Prologus, §5
by St. Bonaventure
Source text: Public Domain Mark 1.0. English translation/apparatus/encoding: CC BY-NC 4.0, Wroot Press.
https://bonaventure.wrootpress.com/browse/5/d/0/q/bon-brev-prol-s5
----------------------------------------
### § 5. *On the mode of procedure of sacred Scripture itself.*

In so great a manifoldness of wisdom, then, as is contained in the *breadth, length, height*, and *depth* of sacred Scripture itself, there is one common *authentic* mode of procedure, within which are contained the *narrative, preceptive, prohibitive, exhortative, predicative*, *minatory, promissory, deprecatory*, and *laudatory* modes. And all these modes are set under the one authentic mode — and this indeed quite rightly.

For since this teaching exists *that we may become good* and be saved, and this does not come about through bare consideration but rather through the inclining of the will, therefore the divine Scripture had to be handed down in that mode by which we could the more be inclined. And because the affection is more moved by *examples* than by arguments, more by *promises* than by reasonings, more by *devotions* than by definitions, therefore this Scripture ought not to have had the *definitive, divisive*, and *collective* mode for proving certain attributes of a subject after the manner of the other sciences; but it was fitting that it should have modes proper to itself, according to the various inclinations

of minds inclining minds in diverse ways — so that, if someone is not moved by *precepts* and *prohibitions*, he may at least be moved by *examples* narrated; if someone is not moved by these, he may be moved by the *benefits* shown to him; if someone is not moved by these either, he may be moved by shrewd *admonitions*, by truthful *promises*, by terrifying *threats*, so that thus he may at least be roused to *devotion* and *praise* of God, in which he may receive grace, through which he may be directed in works of virtue.

Since, therefore, these *narrative* modes cannot proceed by way of the certitude of reasons — because particular deeds cannot be proved — therefore, lest this Scripture should waver as though doubtful and thereby move less, God provided for this Scripture, in place of the *certitude of reason*, the *certitude of authority*, which is so great that it surpasses all the acuteness of human genius. And because the authority of him who can deceive or be deceived is not certain, and there is no one who cannot be deceived and who knows not how to deceive except God and the Holy Spirit — hence it is that, in order that sacred Scripture might be perfectly authentic in the manner due to it, it was handed down not through human investigation but through divine revelation. — Therefore nothing in it is to be despised as *useless*, nothing rejected as *false*, nothing repudiated as *unjust*, since the Holy Spirit, its most perfect author, could say nothing *false*, nothing *superfluous*, nothing *deficient*. And on this account *heaven and earth shall pass away, but the words* of sacred Scripture *shall not pass away* without being fulfilled. For *till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall not pass of the Law, till all be fulfilled*, as the Savior testifies. *He therefore that shall break* what Scripture teaches, *and shall so teach men, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but he that shall do and teach, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.*

---