; a local mandate, which is restricted within the boundaries of Judea; a personal mandate, which is given to one people. This old and inveterate mandate was given to old and inveterate humankind: old indeed through punishment and inveterate through guilt. b. Very old and renewed, that is, a moral precept inscribed on the mind of humankind in antiquity but renewed in the gospel: old in its essence, renewed through grace. c.  New and renewing is the mandate of charity, which is exalted to the heavens, expands even to one’s enemies, reaches unto death, descends as far as the deep. This mandate is not only new, but renewing, because it was newly given by the new Man to renewed humanity. Of these three mandates we read: You shall eat the oldest of the old store, with regard to a moral precept, and, new coming on, with regard to the mandate of charity, you shall cast away the old mandate (Lev. 26, 10), with regard to the ritual mandate. This mandate of charity is a fountain of which a stranger does not partake (Prov. 5, 16–17 VL), a tree of life that only a member of the household eats, a garden enclosed, a fountain sealed up (Cant. 4, 12), a paradise of delights, a fire in Zion, his furnace in Jerusalem (Is. 31, 9), a lamp in the way, a bringer The phrase is treated as if it were biblical by a number of authors. The blessed one is the virgin Mary. a 

378

Letter M

of light in the fatherland. Of this mandate the Lord says in the gospel: A new commandment I give unto you, that you love one another as I have loved you (John 13, 34). Similarly, the devil says in contradiction: ‘An old commandment I give unto you, that as I love you (in lechery), so may you love (as an enticement)’. O human, behold the form of your life, the rule of your discipline, the chain of religion, the example of your charity! Behold the art of right living, the doctrine by which hatred is taken away, covetousness is unstrung, pride is quenched, malice is sent away! 35. The Church devours (Mandvcat) or eats some people, God eats some, the devil eats some, as above in Eats (C95). 36. There is a morning (Mane) a. Of time, that is of this age or of the world. Of this time the gospel speaks of an householder who went out early in the morning to hire laborers into his vineyard (Matth. 20, 1). And according to another exposition this is about the morning of a human, that is of childhood. Of this morning is said: In the morning he shall pass away like grass; in the morning he shall flourish and pass away; in the evening he shall fall, grow dry, and wither (Ps. 89, 6). b. Of one’s heart, that is, the rising of grace or the beginning of grace. Of this, Isaiah: Thy justice shall rise like the morning (Is. 45, 8; 58, 8; Ps. 71, 7). And David: I will meditate on thee in the morning (Ps. 61, 7). c. Of eternity or of glory, that is, the beginning of eternity or glory, which also, that is, the morning, is called a second resurrection. Of this is said: In the morning I will stand before thee (Ps. 5, 5). d. There is also the morning of a day. Whence: And very early in the morning, the first day of the week (Mark 16, 2). e.  And there is a morning of sin, that is, the first impulses, which should be repressed lest there be a movement to consent, and from consent to action. Of the first impulse it is said to the woman: He shall lie in wait for thy heel; but thou shall crush his head (Gen. 3, 15), that is, the first impulse.

379

380

Letter M

37. Manna is called the food of angels (Manna dicitvr cibvs angelorvm) a. Because of its origin, for it descended from heaven, where angels don’t enjoy it, but enjoy God. b.  Because of its meaning, for it signifies Christ, who is the food of angels. c. Because of its administering, because manna was administered by the ministry of angels. 38. There is a meekness (Mansvetvdo est) a. In discipleship. Whence: Unless you be converted and become as this little child, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven (Matth. 18, 3). b. In majesty. Whence: When thou art angry, thou wilt remember mercy (Hab. 3, 2). Again, Solomon: My son, they have made thee a magnate among the people; be among them as one of them (Eccli. 32, 1). c. In adversity. Whence: In your patience you shall possess your souls (Luke 21, 19). 39. Between meek (Inter mansvetvm) and poor a distinction is drawn in Blessedness (B10.c). 40. With our own hands (Manibvs propriis) we are obliged to work, as the Apostle says above in Labor (L6).

381

41. God extends his hand (Manvm mittit Devs) a. For vengeance. Whence: I have laid my hand on them that troubled them (Ps. 80, 15). b. For power. Whence: Stretch forth thy hand and touch all that he hath, and see if he blesseth thee not to thy face (Job 1, 11 VL). c. For protection. Whence: Thou hast laid thy hand upon me (Ps. 138, 5). d. For the Nativity. Whence: Put forth thy hand from on high (Ps. 143, 7). e.  For blessing. Whence the Lord to Moses: Lay your hand upon the children of Israel, and I will bless them (Num. 6, 27).

380

Letter M

42. There is a hand (Manvs est) a. Of vengeance. Whence: It is better that I should fall into the hands of men than into the hands of the living God (cf. II Sam. 24, 14; Hebr. 10, 31). b. Of generosity. Whence: Thou openest thy hand, etc. (Ps. 144, 16). c. Of protection. Whence: In the shadow of his hand he hath protected me (Is. 49, 2). 43. The hand of God (Manvs Dei) a. Is called Christ. Whence: Put forth thy hand from on high (Ps. 143, 7). b. The strength of his working. Whence: Thy hands have made me (Ps. 118, 73), or because he says ‘thy hands’ with the plural, they are understood as strength and wisdom, either of which is Christ, or that the hands of God are the Son and the Holy Spirit, which work together. Therefore that which is said in the gospel of the Word of God – namely: All things were made by him (John 1, 3) – is not a contradiction, for the Word of God and the Hand of God are the same thing. c. Blindness of mind. Whence the Lord to Moses: I will set thee in a hole of the rock and protect thee with my right hand (Ex. 33, 22). Through Moses, the Jewish people, and through the right hand, blindness of mind. 44. The hand of God is – as Jerome says in his treatise the essence of God (Manvs Dei est vt ait Ieronimvs in tractatv De essentia Dei)a a. His son, by whom all things were made (John 1, 3). Whence Isaiah: My hand made all these things, and all these things were made (Is. 66, 2). b. His power. Whence Jeremiah: As clay is in the hand of a potter, so are you in my hand (Jer. 18, 6).

The anonymous treatise is attributed to Jerome and Augustine among others. See pseudo-Jerome: Ps. Hier., De essentia divinitatis, Epistle 14 (PL 30, col. 1199– 1208, esp. col. 1201–02). a 

381

382

Letter M

c. A scourge. Whence Zephaniah: I will stretch out my hand upon Juda and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and I will destroy out of this place the remnant of Baal (Zeph, 1, 4). d. Any stroke. Whence Job: The hand of the Lord hath touched me (Job. 19, 21). 45. The virgin Mary (Maria) didn’t want to be born from a queen or from the daughter of a queen but from Anna, so that children wouldn’t regret being born of humble parents or the children of magnates wouldn’t boast. 46. The virgin Mary was espoused to Joseph for seven reasons (Maria virgo desponsata fvit Ioseph septem de cavsis) a. To signify the Church, which is a virgin, both spotless and unwrinkled (cf. Eph. 5, 27), espoused to Christ. b. So that through Joseph, her spouse, her lineage from David would be displayed. c. So that Joseph would defend her from the infamy of suspicion. d. So that she wouldn’t be condemned as an adulteress. e. So that the ministry of her husband might be maintained. f. So that it would not be a pretext for virgins, if the mother of Christ were to be defamed. g. So that a virgin’s birth might be concealed from the devil.

383

47. The virgin Mary (Maria virgo) was privileged in three things, that she was a virgin and a mother and gave birth to God, which, that is, which three privileges, no woman had ever had. 48. Mary is called (Maria dicitvr) a. Beloved in her birth, because she was sanctified in the womb like John, Jeremiah, and Jacob (cf. Luke 1, 15; Jer. 1, 5; Gen. 25, 23). Her nativity would not otherwise be revered. And of the nativity of John there is the same reasoning, for his was close to the new testament, but those of Jeremiah and Jacob were remote. b. The espoused in the Annunciation. Whence: The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee, and the power of the most High shall over-

382

Letter M

shadow thee (Luke 1, 35), and: Behold the handmaid of the lord; be it done to me according to thy word (Luke 1, 38). c. A mother in the Purification. d. Queen or wife in the Assumption. Whence: The queen stood on thy right hand, etc. (Ps. 44, 10). 49. Blessed Mary is called a handmaid (Beata Maria dicitvr ancilla) a. Because of her humility. Whence: Because he hath regarded the humility of his handmaid (Luke 1, 48). b. Because of her obedience. Whence: Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it done to me according to thy word (Luke 1, 38). c. Because of her weakness. Whence Simeon: And thy own soul a sword shall pierce (Luke 2, 35). 50. The virgin Mary (Maria virgo) is called the house of God because Christ inhabited her womb. Whence Solomon: Wisdom hath built herself a house, etc. (Prov. 9, 1), as below in Wisdom.a She is the house of God and the gate of heaven, the door of paradise. 51. The virgin Mary (Maria virgo) sought rest or quiet, as below in Quiet.b 52. Mary is compared to a lily (Maria comparatvr lilio) a.  Because of certain properties of lilies. For a lily displays whiteness, breathes or spreads an odor, heals wounds, and grows in untilled earth, all of which things accord with her. b. First, for her whiteness, because she is both white and immaculate, for she was sanctified in the womb. And although heretofore we were darkness, but now light in the Lord (Eph. 5, 8), and although heretofore we were obscure, now we are lucid, because The just shall shine as the sun (Matth. 13, 43) and we will be equal to a  b 

A blank cross-reference. A blank cross-reference.

383

384

Letter M

385

the angels (Luke 20, 36). For she is distinguished for her whiteness of virtues and beauty of graces, whence the angel said to her: Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among woman (Luke 1, 28), that is, more than all women. For she is the virgin of virgins, the ornament of humans, and the queen of the angels themselves. She rises above the patriarchs and prophets, passes over the apostles, so that in the universal garment of Christ, in the diadem of the head of Christ, you will not find a pearl that compares to her. c. Second, for her odor of the finest ointments. Ointments are the supreme fulness of the graces, with which, as has already been said, she singularly excels. Her odor of ointments entices us to faith and good works, so that we may run on these two feet in the odor of her ointments following her tracks. d. Third, for her healing of wounds, for through her in a wondrous and unheard way our wounds are healed. For she is a rod out of the root of Jesse (Is. 11, 1) from which a certain flower has sprouted, a shoot at first, but afterwards it rose up wondrously and grew into the great tree that is called the tree of life. That flower is Christ: indeed at first he was a child whose name was known to few and whose faith was taken up by fewer, but afterwards he made himself manifest by teaching and working miracles, even by resuscitating people who were already four days dead, whence he is deservedly called the tree of life. Whence Solomon: Wisdom is a tree of life to them all that embrace her (Prov. 3, 18). e. Fourth, for the untilled earth where she grew. For her father was Joachim and her mother Anna; they were Jews in religion and of undistinguished heritage. See, the untilled earth from which the blessed Mary grew like a lily. 53. Mary is compared to a fleece (Maria comparatvr velleri) a. Because the flesh of Christ was taken from her flesh, as clothing is taken from fleece. Whence: ‘Clothed in human flesh’, etc.a

a 

A chant: Cantus 006410, etc.

384

Letter M

b. Because she gave birth to Christ with injury and pain, as a fleece is taken from a sheep with injury. For this gate is shut through which a man has not entered (Ezek. 44, 2). c.  And because, as a fleece holds dew, so she holds an abundance of virtues. Whence: Ave Maria, full of grace, the Lord is with thee, etc. (Luke 1, 28). Again: The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee (Luke 1, 35). 54. Mary the virgin (Maria virgo) is called a rod (virga). Whence Isaiah: There shall come forth a rod, that is, Mary, out of the root of Jesse, that is, from the stock of David, and a flower, that is, Christ (Is. 11, 1). 55. The virgin Mary (Maria virgo) is compared to the dawn, because just as dawn is the mediator between day and night, so the blessed Mary is the mediator between sinners and God, for daily she pleads for us to our Lord God. And that she may be called dawn says Solomon: Who is she that ascends as the dawn rising, fair as the moon, chosen as the sun? (Cant. 6, 9) – for blessed Mary was the chosen among women, preferred among virgins, highly chosen among the saints. 56. The virgin Mary (Maria virgo) sometimes is understood as a cloud, as in Isaiah: The Lord will ascend upon a swift cloud (Is. 19, 1), as above in He ascends (A102.a). 57. Mary (Maria) Magdalene truly repented, as below in Penitence (P74.a). 58. Martyrs (Martires) is the Greek term, ‘witnesses’ (testes) in Latin. So also ‘testimony’ in Latin and ‘martyrdom’ in Greek, as here: Remove from me reproach and contempt, because I have sought after thy testimonies (Ps. 118, 22). 59. Martyrs (Martires) are not made by suffering – understand ‘by suffering only’ – but by their cause.

385

386

Letter M

60. Martyrs are called ‘The hillock of testimony’ (Martires dicvntvr ‘Acervvs testimonii’) (Gen. 31, 47) a. Because in the primitive Church many were converted from the Jews. b.  Because of their multitude. Whence: They have given the dead bodies of thy servants to be meat for the fowls, etc. (Ps. 78, 2). c. Because of the multitude of their tormentors. Whence: The saints had trial of mockeries and stripes, etc. (Hebr. 11, 36). d. Because of their multifold witness of heart and of mouth. Whence: With the heart is belief unto justice, but with the mouth confession is made unto salvation (Rom. 10, 10). e. Because of the distress of their flesh. Whence the Apostle: I chastise my body and bring it into subjection (I Cor. 9, 27). f.  Because of their outward persecution. Whence: We were pressed out of measure, so that we were weary of life (II Cor. 1, 8). g.  Because of the shedding of their blood. Whence: Greater love than this no man hath, that a man lay down his life for his friends (John 15, 13). h. Because of their hidden inspiration. Whence: I am sure that neither death, nor life… nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God (Rom. 8, 38–39). And thus, while there may be testimony among the confessors, there is a hillock of testimony also among the martyrs, that is, those who bore witness not only with heart and mouth, but also with deeds. Martyrs are a hillock of testimony of Jesus Christ by shedding blood; we can scarcely be called little mounds, however much we nominally believe in Christ.

387

61. There are three kinds of martyrdom (Martirii tria svnt genera) a. In the shedding of blood. b. In the enfeebling of the flesh. c. In compassion for one’s neighbor. 62. Martyrs (Martires) and the poor in spirit are deemed equals. Whence: Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven, and Blessed are they that suffer persecution,  etc. (Matth. 5, 3 and 10).

386

Letter M

63. There is a threefold martyrdom without blood (Martirii sine sangvine triplex est) a. Scarcity in abundance, which Job and David had. b.  Generosity in poverty, which Tobit and the widow of Sa­ reph­ta exhibited (III Kings 17, 10–16). c. Chastity in youth, which Joseph preserved in Egypt. 64. There are two kinds of martydom (Martirii dvo svnt genera) a. Of the Old Testament, that is, from the beginning of time up to the era of grace. Therefore one is called a martyr of the Old Testament who either died as a figure of Christ, like Abel, or for the truth that he spoke, like Isaiah, cut with a wooden saw, Jeremiah stoned (cf. Hebr. 11, 37), Ezekiel brained, or for the religion of God, like the seven Maccabees (cf. II Macc. 7). b. And of the New. There are martyrs of the new testament, of those who died instead of Christ, as did the Innocents, or for the truth, like John the Baptist, or those who died for their witness to the Christian faith, that is, to the Passion of Christ, of whom is said: The saints by faith conquered kingdoms, wrought justice, obtained promises (Hebr. 11, 33), and this in the proper sense of the word, for ‘martyr’ means ‘witness’, as Stephen is called the Protomartyr, that is, the first of martyrs, or one who weak in faith patiently sustained the death inflicted on him even though not as a witness to faith, like the blessed Thomas or the blessed Lambert.a Besides all these ways, Christ, who suffered for the salvation of humankind, was called a martyr. And we should observe that we celebrate the day of martyrdom of none of the martyrs of the Old Testament – not even of John the Baptist, but only of the discovery or cremation of his bones – because they didn’t suffer for the faith of Christ in such a way that they would bear witness that the Passion and Resurrection and Ascension were in his death. Besides these ways we speak of a martyr in spirit, whence the blessed John Thomas and Lambert were martyred for political reasons, not as matters of faith. Many scribes altered the difficult ‘weak in faith’ to ‘firm in faith’. The text may be corrupt. a 

387

388

Letter M

the evangelist, who did not lack martyrdom in his spirit, and who was thrust into a vat of boiling oil. Jerome speaks of monks in this way: ‘Monks should have the purity of martyrdom, and indeed they also are martyrs themselves’.a So we read in the Gospel History. 65. Adultery is (Mechia est) a. Bodily, that is, when a man lies with a woman, or in whatever way a lecherous deed is performed. b. General, that is, any kind of wrong desire. 66. The middle (Medie) of the night is a privileged time, as below in Night (N21).

389

67. There is a honey (Mel est) a. Of the wicked, namely worldly knowledge or temporal pleasure, of which is said: Honey drips from the lips of a harlot (Prov. 5, 3 VL). b. Of good people, that is, faith in the Incarnation. That is the honeycomb that Samson found in the mouth of the lion (Judges 14, 8). c.  Of the blessed, namely, the comprehensive vision of God. This is the pure honey for which the prophet’s desire sighed, saying: O how great is the multitude of thy sweetness, O Lord (Ps. 30, 20). 68. The honey (Mel) of the wicked puffs up; the honey of the good delights with hope; the honey of the blessed fills to the full. 69. Melchisedech (Melchisedech), the ‘king of justice’, from ‘melchos’, which is ‘king’, and ‘sedech’, which is ‘justice’. 70. ‘Better’ means (Melivs dicitvr) a. More serene, as a contemplative. b. Better in kind, as again a contemplative. Peter Comestor: Petr. Comestor, Hist. schol. in euang. 113 (col. 1596A), from Jerome: Hier., Tract. in Ps. I, 115 (p. 245, l. 162–64). a 

388

Letter M

c. Worthy of a greater reward, as sometimes someone in active life, sometimes in contemplative. d. Better in outcome or productiveness, as one in active life, for one in active life is effective in more ways than one in contemplative. 71. There are three kinds of lies (Mendaciorvm tria svnt genera) a. For there is a lie for someone’s safety or convenience, told not with malice but kindness, as we read the midwives in Exodus did, those who told a falsehood to pharaoh to save the sons of the Hebrews (Ex. 1, 19). b. One that is told in jest, that doesn’t deceive, for the one to whom it is told knows that it is told as a joke. And these two kinds of lies are not without guilt, but it is not severe unless it is done habitually. But it is not proper for the perfect to lie, not even to save someone’s temporal life. What to do, then? Let him be silent! For it is better to be silent about a true thing than to speak a falsehood. For God was silent about a true thing, whence: I have many things to say to you that you cannot bear now,  etc. (John 16, 12). And Augustine says, ‘Beware the lie in all matters’.a But if someone should ask, ‘What shall I do, when it happens that either I lie or another die?’, we answer, ‘Augustine himself says, “It will never happen that the Omnipotent wouldn’t have another way of saving a person whom he wishes to save than by means of your lie”’.b c. One that proceeds from malice and duplicity, which should be avoided at all costs. Of this kind is said: Thou wilt destroy all that speak a lie (Ps. 5, 7), and: The mouth that belieth killeth the soul (Wis. 1, 11). The first, that is, the lie told for the good of one’s neighbor, is a venial sin; the second, that is, in jest, is a venial sin if it isn’t done habitually; the third, that is, with malice or deceit, is a mortal sin. Or: the first, that is, the first lie, is spoken in craftiness, the second in jest, the third in duplicity. Gratian., Decret. 2, 22, 2, 16 (col. 872, l. 13–14), from Isidore: Isid., Synon. 2, 53 (p. 106, l. 560–61). Not identified in Augustine. b  Source unidentified. a 

389

390

Letter M

73. A  lie (Mendacivm) and lying are not exactly the same. A  ‘lie’ is a false signification of voice with the intention of deceiving; ‘lying’ is speaking against one’s conscience. And in this way sometimes a person speaking the truth is lying, because he speaks against his conscience, and sometimes a person speaking a falsehood is truthful, because he is not speaking against his conscience. ‘Where there is not a double intention, it shouldn’t be called a lie’.a We read this distinction in comment on this: Thou hatest all workers of iniquity; thou wilt destroy all that speak a lie (Ps. 5, 7).

391

73. A person is a liar (Mendax est homo) a. In his essence, for one doesn’t remain in the same status – for now one is a youth, now an old person, now a null, never remaining in the same status.b b. In utterance or speech. Whence: Every man is a liar (Ps. 115, 2 = 114, 11). c. In works, for one’s works are transitory. And in the same way Christ is truthful, that is, in essence, speech, and works. 74. A  person and a book are liars in the same way (Mendax est homo et liber eodem modo)c a. Because they omit things that ought to be done. b. Because they put forward what ought not to be done. c. Because they invert the order of things that ought to be done. 75. A divided mind (Mens divisa) accomplishes nothing.

Glos. ord. on Psalm 5, 7, attributing the saying to Augustine. As the Chanter’s sources make clear, the idea is that one’s shifting, labile stations in life amount to a lie. c  Some manuscripts omit et liber eodem modo (a book… in the same way’), making easier sense. The singular verbs, translated here as plurals (‘omit’, etc.) support this alternative – a person is a liar by doing wrong as well as by speaking wrongly. There may be a confusion early in the manuscript tradition, perhaps caused by eyeskip from title to title and subsequent loss of a comparison of human liar and book. To compound the difficulty: the title just possibly might also be translated ‘A person is a liar and free in the same way’. a 

b 

390

Letter M

76. A mind is divided (Mens dividitvr) a.  Either when a person says one thing and thinks another. Whence: They blessed with their mouth but cursed with their heart (Ps. 61, 5). b. Or when a person proposes for himself two opposite intentions. Whence: Let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doth (Matth. 6, 3). And in either of these two situations is mortal sin. c.  Or when a person proposes for himself diverse intentions of which one defers to the other as they are joined, putting the worldly things that people desire after the love of God. Whence the Apostle: Charge the rich of the world not to be highminded, nor to trust in the uncertainty of riches (I Tim. 6, 17). In this mode there is venial or no sin. 77. ‘table’ is threefold (Mensa est tripplex) a. First, the table of Moses in the wilderness, which is called the Table of Proposition (Num. 4, 7), of which is written: Make for me a table of setim wood, and thou shalt overlay it with purest gold (Ex. 25, 23–24). The Jews sat at this table, to whom is said: You have sat at my table and you have not had enough; you have drunk my wine and you have not been filled with drink (Haggai 1, 6). b.  Second, the table of Christ in this world, which is called a sacramental table, that is, the eucharist, of which the Apostle: You cannot be partakers of the table of the Lord and of the table of devils (I Cor. 10, 21 VL). Those who sit at this table are wayfarers (viatores), whence the eucharist is also called ‘traveling-money’ (viaticum).a Of this is said: The poor shall eat and shall be filled (Ps. 21, 27), that is, those who have contempt for this world. c.  Third, the table of the whole Trinity in heaven, which is called the table of eternal refreshment, that is, of eternal life, of which the Truth says: And I dispose to you, as my Father hath disposed to me, a kingdom, that you may eat and drink at my table in the kingdom (Luke 22, 29–30). At this table are seated those who comprehend. The Chanter employs the common figure of this life as the ‘way’ (via) toward the afterlife. a 

391

392

Letter M

393

78. There is a table (Mensa est) a.  Of perdition, that is, of demons. Whence in Exodus: The people sat down to eat and drink, and they rose up to play (Ex. 32, 6). Again, the Apostle: You cannot be partakers of the table of Christ and of the table of devils (I Cor. 10, 21). b. Of penitence. Whence: My tears have been my bread day and night (Ps. 41, 4). Again: For I did eat ashes like bread (Ps. 101, 10). c.  Of good works. Whence: My meat is to do the will of my Father (John 4, 34). d. Of contemplation, that is, sacred scripture. Whence it was said: Thou hast prepared a table for me (Ps. 22, 5). In the tabernacle, that is, in the Church, is sacred scripture. The four feet (Ex. 25, 26; 37, 13) are the four ways of understanding, the twelve loaves (Lev. 24, 5) are the twelve apostles. The patens of gold placed above the loaves signify eternal perfection, which is acquired from the preaching of the apostles. The handful of incense (cf. Lev. 24, 7) signifies good works. 79. God has prepared a table (Mensam paravit Devs) (cf. Ps. 22, 5) a.  By suffering. For before the Passion his flesh was raw and inedible, but afterwards on the cross it was cooked as if in a frying pan and edible. b. By his ordinance, so that we consume his flesh in the likeness of bread and his blood in the likeness of wine. c. By conferring power on priests, for only priests prepare the body of Christ. 80. They shall give a measure into your bosom (Mensvram dabvnt in sinv vestro) (Luke 6, 38) a. Good, for its splendor, for ‘beautiful’ (bellum) comes from ‘good’ (bonus). b.  Pressed down because of his impassibility, for something pressed down is indissoluble. c. Shaken together for its nimbleness, for a nimble thing is shaken more quickly.

392

Letter M

d. Running over because of its fineness, for a fine-grained thing more easily overflows. The Lord measured out this measure to the disciples, saying: One who has left father or mother, etc., shall receive an hundredfold,  etc. (Matth. 19, 29; Mark 10, 29). Do you wish to see further how this measure from his mercy abounds and overflows? There is no numbering it and his mercy abideth for ever (Ps. 60, 8) and beyond. 81. Christ is called a merchant or businessman (Mercator) because he entered Egypt (Matth. 2, 13–15) on a virginal boat and, giving his wares to the Egyptians, he received wares from them. 82. The wares (Merces) a. Of God are like graces: forgiveness of sins, virtue, joy, perseverance, and in the future, eternal life. b. Of Egypt: sin, death, toil, and sorrow. Therefore he gave rest for toil, life for death, joy for sorrow, for as he gave the former things he took on the latter. Indeed he did not take on sin, but the Egyptians wished to attribute the wares of sin to him, saying: Master, we know that thou art a true speaker and teachest the way of God in truth, etc. Is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar, or not? But the skillful Merchant refuted this false merchandise by showing a penny. Whose is, he said, this inscription? They say to him, ‘Caesar’s’. Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s (Mark 12, 14–17; Luke 20, 21–25). That Merchant was without deceit, for he didn’t want deceitful money. See how Christ was a merchant. But if you wish to be an excellent merchant, an outstanding money-lender, a crafty hireling, give what you cannot keep so that you may acquire what you cannot lose; give a small amount, that you might acquire a hundredfold; give an estranged belonging, that you may acquire an eternal inheritance. 83. A hireling (Mercennarivs) should be tolerated, as below in Preachers (P118.c).

393

394

Letter M

84. For meriting (Merendi) there is no place in the future life, but for receiving; that is, no one there merits anything for himself, but for us. 85. With regard to prostitutes (Meretricibvs) note that the prophet Hosea, the first of the twelve minor prophets, bought a prostitute for a core of barley, as we read in the Decretum, following the command of the Lord, and he joined with her in marriage (Hos. 3, 1–2).a And similarly Salmon married the prostitute Rahab (30 1, 5; Josh. 6, 25).

395

86. A  threefold harvest requires prelates (Messis triplex postvlat prelatos) a. The first harvest is among their subjects, who are ready for performing well if they find an example in the prelates. b. The second in natural goods – in intellect, reason, memory, and others – which are ready for bearing fruit if they find prelates to follow. c, The third in holy scripture, where an abundant crop should be gathered by prelates. Of the first harvest we read: See the countries, for they are white already to harvest (John 4, 35). Of the second is said: But coming they shall come with joyfulness, carrying their sheaves (Ps. 125, 6). Of the third: The harvest indeed is great, but the laborers are few (Matth. 9, 37; Luke 10, 2). At many a harvest the laborers are few because, although there are those who hear good things, we lack those who say them. See, the whole world is full of priests, yet in God’s harvest a worker is very rarely found, because we take up the priestly office indeed, but we don’t carry out the work of the office. Of the first harvest there is a declaration against the prelates of this form: Woe to you, dumb dogs not able to bark (Is. 56, 10). Indeed, a prelate is similar to a dog: the tongue of a dog is medicinal, it wards off a thief. So prelates are obliged to heal the wounds of sin in their subjects, and against false brothers to aim their bites of correction. Of the second is said against them: Woe to you, because they lay insupportable burdens on otha 

Gratian., Decret. 2, 32, 1, 13 (col. 1119, l. 17–19).

394

Letter M

ers, etc. (Matth. 23, 4; Luke 11, 46). Of the third is said against the same prelates: Woe to you who have the key of knowledge, etc. (Luke 11, 52) – for the two keys have been conferred on prelates. And although they should be the spiritual physicians of the soul, they don’t even, in a likeness of a material physician, attend to the condition of the spiritually sick by considering the time, place, cause, person, sex, and age, and things of this kind, so that, if the sick person labors with the dropsy of greed, he would call him to works of mercy; if he labors with the leprosy of lechery, he would call him to the remedy of chastity; if he is ill with the disease of gluttony, he would heal him with the potion of sobriety. 87. There is a war (Milicia est) a. Against the world, which urges vanities. b. Against the devil, who urges wickedness, and this is a long war. c. Against the flesh, which urges pleasures, and this is the longest. 88. To make war (Militare) is not a transgression, but to make war for booty is a sin, as says Augustine, The Words of the Lord.a 89. We speak of the ‘least’ (Minimvs dicitvr) a. Sometimes with regard to time. Whence the Apostle: I am the least of the apostles (I Cor. 15, 9) – that is, the least in time, not in rank. b. Sometimes with regard to worthiness. Whence a layperson is the least of priests, namely, in rank. 90. A  wonder (mirabilia) of God is that he made us in his image and likeness. 91. A greater wonder (Mirabiliora), that he recreated us, redeemed us. Gratian., Decret. 2, 23, 1, 5 (col. 893, l. 17–20), from Augustine: Avg., Serm. – PL 82 (PL, 38, col. 506A), from Abbo of Fleury: Abbo Flor., Can., Hom. 11 (col. 506A). a 

395

396

Letter M

92. The greatest wonder (Mirabilissima), that he gave us eternal life, and that we will be the equals of angels. And these three things are sometimes called miracles.

397

93. Miracles sometimes are performed (Miracvla fivnt qvandoqve) a.  For the merits of those for whom they are performed. Whence to certain people saying: Lord, have we not cast out devils in thy name? (Matth. 7, 22) and the like, the Lord will say: Amen I say to you, I know you not (Matth. 25, 12; Luke 13, 25). b.  For the manifestation of glory, as the miracle of the man born blind (John 9, 1–3). 94. It is a miracle (Miracvlvm) that God became human. 95. Some offer myrrh (Mirram), as below in He offers (O35). 96. God’s mercy (Misericordia Dei) a. Some is small, which is done commonly before all, as in his conferring of temporal goods. Whence: Who maketh his sun to rise upon the good and bad, and raineth upon the just and unjust (Matth. 5, 45). And this is not called small because it is small, but because it is relatively small, for in fact it is great. But some consider this mercy to be very great, because they love and care for it greatly, putting great hope in it. b.  Some is middling, which is done toward the impenitent, that he doesn’t immediately punish them when they sin, but calls on them and awaits their penitence. Whence: Who endured with much patience vessels of wrath, fitted for destruction (Rom. 9, 22). Again, Jeremiah: It is commonly said, if a man put away his wife and she go from him and marry another man, shall he return to her any more? Shall not that woman be polluted and defiled? ‘Nevertheless return to me’, saith the Lord (Jer. 3, 1). c. Some is great, which is done toward the penitent whom he receives when they come to confession and forgives them their sins. Whence: In whatever hour a sinner laments, I  will not remember

396

Letter M

all his iniquities (Ezek. 33, 12; 18, 21–22). Again: I said I will confess against myself my injustice, and thou hast forgiven, etc. (Ps. 31, 5). In this it is evident that forgiveness precedes confession, because: I said I will confess, and thou hast forgiven not only the sin but also the wickedness, that is, that I have proposed not to repent. And this mercy is threefold: because it is great in the forgiveness of sins, as has been said, which is granted to the penitent; and what is granted to those who persevere is greater, for whom God gives the grace of perseverance – of which is said: And thy mercy shall follow me all the days of my life (Ps. 22, 6) – and it is greatest in the conferring of eternal things, which will happen on Judgment Day, when he will render to each person according to his works – and it is also called greatest because one is rewarded beyond what he deserves. Whence it is said: The sufferings of this time are not worthy to be compared with the glory to come, that shall be revealed in you (Rom. 8, 18). ‘Thus the devil is conquered by nothing’ – as we read in comment on the Psalm Blessed be the Lord my God (Ps. 143) – ‘except by mercy, which consists in two things, that is, in giving and in forgiving. For if one forgives, even though he has sinned, it will be forgiven him; who gives, it will be given him. Of this, James says: Mercy exalteth itself above judgment (James 2, 13), that is, is placed above judgment, because for the person in whom works of mercy will be found, even if he has had by chance something for which he may be punished in the Judgment, a wave of mercy like water extinguishes the fire of sin’.a 97. The mercy of God is (Misericordia Dei est) a. Interior. In the infusion of grace, of which is said: To give knowledge of salvation (Luke 1, 77), that is, grace, namely the infusion of grace. In the forgiveness of erasing of sin. Whence: Unto the remission of their sins (Luke 1, 77). b. Exterior, as in the conferring of temporal goods. 98. The mercy of God is (Misericordia Dei est) a. Promised. Whence: In thy seed shall all the nations be blessed (Gen. 22, 18). a 

Peter Lombard: Petr. Lomb., In Ps. 143, 3 (col. 1255C); Glos. ord. in Ps. 143, 1.

397

398

Letter M

399

b. Granted or fulfilled in the Nativity. Whence: The earth is full of the mercy of the Lord (Ps. 32, 5). c. Confirmed on the day of Pentecost. Whence: Stay you in the city, till you be endued with power from on high (Luke 24, 49). 99. Mercy (Misericordia) in the singular sometimes means God himself, as do Justice and Power and the like, and in the plural it is used for their effects, for all these qualities have many effects. 100. Works of mercy are compared to oil (Misericordie opera comparantvr oleo) a.  Because they give light. Whence: So let your good works shine before men (Matth. 5, 16). b. Because they feed. Whence in Canticles: My beloved feedeth on the lilies (Cant. 6, 2), that is, on good works. Again Isaiah: Refresh the weary; for this is my desire (Is. 28, 12). c. Because they heal. Whence: Charity covereth a multitude of sins (I Pet. 4, 8). Again: Give alms, and behold, all things are clean for you (Luke 11, 41). d. Because oil floats on top of other liquids; similarly works of mercy stand out above other works. Whence also in the Judgment this alone will be remembered: I  was hungry, I  was thirsty,  etc. (Matth. 25, 35). Again, the Apostle: I show unto you yet a more excellent way (I Cor. 12, 31), namely, charity. Whence: If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, etc. (I Cor. 13, 1). e. And because the olive signifies peace, so also works of mercy reconcile us to God. And Daniel to Nebuchadnezzar: Redeem thou, O  king, thy sins with alms; perhaps God will forgive thee (Dan. 4, 24).

400

101. There are two kinds of works of mercy (Misericordie opervm dvo svnt genera) a. In giving. Whence in the gospel: Give, and it shall be given unto you (Luke 6, 38). b. And forgiving. Whence in the gospel: Forgive, and you shall be forgiven (Luke 6, 37). It isn’t sufficient to give, without forgiv-

398

Letter M

ing. Whence: If you will not forgive men their offences, neither will your heavenly Father forgive you (Matth. 6, 14–15; Mark 11, 25– 26). Again, Jerome in comment on Matthew: ‘If we don’t forgive from the heart one who wrongs us, even what had been forgiven us through penitence will be exacted from us’.a And to signify this, that is, that giving without forgiving isn’t sufficient, when we make an offering we kiss the hands of the priest. In the offering we fulfill this: Give, and will be given unto you (Luke 6, 38). In kissing the hands, we see to this: Forgive, and you shall be forgiven (Luke 6, 37). Concerning works of mercy we read this in comment on Matthew, at this verse: I was hungry, I was thirsty, I was a stranger (Matth. 25, 35): ‘In the literal sense, note the six works of mercy; in the mystical sense, the perfection of charity. One who nourishes a person hungering and thirsting for justice with the bread of the word or refreshes him with the drink of wisdom performs works of mercy. And one who calls a wanderer back to the Father’s house, and who receives one infirm in faith, and who, by having compassion for or consoling, succors one in trouble or oppressed by the prison of sorrow, fulfills true love’.b The works of mercy are recorded in these verses: Hungry, thirsty, naked, infirm, and a stranger, To be led from prison – one begs with the mouth of a pauper.

And note, on that place, I was thirsty, etc. – in the same place in Matthew: Judgment will be done without mercy to him, says James in his canonical epistle, that hath not done mercy (James 2, 13), that is, works of mercy. ‘Therefore what will the person who steals the goods of another deserve, if the person who doesn’t give of his own goods is eternally damned’,c that is, who doesn’t do works of mercy? Judgement will be done without mercy, that is, without delivering or saving or manifest mercy. Glos. ord. on Matth. 18, 35, from Gregory the Great: Greg. M., Dial. 4, 62 (vol. 265, p. 204–06, l. 21–24). b  Glos. ord. on Matth. 25, 42–43. c  Glos. ord. on Matth. 25, 42–43. The quotation from James as it appears in the manuscripts seems to be excrescent, and may simply be erroneously repeated from a few lines below. a 

399

401

Letter M

102. God is called merciful (Misericors), which is said in Severe judge (I88.d). 103. God was merciful (Misertvs est Devs) a. By providing temporal goods. Whence: Who maketh his sun to rise upon the good and bad (Matth. 5, 45). b. By blotting out sins. Whence: I am he that blot out the iniquities and the sins of my people (Is. 43, 25). c. By delaying punishment. Whence: Therefore the Lord heard, and delayed (Ps. 77, 21). d. By diminishing punishment. Whence Job: He doth not show all his wrath, neither doth he revenge wickedness exceedingly (Job 35, 15). e. By entirely removing pain, as: God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes (Apoc. 7, 17; 21, 4). f.  By granting eternal goods. Whence: Salvation is of the Lord, etc. (Ps. 3, 9). Again: And passing will minister unto them (Luke 12, 37).

402

104. Mass is sung regularly at only three hours (Missa cantatvr regvlariter tantvm tribvs horis) a. Terce, because then Christ was crucified by the tongues of the Jews crying out: Crucify, crucify him (Luke 23, 21). b. Sext, because then he was sacrificed on the cross, for then he was crucified by the hands of the gentiles. c.  Nones, because then he breathed his last, that is, gave up the ghost. Still, it can licitly be sung in late morning, but nevertheless you sing it at prime and terce beforehand. On Saturdays of the fasts of the Four Seasons it can and should be celebrated very late because of the holy orders that pertain to Sunday. On the Saturdays of Easter Day and Pentecost it is sung late because it can be considered as from the blessing of the candle, where is said: ‘This is the night’,a and from this prayer, ‘God who this most holy night’, etc.b In Lent, at nones. On Christmas Day the first mass of the night can even be sung very early in the morning, because at that hour the Lord was resurrected. Pope Alexander in the Decrea  b 

A chant on Holy Saturday, Cantus 850202. A prayer at the Easter or Christmas vigils.

400

Letter M

tum: ‘It suffices for a priests to celebrate one mass in one day’,a as below in Greedy priests.b 105. The mission of Christ is threefold (Missio Christi tripplex est) a. First, for visiting. Whence: The Orient from on high hath visited us (Luke 1, 78). b.  Second, for enlightening. Whence: He enlighteneth every man that cometh into this world (John 1, 9). Again: I and the Father will come to him, and will make our abode with him (John 14, 23). c. Third, for judging, because then he will render to every man according to his works (Matth. 16, 27). 106. Therefore the mission is threefold (Missio igi­ tvr tripplex est) a. The first was of mercy. In the first a person is delivered. b. The second, of grace. In the second he is confirmed. c. In the third will be justice. In the third he is crowned. 107. The sending of the dove (Missio colvmbe) from the ark is the sending of Christ in the flesh. 108.A mystery (Misterivm) is concealed in the historical or literal sense, as above in Letter (L57). 109. Of the meek (De mitibvs) we have spoken in Beatitude (B10.c). 110. We are silent about the mystery of God (Misterivm Dei tacemvs) a. Because of the unworthiness of those hearing. Whence: Neither cast ye your pearls before swine (Matth. 7, 6). b. Because of the infirmity of those hearing. Whence: I have many things to say to you that you cannot bear now (John 16, 12). a  b 

Gratian., Decret. 3, 1, 53 (col. 1308, l. 19–20). An article below with a similar title (S13) is not pertinent. A blank cross-reference.

401

403

Letter M

111. There is a millstone (Mola est) a. A lower, namely, fear. b. An upper, namely, hope. The righteous man is ground between these. Whence in Deuteronomy concerning fear and love: Thou shalt not take the nether nor the upper millstone to pledge (Deut. 24, 6), that is, hope and fear, for there is a fear that wickedly humiliates and a hope that wickedly presumes, as in Origen.a 112. Troubles are endured (Molestias svstinet) a. Patiently by some. Whence the Apostle: Gladly therefore will I glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may dwell in me (II Cor. 12, 9). Again, the brothers of Joseph, who said: We deserve to suffer these things, because we have sinned against our brother (Gen. 42, 21). b.  Impatiently by some, as the children of Israel, saying: Let us return to the flesh pots of Egypt (Ex. 16, 3). The melons and the cucumbers come into our mind (Num. 11, 5).

404

113. A Monk (Monachvs). Gregory: ‘A monk who seeks possession of land is no monk’.b A mild secular cleric is better than an angry and impetuous monk. A pallid complexion with humility and thinness are fitting for a monk. 114. Monks (Monachi) are called martyrs, as above in Martyrdom (M64.b). 115. A  mountain signifies (Mons significat) the eminence of good works. Whence: Seeing the multitudes, Jesus went up into a mountain (Matth. 5, 1) so that he might teach more visibly, just as, with the turmoil of this world left behind, we should ascend on the mountain of the Lord, that is, in the eminence of virtues. For Christ The article up to ‘hope and fear’ is from Peter Lombard: Petr. Lomb., In Ps. 85, 10 (col. 803B). Cf. Glos. ord. on Deut. 24, 6, etc., from Gregory the Great: Greg. M., Moral. 33, 12 (p.  1694, l.  80–81). Not identified in Origen; see P57.a below for the idea. b  Defensor Locog., Scint. 40, 22 (p. 150), from Gregory the Great: Greg. M., Dial. 3, 14, 5 (vol. 260, p. 306, l. 54–55). a 

402

Letter M

also – who in all his works is offered to us as an example, that we should follow his steps (I Peter 2, 21) – in accordance with what the prophet had foretold of him: Get thee up upon a high mountain, thou that bringest good tidings to Zion, thou that bringest good tidings to Jerusalem (Is. 40, 9), Christ himself, about to deliver a word of his preaching, first went up into a mountain of works, as Luke says: Jesus began to do and to teach (Acts 1, 1). In this he teaches us first to climb onto an eminence of good works before we may assume the office of teacher. Whence anyone who seeks the name and honor of master, let him do what should be taught before he teaches what should be done. With the wicked left in the valley, the good ascend on this mountain, as the Apostle says: If you be risen with Christ, seek the things that are above; mind the things that are above, where Christ is at the right hand of God, not the things that are upon the earth (Col. 3, 1–2). 116. Mount Zion is called the mount of sanctification (Mons Syon dicitvr mons sanctificationis) a. Because there was the holy temple, the altar, the priesthood, and the sanctuary. b. And because saints are there. Whence: Many bodies of the saints that had slept arose and came into the holy city and appeared to many (Matth. 27, 52–53). c. And because preaching began there, Whence: The law shall go forth out of Zion and the word of the Lord out of Jerusalem (Micah 4, 2). Again concerning Mount Zion, below in Zion.a 117. ‘Mountain’ means (Mons dicitvr) a. Christ. Whence: And it shall come to pass in the last days that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be prepared in the top of the mountains (Micah 4, 1). b. The band of the apostles. Whence: I have lifted up my eyes to the mountains (Ps. 120, 1). Again: The foundations thereof are in the holy mountains (Ps. 86, 1). c. The company of heretics. Whence: Get thee away from hence to the mountain like a sparrow (Ps. 10, 2). a 

A blank cross-reference.

403

405

Letter M

d. The devil. Whence: If you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, and you shall say to this mountain, ‘Remove thyself ’, it shall remove (Matth. 17, 19). Again: Ye mountains of Gelboe, let neither dew nor rain come upon you (II Sam. 1, 21).

406

118. Sometimes mountains mean (Montes dicvntvr qvandoqve) a. Floods of tribulation. Whence: The mountains ascend, that is, floods of tribulation mount up like mountains when the floods rage, and descend like plains (Ps. 103, 8) when they are placated. For God permits the proud to grow greater, when he wills, and when he will he humbles them. b. The apostles, and prelates of the church, according to another interpretation. And that the apostles may be called mountains is spoken of in Apostles (A77–78). c. The saints, as is said in Apostles.a d. Heretics and proud people. Whence: Between the midst of the hills, that is, of heretics, the waters shall pass (Ps. 103, 10), that is, the scriptures, which pass through them and don’t make them fertile but pass out of them. 119. A good person dies (Moritvr bonvs) a. To the world. Whence: The world is crucified to me, and I to the world (Gal. 6, 14). b. To pleasures. Whence: Crucifying (Heb. 6, 6) their own bodies. c. To himself. Whence the same writer: I die daily for your glory, brethren (I Cor. 15, 31). 120. A wicked person dies (Moritvr malvs) a.  By the death of punishment, as in Genesis: In what hour soever thou shalt eat of it, thou shalt die the death (Gen. 2, 17). b. By the death of sin. Whence: Let the dead bury their dead (Luke 9, 60; Matth. 8, 22). c. Of eternal damnation. Whence: Death shall feed upon them (Ps. 48, 15). A confused reference to the same articles in Apostles or a blank cross-reference. Many manuscripts omit this section. a 

404

Letter M

121. They die (Morivntvr) a. Some in the midst of the sea, of whom is said: Bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days (Ps. 54, 24). b. Some in extremis, of whom is said: Redeeming the time, because the days are evil (Eph. 5, 16). c. Some beyond these who have completed their days. The first die in Egypt, those who conduct themselves in the darkness of vices up to the end of their lives, that is, those who never began well or finished well. The second, in the wilderness, those who leaving the confusion of sin emend their wanderings through penitence, who began badly but end well. The third in the land of promise, who have not felt the fall of sin, or through penitence are entirely cleansed, that is, those who began all their days well and ended well, like Abraham, of whom is said: Abraham died full of days (Gen. 25, 8). The first dwell with earthly things. The second with God, but with love for temporal goods. The third utterly with the Lord. The first sing: Woe, that is, those who sin and don’t repent. The second: Lamentations, those who rise from sin by the lamentation of penitence. The third: Canticles (Ezek. 2, 9), those who did not feel the fall of sins. The three kinds of people are signified by these three terms, which were written in the book that was shown to Ezekiel, so that he would eat it, where there were only three leaves. And there are three terms because there are only three kinds of people that the Church should incorporate. The first serve only for temporal goods, those who are said not to begin or to live out half of good days, but to keep on continually in wickedness. Whence: Bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days (Ps. 54, 24). The second serve partly for love of God and partly for the love of temporal things, of whom is said: Redeeming the time, because the days are evil (Eph. 5, 16). And these ‘live out half their days’. The third serve only for the love of God, and they complete their days. The first are wicked, the second imperfect, the third perfect. 122. Some die (Morivntvr) a. To the world, those who torment their flesh with the vices and concupiscences (Gal. 5, 24).

405

407

Letter M

408

b.  Others in the world, who not even in death abandon the world, although they are abandoned by the world. Whence is said: Mourning taketh hold of the end of joy (Prov. 14, 13). c. Others to God, in whom God dies, that is, in whom he ceases to be through the indwelling grace of the Holy Spirit, for: Wisdom will not enter into a malicious soul, nor dwell in a body subject to sins (Wis. 1, 4). d. Others in the Lord. The righteous person dies in the Lord, who has death in desire and life in patience, and at the end perseveres in charity. 123. Death (Mors) hastens. Whence Solomon: Remember that death hastens (Eccli. 38, 19; 36, 10). 124. Death is compared (Mors comparatvr) to night because of succession, for as night succeeds day, so death, life. 125. Death is called (Mors dicitvr) a. A punishment. Whence: Unhappy man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death? (Rom. 7, 24). b. The temporal dissolution of body and soul. Of this is said: O death, where is thy sting? (I Cor. 15, 55), that is, sin. For sin is called the sting of death not because this sin is death, but sin brings about death. c. The pleasure issuing from the flesh. Of this is said: O death, where is thy sting?, that is, sin. This death brings about sin. d. The devil. Of this is said: O death, where is thy sting?, that is, sin. The sting of the devil is called sin because the devil brings about sin. And thus there is a threefold interpretation, and these are the words of the saints after the Resurrection.

409

126. There is a death (Mors est) a. Of nature, which is common to us and to brute beasts. This is the dissolution of body and soul, and of this is said: The prophets and the apostles are dead (John 8, 53). Again: Abraham died full of days (Gen. 25, 8). Again: The learned dieth in like manner as the unlearned (Eccle. 2, 16).

406

Letter M

b.  Of sin. Whence: The soul that sinneth, the same shall die (Ezek. 18, 4 and 20). Again: In what hour soever thou shalt eat of it, thou shalt die the death (Gen. 2, 17). Again: Let the dead bury their dead (Luke 9, 60; Matth. 8, 22) in their sins. c. Of Gehenna, that is, eternal damnation, of which, that is, death, is said: ‘Deliver me, O Lord, from eternal death’.a Again: The rich man died, and he was buried in hell (Luke 16, 22). Again: They are laid in hell like sheep; death shall feed upon them (Ps. 48, 15). This is said from the similarity to grass, of which something always remains to feed on, because there is a root that always sends forth shoots; likewise the wicked will be punished by always dying, but they will never entirely die. d. Of grace. Whence: For you are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in glory (Col. 3, 3). Again: Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints (Ps. 115, 15). Of this is said: Mortify your members (Col. 3, 5). The first death is called exterior, the second interior, the third inferior, the fourth superior. The first is called natural or temporal or of the necessity of dying. The second, of iniquity. The third, eternal or of Gehenna. The fourth, sanctification or the mortification of the flesh. 127. The death of sins (Mors peccatorvm)b a. Bad, from fear. b. Worse, from sensation. c. Worst, from punishment. 128. There is a death (Mors est) a. In one’s house. The first is in the will. Of the first is said: Blessed is the man who hath not walked in the counsel of the ungodly (Ps. 1, 1). b. In the gate. The second, in works. Of the second: Nor stood in the way of sinners (Ps. 1, 1). c. In the tomb. The third, in habit. Of the third: Nor sat in the chair of pestilence (Ps. 1, 1). The first is light or a little heavy. The second, heavier. The third, most heavy. a  b 

A liturgical chant: Cantus 007091. The Latin can also mean ‘the death of sinners’.

407

410

Letter M

411

129. These are the three dead people (Isti svnt tres mortvi) whom the Lord resuscitated, as we read in the gospel: a. The girl in the house, that is, the daughter of a certain ruler of the synagogue (cf. Matth. 9, 25, Mark 5, 42, Luke 8, 55). b. The young man, son of a certain widow, already carried outside the gate of the city, that is, in a field (Luke 7, 15). c. Lazarus, already four days in his tomb (John 11, 44). And spiritually, he still resuscitates them in us. The dead person in the house is the sin of the will. The dead person at the gate is the sin of speech. The dead person in the tomb is the sin of works and depraved habit. These three dead people signify three kinds of sin converting from evil to good. For those are dead people in a house who without showing it in works still harbor evil conceived in their hearts. These are signified by the girl in the house. Dead in the field are those who show their sin, conceived by consenting, through works by a public display of their feelings. These are signified by the son of the widow resuscitated in the field. They are indeed dead in the tomb, those who are sinners not only in their hidden will or even in their actions, but who have drawn out their iniquity into prolonged habit. These rightly can be called four days dead and stinking, because they are a burden and offensive to the people who know them, and these are signified by Lazarus. The resuscitation of these dead people signifies the justification of sinners, and the more quickly someone is resuscitated by grace, the less mortified he is by sin. Whence we read that the Lord resuscitated the girl, after the crowd was ejected from the house, by word alone. You also, if you wish for your daughter, that is, your soul, to be divinely resuscitated, eject the crowd from your house, for otherwise the girl won’t be cured. In resuscitating Lazarus, four days in his tomb, the Lord is presented as groaning, weeping, crying out with a loud voice – not because for him it wasn’t as easy to resuscitate Lazarus as it was the girl, but because the deeds of the Lord are examples of other things. A certain versifier says of this idea: An evil thought, death within; an evil act, death without; habit, a tomb. The girl, the boy, Lazarus signify these things.a a 

The couplet is noted by Walther, Proverbia 14699, and elsewhere.

408

Letter M

There are many who physically lament those dead ones but spiritually only pretend to weep for the dead. 130. The dead (Mortvi) a. Who were resuscitated in the house are those who have committed light or slightly weighty sins. b. Those at the gate, those who have committed weightier ones. c. Those in the tomb, those who have committed very weighty sins, or light ones habitually. Or: the first are those who have sinned in thought; the second, in speech; the third, in works. 131. The dead are said to sleep (Mortvi dicvntvr dormire) a. Because of the certainty of their resurrection because, as the Apostle says to the Corinthians: We shall all indeed rise again, but we shall not all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye (I Cor. 15, 51–52). b. Because of the ease and swiftness of the rising again, for just as one who sleeps rises easily, so the dead who, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, etc. And therefore the Savior says in the gospel: The damsel is not dead, but sleepeth (Mark 5, 39; Matth. 9, 24; Luke 8, 52). Conversely, scripture says Christ was dead and not sleeping, so that we might be confirmed in faith. c. Because of the wholeness, because as the whole person rises from sleep, so the whole dead person rises again. And for these three reasons death is called a sleep. 132. Of the dead or defunct (Mortvi sive defvncti) a. Some are very good. b. Some are middling. c. Some are very bad – as below in Prayer (O72). 133. A blackberry (Morvm) is understand as the devil, as above in Devil (D44).

409

412

Letter M

134. A person’s movement is threefold (Motvs hominis triplex est) a. Of the mind, in one’s will. b. In feeling, in one’s delight. c. The movement of the body in works. Whatever sort of sin is in us beyond the first movements is from us, not from Adam.

413

135. There is a movement (Motvs est) a. Toward anger. Whence: Let the sea be moved, and the fulness thereof (Ps. 97, 7). b. Toward penitence. Whence as above: Let the sea be moved, and the fulness thereof, by fear of the Judgment, according to another interpretation. c. Toward fear. Whence as above, Let the sea be moved, etc., by fear of the Judgment.a 136. There is a movement (Motvs est) a. Toward staggering, which comes about through venial sin. Whence: My feet were almost moved (Ps. 72, 2). Again: If I said, ‘My foot is moved’ (Ps. 93, 18). b.  Toward a fall, which comes about through mortal sin. Whence: They were troubled, and moved like a drunken man, etc. (Ps. 106, 27). c. Toward ruin, which comes about when someone is eternally damned. Whence: The foundations of the mountains were troubled and were moved (Ps. 17, 8). 137. The woman (Mvlier) was punished, and the serpent and the man, as above in Curse (M9–12). 138. Let women (Mulieres) keep silent in the church, says the Apostle: For it is not permitted them to speak, but to be subject. But if they would learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home, for it is a shame for a woman to speak in the church (I Cor. 14, 34–35). The text seems errant. Some manuscripts omit ‘by fear of the Judgment’ in the second section. The Glos. ord. glosses ‘Let it be moved’ as ‘by fear of the Judgment’. a 

410

Letter M

Concerning women Jerome says: ‘Those who don’t wish to be as they were born are an affront to their Creator’.a And Ambrose in his book On Virginity says: ‘Those who love such women don’t love them but others, not others but adulterated women. Therefore it is evident that women shouldn’t use cosmetics to please men’.b Cyprian: ‘Women having put on silk and purple cannot put on Christ; those adorned with gold and pearls have lost the ornaments of the heart and mind’.c Again, the Apostle: Not with ornate attire, tricked out with gold and silver (I Tim. 2, 9). Perhaps it can be said that it suffices for a woman to do only so as not to displease, and this is a certain middle between pleasing and displeasing. 139. A person is cleansed (Mvndatvr qvis) a. By baptism. Whence Isaiah: Wash yourselves, be clean (Is. 1, 16). b. By penitence. Whence: Create a clean heart in me, O God (Ps. 50, 12). c. By alms. Whence: Give alms, and behold, all things are clean unto you (Luke 11, 41). 140. The world is called (Mvndvs dicitvr) a. The empyrean heaven, because of its cleanness (munditia). b.  The cosmic fabric. Whence: The world was made by him (John 1, 10). c. The sublunar region. Whence: The prince of this world shall be cast out (John 12, 31). d.  A lover of the world. Whence: The world knew him not (John 1, 10). e. Those who live in the world. Whence: The whole world goes after him (John 12, 19). Again: For judgment I am come into this world (John 9, 39), that is, into intercourse or gathering with people. f. A human, because in himself he represents an image of the whole world. Whence every creature is said to be from the Lord (cf. Col. 1, 15). Jerome: Hier., Virg. Mar. 20 (col. 214A). Source in Ambrose not identified. c  Glos. ord. on I Peter 3, 3, from Beda, In epist. cath. 2, 3 (p. 243, l. 8–12), etc. a 

b 

411

414

Letter M

g. The vices of the world. Whence: My kingdom is not of this world (John 18, 36). Again: If you had been of this world, the world would love its own (John 15, 19).

415

141. The world is compared to Egypt (Mvndvs comparatvr Egipto) a. Because of the similarity of their activity, because just as the Hebrews were oppressed in Egypt, so the faithful are oppressed in the world. Hence it happens that the former hate Egypt and the latter hate the world, as a mother wanting to wean her child sprinkles something bitter on her breast. As is said by Hosea: Because of these things I will hedge up thy way with thorns (Hos. 2, 6). b.  Because of a twofold interpretation, for as Egypt is interpreted as ‘darkness’, so the world is dark. Whence: The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light (Is. 9, 2; Matth. 4, 16). And as Egypt is interpreted as ‘affliction’, so we are afflicted in the world. Whence Solomon: I have seen all things that are done under the sun, and behold all is vanity and affliction of spirit (Eccle. 1, 14). 142. The world (Mvndvs) is called a wilderness, as above in Wilderness (D27). 143. Between presents (Inter mvnera) and gifts and sacrifices, make a distinction, as is said in Gifts (D104). 144. They murmured (Mvrmvravit) a. The people of Israel, sighing after melons and garlic and cucumbers and the fleshpots that they abandoned in Egypt (cf. Num. 11, 5; Ex. 16, 3), and for that reason they were cast down by divine power in the wilderness. b. Moses and Aaron murmured against the Lord at the Water of Contradiction, for which reason they didn’t deserve to enter the land of promise (cf. Num. 20, 12–13).

412

Letter M

145. The change of the right hand of the most high (Mvtatio dextere Excelsi) (Ps. 76, 11) a. Is in the present, when the oldness of sin is changed into the newness of grace. b.  Will be in the future, when the oldness of punishment will be commuted into the newness of glory. And this will happen when God shall wipe away all tears from the eyes of his saints (Apoc. 7, 17; 21, 4). 146. A person is changed (Mvtatvr homo) a. From good to evil. Whence: How is gold become dim and the finest color is changed? (Lam. 4, 1). b. From evil to good. Whence Isaiah: Blessed is the man who changes his strength (Is. 40, 31). c. From good to best. Whence Job: All the days in which I am now in warfare I expect, until my change come (Job 14, 14).

413

416

LETTER N

417

1. There are nostrils (Nares svnt) a. Of a human, in the literal sense. b. Of God. Whence in the book of Kings: A smoke went up from his nostrils (II Sam. 22, 9), that is, the tearful compunction of penitents from his inspiration. The nostrils of God are his inspiration in the hearts of the faithful. 2. There is a birth (Nativitas est) a. Bodily. In the womb. Whence: That which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost (Matth. 1, 20), that is, when the soul is infused in the body on the forty-sixth day, so that it was not in Christ who had the soul and all the virtues at the same time. From the womb. Whence Isaiah: A child is born to us (Is. 9, 6). And with regard to this, that is, the second birth, we can understand this of Judas: It were better for him, that is, less bad, if that man had not been born (Matth. 26, 24), that is, born from the womb, because if he had died in the womb he would have only original sin and would feel no pain except that he would lack the vision of God. Or, if he had not been born to the apostleship, for he sinned more by betraying the Lord than if he were not an apostle. Or, if he had not been born to sinning. b. Spiritual. In the soul, at the present time. Whence: Unless a man be born again of water and the Holy Spirit, etc. (John 3, 5). In the body, in the future. Whence: We look for the Savior, our Lord Jesus Christ, who will reform the body of our lowness made like to the body of his glory (Phil. 3, 20–21).

414

Letter N

3. The birth of a human is fourfold (Nativitas hominis qvadrvplex est) a. In the first birth a person is born into natural life when he is born to the world. b. The second, to a life of vice, and then he is born to the devil. c. Third, to a life of grace, and then he is born to God. d. Fourth, to a life of glory, for then he is born to heaven. In the first birth he is born among people. In the second, among demons. In the third, among the faithful. In the fourth, among the celestial citizens. Of the first in the literal sense is said: A woman, when she is in labor, hath sorrow, because her hour is come, but when she hath brought forth the child she remembereth no more the anguish for joy that a man is born into the world (John 16, 21). And that birth is painful, as Job says: Man is born to labor and the bird to fly (Job 5, 7). Whence a child at birth immediately cries, a prophet of his own calamity. Of the second, Job: Cursed be the day wherein I was born and let not the day in which my mother bore me be blessed (Jer. 20, 14; cf. Job 3, 1 and 3). And of the son of perdition the Savior says: It were better for him if that man had not been born (Matth. 26, 24). Of the third, we must be born again (John 3, 7). Whence: Unless a man be born again of water and the Holy Spirit, etc. (John 3, 5). And Ecclesiastes says: A time to be born and a time to die (Eccle. 3, 2). A time to be born to God through penitence and initial fear; a time to die to the world through perfect charity. Of this is said again: We know that whosoever is born of God, sinneth not (I John 5, 18). That birth deifies a person. Whence: He gave them power to be made the sons of God (John 1, 12). Again: Dearly beloved, we are now the sons of God, and it hath not yet appeared what we shall be (I John 3, 2). Of the fourth there is a mystical interpretation: A man is born into the world (John 16, 21), that is, into eternal life, that is, up to the empyrean heaven which is called ‘the world’ (mundum) because of its cleanness (mundicia).

418

4. The divine birth is twofold (Nativitas divina dvpplex est) a. For there is a birth of God from God. This is a unique birth. I said the Father to the Son, this day, that is, eternally, have begotten

419

415

Letter N

thee (Ps. 2, 7). And just as the begetting done in the virginal womb was hidden, so also this begetting is hidden. Whence the mass of the nativity of the Lord is celebrated in deep and obscure night. Its Introit is: The Lord hath said to me, ‘Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee’ (Ps. 2, 7).a For that begetting is obscure; the mind fails to comprehend it; the voice for explaining it is silent – for it is ineffable. Whence: His generation who shall declare? (Acts 8, 33). For Ambrose says of the Son of God: ‘It is permitted to know that he was born; it is not permitted to examine how he was born’.b b. And the begetting from a human is unique. For Christ says: I am become like to a pelican in solitude (Ps. 101, 7). A pelican is a bird loving solitude, and Christ was born in a singular and solitary way, that is, sole from a virgin. As Isaiah says: A child is born to us, etc. (Is. 9, 6). This birth is miraculous because Christ as a human was born of a virgin, which is against human nature. Christ was born from the belly of a woman and virgin. Of this birth Isaiah said: He will ascend upon a swift cloud, etc. (Is. 19, 1), as above in He ascends (A102.a).

420

5. The birth (Nativitas) of the Savior was first revealed not to the intelligentsia, not to philosophers, but to ordinary people, shepherds, country folk, simple and humble people. Whence: I confess to thee, O Father of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them to little ones (Matth. 11, 25; Luke 10, 21)). 6. Necessity is (Necessitas est) a. Inherited. Whence: We are all born children of wrath (Eph. 2, 3). Again: I was conceived in iniquities (Ps. 50, 7). b. Brought on. Whence: Deliver me from my necessities, O Lord (Ps. 24, 17). c. Assumed, and Christ had only this one. Whence: He was offered because it was his own will (Is. 53, 7). In a comment on Mark The verse is a liturgical chant, Cantus 002406. Peter Lombard: Petr. Lomb., Sent. 1, 9, 3, 1 (p. 105, l. 5–14), from Ambrose: Ambr., Fid. 1, 10, 64–65 (p. 28, l. 23–24 and 31–32). a 

b 

416

Letter N

it is said: ‘What is not licit in the law, necessity makes licit. If a sick person breaks his fast he is not considered guilty’.a 7. An abomination (Nefas), a misdeed, and a disgrace are not the same thing, as below in Vices.b 8. Necessity (Necessitas) a. Is inherited, as when a slave is born of a slave. b. But is brought on, as when someone is captured and held so that he may be made a slave. c. Is assumed, as when someone willingly becomes a monk but afterwards is made one by necessity. 9. Not knowing (Nescire) occasions wrongdoing, and sometimes is put for ‘not approving’, as below in Knowledge (S31). 10. ‘Exceedingly’ means (‘Nimis’ significat) a. Sometimes ‘more than is fitting’. b. Sometimes it is put for ‘very much’, as: Thou hast commanded thy commandments to be kept most diligently (nimis) (Ps. 118, 4), that is, ‘very much’, that is, more than the nature of the flesh endures. Again: Thy friends, O God, are made exceedingly, that is, ‘very much’, honorable (Ps. 138, 17). 11. The name of the Lord means (Nomen Domini dicitvr) a. Sometimes his reputation. Whence: O Lord, our Lord, how admirable is thy name (Ps. 8, 2 and 10). Again: Behold the name of the Lord cometh from afar (Is. 30, 27). b.  Sometimes the power of his name. Whence: Have we not cast out devils in thy name (Matth. 7, 22). c. Sometimes his potency. Whence: I have given him a name which is above all names (Phil. 2, 9).

a  b 

Glos. ord. on Mark 2, 26–27, from Beda, In Marc. 1, 2 (p. 464, l. 1081–85). A blank cross-reference.

417

421

Letter N

12. Knowledge or (Noticia sive) cognition or science is twofold, as below in Science (S33). 13. Between new things (Inter nova) and old and oldest make a distinction. a. New things are that God united a human in unity of person with himself, because a virgin conceived and brought him forth. A new thing, says Jeremiah, the Lord will create upon the earth: a woman shall compass a man in the lap of her womb (Jer. 31, 22). b. Old are the rites of sacrifices and observances of ceremonies. c. Oldest are that In the beginning was the Word (John 1, 1); that Christ was begotten of the Father; that he was coequal, coeternal, and consubstantial with the Father. Those things are indeed oldest that were before the law, such as the offering of bread and wine made by Melchizedek (cf. Gen. 14, 18). Of these three the Lord says through Moses: You shall eat the oldest of the old store and, new coming on, you shall cast away the old (Lev. 26, 10).

422

14. A Razor (Novacvla) a. Shaves off superfluities. Hence it is that we shave on festival days, signifying that we should shave off superfluities. b. Cuts, and this refers to chastising the body. Whence: I chastise my body and bring it under subjection (I Cor. 9, 27). c.  Renews, and we likewise should be renewed. Whence the Apostle: Be renewed in the spirit of your mind (Eph. 4, 23). 15. There is a newness (Novitas est) a.  Of grace. Whence: Be renewed in the spirit of your mind (Eph. 4, 23). With this a person is renewed within, whence: Renew a right spirit within my bowels (Ps. 50, 12). And without, whence: You were heretofore darkness, but now light in the Lord (Eph. 5, 8). And by partaking of the sacraments, whence: Renew thy signs, etc. (Eccli. 36, 6). b. Of glory. Whence: Behold I create new heavens and a new earth (Is. 65, 17).

418

Letter N

16. A novelty is (Novitas est) a. Despicable, as in the words of heretics. Whence the Apostle: Avoid the profane novelties of words (I Tim. 6, 20; II Tim. 2, 16). b. Commendable, as in the faith of converts. Whence: Put on the new man (Eph. 4, 24). 17. ‘New’ (Novvm) is taken in two ways, in time or in result. Whence: A new commandment I give unto you (John 13, 34), from the result, because it brings about a new thing, for that commandment is old. Indeed, the commandment about love was given to the first parents: What you would not be done to you, never do to another (Tob. 4, 16), which agrees with the gospel: What you would that men should do to you, do you also to them (Matth. 7, 12; Luke 6, 31). 18. There is a night (Nox est) a.  Of ignorance. Whence Isaiah: The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light (Is. 9, 2). b.  Of sin. Whence the Apostle: They that sleep, sleep in the night, and they that are drunk are drunk in the night (I Thess. 5, 7). c. Of adversity. Whence: The sun shall not burn thee by day, nor the moon by night (Ps. 120, 6). d.  Of human wretchedness. Whence: In the night I have remembered thy name, O Lord (Ps. 118, 55). Again: He hath appointed darkness, and it is night (Ps. 103, 20). 19. The whole present age is called night (Nox dicitvr totvm secvlvm) a.  Because of its sleeping in sins. Whence the Apostle: They that sleep, sleep in the night, etc. (I Thess. 5, 7). b. Because of its silence from the praise of God. Whence: How shall we sing the song of the Lord in a strange land? (Ps. 136, 4). c. Because of its fear. Whence: Blessed is the man that is always fearful (Prov. 28, 14). d. Because of the blindness of ignorance. Whence Isaiah: We have groped for the wall like the blind, and we have walked in the dark (Is. 59, 9–10).

419

423

Letter N

20. This present life is called night (Nox dicitvr presens vita) a. For its obscurity. Whence: We see now through a glass in a dark manner (I Cor. 13, 12). b.  For its cold. Whence: The charity of many shall grow cold (Matth. 24, 12). Again: Because of the cold the sluggard would not plow; he shall beg and it shall not be given him (Prov. 20, 4). c. For the awaiting of the light. Whence in the epistle of Peter: We have the more firm prophetic word, whereunto you do well to attend as to a light that shineth in a dark place until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts (II Peter 1, 19).

424

21. In the middle of the night (Nocte) the rod blossoms (cf. Ezek. 7, 10); Samson carries away the gates of Gaza (Jud. 16, 3); the striking angel passed over (Ex. 12, 29); the Lord is born, rose again, will come to judge; Peter denied. As Augustine says, ‘But it is said that he will come in the middle of the night not as an hour in time, but because he will come when he is not expected’.a 22. There are three clouds (Nvbes svnt tres) a. Obscurity in the prophets. Of this is said: Dark waters in the clouds of air (Ps. 17, 12). b. The depths of divine counsels. Of this cloud of God’s counsels we read: Drop down dew, ye heavens, from above, etc. (Is. 45, 8). c. The hidden and unheard virginal fecundity. Of this, that is, the hidden cloud of virginity and fecundity, the prophet says: The Lord will enter upon a swift and white cloud into Egypt (Is. 19, 1). In these clouds he will come as the son of man, for he was temporally the son of man, but in eternity he was the Son of God. By a cloud sometimes is understood the virgin Mary, as in Isaiah: The Lord will ascend upon a swift cloud, etc. (Is. 19, 1), as above in He ascends (A102.a). 23. To clouds (Nvbibvs) are compared the apostles, as above in Apostles (A81). Peter Lombard: Petr. Lomb., Sent. 4, 43, 3 (p. 512, l. 2–4), etc., from Augustine: Avg., Serm. – PL 93 (PL, 38, col. 576A), etc. Cf. E36 and I97. a 

420

Letter N

24. Of numbers (Nvmerorvm) a. One kind is diminutive, as the number four. A diminutive is the number, and only that one, all of whose factors when added make a smaller sum than the number itself. Moreover, the factors of any number are all and only those whole numbers from which the number itself can be produced. Whence it is evident that the number one is a factor of the number two and any subsequent number, because two and any following number can be produced from the whole number one. Likewise the number two is a factor of four and of any subsequent even number, because four and any subsequent even number can be produced by the number two. Therefore four is a diminutive, because all its factors are one and two, which added together make only three, and so make up a smaller sum than four itself. b. Another kind is a perfect number, like six. A perfect number is every number, and only those, all of whose factors added together make up the same sum as the number itself. For example, six is a perfect number because all of its factors are one, two, and three. Whence from what has been said it is evident that its factors added up make six. Note that the number six is called a perfect number by reason of its factors, as was said; the number seven by reason of the seven works or the seven ages of the world; the number one hundred by reason of the transition from the left hand to the right hand in Bede’s manual method of counting;a the number one thousand by reason of its simplicity, because it is the ultimate limit of simple numbers. And again, note that there is no limit to the range of perfect numbers except one only, as the number six within the first ten and the like.b Bede uses the fingers of both hands in a complex counting method: Beda, Temp. rat. 1 (p. 269, l. 21–24). b  Peter seems to mean that there are no simple (= prime) numbers beyond one thousand (which is incorrect), and he further means (as ancient mathematicians observed) that within each power of ten (1–10, 1–100, 1–1000, etc.) only one perfect number is added to the set of smaller perfect numbers. This is right for the four perfect numbers that were known in Peter’s time: the smallest perfect numbers are 6, 28, 496, 8128, and 33,550,336. The fifth perfect number was known to Arabic writers in the thirteenth century, and not discovered in Europe until the fifteenth century. For a concise survey of the matter see M. Teresa Tavormina, ‘Mathematia 

421

425

Letter N

426

c. Another kind is superabundant, as the number twelve. Excrescent or superabundant are all and only those numbers whose factors when added together make up a larger sum than the number itself. Therefore twelve is an excrescent or superabundant number because all its factors are one, two, three, four, and six, which added together make up sixteen, and they thus make a larger number than twelve. 25. One number (Nvmervs), namely seven, is sacred and signifies rest, as below in Seven (S61). 26. Of nuptials (Nvptiarvm) a. Some are carnal or bodily. b. Some are spiritual. 27. Of carnal nuptials (Nvptiarvm carnalivm) a. Some are unchaste, with a prostitute. Whence the Apostle: He who is joined to a harlot is made one body (I Cor. 6, 16). b. Others are permitted, which are made because of incontinence. Whence the Apostle: It is better to marry than to be burnt (I Cor. 7, 9). c. Others are chaste, which are made for the sake of bringing up offspring in the religion of the one God. Whence the Apostle: Marriage honorable and the bed undefiled (Hebr. 13, 4). Of these is said: There was a marriage in Cana of Galilee (John 2, 1). 28. Of spiritual nuptials (Nvptiarvm spiritvalivm) a. Some are holy, of the soul, after sinning, returning to God and united with him. Whence in Isaiah: If a woman put away her husband, shall she return to her husband any more? And nevertheless return to me, saith the Lord (Jer. 3, 1). Of these is said: For I have espoused you to one husband that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ (II Cor. 11, 2). These nuptials are celebrated in the joining of God to the faithful soul. cal Conjectures in a Middle English Prose Treatise: Perfect Numbers in Dives et Pauper’, Traditio 49 (1994), p. 271–86.

422

Letter N

b. Others are holier, of Christ and the Church. Whence: As a bridegroom he hath bound a miter upon me, and hath decked me as a bride with ornaments (Is. 61, 10  VL). Note that these nuptials are legitimate, because they are between a bridegroom and a bride. And they are humble, because they are between a king and a commoner. And they are beneficial, because they are between the Savior and those who should be saved. c. Others are holiest, in the union of the Word with human nature, according to this: The Word was made flesh (John 1, 14). And elsewhere: As a bridegroom coming out of his bride chamber (Ps. 18, 6). Again: Let him kiss me with the kiss of his mouth (Cant. 1, 1). 29. The nuptials (Nvptias) at which he was present the Lord approved, and commended them with the miracle (John 2, 7–10). And this also is manifest for this reason, that he instituted the first marriage between the first parents. Again he said to Noah: Go out of the ark, thou and thy wife, thy sons, and the wives of thy sons (Gen. 8, 16). The Apostle to the Ephesians: Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the Church (Eph. 5, 25). Again besides: Let the husband render the debt to his wife, and the wife also in like manner to the husband (I Cor. 7, 3). Again, the Apostle: If a virgin marry, she hath not sinned (I Cor. 7, 28). In John: There was a marriage in Cana of Galilee (John 2, 1). In Luke: Whoever shall have put away his wife, unless because of fornication, and married another, committeth adultery (Luke 16, 18; Matth. 5, 32; Mark 10, 12). Again, it is said: For this cause a man leaves his father and mother (Mark 10, 7; Matth. 19, 5). 30. Nuptials are (Nvptie svnt) a.  Evil, those that are contracted only because of lechery, of which the Apostle: ‘Not only to marry but even to wish to is damnable (cf. I Tim. 5, 11)’.a a  Glos. ord. on I Tim. 5, 11–12; Peter Lombard: Petr. Lomb., Sent. 4, 38, 2, 2 (p.  479, l.  5–8),  etc., from Augustine: Avg., Bon. uiduit. 9, 12 (p.  318, l.  2–3). The Lombard’s quotation of Augustine here is followed by ‘Which the Apostle shows…’, and then the citation from I Timothy. Peter took the phrase to refer to the Augustine sentence rather than to what follows.

423

427

Letter N

428

b. Good, which are made in the hope of offspring. c. Holy, which are done in Christ, in the union of the two natures. Notice that Ambrose says that a man is blessed with a first wife and not with a second – as if he would say: ‘We read in the holy scriptures of the blessing of a man with his first wife, but we don’t read that God blesses a man with a second’.a

Peter Lombard: Petr. Lomb., Sent. 4, 23, 4, 5 (p. 393, l. 1–3), from Ambrosiaster: Ambrosiast., In Cor., on I Cor. 7, 40 (p. 90, l. 20–22). a 

424

LETTER O

1. In obedience (In obedientia) consists the whole contemplative life. 2. In obedience these things are considered (In obedientia hec considerantvr) a. The person whom one is to obey. Whence: Thou hast set men over our heads (Ps. 65, 12). b. Discrimination. Whence: If an angel from heaven preach another gospel, let him be anathema (Gal. 1, 8). c. Willingness. Whence: I will freely sacrifice to thee (Ps. 53, 8). 3. Obedience requires (Obedientia reqvirit) a. Love. Whence: As the Father hath loved me, I also have loved you (John 15, 9). b.  Humility. Whence: Learn of me, because I am meek and humble of heart (Matth. 11, 29). c. Patience. Whence: He was led as a sheep to the slaughter (Acts 8, 32; Is. 53, 7). I say patience, because it may not perish. For it perishes in three ways, as below in Patience (P22). d. Swiftness, because a laggard and morose obedience is damnable. And the Apostle in the epistle to the Romans: He that resisteth the power resisteth the ordinance of God, and they that resist purchase to themselves damnation (Rom. 13, 2). ‘The power’, that is, a person having power, as with regard to tribute and the like. Of this kind was Christ’s obedience, because he had love and humility and patience and swiftness – and such ought to be the obedience of all the perfect.

425

429

Letter O

430

431

4. Of obedience (Obediencie) God left us an example when the devil said to Christ standing on the pinnacle of the temple: Cast thyself down: one who has agreed to be lifted up will not tolerate being cast down (Matth. 4, 6; Luke 4, 9). By this he teaches us that we should obey those warning us about good things, but we should by no means obey those urging evils. For the same reason he didn’t wish to come down from the cross as the Jews were shouting: Come down from the cross and we will believe thee (Matth. 27, 40 and 42; Mark 15, 32), similarly leaving us an example. 5. There are seven grades of obedience (Obedientie septem svnt gradvs) a. The first grade is that we freely obey all things according to the commands of prelates, that is, those that are not against the law of God, that is, against his prohibitions or precepts. Also we should obey prelates in all the media. The media are all the commands as to with what actions and without what actions eternal salvation can be acquired, as to fast on Fridays with bread and water, to wear a hair-shirt, to pray much and for a long time, to sit in the cloister beyond the common custom of the brothers. Whatever a prelate orders in these matters should be complied with, just in the divine prohibitions and precepts. b. The second grade is to obey sincerely, that is, without murmuring or complaining, for: He that walketh sincerely walketh confidently (Prov. 10, 9). The people of Israel murmured, sighing for melons and garlic and cucumbers and for the fleshpots that they left in Egypt (cf.  Num. 11, 5; Ex.  16, 3), and therefore they were laid low by divine power in the wilderness. Moses and Aaron murmured against God at the Waters of Contradiction, for which reason they didn’t deserve to enter the land of promise (Num. 20, 12–13). Hear what the Lord says: A people, which I knew not, hath served me, etc. (Ps. 17, 45). c. The third grade is to obey cheerfully: For God loveth a cheerful giver (II Cor. 9, 7). What place for obedience is left where one’s face looks sick? Indeed, a sick face is the sign of a sick spirit, and gloominess of one’s exterior mien signifies a troubled spirit.

426

Letter O

d. The fourth grade is to obey swiftly. We should be warned lest delay draw danger onto oneself. For swiftly runneth the word of the Lord (Ps. 147, 15), and he desires a swift listener. He says: I have run the way of thy commandments (Ps. 118, 32) and I have loved thy law (Ps. 118, 113). One faithfully obedient knows no delays nor procrastinates about a commandment, for he readies his eyes for seeing, his ears for hearing, his tongue for speech, his hands for works, his feet for the journey. He is wholly resolute within so that without he may follow the will of the one commanding. e. The fifth grade is to obey manfully. Manfully, he says, do ye, and let your heart be strengthened, all ye that hope in the Lord (Ps. 30, 25). Again: She hath put out her hand to strong things (Prov. 31, 19). One should persist and act courageously. If tribulation thunders, if persecution resounds, if enemies impede your way, nevertheless say: I am ready and am not troubled that I may keep thy commandments (Ps. 118, 60). f. The sixth grade is to obey humbly: For he was mindful of us in our humility (Ps. 135, 23). g. The seventh grade is to obey with perseverance, for: He that shall persevere unto the end, he shall be saved (Matth. 10, 22; 24, 13), and, the result, not the struggle, takes the crown.a He that hath ears to hear, let him hear (Matth. 11, 15), and let him faithfully store the things that are said in the little ear of his heart. Many begin, but few persevere. See how Christ invites you to the humility of obedience, he who, although he was the Son of God, was obedient to a carpenter and a woman, and the evangelist says he was subject to them (Luke 2, 51). 6. Some obey (Obedivnt) a. Not God but themselves, of whom is said: And I let them go according to the desires of their heart; they shall walk in their own inventions (Ps. 80, 13). b. The devil, of whom is said: You are of your father the devil, and the works of your father you will do (John 8, 44).

a 

Proverbial: Walther, Prouerbia 36963a.

427

432

Letter O

433

c.  God, of whom is said: Come, ye blessed of my father,  etc. (Matth. 25, 34). Of this obedience said the prophet Samuel to Saul: Obedience is better than sacrifices (I Sam. 15, 22). And Ahab, the king of Israel, didn’t obey the prophet but spared Benadab, the king of Syria, that is, because he didn’t kill him, his kingdom was given over (III Kings 20, 34). And when Micheas said to his servant, Strike me (III Kings 20, 35), and the servant didn’t want to obey him, at Micheas’s prayers the servant was forthwith devoured by a lion. For when one obeys one’s senior, he obeys God, and one who doesn’t obey his senior doesn’t obey but resists God. Of such people says the Apostle to the Romans: He that resisteth the power, that is, a person having power, resisteth the ordinance of God. They that resist purchase to themselves damnation (Rom. 13, 2). Of such people Moses says to Aaron, when he knew that the people complained against him: What are we? Your murmuring is not against us, but against the Lord (Ex. 16, 8). Again, note that for his disobedience Saul lost the kingdom, for he did not wait, according to the word of Samuel, for him for seven days to make sacrifices, but six, for he had seen that the delay would be ruinous for him, because all of his men were unarmed except for two, and almost all had fled because of the Philistines who came armed (I Sam. 13, 5–22). 7. They are said to obey God (Obedire), the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that are in them, and even demons, as below in Human.a 8. An offering (Oblatio) is multifold, as below in Is offered (O27). 9. Someone becomes silent (Obmvtescit aliqvis) a. For prudence, that is, when he sees that his words won’t be good for his subjects. Whence: I was dumb, and was humbled, and kept silence from good things, etc. (Ps. 38, 3). Again: There is a time to keep silence, and a time to speak (Eccle. 3, 7). Again: I have many things to say to you, etc. (John 16, 12). a 

A blank cross-reference.

428

Letter O

b.  For cowardice, Isaiah railed against these, saying: Dumb dogs not able to bark (Is. 56, 10). c. For patience. Whence: He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and like a lamb without voice, etc. (Acts 8, 32; Is. 53, 7). d.  For shame. Whence: Let the wicked be ashamed and be brought down to hell. Let deceitful lips be made dumb (Ps. 30, 18– 19). Again: Friend, how camest thou in hither not having on a wedding garment? But he was silent (Matth. 22, 12). e. For ignorance, which is multifold, as above in Ignorance (I22). 10. Supplications (Obsecrationes), prayers, entreaties, thanksgivings are different, as below in Prayer (O87). 11. Idleness is (Ocivm est) a.  Of sloth. Whence: Why stand you here all the day idle? (Matth. 20, 6). b. Of pleasures. Whence: My soul, thou hast much goods laid up in thyself for many years; take thy rest, eat, etc. (Luke 12, 19). c. Of contemplatives. Whence Solomon: My son, in a time of leisure seek wisdom and take hold of her (cf. Eccli. 38, 25). d.  Of the blessed. Whence: From henceforth now, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors (Apoc. 14, 13), namely, the elect. 12. There are eyes (Ocvli svnt) a.  Of concupiscence, which Adam opened, which should be closed. Whence: Turn away thy eyes that they may not behold vanity (Ps. 118, 37). b. Of mercy, with which the Lord looked on Peter (Luke 22, 61). These should always be open. Whence: His eyes look upon the poor man (Ps. 10, 5). c. Of knowledge. Whence: Open thou my eyes, and I will consider (Ps. 118, 18) – which should always reach on high. d. Of purpose or conscience. Whence: If thy eye be single, thy whole body will be lightsome (Luke 11, 34).

429

434

Letter O

13. They are calls the eyes of God (Ocvli Dei dicvntvr) a. The regard of the grace of God. Whence: The eyes of the Lord are upon the just (Ps. 33, 16; I Pet. 3, 12). b. His precepts, through which the light of knowledge is provided to us. And that Christ may be said to have eyes, the Apostle says: All things are naked and open to his eyes (Hebr. 4, 13), from which nothing is hidden. 14. There are two interior eyes (Ocvli interiores dvo svnt): Reason and intellect. 15. There are three spiritual eyes (Ocvli spiritvales tres svnt): Good, evil, middling.

435

16. They bend their eyes to the earth (Ocvlos inclinant in terram) a.  Some people out of humility, as the publican who standing afar off dared not lift up his eyes toward heaven, but struck his breast, saying, ‘O Lord, be merciful to me a sinner’ (Luke 18, 13). b. Some, toward earthly things, from cupidity. Whence: They have set their eyes bowing down to the earth (Ps. 16, 11). And Solomon: The eyes of a wise man are in his head (Eccle. 2, 14); but the eyes of fools are in the ends of the earth (Prov. 17, 24). 17. People lift up their eyes (Ocvlos levant) a.  Some people in pride. Whence: They have set their mouth against heaven (Ps. 72, 9). And Solomon: Give me not haughtiness of my eyes (Eccli. 23, 5). b. Some toward celestial things from devotion. Whence: I have lifted up my eyes to the mountains (Ps. 120, 1). Again: So are our eyes unto the Lord our God (Ps. 122, 2). 18. An eye is (Ocvlvs est) a. Right, which looks after spiritual things. b. Left, which looks after temporal things.

430

Letter O

19. An eye is (Ocvlvs est) a. Fleshly, of which Matthew: If thy eye scandalize thee, pluck it out, that is, pluck it from that matter, not from yourself, and cast it from thee (Matth. 18, 9; 5, 29; Mark 9, 46), that is, cast away that matter, not your eye. b. Mental. Whence, as above, If thy eye scandalize thee, that is, if your mind does, Pluck it out, that is, pluck your mind from that matter, and cast it from thee. c. A counselling friend. Whence, as above: If thy eye, that is, if a counselling friend wishes to draw you into heresy, pluck him out and cast him from thee. Or the eye is one’s father or mother or some relative drawing us away from God’s yoke or from entering the cloister, and we should separate ourselves from these people lest, while we wish to win them over, we ourselves perish. d. The contemplative life. Whence, as above: If thy eye, that is, if the contemplative life, scandalize thee with overmuch keeping vigils and praying, you can go over to another office in that house or order. But you can never revert to the active life; but you can pass from the active life to the contemplative. 20. Of hatred it is said (De odio dicitvr) that there is scarcely any sin that the Lord proceeds against more than fraternal hatred. Whence he himself says: Unless you forgive men their offences, neither will your heavenly Father forgive you your offences (Matth. 6, 15; Mark 11, 26). Again: One who hates isn’t merciful, but cruel.a Again, Augustine: ‘One who gives indulgence to a sinner gives alms’.b 21. Hatred is taken (Odivm accipitvr) a.  Sometimes for eternal damnation. Whence Solomon: No one knoweth whether he be worthy of love or hatred (Eccle. 9, 1), that is, whether of damnation or of charity. b.  Sometimes for murder. Whence in the epistle: Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer (I John 3, 15). Peter Lombard: Petr. Lomb., Sent. 4, 15, 5, 1 (p. 330, l. 16–17), from Augustine: Avg, Enchir. 20 (p. 91, l. 73–74). b  Augustine: Avg., Enchir. 19 (p. 88, l. 28), etc. a 

431

436

Letter O

22. There is hatred (Odivm est) a. From ignorance, as in the crucifiers of Christ, who had zeal for the law but not with understanding, for if they had known that he was the king of glory they wouldn’t have crucified him. And Peter: I know, brethren, that you did it through ignorance, etc. (Acts 3, 17). b. From charity. Whence: I have hated the unjust (Ps. 118, 113). c. From pride, as in those who scorn to hear the word of God. Whence: Their madness is according to the likeness of a serpent (Ps. 57, 5).

437

23. A Hatred is (Odivm est) a. Holy, of which is said: I have hated the unjust (Ps. 118, 113). b. Fraternal, namely the sin against the Holy Spirit. c.  Unjust. Whence: Consider my enemies, for they are multiplied, and have hated me with an unjust hatred (Ps. 24, 19). Again: Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer (I John 3, 15). Again, Solomon: No one knoweth whether he be worthy of love or hatred (Eccle. 9, 1). Again, from the sayings of Isidore: ‘If someone hates another so that he doesn’t wish to return to peace, as the holy fathers decreed, let him be excommunicated’.a Again, from the sayings of Basil: ‘If anyone badmouths his superior, let him repent while separated from the gathering of the Church for seven days, like Mary the sister of Moses who badmouthed him (cf. Num. 12, 15)’.b 24. The odor of which we should be redolent is threefold (Odor qvo redolere debemvs triplex est) a. The first odor is the opinion of a good reputation. The first is necessary, so that we may be pleasing to our neighbors. b. Second, the testimony of a clean conscience. The second, so that we may be pleasing to ourselves. c.  Third, the good pleasure of the divine majesty. The third, so that we may be pleasing in the eyes of the divine majesty. Of a  Bartholomew of Exeter: Barth. Ex., Penit. (p. 274), citing Isidore. Not identified in Isidore. b  Regino of Prüm: Regino, Synod. caus. i., 166 (col. 221D), etc., from Rufinus: Rufin., Basil. Reg. 43–44 (p. 88).

432

Letter O

the first the Apostle says: To some we are the odor of life unto life, to others the odor of death unto death, etc. (II Cor. 2, 16). Again, in Canticles: Thy name is as oil poured out (Cant. 1, 2). Of the second the bride in Canticles glories, saying: I gave a sweet smell like cinnamon and balm (Eccli. 24, 20). Of the third the Apostle rejoices when he says: We are the good odor of Christ (II Cor. 2, 15). 25. There is an odor (Odor est) a. Of prayers. Whence in the Apocalypse: Having vials full of odors, which are the prayers of saints (Apoc. 5, 8). b. Of reputation. Whence: The house was filled with the odor of the ointment (John 12, 3). c. Of evils. Whence the Apostle: To some we are the odor of life unto life, to others the odor of death unto death (II Cor. 2, 16). 26. There is an odor (Odor est) a. Of God, which is pleasing to the saints. Whence: Draw me; we will run after thee to the odor of thy ointments (Cant. 1, 3). b.  Of saints. Whence: The vines in flower yield their sweet smell (Cant. 2, 13). And the odor of the saints is pleasing to God. Whence: And the Lord smelled a sweet savor (Gen 8, 21), the sacrifice of Noah. And it is pleasing to the world. Whence: Breaking the alabaster box (Mark 14, 3), the house was filled with the odor of the ointment (John 12, 3). c. Of virtues. Whence: Myrrh and stacte and cassia perfume thy garments (Ps. 44, 9). 27. In the Old Testament there were offered (Offerebatvr in Veteri Testamento) a. A reasonable offering that is redeemed, as of the first born, not of the children of Levi but of others, who were offered and redeemed for five sicles of silver (Numbers 3, 47; 18, 16; Lev. 27, 27). So now secular clerics and prelates are offered and redeemed, those who are drawn away by the needs of their subjects to diverse worldly affairs. In their person the bride in the Canticles complains, saying: I have washed my feet; how shall I defile them? I have put off my garment, how shall I put it on? (Cant. 5, 3).

433

438

Letter O

439

440

b. A reasonable offering that is not redeemed, as of the firstborn of the children of Levi, who perpetually served the Lord (cf. Num. 3, 45). So also now monks are offered and not redeemed, those who are obliged to serve perpetually in the Divine Office, who always live like a night raven in the house (Ps. 101, 7). c. An unreasonable offering but nevertheless clean, in a figure of which Abraham offered a goat and a ram and a cow of three years old which because of the distraction of secular matters were divided (Gen. 15, 9–10). These, that is the firstborn of beasts, were to be sacrificed by priests. d.  Birds, in whose offering could be signified the life of innocent contemplatives who don’t receive the splitting of division (cf. Gen. 15, 10). e. Dry things (cf. Lev. 7, 10). So now, that is, when marrow is offered without charity. Whence the Apostle: If I should deliver my body to be burned, and have not charity, etc. (I Cor. 13, 3). f. Liquid things. For liquids are offered either with the wine of correction or with the oil of piety. In a figure of this thing the Samaritan poured wine and oil on the wounded man (cf. Luke 10, 34). 28. To be offered is (Offerendvm est) a. The incense of devotion. Whence: Let my prayer be directed as incense, etc. (Ps. 140, 2). b. The salt of discretion. Whence: Have salt in you (Mark 9, 49). c. The fine flour of pure intention. Whence: If thy eye be single, thy whole body shall be lightsome (Matth. 6, 22; Luke 11, 34). d.  The wine of correction. Whence in the parable of the wounded man he poured on oil and wine (cf. Luke 10, 34). e. The oil of mercy. Whence in the same place, in the parable of the ten virgins (Matth. 25, 1–13). f. Moreover, the gold of wisdom and the myrrh of mortification, the figure of the Magi. When we make an offering to a priest we kiss his hands. In that we kiss we are saying: ‘We forgive, that we may be forgiven’. In that we give him an offering we are saying: ‘We give, that it may be given to us’, in observance of this: Forgive, and you shall be forgiven; give, and it shall be given unto you (Luke 6, 37–38). With the first is shown mercy, with the second, truth.

434

Letter O

These should always be together, for all the ways of the Lord are mercy and truth (Ps. 24, 10). 29. We offer (Offerimvs) a. Gold, if we shine with the light of wisdom and if through patience we don’t fail when trouble knocks. Which, that is, trouble, is necessary for us, as the furnace for gold. Whence it is written: The furnace trieth gold and the trial of affliction just men (Eccli. 27, 6; Wis. 3, 6). And the Apostle: All that will live godly in Christ shall suffer persecution (II  Tim. 3, 12). And Truth himself says: If any man wishes to be my disciple, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow me (Matth. 16, 24; Luke 9, 23). Endless indeed run the examples, from the first righteous person, Abel, who was killed by his brother, to Christ, who was hung from a tree by the Jews. b. Frankincense, when burning with internal love for him, we strive to be pleasing to him by our zeal for devout and sincere prayer. Of this is said: Let my prayer be directed as incense, etc. (Ps. 140, 2). c. Myrrh, when for the love of Christ we mortify our flesh from vices and concupiscences. This is the myrrh of which the bride speaks in Canticles: My fingers dropped with the choicest myrrh (Cant. 5, 5). Surely myrrh is a choice chastisement of the flesh for the sake of heavenly glory. But myrrh is neither the choicest nor the second best, that is, chastisement of the flesh for vainglory. For a person who, revering popular praise, afflicts his flesh, carries his cross under compulsion. For indeed, maintaining the appearance but not the virtue, he is thought to carry the cross of myrrh out of desire for vain approbation. We offer the choicest myrrh with the Apostle, who says: I chastise (castigo) my body, that is, I act chastely (castum ago), and bring it into subjection (I Cor. 9, 27). Again, in comment on this place in Matthew: And opening their treasures, they offered him gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh (Matth. 2, 11) – gold, that is, to the king; frankincense, to God; myrrh, to the mortal. The saints comment: ‘Gold is perfect wisdom; frankincense, pure prayer; myrrh, good works. Therefore the first to be offered is faith, then prayer, and third, good works’.a a 

Glos. ord. on Matth. 2, 11.

435

441

Letter O

30. We offer (Offerimvs) a. Sometimes external gifts, which are not pleasing to him if they are without charity. Whence: Your incense is an abomination to me (Is. 1, 13). b. Sometimes we ourselves, but without charity this does no good. Whence: If I should deliver my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing (I Cor. 13, 3). c. Sometimes we ourselves in charity. Whence: In me, O God, are vows to thee (Ps. 55, 12). Again: I will offer up to thee holocausts full of marrow, etc. (Ps. 65, 15). The Apostle commands us to offer ourselves, saying to the Romans: I beseech you, brethren, by the mercy of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, pleasing unto God (Rom. 12, 1).

442

31. Christ wished to be offered (Offeri volvit Christvs) a. First in the temple, to the righteous man Simeon, by his parents (cf. Luke 2, 27). b. Second in the court, to the treacherous Pilate. c. Third, to God the Father, on the gallows. Yet for our sins always he was offered because it was his own will (Is. 53, 7), as he himself said through Isaiah. And truly he willed it, for he wished to be offered not out of his need but out of mercy, that is, for our need. He had no need to be offered in the temple to be sanctified, he who was pure. He wasn’t to be examined in the praetorium, he who wasn’t guilty. He wasn’t to be fixed to the gallows of the cross, who was not impious. But why was he willing? Because he taught so that we would do likewise. For every deed of Christ is a lesson for us. It doesn’t suffice us that we offer our goods unless we also offer ourselves in a burnt offering to God. Whence also the Apostle admonishes us in the epistle to the Romans, saying: I beseech you, brethren, by the mercy of God, that you present your bodies, etc. (Rom. 12, 1). 32. One offers Christ (Offert Christvm) a.  With a dove,a one who by offering the eucharist has the Lord’s Passion before the eyes of his heart, for a pigeon signifies the faith of the Lord’s Passion, according to this: My dove in the a 

The offering of pigeons and turtledoves alludes to Luke 2, 24.

436

Letter O

clefts of the rock, in the hollow places of the wall (Cant. 2, 14) – and the rock was Christ (I Cor. 10, 4). b. With a pair of turtledoves, one who faithfully maintains continence of mind and body. For the turtledove is the bird of chastity. c. With a dove and a turtledove, one who offers chastity and innocence with him and for him, not for the world; and these alone are pleasing to Christ. 33. One offers gold (Offert avrvm) a. Who loves Christ with his whole heart. b.  Who recognizes the divinity in the human Christ, as we read in Canticles: His head is as the finest gold (Cant. 5, 11), for God is the head of Christ. But it is also the gold of wisdom, whence one also offers gold to Christ, one who confesses that Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. 34. One offers frankincense (Offert thvs) who, after he has satisfied for his transgressions by contrition and penance, mindful of the course of virtues demands perseverance. And this is a festive offering. 35. One offers myrrh (Offert mirram) who most bitterly mourns his sins by doing penance. By myrrh, which is very bitter and medicinal and deadly to vermin, is signified penitence. When someone in bitterness of his soul thinks over his years and mourns most bitterly his sins, accusing himself by confession, uttering his speech against himself, this one is offering myrrh to God. Myrrh kills vermin and preserves flesh from rotting. The vermin is the libido; the vermin is sloth secretly corrupting a person’s heart as if by a gnawing worm. And vermin are worldly desires, whence Solomon: Desires gnaw the slothful (Prov. 21, 25). There is not idleness without desire. Myrrh or bitterness is the frequent fasting of a religious person, the daily toil, the paucity of food, the brief sleep, the severity of silence, the harshness of discipline. They are bitter indeed for those who undergo them, but by comparison with that bitterness that they have from the memory and grieving of their sins and transgressions, they are sweet.

437

443

Letter O

36. He that offereth sacrifices (Qvi offert sacrificivm) of the goods of the poor is as one that sacrificeth the son in the presence of his father (Eccli. 34, 24), says Solomon. 37. An office (Officivm) shouldn’t be usurped, as below in Regimen (R7). 38. It is the nature of oil (Olei natvra est) that it always holds the uppermost place among all liquids; and so the grace of the Holy Spirit is more excellent than all the gifts of charity.

444

39. To oil are compared (Oleo comparantvr) works of mercy, as above in Mercy (M100). 40. To oil is compared (Oleo comparatvr) charity, as above in Charity (C31). 41. There is an oil (Olevm est) a. Of necessity. Whence: By the fruit of their corn, wine, and oil they are multiplied (Ps. 4, 8). b. Of a good conscience, which is necessary for our own selves. Whence: But the five wise ones took oil in their vessels with the lamps (Matth. 25, 4). c. Of flattery, Whence: But let not the oil of a sinner fatten my head (Ps. 140, 5). d. Of a good reputation or opinion, which is necessary for one’s neighbor. Whence: Thy name is as oil poured out (Cant. 1, 2). e, Of charity. Whence: Therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows (Ps. 44, 8). 42. To oil (Oleo) is compared the Holy Spirit, as below in Holy Spirit (S91). 43. Murder is (Homicidivm est) a. Bodily, of which is said: The bloody and deceitful man, etc. (Ps. 5, 7). Which, the less grammatically it is said, the more truth is

438

Letter O

expressed, because a murderer sheds two bloods, because he sheds his own before the other’s.a b.  Spiritual, that is, consent to murder and fraternal hatred. Whence James in his canonical epistle: Whosoever hateth his brother in his heart, in will even though not in deed, is a murderer (I John 3, 15) and so should do penance as for a mortal sin. There is also another kind of murder, of which Ambrose speaks in the Decretum: ‘If you don’t feed, you kill’.b And that there are two kinds of murders is said in comment on the Apostle where he enumerates the kinds of vices. There he speaks in the plural of murders (Rom. 1, 29 var.), and on this place the saints say that he speaks of murders in the plural because there are two kinds of murder.c 44. Some people (Homines) a. Are from God. Whence: I came forth from God, and am come into the world (John 16, 28), says the Lord. And to the disciples: If you had been of the world, the world would have loved its own (John 15, 19). One is from God who adheres to him: He who adheres to God, he says, is one spirit with him (I Cor. 6, 17). b. Some are from the world, but because the world and the devil have entered into an alliance, whoever is of the world is himself from his father the devil. Whence the Lord to the Jews: You are of your father the devil (John 8, 44). These two make the ears of the soul heavy (Is. 6, 10), so that one cannot hear. Whence the prophet, speaking to a soul that had already become deaf: Hearken, O daughter, and see, and incline thy ear, etc. (Ps. 44, 11). For those who savor earthly things have heavy ears and can’t hear the word of God. c. Some are from the devil, whence as above: You are of your father the devil (John 8, 44). a  The sentence from Psalm 5, 7 begins Virum sanguinum, a hebraism, literally ‘man of bloods’, with the plural. It seems ungrammatical in Latin, but Peter thinks that’s the point. b  See E54 above. c  Glos. ord. on Rom. 1, 29; Peter Lombard: Petr. Lomb., In epist. Pauli on Rom 1, 28+ (PL, 191, col. 1335C). The Weber edition of the Vulgate gives the singular, without a variant, but the Gloss and the Lombard both have the plural, ‘murders’, and explain the two kinds as in act or in will.

439

445

Letter O

45. Oil, like the Holy Spirit (Olevm admodvm Spiritvs sancti) a. Is medicinal, because it eases pains and swellings. b. Has an unmixable nature. c. Floats above all liquids.

446

46. Oil, like the Holy Spirit (Olevm admodvm Spiritvs sancti) a. Illuminates. b. Feeds. c. Heals. d. Penetrates. e. Floats on top. 47. Charity or Christ himself complains of humankind (De homine conqverit caritas vel ipse Christvs) a. O human, why do you enrich yourself with what your neighbor lacks? b. Why do you appropriate for yourself what should be shared with the poor? c. Why do you feed worms and vermin with the things that the poor should be fed? d. O human, what do you have that I haven’t given you? If you don’t wish to give your own goods, at least give me my goods. e. O human, why is it that all creatures serve and obey me, and you alone scorn me, you who were specifically created for this? Don’t heaven and earth, the sea and all things that are in them (Ps. 145, 6; Ex. 20, 11) and even the demons serve and obey me? The heavens obey, because they divided the waters from the waters and accepted the lights (Gen. 1, 6 and 14). The earth obeyed, because at his will it brought forth the green herb and the fruit tree yielding fruit after its kind (Gen. 1, 11) and other things that it would be a long time to tell. The winds and the sea obey him (Matth. 8, 27); fire, hail, snow, ice, stormy winds, which fulfill his word (Ps. 148, 8). They fulfill all things because all things were made by his word (John 1, 3). All things, I say, serve and obey the Highest, as is written: By thy ordinance the day goeth on, for all things serve thee (Ps. 118, 91).

440

Letter O

Demons obey and bear witness. Whence in Luke: Devils went out from many, crying out, ‘For thou art the Son of God’ (Luke 4, 41). Again, in the Acts of the Apostles, when certain Jews, tempting the name of Jesus, called out over the demoniacs and said: ‘I conjure you by Jesus, whom Paul preacheth’. The unclean spirit said to them, ‘Jesus I know, and Paul I know, but who are you?’ (Acts 19, 13–15). Again in Matthew: What have we to do with thee, Jesus the Nazarene? Why have thou come hither to torment us before the time? (Matth. 8, 29; Mark 1, 24; Luke 4, 34). Again, in the same vein another demon: What have I to do with thee, Son of the most high God? I adjure thee by the highest God that thou torment me not (Mark 5, 7; Luke 8, 28). O human, how will it be from him whom all creatures, even the demons, serve and obey? But listen: do you wish to be a very good merchant, an outstanding trader, a prudent salesman? Give what you can’t keep, so that you may acquire what you cannot lose. Give a little so that you get a hundredfold. Give what is an alien possession so that you obtain an eternal heritage. Again: the heavens recognized that he was God, because they immediately sent a star at his birth. The sea recognized, because it offered itself as something to walk on under his feet. The earth recognized, because it quaked at his death (cf. Matth. 14, 25). The sun recognized, because it hid the rays of its light (cf. Luke 23, 45). The stones and walls recognized, because they were split at the time of his death (cf. Matth. 27, 51). Hell recognized, because it gave up those whom it held.

447

48. A human is called (Homo dicitvr) sometimes water, as above in Water (A87); sometimes a liar, as above in Liar (M73– 74); sometimes the earth, as below in Earth (T21.b). 49. God complains in this way of humankind (De homine sic conqveritvr Devs) a. O human, for you he was obedient to the Father unto death, even to the death of the cross (Phil. 2, 8). b. For you Christ was bound, O human, so that he might loose you from the bonds of sinners. See therefore, O human, with what love Christ loved you, so that you might follow his footsteps.

441

448

Letter O

449

c.  For you he was judged, so that at the Judgment he might deliver you from eternal damnation. d. For you he was scourged, so that he might snatch you from the scourges of eternal wrath. e. For you he was crowned with thorns, so that he might crown you in heaven. f.  For you the Physician was wounded, so that infirm, you might be healed. g. For you he shed his blood five times: in his circumcision; in his prayer, when his sweat became as drops of blood, trickling down upon the ground (Luke 22, 44); bound and cut on the pillar; hanging on the cross; and finally, blood and water issued from his side as he was sleeping. And thus he shed his blood five times, and from five place when he was on the cross. h. For you he was crucified, so that he might crucify your concupiscence. i. For you he died, so that he might raise you from the dead. j. For you he was buried, so that he might bury the vices that are in you. Therefore what shall I render to him for all the things that he hath rendered to me? (Ps. 115, 12). Aren’t you bound to serve and obey him? O wonderful madness, O blind blindness, O foolish folly, all things serve and obey God, and humans alone, who were created specifically for this, that they might serve and obey their Creator, scorn to serve and obey. For we, professors of the name of Christian, disavow in works the faith that we profess in words. We who should conquer the world through faith are conquered by the world through infidelity. And what do you think that terrible Judge will do on the fearful Day of Judgment, when we come and stand before the tribunal of the Judge and it is said: ‘Behold the person and his works with him’?a And when he shall have seen those who were born through baptism degenerating from their Father, won’t it be said: You are of your father the devil (John 8, 44)? Won’t it be said: Go, you cursed (Matth. 25, 41). Let us beware, then, a bad hearing; let us conquer the world and not Sicard of Cremona: Sicard. Crem., Mitrale 4, 8 (p. 280, l. 91–92), etc., from Jerome: Hier., In Is. 16, 58, 9–10 (p. 668, l. 28). a 

442

Letter O

be conquered by the world. All flesh is as grass, and all the glory thereof as the flower of the field. The grass is withered, and the flower thereof is fallen away. But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. Indeed, the people is grass (Is. 40, 6–8; I Pet. 1, 24–25). O human, read in this short word the extended account of your wretchedness, in this brief writing of words the prolonged misery of your calamity. O human, why in this life are you resplendent in purple and fine linen (Luke 16, 19), you who after your life are befouled in the mire? Why in life do you take delight in a variety of rich things, you who after your life will be the sustenance of worms? Why in your life do you make a show of your familiarity with princes, when after your life you will be the companion of toads? Again, wherefore do you swell up, inflated bag? Don’t you know that today you are a crock of shit, tomorrow you will be food for worms? Again, why do you wanton as a brute beast – don’t you see punishments looming, torments looming over you? For the sake of brief pleasures do you wish to get eternal flames? Why do you gather things that will perish in a brief time and that will bring you into perdition? Don’t you know that, when a person shall die he shall take nothing away, nor shall his glory descend with him (Ps. 48, 18)? Again, pay attention to your beginnings, recall your middle life, remember thy last end (Eccli. 7, 40). The beginnings bring on shame, the middle arouse sorrow, the last things inspire fear. Remember whence you came, blush at where you are, tremble at whither you are going. Why are you detained, wretched human, by the vain and frivolous things of this world? Vanity of vanities, and all is vanity. I have seen all things that were under the sun, and all is vanity (Eccle. 1, 2 and 14). Why do you admire what shouldn’t be admired, choose what shouldn’t be chosen, follow what should be fled? Why, seeing and prudent, do you perish? Why do you walk with eyes shut? O blind minds of humans! We see the fall, and we aren’t wary; the ruin, and we don’t turn away (cf. Prov. 14, 27). We see the death of the soul but don’t cross over, and although there is no time free for us, we delay, not knowing what the morrow may bring us, with the Lord saying: Perhaps this night thy soul will be required of thee (Luke 12, 20). Therefore let us redeem the time while we have time, for the days are evil (Eph. 5, 16) and

443

450

Letter O

the loss of time is grave; also the world should be abandoned before we are abandoned by the world. Don’t Adam and Eve and all the saints wonder at us, in the way that a pregnant woman, if she were cast into a dark cave and there gave birth, might see her child gloating and laughing and the like, knowing nothing of the light?

451

50. The Jews would pray (Orabant Ivdei) a. At three hours of the day on bended knee, as we read of Daniel (cf. Dan. 6, 10), and of the Apostle that he would pray three times a day (cf. II Cor. 12, 8), and of Peter and John that they went up into the temple at the ninth hour of prayer (Acts 3, 1). a. At tierce, because at that time the decalogue was given to them on Sinai. The Church prays at the same hour, because then the Holy Spirit was given upon the apostles (Acts 2, 15). b. At sext, because then the brazen serpent was set up in the desert (cf. Num. 21, 8–9). At the same time the Church prays, because then Christ was hung on a tree (John 19, 14). c.  At none, because then the rock issued water at Cades (cf. Ex. 17, 6). At the same time the Church prays, because then the two Testaments flowed from the speared Christ: the blood of redemption and the water of ablution. We read this distinction in the Scholastic History on the seventh vision of Daniel.a 51. We pray (Oramvs) or we sing psalms once at night and seven times in a day, as above in Church (E36–37). 52. By this term ‘Human being’ (Hoc nomine ‘homo’)b a.  Sometimes Christ is designated, as here: A  certain man (homo) going into a far country called his servants and delivered to them his goods (Matth. 25, 14). Peter Comestor: Petr. Comestor, Hist. schol. on Daniel (col. 1548B-C). Latin distinguishes homo, usually not specific as to gender, and vir, a male human. Before the latter twentieth century the word ‘man’ was commonly used to translate both terms. In this translation the effort to make the distinction in English (‘person, human, people’) may sometimes seem labored and awkward – even with an effect (drawing attention to gendered traditional language) the opposite of the intention (to obviate inappropriate gender distinctions). Similar difficulty ata 

b 

444

Letter O

b. Sometimes the devil. Whence in the gospel: An enemy (inimicus homo) hath done this (Matth. 13, 28). c, Sometimes a good person. Whence: Let us make man (hominem) to our image and likeness (Gen. 1, 26). d. Sometimes an evil person. Whence: The sons of men (hominum), whose teeth are weapons,  etc. (Ps. 56, 5). And these four traveled, which find in Christ traveled into a far country (P132). 53. Of humans there are four (Hominvm qvattvor) kinds: some wish to hear, know, and carry out the gospel precepts, some not, as above in To hear (A110). 54. Of humans there are three (Hominvm tria) kinds: some die in Egypt, some in the wilderness, some in the land of promise, as above in They die (M121). 55. Of humans (Hominvm) possessing the kingdom of heaven there are four kinds, as above [sic] in Kingdom of Heaven (R13). 56. Concerning the honor (De honore) of parents, the Lord in the gospel of Matthew: Honor thy father and mother, and he that shall curse father or mother, let him die the death eternal (Matth. 15, 4). The Gloss speaks of ‘honor’ in two senses: showing them reverence and ministering to their needs.a And this, that thou mayest be long lived upon the land (Ex. 20, 12; Eph. 6, 3): ‘long lived’, confirmed in eternal life; ‘upon the land’ of the living. And this is the first commandment (Eph. 6, 2) among the commandments pertinent to humans that were written. Jesus the son of Syrach: He that feareth the Lord honoreth his parents (Eccli. 3, 8). Honor thy father, and forget not the groanings of thy mother, for tends the usage of pronouns, where ‘one’ can supplant ‘he/him’ when appropriate, but where ‘his’ or ‘him’ often occurs here for lack of a better. In the Douai translation used here for biblical quotations of course the older usage prevails, as in the citations in this article. a  Glos. ord. on Ephesians 6, 3; Peter Lombard: Petr. Lomb., In epist. Pauli on Eph. 6, 1+ (PL, 192, col. 217D).

445

452

Letter O

remember, thou would not be but through them (Eccli. 7, 29–30). Jerome: ‘Honor your father, but in such a way that you don’t part from the true Father; know your blood relative as long as he knows his Creator’.a Basil: ‘Let us love our parents as we love our own vital organs, if they haven’t prohibited us from our service to Christ. But if they have prohibited, we shouldn’t look on their tombs’.b Paul: Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is just (Eph. 6, 1). But that in the gospel is said: He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me (Matth. 10, 37), and he that hateth not his father and mother, etc. (Luke 14, 26), that is, doesn’t put love of God before love of temporal things, is not contrary to what was said above, although at first glance it may seem so to some less learned people. And note that God is more dishonored by those whom God more honors in the present world, namely such as are priests and prelates and certain other great men.

453

57. Works of mercy (Opera misericordie) are compared with oil, as above in Mercy (M100). 58. There is a burden (Onvs est) a.  Of poverty and infirmity, which should be alleviated. Whence: Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so you shall fulfill the law of Christ (Gal. 6, 2), that is, charity. b.  Of paying proportionately or of eternal punishment. Whence: For every one shall bear his own burden (Gal. 6, 5). c. Of iniquity. Whence: For my iniquities are gone over my head, and as a heavy burden are become heavy upon me (Ps. 37, 5). Again, Jeremiah: Do not carry burdens on the sabbath day (Jer. 17, 22 and 24). d. Of oppression. Whence: This is a burden that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear (Acts 15, 10). Again: You bind heavy and insupportable burdens, etc. (Matth. 23, 4). e. Of doctrine. Whence: For my yoke is sweet and my burden light (Matth. 11, 30).

a  Defensor Locog., Scint. 56, 13 (p. 182), from Jerome: Hier., Epist. 54, 3 (vol. 54, p. 468, l. 4–60). b  Ibid. 56, 14 (p. 182), from pseudo-Basil: Ps. Basil., Ad fil. 3 (col. 687A).

446

Letter O

59. The works of God are called wonderful (Opera Dei dicvntvr mirabilia) a. Because of their novelty. Whence: Renew thy signs and work new miracles (Eccli. 36, 6). b. Because of their power. Whence: No man can do these signs that thou dost, unless God be with him (John 3, 2). Again: We have seen wonderful things to day (Luke 5, 26). c. Because they were done by God. Whence: By the Lord this has been done, and it is wonderful in our eyes (Matth. 21, 42; Mark 12, 11). 60. There are works (Opera svnt) a. Of hands. Whence: The sinner hath been caught in the works of his own hands (Ps. 9, 17). Again: My soul is continually in my hands (Ps. 118, 109). Of these works Solomon says: Whatsoever thy hand is able to do, do it earnestly, for there is not wisdom, there is not counsel, there is not redemption in hell, whither thou art hastening (Eccle. 9, 10). Again, to the Galatians: Let us work good to all men, etc. (Gal. 6, 10). b. Of eyes. Whence: Whosoever shall look on a woman to lust after her hath already committed adultery with her in his heart (Matth. 5, 28). Again: Give me not haughtiness of eyes (Eccli. 23, 5). c. Of heart. Whence: Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife (Deut. 5, 21). d. Of feet. Whence: Their feet swift to shed blood (Rom. 3, 15). 61. There are works(Opera svnt) a.  Of merit or of necessity, as alms, prayers, and other good deeds to which good people as well as bad are obliged, even those who are in mortal sin, of which Augustine in his Enchiridion: ‘They benefit for this, that there may be full forgiveness, or surely that damnation itself may be more bearable’.a b. Of worthiness, as preaching, teaching; and to these those in notorious sin shouldn’t have access because of the scandal. Nevertheless they can read in seclusion. a  Peter Lombard: Petr. Lomb., Sent. 4, 45, 2, 2 (p. 524, l. 16–18); Gratian., Decret. 2, 13, 2, 23 (col.  728, l.  47–49),  etc., from Augustine: Avg., Enchir. 29 (p. 109, l. 29–31).

447

454

Letter O

c.  Of healing, as the receiving and the consecration of the eucharist. To this those in mortal sin shouldn’t have access. But if they do, they shouldn’t be shunned while the Church sustains them – for transubstantiation is brought about there, because one prays not in his own, but in the Church’s person. But it is all to his damnation. But if the Church weren’t to concede this, transubstantiation does not occur, even if he were unjustly excommunicated, for he becomes guilty in that he presumes. Of such Malachi says in the person of Christ: I will curse your blessings and I will bless your curses (Mal. 2, 2).

455

62. There are works (Opera svnt) a. Of nature, as eating, drinking, sleeping, and the like. b.  Of grace, as praying, keeping vigils, almsgiving, and performing other works of mercy. c. Of sin, as fornicating, murdering, engaging in sin, and the like. 63. Riches (Opes) a. Are acquired with labor. b. Are possessed with fear. c. Are lost with sorrow. As above, Riches (D75). 64. There is a due season (Oportvnitas est) a. Of appropriateness. Whence: Be instant in season, out of season (II Tim. 4, 2). b. Of necessity. Whence: There must be heresies (I Cor. 11, 19). c. Of benefit. Whence: It behooved Christ to have suffered and so to enter into his glory (Luke 24, 26 and 46). 65. Sometimes we pray (Oramvs qvandoqve) a. Prostrate, that is, prostrate on the ground with our whole body, that is, on non-festival days, at least on a mat, in which four things are signified. Infirmity of body, because we were raised from dust, as if one would say: I  am dust and ashes (Gen. 18, 27) and into dust I shall return (Gen. 3, 19), and therefore in the likeness of Christ, ‘I fix myself on the cross’. Infirmity of soul, because we are not set upright through ourselves. And shame,

448

Letter O

because we don’t dare lift our eyes towards heaven (Luke 18, 13). And prudence, because we see where we fall down, that is, we are cast down in worldly matters and we see why. And therefore we are prostrate on the ground with our whole body, lest perhaps it be said of us: Why are you so proud, earth and ashes? (Eccli. 10, 9). One who prostrates himself with his whole body on the ground shows that he is a fragile thing of earth and bound to revert to it, as the Lord says: Dust thou art, and into dust thou shalt return (Gen. 3, 19), that is, with respect to the body. And a person can’t humble himself in prayer more than this. For one who prays standing up can be still more humbled, and one who on bended knees, still more, but one who prays cleaving his belly to the ground cannot do more. b.  On bended knees, like Solomon (cf.  III  Kings 8, 42), but with the neck erect, as if he would say: ‘Although I am on the ground, I  am with hope for eternal blessedness’, as if he would say: Draw me; we will run after thee to the odor of thy ointments (Cant. 1, 3). c.  Erect, that is, standing, as if: We shall go into the house of the Lord rejoicing; standing in thy courts,  etc. (Ps. 121, 1–2), and this when we put our hope in God. And it is as if one said: ‘Now I am risen again with Christ’, whence genuflecting is forbidden on Sundays and from Easter Day to Pentecost, but it can be done in private prayers. But standing up we raise our hands up in the likeness of Moses praying on the mountain (cf. Ex. 17, 11) and of Christ on the cross to signify that our soul, which is spiritual, came from above and should return there, and to show that we should seek heavenly things, and in this we display the shape of the cross. Standing signifies that eternal things stand always and never fall. ‘But a person lifts his heart with his hands’, says Isidore, ‘who supports his prayer with works. Let whoever prays and doesn’t do works lift his heart, not his hands’.a Therefore with the first we express our condition; with the second, our desire; with the third, our hope. Defensor Locog., Scint. 7, 41 (p. 32), etc., from Isidore: Isid., Sent. 3, 7, 18 (p. 224, l. 89–91), and Gregory the Great: Greg. M., Moral. 18, 5 (p. 891, l. 21–24). a 

449

456

Letter O

457

66. In praying we kneel (Orando flectimvs genva) a. For the sake of obedience. Whence a priest says in the mass, ‘Let us bow our knees’. b. For the sake of humility, which is necessary for us. Whence: Unless someone humble himself, etc. (Matth. 18, 4). Again: He that shall humble himself shall be exalted (Matth. 23, 12; Luke 14, 11). c. For the sake of arousing devotion. For they say that in our mother’s womb we have our knees upon our face, whence ‘knees’ (genua) are derived from ‘cheeks’ (genae), and therefore in prayer it is as if we put our cheeks between our knees. And because of all these reasons a priest says, ‘Let us bow our knees’. 67. In praying we beat our breasts, in which three things are involved (Orando pectvs tvndimvs, in qvo svnt tria) a. The hands. Through the hands are signified good works. Of this is said: Bring forth fruits worthy of penance (Luke 3, 8; Matth. 3, 8). b. The hurting. Through the hurting is signified contrition. Of this is said: A contrite and humbled heart, etc. (Ps. 50, 19). c. And the sound. Through the sound is signified confession. Whence: Confess your sins one to another (James 5, 16). One who beats his breast should drive out evil and superfluous thoughts that spoil the sweetness of the ointment, that is, of good works, as Solomon says: Dying flies spoil the sweetness of the ointment (Eccle. 10, 1). Otherwise beating one’s breast isn’t worth much. 68. We should pray to God (Orandvs est Devs) as he wishes, that is, so that what he has wished forever might be brought into effect, as Augustine says.a

458

69. God’s mercy teaches us to pray (Orare nos docet misericordia Dei) a. Because we know not what we should pray. Whence the Apostle: We know not what we should pray, but the Holy Spirit himself prays for us (Rom. 8, 26). a 

Source not identified.

450

Letter O

b.  And wherefore or how. Whence: Thus moreover shall you pray: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven’, etc. (Matth. 6, 9; Luke 11, 2). c.  And what result do we get from it, that is, from what his mercy teaches us. Whence Isaiah: As thou art yet speaking I will say, ‘Here I am’ (Is. 58, 9; 65, 24). God knows what we want, but he wants us to pray with voice. 70. We pray with voice (Oramvs vocaliter) a. For arousing devotion. b. For the instruction of our neighbor. c. For the obedience of our tongue. d. For the commemoration of the thing sought. e. For the more diligent keeping of the thing obtained. 71. A  praying person (Orans) should diligently take care as far as he can that his mind not sometimes be parted from his tongue and that it be said to him by the Lord: That person honoreth me with his lips, but his heart is far from me (Matth. 15, 8; Mark 7, 6). Indeed, it is very presumptuous for a servant to say to his master: Let thy ears be attentive to the voice of my supplication (Ps. 129, 2), when the supplication of that same servant is not attentive to his master. 72. The Church prays (Orat ecclesia) a. For very good people, and these are thanksgivings. b. For middling people, so that complete forgiveness or a more tolerable damnation is provided to them. c. For very bad people – if good things happen to them they are consolations for those who are alive; for these the Church doesn’t pray. d. For infants, but baptized ones, the Church prays for the enlargement of their crowns, for just as the punishment is very mild for those infants who aren’t baptized, so the crowns of the baptized are very small. Moreover, for these deceased people prayers, sacrifices, or any alms have a benefit. Augustine says in his Enchi-

451

459

Letter O

ridion: ‘They benefit for this, that there may be complete forgiveness, or surely that damnation itself would be more bearable’.a 73. A  perfect person prays (Orat perfectvs) for one thing only. Whence: One thing I have asked of the Lord; this will I seek, etc. (Ps. 26, 4). For as many things as there are for which one prays, so many are the accompaniments to the prayer, as if one should pray for wine and oil, and the like. 74. One prays or petitions (Orat sive petit) a. Some against himself, as Paul seeking for the goad of Satan to be removed from himself, to whom the Lord: My grace is sufficient for thee (II Cor. 12, 9). b. Some not in due season, as the sons of Zebedee concerning their sitting together with Christ, whence the Lord didn’t refute them as to what they were asking for, but because they were asking for it too soon. Whence he said: Can you drink the chalice that I shall drink? (Matth. 20, 22; Mark 10, 38). Again: It is vain for you to rise before the light. Rise ye after you have sitten (Ps. 126, 2), that is, after you have suffered. c.  Some weakly. Whence: My Father, if it be possible, let this chalice pass from me (Matth. 26, 39). This is explained in He transfigures (T32), and this is what is spoken of elsewhere.

460

75. God has a regard (Respicit Devs) a.  Sometimes for the prayer and not for the one praying. Whence that of Satan, who said: Send thy hand and touch all that he hath, and thou wilt see that he blesses thee to thy face (Job 1, 11). b. Sometimes the converse, as was said by the Apostle: My grace is sufficient for thee (II Cor. 12, 9). c. Sometimes for both. Whence: He hath a regard to the prayer of the humble (Ps. 101, 18). d. Sometimes for neither, which often happens.

a 

See O61.a above.

452

Letter O

76. A prayer is (Oratio est) a. Special, that is, a vocal prayer, as when we say the Paternoster and the like. b. General, that is, our good works. For one who doesn’t stop doing well doesn’t cease praying. Or a good life. Whence: One who doesn’t stop living well doesn’t cease praying. And similarly there is a special fast and a general fast, and likewise with fornication. 77. A prayer is called (Oratio dicitvr) a. The thing prayed for. b. The action itself, that is, the devotion itself. c. The vocal prayer itself, as the Paternoster. 78. A prayer is called (Oratio dicitvr) a. Sometimes an utterance of words, which from a wicked person is wicked, from a good person is good. b. Sometimes a movement of one’s spirit, which is good from a good person and wicked from a wicked person. c. Sometimes a collection of words, which is indifferently good or wicked. d. Sometimes the desire of the Church, that is, of the faithful, which is always good. When one inquires whether the prayer of a wicked priest is good or wicked – whether it is beneficial should be distinguished in this way. It should also be noted that, just as every work of mercy is called alms, so whatever good thing is done or said or thought by good people is received by God as a pure prayer with a sweet odor. Whence Bede in his homily on John: ‘The odors of vials are the prayers of saints (Apoc. 5, 8), because whatever good thing those who serve God with innocent intention do or say, surely as recompense for this he wholly fulfills their prayers for them’.a Not otherwise can be fulfilled that precept of the Apostle: Pray without ceasing (I Thess. 5, 17). But one who doesn’t stop doing well doesn’t cease praying.

a 

Beda, Hom. euang. 2, 22 (p. 344, l. 90–93).

453

461

Letter O

79. This prayer, namely the Paternoster, is called ‘The Lord’s’ (Oratio hec, scilicit Pater noster, dicitvr dominica) a. Because it was instituted by the Lord. b. Because lordship is promised to us through it, that is, eternal life. c. Because it is wholly directed to God. ‘Father’ is not put here as of persons, but in an essential sense, because it is directed to the whole Trinity. 80. This prayer, namely the Paternoster, is worthier than others (Oratio hec, scilicet Pater noster, dignior est aliis) a. By its authority, because it was uttered from the mouth of our Savior. b.  By its brevity of wording, because no one can be excused from memorizing it. c. By its adequacy, because it contains everything necessary for us in this life or the other. d. By its richness in mysteries.

462

81. The Lord’s Prayer (Oratio dominica), in which there are seven petitions, was instituted against the seven chief vices, that is, pride, wrath, envy, sloth, greed, gluttony, lechery. So you have it, by whom it was instituted and why it is called the Lord’s and why it was instituted. Of this prayer Augustine says: ‘This prayer entirely deletes very small everyday sins’,a such as laughing too much and the like. 82. Prayer is called an ointment (Oratio dicitvr vngventvm) because, as an ointment soothes bodily wounds and injuries, so also prayer soothes wounds of souls. Whence: Pierce thy eye and bring out tears; pierce thy heart and bring out knowledge (Eccli. 22, 24). Peter Lombard: Petr. Lomb., Sent. 4, 16, 6, 1 (p. 341, l. 20–21); Gratian., Decret. 2, 33, 3, 3, 20 (col. 1214, l. 37–38), from Augustine: Avg., Enchir. 19 (p. 88, l. 12–13). a 

454

Letter O

83. There is a prayer (Oratio est) a.  From lust, which God reproves. And sometimes he hears, whence: They asked, and the quail came (Ps. 104, 40). Again: As yet their meat was in their mouth, and the wrath of God came upon them (Ps. 77, 30–31). Sometimes he doesn’t hear. Whence: They cried to the Lord, but he heard them not (Ps. 17, 42). b.  From infirmity, which he tolerates. And sometimes he doesn’t hear, as with Christ when he said: Let this chalice pass from me, etc. (Matth. 26, 39; Mark 14, 36; Luke 22, 42), and with the Apostle (cf. II Cor. 12, 7–9). And sometimes he hears, as with Peter, namely when he prayed that he might be delivered from prison (cf. Acts 12, 5), whence having been heard he said: Now I know in very deed,  etc. (Acts 12, 11). But the Lord has heard our prayers many times, without our knowing it, by giving us what is better for us. Hence, when we ask for healing he gives us infirmity, and the like. Isidore says: ‘Often God doesn’t hear many people according to their will, so that he might hear them for their salvation’.a c.  From charity, which God always hears and approves. Whence: Whatsoever you shall ask the Father in my name shall be done unto you (John 14, 13; 15, 7), that is, now or later or in the future, if someone should pray for himself, piously, with perseverance, and concerning things conducive to salvation, or for another person who is worthy – for if someone has prayed for an unworthy person, his prayer will turn back into his lap, as when Samuel prayed for Saul (cf. I Sam. 8, 6). ‘In my name’, he says, which is Jesus, that is, the Savior, because what we ask for should be for salvation. For Paul was not heard concerning the removal of the goad of Satan (cf. II Cor. 12, 7–9), because it was not for salvation for him, but it was for preserving his humility. ‘For himself’, it says, because thus one is always heard for himself, not always for another person. 84. A prayer is made (Oratio fit) a. With heart, as Moses cried out to the Lord (cf. Ex. 8, 12, etc.), and Susanna (cf. Dan. 13, 42). And it is better to pray in silence Defensor Locog., Scint. 7, 45 (p.  33), from Isidore: Isid., Sent. 3, 7, 25 (p. 226, l. 129–31). a 

455

463

Letter O

from the heart than with words alone without the consent of the mind. b. With voice. Whence: O Lord, thou wilt open my lips (Ps. 50, 17). c. With works. Whence: Pray without ceasing (I Thess. 5, 17). Again: I gave thanks to my God always for you, making commemoration of you in my prayers (Eph. 1, 16), that is, in my works. 85. A  pure prayer (Oratio pvra) has a great effect. Grievous is the prayer when one thing is asked for by mouth, another is considered in one’s heart.

464

86. The prayer (Oratio) a. Of Christ in his baptism opened heaven; that is, the heavens opened when Christ prayed at his baptism (cf. Luke 3, 21). b. Of Peter in the dining room made him worthy to see the vessel with four corners hanging from heaven (cf. Acts 10, 9 and 11). c. Of David got him indulgence for his sins (cf. II Sam. 24). d. Of the Church burst the chains of sin. e.  Of Elijah closed the skies for three years and six months (cf. III Kings 17, 1). f. Of King Hezekiah, destined for death, made him worthy to add fifteen years to his life (IV Kings 20, 6). g.  Of the children of Israel opened the Red Sea when they couldn’t avoid the sword of their enemies in any other place. h. Of Isaac substituted a ram for him for the sacrifice. i. Of Jacob drew him away from the sword of his brother and of Laban. j. Of Daniel in the lion’s den preserved him unharmed (Dan. 6, 11), and the three boys in the fiery furnace (Dan. 3, 24). Thus in every tribulation we should have recourse to prayer, for God is always present when he is prayed to with piety, with perseverance, for oneself, for those things that are conducive to salvation. Therefore: In my trouble I cried to the Lord and he heard me (Ps. 119, 1). In my tribulation I called upon the Lord (Ps. 17, 5 juxta Hebr.). This poor man cried and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles (Ps. 33, 7). Inviting us to prayers and vigils the Lord says: Watch ye and pray, because you know not what hour your Lord will

456

Letter O

come (Matth. 24, 42). Augustine: ‘We are cleansed by prayer, we are instructed by reading; both are good. If both may not be done, it’s better to pray than to read’.a Whence Alcuin: ‘Whoever wishes to be with God should pray and read frequently, for when we pray we speak with God, but when we read, God speaks with us’,b as we have it in comment on the Psalm ‘Thou hast blessed’c at the verse: For thou, O lord, art sweet (Ps. 85, 5). Again, Bishop John in his Sunday sermon before the chant ‘Those are the days’:d ‘Perpetual prayer, the weakness of the enemy; the weakness of the enemy, the glory of the Emperor’.e ‘The great virtue of pure prayer’ – which a comment on Let my prayer come in before me (Ps. 87, 3) nicely observes – ‘is that as if a certain persona comes in to God and fulfills a mandate to which the flesh can’t come’.f ‘The power of true prayer is the height of charity’, as Gregory says.g And how great is the power of prayer we grasp from what we read, that while Moses was praying and lifting up his hands to God, with Hur and Aaron sustaining them, Israel prevailed over Amalek (Ex. 17, 11–13). As a figure of this deed a priest raises his hands in the mass, and in a figure of Christ praying on the cross. Moses didn’t lower his hands until sunset; so also we, when we pray, should lift up our hands to God through good works, according to this of the Apostle: Lifting up pure hands (I Tim. 2, 8) in prayer. And David: The lifting up of my hands as evening sacrifice (Ps. 140, 2). ‘One lifts his heart along with his hands’, says Isidore, ‘who supports his prayer with works. Whoever prays and doesn’t do works lifts up his heart and doesn’t lift up his hands’.h Indeed Hur and Aaron, that is, charity and a  Defensor Locog., Scint. 7, 14 (p. 29), citing Augustine, from Isidore: Isid., Sent. 3, 8, 1 (p. 228, l. 2–4). b  Isidore: Isid., Sent. 3, 8, 2 (p. 229, l. 506); Defensor Locog., Scint. 81, 17 (p. 232); Alcuin., Virt. et uit. 5 (col. 616D); cf. Glos. ord. on Ps. 85, 5. c  Peter errs in giving the opening word of Psalm 84 rather than Psalm 85. d  Cantus 007013, a response on Passion Sunday. e  Source not identified; perhaps John Chrysostom. f  Peter Lombard: Petr. Lomb., In Ps. 87, 2 (col. 811D); Glos. ord. on Psalm 87, 3. g  Defensor Locog., Scint. 1, 33 (p. 5), from Gregory the Great: Greg. M., In euang. 27, 8 (p. 236, l. 192). h  Defensor, Scint. 7, 41 (p. 32), from Isidore: Isid., Sent. 3, 7, 18 (p. 224, l. 89– 91), from Gregory the Great: Greg. M., Moral. 18, 5 (p. 891, l. 22–25).

457

465

466

Letter O

467

good intention, should sustain those hands. Hur means ‘fire’, that is, that fire which is charity, of which is said: I am come to cast fire on the earth (Luke 12, 49). Aaron means ‘mountainous’, through which is understood the eminence of virtues or the righteousness of good intention. For through these two, that is, through charity and good intention, our hands can be raised up, that is, through good works done with good intention. Moreover, prayer should have two wings, fasting and almsgiving, and thus it penetrates heaven. For this is the righteousness of humans in this life: prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, as the saints say in comment on the epistle to the Ephesians.a But we should always pray with regard to temporal things with a condition, that is, in such a way that God will have seen that it is expeditious for us, for he permits bad things for us for five reasons, as below in Punishment (P64). It’s better to engage in prayer at night. At night Judas betrayed the Lord; at night Peter denied the Lord; at night the destroying angel passed over (cf. Ex. 12, 29); Christ was born at night; at night he rose again; at night he was judged; at night, as Augustine says, he will come to the Judgment, for he will come when he is not expected.b And that we should rise to pray in the middle of the night is posited here: I rose at midnight, that is, I didn’t fail in very severe trouble, but I rose more strongly to give praise to thee (Ps. 118, 62). ‘At midnight’ he says, because a day is not enough for praying. Indeed we should pray at night lest we be seized by somnolence. For at that time allurements boil up, at that time the tempter brings on delusions. And the Lord himself spent the night in prayer so that by his own example he might invite you to prayer. For at that time the tempter casts or stretches out his nets, with which he can disturb an unprepared mind. At that time spiritual evils strive to urge every wickedness, when no one can be a beholder of sin, no one conscious of crime, no one a witness of error. At that time they infuse various disputations into the breast of one sleeping. We should take care therefore that, at the time at which Christ rose again and the firstborn of Egypt were struck down, we rise, a  b 

See B10.e above. See E36 above and Augustine: Avg., Diuers. quaest. 59, 3 (p. 113–14, l. 80–84).

458

Letter O

so that we may not loiter with the foolish virgins. The Psalm verse continues: To give praise to thee, etc., that is, to laud thee, concerning the judgments of thy justice (Ps. 118, 62), with which you chastise the children whom you receive. Or thus: I rose to give praise to thee I say, regarding with longing that good that is above all the judgments of thy justice. Solomon: Better is the end of a speech than the beginning (Eccle. 7, 9), for we should rejoice more at a completed work than at one just begun. Whence tithes are worth more and please God more than firstfruits, because tithes signify the consummation, firstfruits the beginning. 87. We should distinguish between supplications, prayers, pleas, and thanksgivings (Distingvendvm est inter obsecrationes, orationes, postvlationes, et gratiarvm actiones) a.  Supplications are oaths. These are made to convert people to God and are made with an oath, as when we say: ‘by the living God’, ‘by thy passion’, ‘by thy death’, ‘by thy resurrection’, ‘by him who is to come to judge the living and the dead’, and the like. b. Prayers, which we call collects. These are offered for cleansing people in the way of this life. And note that we don’t prefix this phrase, ‘Let us pray’, except for a prayer only. Hence it is that after a meal we don’t say ‘Let us pray’ when we say, ‘We give thee thanks, almighty God’, and again, ‘Deign, O lord, to grant eternal life’, etc.a c. Intercessions are petitions. These are made for purging people in purgatory. d. Thanksgivings. These are made for those who are in the fatherland. The Apostle understood this, saying: I beseech you first that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made, that we may have a quiet and a peaceable life (I Tim. 2, 1–2). But what he says elsewhere – that is, Rejoicing in tribulation (Rom. 12, 12), as if there shouldn’t be praying for peace – is not contradictory, because the Apostle isn’t praying for peace of the body, but for peace of the heart. a 

Common graces at meals.

459

468

Letter O

469

88. Between prayers (Inter orationes) and adorations there is this difference, that prayers make a request and adorations don’t. Prayers have an end, because in the future we won’t pray, because we will ask for nothing. Adorations will last forever, because they will never want an end, for in the future we will adore God. But if Abraham and certain others are said to have adored humans or angels (cf. Gen. 18, 2; 23, 7), the term is used in an improper sense, for properly only God is ‘adored’, as we understand, humans or angels ‘honored’. Prayer is what is purely offered to God; a deprecation is what is continual and is also offered to humans, not to God only. Thus is the distinction made in comment on Hear, O God, my prayer (Ps. 60, 2).a 89. Christians make three adorations (Adorationes) before the cross, as above in Cross (C184).

470

90 There are two kinds of adorations (Adorationes dve svnt species) a.  Latria. Interior, in which we are inwardly prostrate and humbled with our whole heart and mind for believing in God. Latria is worship owed to God alone, as dulia to humans. Exterior, in which we are externally humbled to God. Whence in kneeling, of which the Apostle says: To whom every knee is bowed (Phil. 2, 10; Rom. 14, 11), for the bending of both knees is owed to God alone. Whence they do injustice to God bending both knees before a human, and likewise permitting it to be done before themselves. b.  Dulia. Superior, which is owed only to the humanity of Christ, that is, according as he is human. Inferior, which is owed to humans and angels. Whence Abraham is said to have adored humans (cf. Gen. 23, 7). Concerning the one that is called latria, that is, that is owed to God alone, is said: The Lord thy God shalt thou adore, and him only shalt thou serve (Matth. 4, 10; Luke 4, 8). Of that adoration that is owed only to the humanity of Christ is said: Adore his footstool, for it is holy (Ps. 98, 5). Of the inferior, which is owed to humans and angels, it is said that David adored a 

Glos. ord. on Ps. 60, 2; Peter Lombard: Petr. Lomb., In Ps. 60, 1 (col. 559A-B).

460

Letter O

Jonathan (cf. I Sam. 20, 41) and Abraham the people of that land (cf. Gen. 23, 7), that is, he honored them. 91. The Lord prayed three times (Oravit Dominvs tribvs vicibvs) a.  To instruct us in three things, that is, that we direct all things to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. b. To acquire three things, namely for forgiveness of past sins, protection about the present, and wariness about the future, that is, that we should pray for forgiveness of past sins, protection from present evils, and wariness about future dangers. c. For two warnings, of which each is tripartite. For as there is a triple temptation of lust – namely lust of the flesh, lust of eyes, and ambition of the world (cf. I John 2, 16) – so the temptation of fear is threefold, namely fear of death, fear of vileness – for a human fears becoming vile – and fear of pain, that is, of suffering. Against all of these things he teaches us that we should be protected by prayer. 92. Christ prayed (Oravit Christvs) a. With the sound of his lips. Whence in the gospel of John: Glorify me, O Father, where he prayed first for himself, second for his disciples, third for those who by the disciples’ preaching would come to believe in him (John 17). Again: Father, if it be possible, let this chalice pass from me (Matth. 26, 39; Mark 14, 36; Luke 22, 42). b. With the intention of his heart. Whence: Who in the days of his flesh, with a strong cry offering up prayers and supplications to him that was able to save him from death (Hebr. 5, 7). c. With his very action, by shedding blood. Whence: The sprinkling of blood speaks better than that of Abel (Hebr. 12, 24). d. With the representation of his humanity. Whence: We have an advocate, Jesus Christ (I John 2, 1), who maketh intercession for us (Rom. 8, 34) and was heard for his reverence (Hebr. 5, 7). e. He prayed at night to teach us to pray at night. f. On the cross, saying: My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me (Ps. 21, 2; Matth. 27, 46; Mark 15, 34), up to this verse: Into thy hands I commend my spirit (Ps. 30, 6; Luke 23, 46), where there

461

471

Letter O

are nine Psalms and a certain part of a tenth, that is, from the Psalm mentioned before, O God, my God, look upon me; why hast thou forsaken me (Ps. 21, 2) up to that verse, In thy hands, etc. (Ps. 30, 6). According to some people the Lord said all these Psalms on the cross while praying; hence it is that the Church is accustomed to say nine kinds of prayers on Good Friday, that is, praying for all peoples, because of the manifold prayer of Christ made on the cross. In that Christ prayed with mouth, heart, and action, he taught us to do likewise. Our prayer is an institution and in the individual prayers we genuflect, except in the prayer that is made for the Jews, as we read in comment on Matthew at this place: Sit you here, till I go yonder and pray (Matth. 26, 36).a 93. The orders (Ordines) of angels are nine, as above in Angels (A45). 94. The orders (Ordines) of those praising God, or the choirs, are two in the Church or in heaven, as above in Angels (A45).

472

95. The orders or grades of spiritual offices are seven, because of the sevenfold grace of the Holy Spirit (Ordines sive gradvs spiritvalivm officiorvm svnt septem propter septiformem gratiam Spiritvs sancti) a. Porters, to whom the keys of the church are given when they are ordained by the bishop. And it is said to them: ‘So behave as you will render an accounting to God for the things that are locked up with these keys’. Christ performed this office when he drove buyers and sellers from the temple with a whip made of cords. And signifying himself to be one of the porters he said: I am the door. By me, if any man enter in, he shall be saved (John 10, 9). b. Readers, to whom a book of the divine reading is given by the bishop. And to each is said: ‘Receive and be the teller of the word of God, and if faithfully you fulfill your office you will partake with those who have well administered the word of God’. Not identified in a gloss on Matth. 26, 36, but see Sicard of Cremona: Sicard. Crem., Mitrale 6, 13 (p. 493, l. 253–56), etc. a 

462

Letter O

Christ performed this office when among the elders, opening the book of Isaiah, he read clearly for their understanding, namely at this place: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, etc. (Luke 4, 18; Is. 61, 1). From this it is given to readers to understand that those who announce the word of God to others should by spiritual grace be clear. And this office has its beginning from the prophets, by whom is said: Cry, cease not (Is. 58, 1). c.  Exorcists in Greek, conjurers or rebukers in Latin. When these are ordained they receive a book of exorcisms from the bishop, and to them is said: ‘Receive, and have the power of laying hands on those who are possessed, or exorcisms’. Christ performed this office when he touched with his spit the ears and tongue of the deafmute, saying: ‘Ephpheta’, which is ‘Be thou opened’ (Mark 7, 34), by this teaching us spiritually to open the ears of people’s hearts for understanding and their mouths for confessing. d. Acolytes in Greek, candle-bearers in Latin. When these are ordained, when they have been taught by the bishop how they should act in their office, they receive from the archdeacon a candlestick and an empty little pitcher. Christ performed this office, saying: I am the light of the world; he that followeth me walketh not in darkness, but shall have the light of life (John 8, 12). e. Subdeacons, hypodiaconai in Greek, to whom is said: Be ye clean, ye that carry the vessels of the Lord (Is. 52, 11). When these are ordained they receive from the hand of the bishop a paten and an empty chalice; from the archdeacon a little pitcher with a basin and towel. Christ performed this office when he girded himself with a towel and putting water into a basin he washed the feet of the disciples and dried them with the towel (cf. John 13, 4–5). f. Levites, from Levi, who hold the sixth place because of the perfection of the number six. Whence we read in the Sentences: ‘Deacons, in Greek, ministers, in Latin, who have the office of assisting priests and ministering in the sacraments of Christ, in baptism, unction, the paten, the chalice; dressing the table of God; carrying the cross; preaching the gospel. When these are ordained, the bishop puts on them a neckerchief – that is, a stole, so that by this they might know that they are receiving the sweet yoke of the Lord – and the text of the gospel, so that they might know that they are heralds of the gos-

463

473

Letter O

474

pel of Christ. But these are examined before they are ordained, as the Apostle teaches, whence: So let them minister, having no crime (I Tim. 3, 10). Christ performed this office when after the Supper he dispensed the sacraments of bread and wine to the disciples, and when he roused the sleeping apostles to prayer, saying: Watch ye and pray, that ye enter not into temptation (Matth. 26, 41; Mark 14, 38)’.a g. Priests in Greek, elders in Latin.b Among the ancients priests and bishops were the same. ‘Priest’ (sacerdos) is compounded of Greek and Latin, because it is ‘giving a holy thing’ (sacrum dans) or ‘holy leader’ (sacer dux); just as ‘king’ (rex, gen regis) is from ‘ruling’ (regendo), so sacerdos is from ‘sanctifying’ (sanctificando).c When he is ordained his hands are anointed so that he might know that he is receiving the grace of consecrating and that he should reach out works of charity to all. He also receives a stole that hangs on both sides, because he should be protected by weapons of justice against prosperity and adversity. He also receives a chalice with wine and a paten with the host,d so that by this he might know that he has received the power of offering hosts pleasing to God. Christ performed this office when he offered himself on the altar of the cross, at once the priest and the victim (hostia), and when after the Supper he changed bread and wine into his body and blood. Those in the first order have their origin in the Old Testament, those who were chosen to guard the temple so that no unclean person would enter (cf. II Chron. 23, 19; I Chron. 26, 1–19). The second ones originate from the prophets, to whom it was said: Cry, cease not (Is. 58, 1). The third, from Solomon, who discovered the method of exorcizing by which conjured demons were driven from possessed bodies.e The fourth, from those in the Old This whole article derives from Peter Lombard: Petr. Lomb., Sent. 4, 24, 5–14 (p. 396, l. 1 – p. 405, l. 20), and cf. Isidore: Isid., Orig. 7, 12, 20–32 and the anonymous Vita Isid. 26 (p. 77, l. 1444–1519). b  The interchangeable terms for ‘priest’ are (here) presbyter and its Latin equivalent senior, ‘elder’, and sacerdos (below). c  Sacerdos is from Indo-European roots meaning ‘doer (performer) of holy rites’; cf. ‘sacred’ and ‘do’. The Chanter is following the Lombard. d  The hosts (hostiae) are the eucharistic wafers, literally, ‘sacrificial victims’. e  An idea found in pseudepigraphal texts and reported by Peter Lombard (note a above). a 

464

Letter O

Testament who put together the lamps of the candelabras and lit them with heavenly fire to give light to the northern darkness (cf. Ex. 25, 31–39, etc.). The fifth are called Nazarites among the Hebrews (cf. Num. 6, etc.). The sixth, from Moses, when the Lord commanded that the Levites be consecrated to the Lord and serve before the Lord; and they would carry the ark of the Lord and the tabernacle and all his vessels; and they would bed down near the tabernacle; and they would take it down for carrying and set it up again (cf. Num. 1, 49–53, etc.). Seventh, from the sons of Aaron, whom Moses chose to be the high priest at the command of the Lord, but his sons he anointed as lesser priests (cf. Ex. 28–29, etc.). Christ also chose the twelve disciples first, whom he called apostles, from whom the major pontifexes take their office in the Church. Then he designated another seventy-two disciples, from whom priests take their office in the Church. But one among the apostles stood out as the chief, Peter, whose vicar and successor is the pope. See then, briefly, about the seven grades of the Church. There are also other terms, not of humansa but of dignities or offices, as bishop, archbishop, metropolitan, patriarch, and the like. 96. There is an order (Ordo est) a. Of merit, that is, an artificial order, which requires that we start from the more important. And the petitions of the Paternoster are ordered by this order. b. Natural, which requires that we begin from the least important, that is, from temporal things, and progress to the greater, that is, eternal things. And the petitions mentioned above are interpreted in this order. 97. The mouth of the Lord is a name for (Os Domini dicitvr) a. The Son of the Father, that is, Christ the Lord. Whence Isaiah: For I have provoked his mouth to wrath (Lam. 1, 18). One of the main manuscripts reads ‘orders’ for ‘humans’ here, probably (rightly) correcting; Peter Lombard, the source, has ‘orders’. The error seems to be archetypal, perhaps authorial. a 

465

475

Letter O

b. Holy scripture. This is the mouth of the Lord that we should consult in all our doings. For the children of Israel perished in the wilderness because they didn’t consult the mouth of the Lord (Josh. 9, 14; Is. 30, 2), that is, holy scripture. c. His word, or command. Whence Isaiah: The mouth of the Lord hath spoken it (Is. 1, 20)

476

98. They set their mouth against heaven (cf. Ps. 72, 9) (Os svvm ponvnt in celvm) a. Some of them by murmuring. Whence: They shall murmur if they be not filled (Ps. 58, 16). Again, all those who murmur about some misery, as of cold or heat or the season or poverty or infirmity and the like. b. Some by denying divine power. Whence: Can he furnish a table in the wilderness? (Ps. 77, 19). c. Some by not believing that God is concerned with earthly matters. Whence: He that planted the ear, shall he not hear? Or he that formed the eye, does he not consider? (Ps. 93, 9). d. Some by promising impunity for themselves, of whom Jeremiah: And they healed the breach of the daughter of my people disgracefully, saying: ‘peace, peace’ – and there was no peace (Jer. 6, 14). e. Some by lying about the majesty of God, like Arius, who said the Son was lesser than the Father, not taking note of this: I and the Father are one (John 10, 30). f. Those who blaspheme against God or his angels, as below in Sinner (P62). 99. Our mouth should be open (Os nostrvm debet esse apertvm) a.  For confessing. Whence: I  said: ‘I will confess against myself ’, etc. (Ps. 31, 5). Again: Pour out your hearts before him (Ps. 61, 9). Again: Tell me thy iniquities, to justify thyself (Is. 43, 25–26). Again: Woe is me, because I have held my peace (Is. 6, 5). b. For the praise of God. Whence: O Lord, thou wilt open my lips (Ps. 50, 17).

466

Letter O

c. For the teaching of good things. Whence the Apostle: My mouth is open to you, O ye Corinthians (II Cor. 6, 11). Again: I will teach the unjust thy ways (Ps. 50, 15). d.  For prayer. Whence: In the morning my prayer shall come before thee (Ps. 87, 14). 100. Our mouth should be closed (Os nostrvm debet esse clavsvm) a.  For making excuses. Whence: Incline not my heart to evil words, to make excuses in sins (Ps. 140, 4). For it is a weighty matter to sin, a weightier to persevere, weightiest to make excuses for sin. b. For self-praise. Whence: Let not thy own mouth praise thee (Prov. 27, 2). Here the Pharisee is accused for saying: I am not as the rest of men (Luke 18, 11). c. For the teaching of evil people. Whence: Give not that which is holy to dogs (Matth. 7, 6), that is, to obstinate people. 101. There are three kisses of Christ (Oscvla svnt tria ad Christvm) a. Of his feet. The first is made on his feet. For when we are converted we kiss the feet of the Lord. And there are two feet of the Lord, mercy and truth, and both should be kissed so that sin is confessed through truth and forgiveness is hoped for through mercy. b. Of his hands. The second is on his hands, which is done when making fruit worthy of penance we don’t return to our vomit (cf. Prov. 26, 11; II Pet. 2, 22), or when we rise up with good works. For we kiss the hands of the Lord when we offer him our good works, or when we receive a gift we seek his glory, not our own. c. Of his mouth. The third kiss is what is made on his mouth, which is done when, already having taken on the sorrow of penitence, now with the gifts of the virtues having been received, one’s mind inspired by heavenly desire, impatient for love, desires to be led in to the secret joys of the interior bedchamber. The first is on Christ’s feet, the second on his hands, the third on his mouth. The first is through penitence, for just as Mary anointed the feet of the Lord, afterwards kissed (cf. Luke 7, 38 and 45), so we also should

467

477

Letter O

first anoint and afterwards kiss. The second, through cleanliness of works. The third, through contemplation.

478

102. Christ brought us a threefold kiss (Oscvlvm triplex attvlit nobis Christvs) a. Of God to a person. Of the first is said: Let him kiss me with the kiss of his mouth (Cant. 1, 1). b. Of a person to God. Of the second the Lord says to the Pharisee: I entered into thy house and thou gavest me no kiss; but she, since she came in, hath not ceased to kiss my feet (Luke 7, 44–45). c.  Of a brother to a brother. Of the third, the Apostle: Kiss one another with a holy kiss (Rom. 16, 16), that is, with the kiss of peace. 103. Kiss (Oscvlare) the feet of the Lord continually with the Magdalene when serving him with love, because if you serve only from fear, not from love, it won’t be said of you: Many sins are forgiven her, because she hath loved much (Luke 7, 47). Maintain the kiss of love, for great is the joy in it, and conversely there is scarcely any sin that the Lord may persecute more than fraternal hatred. As he says: Unless you forgive men their offences, neither will your heavenly father forgive you your offences (Matth. 6, 14–15; Mark 11, 26). Again, Anastasius: ‘If you don’t forgive an injustice that is done against you, you make no prayer for yourself, but you bring a curse on yourself. For so you are saying: “Forgive me just as I forgive”’.a Again, Jerome in a comment on Matthew: ‘If we haven’t forgiven in our hearts a person who wrongs us, even what was forgiven through our penitence will be demanded of us’.b

479

104. A Kiss (Oscvlvm) a. Of the flesh is lechery. This is an unclean kiss, because it is like, but worse than, the kiss of Judas, for Judas betrayed the Lord but the flesh betrays the soul. Judas betrayed the Lord into the Defensor Locog., Scint. 5, 19 (p. 24). Not identified in Anastasius. Peter Abelard: Abelard., Sent. I 286 (p. 149, l. 3430–33), etc. Not identified in Jerome. a 

b 

468

Letter O

hands of the Jews and the flesh betrays the soul into the hands of demons. This is written on this subject: Keep the doors of thy mouth from her that sleepeth in thy bosom (Mic. 7, 5). b. Of your own hands is boasting of your good works. Whence Job: If I have kissed my hand (Job 31, 27), that is, if I have boasted of my good works. One should very much beware of this kiss, for if you do good things so that you may be seen by men, you have received your reward (Matth. 6, 1–2). A person who commends his own work or affects to be commended is kissing his own hand. Indeed, speech is signified by the mouth, and works by the hand. But this, that is, to be affected, is a very great evil and denial against God, and is a certain kind of pride, because it doesn’t attribute something to him from whom he has it, but ascribes it to his own merits. c. Of the world, which is greed. We should be wary of this kiss because it is written of it: Better are the lashes of a correcting friend than the deceitful kisses of a flattering enemy (Prov. 27, 6). The kiss of the world is worldly glory. d. Of a demon, which is a corrupt suggestion. Of this is said: The poison of asps is under their lips (Ps. 13, 3; 139, 4; Rom. 3, 13). 105. There is a kiss (Oscvlvm est) a.  Of deceit. Whence: Whomsoever I shall kiss, that is he (Matth. 26, 48; Mark 14, 44). Beware of these kisses and maintain the kiss of faith and devotion and fraternal love, for in these is merit and a foretaste of eternal joy. b. Of reverence, when we kiss the hands of a priest wishing to share in his prayers. In that we offer we say ‘I give’; in that we kiss we say ‘I forgive’ – which the Lord commands: Give, and it shall be given to you; forgive, and you shall be forgiven (Luke 6, 37–38). c. Of God, that is, of charity or peace. Of this is said: Let him kiss me with the kiss of his mouth (Cant. 1, 1). 105. The desire for hospitality (Hospitalitatis) should be so great that guests are even forced, as above in Forced (C89.h).

469

480

Letter O

107. There are four kinds of kisses (Oscvlorvm qvatvor svnt genera) a. The kiss of a demon. That of a demon is corrupt suggestion, which smiles with prosperity in order to mock us. b. The kiss of the flesh. That of the flesh is pleasure, which flatters in order to pierce us. c.  The kiss of the world. That of the world is worldly glory, which lures us in order to ensnare us. d. The kiss of God. That of God is charity, which rejoices with a person so that he may rejoice. The first kiss is seductive; it is the enemy. From the first poison flows down. Of the first: The poison of asps is under their lips (Ps. 13, 3; 139, 4; Rom. 3, 13). The second is sweet, as of harlots. Honey flows from the second. Of the second: Honey drops from the lips of a harlot (Prov. 5, 3). The third kiss, the kiss of a flatterer. From the third issues honeyed gall. Of the third: Better are the lashes of a correcting friend than the deceitful kisses of a flattering enemy (Prov. 27, 6). The fourth kiss is of a faithful friend. From the fourth comes a honeycomb of eternal sweetness. Of the fourth: Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth (Cant. 1, 1).

481

108. Superiors and the perfect are called bones (Ossa dicvntvr maiores et perfecti) a.  For their strength. Whence: James and John and Cephas, who seemed to be pillars (Gal. 2, 9). To such people is said: Be valiant in battle (Hebr. 11, 34). b. For their whiteness. Whence: Now you are clean by reason of the word which I have spoken to you (John 15, 3). c. Because they are hidden, because the good scarcely appear among the wicked. Whence: My bone is not hidden from thee, which thou hast made in secret (Ps. 138, 15). d. And spiritual goods are called bones. Whence: For God hath scattered their bones (Ps. 52, 6). Note that Christ’s bones weren’t broken, but the thieves’ were. Whence: You shall not break a bone of the Lord (John 19, 36; Ex. 12, 46). By this is signified that the saints will never be broken, but will always remain stable and strong. But infidels will be broken and will never remain in a good state.

470

Letter O

109. The Church has enemies (Hostes) and also any human, as above in The Church (E 26). 110. There is a sacrificial victim (Hostia est) a. Spiritual, that is, of the soul. Whence: A sacrifice to God is an afflicted spirit, etc. (Ps. 50, 19). b. Corporeal. Whence: Yield your members, etc. (Rom. 6, 19). c. Of temporal things. Whence: Honor the Lord thy God with thy substance (Prov. 3, 9). d. The confession of brothers. Whence it was said to Peter: Sacrifice and eat (Acts. 10, 13). 111. A sheep is understood (Ovis accipitvr) a. In a good sense. Whence: He was led as a sheep to the slaughter (Acts 8, 32; Is. 53, 7). b.  In a bad sense. Whence: They are laid in hell like sheep (Ps. 48, 15).

471

LETTER P

482

1. About the palm (De palma), that is, about Palm Sunday, we speak in Palm Sunday (R1). 2. The bread of propitiation or of salvation is threefold (Panis propiciationis sive salvtis triplex est) a. The bread of angels, that is, the eucharist, of which is said: Man ate the bread of angels (Ps. 77, 25). Whence also that bread was signified by manna, which had all its taste and all its sweetness in the mouths of those eating it according to their desire. And so also is that bread, because it will have a taste according to whatever desire you bring to it. b. The bread of children, that is, the word of teaching, of which is said: It is not good to take the bread of the children and to give it to the dogs (Matth. 15, 26; Mark 7, 27). c.  The bread of friends, that is, the example of their life, of which is said: Friend, lend me three loaves (Luke 11, 5). Because of this threefold bread it was said to Peter three times: Feed my sheep (John 21, 15–17), as if the Lord would say to him: ‘Feed with the eucharist, feed with my teaching, feed with a good life’. Moreover, what was said to Peter was also said to the apostles and all of their vicars and successors, namely priests, that they should feed with the body of Christ, feed with the gospel word, feed by their example.

472

Letter P

3. There is a bread or food (Panis sive cibvs est) a. Bodily. b. Sacramental. c. Spiritual. d. Doctrinal, that is, holy scripture. Whence Jeremiah: The little ones have asked for bread, and there was none to break it unto them (Lam. 4, 4). And twelve loaves were put on the table of propitiation (cf. Ex. 25, 30; Lev. 24, 5). 4. The bread (Panis) of angels is called manna, as above in Manna (M37). 5. There is a bread (Panis est) a. Eternal, that is, eternal life. Whence: Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God (Luke 14, 15). b. Of penitence. Whence: My tears have been my bread day and night (Ps. 41, 4). c. Of sorrow, that is, the misery of this life. Whence: You that eat the bread of sorrow (Ps. 126, 2). Again: I did eat ashes like bread (Ps. 101, 10). d. Of iniquity. Whence: The bread of lying is sweet to a man and his mouth will be filled with gravel (Prov. 20, 17). 6. We speak of bread as (Panis dicitvr) a. The collection of the faithful, for as bread is made from many grains, with water mediating, so the Church from the many faithful, with charity mediating. Therefore we all are one bread (I Cor. 10, 17). b. Holy scripture. Whence: In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat thy bread (Gen. 3, 19). 7. Christ is called bread (Panis dicitvr Christvs) a. For his divinity. Whence: I am the living bread which came down from heaven (John 6, 41). b. For his humanity. Whence the Apostle: ‘Just as there is one chalice of the blood of Christ that we drink, so there is one bread of the body of Christ with which we are nourished’ (cf. I Cor. 10, 17; 11, 28).

473

483

Letter P

484

8. There is a paradise (Paradisvs est) a.  Terrestrial. Whence in Genesis: And the Lord God had planted a paradise (Gen. 2, 8), that is, made it suitable for plants. b. Of quiet, in the Church, that is, the Church itself. c. The empyreal heaven, and it is called the spiritual paradise because it’s the region of spirits, and it is called eternal life. 9. To those giving birth (Partvrientibvs) is compared a penitent person or penitence, as below in Penitence (P73). 10. They are called paradise (Paradisvs): the Church, heaven, eternal life. Whence of these three is said: And the Lord God had planted, etc., as above (P8). 11. By pharaoh (Per pharaonem) is understood ‘the devil’. Whence Joseph to his brothers: If pharaoh should say to you, ‘What is your occupation?’, answer, ‘We are shepherds’ (Gen. 46, 33–34). 12. Concerning little children (Parvvlis) or youths, the Savior in the gospel: Suffer the little children to come unto me, for of such is the kingdom of heaven (Mark 10, 14; Matth. 19, 14). Again: Amen I say to you, unless you be converted and become as little children, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven (Matth. 18, 3). Paul: An ancient man rebuke not, but entreat him as a father; young men, as brethren (I Tim. 5, 1). Do not become children in sense, but in malice be children (I Cor. 14, 20). Jesus the son of Syrach: The things that thou hast not gathered in thy youth, how shalt thou find them in thy old age? (Eccli. 25, 5). Basil: ‘In some things present yourself as old, in some as an infant. For one is called perfect who is perfected not in age but in understanding. A child’s age is no obstacle for you if you are perfected in mind, nor will advanced age help if you are a little child in understanding’.a

a 

Defensor Locog., Scint. 68, 19–20 (p. 208). Not identified in Basil.

474

Letter P

13. The pasch is called (Pascha dicitvr) a. The pasch is called the evening on which a lamb was sacrificed. Whence: You know that after two days shall be the pasch and the Son of man shall be delivered up to be crucified (Matth. 26, 2). b. The lamb that is sacrificed. Whence: Where wilt thou that we prepare for thee to eat the pasch? (Matth. 26, 17). Again, the Apostle: Christ our pasch is sacrificed (I Cor. 5, 7). c. The seven paschal days, as here: They went not into the hall, that they might not be defiled, but that they might eat the pasch (John 18, 28), that is, they would eat the pasch being clean. d. And Azyma, the Feast of Unleavened Bread, is called the pasch, because that was their custom in these days. e.  Christ himself. Whence: For Christ our pasch is sacrificed (I Cor. 5, 7). 14. We perform the pasch (Pascha) when we pass from vices to virtues. 15. A sparrow (Passer) a. Is little, and so you should be small through humility, as the Apostle says: Do not become children in sense, but in malice be children (I Cor. 14, 20). b. Wary, and so you with wisdom, so that you also watch out that you aren’t seized, for the devil is always watching. For the one who sleeps in this world will in the future be vigilant over his wickedness; the one who is vigilant here will sleep and be at rest there. c. Flees the woods; so you, flee the love of this world. d. Lives in a house; so should you also live in a house, that is, the Church – in merit, not merely to be counted; in mind, not merely in body. 16. A sparrow is (Passer est) a person who wisely flees to high places – of virtues – where one is safe from snares. Whence: And I am become as a sparrow all alone on the housetop (Ps. 101, 8). One is said to be ‘on the housetop’ because of the height of faith, so that he may not come down to take anything from the house, according to the gospel: He that is on the housetop, let him not come down

475

485

Letter P

486

to take any thing out of his house (Matth. 24, 17; Mark 13, 15), that is, let one who is at the peak of virtues, at the peak of contemplation, not come down into the house of fleshly things. 17. A sparrow signifies (Passer significat) a.  Sometimes fickleness and inconstancy. Whence: Get thee away from hence to the mountain like a sparrow (Ps. 10, 2). b. Sometimes virtue, which brings one aloft. Whence: Our soul hath been delivered as a sparrow out of the snare of the fowlers (Ps. 123, 7). c. Sometimes Christ, because of its wings of immortality and impassibility. Whence: I have watched, and am become as a sparrow all alone on the housetop (Ps. 101, 8). 18. Distinguish between a passion and a pro-passion (Inter passionem et propassionem distingve) a. Passion is the disposition of a resolved mind if there is an opportunity for accomplishing something. And passion is a certain form or resolve of the mind with one’s consent. Whence someone is called ‘given to anger’ or ‘amorous’, as one who shall look on a woman to lust after her (Matth. 5, 28) so that it passes into a disposition of the heart, such that one is disposed to act where the will isn’t lacking but the opportunity: that is called passion. b.  Pro-passion is a sudden impulse without deliberation toward a good or wicked deed. And pro-passion is a disposition of the mind, whether of anger or of love. Again, in the Sentences: ‘For a person is affected occasionally by fear or grief in such a way that the disposition of the mind is not withdrawn from righteousness or the contemplation of God, and then it is pro-passion. Sometimes it is moved and grieves, and then it is passion’.a 19. The Lord is called a shepherd (Pastor dicitvr Dominvs) a. Because he leads out. Whence: I brought thee out of the land of Egypt (Ex. 20, 2). a 

Peter Lombard Petr. Lomb., Sent. 3, 15, 2, 2 (p. 99, l. 1–3).

476

Letter P

b. Because he brings back. Whence: I will bring back your captivity (Jer. 29, 14). c. Because he guards. Whence: I know my sheep, and there is no man who can pluck them out (John 10, 14; 10, 27–28). 20. This word ‘suffer’ is used (Hoc verbvm ‘pati’ dicitvr) a. With the sense ‘suffering’ (passio), as when we say the wicked suffer now and in the future. b. Or in the sense ‘patience’ (patientia). Whence Chrysostom’s comment on the epistle to the Hebrews: ‘The more someone suffers, the more gloriously he will be crowned’.a 21. There is a suffering (Pacientia est)b a. Of compulsion. This is not meritorious, that is, that by which someone suffers for Christ, but compelled. Indeed, compelled service doesn’t please God. b.  Of avoidance, by which someone suffers for Christ more from fear of punishment than for the love of justice. Such suffering avoids Gehenna but doesn’t merit the palm, as it is also not a servile fear. c. Of grace. This alone is meritorious, of which is said: In your patience you shall possess your souls (Luke 21, 19). Again, the Apostle: ‘In suffering you conquer the world’.c Gregory: ‘True patience is to endure others’ wickedness with equanimity, and also to be stung by no grief against someone who inflicts evils’.d 22. That suffering perishes (Paciencia perit) a. Which is not for God, because pain doesn’t make the martyr, but the cause – understand ‘pain alone’. a  Peter Lombard: Petr. Lomb., In epist. Pauli on Hebr. 11, 35+ (PL, 192, col. 499B). b  The word patientia, as this and the last article indicate, can mean either ‘patience’ or ‘suffering’. Translation will vary with context. c  Source not identified. d  Hugo of Miromari: Hvgo Mirom., De hom. 5, 22 (p. 141, l. 1109–11); Defensor Locog., Scint. 2, 24 (p. 9); from Gregory the Great: Greg. M., In euang. 35, 4 (p. 324, l. 109–11).

477

487

Letter P

488

489

b.  Which is not undergone willingly. Whence: The worst wheel of the cart that carries hay always creaks. c. Which doesn’t persevere. Whence: He that shall persevere to the end, he shall be saved (Matth. 24, 13). Again: The end not the struggle crowns. 23. The virtue of patience is usually employed in three ways (Pacientie virtvs tribvs modis solet exerceri) a. For sometimes there are things from God that we endure. For we endure lashes from God. b. Sometimes those from the ancient adversary. We endure trials from the ancient adversary. c. Sometimes those from our neighbors, as contumely and persecutions and injuries. Ambrose makes this threefold distinction.a The Lord calls us to suffering, that is, to the persecutions, temptations, tribulations that we should patiently endure if need be, saying: Amen, amen I say to you, that you shall lament and weep, but the world shall rejoice; you shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy (John 16, 20). Again: Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God (Matth. 5, 9). Again: In your patience you shall possess your souls (Luke 21, 19). Again, Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted (Matth. 5, 5). Again: Blessed are ye that weep now, for ye shall laugh (Luke 6, 21). Whence the prophet: They that sow in tears shall reap in joy (Ps. 125, 5). Again: Blessed are they that suffer persecution for justice’s sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven (Matth. 5, 10). Many suffer persecution, but some for their guilt, as the wicked, others for justice, as the good. A thief is hanged for his guilt; a just person cannot be hanged unless for his justice. Again, the Apostle: And all that will live godly in Christ shall suffer persecution (II Tim. 3, 12). Again: He shall not be crowned unless he strive lawfully (II Tim. 2, 5). And where there is greater distress is the greater crown and victory. Again: My brethren, count it all joy when you shall fall in divers temptations (James 1, 2). But that it is said: And lead us not Defensor Locog., Scint. 2, 22 (p.  9), citing Ambrose, from Gregory the Great: Greg. M., In euang. 35, 9 (p. 329, l. 232–35). Not identified in Ambrose. a 

478

Letter P

into temptation (Matth. 6, 13; Luke 11, 4) is not a contradiction, because it’s good to be tempted for testing us, but we should pray that it not happen that we are led into temptation, that is, succumb to temptation. Tribulation worketh patience, and patience trial, and trial hope (Rom. 5, 3–4). Again he says: Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see God (Hebr. 12, 14). Again, James: Blessed is the man that suffereth temptation (James 1, 12). Again, Augustine: ‘One who has been the more patient with injustice will be established the more powerfully in the kingdom’.a As much as God is patient with our sins, just so much will he be severe in smashing our sins. Woe to them that lose patience (Eccli. 2, 16), for they lose the crown of patience. Therefore let us not complain if we are vexed in a few matters, because we will be well disposed in many matters. One who diligently awaits the rewards of the future life bears with equanimity the evils of the present life. The pain of this life is brief, and one who afflicts or is afflicted is mortal. Therefore if someone inflicts bad things on you, don’t desire to be angry, but rather grieve for him, because God is angry with him. Patience not only keeps good things, but it drives away adverse things. Gregory: ‘We can be martyrs without sword or flames if we truly keep patience in our spirit’.b Again: ‘To endure and to hate isn’t the virtue of meekness but a cover for rage’.c ‘When patience is abandoned, even the rest of the good things that have already been done are destroyed’.d Basil: ‘A person making peace deserves the company of angels, but a malicious person is made a partner of demons’.e Again: That virtue is widowed which patience doesn’t strengthen.f Defensor, Scint. 2, 15 (p. 8), from Maximus of Turin: Max. Taur., Serm. 48, 2 (p. 1, l. 20–21). b  Defensor, Scint. 2, 25 (p. 9), from Gregory the Great: Greg. M., In euang. 2, 35, 7 (p. 327, l. 191–92). c  Defensor, Scint. 2, 28 (p. 9), etc., from Gregory the Great: Greg. M., In Ez. 1, 7, 12 (p. 91, l. 191–92). d  Defensor, Scint. 2, 27 (p. 9), from Gregory the Great: Greg. M., Past. 3, 9 (p. 298, l. 36–37). e  Defensor, Scint., 2, 32 (p.  10), from pseudo-Basil: Ps.  Basil., Ad fil. 5 (col. 688D). f  Prudentius, Psychomachia 176. a 

479

490

Letter P

Again, we read: ‘One who doesn’t suffer isn’t righteous’.a One truly suffers for Christ who, when evils are borne in on him, repays them, although he could, with no evil at all. Again: It must needs be that scandals come (Matth. 18, 7), not because it is good for those who scandalize, but for those who are scandalized, if they endure it patiently and there is no reason in them why they should be scandalized. 24. There are three fathers of a person (Patres hominis tres svnt) a. The first one begets a person into the life of the flesh. The first father is a human. b. The second snatches a person off to the pain of death. The second is the devil. c.  The third looks for the joy of eternity. The third is God. The first is indicated here: Increase and multiply, and fill the earth (Gen. 1, 28). The second here: You are of your father the devil (John 8, 44). The third here: Our father who art in heaven (Matth. 6, 9).

491

25. A godfather (Patrinvs) a. As Augustine says: ‘When one responds with the Creed in baptism for a little child, one obligates himself to God that, as far as he can, he will make the child believe when he comes to the age of discretion. He is therefore a debtor to God because of this promise, and hence he is bound to repay it. He doesn’t pay back what is promised if he teaches the child his Creed; rather he is bound to instruct the child in his own language so that he knows how to explain to some little extent the articles of faith, because no one can be saved unless he believes in the Three and One’.b b. He is bound to instruct the child as soon as he is capable of deceit, that is, as soon as he is able to err in the faith, because, if the child goes wrong because of a deficiency of learning, it will be imputed to the godfather. But that a little child can go wrong is Peter Lombard: Petr. Lomb., In Ps. 33, 19 (col. 344D), from Jerome, In Ps. 33 (p. 204, l. 10). b  Not identified in Augustine. a 

480

Letter P

evident from what Gregory in his Dialogue reports about a little child, tenderly and gently nourished. As soon as he could offend he began to blaspheme. Afterwards, when he was ill, black people appeared, and with a cry he sought to be delivered from them. But when those standing by couldn’t deliver him, he began again to blaspheme, and in that same blasphemy the demons caused him to die, and they shut up his soul in hell.a 26. Several godparents (Plvres patrini) are employed as a precaution so that, if one fails, another fills in to instruct the child. And we say that unless one can arrange that the child be instructed by another faithful messenger, he himself is obliged to go and give instruction. But if the child is instructed once, even if he should lapse again into heresy, the substitute godfather is not obliged to go and instruct him again, because he has fulfilled his promise. 27. Pavement (Pavimentvm) a. The human body. Whence: My soul hath cleaved to the pavement (Ps. 118, 25), that is, the body, whence it is dead. For the flesh lusteth against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh (Gal. 5, 17). b. Earthly things. Whence: My soul hath cleaved to the pavement, that is, to earthly things, as it is concerned with those things that should be trod under foot, or the pavement; therefore the earth is the pavement. In the whole universe, as if in some house, the sky is a room but the earth is a pavement which is worn down by pounding. The human body is also compared to pavement because it is covered with a similar luster. 28. Pavlominvs a. Sometimes is a compound word, and then it’s the same as ‘almost’. Whence: Unless the Lord had been my helper, my soul had almost (paulominus), that is, ‘almost’, dwelt in hell (Ps. 93, 17). Again: They had almost (paulominus) made an end of me upon earth (Ps. 118, 87). a 

Gregory the Great: Greg. M., Dial. 4, 4, 19, 2–3 (vol. 265, p. 72–74).

481

492

Letter P

b. Sometimes is a phrase. Whence: Thou has made him a little less (paulo minus) than the angels (Ps. 8, 6; Hebr. 2, 7), because he is able to suffer and is mortal, but ‘a little’, because in other respects he is above the angels whom he rules.

493

29. There is a pauper (Pavper est) a. Of God. Whence: Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven (Matth. 5, 3; Luke 6, 20). b. Of the world. Whence: The poor you have always with you, but me, etc. (John 12, 8; Mark 14, 7). c. Of the devil. Whence: The rich have wanted, and have suffered hunger (Ps. 33, 11). 30. One is poor (Pavper) a. In material goods, as above: The poor you have always with you (Mark 14, 7; John 12, 8). b. In will. Whence: Blessed are the poor in spirit (Matth. 5, 3; Luke 6, 20), that is, in will. c. In reputation, as David, who possessed much and said: I am poor and sorrowful (Ps. 68, 30). 31. Christ is called a pauper or destitute (Pavper dicitvr Christvs sive egenvs) a. Because he had poverty or destitution of temporal things. Whence: The foxes have holes and the birds of the air nests,  etc. (Matth. 8, 20; Luke 9, 58). b. Because he had the poverty of punishment. Whence: I am the man that see my poverty (Lam. 3, 1). He didn’t have the poverty of guilt, of which is said: My strength is weakened through poverty (Ps. 30, 11). c. Because he preached poverty. Whence: Unless a person renounce all that he possesses, he cannot be my disciple (Luke 14, 33). Again: If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell all that thou hast, and give to the poor, and come follow me (Matth. 19, 21). d. Because he chose poverty. Whence: The foolish and the weak hath God chosen, that he may confound the strong (I Cor. 1, 27).

482

Letter P

e.  Because he himself was a pauper. Whence: The foxes have holes, etc. (Matth. 8, 20; Luke 9, 58). And he said this to someone speaking deceitfully, namely because of money: Master, I will follow thee whithersoever thou shalt go (Matth. 8, 19; Luke 9, 57). And this is the meaning: The foxes have holes in you, that is, deceit lies hidden in you, and the birds of the air have in you nests, that is, pride, but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head in you, that is, there is no humility in you. Again: Both rich and poor together (Ps. 48, 3) – ‘rich’ in the complete enjoyment of God, ‘poor’ in the miseries of the world. He is a pauper because he was born of a poor mother, wrapped in cheap swaddling-clothes, laid in a very mean place. O blind misery, the misery of a human, because the creature scorns to be like his Creator, his Redeemer! For Christ was a pauper, and a human is ashamed of poverty. One who doesn’t wish to imitate him won’t reign with him. One thing I know, that as much as a person is the poorer, so much more richly and affluently does he own what can please the Highest. 32. The poor (Pavperes) are called the feet of Christ. Whence: Mary anointed the feet of Jesus (John 12, 3). Mary is a figure of the Church; the feet, which are an inferior part of a human, are a figure of the paupers of Christ. We are obliged to wash those feet, that is, poor people, not only with exterior water, but like Mary we should wet them with our tears and wipe them dry with our hair and anoint them with ointment. These are the poor of this world whom we are obliged to wet with the tears of compassion and mercy, to wipe dry in their need with our superfluity of temporal goods, and to foment with the ointment of our consolation and counsel. If we are made associates of the Lord’s Passion, doubtless also we are of his Resurrection; if we co-suffer, we will also co-reign (cf. Rom. 8, 17). One who does not co-suffer will not co-reign. Blessed are the poor in spirit (Matth. 5, 3; Luke 6, 20), that is, in will. Let the poor hear and rejoice (Ps. 33, 3) at what is their share and inheritance, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven (Matth. 5, 3) not only to possess but also to share with others, so that they receive others with whom they are made friends, as is written: Make unto you friends of the mammon of iniquity, etc. (Luke 16, 9).

483

494

495

Letter P

496

See how great is the honor of the poor: the paupers who here have been received by the rich, in his reign receive the rich, for because they were faithful over a few things, they were placed over many things (Matth. 25, 21) – not all, but only those who voluntarily lead a life of poverty not forced, not necessary, but free. For only that is acceptable to God which arises from one’s volition. I will freely sacrifice to thee (Ps. 53, 8), says the prophet. Moreover, Crates of Thebesa and many other philosophers were scorners of riches and lovers of poverty, but they became vain in their thoughts (Rom. 1, 21) and they were given to a reprobate sense (Rom. 1, 28) and were set at a distance from the kingdom of heaven, for they were not poor in spirit. One is poor in spirit who, forsaking himself and totally denying himself, has nothing in thought or mind, nothing in delight or desire, but Christ. Such a one can say: I remembered God, and was delighted, and was exercised, and my spirit swooned away (Ps. 76, 4). One seemed to have this poverty and this swooning of spirit who said: Hear me speedily, O Lord, for my spirit hath fainted away (Ps. 142, 7). And this: When my spirit failed me, then thou knewest my paths (Ps. 141, 4). Therefore one who renounces the world and denies himself under the mighty hand of God (I Pet. 5, 6) and humbles himself in observance of his ordinance, such a one is poor and humble of spirit. Of such is said: The Lord is nigh unto them that are of contrite heart, and he will save the humble of spirit (Ps. 33, 19). Those are guided by the Spirit of God not minding high things but consenting to the humble (Rom. 12, 16). But you also are poor in spirit, because you are as having nothing, yet possessing all things (II Cor. 6, 10), for Christ is our portion. Whence: The God of my heart and the God that is my portion for ever (Ps. 72, 26). Don’t you possess all things if you have him who has all things? To one for whom God is present, nothing is absent, and one for whom Christ suffices, nothing is lacking. For he says that nothing is lacking for those who fear God (cf. Ps. 33, 10). The rich are burdened with the baggage of this world. For as Truth bears witness: It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle, etc. (Matth. 19, 24; Mark 10, 25; Luke 18, 25). Crates of Thebes (4th–3rd c. bce), a Cynic philosopher, gave away his money and lived poor. a 

484

Letter P

O how precious, O how glorious is the title of poverty for the Son of God! For indeed, although God is rich in all things, he became poor once so that he might bring the poor over to the riches of his glory. And should someone dare to say to him, ‘Have mercy on me, Lord; help me, Lord, for I am rich’, this would rather provoke him to wrath than get mercy. For this reason David, knowing God to be a lover of the poor, although he was master on the royal throne, nevertheless would fearlessly call himself poor in spirit: Incline thy ear and hear me, for I am needy and poor (Ps. 85, 1). And elsewhere: I am poor and in labors from my youth (Ps. 87, 16). Again: But I am a beggar and poor; the Lord is careful for me (Ps. 39, 18). But why would he say this? Because he knew that he shall spare the poor and needy, and he shall save the souls of the poor (Ps. 71, 13). But what is written about the rich and powerful? The mighty shall be mightily tormented (Wis. 6, 7). And this: They spend their days in wealth, and in a moment they go down to hell (Job 21, 13). Therefore let the poor rejoice, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven (Matth. 5, 3), and they that suffer persecution for justice’s sake (Matth. 5, 10), that is, martyrs, who have at hand the fruit of eternal reward. Thus martyrs and paupers are deemed to be equals. But why is the reward of paupers and martyrs equal? Because poverty is martyrdom and to be poor is to be a martyr; as much to the former as to the latter is made the promise of the present time: Blessed are the poor in spirit, etc. (Matth. 5, 3). In this it should be noted that, because all the others – that is, the meek, the peacemakers, the merciful, and the others who are commemorated in the catalogue of the blessed – have all contracted something of the dust of human intercourse, they often bring wood, hay, and stubble (cf. I Cor. 3, 12), but those two, who are purged, one in their own blood, the other in the furnace of poverty (Is. 48, 10) and the frying-pan of a troubled spirit, bring nothing with them that needs to cross over through fire. Therefore they fly up immediately to the place of blessedness, whereas others attain beatitude yet so as by fire (I Cor. 3, 15). Of martyrs it is said that they have washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb (Apoc. 7, 14; 22, 14). Of the poor, who have judged themselves, who have quenched every blemish

485

497

Letter P

498

of sin in themselves in contrition of heart and the fire of devotion: Brothers, put out your hands to strong things (Prov. 31, 19); the kingdom of heaven is within you (Luke 17, 21). You have grasped the kingdom of heaven; the reward of your labors is at hand. There should be no surprise if a Christian, a lover of sobriety, commends poverty of spirit, when Epicurus, the teacher of pleasure, has commended it, saying: ‘A fortunate thing is glad poverty’.a And yet, it’s not poverty if it’s glad. 33. We should do well by the poor (Pavperibvs benefaciendvm est) a. Because of the similarity of our nature. Whence: Deal thy bread to the hungry (Is. 58, 7). b. Because of the bond of charity. Whence John in his canonical epistle: He that hath substance of this world, etc. (I John 3, 17). c. Because of God. Whence: Because you did it to one of these my least, etc. (Matth. 25, 40). Again: He that heareth you, heareth me, and he that despiseth you, despiseth me, etc. (Luke 10, 16). 34. There is a temporal poverty (Pavpertas est temporalis) a. One kind is of necessity, and it is a punishment. And this is called the poverty of which is said: The poor you have always with you; but me you have not always (Matth. 26, 11; Mark 14, 7). b. Another, of the will, the kind that is theirs who naked follow the naked Christ, in whose person Peter says: Behold we have left all things and have followed thee; what therefore shall we have? (Matth. 19, 27). c.  Another is spiritual, which is called the poverty of spirit. Whence: Blessed are the poor in spirit, etc. (Matth. 5, 3). d. Another, in the want of grace. Whence: To him that hath, it shall be given, and he shall abound; but he that hath not, even what a  Pseudo-Augustine the Belgian: Ps. Avg. Belg., Serm. erem. 21 (col. 1269D), from Leo the Great: Leo M., Serm. 95 (p. 583–84, l. 38–42). The source is Seneca, Moral Epistles to Lucilius, 2, 6, who observes (2, 5) with the Chanter that’s it’s not poverty if it’s glad. Both pseudo-Augustine and Seneca add an ‘if ’: ‘Poverty is fortunate if it’s glad’.

486

Letter P

he has, that is that which he seemeth to have, shall be taken away (Matth. 13, 12; 25, 29). e. Another of pain and misery. Whence: I am poor, and in labors from my youth, etc. (Ps. 87, 16).

499

35. Poverty (Pavpertas) a. Necessary poverty is in destitution, which beggars suffer in harsh and heavy necessity. For that reason they complain, badmouth, and envy, and although it is necessary, still it is not without inward merit, because he will not judge twice in the same matter (Nahum 1, 9 VL). b.  Pretended, which rules in hypocrites. These pretend to be what they aren’t; these seem to reject the world and the goods of the world, but in their hearts they are a plague of greed. It is thought that it is said for these: ‘Nothing is more splendid that the head of a dragon, yet nothing is more abundant in the power of its poison’.a And this is done with fraud and deceit, and never without sin. c.  Willing, and this flourishes in the religious, to whom the Lord says: Do not possess gold, nor silver (Matth. 10, 9). And this third kind can reasonably be had with or without property, for holy fathers had it with property, who possessing all things were as if having nothing (II Cor. 6, 10), paying attention to this Davidic verse: If riches abound, set not your heart upon them (Ps. 61, 11). 36. Peace (Pax) a. Of time, of which the prophet says: ‘Give peace, O Lord, in our days’.b And of this peace is said: ‘Peace, peace! And there was no peace (Jer. 6, 14). And therefore it’s called false. And this peace is also called imperfect, for: The flesh lusteth against the spirit, etc. (Gal. 5, 17). We should always seek this peace with a condition, so that he may generously bestow it on us if it seems expedient for us. b. Of heart, of which is said mystically: Remember that thou keep holy the sabbath day (Ex. 31, 14; 20, 8, etc.), which can also be understood as about the peace of time. We should never lack this, a  b 

Source not identified. A common antiphon, especially at Vespers: Cantus 002090.

487

500

Letter P

501

that is, peace of the heart. Peace of the heart is the tranquility of a good conscience in the hope of the future, so that a person may not be disturbed by matters of this world. Without this peace our deeds can in no way please God. Paul says: Follow peace and holiness, without which no man shall see God (Hebr. 12, 14). Holiness is the perfection of good works, or chastity of mind and body. God left us this peace; beyond this he will give another that surpasseth all understanding (Phil. 4, 7), which eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath it entered into the heart of man (I Cor. 2, 9), namely the peace of eternity. This is the peace beyond peace, sabbath after sabbath (Is. 66, 23). c. Of eternity, and this peace is called perfect peace and is also called the peace of immortality. Of this is said: God shall wipe away all tears (Apoc. 7, 17; 21, 4). Hence it is that the peace is not passed in the funeral mass, because peace of the heart is not necessary for the deceased, but the peace of eternity – for they are not subject to human judgment. Again, of this peace is said: The bodies of the saints are buried in peace (Eccli. 44, 14), that is, in the most sure hope of eternal peace. What is elsewhere said is not a contradiction: They have given the dead bodies… the flesh of the saints for the beasts of the earth (Ps. 78, 2). Again, of this peace is said: Pray ye for the things that are for the peace of Jerusalem (Ps. 121, 6). This peace, namely that of eternity, we should seek while having peace of the heart. And because the war against the flesh, against the world, against the devil threatens us – and these three call us away from that eternal peace – let us therefore have peace with God, with angels, with ourselves, and with our neighbor. With God, that we may be reconciled with him through penitence; with the good angels, acquiescing to their counsel; with ourselves, so that the flesh may be subservient; with our neighbor, as the Apostle says: Having peace with all men (Rom. 12, 18), as far as it is within our power. And if we have this in the present we will have eternal peace in the future in that Jerusalem of which is said: Who hath placed peace in thy borders (Ps. 147, 14). This is the peace that surpasseth all understanding (Phil. 4, 7); this is the peace that the Lord promises, saying: Peace I leave with you, that is, I give you what is left of peace in the present time, that is, the peace of the heart – to which peace,

488

Letter P

because it cannot be well possessed in the way of this life, therefore he doesn’t add ‘my’. And: My peace I give unto you (John 14, 27), and the present tense is used for the future, that is, ‘in a short time I will give peace’, that is, of immortality, as if he would say: ‘My peace, that is, that which is mine, I give to you, that is, I will give in the future’. And the peace there those will have who here have fought well. Of the peace of the heart, as was said, Christ speaks to the apostles: Peace I leave with you. Of the peace of eternity he further adds: My peace I give unto you. Of both the Psalmist says: In peace in the selfsame I will sleep and I will rest (Ps. 4, 9). ‘In peace’, namely of the heart, ‘I will sleep’ in the present; ‘in peace’, that is, immutable, ‘I will rest’ in the future ‘in the selfsame’. 37. The sins (Peccata) of one’s neighbors are the frying-pan of the righteous, that is, their purgation. 38. Sins extend (Peccata ferent) a. To God. Whence: The cry of Sodom is come to me (Gen. 18, 20–21). b. To one’s neighbor. Whence: Their throat is an open sepulcher (Ps. 5, 11; 13, 3; Rom. 3, 13). c. To us ourselves. Whence: What fruit had you in those things of which you are now ashamed? (Rom. 6, 21). 39. Someone sins (Peccat qvis) a. Against God, and is called ungodly. Whence: Blessed is the man who hath not walked in the counsel of the ungodly (Ps. 1, 1). b. Against himself, and is called a sinner. Whence: Nor stood in the way of sinners (Ps. 1, 1). c. Against his neighbor, and he is called a pestilence. Whence: Nor sat in the chair of pestilence (Ps. 1, 1). Of these three ways is said: If thy brother shall offend against thee, rebuke him between thee and him alone (Matth. 18, 15; Luke 17, 3). As this is interpreted with regard to prelates, it is also interpreted for their subordinates. For prelates, thus, ‘if he shall offend against thee’, that is, with only you knowing it, as God or a human; for subordinates, thus, ‘if he shall offend against thee’, that is, in opposition to you.

489

502

Letter P

40. In five ways a husband sins (Qvinqve modis peccat) in abusing his wife: In time, intention, place, condition, method.a

41. Their sins (Peccata) a. Some conceal, as hypocrites. b. Some reveal, as those who manifestly and openly sin as if it were licit. c. Some spew out. One who spews out sins doesn’t hold back, but rather spreads them abroad. 42. Someone sins (Peccat qvis) a. Unforced, as Judas. b. Persuaded, as Adam. c. Terrified, as Peter.

503

43. We should have sins (Peccata debemvs habere) a. In our heart, in contrition and sorrow. b. In our face, in a blushing countenance. c. In our works, in satisfaction. 44. The sins of the parents redound upon the children (Peccata parentvm redvndant in filios) a. Because of their origin. Whence: I was conceived in iniquities (Ps. 50, 7). b. Because of their imitating. Whence: You are of your father the devil (John 8, 44). c.  Because of temporal vengeance. Whence: I  am the jealous God, avenging the sins of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation (Ex. 20, 5). 45. Sins (Peccata) are a match for contempt.

The second line of a widespread elegiac distich about illicit occasions for marital intercourse: Walther, Initia 25342. a 

490

Letter P

46. It is hard to recognize sins or transgressions (Peccata sive delicta difficile est intelligere) a.  Because we have those that we don’t know about, as the Apostle says about himself: I  am not conscious to myself of any thing, yet I am not hereby justified (I Cor. 4, 4). And the prophet: Who can understand sins? (Ps. 18, 13). b. Because we don’t consider as sins what are sins. Whence the Apostle: I had not known concupiscence to be a sin if the law did not say, ‘Thou shalt not covet’ (Rom. 7, 7). c.  Because some things are very serious, which we think trifling, as fornication, because it is a mortal sin. d. Because we don’t pay attention to what is good, what is bad. Whence: He would not understand that he might do well (Ps. 35, 4). 47. Sins are committed in three ways (Peccata committvntvr tribvs modis) a. In ignorance. This first is serious. b. In weakness. The second more serious. c.  In pride. The third the most serious. The first and second ways are forgiven in the old law by the offerings they would make. The third was not forgiven unless it was hidden, because every hidden one would only be forgiven unless, as was said, it was committed from ignorance or weakness.a If one wishes to relinquish sin, let him do what the Lord commanded of Lot, namely that he leave the city of Sodom and its whole region, that is, all the appendages of the foresaid city, because it doesn’t suffice only to leave sin, that is, to abandon it, unless one leaves the whole region, that is, all conversation about it, that is, about sin, not only externally but also internally. For many relinquish sin, like cloistered people, not relinquishing conversations about it in heart or mouth. And this is what in Leviticus the Lord commanded to the children of Israel, that they not eat or touch an unclean thing (cf. Lev. 5, 2, etc.), which is to leave the city and its region. a  The text here is probably corrupt, but sense can be wrenched from the sentence if the idea is that, in Old-Testament lack of concern for inner motives, hidden sins then could be propitiated by offerings – whereas manifest sins committed in ignorance or weakness could be propitiated in any case.

491

504

Letter P

48. Sins should be avoided (Peccata vitanda svnt) a. Because they are bad in themselves. Whence: Good people hate sinning from their love of virtue; Wicked people hate sinning from fear of punishment.a

505

b. Because we offend God with them. Whence James: In many things we all offend (James 3, 2). And God is driven out of a person with his household, that is, with his angels, and then the devil approaches, likewise with his own. c. Because punishment accompanies sin, as below in Punishment.b Consideration of these three things is good for relinquishing sin. Therefore if someone seeks counsel, saying: ‘What may I do so that I might relinquish sin? For I regret that I sin’, consider these three things: look at the judgment that is prepared, as below in See (V29); and chiefly the two things that bear on this – that is, that sin be relinquished – fear and desire, which are called two gates, as below in Gates (P99). Fear God, says Solomon, and keep his commandments; this is all man ... (Eccle. 12, 13), that is: if you fear, you will keep them. 49. Sins are forgiven (Peccata dimittvntvr) a. Through contrition of heart. Whence, whenever a sinner laments, all their iniquities I will remember no more (Hebr. 10, 17; Ezek. 18, 22). b. Through confession of mouth. Whence: With the heart, we believe unto justice, but with the mouth confession is made unto salvation (Rom. 10, 10). c.  Through condign satisfaction. Whence: Bring forth fruits worthy of penance (Luke 3, 8; Matth. 3, 8). Again: Do penance, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand (Matth. 3, 2; 4, 17). 50. Sin is (Peccatvm est) a violation of divine law and disobedience to the heavenly commands. Horace, Epist. 1, 16, 52. The second line is a widespread spurious addition. The notion is only vaguely present in P64–69 below; probably a blank crossreference. a 

b 

492

Letter P

54. Sins (Peccata) a. Of pride are redeemed by true humility of heart and of works. b. Of envy, through an abundance of charity and generosity. c. Of wrath, through a spirit and works of meekness and mildness. d. Of moroseness, through sober and spiritual joy. e.  Of greed and covetousness, through restitution of things taken and generous fruits of alms. f. Of gluttony, through abstinence. g. Of lechery, through keeping of chastity. And in this way each is redeemed by its contrary, because contraries cure contraries. 52. Sins are committed (Peccata committvntvr) a. Internally: by suggestion, delight, consent, transport of mind. b. Externally: by speech, deeds, habit, despair or presumption. 53. Sins are forgiven (Peccata dimittvntvr) a. By baptism. b. By martyrdom. c. By penitence. d. By almsgiving. e. By turning one’s brother from error. f. By charity and sharing the body and blood of Christ. g. By forgiveness of enemies. Hence a certain versifier says: Seven methods can wipe away sins: The font, alms, martyrdom, conversion of brothers, Forgiving sin in oneself, lamenting offences, The worthy reception of the body and blood of Christ.a

54. There are three kinds of sinner ( tria svnt genera) a. First, one who sins, which is bad. b. Second, one who perseveres in sin, which is worse. c. Third, one who excuses his sin, which is the worst.

a 

Walther, Initia 18870, etc.

493

506

Letter P

55. Any sin is called an injustice (Peccatvm qvodlibet dicitvr iniqvitas) a.  Venial, because it isn’t done with justice (ab equitate), as above in Injustice (I47). b. Mortal, which is against justice.

507

508

56. A sin is sometimes called (Peccatvm dicitvr) a sacrificial victim. Whence, God hath made sin, that is, the sacrifice for sin (II Cor. 5, 21; Lev. 10, 17, etc.). Whence in the old law sacrifices offered for sins were called sins. Whence: God, who knew no sin, hath made sin for us (II Cor. 5, 21), that is, a sacrifice for sin; or, ‘hath made sin’, that is, for a sinner to be cleansed in punishment. 57. The sin against the Holy Spirit is committed (Peccatvm in Spiritvm sanctvm committitvr) a. By presumption, as Origen, who said that demons would be saved after many courses of years, supported by the authority of Isaiah, saying: They shall be gathered together as in the gathering of one bundle into the pit, and they shall be shut up there in prison, and after many days they shall be visited (Is. 24, 22), which should be understood as about the visitation of eternal damnation – for then, that is, on Judgment Day, they will be bound eternally in hell. And in the same way those promising impunity for themselves or others are sinning. b. By desperation, as Cain, saying: My iniquity is greater than that I may deserve pardon (Gen. 4, 13). In the same way those sin who despair of God’s mercy. c. By impugning the faith, as heretics and all who strive against the faith. d. By impugning grace. Whence in a comment on Mark: ‘One who knows God’s works contradicts them from envy when he can’t deny them’.a In this way those sin who impugn the known truth, or who badmouth a brother after reconciliation. One who sins against the Father, it is forgiven him. One who sins against the Son, it is forgiven him. He that shall sin against the Holy Ghost, it shall a 

Glos. ord. on Mark 3, 29, from Beda, In Marc. 1, 3 (p. 476–77, l. 1549–56).

494

Letter P

not be forgiven him – supply, ‘easily’ – neither in this world nor in the world to come (Matth. 12, 32). A person who sins from weakness sins against the Father, because strength or power is attributed to the Father. A person who sins from ignorance sins against the Son, because wisdom is attributed to the Son, because the Son is the wisdom of the Father. A person who sins intentionally and malignantly sins against the Holy Spirit, because kindness and love are attributed to it. Of this sin, that is, the one committed against the Holy Spirit, John the evangelist speaks in his canonic epistle: There is a sin unto death. For that I say not that any man pray (I John 5, 16). For a sin is ‘unto death’ because forgiveness for it, namely the sin which is not corrected here, is asked for in vain. This sin is called unforgiveable, not that it may not sometimes be forgiven, but because it is very fully punished here or in the future life, so that if someone were to die with this sin he would be eternally damned. But if he were to repent, as sometimes happens, nothing of the punishment owed for the sin will be forgiven him; nay, rather either here or in the purgatorial fire it will be paid for, for this sin has no excuse. For this reason that sin is called unforgiveable, not that it may not be sometimes forgiven, but because it is scarcely or rarely and with difficulty forgiven, and when it is forgiven none of the punishment owed to those who are repenting is mitigated. We should preach regarding these crimes, for which sins people are classed with the devil – those that the Apostle thus enumerates, saying to the Galatians: Fornication, that is, the action of lechery, uncleanness, even if it is not completed in action, or insofar as it is against nature, immodesty, that is, not to live modestly, luxury, any superfluity, idolatry, witchcrafts, drawn-out enmities, contentions in words, emulations, when two strive for the same thing, wraths, that is, a sudden storm of the spirit, quarrels, when people come to blows, dissensions when they occur in the Church, sects, which are called heresies in Greek, envies of others’ goods, murders, continual drunkenness, superfluous revelings, and such like, of which I foretell you now, before the Judgment, when it is permitted to repent, as I have foretold to you even before this epistle, that they who do such things shall not obtain or possess the kingdom of God (Gal. 5, 19–21). He doesn’t say ‘those who have

495

509

Letter P

done all these things’, or ‘who have them all at once’, but ‘they who do such things’, because even single ones take away the kingdom. 58. Between a sinner (Inter peccatorem) and one sinning make a distinction. A sinner is so called from a habit of sin, and one sinning is one who sins and quickly makes amends. 59. A sinner (Peccator) shouldn’t despair about his sin, just as a righteous person shouldn’t gloat about his righteousness. 60. A sinner should hold three things before himself (Peccator tria debet sibi proponere) a. The sin. Whence: My sin is always before me (Ps. 50, 5). b. Death. Whence: My child, remember thy last end and thou shalt never sin (Eccli. 7, 40). c. God. Whence: Make thy face to shine upon thy servant (Ps. 30, 17). 61. A sinner is so called (Peccator dicitvr) a. Sometimes from his origin. Whence: Indeed all have sinned and do need the glory of God (Rom. 3, 23). b.  Sometimes from his fragility. Whence Peter: Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord (Luke 5, 8). c. Sometimes from a habit of sinning. Whence: But to the sinner God hath said, ‘Why dost thou declare my justices?’ (Ps. 49, 16).

510

62. A sinner is (Peccator est) a.  Of heaven. One who blasphemes against God or angels or against the gifts of God. Whence: They have set their mouth against heaven,  etc. (Ps. 72, 9). One who has sinned in heaven, that is, the devil. Whence: I saw Satan like lightning falling from heaven (Luke 10, 18). One who drives the grace of the Holy Spirit from the lodging of his mind, which, namely the grace conferred by God himself, he diminishes. Whence in the gospel about the prodigal son: Father, I have sinned against heaven before thee, etc. (Luke 15, 21). One who sins in those matters that are of the spirit, that is, of the soul, as in pride and the like.

496

Letter P

b.  Of earth. One who sins in those matters that are of the earth, that is, of the body, namely in lechery and gluttony and the like; all those, that is, who are given to earthly lusts. Therefore these not contradictory: I have accounted all the sinners of the earth prevaricators (Ps. 118, 119), and: those who have sinned without the law shall perish without the law (Rom. 2, 12). They have sinned without the written law, like the gentiles; ‘shall perish without the law’, that is, without a judicial order, namely the Mosaic law. But why will those who don’t have the law perish? Because even though it isn’t written on tablets, they still have natural law fixed in their hearts. Again, these seem contradictory: If thy brother sin against thee, reprove him, and if he do penance, forgive him (Luke 17, 3; Matth. 18, 5), and this from Solomon: Them that sin reprove before all, that those seeing it may have fear (I Tim. 5, 20). These are not contradictory, because sin dies where it springs up – that is, if it’s manifest, it will be corrected publicly; if it’s secret, secretly. 63. There is a skin (Pellis est) a. Of weakness and mortality. Whence Job: Skin for skin, and all that a man hath he will give for his life (Job 2, 4). b. Of malice. Whence: If the Ethiopian can change his skin and the leopard his spots, you also may do good things when you have learned evil (Jer. 13, 23). c. Of greed. Whence: I saw the tents of Ethiopia for their iniquity; the tent-skins of the land of Madian shall be troubled (Hab. 3, 7). d. But the saints are called curtains of Solomon, which mean the skins with which a tent is covered (Cant. 1, 4). 64. Punishmenta is inflicted on a person by God for five reasons (Pena infligitvr homini a Deo qvinqve de cavsis) a. For correction, that is, in order to correct sins, as with Mary the sister of Moses who was struck with leprosy because she rebuked her brother Moses. This punishment is called ‘correcting’. The Latin word pena will be translated as ‘punishment’ or ‘pain’ depending on the context. a 

497

511

Letter P

512

b. For increasing virtue, that is, for having a greater crown, as with Job. For: The furnace trieth the potter’s vessels and the trial of affliction just men (Eccli. 27, 6). This is ‘trying’ punishment. c. As the beginning of eternal punishment, as with Antiochus Epiphanes (Mac. 9, 5–10) and Herod (Acts 12, 23), so that here on earth might be seen what will follow in hell, according to this: The Lord our God will destroy them with a double destruction (Jer. 17, 18). And this punishment is called ‘avenging’. d.  For preserving humility, as with Paul, to whom the sting of Satan was given, as he said: Lest the greatness of the revelation should exalt me, there was given me a sting of my flesh, an angel of Satan, etc., up to: For power is made perfect through infirmity (II Cor. 12, 7–9). And this is called ‘preserving’. And note that, as is first said in comment on the Psalm ‘Deliver me’ (Ps. 58, 13), that that sting was pride.a Elsewhere it is said that it was a pain in his side; elsewhere that it was carnal lust. e. For manifesting the glory of God, as with the one born blind, of whom is said: Rabbi, who hath sinned, this man or his parents, that he should be born blind? Jesus answered and said, ‘Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents, but that the works of God should be made manifest in him’ (John 9, 3). And this is called ‘revealing’ punishment. We read this distinction, although in other wording, in the Sentences.b And if punishment is not inflicted on a person in one of these ways, it will be inflicted in the future as damnation. 65. Punishment (Pena) a. Spiritual is eternal, for all spiritual punishment is eternal. b. Corporal isn’t eternal, for no corporal punishment is eternal. 66. We speak of pain (Pena dicitvr) a. Sometimes with regard to feeling, which Adam doesn’t feel in hell. Of this saints say in comment on Luke: He that knew not, and did things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes (Luke 12, Glos. ord. on Ps. 58, 13. Peter Lombard: Petr. Lomb., Sent. 4, 15, 2 (p. 326, l. 2–7), from Beda, In Marc. 1, 2 (p. 455, l. 731–33). a 

b 

498

Letter P

48): ‘Mildest of all punishments is theirs who have added no sin beyond original sin’.a ‘Mildest’, that is, with regard to feeling. b. Sometimes with regard to damnation, which Lazarus felt, for he lacked the vision of God, which was damnation for him, although he felt nothing. Of this it is said: ‘No pain is greater than lacking the vision of God’.b ‘Greater’, that is, more common, more general, that is, with regard to damnation, not with regard to feeling. Augustine makes clear what the pains of purgatory are, saying: ‘The mildest pain of purgatory is more severe than any temporal pain that is now with us’.c Again, in comment on an epistle of Paul and in the Sentences, where we read of the fire of purgatory, saints say: ‘That fire will be more severe than whatever a person can bear in this life’.d Again, Augustine in the Sentences: ‘This first, though it isn’t eternal, is wonderfully severe. For it exceeds every pain that a person has ever suffered in this life’.e ‘Such great pain has never been found in the flesh, although martyrs have suffered amazing torments’.f Through these, that is, pains, the less perfect pass before they arrive at eternal beatitude, nevertheless sure of their final rest. But the perfect immediately after death pass to the recognition of the highest good, in which is eternal blessedness, sure of their rest. But that it is said, ‘angels will tremble on Judgment Day’, is resolved because that trembling denotes their veneration and admiration of the higher power, not that there can be a punishment of fear there where there is eternal blessedness.

513

67. The punishment answers to the sin (Pena respondet cvlpe) a. In number, because if there are many sins, there will be many punishments. For no evil goes unpunished, just as no good is un-

514

a  Glos. ord. on Luke 12, 48; Peter Lombard: Petr. Lomb., Sent. 2, 33, 2, 4 (p. 520, l. 4–6), from Augustine: Avg., Enchir. 23 (p. 99, l. 133–36). b  Alain de Lille: Alan. Ins., Quoniam homines 2, 4, 184 (p. 324, l. 3–4, 28–29). c  See I19.h above. d  See E42.f above. e  Peter Lombard: Petr. Lomb., Sent. 4, 20, 1, 5 (p. 373, l. 67–68); Gratian., Decret. 2, 33, 3, 7, 6 (col. 1247, l. 1–3). f  Gratian., Ibid. (l. 3–4).

499

Letter P

rewarded. Whence the Apostle: The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against every ungodliness and injustice of those, etc. (Rom. 1, 18). He doesn’t say ‘against every ungodly and unjust person’, to indicate that no sin will remain unpunished. b. In manner, for a person will be punished more in that part of the body in which he sinned more. Hence the rich man in the gospel, who feasted sumptuously every day (Luke 16, 19), will be punished more in his tongue. c. In quantity, for if the sin is atrocious, the punishment also will be atrocious. Whence: The mighty shall be mightily tormented (Wis. 6, 7). d. In quality, for if someone sins in the heat of lechery he will be punished in stink and fire and sulfur. And that the punishment responds to the quantity of the sin is maintained here in Matthew: With what measure you mete, it shall be measured to you again (Matth. 7, 2; Luke 6, 38). And this can also be pondered in the curse of the serpent, the woman, and the man (Gen. 3, 14–19), as in Severe Judge.a 68. Penitence (Penitentia) gets its name from ‘pain’ (pena). 69. One undergoes punishment (Penam svstinet) a. A wicked person in his conscience, for: This is the first vengeance, that No offender is absolved when he is his own judge.b

515

b. A good person in caution, because he that thinketh himself to stand, let him take heed lest he fall (I Cor. 10, 12). c. A rich person in gathering or keeping his gatherings, for: He storeth up, and he knoweth not for whom, etc. (Ps. 38, 7). d. A pauper in toiling and suffering insults, for: An unhappy poverty has nothing harder Than that it makes men ridiculous.c

a  Ideas from this article may be found also in I88, but there is no reference there to the curse in Eden. b  Juvenal, Satires 13, 2–3. c  Juvenal, Satires 3, 152–53.

500

Letter P

70. Penitence is (Penitentia est) a. The second plank after the shipwreck,a but the first is baptism, when the old man is put off and the new put on. But penitence is called the second, that is, plank, because if someone by sinning corrupts the garment of innocence received in baptism, he can make reparation by the remedy of penitence. Baptism and penitence are the two gates for entering into glory, but because rather often we don’t fulfill what we have promised in the first, our refuge in the second is unique. We read this in the gospel, here: At the rebuke of thy countenance, Lord (Ps. 79, 17): Except you do penance, you shall die the death (Luke 13, 3). ‘But someone says, “When I reach old age I will take refuge in the medicaments of penitence”. But why does human fragility presume this about itself, when one day it may not have control over its life?’ b Augustine in the Sentences: ‘That penitence is in vain which a subsequent sin stains’.c Again, the same author: ‘If you want to wait to do penance until you aren’t able to sin, the sins forgive you, not you them’.d Gregory: ‘Someone who waits until old age to do penance is rather a stranger to the faith’.e Again, the same author: ‘Someone who laments his admitted sins yet doesn’t abandon them subjects himself to more severe punishment’.f Again, Isidore: ‘Someone who continues doing what he does penitence for is a mocker and not a penitent’.g Again the same: ‘Penitence should be done not in word but in deed’.h Gregory in the Morals: ‘If we avoid the action, let us

The idea is that baptism and penance are planks that preserve a person from drowning after the shipwreck of sin. Cf. B6 above. b  Defensor Locog., Scint. 9, 73 (p.  46), from Caesarius of Arles: Caes. Arel., Serm. 64, 1 (p. 275, l. 14–17). c  Peter Lombard: Petr. Lomb., Sentences 4, 14, 2, 5 (p.  317, l.  20–21), from Isidore: Isid., Synon. 1, 77 (p. 61–62, l. 777–78). d  Defensor, Scint. 9, 14 (p. 40), from Augustine: Avg., Serm. – PL 393 (PL, 39, col. 1715A). e  Defensor, Scint. 9, 29 (p. 41). Not identified in Gregory the Great. f  Peter Lombard: Petr. Lomb., Sent. 4, 14, 2, 5 (p. 317, l. 23–24), from Gregory the Great: Greg. M., Past. 3, 30 (p. 476, l. 1), etc. g  Peter Lombard: Petr. Lomb., Sent. 4, 14, 2, 4 (p. 317, l. 9–10). Not identified in Isidore. h  Defensor, Scint. 9, 42 (p. 42). Not identified in Isidore. a 

501

516

Letter P

also avoid suspicion’.a Again, Isidore: ‘There is more joy with God and his angels over one who has been delivered from sin than over one who never knew the danger of sin’.b 71. True penitence consists (Penitentia vera consistit) a.  Of contrition, of which is said: Rend your hearts, and not your garments (Joel 2, 13). True contrition should have two things, as has been said above in Confession (C106.a). b.  Of confession. Whence: Confess your sins one to another (James 5, 16). Confession of mouth is necessary, as above in Confession (C106.c). c. Of satisfaction. Whence John the Baptist: Bring forth fruits worthy of penance (Luke 3, 8; Matth. 3, 8). And in the Sentences it is distinguished in this way.c Again: Offer up the sacrifice of justice (Ps. 4, 6).

517

72. Penitence (Penitentia) a. Sometimes brings temporal life, as to Hezekiah (IV Kings 20, 5–6; II Chron. 32, 24–26). b. Sometimes spiritual, as the Apostle, who says: I live, now not I, but Christ liveth in me (Gal. 2, 20). c. Sometimes eternal. Whence: I desire not the death of a sinner, but that he change and live eternally (Ezek. 18, 32). 73. Penitence, or one doing penance, is compared to those who give birth, for just as giving birth (Penitentia sive penitens comparatvr partvrientibvs qvia, sicvt partvs) a. Is burdensome, so penitence is burdensome to penitents. b. Is brief, so temporal pain is brief in comparison with eternal pain. c. Is of value, because a person is born, and in this way penitence is of value, because then a penitent is reborn into life. Of this says Source not identified. Defensor, Scint. 9, 53 (p.  44), from Isidore: Isid., Sent. 2, 14, 5 (p.  125, l. 23–25). c  Peter Lombard: Petr. Lomb., Sent. 4, 16, 1, 2 (p. 337, l. 4–11). a 

b 

502

Letter P

Isaiah: From thy fear, O Lord, we have conceived and have brought forth the wind (spiritus) of salvation (Is. 26, 17–18). And the Lord in the gospel: A woman, when she is in labor, hath sorrow, etc. But when she hath brought forth the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy, etc. (John 16, 21). It is said about this threefold distinction: There were pains as of a woman in labor; with a vehement wind, etc. (Ps. 47, 7–8). 74. Some are penitent (Penitent qvidam) a. Truly, that is, with love. Like Mary Magdalene, who truly weeping and penitent hath washed the feet of the Lord with tears and with her hairs hath wiped them, for whom Many sins are forgiven, because she hath loved much (Luke 7, 44–47). The thief on the cross, rebuking the other one and saying: We receive the due reward for our deeds. Lord, remember me when thou shalt come into thy kingdom (Luke 23, 41–42). The publican in his devotion, who dared not lift up his eyes towards heaven, but struck his breast, saying: ‘O God be merciful to me, a sinner’ (Luke 18, 13). Peter, of his denial. Paul, in his conversion. b. Not truly. Like Cain, who after his deed groaned, saying: My iniquity is greater than that I may deserve pardon (Gen. 4, 13). Esau, who wept much, whence the Apostle: He found no place of repentance, although with tears he had sought it (Hebr. 12, 17). Judas, who likewise bitterly repented, saying: I have sinned in betraying innocent blood (Matth. 27, 4). But because none of them had the contrition of Mary, none achieved the fruit of penitence. Many wished to placate God by shedding copious tears. And yet in a flood of many waters they shall not come nigh unto him (Ps. 31, 6). For how do tears avail one unless they proceed from a contrite and humbled heart (Ps. 50, 19)? 75. One truly repenting should do these three things (Penitens vere hec tria debet facere) a. That one repent from the heart, like David: A contrite and humbled heart, etc. (Ps. 50, 19). b.  And confess by mouth, with David: To thee only have I sinned (Ps. 50, 6). c. And do satisfaction with works, with David: I will teach the unjust thy ways (Ps. 50, 15).

503

518

Letter P

519

76. God is said to repent (Penitere dicitvr Devs) a. Either when he deletes what he had done, and then the antecedent is put for the consequence. Whence before the flood he said: It repenteth me that I have made man (Gen. 6, 7), that is, I act in the manner of a penitent by deleting what I have done. b. Or when he doesn’t do what he seemed to do, that is, when he changes things aside from people’s expectation, with his counsel not changed. Whence he is read to have repented when he didn’t destroy Nineveh, which he seemed about to do, when he said: Yet forty days and Nineveh shall be destroyed (Jonah 3, 4). Thus he is said both to forget when he delays and to remember when he gives quickly. c. Or when he doesn’t finish what he has begun, such as concerning the killing of the Jews, which sometimes he has begun but not finished. Whence Jeremiah: If that nation shall repent of the evil which they have proposed to do, I also will repent of that which I have thought to do to them (Jer. 18, 8). When the children of Israel sinned, the Lord delivered them into the hands of alien kings; when they repented, he raised them up a prince who delivered them (Judges 3, 8–9). Thus when we sin, we provide forces against ourselves to the demons, but when we turn to God he sends us learned people who show us the way of salvation and, with our enemies subjected, establishes the grace of liberty. 77. God smites sometimes (Percvtit Devs qvandoqve) a. To condemn. Whence: He who smote Sehon, king of the Amorrhites (Ps. 134, 10–11). b. To heal. Whence: I will strike, and I will heal. Again: I will kill and I will make to live (Deut. 32, 39). c.  To correct. Whence: The wicked man being scourged, the wise man shall be wiser (Prov. 19, 25), and unless he smites here he damns for eternity.

520

78. There is a perfection (Perfectio est) a. Of prelates, whose sign is to lay down his life for his sheep (John 10, 11). b. Of contemplatives or perfection of a vow, whose sign is to relinquish everything.

504

Letter P

c. Of clerics or perfection of continence, whose sign is continence. d.  Of those not fearing punishment, or perfection of conscience, namely those who are aware of no sin in themselves. Also the perfection of married people, who have death in desire and life in patience. In the Evangelical History this distinction is read thus: ‘The first have life in desire and death in patience, because their life is necessary for their subjects. The second and last have death in desire and life in patience’.a Of the first we read in the gospel: Greater charity than this no man hath, that a man lay down his life for his friends (John 15, 13). Of the second, If thou wilt be perfect, etc. (John 19, 21). Of the third: He that can take, let him take it (Matth. 19, 12). Of the fourth: Be you perfect as also your Father is perfect (Matth. 5, 48). 79. The perfection of the disciple is not to avenge injustices (Perfectio discipvli est non vlcisci inivrias). 80. Perfection or a perfect person is spoken of sometimes (Perfectio sive perfectvs dicitvr qvandoqve) a.  With regard to time. Whence a child when born with all the appropriate members is called perfect, because he has all the members appropriate for his time of life. The angels were created with this perfection. b. With regard to one’s nature, that is, for the glorification of nature. The predestined will have this perfection after Judgment Day. c. Absolutely and universally. God alone has this perfection; he alone is perfect, that is, immutable. 81. There is a perfection (Perfectio est) a. Of comparison, as Noah was a perfect man in his generations (Gen. 6, 9). b. Of an order, as in celibacy, to which all people established in sacred orders are held.

a 

Peter Comestor: Petr. Comestor, Hist. schol. in euang. 101 (col. 1588B-C).

505

521

Letter P

c. Of the breast, or quiet, to which all cenobites are held, and they receive this counsel: Go and sell everything that thou hast, etc. (Matth. 19, 21). d. Of works, to which prelates are held, so that they lay down their life for their sheep (John 10, 11) if there is a need. e. Of security, which those have who are conscious of no sin in themselves. Whence the Apostle: I am not conscious to myself of any thing, yet I am not hereby justified (I Cor. 4, 4). Isidore says: ‘That person is perfect who in this world is perfect both in body and mind’.a Again, Augustine: ‘A person is perfect when he is full of charity’.b 82. A  perfect person should be fearful (Perfectvs timere debet) a. For one’s insufficiency. Whence: The sufferings of this time are not worthy to be compared with the glory to come (Rom. 8, 18). b.  For one’s hidden sin. Whence: Who can understand sins? (Ps. 18, 13). Again, the Apostle: I am not conscious to myself, etc. (I Cor. 4, 4). c. For one’s imminent destruction. Whence: One who stands, let him take heed lest he fall (I Cor. 10, 12). Again: Terrible as an army set in array (Cant. 6, 3 and 9). 83. Persecution or tribulation (Persecvtio sive tribvlatio) a. Purges superfluities. Whence: Thou hast tried us by fire, as silver is tried (Ps. 65, 10). b. Is of value, lest we sin. Whence: Lest the greatness of the revelation should exalt me, etc. (II Cor. 12, 7). c. Is of value for a greater crown. Whence: Blessed is the man that endureth temptation, for when he hath been proved he shall receive the crown of life (James 1, 12). a  Defensor Locog., Scint. 11, 32 (p.  58), from Isidore: Isid., Sent. 3, 17, 4 (p. 247, l. 25–26). Defensor and Isidore read ‘discerning’ for the second ‘perfect’ in this sentence. b  Defensor, Scint. 1, 11 (p. 3), citing Augustine. Not identified in Augustine.

506

Letter P

84. Someone is snatched from persecution or tribulation (Persecvtione sive tribvlatione eripitvr qvis) a. So that he may not enter, but those are few. b. Lest he feel it, as the three children from the fiery furnace, but with the ministers burnt with flame (cf. Dan. 3, 21); and Daniel from the lions’ den (Dan. 6, 22–23). c.  Lest he succumb. Whence the Apostle: God is faithful, who will not suffer us to be tempted above that which we are able (I Cor. 10, 13). d. That he might escape. Whence: Our soul hath been delivered as a sparrow out of the snare of the fowlers (Ps. 123, 7). In this way blessed Lawrence and all the martyrs have been delivered. And this deliverance is called ‘occult’; but it is ‘manifest’ when someone has manifestly been delivered, as the three children from the fiery furnace and Daniel from the lions’ den. 85. There are four kinds of persecutions (Persecvtionvm qvatvor svnt genera) a. The first was by the persecutors, when the first faithful people were persecuted. Of this the Savior speaks in the gospel: The hour cometh when whosoever killeth you will think that he doth a service to God (John 16, 2). b. Second, by the heretics who, as they saw that the persecutors were converted, corrupted the scriptures with evil expounding and mixing in false things. Of these and of all those cut away is said: They went out from us, but they were not of us (I John 2, 19). c. Third, from false brothers, who speak well but live badly, that is, who offer their tongues to God, their souls to the devil. Of these is said by the Apostle: In perils from false brethren (II Cor. 11, 26). d. Fourth will be in the time of Antichrist, compounded of the three aforesaid, as great as hath not been from the beginning of the world (Matth. 24, 21), so that even, if possible, the elect would be moved (Matth. 24, 24). 86. Perseverance (Perseveratio) is relative, as ‘fatherhood’, ‘sonship’, and the like. Hence it should be spoken with a modifer, as ‘perseverance of chastity’, ‘of charity’, and the like. Without a

507

522

523

Letter P

modifier it isn’t even latinate speech. ‘Perseverance of charity’ is nothing other than final charity itself.

524

87. Perseverance means (Perseveratio notat) a.  Sometimes continuance, and therefore ‘up to’ is adjoined there to it. Whence: He that shall persevere up to the end,  etc. (Matth. 10, 22). b.  Sometimes a completion, and then ‘through’ denotes ‘completion’.a For it may not properly be said, ‘that house is perfect’ or ‘that book is perfect’ or ‘he perseveres’ unless ‘per-’ there denotes ‘completion’. Of the perseverance of charity is said: He that shall persevere up to the end, etc. (Matth. 10, 22). Isidore: ‘The reward is not promised to those beginning, but is given to those who persevere’.b Jerome: ‘We do not inquire of Christians about their beginnings but about their end, for Paul began badly but finished well’.c Many begin, but few persevere. The end, not the struggle, crowns. Solomon says: Better is the end of a speech than the beginning (Eccle. 7, 9), because there is greater joy in a work completed than begun. Whence tithes are worth more and please God more than firstfruits, for tithes signify a completion, firstfruits a beginning. 88. The foot of Christ (Pes Christi) a. His humanity, because as the foot is the lower part of a human, so humanity is of divinity. b. His divinity, because as the foot carries the human, so divinity carries humanity – indeed, carries everything. c. Complete subjection. Whence: Until I make thy enemies thy footstool (Ps. 109, 1). d. God’s rebuking and the promise of the faithful in Christ. Whence: They prepared a snare for my feet (Ps. 56, 7). Here ‘through’ translates the prefix per-, which indeed often signifies consummation or completion. b  Defensor Locog., Scint. 22, 12 (p. 101), etc., from Isidore: Isid., Sent. 2, 7, 1–2 (p. 105, l. 2–3). c  Defensor, Scint. 22, 5 (p. 100), from Jerome: Hier., Epist. 54, 6 (vol. 54, p. 472, l. 11–12). a 

508

Letter P

e.  The apostles. Whence: How beautiful are the feet of those that bring good tidings, of him that preacheth peace! etc. (Is. 52, 7; Rom. 10, 15). f. Preachers. Whence in Deuteronomy: They that approach his feet shall receive of his doctrine (Deut. 33, 3). g. Paupers. Whence Mary anointed the feet of Jesus so that she might be mystically accepted. Or sometimes feet are understood literally. Whence Peter said to the Lord: Thou shalt not wash my feet in eternity (John 13, 8), that is, never. Or by feet sometimes is understood fleshly disposition. Whence: But my feet were almost moved, etc. (Ps. 72, 2). 89. Christ is compared to a rock (Petre comparatvr Christvs) a. For its firmness. Whence: I have set my face as a most hard rock (Is. 50, 7). Again: And upon this rock I will build my church (Matth. 16, 18). Again: The face of one going to Jerusalem, that is, I have made firm (Luke 9, 51–53). b. For its hardness, because he will appear hard to sinners on Judgment Day. Whence: Whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken; on whomsoever that stone has fallen, he shall be ground to pieces (Matth. 21, 44). Look for the exposition of this authority above in Stonea c.  For the eminence and fitness of the edifice. Whence: The stone which the builders rejected,  etc. (Ps. 117, 22; Matth. 21, 42; Mark 12, 10; Luke 20, 17; I Pet. 2, 7). d.  For its roughness, for he would roughly rebuke vices. By the stone is understood Christ because he is the cornerstone who hath made both one. But as the evangelist says: Whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken; on whomsoever that stone has fallen, he shall be ground to pieces (Matth. 21, 44). But it should be understood that it is one thing to be broken, another to be ground to pieces. When an urn is broken, something can be made of its remains; but when it is ground to pieces, its shards are trodden under foot and it has thereafter no benefit because a 

A blank cross-reference; cf. L13 above.

509

525

Letter P

526

it is fit for no use. Just so, Christians who are in mortal sin are broken on the rock Christ, but they can rise again through penitence. ‘On whomsoever’ the stone, that is Christ, ‘shall fall’, that is, one who dies without penitence, will be entirely ‘ground to pieces’ on Judgment Day, because he will be damned. Hence one who sins mortally falls on the rock Christ in the present and is broken. The rock falls on him on Judgment Day, and the person is ground to pieces to whom it will be said: Go, you cursed, etc. (Matth. 25, 41). 90. God is placated (Placatvr Devs) a. By contrition. Whence: A contrite and humbled heart, etc. (Ps. 50, 19). b. By prayer. Whence: Let my prayer be directed, etc. (Ps. 140, 2). c.  By generosity of almsgiving. Whence: Give alms, and all things are clean unto you (Luke 11, 41). 91. There is a rain (Plvvia est) a. Common to the good and the wicked, namely this temporal rain. Whence: Who raineth on the just and unjust (Matth. 5, 45). b. Of doctrine. Whence: I will command my clouds to rain no rain upon it (Is. 5, 6). Again: Drop down dew, ye heavens (Is. 45, 8). The first is corporeal, the second spiritual, and both are common to the good and the wicked. c. For good people only, namely, the grace of God. Whence: Thou hast set aside a free rain, O God, etc. (Ps. 67, 10). d. For the wicked it will be in the future. Whence: He shall rain snares upon sinners, etc. (Ps. 10, 7). This rain will be hellish fire and eternal punishment. 92. A gate (Porta) a. Sins are called a gate. Whence: Thou that snatchest me from the gates of death, etc. (Ps. 9, 15). b. Christ. Whence: Blessed is the man that hath filled his desire with them; he shall not be confounded when he shall speak to his en-

510

Letter P

emies in the gate (Ps. 126, 5), according to one exposition.a Again: This is the gate of the Lord; the just shall enter into it (Ps. 117, 20), that is, through it. Christ is the gate to whom all other gates lead, for all gates lead to one gate, that is, to Christ. Whence he himself says: I am the door; by me, if any man enter in, etc. (John 10, 9). 93. There is a gate (Porta est) a.  Of contrition. Whence: I  said: ‘I will confess against myself ’, etc. (Ps. 31, 5). Again: A sacrifice to God, etc. (Ps. 50, 19). b. Of confession. Whence: We are his people and the sheep of his pasture. Go ye into his gates with confession (Ps. 99, 3–4). c. Of good works. Whence: Offer up a sacrifice of justice, etc. (Ps. 4, 6). 94. The gates (Porte) of a human being are five – sight, hearing, taste, smell, and touch – of which the chief are the two first, namely sight and hearing. 95. There are two gates (Porte dve svnt) a. Of the first the prophet Zephaniah speaks: From the First gate there shall be the noise of a cry (Zeph. 1, 10), that is, from sight, namely when the wicked – when they have heard the sharp word (Ps. 90, 3), that is, ‘Rise up, ye dead’ (cf. Eph. 5, 14) – leave their sepulchers and see that they are damned, they will cry out with remorseful conscience. For they will cry out as it is written in the book of Wisdom: We fools esteemed their life madness and their end without honor, etc. What hath pride profited us? or what advantage hath the boasting of riches brought us? All those things are passed away like a shadow (Wis. 5, 4 and 8–9). b. Of the second the same prophet says: And a howling from the Second (Zeph. 1, 10), that is, from hearing, namely when the foresaid wicked – having heard the sharp word, namely ‘Rise up, ye dead’, etc., and the sharper one, that is: I was hungry, I was thirsty, and you gave me not to drink, etc. (Matth. 25, 42), and at last with the sharpest word having been heard, that is, Go, you cursed, etc. a 

Glos. ord. on Ps. 126, 5; Peter Lombard: Petr. Lomb., In Ps. 126, 7 (col. 1160C).

511

527

Letter P

528

(Matth. 25, 41) – in the face of too much sorrow cannot cry out; whence they howl while entering thus into hell. But what do they find there? There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matth. 8, 12), and no order, but everlasting horror dwelling (Job 10, 22). And then it will be fulfilled: They are laid in hell like sheep; death shall feed upon them (Ps. 48. 15), that is, the devil, like an ox upon grass, for although the grass is continually fed upon, it is never wholly eaten away. 96. The gates of hell (Porte inferni) a.  Heretics and their doctrine. Whence: Thou that liftest me up from the gates of death (Ps. 9, 15), according to one exposition.a b.  Eternal: the grace that has been given with Christ’s coming, or the renunciation of the world and conversion to God, or the good things through which God enters. Whence: Lift up your gates, O ye princes, etc. (Ps. 23, 7 and 9). c.  Or of death: depraved desires, sins, enmities, flattery, heresies, and all the vices by which a place is made for the devil in the hearts of humans, by which one passes to death. Of these gates is said: Thou that liftest me up from the gates of death (Ps. 9, 15), that is, from all depraved desires with which one passes to death. Again: Lift up your gates, O ye princes, that is, lift away from your souls your gates, that is, of death, which have been set up by a prince, the devil; and through these he enters hearts. But against those gates be ye lifted up, O  eternal gates in the hearts of humans, namely grace, and the King of Glory shall enter in (Ps. 23, 7 and 9), that is, Christ into hearts. 97. There are three gates of death (Porte mortis svnt tres) a. Those in which is death, as demons and heretics. Of these is said: And the gates of hell shall not prevail against it (Matth. 16, 18). b. Those which are death, as vices. Of these is said: Thou that liftest me up from the gates of death, etc. (Ps. 9, 15). Peter Lombard: Petr. Lomb., In Ps. 9, 14 (col. 135D), from Jerome: Hier., In Matth. 16, 8 (bk. 3, p. 141, l. 79–80). a 

512

Letter P

c. Those through which death enters, as the five senses of the body: sight, hearing, etc. Of these is said: Death enters through our windows (Jer. 9, 21). 98. Gates are (Porte svnt) a.  Best efforts, through which one comes to the standard of peace.a b. Or sacraments and the beginnings of faith. These gates are opened to those who knock (cf. Matth. 7, 7) so that they might reach the hidden things that the eye hath not seen, etc. (I Cor. 2, 9), according to another exposition.b c.  Or the prophets and apostles and their doctrine, those who through good teaching lead the way to life, just as heretics through their bad teaching draw people to death, according to a third exposition.c d.  Or the teachings of sacred scripture. Whence: Open the gates of justice (Ps. 117, 19), that is, the teaching of sacred scripture, which teach justice. 99. There are two gates (Porte dve svnt) a. For entering into hell: desire for temporal things and fear of losing them. b. For entering into glory: desire for heaven and fear of hell. 100. There are nine gates in both Jerusalems (Porte novem svnt in vtraqve Iervsalem)d a. The holy angels are the Old Gate, which is called the Old Gate because of their priority. In the literal sense in Jerusalem For ‘standard of peace’ the sources have ‘vision of peace’; the error (of Peter’s immediate source, or of Peter, or of the archetypal tradition of Abel) is an instance of the common misreading of minims, as insigne (or iiisigne) looks rather like visionē (iiisionē). See Peter Lombard: Petr. Lomb., In Ps. 9, 14 (col. 135C-D), from Augustine: Avg., In Ps. 9, 14 (p. 65, l. 19–21; p. 66, l. 32–34). b  The other exposition is also found in the sources mentioned in the preceding note. c  Peter Lombard: Petr. Lomb., In Ps. 9, 14 (col. 135D); cf. Cassiodorus: Cassiod., In Ps. 117 (p. 1054, l. 256–57). d  The gates of Jerusalem are named in Nehemiah (Vulgate II Esdras) 3. a 

513

529

Letter P

530

there was a gate that was called Old, which was in the city from the time that it was called Salem, that is, ‘peace’. For peace was confirmed among the holy angels when the apostate angel was cast out. b. The Gate of the Fountain, the patriarchs, because the first way to the fountain Christ was shown by them. Whence Abraham was called ‘the first way of believing’.a In the literal sense this gate led to the fountain Gyon. c.  The Cloudy Gate, the holy prophets, because they taught the way of truth under a certain cloud of the literal level. On the literal level this gate was called Cloudy because of its height, and the prophets are justly esteemed with this name because of their height of intelligence. d.  The Closed Gate is the virgin Mary. Of this gate Ezekiel says: This gate shall be shut and it shall not be opened. No man shall pass through it and it shall be closed for the prince. The prince shall sit in it, to eat bread before the Lord (Ezek. 44, 2–3). Three times it is called the Closed Gate, because she was a virgin before giving birth, at giving birth, and after giving birth. ‘No man shall pass through it’, because the virgin Mary didn’t conceive by the working of a man but by the working of the Holy Spirit. It was ‘closed for the prince’, that is, in honor of the prince, that is, the Son of God. ‘The prince shall sit in it’: the sitting denotes humility, and in it the Son of God humbled himself. ‘To eat bread before the Lord’, that is, to fulfill the will of his Father, as he himself says: My meat is to do the will of my Father, etc. (John 4, 34). e. The Horse Gate, the apostles. On the literal level this was the gate before the temple to which one would ascend on horseback. Therefore the holy apostles are the Horse Gate, because those who have entered through this gate have entered to the temple, which is Christ. Up to this gate people sit on horses of pride, but those about to enter through this gate dismounted from the horses of pride and entered humble. f. Martyrs are the Gate of the Dunghill. For on the literal level the Gate of the Dunghill was so called because the filth of the city a 

Prudentius, Psychomachia praef. 1.

514

Letter P

flowed through it. Martyrs are called the Gate of the Dunghill because their works were counted as dung (cf. Phil. 3, 8) and their blood was shed like filthy matter. g.  The Gate of the Shield-bearers, the holy prelates of the Church, like Augustine, Ambrose, and the others. On the literal level this is the gate through which one entered the temple from the royal house, and in which were armed men set to guard the royal house. The holy prelates are the Gate of the Shield-bearers because through their teaching about the royal house, that is, about the Church Militant, one passes into the celestial temple. And these are those who guard the royal house with shields of the authorities on holy scripture. h.  Good cloistered subjects are the Fish Gate, who like fish with certain wing-fins of virtues fly up above the waters of this world, lest they lie in the mire of vices. i. Virgins are the Valley Gate, and they are called the Valley Gate because humility is signified by a valley. Whence the blessed Virgin commemorates only her humility, saying: Because he hath regarded the humility of his handmaid (Luke 1, 48). These are the gates in which that honorable husband will sit, when he sitteth among the senators of the land (Prov. 31, 23), as Solomon says. The gates and the senators are one and the same, and those are called senators because they have ruled and rule the Church with their knowledge and good life. The Lord will sit in these gates, because he rests and will rest among his saints. He will sit with his senators because with them he will judge the nations. Wretched people are brought willy-nilly before these gates to be judged, because in the hands of the senators shall be two-edged swords (Ps. 149, 6) striking the wretched in soul as in body. There everything will accuse them, because their own consciences and then everything will be naked and open. Then subjects will accuse prelates and prelates subjects, because they didn’t obey them in good works. And what can those who will be in the Old Gate, that is, in the ranks of spirits, say? Surely they can say: ‘Some of us are called Seraphim, some Cherubim, etc. And we busied ourselves that you might be Seraphim, that is, “burning with charity”, and you didn’t want to. We took pains that you might be Cheru-

515

531

532

Letter P

533

bim, that is, “full of knowledge” – I don’t say the “knowledge” that is great learning, without which many will be saved, but the “knowledge” that has wisdom – and you didn’t want to. We have toiled that you might be Thrones, and you yourselves judge in such a way that you aren’t judged. We have counseled you prelates, and have made suggestions about everything, so that you might dominate bestial movements with reason – because persuading pertains to Dominations – but you didn’t listen. We wanted you to show reverence to your superiors, which pertains to Principalities, and you weren’t reverent to your Creator. We kept the aerial powers back from you – which pertains to the Powers – and you drew them back to yourselves. We did miracles for you – which is a property of Virtues – so that moved by them you would praise your King, and you didn’t care to. We revealed greater and lesser things to