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A vessel of pure gold, adorned with whatever most precious stone, Jes. Sir. 50[:10]
One can appropriately introduce this verse for
the commemoration of Saint Augustine, wherein, amongst others, he is
commended in three ways which are implied in the metaphor of a vessel: first,
in the preciousness of the material, for by ‘gold’ we have to understand ‘wisdom’,
when [it is said], a vessel of gold,
second, in its characteristics, when [it is said], adorned with whatever most precious stone, third, in the
magnitude of its weight, when [it is said], pure.
First, therefore, he is commended by the
preciousness of the material, for the breath of wisdom and knowledge gathered
under his many talents. For he was a good theorist, an exceptional logician,
and a most excellent ethicist. For in such a way do the Masters divide for us
the science of philosophy, namely into Theory, Logic, and Ethics or Practical
[philosophy]. And according to these three, which so in turn occupy men, that
they were never seen to rest for any time from any of these three: thinking, talking,
and doing. Theory or speculation is further divided into mathematics,
physics, and ethics or theology. ‘On natural things, however, one has to
ponder rationally, on mathematicals with discipline, and on divine things
intellectually; and neither to be drawn to images, but rather to refer to
form, which truly is form, not image, and which is being and from which being
is’, as [one reads] in Boethius' book On
the Trinity, ‘all being is from form’. The mathematician, however, separates
the forms and shapes which are indeed inherent of matter, by way of
disciplined consideration, the scientist of physics, i.e. of nature, makes
inquiries into the causes of quality, motion, and quantity, the moral
philosopher or theologian more subtly looks closely into the ideas of things
which are in the divine mind, before they come forth into bodies, according
to which mode they exist there from eternity in an intelligible manner.
And of the divine things, sometimes it is
argued according to the highest authorities, at other times, by means of examples
searched for outside [these], but at other times the divine substance itself
without subjected matte is contemplated. Saint Augustine made use of authorities
when he first wants to lead us to the trinity of persons with their unity of
essence and introduces it from Genesis:
Let us make man according to our image
and likeness [Gen. 1:26], and
through the plural form of the verb understanding the trinity and by means of
the singular of the noun declaring the unity of substance. The example is
also used by Plato in the Timaeus,
when speaking about the highest principle of all things, he says, ‘it is thus
impossible to say anything about God, just as it is difficult to find him,
and so one flees to the similitude of things, examples and amongs all created
things only to that one which one finds most similar [to God]’. And John the
Evangelist, when he dares to speak of the uncreated word, calls it light [John 1:4], because light is the first and universal species of corporeal
forms, as well as the principle of life in bodies. And thus the word of God,
the Father, is ‘the substance of’ all ‘that exists’, and ‘principle and cause
of all substance and life’, according to Dionysus' On the Divine Names.
And thus on [his] way the theologian reaches a
twofold knowledge; one is through a
mirror and in darkness [1Cor.
12:13], the other is through a mirror and in light. The first happens in
three ways, namely by taking away, by eminence and by causality. Taking away
proceeds in the following manner: no body is God, nothing intelligibly
created is God. And as a recognicable thing is being shown by way of sense or
intellect, God, indeed, cannot be recognised by way of sense or intellect,
because he is incorporeal and has not a known form like us, but [he can only
be recognised] solely through the removal of the other form, which as if by
selecting it was separated and by separating it was selected, which Boethius introduces
in his book On the Two Natures: ‘God
and matter cannot be grasped wholly and perfectly by the intellect, but they
may be grasped by another way of privation of other things’. Therefore,
Dionysius says that our affirmations about God are incompletely made or said,
whereas negations are true. By eminence, he [God] becomes known, when in a single
way something that is more noble and more eminent is attributed to God,
according to which Augustine says in Confessions
X: ‘Who makes things beautiful, is more beautiful; things strong, is stronger,
and who made things good, is better. Learn therefore, human being to know the
creator from the creatures, do not cling to things which have been made,
losing the one through whom it has been made’. By cause, he [God] becomes
known when we resolve all that is moveable to the one immovable; all that is
varied to the one invariable, all that is corporeal to the simple one, and
all multiplicity to the first one, who, indeed, is ‘the principle and cause
of all’ those which are. The one, indeed, in the generating of all prior to
the multiple things, and he is simple by natural priority before anything
composed according to the Philosopher [Aristotle] in On Heaven and Earth.
Secondl, hew [God] becomes known on the way
through a mirror and in light, when, for example, the divine light, through
its own effect, shines on something special beyond the powers to know and
beyond the mean of cognition, elevating the intellect itself to that what it
can naturally not achieve. ‘Truly the feeble sight of the human mind is not
remedied in so excellent a light, unless it is first cleansed more purely
through the justice of faith’, according to Augustine in the book On the Trinity. And in book VII
[10:16] of the Confessions he says:
‘Eternal truth, true love and beloved eternity, you are my God, to you I sigh
both day and night [Ps. 1:2]. When I first knew you, you
raised me up [see Ps. 26:10]’. See,
in which way he says that he was raised up, so that he saw being that he say,
‘yet I was naked, when I saw, but you cast aside the infirmity of my sight, shining
heavily into me, and I trembled with love and fear; and I found myself to be
far off from you, in a land of dissimilitude’.
And this cognition operates towards three
things: First, towards the annunciation of hidden or future things; second, towards
things that have to be done for benefit, third towards the foretasting of
divine sweetness. The first is the prophetic way; the second happens in
graced habits until they carry fruits; the third takes place in the ecstasy
of the mind, and this means in the fruits. The second and third were
perfectly present in him [Augustine], because it is spoken about the third one
according to that which exists in the practical intellect. This cognition by
science or wisdom, like tasting wisdom, sometimes comes into a person in a
heavy affect. See how that vessel of
gold is commended by the preciousness of its material, i.e. its usefulness
for knowledge. And according to this such kind and breath of science did not
happen in the material of vice, but of virtue. Therefore, it is said in book
XIII of the Confessions: ‘Give
yourself to me, my God, give yourself back to me’, for I do not love the places of honour at table [Matth. 23:6] nor salutation in the square [Matth.
6:2], nor to be called ‘Rabbi’ by human
beings [Matth. 23:7], but ‘I
love you, and if that is not enough, make me able to love you more. How much is
my love still lacking? I can never know, so give to my life your bounty and shelter
me in the shadow of your presence. Only this I know, my life is worthless to
me, not only the things outside myself, but things within myself, and [this]
is my poverty, all the treasures I have which are not God.’
Second, Saint Augustine is commended for the characteristics
of this which is said to be adorned with
whatever most precious stone. The characteristics in itself is an
exhibition of virtue in action, and virtue is well-called free form, because
something is through form, according to Boethius in On the Trinity. And it is well said to be through virtue, because
just as men are improperly said to be dead, so the evil person is improperly
said to be. Being, namely, is ‘what retains order and preserves nature’ according
to Boethius in book III of the Consolation.
And virtue is order according to Augustine, indeed the order of love, for the
one who has virtue keeps order and safeguards preserves nature. ‘Nothing that
[truly] serves nature can be contrary to God’, according to Boethius in the
same place.
Wisdom, therefore, of Saint Augustine was for
him the matter of virtue, namely monastic, political, and theological virtue.
Monastic virtue directs and perfects human being in itself because its work is
the submission of the flesh. The act of monastic virtue is <this: its
fruit is> spiritual delight from the splendid exercise of good works; of
political virtue, it is the obtaining the friendship with fellow-citizens;
and from the entire preservation of the spirit the act of theological virtue
is obtained as spiritual effect from the grace of God. Its fruit is that one,
from where [one reads] at Gal.
5[:22]: The fruit of the spirit are
love, joy. Of that joy Jes. Sir.
30[:16 writes]: There is no greater
riches than bodily health, and there is no delight greater than a joyous
heart. On that joy Augustine says in book X of the Confessions: ‘There is a joy not granted to the impious, but only
to those who abide by grace in you’, Lord, ‘and you, yourself, are this joy.
The blessed life is this, to rejoice unto you, in you, and with you. This is
life and no other’.
Political virtue is the splendid exercise of
good works, and it perfects human being and directs one in the community of
citizens. These are the works of political virtue: it exhibits its deeds for
friends in God and for enemies, insofar as God is in them, as [it is said]: If your enemy is hungry, give him
something to eat; if thirsty, give him something to drink [Rom. 12:20]. The fruit which follows
from this is not just love of the citizen, but even the vindicating love of
our enemies. Therefore, [one reads at] Rom.
12[:20]: In doing this you will
heap red hot coals upon your head. And ad Rom. 12[:20]: Your head is
the mind of the soul, upon which coals are heaped when through the anticipation
of kindness they are compelled to give back.
Theological virtue perfects a human being in
relation to God, because it is a entire preservation of the spirit from the
subjection of the flesh. The fruit of it is the effect of spiritual grace for
the perfection of justice.
But because we are not able to know God other
than through His effects, we must therefore distinguish seven manners of grace
having come into the vessel so adorned. It comes first in the manner of a cooling
snow, and so it leaves its effect on the soul, namely cooling the heat of
fleshly desires. Second, it comes through the manner of dense dew, and so it
leaves its effect on the soul, namely the intensifying of desires for eternal
things. Third, it comes through the manner of an inebriating wine, and so it
leaves its effect on the soul, namely in the forgetfulness of all mutable things.
Fourth, it comes through the manner of ointment that penetrates to what it is
applied, and so it leaves its effect in the soul, namely the illumination of and
the burning for God. Fifth, it comes through the manner of a purging fire, and
so it leaves its effect in the soul, namely that perfect purification. Sixth,
it comes through the manner of light, uniting itself with what is subjected
to it, and so it leaves its effect in the soul, namely one's transformation
into the image of God (Gen. 1:26). Seventh, it comes through
the manner of the spirit blowing vehemently, and so it leaves its effect in
the soul, namely giving up one's natural life. Behold, in this way Saint
Augustine was enriched, and so he is called a chosen vessel for his character.
Third, Saint Augustine is praised for the
magnitude of that which he pondered, [for it] is called “solid.” Magnitude in
weight is intensity in relation to love, about which he himself has said: “As
much as I love you, Good Jesus, your love is like a spring, whereas I am
parched. You have loved me without limits. Indeed, I know my deeds. I lay my
whole being before you, because nothing more is possible. I will drink, if
you but command. I know only this, I shall not be satisfied until I am made
completely [yours] in love” which he deigns to offer us, God who lives. Amen.
This sermon has been recounted from the mouth
of Meister Eckhart of Hochheim, on the Feast of Saint Augustine, at Paris.
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