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| Chapter XXXIV. Of the saying of the same old man, through which he taught by what efforts a monk can acquire a knowledge of the Scriptures.
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Chapter XXXIV.
Of the saying of the same old man, through which he
taught by what efforts a monk can acquire a knowledge of the
Scriptures.
This man therefore, when
some of the brethren were wondering at the splendid light of his
knowledge and were asking of him some meanings of Scripture, said that
a monk who wanted to acquire a knowledge of the Scriptures ought not to
spend his labour on the works of commentators, but rather to keep all
the efforts of his mind and intentions of his heart set on purifying
himself from carnal vices: for when these are driven out, at once the
eyes of the heart, as if the veil of the passions were removed, will
begin as it were naturally to gaze on the mysteries870
of Scripture: since they were not
declared to us by the grace of the Holy Spirit in order that they
should remain unknown and obscure; but they are rendered obscure by our
fault, as the veil of our sins covers the eyes of the heart, and when
these are restored to their natural state of health, the mere reading
of Holy Scripture is by itself amply sufficient for beholding the true
knowledge, nor do they need the aid of commentators, just as these eyes
of flesh need no man’s teaching how to see, provided that they
are free from dimness or the darkness of blindness. For this reason
there have arisen so great differences and mistakes among commentators
because most of them, paying no sort of attention towards purifying the
mind, rush into the work of interpreting the Scriptures, and in
proportion to the density or impurity of their heart form opinions that
are at variance with and contrary to each other’s and to the
faith, and so are unable to take in the light of
truth.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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