Coll. 9
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/9/q/bon-hex-c9
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### COLLATION IX.
#### *On the second vision: the second treatment, which is on the threefold firmness of faith.*

### Summarium

*Introduction. The threefold firmness of faith from a threefold testimony, 1. — Part I. The truth of faith expressed by a threefold testimony, namely through the Uncreated, the Incarnate, and the Inspired Word. First it is expressed through the Uncreated Word, 2. 3. — Second, through the Incarnate Word, 4. 5. — Third, through the Inspired Word, 6. 7. — From him are the twelve foundations of faith and the twelve grounds of faith's firmness; the various harassing of faith, 8. — Part II. Four grounds showing the firmness of the testimony of the Apostles and of the other witnesses, 9. — The first firmness is from the witnesses' certain knowledge, which arises from a threefold vision, 10. — Pure intellectual vision, 11. — Intellectual vision joined with imaginary vision, 12. — Intellectual vision joined with bodily vision, 13. — On these three in general, 14. — The second firmness is from the witnesses' perfect repute, founded on a threefold illustriousness, 15. — The illustriousness of merits and of miracles, 16. — The illustriousness of miracles and of martyrdoms, 17. — On these three, 18. — The third firmness is from the witnesses' full concord, which is in the utterances of Scripture, the decrees of the Councils, and the teachings of the Saints, 19. — On the utterances of Scripture, 20. — On the decrees of the Councils, 21. — On the teachings of the Saints, 22. — The fourth firmness is from the witnesses' firm verdict through the consent of reason. The threefold judgement of reason, 23. — Of God one must think first most highly and most devoutly, 24. — Second, most highly and most truly, 25. — Third, most highly and most excellently, 26. — From that light there is a threefold inflowing into the soul, namely the strength of virtue, zeal for truth, and the transport of love, 27. 28. — In the last is the summit and apex of faith, 29.*

1. *God called the firmament heaven* etc. It has been said that the *height* of faith consists in two things: in the height of *sublimity* and in the height of *depth*. Of the height of faith it has been said; but now its *firmness* must be spoken of. But if it is *lofty*, how is it *certain*? Because the loftier a thing is, the less known it is; and the less known, the more open to doubt. — And therefore it must be understood that the *firmness* of this faith is threefold. The first is from the testimony of the truth expressed through the *Uncreated Word*; the second, from the testimony of the truth expressed through the *Incarnate Word*; the third, from the testimony of the truth expressed through the *Inspired Word*.

2. Of the first, in the fifth chapter of the first epistle of John: *There are three who give testimony in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one.* By three the testimony is *given*, but it is *expressed* through the Word, because the Word expresses both the Father and himself and the Holy Spirit and all other things. Hence in the Psalm: *By the word of the Lord the heavens were established; and all their power by the spirit of his mouth.* *The heavens*, that is, the heavenly ones, have been established by faith in the Word of God; and by that Word both the *heavenly* and the *subheavenly* are established, whence it says: *And all their power by the spirit of his mouth.* Hence Scripture, in unfolding the mystery of the heavenly and the subheavenly hierarchy, says in another place: *For ever, O Lord, thy word standeth firm in heaven*, namely of the Trinity; *thy truth unto generation and generation; thou hast founded the earth and it abideth.*

3. Upon this Word the Church is founded, which is figured under the name of *earth*. Hence Isaiah: *Who hath measured the waters in his fist, and weighed the heavens with his palm? Who hath poised with three fingers the bulk of the earth?* This the Word does, through whom *all things were made*. His hand, through which all things *are created, formed* or distinguished and *adorned*, with *three fingers* lifts and suspends the earth, that is, the ecclesiastical hierarchy, which it *creates, distinguishes* and *adorns*. This hand measures the waters and holds all things in its hand, as a thing is held in the fist. This is the hand of the *eternal Word*. — This testimony transcends every judgement of any creature whatsoever. Hence the winged living creatures *let down their wings, when a voice came over the firmament*. How then shall we hear the *thunder*, if we scarcely grasp a *spark* of his speech?

4. But he condescended to us, because he expresses himself through the *Incarnate Word*; and this is the *second* testimony, of which in John: *He that is of the earth speaketh of the earth; he that cometh from heaven is above all.* The testimony of Christ *was greater than the testimony* of John the Baptist, because he does not speak with another supplying it, since his soul saw all things; hence he who is from heaven can truly reveal heavenly things. Hence he said to Nicodemus: *If I have spoken to you earthly things, and you believe not; how will you believe if I shall speak to you heavenly things?* Hence the Father bears witness to the Son in a *voice*, the Holy Spirit *in the appearance of a dove*, that his testimony may be most solid; because *the Father*, he says, *that which he hath given me is greater than all*.

5. Now of this faith Christ is the *foundation; and no man can lay another foundation but that which is laid, which is Christ Jesus*. He is the *corner stone*, of which Isaiah and Peter make mention: *Behold, I will lay in the foundations of Sion a corner stone, tried, precious*; and the Apostle: *Built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone.*

6. The third firmness is from the testimony of the truth expressed through the *Inspired Word*; and this was in all the Prophets; and we have *heard* this word, because *the Holy Spirit beareth witness that Christ is the truth*. Some *saw* him in the flesh. Hence in Luke: *Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. For I say to you that many kings and prophets desired to see the things that you see, and have not seen them.*

7. Now the Holy Spirit shone in the hearts of the preachers, for the preaching and the writing of all truth; to the Hebrews, chapter one: *God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spoke in times past to the fathers by the prophets, last of all in these days hath spoken to us by his Son.* And afterwards it is said: *For if the word spoken by angels became steadfast;* and there follows: *Which having begun to be declared by the Lord, was confirmed unto us by them that heard him, God also bearing them witness by signs and wonders and divers miracles and distributions of the Holy Spirit.* — And here the threefold firmness of faith is unfolded: first, as expressed through the *Uncreated Word*, when it says: *At sundry times* etc., and: *Who being the brightness of his glory*; second, as through the *Incarnate Word*, there: *Making purgation of sins*; third, as through the *Inspired Word*; there: *Which having begun to be declared by God.*

8. This Holy Spirit in the minds of the elect makes the Scriptures and gives firmness to the Christian faith; and because he does so especially in the Apostles, they are therefore called the *twelve foundations of the city*. In the Apocalypse: *I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God* etc.; and it is said that in the foundation *the twelve names of the Apostles* were written; and not only the testimony of the Apostles, but the various testimonies of the Holy Spirit in many; among which are the twelve grounds of the firmness of faith, which are the twelve foundations. For through the concurrence of diverse testimonies the Holy Spirit made faith firm and unshaken; although this firmness was harassed at the *beginning* of the Church, where the Martyrs were tortured by idolaters; it was likewise harassed in the *middle time* by diverse heresies; it will be harassed most of all at the *end* of the Church, by *torments*, by *arguments*, by *miracles*. Hence *woe to them that are with child and give suck in those days*, that is, woe to those who are tender in faith. It is necessary, therefore, that faith be made firm through the *Inspired Word*.

9. Now this firmness rises from four things, as it were from the four sides of the city: from the *certain knowledge* of those who testify, from their *illustrious repute*, from their *full concord*, and from their *firm verdict*; because if there be *certain knowledge* and yet not *good repute*, one is not believed; but when a man is good, it is known that he speaks the truth. And if he have *certain knowledge* and *clear repute*, but nevertheless many *contradict* him, there can still be doubt. But if he have these three, both *knowledge* and *repute* and *concord*, and yet has not a *firm verdict*, doubt can still exist.

10. Of *certain knowledge* it is said in the second epistle to the Corinthians, chapter twelve: *I know a man caught up even to the third heaven, and he heard secret words*, that is, certain knowledge by an ascent as far as the third heaven, and again by a descent as far as the first, through the illuminations of all the heavens; whence in Ecclesiasticus, chapter twenty-four: *I made that in the heavens there should rise light that never faileth*, that is, in heavenly men the firm light of faith. By the *threefold heaven* a threefold vision is understood: the *pure* intellectual, the intellectual *joined with imaginary vision*, and the intellectual *with manifest bodily vision*. The first is found in angelic minds; the second, in prophetic minds; the third, in apostolic minds. By the concurrence of these visions is the certitude of Scripture.

11. *Pure* intellectual vision was in *angelic minds* and in the *Lawgiver*. For the *Law was ordained by angels*; the angels gave it, the angels wrote it, who saw pure truth in the eternal light. To this vision Moses was raised above all the Prophets, because it is written: *If there be among you a prophet of the Lord, I will appear to him in a vision, or I will speak to him by a dream; but it is not so with my servant Moses. For I speak to him mouth to mouth, and plainly and not by riddles and figures doth he see the Lord.* And in sign of this he fasted forty days and forty nights; and he also saw the Angel who appeared to him in the bush. And blessed Stephen explains that the Lord was not there except through a creature subject to him, but it was an Angel.

12. The second certitude was in *prophetic minds*. In the second epistle of Peter: *We have the more firm prophetical 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. Understanding this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is made by private interpretation. For prophecy came not by the will of man at any time, but the holy men of God spoke, inspired by the Holy Spirit.* The visions of the Prophets, however, were *imaginary*, as those of Isaiah and of Daniel.

13. The third is the certitude from intellectual vision *joined with bodily*. This was in *apostolic minds*. Hence John: *That which was from the beginning, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled of the Word of life;* and nothing other than *what we have seen do we declare unto you*. Hence Thomas wished to touch, and heard: *Because thou hast seen me, Thomas, thou hast believed;* and elsewhere: *He that saw it hath given testimony;* and in the Acts: *He commanded us to testify.* And the blessed Virgin Mary, the teacher of the Apostles and of the Evangelists, handled this Word in her womb and in her bosom.

14. These three visions or certitudes concurring — the angelic, the prophetic, the apostolic — give certitude to faith and to Scripture. These three Paul had, who saw Christ *bodily*: *Last of all*, he says, *he was seen also by me, as by one born out of due time;* who also was raised to the middle and at length to the highest vision, namely to the intellectual. Well, therefore, was it said: *I made in the heavens that there should rise light that never faileth.*

15. The second *firmness* is from the *illustrious repute* of those who testify. This consists in three things: in the illustriousness of *merits*, of *miracles*, and of *martyrdoms*. — The illustriousness of *merits* was in the Patriarchs. Hence in Ecclesiasticus: *Let us praise men of renown*. The Patriarchs worked no miracles, but they were renowned in merits. These were the beginning of Scripture, which treats of those apparitions made to them.

16. The illustriousness of *merits* and of *miracles* was in the *Lawgiver*. See the great miracles worked in the scourging of Egypt, in the passage of the Red Sea, in the desert, where for forty years neither their shoes nor their garments were worn out, where also manna rained down on them from heaven. See *Joshua*, who made the sun stand still, who divided the waters at the entrance into the land of promise, and the waters returned to their own source. Add to these *Elijah* and *Elisha*; which Elijah shut up heaven, gave rain, and multiplied food, and who ascended into heaven in a chariot of fire. See *Elisha*, who while living raised a dead man, and dead raised a dead man also, who took men captive. Before the Law, then, and after the Law and in the giving of the Law, miracles were worked, and only among this people. From which it follows that these men, most beloved and dear to God, were *founded in truth*. This, then, is the certitude of faith.

17. The third illustriousness is of *merits*, of *miracles* and of *martyrdoms*. And this certitude of truth appears when a man is willing to die for the truth which he preaches, as Isaiah was sawn asunder, Ezekiel slain, Jeremiah, and other Prophets too. Hence it is said to the Jews: *Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted*? — If heretics should say that they too die for the truth and have merits, still they have not the third, namely miracles; it has never been heard that a heretic either before death or after death or in death worked miracles.

18. Of these heavens it is read: *For I shall behold thy heavens, the works of thy fingers*, namely heavenly men, in whom we see this *threefold brightness*, which are the works of God's fingers. — In that third finger, namely of miracle, *the magicians of Pharaoh* fail.

19. The third firmness of faith is from the *full concord* of those who testify, which is in three things: in the *utterances* of the Scriptures, in the *decrees* of the Councils, in the *teachings* of the Saints. — Of the first, the Psalm: *From the midst of the rocks they shall give voices*, that is, *from the midst of the two Cherubim*, from whom the Lord spoke, or from whose midst, namely from the midst of the two testaments. Isaiah says: *Behold, a Virgin shall conceive*, and Luke says: *Behold, thou shalt conceive.* Another said: *Christ shall be slain;* and the Evangelist: *Christ is slain.* Whatever, therefore, was said through the Prophets was fulfilled through Christ. Isaiah had said: *The Lord will ascend upon a swift cloud and will enter into Egypt, and the idols shall be moved;* this was done through Christ; nor was any prophet or philosopher ever found who could remove idolatry, which nevertheless Christ did through the Apostles throughout the whole world.

20. These are the true witnesses of the Scriptures, the *Prophets* and the *Apostles*. Nor can it be said that the Apostles suborned the Prophets to speak as they did, as happened in the case of Christ. For if they had lived at the same time, suspicion could be entertained; but those went before. This truth, therefore, is infallible. For if something contingent is said firmly to be future and is known with certitude, it is impossible that it be seen anywhere except in certain truth. — The Old Testament, therefore, and the New come together in great consonance and harmony, and are like the *twenty-four elders* around the throne of Christ, so that there may be no doubt.

21. The second firmness is in the *decrees of the Councils*, because those things which came into doubt were there confirmed. Arius said that the Father was greater than the Son according to essence; and by this he strove to show that the Son is not equal to the Father. And in the first Council, where there were most holy men — blessed Nicholas was there — where, I say, there were three hundred and eighteen bishops, there the catholic, that is, the universal, faith was confirmed; and this was done by the authority of Peter and of the other Fathers. Hence there *were four principal Councils* — for there were seven — which give testimony to this faith.

22. The third firmness is in the *teachings of the Doctors* and of those wise in worldly and in divine wisdom, such as Dionysius, Gregory Nazianzen, Gregory of Nyssa, the Damascene, Basil, Athanasius, Chrysostom. Of the Latins likewise: Hilary, Gregory, Augustine, Ambrose, Jerome. The teachings of these agree and say the same, are of the same mind. — Of these Job says: *Who can declare the order of the heavens, and who can make the harmony of heaven to sleep?* This is the concord of the Scriptures, of the Councils, and of the Doctors.

23. The fourth ground of the firmness of faith is from the *firm verdict* of those who testify; which firmness is had from this, that it consents with reason, since reason cannot contradict it. For the judgement of *reason illumined* is that of God one must think in the highest way and most loftily. And this is in a threefold manner: of God one must think *most highly* and *most devoutly*, *most highly* and *most truly*, *most highly* and *most excellently*.

24. Reason, then, dictates that of God the most high one must think *most highly* and *most devoutly*, namely that that essence exists in the most noble manner. A *universal* form is nobler than a *particular*, because it is in many; but a *particular* is in one way nobler than a *universal*, because a *particular* is in one and not numbered, whereas a *universal* is in many and is numbered: therefore the divine essence ought to have whatever of nobility is in a creature, so that it may be one in many and not numbered. — One must also think *most devoutly* that that essence is the origin of all things, creating all things, and that from it all things proceed immediately. Unless you think that the totality of things proceeds from it, you do not think of God *most devoutly*. Plato commended his soul to its *maker*; but Peter commended his soul to the Creator.

25. Second, one must also think of God *most highly* and *most truly*, because he himself is the truth *governing* all things, *illumining* all things, *setting right* all things, *disposing* all things; whence in the Psalm: *The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear?* Not to the stars, therefore, is governance to be attributed.

26. Third, one must think of God *most highly* and *most excellently*, that he is best, since he pours himself out and loves in the highest degree. Hence *he spared not his own Son*, and in giving him to us he gave whatever he knew, whatever he could. *All things*, says the Son, *whatsoever the Father hath are mine.* And the Father gave us the Son *born of us*, gave us him *who suffered for us*, *who was raised again for us*, because *for his exceeding charity wherewith he loved us* etc. Hence it is well said: *Through the bowels of the mercy of our God;* the inmost goodness of God brings it about that he loves in the highest degree, has mercy in the highest degree. — All these things will appear in the resurrection, because by the highest *devotion*, with which he created all things, he will restore all things; by the highest *truth* he will judge all things; by the highest *kindness* he will glorify all things.

27. From this sense there is born in the soul a threefold *inflowing* from that light, through which the soul is made stable in God. The first is the *strength of virtue*; the second, *zeal for truth*; the third, the *transport of love*. — The *strength of virtue* is first, because nothing is difficult for a soul having unshaken faith, since, *if thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth*: because it is ready to bear all things for God's sake, since through faith virtue is made stable.

28. The second inflowing is *zeal for truth*, that a man may be indignant against every evil and every falsehood and be drawn at once to every good. Let him disdain every evil, like Elijah, who had prophesied of Ahab and Jezebel that dogs would eat them. Ahab said: *Hast thou found me thine enemy?* Elijah answered: *I have found thee, because thou art sold to do evil in the sight of the Lord*, as if he were to say: whoever is contrary to God is contrary to me.

29. The third inflowing is the *transport of love*, when the soul amid revilings, amid tribulations, always feels gladness within; and this is most of all when, burning, it feels that the Lord makes it taste *the bread of the children*. And all men reckon such a one a fool, and he reckons all men fools, and according to truth they are. Now this is the summit of faith and its *apex*, that through experience one be inebriated and now care nothing for the world. For this will hold out in the time of antichrist, of whom in the second epistle to the Thessalonians, chapter two: *God shall send them the operation of error, to believe lying.* — Of the *apex of faith*, which is love, the Apostle says: *Who then shall separate us from the charity of Christ? Shall tribulation? or distress?* down to: *which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.* And elsewhere: *Rooted and founded in charity.* This is the firmament of heaven. Hence in the Psalm: *The heavens shall confess thy wonders*, that is, the wonders of souls, which they feel within themselves. For these experiences make faith most stable. — When, therefore, the soul feels of the Most High *most devoutly, most truly* and *most excellently*, then by zeal and by the transport of love the soul is caught up *even to the third heaven*, though not so excellently as Paul. And then *the house is founded upon firm rock*.

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