The dove, figure of the Holy Spirit and of the one church

Loserth pp. 64.11–66.2

¶164.11–66.2

64Unde Augustinus super Joh. Omelia VIa, exponens illud Johannis primo: Vidi spiritum descendentem quasi columbam de celo et manentem super eum, notat primo quomodo descensus columbe signat mistice spiritum sanctum, quia columba habet gemitum amorosum pro cantu. Spiritus autem sanctus secundum apostolum Romanorum VIII°, 26, postulat pro nobis gemitibus inenarrabilibus. Secundo quia columba sine felle vel laceracione unguium communicat pacis seculum, et tercio quia pascitur puris granis, econtra de corvis et minutis avibus que pascuntur carnibus vel muscas capiunt ut pascantur. Et propter istam similitudinem ad proprietates spiritus sancti precepit Christus suis apostolis Matthei X°, 16, quod sint simplices ut columbe. Secundo notat Augustinus quod descensus singularis columbe super Christum cum voce patris docuit Baptistam quod Christus capitaliter baptizat in spiritu sancto primo cuius principii est unitas in baptismo, qui non suscipit magis et minus secundum merita baptizantum, 65eo quod Christus non potuit communicare hanc primiciam potestatis suis discipulis. Tercio notat quomodo columba ad sensum allegoricum signat matrem ecclesiam que est una (ut dicitur Canticorum, V° capitulo, de columba). Unde sicut in diluvio columba egressa de archa reversa est, deferens ramum virentis olive, corvo pretextu affectus cadaveris extincto diluvio, sic in sancta matre ecclesia hii exeunt ad tempus et penitencia ducti redeunt, non solum cum verborum foliis, sed fructu bonorum operum, et omnino cum oleo caritatis que supereminenter super alia carismata instar olei supernatat. Ideo signanter dicit apostolus Iª Cor. XII°, 31: Adhuc eminenciorem viam demonstrabo vobis. Presciti autem exeunt de archa ut corvi, sed propter amorem temporalium pro quibus instanter placitant demerguntur. Quarto notari potest secundum logicam scripture quomodo spiritus sanctus movetur, cum descendit et postulat gemitibus inexplicabilibus et mane consurgit ad instruendum ecclesiam (ut dicitur Isaie VII°). Sed hoc non facit in natura propria, sed in creatura quam assumit, non ypostatice, sed singulariter ad sui noticiam et caritatis officium peragendum, nec solum in simplicitate columbina apparuit, sed in linguis igneis dispertitis ad docendum quod nedum debemus esse simplices, sed in operibus eciam caritatis ferventes, ut, sicut superbia divisit linguas in sensu, non in loco, tempore edificacionis turris Babel, Genesis XI°, sic econtra humilitas spiritus sancti congreget linguas uniformes quoad sensum, quantumlibet dispares quoad locum. Quinto colligitur ex dictis beati Augustini quod solum illi salvantur ut partes matris ecclesie qui proprietatem deserentes 66querunt finaliter res communes ecclesie que sunt capitaliter domini Jesu Christi.

Hence Augustine on John, homily 6, expounding that [text] of John 1[:32], "I saw the Spirit coming down, as a dove from heaven, and remaining upon him," notes, first, how the descent of the dove mystically signifies the Holy Spirit: because the dove has a loving moan for its song. And the Holy Spirit, according to the apostle, Romans 8:26, "asketh for us with unspeakable groanings."¹ Second, because the dove, without gall and without tearing with its claws, communicates the age [?] of peace; and third, because it feeds on clean grains, the contrary [being true] of ravens and small birds, which feed on flesh or catch flies to feed themselves.² And because of this likeness to the properties of the Holy Spirit, Christ commanded his apostles, Matthew 10:16, that they be "simple as doves." Second, Augustine notes that the descent of a single dove upon Christ, with the voice of the Father, taught the Baptist that Christ baptizes as head in the Holy Spirit, as first [principle], of which principle is the unity in baptism, which does not admit more and less according to the merits of those who baptize, 65because Christ could not communicate this first-fruit of power to his disciples.³ Third, he notes how the dove, in the allegorical sense, signifies mother church, which is one (as is said in the Canticle, chapter 5, of the dove). Hence, just as in the flood the dove that went out of the ark returned, carrying a branch of green olive, while the raven, on the pretext of its craving for a carcass, was destroyed by the flood, so in holy mother church these go out for a time and, led by penance, return, not only with the leaves of words but with the fruit of good works, and above all with the oil of charity, which floats above the other gifts preeminently, as oil does.⁴ Therefore the apostle says pointedly, 1 Corinthians 12:31: "Yet I will shew you a more eminent way." But the foreknown go out of the ark like ravens, but because of the love of temporal goods, for which they plead insistently, they are drowned.⁵ Fourth, it can be noted according to the logic of scripture how the Holy Spirit is moved, since he comes down, and asks with inexpressible groanings, and rises early to instruct the church (as is said in Isaiah 7). But he does not do this in his own nature, but in the creature which he assumes, not hypostatically, but singularly, to make himself known and to carry out the office of charity; nor did he appear only in dovelike simplicity, but in parted tongues of fire, to teach that we ought not only to be simple but also fervent in works of charity: so that, just as pride divided tongues in sense, not in place, at the time of the building of the tower of Babel, Genesis 11, so, on the contrary, the humility of the Holy Spirit may gather tongues uniform as to sense, however disparate as to place.⁶ Fifth, it is gathered from the sayings of blessed Augustine that only those are saved as parts of mother church who, forsaking property, 66seek finally the common things of the church, which are the Lord Jesus Christ’s as chief [lord].⁷

Notes

1 Augustine, In Iohannis evangelium tractatus 6 (Wyclif "homily 6"; Loserth: John 1:32, cf. Aug. Opp. III/2, 330); the dove’s kisses at 6.4, PL 35:1427; the power of baptism at 5.7, PL 35:1417. John 1:32, DR, with Wyclif’s manentem for the Vulgate’s et mansit ("and he remained"). Rom. 8:26, DR. Gemitum amorosum pro cantu: the dove’s moan in place of song. B margin: Nota quare columbe descensus signat spiritum sanctum … Nota proprietates columbe (64.16).
2 Communicat pacis seculum, as printed (64.c19), (plate: clearly s) construes only loosely: "communicates the age (or world) of peace". Augustine has oscula columbarum … vera pax (tr. 6.4, PL 35:1427), so osculum ("the kiss of peace") may be the sense; no MS reads it, and we translate the print. Econtra de corvis: supply "it is".
3 Primo cuius principii est unitas in baptismo: construed "as first [principle], of which principle is the unity in baptism"; primo might instead be adverbial ("first"). The point is Augustine’s against the Donatists: baptism is Christ’s, and its worth does not vary with the minister’s merit. Augustine says the Lord could have given this power to his servants but would not (potuit … et noluit, tr. 5.7, PL 35:1417); Wyclif writes non potuit, "could not", which we translate as printed. Baptizantum for baptizantium.
4 Song 6:8, "One is my dove" (una est columba mea); Wyclif "chapter 5" (cf. 5:2, columba mea). Gen. 8:7–11 told freely: the dove returns with ramum olivae virentibus foliis (8:11); the raven "did not return" (8:7). Corvo … extincto diluvio: construed as ablative absolute with diluvio instrumental, "the raven … destroyed by the flood" (cf. demerguntur below); possibly "when the flood had abated". Matrem ecclesiam: the church as mother, not matrix ecclesia (the glossary, ).
5 1 Cor. 12:31 in Wyclif’s wording (eminenciorem … demonstrabo); Vulgate excellentiorem viam vobis demonstro, DR "And I shew unto you yet a more excellent way". B margin: 1 Cor. 12 (65.13). Placitant: plead at law, litigate. Presciti: those God foreknows will be damned (explained at the first occurrence in the work).
6 Isaie VII° (65.20): so the MSS; Loserth: "rightly Jer. 7:13", DR "rising up early, and speaking". Inexplicabilibus: Wyclif’s variation on Rom. 8:26 inenarrabilibus. Acts 2:3, "parted tongues, as it were of fire"; Gen. 11:7–9. Congreget (65.29) is Loserth’s; the MSS congregat, "gathers" (same sense). A margin: Quomodo spiritus sanctus movetur (65.17); Spiritus sanctus per diversa significatur et quare, ut per columbam, per ignem etc. (65.2).
7 Capitaliter: "as chief [lord]", the feudal sense of capitalis dominus (the glossary, ); the goods are common because they are held of Christ. The "sayings of Augustine" are the same tractate, 6.2: the ravens sua quaerunt, the doves ea quae Christi sunt quaerunt (Phil. 2:21; PL 35:1426); Wyclif paraphrases. AB margin: Conclusio; A: De capite ecclesie (66.1).

How the Latin of this chapter was established

Plate readings; page · reading · note):
- 64: illud
- 64: amorosum [NW]
- 64: Christus
- 65: ∅ (nothing between Christus and non; these words are the last line of p.64 (already in p.64))
- 65: Iª
- 65: 3 (first digit of '31:'; the pivot splits it (pos 94 = '1:'))
- 65: placitant (leading 4 is the margin number)
- 66: sunt (137c is the folio mark)
- 65: XI°, (no verse; boxed edge mark is the s of sic) [-VERSE]
Corrected in the Latin: 64.11 stray j; 65.13 3 1 (31). 64.20 seculum: the print (plate), translated (n. 2).