Ongoing Translation Series: The Threefold Way of St. Bonaventure

Donald P. Goodman III

The great saint Bonaventure wrote many powerful works, but one that I have seen rarely examined, and even more rarely (if ever) translated, is The Threefold Way, subtitled incendium amoris, The Fire of Love. This short work (only twenty-five pages in the Latin, much less with footnotes removed) explores the threefold spiritual life: the purgative, the illuminative, and the contemplative ways. This series will be an ongoing translation project, in which we will English the saint's nobly simple Latin, for the benefit of all.

It is ongoing, and thus is necessarily a draft; if something sounds funny, please consult the Latin! And then let me know if I've gotten something wrong.

This installment: the prologue and the first section of the first chapter: the purgative way.

Prologue

1. “Behold, I have described it to thee three manner of ways” (Prov. 22:20), etc., as in the twenty-second chapter of Proverbs. Since all knowledge bears the mark of the Trinity, especially those things which are taught in Sacred Scripture, it ought to show the imprint of the Trinity in itself; because of which, Wisdom says about this sacred teaching, that it is described in a threefold way, because of its threefold spiritual understanding; that is, the moral, the allegorical, and the anagogical. But this threefold understanding responds to an actual threefold hierarchical act; that is, to purgation, to illumination, and to perfection. Purgation leads to peace, illumination to truth, and perfection to charity; which things being completely gained, the soul is blessed, and according to how it lives these things, it receives a growth of merit. Therefore, in the knowledge of these three things hangs the knowledge of all the Sacred Scripture, even the merit of eternal life.

Therefore, it must be known that there is a threefold way of working concerning this threefold life; namely, of reading and meditating; of praying; and of contemplating.

On meditation, by which the soul is cleansed, enlightened, and perfected

2. Now, it is suitable to look first at the form of meditation. Therefore, it must be known that there are three things within us, according to the use of which we work in this threefold life; namely, the spurring of the conscience, the ray of understanding, and the spark of wisdom. If, therefore, thou wishest to be cleansed, turn thyself to the spurring of the conscience; if to be englightened, to the ray of understanding; if to be perfected, to the spark of wisdom, according to the advice of blessed Dennis to Timothy, where he urged him, saying, “Turn thee to the ray,” and so forth.

§ 1: On the purgative life and its threefold work

3. To the spurring of the conscience, a man must work himself in this way; namely, that he first roughen himself, then sharpen himself, and third direct himself. For he must be roughened by the remembrance of sin, sharpened by the consideration of self, and regulated by consideration of the good.

4. The remembrance of sin should be in this way, that the soul accuses itself of manyfold negligence, desire, and wickedness. Nearly all our sins and evils, either entered into or done, can be reduced to these three.

Concerning negligence it must be applied, that the man should consider first if, within himself, he has been negligent in the guarding of the heart, in the spending of time, and in holding out to the end. For these three things must be observed with the greatest care, especially that the heart be well guarded, that time be usefully spent, and that the due end be set in front of every work.

Second, the man should consider if he has been negligent in prayer, in reading, in the carrying out of good work; for in these three things he who wishes to bear good fruit in his own time should work and improve himself most carefully; thus by no means does it suffice to have one of these without another.

Third, he ought to consider if he has been negligent in doing penance, in withstanding, in accomplishing. For anyone ought to bitterly weep over the evils he has done with the highest care, to drive back demonic temptations, to accomplish from one virtue to another, that he might thus be able to come to the promised land.

5. Concerning desire the man ought to consider, if there is living in himself the desire of pleasure, the desire of curiosity, the desire of vanity, which are the roots of every evil. First, the desire of pleasure must be considered, which then lives in a man if there is in him an appetite for sweet things, an appetite for soft things, an appetite for carnal things; that is, if the man seeks for flavorful foods, for delicate clothes, for luxurious delights. It is not only blameworthy to seek after all such things with consent; a man should even spit on them at the first movement.

Second, the desire of curiosity must be considered, if it lives or has lived in the man. This is discovered when someone seeks to know hidden things, to see beautiful things and to have precious things. For in all these things is the vice of greed, and great blameworthyness of curiosity.

Third, the desire of vanity must be considered, which lives or has lived in man, if there is in him a desire for favor, a desire for praise, a desire for honor; all of which things are vain, and return an empty man; and thus they must be fled, just as must the desire of women; and the conscience should accuse the human heart of every such thing.

6. Concerning wickedness he ought to consider if wrath, or envy, or sloth, which make the soul wicked, either is strong in him, or has at some time been strong. — First must be considered the wickedness of wrath, which consists in the mind, in sign, in word, or in heart, in the face, in shouting, or in mood, in address, or in effect.

Second must be considered wickedness of envy, which melts in the prosperity of another, takes cheer in the hardship of another, and cools in the beggary of another.

Third must be considered wickedness of sloth, from which evil suspicions, reviling thoughts, and evil slanders arise. And all such wickedness must be exceedingly hated. — From this threefold triplicate remembrance the spur of the conscience should be roughened and the soul embittered.

7. It is seen, just as the spur of the conscience must be roughened in the remembrance of sin, it must also be seen that so must it be sharpened in consideration of the self. A man must consider three things concerning himself, namely his imminent day of death, the fresh blood of the cross, and the present face of the judge. For in these three things the spur of the conscience is sharpened against every evil. — For in fact, first it is sharpened while he reflects on the day of his death, for it is unknown, unavoidable, and unchangeable; but if he will observe this carefully, he will work most carefully, that, while he has time (Gal. 6:10), he may be cleansed from every negligence, desire, and wickedness. For who will remain in fault, who is not certain of tomorrow?

Second, it is sharpened when a man reflects on the blood of the cross shed for stirring up the human heart, for washing the same, and finally for softening it; or shed for washing away human filth, for giving life by death, for giving fertility by dryness. For who is so stupid, that he permits the fault of negligence, desire, or wickedness to rule in himself, when he considers that he has been covered with this most precious Blood?

Third, it is sharpened when he considers the face of the judge, for He is unerring, unbending, and inescapable. For no one can deceive His wisdom, bend His justice, flee His vengeance. While, therefore, “no good goes unrewarded, no evil unpunished”, who is it that is not sharpened against every evil, if he considers this?

8. After these things it must be seen how the spur of the conscience must be regulated in consideration of the good. For there are three goods considered in advance, in obtaining which the spur of the conscience is regulated, namely activity against negligence, strictness against desire, kindness against wickedness. For these three things being had, the conscience is held good and right. And this is what the Prophet saith: “I will shew thee, O man, what is good, and what the Lord requireth of thee: Verily, to do judgment, and to love mercy, and to walk solicitous with thy God” (Micah 6:8); where these three things are touched upon. Similarly, the Lord saith in Luke: “Let your loins be girt,” (Luke 12:35) etc.

9. Therefore, it must be begun from activity, which presents the way for the others. But it is permitted to describe it thus: Activity is a certain liveliness of the soul, casting off every negligence and disposing souls to doing all divine works watchfully, boldly, and elegantly. For this is what presents the way to all the following good things.

Then follows strictness, which is a certain rigidity of mind, tying up every desire and enabling one to the love of roughness, poverty, and worthlessness.

Third, follows kindness, which is a certain sweetness of soul, shutting out all wickedness and enabling the soul to good will, patience, and inward joy. And this is the end of purgation, according to the way of meditation. For every clean conscience is joyful and delightful. — Therefore, he who wishes to be cleansed, let him turn himself in the above-described way to the spurring of the conscience. Yet, in the above exercise, our meditation can be begun by anyone of those sent ahead. But it must be crossed by one to the other, and it must be delayed for so long, until stillness and calm is perceived, by which spiritual pleasantness arises, by which it is gained; the mind is ready, that it may stretch high. Therefore, that way begins by the spur of the conscience and ends at the affection of spiritual joy, and it is exercised in sorrow, but summed up in love.