Coll. 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/13/d/5/q/bon-praec-c5
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### COLLATION V.
#### *On the fourth precept.*

### Summarium

*Introduction; curiosity dissipates the intelligence,* 1. — *Repetition,* 2, 3. — On the fourth precept, part I. The literal sense is expounded. *In the first place the precept of beneficence is rightly set down, then the precepts of innocence; a threefold ground is distinguished in the father, and according to this a threefold debt of sons as well,* 4. — *The three debts are expounded in general,* 5. — *On the promise joined to this precept; to the threefold honour to be rendered to parents there answers a threefold reward promised,* 6-9. — *On obedience in particular; obedience is owed in three things,* 10. — Part II. The spiritual sense is expounded. *Three things in the father: first, authority, by reason of which obedience is owed; those also are to be honoured who preside over the commonwealth, over the polity or the Church, over the monastery,* 11-13. — *Secondly, age and weakness, by reason of which supports, instructions and protections are to be furnished to all who are in like need,* 14. — *Thirdly, friendliness, by reason of which every man is to be honoured by willing him good as to affection, effect and sign,* 15. — *But in these an order is to be observed according to the ground of nearness, of likeness, of obligation,* 16-18. — *Repetition,* 19. — *Two examples,* 20, 21.

1. *Honour thy father and thy mother, that thou mayst be longlived upon the land which the Lord God will give thee*. — *The things that God hath commanded thee, think on them always, and in very many of his works be not curious.* The last words are said especially to the learned; in them Ecclesiasticus teaches us *to think upon what is use-*

*ful and to avoid what is curious.* Now *useful* things direct us into the way of salvation; but *curious* things draw us away from the way of salvation and dissipate our intelligence. A great part of intelligence is lost through curiosity; and yet nothing in us is more precious than intelligence. We grieve much when we lose gold; much more ought we to grieve if we lose intelligence, because nothing is so dear as the act of intelligence. — We are about to speak of the precepts, and we stand in need that the Lord should illuminate our intelligence; therefore at the beginning let us pray to God, etc.

2. *Honour thy father,* etc. I was telling you that, according as the rational soul has to be ordered to the Creator and to the creature, according to this there is a twofold table on which the law of God is written. In the first table are contained three commandments ordering us to God, according to the three attributes appropriated to the three divine persons and according to the threefold operation of the soul. In the first commandment there is enjoined *the humble adoration* of the highest majesty, in the second *the faithful confession* of the highest truth, in the third *the sincere love* of the divine goodness. These three commandments are the foundation of all the precepts of the Law. For this reason every man who is God-fearing, truthful and devoted to God is bound to keep these before all else.

3. Now I say that in the second table are contained seven precepts; one is affirmative, and the other six are negative. The ground of the distinction is this: that all the commandments are reduced to two: do to another what thou wouldst have done to thyself; do not to another what thou wouldst not have done to thyself. And according to this two precepts are taken. The first is that *of innocence,* the second that *of beneficence,* which are the two parts of justice.

4. Now I say that the precepts are ordered according to their own nobility; and *beneficence* is better than *innocence:* therefore the commandment *of beneficence* is set before the commandment *of innocence;* and it was handed down to the Jews synecdochically thus: *Honour thy father and thy mother.* — And here there is set down first the form of the commandment, when he says: *Honour,* etc. Secondly the promise is subjoined, there: *That thou mayst be longlived upon the land.* — Understand, according to the literal intelligence, that *father* names the person *of the begetter,* the person *of the instructor* and the person *of the rearer,* because a father, having a son, begets him, instructs and nourishes him, and it belongs to him to bequeath his goods to his son; and according to these three the father holds, in respect of the son, the ground *of origin,* the ground *of governance* and the ground *of benefactor.* And according to this a threefold honour is owed to a father: the honour *of reverence,* the honour *of obedience* and the honour *of beneficence.*

5. First, I say, to a father, inasmuch as he holds the ground *of origin,* the honour *of reverence* is owed; whence in Ecclesiasticus: *He that feareth God shall honour his father and his mother, and shall serve as masters those who begot him.* — Secondly, by reason *of governance* the honour *of obedience* is owed to a father; whence the Apostle to the Ephesians: *Children, obey your parents, for this is just. Honour thy father and thy mother; which is the first commandment with a promise, that it may be well with thee, and thou mayst be longlived upon the land.* — Thirdly, the honour *of beneficence* is owed to a father, because he holds the ground of benefactor; whence in Ecclesiasticus: *Son, support the old age of thy father, and grieve him not in his life.* — It is commanded, therefore, that a threefold honour be paid to parents, namely the honour of reverence, of obedience and of beneficence. And this is the first commandment which thou oughtest to keep on account of the *promise,* namely *that it may be well with thee, and thou mayst be longlived upon the land.*

6. But is it always true that they live longer? For we see that this sometimes fails: therefore God is deceptive in his promise. — I say that *length of life* is measured not only according to the *length* of the days that run, but according to their *worth.* And as there is a threefold honour which is shown to parents, so to this threefold honour there answers a threefold reward: for to him who honours his father with the honour *of reverence* a *glorious* or honourable life is owed; to him who honours his father with the honour *of obedience* a *joyful* life is owed; to him who honours his father with the honour *of beneficence* an *opulent* life is owed.

7. First, I say, to him who honours his father with the honour *of reverence* a *glorious* or honourable life is granted; whence in Ecclesiasticus: *The glory of a man is from the honour of his father;* likewise in the same place: *Glory not in the reproach of thy father, for his confusion is no glory to thee.* For it is natural that a son should love his father most vehemently, and that he should be indignant when anyone does his father an injury.

8. Secondly, to him who honours his father with the honour *of obedience* a *joyful* life is granted; whence in Ecclesiasticus: *He that honoureth his father shall have joy in his children, and in the days of his prayer he shall be heard. He that honoureth his father shall live a longer life; and he that obeyeth his father shall refresh his mother.* The highest joy is that a man should not be a rebel against his superior; because he who is a rebel against his superior will find a rebel beneath him, and the despiser of the higher powers will be despised by those beneath him; as Adam, when he was disobedient to his superior, found all the lower things, which had been made subject to him, set against him.

9. Thirdly, to him who honours his father with the honour *of beneficence* an *opulent* life is granted; whence in Ecclesiasticus: *Honour thy father and thy mother, and a blessing shall come upon thee, and thy blessing shall remain*

*unto the end.* That blessing is called the multiplication of goods. — Behold, the precept, and behold the promise.

10. We are bound to obey our parents as long as we use their goods; and we ought to comply with them in the *exercise of virtuous* or wholesome *acts,* in the *dispensing of temporal things* and in the *rendering of services;* because we ought to *live* according to their counsel and to *spend* according to their command, and, when they require it, to *render service.* If, however, parents should will, say or command anything that is against the advancement of our salvation, no piety is to be shown them in such things. And this is what the Lord says in the Gospel: *He that hateth not his father and his mother and his wife and his children and his brethren, yea and his own soul also, cannot be my disciple.* The Lord wills that out of paternal affection a man should not omit to do what belongs to his salvation. And this is what the Lord says: *Let the dead bury their dead; but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.* And Jerome says: "If thy father lie upon the threshold, if thy mother show the breasts with which she suckled thee, trample thy father underfoot and go on, trample thy mother underfoot and go on, and fly to the standard of the cross. For the only kind of piety here is to be cruel." — Behold, the understanding of the words according to the *literal* sense; now see the *broader* understanding.

11. Beneficence is commanded towards every kind of man. *Father* names the person in whom is found pre-eminently the ground *of authority, of age* and *of friendliness.* In the *being of nature* the son is not the equal of the father. — First I say, in the father there is *authority;* and in this commandment the precept is given that the father be obeyed, because he has authority. Now everyone has authority who presides over the commonwealth, or over the polity, or over the monastery. — First I say that he who presides over *the commonwealth* is called *father* by reason *of authority,* as a prince, a baron, a count and the like, and he is called *father* by tutelage or defence; and we ought to honour him as a father. Whence blessed Peter: *Fear God, honour the king.*

12. Secondly, he is called *father* by reason of authority who presides over *the polity* or *the Church.* And him we ought to honour according as the ecclesiastical order requires, and the common people ought to obey him; whence the Apostle to the Hebrews: *Obey your prelates and be subject to them; for they watch, as having to render an account for your souls.*

13. Thirdly, he is called *father* by reason of authority who presides over *the monastery.* And him we ought to honour and obey according as the rule and the profession have been made. Whence Jerome: "Love the superior of the monastery as a father, fear him as a lord, hear him as a master, believe wholesome whatever he shall say to you." — It is clear, therefore, that we ought to obey these men according as *authority* requires.

14. Secondly, in the father there is understood *age* and *weakness;* for old men grow weak. And he who honours his father by reason of age and weakness honours every man who is in need of help, or who lacks sense, or strength, or who is troubled by another. And for this reason we ought to help another by *instructions,* or by *supports,* or by *protections.* And prelates exist especially for this: if a man lacks sense, they ought to help him by *instructions;* if he lacks strength, they ought to help him by *supports;* if he is troubled by another, they ought to help him by *protections.*

15. Thirdly, in the father there is understood the ground *of friendliness;* and in this we understand that by reason *of origin* every man is lovable and to be loved, and every man is bound to honour another. Whence the Apostle: *With honour preventing one another;* and again: *Render to all their dues; to whom honour, honour. Owe no man anything, but to love one another.* For a man ought to love another, willing good to everyone as to *affection,* as to *effect* and as to *sign*.

16. Now this love has an *order,* because we ought to love according to the ground *of nearness,* according to the ground *of likeness* and according to the ground *of obligation.* — First, I say, we ought to love according to the ground *of nearness;* and according to this we owe a greater love to those of our household than to strangers, and we ought to serve friends more than enemies.

17. Secondly, this love has an order according to the ground *of likeness,* because to some we owe, by reason of likeness, a greater love than to others: thus by reason of likeness in *specific form* we are bound to love a man; yet according to likeness by reason of *agreement in faith* we ought to love a Christian more than a Saracen; likewise by reason of *profession in a community* a religious is more bound to love a brother of his own order, and one canon another canon.

18. Thirdly, we ought to love by reason *of obligation;* and thus to some we are more bound than to others. For I am bound to love another and to honour him by reason of a *precept;* yet I am more bound by reason of a *precept* and of a *benefit,* if I have received a benefit; I am most of all bound to love another and to honour him more by reason of a *precept* and by reason of a *bene-*

*fit* and by reason of a *promise* — that is, one concerning whom I have a precept, and I have received a benefit, and I have made a promise: such a one I ought to love and honour more.

19. It is clear, then, how in these words: *Honour,* etc., the *precept* is touched upon, and how the promise is subjoined, there: *That thou mayst be longlived upon the land.* And it has also been said how they are understood according to the literal intelligence, and how according to the spiritual. — But that you may better hold it in mind, I shall tell you two examples: one good, of him who honoured his mother, and another evil and cruel, of him who did not honour his father. I shall speak first of the good one.

20. There was a certain master, great and famous at Paris, known and loved by many. Hearing this, his mother, who was a poor little woman, thought to go to her son; she took a staff, and in a tunic of coarse cloth she came to Paris and asked certain ladies about that master. Those matrons said: what do you want with him? She answered: I am his mother. Then those matrons led her into their house and refreshed her. Afterwards they thought that the good man would be ashamed if he should see her in such a state; and they clothed her well and gave her a mantle and led her to the master. Then she said: I am your mother. The master answered: I do not believe it, because my mother was a poor little woman and was not accustomed to wear anything but a tunic of coarse cloth. And when the master would not acquiesce in her words, the matrons led her back to their house and gave her back her tunic and her staff. Then she went up to her son in an assembly of many; and he recognised his mother in that dress, and laying aside his hood, he embraced her, saying: now I know well that you are my mother. This was made known through the town and was reckoned to him for a great good. And afterwards he was made bishop of Paris.

21. The other example, an evil one, I shall tell of him who did not honour his father. I saw the man who knew him to whom this happened. There was a certain poor man who by his own industry had acquired many goods, and he had an only son. Certain nobles, seeing this, brought it about that the son contracted marriage with the daughter of a certain nobleman. And then she, who was young, beautiful and noble, began to abhor her husband's father and did so much with her husband that the father was driven from the house at a banquet; and he had nothing to eat but bad beans. One day he was hungry and came to his son's house and asked for food, and bad beans were given him, and he was driven out of the house. Then she said to her husband: now we can eat in peace. Go to the chest and take the cooked capon. And when he opened the chest, the capon had been turned into a toad. It leapt suddenly at his face, set two feet on his chin and two on his forehead and covered his whole face, and there was no physician who knew how to remove it. At last there came a certain smith, who wished to remove it with his *tenellae*. Then the toad looked at him with so horrible a countenance that he fell to the ground and dared do nothing more; and there was no one who knew how to offer counsel; but that man died an evil death.

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