Cap. 8, Vers. 1-8
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/15/d/8/q/bon-eccl-c8-v1-8
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### Chapter VIII.

#### Secondly, against the concupiscence that has been found the remedy of wisdom is given from a fourfold consideration.

*Who is such as the wise man**?* Above he described the vanity of concupiscence. Here against that vanity he intends to give the *remedy of wisdom;* for no one is rescued from concupiscence except him who walks with wisdom. He exhorts, then, in this part to cleave to wisdom from a fourfold consideration: first from the consideration of its *nobility;* secondly, of its *power;* thirdly, of its *utility;* fourthly, of the *opportuneness of time.*

He exhorts, then, to cleave to wisdom by the consideration of its *nobility,* which is weighed in this, that it renders a man noble and glorious both as to his *look* and as to his *word.* And this he first proposes *by asking,* then confirms *by answering.*

(Cap. 7. v. 30.). *Who is such as the wise man?* that is, who is so worthy to be looked upon; Wisdom, the eighth chapter: « For her sake I shall have glory with the multitudes and honour with the ancients and the young », he speaks of wisdom. Who is so worthy to be looked upon in his *word?* whence he says: *And who hath known the resolution of the word?* supply: except the wise man; Wisdom, the eighth chapter: « She knoweth the subtleties of speeches » etc.; and therefore in doubtful things the wise man is to be heard with reverence; therefore Wisdom, the eighth chapter: « The faces of princes shall wonder at me; they shall wait for me when I am silent, and they shall look upon me when I speak, and when I discourse at length they shall lay their hands on their mouth ».

(Vers. 1.). He proposed *by asking,* now he confirms *by answering;* therefore he says: *The wisdom of a man shineth in his countenance;* Proverbs, the seventeenth chapter: « In the face of the prudent wisdom shineth », that is, it appears in his works; Ecclesiasticus, the nineteenth chapter: « By the

look a man is known, and by the meeting of the face the man of sense is known ». For as the good man is known in his countenance, so the wise man in his works. Nor is it any wonder if he is worthy to be looked upon in his *look,* since God does this; whence he says: *And the most mighty will change his face.* This most mighty one is God; Job, the thirty-sixth chapter: « God doth not cast away the mighty, since he himself is mighty »; and after: « Behold, God is high in his strength, and none is like him among the lawgivers ». He *changes the* outward *face* by first changing the inward, that is, by turning it to himself. For the face of the soul is the higher portion of reason, by which it is born to see God. This face God alone changes; Proverbs, the twenty-first chapter: « As the divisions of waters, so the heart of the king is in the hand of the Lord; whithersoever he will he shall turn it ».

(Vers. 2.). The wise man is worthy to be looked upon not only as to his *look,* but also as to his *word* through wisdom; in whose person he says: *I observe the mouth of the king,* says wisdom. This *king* is God, of whom the first to Timothy, the last chapter: « The Blessed and only Mighty, the King of kings and Lord of lords ». The *mouth* of this King is the Son of God, through whom he speaks to us; to the Hebrews, the first chapter: « Last of all in these days he hath spoken to us in the Son ». To *observe the mouth of the king,* then, is diligently to attend to the word of the Son of God; Luke, the eleventh chapter: « Blessed are they who hear the word of God and keep it ». Wisdom, then, says: *I observe,* and I make to observe, according to that of Deuteronomy, the sixth chapter: « Observe, that thou do the things which the Lord hath commanded thee, and that it may be well with thee ». And he explains in what things he observes, namely in the commandments; therefore he says: *And the precepts of the oath of God,* which, namely, proceed from his mouth. And *I observe,* namely *the precepts of the oath of God; precepts of the oath* they are called, because firm and inviolable; Matthew, the twenty-fourth chapter: « Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away ». Or: they are therefore *precepts of the oath,* because they were given with a covenant and an oath; Exodus, the twenty-fourth chapter: « Moses sprinkled the blood he had taken upon the people, saying: This is the blood of the covenant of the Lord upon all these words ».

(Vers. 3. 4.). *Be not hasty* etc. Here, secondly, he exhorts to cleave to wisdom by the consideration of *its power,* when he says: *Be not hasty to depart from his face,* that is, do not turn aside from his will; and this on account of the sin of the heart, as if you were hiding yourself from him. Of this departure Deuteronomy, the thirty-second chapter: « He forsook God his maker, and departed from God his saviour ». Do not, then, depart *from his face,* wishing to lie hidden in evil; Ecclesiasticus, the sixteenth chapter: « Say not: I shall be hidden from God, and who shall remember me from on high »? As Cain, who said to the Lord: « Behold, thou castest me out this day from thy face, and from thy face I shall be hid ». And if it happen that you depart, do not remain in evil; therefore he adds: *And do not continue in an evil work;* Ecclesiasticus, the fifth chapter: « Delay not to be converted to the Lord, and defer it not from day to day ». And the reason of this is the consideration of the divine power, because he acts *omnipotently: For he will do all that he will;* the Psalm: « All things whatsoever he would, he hath done »; and Isaias, the forty-sixth chapter: « My counsel shall stand, and all my will shall be done ». — He acts also *easily;* therefore he says: *And his word is full of power;* the Psalm: « The voice of the Lord in power, the voice of the Lord breaking the cedars »; and Jeremias, the thirty-second chapter: « No word shall be hard to thee, who showest mercy unto thousands ». He acts also *irreproachably: Neither can any man say to him: Why dost thou so?* To the Romans, the ninth chapter: « Who art thou that answerest God »?

(Vers. 5.). *He that keepeth the precept* etc. Here, thirdly, he exhorts to cleave to wisdom by the consideration of *our utility.* For great is the utility of cleaving to it and keeping its commandments. On account of which he says: *He that keepeth the precept shall experience no evil;* nay rather he shall have many goods; Matthew, the nineteenth chapter: « If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments »; and John, the eighth chapter: « If you continue in my word, you shall be my disciples indeed, and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free ».

(Vers. 5. 6. 7. 8.). *Time and answer* etc. Here, fourthly, he exhorts to keep the commandments of the divine wisdom by the consideration of the *opportuneness of time,* which the wise man considers in his works. On account of which he says: *The heart of a wise man understandeth time and answer;* it understands the *time* in which one must work; to the Ephesians, the fifth chapter: « See, brethren, how you walk circumspectly, not as unwise, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil ». Not only the *time,* but also the *answer in time;* to the Colossians, the fourth chapter: « Walk with wisdom towards them that are without, redeeming the time. Let your speech be always in grace seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer every man ». — And the wise man does well, who

considers the opportune time; which he proves when he infers: *To every business,* that is, in every business, *there is time and opportunity and much affliction of man,* supply: in considering these things diligently; above, the third chapter: « All things have their season, and in their spaces all things pass under the sun ». For there is an opportuneness of time for *studying;* Ecclesiasticus, the thirty-eighth chapter: « Write wisdom in the time of leisure ». There is also an opportuneness for *praying;* the Psalm: « At midnight I rose to confess to thee ». There is also an opportuneness of time for *doing good;* to the Galatians, the sixth chapter: « Whilst we have time, let us work good to all men ». — And this opportuneness is in the present time; and he shows it to be in the present time by showing the future time to be perilous, because it cannot be *foreseen;* whence he said: *He who* *is ignorant of things past and things to come can know them by no messenger,* because things to come can be known much less than things past; above, the seventh chapter: « Who can tell him what shall be after him »? — It cannot also be *held back,* whence he says: *Neither is it in man's dominion,* that is, power, *to hold back the spirit,* namely as it goes out, because no one can hold back the time of death from coming. And this he explains, adding: *Neither hath he power in the day of death;* Job, the fourteenth chapter: « Thou hast appointed his bounds, which cannot be passed ». It cannot be *turned aside;* whence he says: *Neither is he suffered to rest when war is at hand,* namely in the day of judgement; Wisdom, the fifth chapter: « The world shall fight for him against the unwise ». Which war the wicked shall not be able to turn aside; whence in the Apocalypse, the sixth chapter, they shall say to the mountains: « Fall upon us » etc.; because then « flight shall perish ». It cannot also be *dissembled,* therefore he says: *Neither shall wickedness save the wicked,* as though he could feign himself good; Job, the thirty-sixth chapter: « He saveth not the wicked, and he giveth judgement to the poor »; and Proverbs, the eleventh chapter: « Treasures shall not profit in the day of revenge; justice shall deliver from death »; therefore Job, the tenth chapter: « If I be wicked, woe unto me ».

### Questions.

I. It is asked about what he says: *I observe the precepts of the oath of God:* therefore God swears.

**On the contrary:** 1. Matthew, the fifth chapter: *Let your speech be: yea, yea; no, no:* therefore *what is more than these is of evil.* Therefore if it does not befit the perfect to swear; and nothing befits God except what is of the highest perfection: therefore it does not *become* God to swear.

2. Further, it is shown that it is *superfluous:* because God cannot lie, therefore the simple word of God is as true as an oath.

3. Likewise it seems that he *cannot* swear: because *to swear* is to bring in someone as witness and as strength; but God has no other through whom he could confirm: therefore neither can he swear.

**I respond:** it must be said that *an oath is the end of all controversy*, and it is a pure and firm assertion, than which none can be firmer, and this for making faith certain. So then, when we wish to make faith certain to the one hearing, we swear; so God, condescending to our infirmity, does indeed swear, that he may render our faith solid.

1. As to the objection, then, that it is of evil; it is expounded that it is of the evil of *punishment,* not of the one swearing, but of him to whom the oath is made, that is, on account of his doubtfulness. — Otherwise, however, it must be said that the Lord does not forbid the oath there as something evil; but because men are prone to saying what is false, he forbids the proneness to swearing at random, lest at some time they fall at once into a lie and an oath, in contempt of God; and since God cannot lie, this reason has no place in God.

2. As to the objection that he cannot lie; I say that, although in God the oath does not add over the simple assertion according to the thing, it does add according to our estimation, because faith becomes firmer for us; and a wondrous deigning towards us is shown.

3. As to the objection that he cannot bring in another; I say that, as he himself is a witness to himself, because he is his own truth, so he swears by himself; and it is the best testimony, because light manifests itself and other things.

II. There is also a doubt about this, because he says: *He that keepeth the precept shall experience no evil.*

**On the contrary:** below in the same place: *There are just men to whom evils happen, as though they had done the works of the wicked.*

**I respond:** there is to experience evil that *remains,* and evil that *passes;* and he speaks here of the experience of evil that always *remains,* not of that which *passes*.

III. There is also a question about what he says: *He that keepeth the precept* etc.

1. Since there are many precepts to be kept, why does he say precept in the singular?

2. Further, it is possible that someone keeps the divine precepts out of fear, as the Jews kept them; and yet such are not saved.

**I respond:** it must be said that, although the precepts are many through the diversity of the work, yet they have unity both in comparison to the *one commanding* and in comparison to the *one observing* and in comparison to the *end.* To the *one commanding,* because he who commands is one; and therefore he who transgresses one commandment cannot be obedient to the one commanding, because he who commands is one. — In comparison to the *one observing* there is unity, because he observes all things by one principle that also regulates, namely charity, which conquers all things. Hence as charity either loves all or none, so it observes all the commandments, or none. — In comparison to the *end* there is unity, because one reward is owed, and they are to be observed for one reward. Since, then, this threefold unity concurs in the due observance of the commandments, therefore he rightly says: *He that keepeth the precept* etc.

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