Coll. 10
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/11/d/10/q/bon-hex-c10
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### COLLATION X.
#### *On the second vision: the third treatment, which begins to treat of the comeliness of faith.*

### Summarium

*Introduction. Faith is comely according to the twelve speculations arising out of faith, 1. — Part I. On these twelve speculations in general. They are compared to twelve stars and to pearls, 2. — The stars differ in brightness; these speculations are enumerated, 3. — It is noted that not all things believable can be investigated by reason, 4. — The sufficiency of these twelve from the fourfold account of truth, 5. — First, truth is considered as pre-existing, in three ways, 6. — Likewise, as effecting, in three ways, 7. — Likewise, as restoring, in three ways, 8. — Likewise, as consummating, in three ways; epilogue, 9. — Part II. On the first object of speculation in particular, namely that God is first. Being is the most manifest and most perfect name of God, 10. 11. — The same is considered also in the mirror of creatures in three ways: by the way of order, of origin, and of completion. By the way of order, in three ways: first according to the order of the posterior to the prior, 12. — Likewise, of the inferior to the superior, 13. — Likewise, of time to aeviternity, and of aeviternity to eternity, 14. — By the way of origin, in four ways, 15. 16. — By the way of completion, in five ways, 17. Epilogue of part II, 18.*

1. *God called the firmament heaven* etc. Of the height of faith and of its firmness it has been said; now its *comeliness* must be spoken of. For *heaven* (*caelum*) is so called as it were *engraven* (*caelatum*), that is, sculpted with lights. How comely this faith is, is had in Genesis: *Look up to heaven and number the stars, if thou canst; so shall thy seed be.* The promise of *carnal* seed was made to Abraham, because *so*, he says, *shall thy seed be;* the promise also of *spiritual* seed was made to him, in that he was to be *the father of many nations* through faith. Abraham's *flesh* begot seed, and it was multiplied; much more strongly was his *spiritual* generation fruitful, and it begot spiritually, his mind having been made fruitful. The buddings forth of the speculations arising out of faith transcend the brightness of the stars. In the Apocalypse: *He took me up in spirit into a great and high mountain, and I saw Jerusalem coming down out of heaven.* And he saw that it had *twelve gates*, and over each gate one pearl, and *the gates were of single pearls*.

2. These speculations of faith are compared to the *constellations* and are compared to *twelve pearls*. For although those stars are innumerable, nevertheless there are twelve signs through which the sun runs. These twelve signs are nothing else but certain stars which, according to their various figures and the variety of their lights, have diverse influences; and the sun, conjoined to them at various seasons according to their diverse influences, has to minister life in the world. — But these speculations arising out of faith are, as has been said, compared to the brightness of *pearls*, because they are *glittering, life-giving, gladdening*, after the manner of a pearl, which has *lustre* or *glitters*, *strengthens* by its efficacy, and *gladdens* the heart.

3. According to this, therefore, men enter upon contemplation; nor can a worldly man approach the visions of the Apocalypse unless he understands these things. Since, therefore, according to the Apostle there is *one brightness of the sun, another of the moon, another of the stars*, we, raised on high through faith, *are transformed from brightness into brightness*, and this *with face unveiled*, that we may be like the *twelve stars* and the *twelve pearls*. — There are twelve speculations which we have from faith: to believe God *first*; God *three and one*, and *the exemplar of things*; as *creating the world*, as *forming the soul, giving the spirit* — God *united to flesh*, God *crucified, the healing of minds, the food of life, the avenger of crimes, the eternal reward*.

4. Note also that certain things are believable and yet not *intelligible* by reason, such as *Abraham begot Isaac*, or particular facts; but certain believable things are *intelligible*, and when they are understood they have solid grounds.

5. For the sufficiency of these twelve, note that the brightness of faith is to be contemplated as that of *pre-existing* truth, as that of *effecting* truth, as that of *restoring* truth, as that of *perfecting* truth.

6. As that of *pre-existing* truth, in three ways: either as regards *essence*, or as regards *excellence*, or as regards *refulgence*. For the divine *being* is the first thing that comes into the mind. Hence to Moses, asking what was the name of God, God answered: *I am who am;* and in this he comprehended whatever is, whether *good* or *powerful*. — Second, as regards *excellence*, as God one, three, and true. — Third, as regards *refulgence*, as the exemplar of things.

7. But if brightness is considered as *effecting* truth, this is in three ways: either inasmuch as it *begins nature;* or inasmuch as it *illumines the understanding;* or inasmuch as it *inspires grace*. It *begins nature* or the world, which is not only believable but also intelligible. As it *illumines the understanding;* and so it forms the soul, that is, the human and the angelic intellect, so that God is the object of the intellect; and hence it is that the soul has the character of the *perpetual* as regards the image of creation, of reparation, of likeness; because an image is an essential dependence and relation. As it *inspires grace;* here is the consummation, and this is *believable* and *intelligible*. For the will is not perfected except through the gift of the Holy Spirit infused.

8. But if the brightness of truth is considered as *restoring*, likewise in three ways does brightness shine back in the soul: either as regards the *principle* of human and angelic reparation, or as regards its *price*, or as regards its *effect*. First it is to contemplate God *united to flesh*, which is believable and intelligible; if as the *price*, so fixed to the cross; if as the *effect*, so God is the *medicine* of the soul. He is therefore the principle of our *creation, reparation, and rewarding*.

9. But if he is considered as *consummating* or perfecting, so in three ways: as the *food of life* of the Church militant and triumphant, as the *avenger of crimes*, as the *final reward*. It behoves that God be first; therefore he is believable and intelligible, and this according to an inflowing according to the law of *clemency, of justice*, and of *concord*: according to the first, as *power;* according to the second, as *truth;* according to the third, as *equity*. — These are the twelve gates, of which the Psalm: *Open ye to me the gates of justice. The just shall enter into it;* because *the just man liveth by faith*.

10. The first object of speculation is that God is. The first name of God is *being*, which is most manifest and most perfect, and therefore first; whence nothing is more manifest, because whatever is said of God is reduced to *being;* this is properly the proper name of God. God would not have said to Moses, that is, to the bearer of the Law: *I am who am*, unless he were first. Afterwards he said: *the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob;* in which he expressed the *mystery of the Trinity*. Third he said: *Who made the mouth of man and the tongue;* in which he unfolded that he is the *exemplar*.

11. That God is *first* is most manifest, because from every proposition, affirmative as well as negative, it follows that God is — even if you say: God is not, it follows: if God is not, God is; because every proposition entails itself as *affirmative* and as *negative*, as if Socrates does not run, it is true that Socrates does not run.

12. This truth is considered also as in a certain mirror, which strengthens and gives sight. For every creature concurs in the making of this mirror and is joined in this mirror by the way of *order, of origin, of completion*. — First, in three ways: according to the account of the *posterior* to the prior, of the *inferior* to the superior, of *time* to aeviternity and of aeviternity to eternity. For it is manifest that if there is a *posterior*, there is a *prior:* therefore also a *first:* therefore in this order one arrives through *posterior* things at *prior* things and at the *first*. For all things are either posterior, or middle, or first.

13. Second is the order of the *inferior* to the *superior*, and of the *superior* to the *highest*, which have an essential order and dependence according to the order of nature. And *superior* and *inferior* are not said here according to the predicamental line, but according to the more noble and the less noble.

14. Third is the order of *time* to *aeviternity* and of *aeviternity* to *eternity:* because if there is something created for the sake of another, then that other too is something for the sake of another, namely of the uncreated, and that will be for its own sake; as if a temporal thing is for the sake of the soul, and the soul for the sake of God; necessarily, therefore, God is through himself and for his own sake. — According to the order, then, of *causality, of dignity*, and of *end*, all things declare him to be *first, highest*, and *last*, that is, in the character of that which brings to an end. This, then, according to the account of *order*.

15. In another way every creature says that God is according to the account of *origin:* as, if there is created being, there is uncreated being; and if there is being by *participation*, there is being by *essence;* if there is being by *composition*, there is being by *simplicity;* if there is being by *multiformity*, there is being by *uniformity* or identity.

16. First it must be said that everything created posits a cause, and the totality of things caused posits a first universal cause. Then I ask concerning that cause: either it is *created*, or *not:* if *so*, there will be a going off into infinity; if *not*, I have what I proposed. — Likewise, being by *participation* has *being* from that which is being by *essence*, because it flows from it. — Likewise, every *composite* is from its components; likewise the *parts* too, since they are *dependent* upon one another, are from something *most simple and absolute*. — Likewise concerning *multiformity;* for if there is being by *multiformity*, there is being by *uniformity*, as in numbers, because it is necessary to arrive at unity. This, then, by the account of *origin*.

17. In a third way, by the account of *completion*. If there is *potential being*, there is *actual being;* if there is *mutable being*, there is *immutable being;* if there is being *in a certain respect*, there is being *simply;* if there is *dependent being*, there is *absolute being;* if there is being *in a genus*, there is being *outside a genus*. — Now *potential* being comes from *actual being* necessarily in *different* things; but *in the same* thing potential being precedes actual being. — Likewise, the *mutable* is a flowing from the immutable and fixed. — Likewise, a *creature* depends essentially on the first, both *matter* and *form*, and even an *accident* depends more on God than on its subject; because God can bring it about that it be without a subject, as in the Sacrament of the altar, but not that it should not *depend on him*. — Likewise, if there is being *in a certain respect*, there is also being *simply* in those things which are apt to be *simply;* as if one is wise *in a certain respect*, he is wise *simply* — so that the counter-instance be removed: he is white as to a tooth: therefore he is white simply. — If there is being *in a genus*, there is being *outside a genus*. For being *in a genus* has differences that confine it; and such a being does not have *power, being*, and *acting universally*. Hence God is being *outside a genus* and *above genus*.

18. These speculations, therefore, of *order, of origin*, and *of completion* lead to that first *being* which all creatures represent. For this name is written in all things; and these are the conditions of being, upon which the most certain inferences are founded. Hence that man said: « The first of all created things is *being* »; but I say: the first of intellectual things is *first being*.

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