The Four Earths

Diligte iusitiam qui iudicatis terram... Notandum autem quod legitur esse quadruplex terra, scilicet terra superior, terra, inquam, viventium, de qua in Psalmo: Credo videre bona Domini in terra viventium. Inferior terra, scilicet mortuorum; Ezechielis trigesimo primo: Ecce, dedectus es cum lignis voluptatis ad terram ultimam. Exterior terra, sciliect morientium, scilicet praesens mundus; Apocalypsis octavo: Vae, vae, vae, habitantibus in terra! id et, in mundo. Interior terra, scilicet mortis, id est corpus mortale et terrenum; Ecclesiastici decimo: Quid superibus, terra et cinis? Prima terra non subiacet iudicio nostro, quia non est in nostra potestate; et ideo bene dictum est Petro Matthaei decimo sexto: Quodcumque ligaveris super terram, non super caelum. Secunda iam iudicata est nec potest poenitere; Ioannis tertio: Qui non credit iam iudicatus est. Tertia iudicanda est iudicio iustitiae, secundum illiud Psalmi: Recte iudicate, filii hominum. Quarta iudicanda est iudicio disciplinae discretae, secundum illud Ecclesiastici trigesimo tertio: Cibaria et virga et onus asino; panis et disciplina et opus servo, id est, corpori, quod spiritui servire cogendum est, exemplo beati Martini, qui, artus febre fatiscentes spiritui servire cogebat; item exemplo Pauli dicentis: Castigo corpus meum et in servitutem redigo, in qua scilicet erat in statu innocentiae; redigo, per virtutem et opera poenitentiae. Praedicto servo debetur sustentatio panis, ne deficiat; virga disciplinae, ne lasciviat; et occupatio sancti operis , ne torpeat. Sanctus Boneventura, Commentarius In Librum Sapientiae, Caput I Source: Here, 360e-

Love righteousness, you who judge the earth... 1 It should be noted that we read a fourfold earth, namely, a higher earth, an earth, I say, of the living of which it says in the Psalm: 'I believe I will see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living.' 2 A lower earth, namely, of the dead, as in the thirty first chapter of Ezekiel: 'Behold, you are brought down with the trees of pleasure to the lowest parts of the earth.' 3 An external world, namely, of the dying, that is, the present world; as in the eighth chapter of the Apocalypse: 'Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabitants of the earth,' 4 that is, in the world. An interior world, namely of death, that is, a mortal and earthly body; as in the tenth chapter of Ecclesiasticus: 'Why so proud, earth and ashes?' 5 The first earth is not subject to our judgment because it is not under our power, and so it is well said to Peter in the sixteenth chapter of Matthew: 'Whatever you shall bind on earth', that is, not on heaven. 6 The second earth cannot do penance because it is already judged, as in the third chapter of John: 'He who does not believe is already judged.' 7 The third earth has to be judged by a judgment of justice, according to the Psalm: 'Judge rightly, sons of men.' 8 The fourth earth has to be judged by a judgment of prudent discipline according to the thirty third chapter of Ecclesiasticus: 'Fodder and a stick and a burden are for an ass; bread and correction and work for a slave,' 9 that is, for the body, which must be driven to serve the spirit, as seen in the example of Saint Martin who 'as his strength failed, he compelled it to serve the spirit.' Also in the example of Paul who said: 'I chastise my body and bring it into subjection,' 10 just as it was in the state of innocence, I bring it by effort and works of penance. A portion of bread must be given to this servant lest it perish, and the stick lest it run wild, and an engagement in holy work, lest it become sluggish. Saint Bonaventura, Commentary On The Book of Wisdom, Chapter 2 1 Wisd 1.1 2 Ps 26.13 3 Ezek 31.18 4 Apoc 8.13 5 Sirach 10.9 6 Mat 16.19 7 Jn 3.18 8 Ps 57.2 9 Sirach 33.25 10 1 Cor 9.27