Coll. 7
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/7/q/bon-hex-c7
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### COLLATION VII.
#### *On the first vision, the fourth treatment, which is on the threefold defect of the virtues in the philosophers, and second, on faith healing, rectifying, ordering.*

### Summarium

*Introduction and recapitulation, 1. — The errors of Aristotle and his excuse, 2. — On the philosophers more enlightened, who placed the ideas of the virtues in God, but failed for lack of faith, 3. 4. — Part I. The threefold defect in the virtues of the philosophers who lacked faith. Three operations of the virtues are necessary: first, to order the soul to its end; this they could not do, on account of a twofold defect, 5. 6. — Second, to rectify the affections; which again they could not do, 7. — Third, to heal the diseased; for which four things are necessary: to know, first, the fourfold disease, 8. — Second, the cause of the disease, 9. — Third, the physician, 10. — Fourth, the medicine, 11. — In these four the philosophers failed, 12. — Part II. Faith alone divided the light and the darkness; it heals, rectifies, orders, 13. — Charity heals the affection; it has four qualities, 14. — It clothes the virtues; the armour of light is the four virtues formed; these are figured in three ways, 15. — First, by the four rivers of paradise, 16. — Second, by the four ornaments of the tabernacle; third, by the four sides of the city, 17. — United to the three theological virtues they are seven; figured in three ways, first as shining, 18. — Second, as fruitful, 19. — Third, as vigorous, 20. — Their number is twelvefold; figured in three ways, 21. — Doubled again, they are twenty-four; figured in three ways, 22.*

1. *God saw the light, that it was good, and he divided the light from the darkness*, etc. This word was taken up for the explaining of the vision *of the understanding implanted by nature*. And as regards this, *that it was good*, he made us see both by the *scientific consideration* and by the *sapiential contemplation*. By the *scientific consideration*, inasmuch as it gives light as light, namely as the truth *of things*, as the truth *of words*, and as the truth *of morals*. By the *sapiential contemplation*, inasmuch as it gives light through the influx of a ray from the eternal light into the soul, that it may see that light *in itself* as in a mirror; in a *separate Intelligence*, as in a certain conveying medium; in the *eternal light*, as in the fontal subject. — It was also said that *he divided the light from the darkness*, in that certain men attacked the ideas, whence a threefold understanding of the truth is hidden, namely the truth *of the eternal art*, the truth *of divine providence*, the truth *of the angelic fall*; which follows, if an Angel had its perfection only through motion. Whence there follows a threefold *blindness*, namely concerning the *eternity of the world*, the *unity of the intellect*, *punishment and glory*.

2. The *first* Aristotle seems to lay down, and the *last* too, since it is not found that he places happiness after this life; but about the *middle* one the Commentator says that he held it. — Concerning the *eternity of the world* he might be excused, in that he understood this as a philosopher, speaking as a natural philosopher — namely that *by nature* it could not begin. That the Intelligences have their perfection through motion, he could say for this much, that they are not idle, since nothing is idle in the foundation of nature. — Likewise, that he placed happiness in this life, because, although he was aware of the eternal one, he did not engage himself with it, since perhaps it did not belong to his consideration. — Concerning the *unity of the intellect* it might be said that he understood the intellect to be one by reason of *the light flowing in*, not by reason of *itself*, since it is numbered according to its subject.

3. But whatever he held, other enlightened philosophers laid down the *ideas*; men who were worshippers of one God, who placed all good things in the best God, who laid down the *exemplary* virtues, from which flow the *cardinal* virtues, first into the *cognitive* power and through it into the *affective*, then into the *operative*, according to that saying « *to know, to will* and unchangeably *to work* » — as the most noble Plotinus of Plato's school laid down, and Tullius of the academic school. And thus these men seemed enlightened and able of themselves to have happiness. — But still

these men were in darkness, because they did not have the light of faith, whereas we have the light of faith. Hence in the first epistle of Peter: *You are a chosen generation, a kingly priesthood, a holy nation, a purchased people, that you may declare his virtues who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.*

4. Now those chief philosophers laid down the cardinal virtues, enlightened as they were, yet without faith, as flowing down into our knowledge. These are called, first, *political*, inasmuch as they teach converse in the world; second, *purgatorial*, as regards solitary contemplation; third, those *of the purged soul*, in that they make the soul rest in the exemplar. They said, therefore, that by these virtues the soul is *modified, purged* and *reformed*.

5. But they are still in darkness, because it is necessary that these virtues first have *three operations*, namely to *order the soul to its end*; second, to *rectify the affections* of the soul; third, that *the diseased be healed*. But these operations they did not have in them. — The proof. Augustine says in the book *On the City of God* that there is no true virtue which does not direct its intention to God the fountain, that it may rest there in *certain eternity* and *perfect peace*. *Certain eternity* cannot be that which can be lost; *perfect peace* is not save in the reunion of body and soul; and this is certain. For if the soul has essentially an inclination toward the body, the soul is never fully at rest unless the body be restored to it. — But the philosophers were ignorant of *certain eternity*. For they themselves laid down that the soul ascended by Capricorn and descended by Cancer, then, passing through the milky circle which we call the galaxy, forgot what had been done above, and was united to a wretched body fitted to it, until it should return above again. But this is a *false beatitude*, namely that the soul should be in beatitude and afterwards turn back.

6. *Perfect peace* also they did not know, because they did not know that the world would have an end, and that bodies reduced to dust rise again. Nor is it a wonder: since, being investigators according to the power of reason, our reason cannot arrive at this, that bodies rise again, that contrary elements can, thus reconciled, remain in heaven without reflex change. They did not, therefore, refer things to that life, but placed the soul in a certain circulation that passes away. They were ignorant, then, of *faith*, without which the virtues are of no avail, as Augustine says *On the Trinity*, book thirteen, chapter twenty.

7. Second, the ordered affections must be *rectified* by these virtues. Now the affections are four: *fear, sorrow, gladness, confidence*. But these are not rectified unless the fear be *holy*, the sorrow *just*, the gladness *true*, the confidence *certain*. But if the fear be *proud*, the sorrow *unjust*, the gladness *foolish*, the confidence *presumptuous*, then the affections are oblique. But these virtues cannot *of themselves* be rectified. For *confidence* or *hope* is of that which is not seen, as of the blessed life; but the blessed life is not given save to the worthy; and no one is worthy unless he have sufficient merits. These cannot be had by the powers of free choice, but only through God's condescension, that is, through grace. *The sufferings of this time are not worthy to be compared with the glory to come*.

8. Third, it is necessary that the affections be *healed*, that they may be rectified. But no one is healed unless he know the *disease* and the *cause*, the *physician* and the *medicine*. — Now *disease* is the depravity of the affection. And this is fourfold, because from its union with the body the soul contracts *infirmity, ignorance, malice, concupiscence*; by which the *intellective, amative* and *potestative* powers are infected; and then the whole soul is infected. These they did not *altogether* ignore, nor did they *altogether* know them. For they saw these defects, but believed them to be in the *phantasy*, not in the interior powers. For they believed that, as sphere is moved against sphere, so the phantasy moved and inclined toward outward things, but the intellect naturally toward higher things; and

yet they were deceived, because these infirmities are in the intellectual part, not only in the sensitive: the *intellective, amative* and *potestative* powers are infected to the marrow.

9. The *disease* they did not know, because they were ignorant of the *cause*. For if, as the philosophers say, the soul is *naturally* united to the body, it does not contract disease — otherwise God would be dissipating things, not conserving them — yet this comes about through *fault* from the original beginning, namely Adam. But this, that Adam ate of the forbidden tree, cannot be known by reason but only by hearing; and therefore faith is necessary. To the *cause* of the *disease*, then, they did not come, because they did not believe the Prophets; as Augustine says *On the Trinity*, book thirteen, chapter nineteen: « Those chief philosophers of the nations, who were able to behold *the invisible things of God, understood by the things that are made*; yet because they philosophized without the Mediator, that is, without the man Christ, whom they believed neither *to be coming*, on the Prophets' word, nor *to have come*, on the Apostles', they held the truth in iniquity ».

10. Likewise, the *physician* they did not know; for since the disease came from a crime of treason, the punishment had to be most grave. No one, therefore, could heal, save one who was God and man, who could make satisfaction; in whom there was no concupiscence, nor was he born by the law of nature, but of a Virgin. And that he was the physician he showed by the *examples of virtue*, by the *documents of truth*, by the *incitements of love*, by the *remedies of salvation*. This physician heals all things; *for neither herb nor poultice healed them, but thy word, O Lord* — the Word incarnate, crucified, having suffered; and afterwards he sent the Holy Spirit, who glides into our hearts.

11. This, then, is the *medicine*, namely the grace of the Holy Spirit. This *physician* and this *grace* philosophy cannot attain. Why then do you glory, you who by your knowledge know neither your *infirmity*, nor its *cause*, nor the *physician*, nor the *medicine*?

12. These philosophers had the wings of ostriches, because their affections were neither *healed* nor *ordered* nor *rectified*; which does not come about save through faith. Hence they laid down, first, a false *circulation of beatitude*; second, a false *sufficiency of present merits*; third, a *perpetual soundness of the inward powers*. Into these three darknesses they fell.

13. Faith, therefore, purging these darknesses, *teaches the disease, the cause, the physician, the medicine*; it *heals* the soul, placing the roots of merits in God, that it may please him; and thus it advances through faith into a certain hope by the merit of Christ, not presumptuously. It *heals*, therefore, and *rectifies* and *orders*; and in this way the soul can be *modified, rectified* and *ordered*. These roots the philosophers did not know. Faith alone, therefore, *divided the light from the darkness*. Hence the Apostle: *For you were heretofore darkness, but now light in the Lord.* For faith, having hope and charity with works, *heals* the soul, and having healed it, *purifies, elevates* and *makes it deiform*. Now we are in the true light; not so those who dream, who take false things for true, as an idol for God.

14. But it must be noted that *charity* alone heals the *affection*. For love, according to Augustine *On the City of God*, is the root of all the affections. It is necessary, therefore, that love be healed, otherwise all the affections are oblique; and it is not healed save by the divine love, which divine love is *pure, provident, pious* and *perpetual*: *pure* in respect of temperance, *provident* in respect of prudence, *pious* in respect of justice, and *perpetual* in respect of fortitude. Charity, therefore, is the *end* and the *form* of all the virtues, and is founded upon *hope out of a pure heart and an unfeigned faith*.

15. These virtues, then, *unformed* and naked, are the philosophers'; but *clothed*, they are ours. And they ought to be clothed with the *gold of love*, because all the walls of the temple *were clothed with gold*; likewise with the *oil of unction*, because *all the vessels were sanctified with the oil of unction*. And thus they are not divided. — *The night is passed, and the day is at hand*, etc. *Let us therefore put on the armour of light*, namely the four virtues *originated by faith, uplifted by hope* and *completed by charity*. — These four virtues, so clothed, are designated by the four *rivers of paradise*, by the four *sides of the city*, by the four *ornaments of the tabernacle* — and this as they are *originated, informed* and *stabilized*.

16. By the four *rivers* of paradise, inasmuch as they are *originated by faith*. The river is the grace of the Holy Spirit poured out into these four virtues: Phison answers to *temperance*, Gehon to *prudence*, Tigris to *fortitude*, Euphrates to *justice*. Phison answers to the *rational* part, Gehon to the *concupiscible*, Tigris to the *irascible*, Euphrates to the *whole soul*.

17. Likewise, inasmuch as they are *informed by charity*, they are designated by the four *ornaments of the tabernacle*, which were the four curtains, the violet skins, the haircloth coverings, and the rams' skins dyed red. The curtain answers to *temperance*, the violet skins of heavenly colour to *prudence*, the haircloth coverings to *justice*, the rams' skins dyed red to *fortitude*. — Or thus: in the ornament of the temple there were four colours: fine linen, in which is *temperance*; violet, in which is *prudence*; purple, the royal garment, *justice*; scarlet, that is flame-coloured, *fortitude*. They adorn the house, therefore, on four sides. — Likewise, they *stabilize* and lead in through the gate, by the four *sides of the city*, *stabilized by hope* to an even norm.

18. When the three virtues are added, namely faith, hope and charity, they rise to the sevenfold number designated by the *seven stars*, by the *seven women*, and by the *seven* evangelical *loaves*; and this inasmuch as they are *shining, fruitful, vigorous*. Inasmuch as they are *shining*, by the *seven stars*. Hence in Job: *Shalt thou be able to join together the shining stars the Pleiades, or canst thou stop the turning about of Arcturus?* The *Pleiades* are those seven joined stars which the common people call *the hen with her chicks*. These virtues make the *turning* imperturbable.

19. Second, as *fruitful*, by the *seven women*. Isaias: *And in that day seven women shall take hold of one man, saying*, etc. *One man*, because they make a man manly; and *one*, because they do not divide him, but make him stable and fruitful.

20. Third, inasmuch as they are *vigorous*, they are designated by the *seven* evangelical *loaves*, by which the whole company of the elect is fed. In the philosophers these four virtues were *stones*, but now they are *seven loaves* of life. The loaves of Moses were *five* and *of barley*, but there are *seven loaves of wheat* in the evangelical doctrine, *of the fat of wheat*.

21. Likewise, multiply the four cardinal virtues into the three theological ones, and so they are twelve, since prudence ought to be *faithful, trusting* and *loving*; and so of the rest. And they are designated by the twelve *fountains*, by the twelve *precious stones* in the vestment of the High Priest, by the twelve *gates of the city*: and this inasmuch as they *begin, advance* and *bring through*. — First, by the twelve *fountains*, because, as they mutually interpenetrate one another, they make the soul clean. — Second, by the twelve *stones*, because they adorn the soul in all the virtues in the breast, as those stones in the breast of the High Priest. — Third, by the twelve *gates*, inasmuch as they lead in: for to the east is the *sincerity of temperance*, to the south the *serenity of prudence*, to the north the *stability of constancy*, to the west the *sweetness of justice*.

22. Further, these twelve virtues, *doubled* in prosperity and in adversity, are designated by the twenty-four hours, twelve in the *night* of adversity and twelve in the *day* of prosperity. — Likewise, doubled by the *active* and the *contemplative* life; and so by the twenty-four *elders*, who are turned now to action, now to contemplation, because they make a man sensible and mature. — Likewise, by the contemplative life as *practical* and *speculative*; and so by the twenty-four *wings* of the four living creatures, each of which has six wings. — And in this the first vision and the work of the first day is brought to an end.

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