Scripture's Understanding

Crescente autem per hoc studium innovatione mentis nostrae, etiam Scripturarum facies incipiet innovari, et sacratioris intelligentiae pulchritudo quodammodo cum proficiente proficiet. Pro capacitate enim humanorum sensuum, earum quoque species coaptatur, et vel terrena carnalibus, vel divina spiritalibus apparebit, ita ut hi quibus antea videbatur crassis quibusdam nebulis involuta, nec subtilitatem ejus deprehendere, nec fulgorem valeant sustinere. Sed ut hoc ipsum quod astruere nitimur, aliquo clarius pandatur exemplo, unum legis testimonium protulisse sufficiat, per quod etiam omnia praecepta coelestia secundum mensuram status nostri ad omne hominum genus probemus extendi. Scriptum est in lege: Non fornicaberis. Hoc ab homine carnalium adhuc obscenitatum passionibus obligato secundum simplicem litterae sonum salubriter custoditur. Ab eo autem qui jam ab hac actione lutulenta et impuro discessit affectu, necesse est idipsum spiritaliter observari, ut scilicet non solum a caeremoniis idolorum, sed etiam ab omni superstitione gentilium et auguriorum omniumque signorum et dierum ac temporum observatione discedat, vel certe ne quorumdam verborum aut nominum conjecturis, quae sinceritatem fidei nostrae polluunt, implicetur. Hac enim fornicatione etiam Jerusalem dicitur constuprata, quae fornicata est in omni colle sublimi, et sub omni ligno frondoso. Et quam Dominus iterum increpans per prophetam: Stent, inquit, et salvent te augures coeli, qui contemplabantur sidera et supputabant menses, ut ex eis annuntiarent ventura tibi. De qua fornicatione et alibi arguens eos Dominus, ait: Spiritus fornicationis decepit eos, et fornicati sunt a Deo suo. Quisquis vero a gemina hac fornicatione discesserit, habebit tertiam quam devitet, quae in lege et Judaismi superstitionibus continetur. De quibus Apostolus: Dies, inquit, observatis et menses et tempora et annos. Et iterum: Ne tetigeris, ne gustaveris, neque conjecturaveris. Quae de superstitionibus legis dicta esse non dubium est, in quas si quis inciderit, proculdubio moechatus a Christo, ab Apostolo non meretur audire: Despondi enim vos uni viro virginem castam exhibere Christo; sed illud ad eum quod sequitur voce ejusdem Apostoli dirigetur: Timeo autem vos, ne sicut serpens seduxit Evam astutia sua, ita corrumpantur sensus vestri a simplicitate quae est in Christo Jesu. Quod si immunditiam hujus quoque fornicationis effugerit, habebit quartam quae haeretici dogmatis adulterio perpetratur. De qua idem B. Apostolus: Ego, inquit, scio, quia post discussionem meam intrabunt lupi graves in vos, non parcentes gregi, et ex vobis ipsis surgent viri loquentes perversa, ut abducant discipulos post se. Hanc etiam qui potuerit declinare, caveat ne subtiliore peccato in fornicationis vitium collabatur, quae scilicet in cogitationum pervagatione consistit, quia omnis cogitatio non solum turpis, sed etiam otiosa, a Deo quantulumcumque discedens, a perfecto viro immundissima fornicatio deputatur. Sanctus Ioannes Cassianus, Collatio Decima Quarta, quae est prima abbatis Nesterotis, De Spiritali Scientia, Caput XI, De multiplici intellectu divinarum Scripturarum Source: Migne PL 49.972b- 974b

As the renewal of our soul grows by means of this study, the Scriptures will also begin to put on a new face, and the beauty of holier understanding will somehow advance with our advance. For their form is adapted to the capacity of men's understanding and they will appear earthly to carnal people, and Divine to spiritual ones, so that those to the former it appears to be wrapped in thick clouds and they cannot apprehend its subtleties nor endure its light. But to make what we are trying to accomplish somewhat clearer by an instance, it will be enough to produce a single passage of the law, by which we can prove that all the heavenly commands as well are applied to men in accordance with the measure of our state. It is written in the law, 'You shall not commit adultery.' 1 According to the simple meaning of the letter this is rightly observed by a man who is still in bondage to foul passions. But by one who has already forsaken these defiling acts and impure affections, it must be observed in the spirit, so that he may forsake not only the worship of idols but also all heathen superstitions and the observance of auguries and omens and all signs and days and times, or that at least he be not entangled in the conjectures of words and names which destroy the purity of our faith. For by fornication of this kind we read that Jerusalem was defiled, as she committed adultery on every high hill and under every green tree, 2 whom also the Lord rebuked by the prophet, saying, 'Let the augers of heaven stand up and save you, those who gazed at the stars and counted the months, that from them they might tell the things that shall come to you,' 3 of which fornication elsewhere also the Lord says in rebuking them, 'The spirit of fornication deceived them and they went whoring from their God.' 4 And the one who has cut off both these sorts of fornication, will have a third to avoid, which is contained in the superstitions of the law and of Judaism, regarding which the Apostle says, 'You observe days and months and times and years,' and again, 'Touch not, taste not, handle not.' Which things are without doubt said of the superstitions of the law, into which one who has fallen has certainly gone a whoring from Christ, and is not worthy to hear this from the Apostle, 'For I have espoused you to one husband, to exhibit you as a chaste virgin to Christ.' 5 But this which follows will be directed to him by the words of the same Apostle, 'But I am afraid lest as the serpent by his cunning deceived Eve, so your minds should be corrupted and fall from the simplicity which is in Christ Jesus.' But if one has escaped the uncleanness even of this fornication there will still be a fourth, which is committed by adulterous intercourse with heretical teaching. The blessed Apostle also speaks about this: 'I know that after my departure grievous wolves shall enter in among you, not sparing the flock, and of yourselves also shall arise men speaking perverse things so as to lead astray the disciples after them.' 2 And he who has been able to avoid even this, let him take care lest he fall by a more subtle sin into the evil of fornication, which is that which consists of wandering thoughts, because every thought which is not only shameful but even idle, departing even a little from God, is reckoned by the perfect man as the foulest fornication. Saint John Cassian, Conferences, Conference 14, which is the first of the Abbot Nesteros, Chapter 11, On the Manifold Understanding of Holy Scripture. 1 Exod 20.14 2 Jerem 3.6 3 Isaiah 47.13 4 Hosea 4.12 5 2 Cor 11.2 6 Acts 20.29-30