Chapter LXXXV
THE TWELVE PATRIARCHS
well that synagogue means "congregation." Church means "convocation."
It is one thing to drive some things together in one place without the will or against the will; it is another to run together spontaneously by themselves at the nod of the one who commands.
Insensible and brute beings can be congregated but they cannot be convoked. Yet even a concourse of rational things themselves must occur spontaneously at a nod in order rightly to be called a convocation. Thus you see how much difference there is between a convocation and a congregation, between church and synagogue. Therefore if you perceive beforehand that your desires are becoming devoted to exterior delights and that your thoughts are being occupied with them incessantly, then you ought with great care to compel them to go within so that for a while you may at least make of them a synagogue. As often as we gather the wanderings of the mind into a unity and fix all the impulses of the heart in one desire of eternity, what are we doing other than making a synagogue from that internal household? But when that throng of our desires and thoughts, after being attracted by a taste of that internal sweetness, has already learned to run together spontaneously at the nod of reason and to remain fixed in the innermost depths, then it can certainly be judged worthy of the name of church. Therefore let us learn to love only interior goods, let us learn to think often about them only, and without doubt we make churches such as we know that Benjamin loves.
Chapter LXXXV How joyful and sweet it is to have the grace of contemplation habitually
Certainly Benjamin freely lingers in such churches and is wonderfully delighted. When he is no longer able to contain himself because of joy he is led above himself and by ecstasy of mind is raised to the summit. Unless our Benjamin rests delightfully in the contemplation of inner things, without doubt it would not have been written of him by Moses: "Benjamin, the most beloved of the Lx)rd, shall live in him fearlessly, shall dwell the whole day as if in a bridal chamber, and shall rest in his arms" (Deut.
33:12). What do
RICHARD OF ST. VICTOR
you think is the reason that Benjamin Hngers all day in the bridal chamber, that he rests there unceasingly so much that he does not wish to go out even for an hour? We know this, that the bridegroom and the bride are accustomed to remain together in the bridal chamber, yielding in love, holding each other in mutual embraces, and cherishing with alternating love. Therefore whoever that one beloved of our Benjamin may be, unless I am mistaken she flourishes with the privilege of wonderful beauty and singular form. Her intimate company he is never able to dislike and from her embraces he will not wish to be absent for an hour. But if now we come to know the voice of this Benjamin, we cannot doubt at all that his beloved is of so much beauty: "I said to wisdom, you are my sister, and I called prudence my friend" (Prov.
7:4). Do you wish to hear how he cannot dislike the beauty of his beloved whom he calls sister and friend on account of a spotless and most burning love? "Entering into my dwelling, I shall rest with her. For association with her has no bitterness, her company has no tediousness but rather joy and delight, and in her friendship there is good pleasure"
(Wisd. 8:16, 18). Let each person say what he feels.
I find no other reason that would keep him held so fast within that he is not able to go out even for a short time. However, I know one thing, that whoever is inflamed with longing for such a friend, the more intimately he knows her, the greater he loves; and the more frequently he enjoys her embraces, the more vehemently he burns with longing for her. Indeed her regular company certainly is accustomed not to diminish but to increase desire and to kindle more sharply the flame of love. Therefore it is no wonder that Benjamin himself, who enjoys the sweetness of such a bride, dwells the whole day as if in a bridal chamber and, resting within her arms, is delighted continually by her love. How often do you think he experiences ecstasy of mind; how often, being snatched up in ecstasy, is he led above himself when after being stunned by the greatness of her beauty he is suspended in admiration of it? Without doubt what is written of him is fulfilled: "Benjamin a youth in ecstasy of mind."
It certainly should be noted how the testimonies of Scripture come together. For what the Prophet expresses by the death of Rachel, the Evangelist designates by the falling down of the disciples, and the Psalmist expresses in Benjamin by ecstasy of mind.
THE TWELVE PATRIARCHS
Chapter LXXXVI Concerning two kinds of contemplation Nevertheless we are able fittingly to understand different kinds of contemplation by the death of Rachel and the ecstasy of Benjamin since it is agreed that there are two kinds of contemplation above reason and both pertain to Benjamin. Indeed, the first is above reason, but not beyond reason; however, the second is both above reason and beyond reason.
Surely those things are above reason but not beyond reason which cannot be investigated or refuted by reason although reason experiences their existence. Now we call those things both above reason and beyond reason, the existence of which seems to contradict all human reason. They are such things as what we believe concerning the unity of the Trinity and many things concerning the body of Christ that we hold on the indubitable authority of the faith. For no human reason experiences that three persons are in one simple essence, or that one and the same body is able to be in various places at one time. Without doubt all reasoning seems to cry out against such assertions. These are those two kinds of contemplation, one of which pertains to the death of Rachel, the other to the ecstasy of Benjamin. In the first,
Benjamin kills his mother when he goes above all reason. However, in the second he goes beyond even himself when he transcends the mode of human understanding in that which he comes to know from divine showing.
It is necessary to consider this not only in Benjamin but also in all his brothers and by all means to observe carefully in numerous places in Scripture how divine Scripture is accustomed concerning the same thing now to extend the signification, now to restrain the mode, or even to alter it. However, it is accustomed to determine in many ways these modes of alternating significations and to make known the sense of it now by place, at another time by action, or by any other circumstances whatever.
It is determined by place, as when Benjamin is read to have descended into Egypt; by act, as when Joseph and Benjamin rush into a mutual embrace and join in alternating kisses.