Prologue to the First Book of Sentences
Theology, Life, and God's Word Prologue to the First Book of Sentences The depths of rivers he has searched out and hidden things he has brought to light. [Jb 28: 11] After carefully analyzing this text from the Book of Job, the way was opened up for us to know here at the outset the four kinds of cause in the Book of Sentences: that is, the material, formal, final, and efficient causes. The material cause is intimated by the word rivers; the formal cause, in the phrase searching out the depths; the final cause, in the revelation of hidden things; and the efficient cause is understood from what underlies the , 1 two verbs he has searched out and he has brought to light.
The Material Cause The material cause is signified by the word rivers. It is in the plural and not the singular, because it refers not simply to the subject matter of the books of "Sentences" as a whole, but also to the subject matter of each book taken separately. We should note that just as a real river has four characteristics, so a "spiritual river" possesses four specific qualities. In line with this fourfold distinction, there are four books of" Sentences."
When I consider that a river goes on flowing, lastingness comes into my mind. As Saint Isidore says: "A river is an unending current." When I reflect on the width of rivers, vast expanses come into my mind. In fact that is what distinguishes a river from a little brook. When I think about their movement, I find myself reflecting on circularity. As it says in the Book of Ecclesiastes: To the place from where the rivers come, they return to flow again [1: 7]. When I consider the usefulness of rivers, I find myself thinking about processes of purification.
Because of the vast amount of water they contain, rivers purify the land through which they flow without getting polluted themselves.
Theology, Life, and God's Word Every analogy is based on some similarity. Taking these four qualities metaphorically, therefore, we find that a river has a fourfold spiritual meaning, as we can gather from holy scripture.
First, then, in terms of lastingness, the emanation of the Persons in the Trinity is described as a river. This emanation uniquely is without beginning and without end. Of this river
Daniel says: The Ancient 0/ days was seated and a swift, .fiery river issued from his face [7 :9-10]. This Ancient. of days is the Eternal
Father, whose antiquity is his eternity. The Ancient One was seated, because he is endowed not only with eternity but also with immutability. The text says: From theface oftheAncient One issued forth a swift,.fiery river. That is to say, from the sublime nature of his Godhead there proceeded the fullness of love and the fullness of power. The fullness of power is the Son, and thus the river was swift; the fullness of love is the Holy Spirit, and thus the river was fiery.
Secondly, in terms of vast expanses, the created world is described as a river. In fact, because of its vastness, the prophet in the Psalms calls this world not only a river, but also a sea: So is this great sea which stretches wide its arms [103:25]. Ezechiel says about this river: Behold I come against you, Pharaoh, king of Egypt, great dragon who lie in the midst 0/ your rivers and say: "The river is mine and I made myself." But I will put a bridle inyour jaws [29:6].
This great dragon, whom the Lord addresses and threatens in the figure and person of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, is the devil.
He reigns over those whom he has blinded with the darkness of error, such as heretics, for instance, to whom he also says:
The river is mine and I made myself, as if he himself made this world and had not his own origin in another. It was the devil, who framed this error and put it into the minds of the wicked
Manichees, who maintain that the whole structure of the visible world was made by an evil god. The Lord will put a bridle on the jaws of this dragon when, having destroyed the power of spreading falsehood, he will manifest himself as the Creator of this river. Thus it follows in the same text of holy scripture:
And all the inhabitants of Egypt shall knmv that I am Lord [29:6].
Theology, Life, and God's Word
Thirdly, in terms of circularity, the incarnation of God's Son is called a river. For just as in a circle the end is joined to the beginning, so in the incarnation the highest is joined to the lowest, God to the dust of the earth, the first to the last, the eternal Son of God to human nature created on the sixth day.
Of this river Sirach says: J, like the River Dorix and like an aqueduct, came out of paradise [24:41]. Dorix means a life-giving remedy. It is used here figuratively and may be understood conversely as the source of a life-giving remedy. For the incarnation was none other than the source of life-giving remedy for us: Surery he has borne our infirmities and carried our sorrows [Is
53:4]!. Rightly, then, is the incarnation of the Son of God called the River Dorix. Christ says truly of himself: I, as the River Dorix-that is, a healing river-and like an aqueduct, came out of paradise. Now it is of the nature of water that as high as it rises so far does it come down. Such was the going forth of the incarnation, as the psalm says: His going out is from the end of heaven and his circuit even to the end thereof [18: 7]. In the Gospel of John we read: J came from the Father and have come into the world; again I am leaving the world and going to the Father [16:28], and thus he completed a circle. A text contained in a dream which Mordecai had can be applied to this river which is
Christ, taking it to refer to his coming forth from his mother:
The tiny spring that became a river and was turned into a light and into the sun [Est 10:6]. Who, I ask you, is this tiny spring other than the most humble Virgin Mary? She became a river when she brought forth Christ who, on account of the abundance of grace he brings, is not only called a river but also the light of wisdom and the sun of justice. John says of him: He was the true light [1 :9].
Fourthly, in terms of processes of purification, the sacramental system is called a river. The sacraments cleanse us from the stain of our sins without getting polluted themselves. Of this river, the Book of Revelation says: He showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal,flowingfrom the throne of God and of the Lamb [22: 1]. The sacramental system is described as a river bright as crystal because of the splendor and luster the sacra-
Theology, Life, and God's Word ments leave in the soul which has been purified in this river. It is called the river of the water of life because of the efficacy of grace which gives life to the soul. It flows from the throne of God and of the Lamb. Sacramental grace flows from God as from its author and efficient cause, and from Christ as from its mediator and meriting cause. This is why all the sacraments are said to have their efficacy from the passion of Christ. Augustine witnesses to this when he says: "From the side of Christ sleeping on the cross the sacraments came forth while the blood and water flowed out."
There is a text in the Book of Genesis which refers to all these rivers, both taken together and considered separately, which reads: A riverflowed out if Eden to water the garden and there it divided and became four rivers . ... The name of the first is
Pishon . ... The name of the second river is Gihon . ... And the name of the third river is TigriS . ... And the fourth river is the Euphrates
[2: I 0-14]. The river flowing out of Eden is the subject matter of the whole Book of Sentences. The four rivers coming from it are the specific subject matter of each of the four books, as anyone can easily recognize who sets himself to explain carefully the meanings of the above-mentioned names.
Pishon means "movement of the mouth," and for this reason it refers to the emanation of the Persons. As word and breath go forth from a physical mouth, so the Son and the Holy Spirit proceed from the mouth of the Father, as it says in Sirach: I came out if the mouth of the Most High, the firstborn bifore all creatures [24:5]. These are the words of the Son himself, who is the Word and Wisdom of the Father. In the Psalms we read: By the word the heavens were established and all the power of them by the spirit of his mouth [32:6].
Gihon means "the sands of the seashore," and it refers as such to the created universe. As the universe of creatures is likened to the sea because of its vast expanse, so it is compared to the sands of the seashore because of the multitude of beings it contains. As it is written in Sirach: Who has numbered the sand if the sea and the drops of rain? [1: 2].
Theology, Life, a1ld God's Word
--------- --------Tigris means "an arrow," and in this it refers to the incarnation of th on r G d. TuSl ' \5 in an alTO' iron i, join d with wood. so in Christ the strength of divinity is unjted ,;vith the 'vveakn S of human kind. As an arrow flies through lh air frum a wooden bow to mil the nemy, so 'hri. l springin from thecro seL stroysLheadv rS31y. hi i Lh arrow()fw hichl' h ~ Fourth Book of Kings sp'aks: Th e: Lord'.\' arrow t?fJlict01Y, lltc ar1'0)11 of lIiCt07J1 oller Syria [ 13: 171.
Euphrates means "fruit bearing," and this refers to the sacramental system, which not only cleanses the soul of sin but makes it fruitful in grace. This is indicated in the Book of Revelation where it says that on both sides of the crystal river was the tree Of life ... and the leaves Of the tree werefor the healing of the nations [22:2].
The Formal Cause As there are four rivers, so there are four deep mysteries corresponding to them. There is the deep mystery of eternal emanation which is the sublime nature of the divine being to which Ecclesiastes may be taken as referring: It is a great depth, who shall find it out? [7:25]. Truly God is a great depth and a deep mystery. This is what brings Paul the apostle to exclaim in Romans: 0 the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways [11 :33]. God's judgments are indeed unsearchable because they are s'o deep. As the psalm says: Your judgments are a great deep [35:7], and we read in Sirach: Who has measured . .. the depth of the abyss? [1 :2]. This same depth is indicated in the Book of Job: Canyoufind out the deep things of God? Canyoufind out the limit of the Almighry? It is higher than heaven-what can you do? Deeper than Sheol-what canyou know? [11 :7-8]. All of which is to say, of yourself you can do nothing, you can know nothing. Thus, Paul advises us in Ephesians: That you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have the power to comprehend with all the
Theology, Life, and God's Word saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth
[3:17-18].
The Master searches out this deep mystery in the first Book ~f clltellces. The sublime natur of tlle clivin b · iJ g onsi . in two things: The most awe-inspiring emanations. ! amely genration and pro 'essi n; alld the 1110 . nobJe qualities which ar tile highes wi dom. omnil 0 n e, and perfect love. All this fomls tile subject matter of tile £irst haole In til fir t part h reat ol'th most holy Unity and Trinity of God, amI in lh
$ ond part. in a speciaJ treatis he examines the tJU'ee qualitie just m I ti ned.
Th · d 'p mystery of cr .atioll i the imperm.anence of cr at d bing. Th mor · a cr ature wast s away, whether because of sin or be au e or pun ishm . nt, the d ep r it goes into th d pths . . For til is r aS011 the prnph 1 'peakJr gin th pIa e of a man .. vho has faded away becaus of, in. says in lh psalm: I stickfast ill th' mire (If the deep and there is 110 sure ·ta1-1dilt~ [68:2].
Again, th' prophet prays tha he may not wa t way through pUl isltment: Let lIot the tempest o.f water drown me, /lor the deep swallow me up [68:16].
The Master searches out this deep mystery in the second boole Th · imp rrnanen f cr · ated bing lies in two factors: the change [rom non-being to b'ing, and the r v r aJ once more to non-being. Now, although no cre~~tLlre of ilS nature tends 0 non-being; nevertheless, as Augustin ay , lh inn r tend t ward non-being becaus of sin. TIlcse two factors form th wbjt t m' tter or he e and bool. In the fir t part h treats of th issuing forth of aJJ things, anti in Lh e ond part h deals with ti1C fall, the temptation byth d vii, riginaJ and actual sin, and so we reach tile end of the book.
T he de p mystery of lh incarnation i' th valu or Christ' human i y, which was so great that it can truly b de. 'i d a de p, as having no limit, as inexhaus ihle. A lext [ronl Jonah may be appli d t this deep mystery: You did cast nu into tile deep. into the heart of the ea, miff a Jlood cJlcompasS'cd me [2:4]. T his can be und rsto d of luist, for he was so humbl cI tila he an truly be said to have been cast into the deep and degraded. W ~
neology, Life, and God's Word SS ------read in l 'a:iah: We Juwe seen him, and tlierl' is I/O ightli/l/!ss that lVi' should he dcirous cif hi)lI. Dcspi cd (.I}ld the most abject oimell, a man
Of,OI7'OWS, cl1ld c!cquainteri with il!firJ1lity [53:2-3]. He des Tib S him elf accuratel , therefor , as ca t forth. But wh're i I e cast? Into the depths of the sea and the depths of a river. The passion of Christ may be likened to the sea because of the bitterness of his sufferings, and likened to a river hecause of the sweetness of his love. For the heart of Jesus was so affected toward us by the tenderness of love, that it did not seem too much to him to undergo the worst and most bitter death for our sake.
Th Mastel' search· , ut lh is d ep mystery il,1 lll · third book. The valu f hrist ollSists ll1 tw lhing : nam Iy, h' uff rjng , b whi 11 11 · r leemed us; and his actions, by which he fomled us and which consist in the ork. of Lh virtu , t h gifts, and the commandments. These form the subject matter of the third book. The first part treats of the incarnation and passion in which is found our salvation; and the second part treats of the virtues, the gifts, and the commandments, in which is contained our formation.
The de p mystery of the sacramental sy't m i th pow r of perfect healing.
0 great in fact is the effica r acramen al healing that it is b y nd the human mind t omprehend it, and it rna right! b d cribed a ad p mystery. f this Isaiah ays: You made the depths if the sea n wayfoJ' the redeemed to pass over [51: 1 0]. This depth in whidl lh -gyptiam w r
\.1merged and which the children oflsrael, d livered from Egypt passed over, is the efficacy of th · s<tcramen " in which the w rk of darkness are destroyed and the armor of light and the gifts of grace conferred, through which we pass from the power of duri01 s· intotl1e kingdom of the children of God's love.
The efficacy of the sacraments is compared to the depth of the sea and the depth of a river. Of the sea, because it first delivers us from sin and leads us to the bitterness of penance; of a river, because it delivers us from wretchedness and leads us to the delights of glory. This was graphically prefigured in the children of Israel, for whom, as they left Egypt, the sea dried up
S6 Theology, Life, and God's Word ---------------and they went across on dly ground in the midst of the sea, as Exodus tells us [15: 19]. When they entered the Promised Land, the river dried up and they passed over the Jordan, as is written in Joshua [4:22-23].
The Master searches out this deep mystery in the fourth book. The power of perfect healing has two components: the curing of the diverse weaknesses that assail us, and liberation from all the miseries that plague us. These two components form the subject matter of the whole of the fourth book. The first part treats of the various kinds of healing which the seven sacraments bring about. The second part deals with that perfect healing: the glory of the risen life to which they come who truly and faithfully received the sacraments of the Church; and, on the other hand, it deals with the punishments of the wicked who despised the sacraments of the Church.
The Final Cause After searching out the four deep mysteries in the four books, there emerges the purpose or final cause, that is, the revelation of four hidden mysteries.
The first is the mystery of the divine nature of which Isaiah says: Tru?J;, you are a hidden God, the God of Israel, the Savior
[45: 15]. The majesty of the divine nature is indeed hidden for us, as it is written in the Book of Job: How small a whisper do we hear of him! But the thunder of his power who can understand?
[26: 14]. For certain no one can understand this, except him with whom the wisdom of God dwells. This is the reason why that lover of wisdom, the author of the Book of Wisdom , made this prayer: Send her forth from your ho?J; heavens and from the throne of your glory send her [9: 10].
The Master, filled with wisdom from on high, brings this hidden mystery to light in the course of his investigations in the first book. He examines and unfolds the most awe-inspiring emanations and the most nohle qualities of th~
Theology, Life, and God's Word
------------~--Godhead, and so he reveals to us, as far as it is possible while we are in this world, the majesty of the divine nature.
The second hidden mystery is the order of divine wisdom, of which Job speaks: But where is wisdom to be found? And where is the place of understanding? It is hid from the eyes of all living [28: 12,
20-21]. Indeed wisdom is hidden, for as Job also says: But wisdom is drawn out of secret places [28:18]. To know wisdom it is necessary to search out its depths, not in itself, but in its works in which it shines forth. So it says in the Book of Sirach: There is one most high Creator, and he poured her out upon all his works
[1 :8-10].
The Master reveals this hidden mystery in his analyses in the second book. He examines the order of good and evil and makes known to us how the wisdom of God was set up from all eternity and of old before the earth was made [pry 8:23].
The third hidden mystery is the strength of divine power of which Habakuk says: Horns are in his hands: there is his strength hid [3:4]. He is speaking there about Christ hanging on the cross where the strength of his power was hidden und r the veil of weakness. This is the plan of the 11!Jlstel]7 hidden for t:tges of which Ephesians speaks: To me, grace was gilJ/m to prcrrdlto the Gentiles the unsearchable riches oj Christ and to make all men see what is the plan of the mystery hiddenfor ages in God [3:8-9]. This is the hidden mystery, the sacred secret, that the mighty God was clothed with the protection of our weakness in order to overcome the enemy. This is unheard of since the world began.
The investigations of the third book made known the strength of the divine power. It shows how Christ in his weakness overcomes the opposing power. If he was victorious by weakness, what would have happened if he had entered the fight with his power? If the weakness of God is stronger than men [1
Cor 1 :25], who shall turn back [Is 14:27] the arm of God? It is abundantly clear that his power is indescribable whose weakness is so strong.
The fourth hidden mystery is the sweetness of the divine mercy of which the psalmist says: How great is the abundance of your sweetness, 0 Lord, which you have hidden for those who fear you
The%gy, Life, and God's Word ----------------~ [30:20 J. Indeed the sweetness of m rey is hidden <mel star d up f r th se who fea.r God because. as the psalmist sa s: The mere 1 cif tIll: Lord i .~fl'lJlI1l!l}erlas ting to fJuertasting upon those who fear him [102: J 7] Clnd VII tho e who hop ' in llis /11£:1'0' 1'l46: I 1].
T his sweetness i r v aJed in the anaJyses CQn ain d ill the fourth book. He unfolds how God forgives our sins in the present, what cures he applies to our wounds, and what gifts he will grant us in the future. In this way the Master makes known to us the sweetness of divine mercy.
The Efficient Cause The unveiling of these hidden mysteries is the aim of the four books as a whole. With this intention in mind for himself and for his readers, the Master of Sentences searched out the depths oj rivers under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. The Holy
Spirit himself is the chief searcher of secret things and of the depths, as Paul tells us: For the Spirit searches all things, even the depths ojGod [1 Cor 2: 10]. Inflamed with the love of this Spirit and enlightened by his radiance and splendor, the Master composed this work and searched out the depths of rivers. By the aid of this same Spirit he became a revealer of hidden mysteries. It is he of whom Daniel says: He reveals deep and hidden things and knows what is in darkness [2:22].
This was the Master's aim and intention, as he himself explains in the Prologue: "Wishing to place the light of truth on the candle stand, we composed this volume with God's help and much work and effort from the witnesses to truth who are established in eternity." A short while before that, he had outlined his purpose as follows: "To unfold the hidden truths of theological investigations."
So, from the foregoing reflections, it is evident what are the material, formal, final, and efficient causes of the Book oj Sentences.