Coll. 14
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/14/q/bon-hex-c14
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### Collation XIV.
#### *On the third vision: the second treatment, which begins to treat of the sacramental figures of Scripture, first in general, and then of the twelve principal mysteries signifying Christ.*

### Summarium

*Introduction. By the sprouting of the earth are understood the sacramental figures of Scripture, 1. — Part I. On these figures or mysteries in general. Three qualities of the earth's sprouting, which are compared to the properties of the mysteries of Scripture. First, these mysteries are a living sprouting, 2. — Second, most abundant, 3. — Third, comely, 4. — In Scripture, as in nature, there is a succession in a fourfold order of unfolding, 5. — These four, namely the fixing of roots, the production of leaves, the budding of flowers, the fullness of fruits, are confirmed from Scripture, 6. — Scripture is handed down for four reasons, 7. — First, to commend grace; a threefold neediness in fallen man is repaired in three ways, 8. — Second, to introduce faith, 9. — Third, to unlock wisdom, whose two roots are fear and love with a twofold promise, 10. — Fourth, to restore salvation through Christ, 11. — Part II. On the twelve principal mysteries in a fourfold order and time. First, before the Law there are three mysteries, 12. — Likewise, three under the Law, 13. — Three also in the time of prophecy, 14. — Three finally from Christ unto the end, 15. — Of these is the whole of Scripture, 16. — In these twelve are understood together Christ with his body as the tree of life, and antichrist as*

*the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, 17. — This is shown first with respect to Christ as regards each of those mysteries; in the first mystery there are four figures of Christ, 18. — Likewise, in the second, 19. — Likewise, in the third, 20. — Similarly under the Law, in each of the three mysteries there are four figures of Christ, 21-23. — Similarly in the time of the revelation of the Prophets, in each of the three mysteries there are four figures, 24-26. — Similarly in the last time, and in every mystery of redemption Christ is signified by four figures, 26-28. — Epilogue, 29.*

1. *Let the earth bring forth the green herb, and such as may seed* etc. It has been said in what manner by the *gatherings of the waters* are understood the spiritual understandings of Scripture; now it must be said in what manner by the *sprouting of the earth* are understood the *sacramental figures*. For it is not without reason that by the *sprouting of the earth* sacred Scripture is understood, according as it has figures sprouting in manifold ways and producing buddings in the soul.

2. The earth's sprouting is *living, most abundant, comely.* *Living*, that is, having vigour; and therefore the earth brought forth *the green herb.* And in this it is shown that the sacraments of Scripture, which outwardly appear dry, are inwardly *alive.* And this the Saviour said to the Jews in John: *Search the Scriptures, for you think in them to have life everlasting.* No other writing gives *life* but this. Whence in the Psalm: *Quicken thou me according to thy word;* and Peter: *Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life;* whence they are not dry figures, since through them there are living sproutings in us; in Ecclesiasticus: *Thy eye shall desire grace and beauty, and above both of these green sown fields.*

3. Likewise, the sprouting is *most abundant;* whence in Genesis there is added: *The fruit-bearing tree;* in the Psalm: *Thou hast visited the earth and hast plentifully watered it, thou hast many ways enriched it. The river of God is filled with water; thou hast prepared their food* etc. *And the valleys shall abound with corn.* This earth lives, is vigorous, abounds. Sacred Scripture is most abundant, in that God *visits* it with his inflowing, producing most abundant buddings; in Deuteronomy: *The land, which thou shalt go in to possess, is not as the land of Egypt* etc., which is watered; *but it looketh for rains from heaven.* For it is not as the other sciences, but God visits it; in the Psalm: *The river of God is filled with water; thou hast prepared their food;* and in Deuteronomy: *Hear, O ye heavens, the things I speak; let the earth give ear to the words of my mouth; let my doctrine gather as the rain; let my speech flow as the dew, as a shower upon the herb and as drops upon the grass.* This dew is the inflowing of the grace of the Holy Spirit, who visits Scripture, and in whom it is sweetly found; in Genesis: *Behold, the smell of my son is as the smell of a plentiful field, which the Lord hath blessed. God give thee of the dew of heaven and of the fatness of the earth, abundance of corn and wine.* Jacob, that spiritual man, is learned in sacred Scripture; from whom there proceeds a fragrance, which through Scripture *abounds* with three understandings: of *corn* as regards *allegory*, of *wine* as regards *tropology*, of *oil* as regards *anagogy*.

4. Likewise, this sprouting is *comely;* and therefore there is added: *Each one according to its kind.* Its very outward roughness makes it be reckoned deformed, and yet from this it is most beautiful; and therefore the bride says: *I am black, but beautiful;* because black, therefore beautiful. Whence in Genesis: *God had planted a paradise of pleasure from the beginning, wherein he placed man whom he had formed. And the Lord God brought forth of the ground all manner of trees, fair to behold and pleasant to eat of. The tree of life also in the midst of paradise, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.* By the *pleasant and fair trees* are understood the *sacraments of the Scriptures*, which have great beauty; yet they do not appear fair save from the conformity of the representing to the represented. For those trees are *fair* because *ordered.*

5. Some think that these sacraments and this Scripture are so set down as a man sets sentence after sentence who composes letters. It is not so, because it is *most ordered*, and its order is like the order of *nature* in the sprouting of the earth. For there first is the *fixing of roots;* second, the *production of green leaves;* third, the *budding of vernal flowers;* fourth, the *fullness of restoring fruits.* So in Scripture first there is the *fixing of radical virtues*, as in the Patriarchs, who are as it were the roots of all the things that are said in Scripture; whence in their election is the first planting. But afterwards, in the institution of precepts and sacrifices, there is the *production of green leaves;* Osee: *Israel a vine full of branches.* Afterwards, in the manifestation of

prophetic visions, there is the *budding of flowers.* Later, in the diffusion of spiritual charisms, there is the *fullness of restoring fruits.* — Whence first there was one Patriarch as a *root*, namely Abraham; afterwards another, as Isaac; afterwards Jacob; and he begot twelve Patriarchs, and from them twelve tribes. After this planting there followed the Law as the *production of green leaves*, which had shade. And because a leaf ought not always to last, but the flower must come, therefore prophecy followed with *fragrance* and *beauty.* And because it was fitting that the heavens should drop dew, therefore fourthly there followed the *fruit* in Christ, since Christ is the fruit and consummation of the Law.

6. Of the *first* the Father says to the incarnate Wisdom in Ecclesiasticus: *In my elect send forth roots: And I took root in an honourable people.* This is the production of the tree that is *pleasant to eat of.* — Of the *second*, namely the production of leaves, it is said in the book of Numbers: *How beautiful are thy tabernacles, O Jacob, and thy tents, O Israel, as woody valleys!* which are the *mysteries of Scripture.* Who can conceive the pleasantness of the mysteries of sacred Scripture, of which it is said: *Every man sat under his fig tree and under his vine?* Whence *fair* is the tree, the stake of the serpent, the raising of the serpent and the shade; but the tree of the cross is *fruitful.* — The third is the production of the Prophets, like the *budding of flowers;* of whom in the Canticle: *The flowers have appeared in our land, and the voice of the turtle is heard. The flowers have appeared*, when he said: *There shall come forth a rod out of the root of Jesse, and a flower shall rise up out of his root.* But the *voice of the turtle was heard*, when it was said: *How doth the city sit solitary that was full of people? She is become as a widow, the mistress of the Gentiles.* The turtle has a moan for its song. — Fourthly, the *fullness of restoring fruits;* Isaiah: *The bud of the Lord shall be in magnificence and glory, and the fruit of the earth shall be high.* And when was this? When she said: *Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.* — In Mark it is said: *The earth of itself bringeth forth fruit, first the blade, then the ear, afterwards the full corn in the ear.* This is the time before the Law, the time under the Law, the time after the Law. This order Scripture follows.

7. Further it must be known that Scripture is handed down on account of four things: first, to commend *grace;* second, to introduce *faith;* third, to unlock *wisdom*, which is in this alone; whence: *For seeing that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of our preaching to save them that believe*; fourth, to restore *salvation*, which is in this alone, and in no other science is there salvation. — And it is principally on account of that fourth. For salvation is not except through wisdom. *For neither herb nor mollifying plaister healed them, but thy word, O Lord, which healeth all things.* — But wisdom is neither unlocked nor had save through faith. Whence: *Unless you believe, you shall not understand;* since one is *not to be more wise than it behoveth to be wise; and according as God hath divided to every one the measure of faith.* But faith is not had save through the *grace* of the Holy Spirit.

8. And therefore Scripture is first handed down to *commend the grace* of the Holy Spirit. Now the grace of the Holy Spirit is not save in a grateful man; and he cannot be grateful unless he acknowledge his own neediness. And neediness is threefold: of the *knowing, the empowering, the loving* virtue, since we are *blind, infirm, malignant*. It was fitting therefore that man should first acknowledge his own *blindness, infirmity, malignity*, before he was made whole, or grace given him. There was therefore a time in which there was *blindness*, as in the time before the Law; where scarcely anyone knew God, but rather they worshipped stones and the works of their own hands for God: and therefore it was necessary that man should be convicted of ignorance. — Afterwards the Law was given, giving light, and yet *their infirmities were multiplied*, and the Law was an occasion of greater transgression, since, *taking occasion, sin wrought in me all manner of concupiscence;* and therefore they had to be convicted of *infirmity* or impotence. — Afterwards there was the time of the Prophets, who manifestly showed them that they could not be *saved* through the Law. Whence Isaiah: *My soul hateth your solemnities. I desired not holocausts of rams and fat of fatlings and blood of calves and lambs and buck goats.* And they slew them, and not only them, but they received those who clung to them and false prophets; and in this their *malice* appeared. — And so *Scripture hath*

*concluded all under sin*, because the first through *ignorance*, the second through *infirmity*, the third through *malice*, that Christ coming might have mercy on all. And at this the Apostle also marvels and alleges the authority of the Psalm: *All have turned out of the way, they are become unprofitable together; there is none that doth good, no not one.*

9. Second, Scripture is handed down to *introduce faith*, which is a believing of things most arduous and most difficult: therefore it was fitting that it should send before it *promises, oracles* and manifold *signs.* And as matter is first fitted, and then the form is introduced; so first he did certain easy things for the Patriarchs, as *promises*, as that a son should be born to Abraham, and that, if he obeyed him and believed, the son, if he were slain, could rise again, and that God could raise him up. Whence there man was led to faith through *promises;* afterwards through *mysteries* and *miracles* in the desert and through the greatest *signs*, as is plain in the passage of the sea and the scourging of Egypt; afterwards through the *oracles* of the Prophets, who foretold them things to come, as of the passion and resurrection of Christ; and they believed them: because, from the fact that they saw that the things they prophesied to them came to pass, they believed them also concerning Christ to come. Thus man was disposed to receive faith. Whence Christ ought not first to have come and said: Come and believe in me, I am Christ; because they would have answered: we cannot believe; therefore they had thus to be led by the hand.

10. Third, Scripture was given to *unlock wisdom*, which has two roots, namely *fear* and *love.* The first root is *fear*, since man is first animal, then spiritual; and when he is affected through fear, then he becomes spiritual. And therefore according to these two roots there are two testaments: the one, the old, *begetting unto bondage*, the other, the new, begetting unto love. The old testament *begetting unto bondage* promises *temporal* things, striking fear through punishment. — But it was necessary that in the old testament there should be *promise*, because, if man were always stricken with punishment, and nothing were promised him, he would flee: therefore the promise of the land of promise was joined to it. But the new testament promises *spiritual* things, namely eternal life. Whence fear could not be struck, nor any temporal thing promised, save to a multiplied people: therefore before the Law there had to be a time of the law of nature. — Similarly, the Law begot infirmity, promising temporal things. And because the passage is not easy from the temporal to the eternal, from the animal to the spiritual; therefore the middle was the time of the Prophets, to fit men for the spiritual testament. To this end therefore, that man might have true wisdom, it was necessary that the old testament should precede the new, and the time of the Patriarchs precede the Law. — And so it is in every man: first he is sensual, wholly given over to the senses, as a little boy; then he becomes animal, when he begins to speak, and phantasms begin to occupy him; then rational, when he begins to understand and consider; then intellectual, when he becomes wise.

11. Fourth, it is to *restore salvation*, which is not restored save through Christ. For it is not restored unless it be desired, loved, kept. Therefore it was delayed, that it might be desired, loved and kept, since according to Augustine the bride's giving is delayed for this reason, that she may be held the dearer. Similarly, salvation was promised to the Patriarchs, figured in the Law, foretold by the Prophets, paid out by Christ. — Whence it was fitting that first there should be the fixing of the Patriarchs, then the production of the legal things, thirdly the budding of the Prophets, last the fullness of the fruit of the Gospel or of salvation through Christ.

12. According to this therefore note that in the ornament of the high Priest there were four rows of stones. In Wisdom: *In the robe of the priest was the whole world, and the glories of the fathers were graven in the four rows of the stones.* And in those are the fourfold orders of mysteries; in which order the Scriptures were planted. — And in the first order or time there are three mysteries, namely of the *founding of things, of the purging of crimes* *of the calling of the Fathers.* The *founding of things* answers to the power of the Father; the *purging of crimes*, to the wisdom of the Son, by which he judges; the *calling of the Fathers*, to the goodness of the Holy Spirit.

13. Similarly, under the Law there are three mysteries, namely the mystery of the *giving of laws*, in the four books of Moses, namely the second, third, fourth and in the fifth, where there is a recapitulation of the Law. But Genesis is given to the time of nature, where and in which there are great mysteries, and it is a book *most abundant* also in mysteries. The second mystery is of the *laying low of enemies* in Joshua, the third is the *promotion of judges*, as in the book of Judges and Ruth. The first mystery answers to the Father by reason of authority; the second to the Son, since he is the Word cleansing and purging; the third to the Holy Spirit by reason of grace. This time is called that of the Law, because as yet the Prophets had not appeared.

14. The time of prophecy began from Samuel, which likewise has three mysteries: the first of the *anointing of kings*, as in the book of Kings and Paralipomenon; the second was of the *revelation of the Prophets*, as in the Psalms and the twelve lesser Prophets and the four greater; the third of the *restoration of princes and priests;* and that is of Esdras, Nehemiah and the Machabees.

15. In the fourth time there are three mysteries: the first of the *redemption of men*, in the Gospels; the second of the *diffusion of charisms*, in the Acts of the Apostles and the Epistles of Paul and the canonical ones, where the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit are shown; the third of the *unlocking of the Scriptures*, in the Apocalypse. After which there can be no other.

16. In these twelve mysteries is the whole of Scripture. Job and Esther, Tobias, Judith cohere with the others: because Job coheres with the Law and the Prophets, the other three cohere with the books of restoration. — Whence he said that at one time the book of Job was of such authority among the Jews that it was placed in the ark, where were the rod and the tables. — These are the twelve trees budding in paradise. In each of these there are twelve *lights* of the understandings of the Scriptures, namely *allegory, anagogy* and *tropology;* and twelve twelves are 144, and there results the number, namely, of those signed and the number of the city. Whence in the Psalm: *Open thou my eyes, and I will consider the wondrous things of thy law.*

17. Of these twelve trees I wish to build and raise a tabernacle in my heart. — In paradise there was the *tree of life*, and there was the *tree of the knowledge of good and evil*, and so in all the mysteries of Scripture there is unfolded *Christ* with his body, and *antichrist* and the devil with his body. And in this manner Augustine made the book *On the City of God*, where he begins from Cain and Abel. In the first ten books he treats of God and reproves idolatry; in four others of the beginning of the Church; in another four of its progress; in the last four of the consummation of the Church. For all the Saints prefigured Christ as much by deed as by word, as Job also more by deed than by word, as Gregory says in the third book of the *Morals.*

18. Let us speak therefore of Christ, who is the *tree of life in the midst of paradise*; who is signified in the four things which are in the first mystery, from that place: *In the beginning he created*, up to this: *it was corrupted.* He is signified therefore by the *greater light*, by the *tree of life*, by *Adam's marriage*, and most of all by *Abel slain:* because Christ was slain by his own brethren; and a sign was set upon the Jews, that they should not be slain, but be vagabonds and fugitives upon the earth.

19. In the second mystery, namely of the *purging of crimes*, he is signified by *Noe's begetting*, who had three sons, and it signifies Christ, who had three sons, namely Greeks, Jews, Latins; since the title was written *in Greek, Hebrew and Latin letters.* He is signified by the *ark that was built*, which answers to the body of Christ principally, secondarily to the Church. He is signified by the *bow in the clouds*, which is the *sign of the covenant.* He is signified by *Noe uncovered*, lying drunken in his tent. Christ was made drunk with love of his bride and was stripped upon the cross, whom that most wicked Cham derided.

20. In the mystery of the *calling* he is signified by four things: by the *sacrifice of Isaac*, since properly by Abraham God the *Father* is signified; by Isaac, I say, who carried the wood upon his own neck, namely the wood of the cross. Christ is signified by *Jacob* making his wives fruitful; by *Judah*, who had two sons, Zara and Phares, of whom many things are said in the blessings, as that passage of Genesis: *Juda is a lion's whelp; to the prey, my son, thou art gone up; resting thou hast couched as a lion, and as a lioness, who shall rouse him?* Whence also the lawgiver inserted that figure concerning the two sons of Judah by Thamar. He is signified also most fittingly by *Joseph*, who, sold by his own, was exalted among strangers. — These are the twelve principal mysteries before the time of the Law.

21. Under the Law, in the mystery of the giving of the Law he is signified by the *rod of Moses*, with which he scourged Egypt, with which he dried the seas, which is the *rod of strength which the Lord sent forth out of Sion*. He is signified by the *ark of the testament*, by the many things laid up in it. He is signified by the *ornament of the Pontiff*, as by the mitre, the ephod and so on; at whose death the fugitives had to return to their own. He is signified also by the *rite of sacrifice*, by the lamb, the ram, the calf and so on; all which are referred to Christ.

22. In the mystery of the *laying low of enemies* Christ is likewise signified by *Joshua's entering in*, who divided

the Jordan, where the form of baptism is given, and made the waters which were going down into the dead sea return to their own origin, that is, souls. He is signified by *his own conflict.* He is signified by *his own triumph*, who destroyed Jericho, hanged the kings, and afterwards divided the land by lines and is the *bringer-in* into the land of promise. So Christ brings us into heaven by his own entering in.

23. In the mystery of the *promotion of judges* he is signified by *Caleb*, whose strength endured, who was an explorer of the land from the tribe of Judah; by *Othoniel*, who on account of his victory had Axa to wife; by *Gedeon*, of whom in Isaiah: *As in the day of Madian;* by *Samson*, who in almost all things is referred to Christ: by the slaying of the lion, by the gates carried off, who also slew more in his death than while alive. By the loss of his hair he cannot signify *Christ*, but he signifies the *Christian*, who loses the sevenfold grace of the Holy Spirit. Whence when something cannot be made a mystery in the head, it is to be transferred to the members.

24. In the mystery of the *anointing of kings* he is signified by *David*, by *Solomon*, by *Ezechias*, by *Josias.* — David is a figure in many things. — Solomon signifies Christ except in the matter of his wives, in whom nothing good can be signified. Whence in the Canticle, where it is said: *There are threescore queens and fourscore concubines, and young maidens without number;* it does not speak of wives *according to the letter*, but rather they are set down there *in a mystical way*, in whom are signified *perfect* and *imperfect souls.* — He is signified by Ezechias: *I said*, quoth he, *in the midst of my days I shall go to the gates of hell.* — Josias also signifies Christ, upon whose death the Lamentations were made: *How doth the city sit solitary that was full of people? She is become as a widow, the mistress of the Gentiles; the prince of provinces is made tributary.*

25. But in the mystery of the *revelation of the Prophets* he is signified specially by a *vision*, by a *sign*, by a *word*, by a *deed.* First indeed by a *vision*, as he saw *a boiling caldron*, and so of the rest; and likewise *a rod watching*, in the same place. Second, by a *sign*, as concerning Eliseus and Giezi, who carried the staff over the boy, and he did not revive; and afterwards he himself lay upon him; which according to Gregory signifies the Law and Christ. Third, by a *word*, which they heard but did not see, as they said: *The word which the Lord hath spoken upon him.* Fourth, by a *deed*, as in the deed of Jonas, who was *three days in the whale's belly*, as the Lord was for three days in the sepulchre. — In the mystery of the revelation of the Prophets he is signified by the *song of harmony;* in the Psalm: *On the psaltery of ten strings*, where David learns to prophesy; by the *light of wisdom* in the sapiential books; by the *epithalamial canticle*, which is of the bride of Christ, in the Canticle; by the *vision of prophecy*, which is in diverse ways: one saw Christ as *a rod watching*, another *upon a high throne*, another *clothed*.

26. In the mystery of *restoration* he is signified first by *Esdras*, who restored the Scripture and the letters; by *Nehemiah*, who restored the city; by *Zorobabel*, who restored the temple; by *Jesus*, son of Josedec, who restored the rite of worshipping God.

27. In the mystery of the *redemption of men* Christ is signified as *the meek man* in Matthew, as *the triumphing lion* in Mark; whence in the same: *Looking round about on them with anger;* as *the slain calf* in Luke; whence: *There was in the days of Herod a priest*, and it has an eye to the passion; as *the flying eagle* as regards the Divinity in John: *In the beginning was the Word* etc.

28. In the mystery of the *diffusion of grace* he is signified as *the bountiful diffuser* in the Acts, when he gave the Holy Spirit; as *the loving diffuser*, as in Paul, in whom the Acts of the Apostles are consummated; whence Luke says few things of the other Apostles and passes at once to Paul — who gave the Holy Spirit; as is plain of those twelve who had been baptized in the baptism of John — nor is it a wonder, since he himself was Benjamin and *a ravening wolf*, the last of the Apostles, by whom the order to come is signified. He is signified as *the prudent diffuser* in the canonical epistles, as *the wise diffuser* in the Epistles of Paul.

29. In the mystery of the *unlocking of Scripture* he is signified after the manner of *one presiding*, as is plain by *the son of man in the midst of the candlesticks*, who had seven stars, that is seven Churches; after the manner of *one doing battle*, as the lamb with the beast, with the dragon, in the vials and the trumpets; after the manner of *one triumphing*, since he had a sharp sword and a sharp sickle; after the manner of *one beatifying*, since he saw a new heaven and a new earth.

30. These therefore are the mysteries about the *tree of life*, namely of Scripture, which begins from eternity and is terminated unto eternity. Whence: *In the beginning God created heaven and earth;* and at the end: *I saw a new heaven and a new earth.* These are the forty-eight boards of the *tabernacle:* twenty on one side, and twenty on the other, on the hinder part eight; in which is placed the ark, namely Christ, containing in himself *all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge*, upon whom the Cherubim look. And these are the twelve trees about the *tree of life.*

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