Chapter II
RICHARD OF ST. VICTOR
Chapter II That the material of this contemplation is abundant, and hoiv the philosophers occupy themselves in it .
As has already been said, this contemplation has for its material all that which bodily sense is able to touch.
Certainly, the material is abundant and the forest is not small. All may run; all may enter individually; no one is held back; each one may choose what he marvels at more greatly. Sufficient material superabounds for each one to make an ark for himself. Nevertheless, each person should learn to choose pieces of incorruptible wood, so that he may think nothing contrary to the true tradition. The philosophers of the gentiles strove zealously, desiring to choose for themselves from this same forest the material for their construction and to construct for themselves an ark of wisdom.
Therefore they began to cut down, shape and put together pieces of wood and by defining, dividing and arguing, to discover, hold and teach many things.
Holding various opinions and founding many sects, they made many arks. As they entered into that shady and thick grove, they engaged in an infinite number of questions. God handed over the world to their disputation (Eccles. 3:11), but they vanished in their thoughts (Rom.
1:21), and those who were searching failed in this search (Ps. 63:7) because no person was able to discover a work in which God was active from the beginning until the end
(Eccles.
3:11). By His Spirit, God revealed to whom He wished, when He wished, as much as it was necessary to know concerning these things. What wonder if those who have been taught by the Spirit of God were able to execute a work worthy of wonder, since they were willing neither to follow their own spirit nor to advance behind the thoughts of their own inventions? Furthermore, in our time there have arisen certain pseudo-philosophers, fabricators of untruth. Wanting to make a name for themselves, they are eager to discover new things. Nor was it a concern of theirs so much that they might affirm truth, as that they might think that they had discovered a new thing. Taking it for granted concerning their mental ability, they thought that they were able to make an ark of wisdom for themselves, and being caught up in their own inven-
THE MYSTICAL ARK
tions, they handed on new opinions, thinking wisdom was born and would die with them. Behold: The arks of all these very wise persons have rotted, because they were not made of pieces of Setim wood, that is of pieces of incorruptible wood.
Behold:
All the princes of Thaneos have been made fools, because God makes foolish the wisdom of this world. For that hitherto vainglorious worldly philosophy has been made foolish to such a degree that from among its professors innumerable persons daily become its mockers; from among its defenders, they become its attackers; and cursing it, they profess that they know nothing other than Jesus
Christ and Him crucified.
Behold: how many who earlier were making things in the workshop of Aristotle learn at last with wiser counsel to forge things in the workshop of the Saviour. Those who formerly were making vessels of reproach are now taught to make vessels of glory, daily confessing the Lord in vessels of psalms because they are ashamed to have made a work worthy of confusion and to have been fabricators of untruth often. Where now,
I ask, are the sects of the academics, stoics, peripatetics? Where are their arks? Behold, all of these have already slept their sleep. All these men of riches have found nothing in their hands (Ps. 75:6) and have left their riches to strangers and their sepulchers, houses into eternity (Ps. 48:11-12). Behold, they all rotted with their arks, perishing together with their teachings and traditions. But the ark of Moses remains up to the present day, never more stable, never more strong than today, inasmuch as it has been established by the authority of Catholic truth, since it is made of pieces of Setim wood, that is of pieces of incorruptible and unspoiled wood, and all of its narrative of history and doctrine has been interwoven with true declarations and extraordinary assertions.
Behold, we have seen of what material it ought to be made; it follows that we must learn the dimensions and the manner of construction, so that according to the example of Moses we may follow not our own mind but the pattern of divine instruction in all of this. Now let us return to that kind of contemplation which is agreed to be the lowest of all and first, and for that reason is the beginning. We have said that it is represented in this description of the ark by the joining of pieces of wood only.
RICHARD OF ST. VICTOR
Chapter HI Concerning the threefold distinction of the first speculation This speculation is considered in a threefold way. The first is with regard to things; the second, with regard to works; the third, with regard to morals. That which is with regard to things pertains to the length of the ark. That which is with regard to works pertains to the width. That which is with regard to morals pertains to the height. For we know that length is naturally prior to width. Similarly, we know that width holds a prior place with respect to height. For length can be understood without width, and width, without height, although they cannot be separated at all from each other in the essential nature of things. But height without width, or width without length, is not able to exist nor is it possible to understand it. For simple length is understood when a quantity is extended from point to point into a line running through individual points, at least by means of thought only. We speak of simple width when mentally we stretch out a quantity from line to line and by means of individual lines spread it out into a surface. For, just as a line is length without width, so a surface is width without height.
However, height is when a quantity thickens from surface into surface and produces a solid body, which receives three dimensions. Thus I think it is sufficiently evident to a person who considers these things rightly, that length is naturally prior to width, and width to height.
So, certainly, that consideration which is with regard to things is naturally prior to that consideration which is with regard to works and to that which is with regard to morals.
For who does not know that things themselves are always naturally prior to their workings at any time? In other words, who does not know that no workings can exist in any way other than from or in things?
Similarly, morals themselves, whether good or bad, are accustomed to be and ought to be considered with respect to works.
For the greater part, the works of men, insofar as they are ordered and moderated, pertain to good morals, while insofar as they are disordered and immoderate, pertain no less to bad morals. For this reason, it is sufficiently established that just as consideration of
THE MYSTICAL ARK
things is prior to that of works, so consideration of works is naturally prior to that of morals. And so it is rightly said that consideration of things pertains to the length of our ark; consideration of works, to the width; and consideration of morals, to its height.
Chapter IV That the first stage of this speculation is considered in matter, form and nature However, the first consideration of these three is tripartite.
The first consideration of this subdivision is with respect to matter; the second, with respect to form; the third, with respect to nature.
We easily grasp matter and form by means of bodily vision. For we distinguish without error between a rock and wood, a triangle and a square. However, that which pertains to nature is now partly accessible to sense but partly lies hidden more deeply, being set aside for reason. Nature is considered as an intrinsic quality of things, just as form consists of an extrinsic quality. Now the exterior quality of things is perceived for the great part by bodily sense, as flavors by taste, odors by smell. However, even if a man had not sinned in the least, he would never be able to approach with the sense of the flesh that power of nature which lies hidden within since it has been imprinted most deeply on the innermost part of things. But yet he might have seen it easily by means of the acuteness of his natural capacity, if the eye of reason had not been blinded under a fog of error since it had been surrounded by a cloud of sin. Now when we, enveloped by the darkness of ignorance, daily seek something concerning this, we touch it by means of argument from experience, rather than see it. And so the reason is well known why the length of our ark, according to the Lord's pattern, ought not—or, better, is not able—to be other than two and one-half cubits. For human knowledge has a full cubit, where it has certitude and is capable of understanding by some mental ability those things which ought to be known. Thus, corporeal sense has one cubit with regard to viewing matter, another cubit with regard to consideration of form, and a half cubit with regard to
RICHARD OF ST. VICTOR
perception of nature, which it penetrates only in part. For indeed, as has been said, nature is partly accessible to sense and is partly set aside for reason. And so these three— matter, form and nature— because they are together in corporeal substance and are not able to be divided mutually from themselves, extend themselves in a line, as it were, and show themselves to pertain to the length of the ark.
Chapter V That the second stage is considered with regard to the working ofnature and of human activity And so when the mind has been exercised according to this triple consideration that is with respect to speculation of things, it ought to transfer itself subsequently to speculation of works, so that when it has been taught to extend its consideration to both natural and artificial works, the width of our ark can receive a measure of predetermined size. For the working of nature is one thing, and the working of human activity is another. We are easily able to grasp a working of nature, as in grasses, in trees and in animals: in grasses, how they grow and mature; similarly in trees, how they leaf out, blossom and bear fruit; in animals, how they conceive and give birth, how some grow and others die. While we daily direct attention to how all things that have been born, die, and how those that have grown, grow old, we exercise our mind in the investigation of natural workings. An artificial work is considered a work of human activity, as in engraving, in painting, in writing, in agriculture and in other artificial works, in all of which we find many things for which we ought worthily to venerate and marvel at the dignity of a divine gift. And so, because they cooperate mutually with each other, natural work and artificial work are joined to each other on the sides, as it were from the side, and are united together in themselves by mutual contemplation. For indeed it is certain that a work of activity takes a beginning, continues and gains strength from a natural working; and a natural working makes progress from activity, so that it is better. In an artificial work, human knowledge has one cubit because if it were not capable of understanding that