22. It should be noted that the Church was placed in paradise, like the first man, to till it, in such a way that no one would say that anything he possessed was his own. For it began in a state of great perfection that is observed today in the religious life, for the love of Christ was still recent, and in those days a large number also of the priests accepted the faith. This Church, meaning the one that began with the Jews, because they were converted at one time by the three thousand, and at another, by the five thousand, possessed the tree of life, that is, faith, because My just one lives by faith. It also had the tree of knowledge, that is, the Law, which remained with them for seeing and reading, and not for eating. Much more: for "the day you eat of it, you must die." And so you may see the tree of knowledge, but not eat of it, or else you would destroy what Christ had done; and death would necessarily come in, for the letter kills. Hence Paul says: I, Paul, tell you that if you be circumcised, Christ will be of no advantage to you. 22. Notandum, quod Ecclesia posita fuit in paradiso, sicut primus homo, ut operaretur , cum nullus aliquid suum esse dicebat . Incepit enim in magna perfectione quod modo in religiosis observatur, quia amor Christi adhuc recens erat; tunc multa turba sacerdotum obediebat fidei . Haec Ecclesia, scilicet quae incepit in Iudaeis, quia convertebantur modo tria millia , modo quinque millia , habuit lignum vitae , scilicet fidem, quia iustus meus ex fide vivit ; habuit etiam lignum scientiae , scilicet Legem, quae remansit sibi ad videndum et legendum, non ad vescendum; immo in quocumque die comederis ex eo, morte morieris . Unde lignum scientiae potes videre, non manducare, quia destrueres quidquid Christus fecit; et necesse esset, subintrare mortem, quia littera occidit . Unde Paulus dixit: Ego Paulus dico vobis, quod si circumcidamini" Christus vobis nil proderit .
23. Now Adam, in the act of making fruitful, represents those doctors who, falling upon the law as lovers upon their spouse, consumed the tree of the knowledge in order to observe the Law, and consented to the Serpent who persuaded them to do so, whence arose the heresy of the Ebionites, [who taught] that the Law was to be observed together with the Gospels. j And so great was the zeal for the Law that Peter fell into that fallacy, but the grace of God delivered him. And thereupon follows the expulsion [from Paradise], God withdrawing Himself from them. And they were dispersed, and cursed in their work, and devoured as by two bears, Titus and Vespasian. Thus did Cain, the murderer of his brother, that is, the Jewish people, receive a sign. 23. Doctores autem illi significantur per Adam fecundantem, qui incumbentes super Legem, quasi amantes uxorem, comederunt de ligno scientiae, ut Legem observarent, et consenserunt serpenti, qui suadebat Legem observandam; et inde orta est haeresis Ebionitarum, quod Lex observanda esset cum Evangelio; et fuit tantus zelus Legis, ut Petrus iret in illam simulationem; sed gratia Dei ipsum liberavit. -- Et inde sequitur eiectio, quod Deus ab eis recessit; et dispersi sunt et maledicti sunt in opere suo et quasi a duobus ursis , Tito et Vespasiano, devorati sunt. Et sic Cain, scilicet populus Iudaeorum, occisor fratris sui, signum habuit .
24. Likewise in the time after the cleansing of sin, there were three [divisions]: the building of the Ark, the showing of the rainbow, and the separation of tongues. For a hundred years, Noah worked on the Ark in which he was saved together with seven souls. And, as Peter says, baptism is the type of this— [baptism] of water, of desire and of blood. In the New Testament, Clement was saved in this Ark, for a marble temple was prepared for him in the sea by angel hands, while the others were submerged. And out of this there came about a great miracle, that for so many years the sea remained open, until pirates and robbers removed his body.j 24. In tempore culpae purgatae similiter fuerunt tria: fabricatio arcae, ostensio arcus, divisio linguarum . Noè per centum annos fabricavit arcam, in qua Noe cum septem animabus salvatus est. Cuius typum gerit baptismus, secundum quod dicit beatus Petrus , et fluminis et flaminis et sanguinis. -- In novo testamento Clemens in hac arca contutatus est, quia praeparatum est sibi templum marmoreum in mari Angelicis manibus, et alii submersi sunt. Unde fuit magnum miraculum, quod per tot annos aperiebatur mare, donec piratae et latrones asportaverunt corpus eiuf.
25. Another event was the showing of the rainbow; and at that time God led Noah out, and made with him a covenant. In the New Testament, there were ten tribulations, so that Christians could say, "Lord, save us! we are perishing!" And then Constantine was led out, and the sign of the cross was shown to him in the sky, (the sign) by which he was to win; and then he made a covenant, that the Roman Empire would never persecute Christians. Then was the kingdom of Nimrod scattered, and the Tower of Babylon, meaning the Romans, towards which all eyes were drawn. For in Scriptures Rome is called Babylon. And there came about a separation of tongues, and the Hebrew language remained with the house of Heber, and the witnessing of Christ, with the Christian people. 25. Aliud fuit ostensio arcus; et tunc eduxit Deus Noè et pepigit cum eo foedus. -- In novo testamento decem tribulationes fuerunt, ita ut Christiani possent dicere: Domine, salva nos, perimus . Et tunc eductus est Constantinus, et ostensum est sibi signum crucis in caelo, in quo vincere deberet; et tunc pepigit foedus, quod nunquam Romanum imperium persequeretur Christianos. -- Tunc imperium Nemrod dissipatum est , et turris Babylonis , scilicet Romani, ad quam tunc omnes aspiciebant. Roma autem in Scripturis Babylon dicta est. Facta est etiam divisio linguarum, et lingua Hebraea remansit in domo Heber , et remansit confessio Christi in populo christiano.
26. In the time of the chosen people , three things came about: the birth of the Patriarchs, the going down of their offspring into Egypt, and the affliction and liberation of the people. Likewise, to the Roman Pontificate was given a descendence of most illustrious doctors, both of Greek and of Latin expression, paralleling the Twelve Patriarchs: the Greeks, Epiphanius, Basil, Gregory of Nazianza, Gregory of Nyssa, Athanasius and Chrysostom; the Latins, Jerome, Augustine, Hilarion, Ambrose, Orosius and Gregory. After that the Emperor went down to Constantinople, and others after him, and there they obtained all kinds of goods. At the death of Constantine, Constantius arose, who knew nothing of Joseph and was a detestable Arian, and then Valentian, and Julian, the worst of apostates, and they afflicted the people of God through heresies until the time of Theodosius who was born in the West, became a great Christian, destroyed and uprooted Arianism, and exalted the Church. 26. In tempore gentis electae tria facta sunt: generatio Patriarcharum, descensus patriarchalis seminis in Aegyptum, afflictio populi et liberatio eius. -- In novo testamento similiter Pontifici Romano datum est semen Doctorum altissimorum in Graeca et Latina lingua quasi Patriarchae duodecim. Graeci: Epiphanius, Basilius, Gregorius Nazianzenus, Gregorius Nyssenus, Athanasius, Chrysostomus; Latini: Hieronymus, Augustinus, Hilarius, Ambrosius, Orosius, Gregorius. -- Post imperator descendit Constantinopolim, et alii post eum, et ibi obtinuerunt bona quaeque. -- Mortuo Constantino, surrexit Constantes, qui ignorabat Ioseph , pessimus Arianus; et post Valentinianus et Iulianus, apostata pessimus, et afflixerunt populum Dei per haereses usque ad tempus Theodosii, qui natus est in occidente, qui fuit christianissimus, qui deiecit et extirpavit Arianos et exaltavit Ecclesiam.
27. In the fourth time, that of the establishment of the law , there was the giving of the Law, the defeat of enemies and the distribution and claiming of inheritances. In the New Testament, that is, from Leo until Gregory, the canonical, political and monastic laws were given. Leo, indeed, set the canons in order, partly through four Councils and partly through his own action. Likewise, the defeat of the enemies came about through Justinian, by the fact that he overcame the Vandals, the Goths and the Longobards who had invaded those parts of Italy. Again, there was a distribution of inheritances, for Gaul, Britain and Germany were fully converted to the Faith, and the Church was enlarged in the West, although temples to the idols still stood in France. But the enlargement came about in the land of the promise, not in Egypt nor around Greece or the Latin nations. 27. In tempore quarto, scilicet Legis statutae, fuit latio Legis, prostrati hostium, distributio et vindicatio hereditatum. -- In novo testamento, scilicet a Leone usque ad Gregorium, lata est lex canonica, politica, monastica. Leo enim partim ex quatuor Conciliis, partim ipse canones ordinavit. -- Item, prostratio hostium similiter per Iustinianum, qui Vandalos, Gothos, Longobardos, qui illas partes Italiae invaserant, superavit. -- Item, distributio hereditatum, quia Gallia, Britannia, Germania conversa est ad fidem in plenitudine, et dilatata est Ecclesia in occidente, licet adhuc essent idolorum templa in Francia; sed dilatatio fuit in terra promissionis, non in Aegypto, non circa Graecos, sed circa Latinos.
28. In the fifth time, that of the glory of kings , three events occurred: the fall of the prideful king, the development of divine worship, and the separation of the Ten Tribes from the Two. In the New Testament, in the days of the Supreme See, from Gregory until Hadrian, the Patriarch of Constantinople contended with the Patriarch of Rome, and called himself the Catholic Patriarch, meaning Universal, but he was excommunicated and humiliated, and the throne of David was lifted up, as the Lord had promised Peter. Likewise, Gregory, still a young man and not yet a Pope, opposed Eutychius who denied the Resurrection, and overcame him in the sight of the people as David had overcome Goliath. And also, as David enlarged worship, so did he put order in the Office; and as David led the Ark with seven choirs, so did he lead a procession with seven choirs; and as David saw an angel striking Jerusalem and obtained that he . cease, so did he see it over Rome and obtain that he cease. And so it came about that the Greeks, seeing the Church of Rome exalted, were cut away and fell into the heresy of Eutychius, and this at the time of Heraclius who was good at first and then fell into heresy. After him, no longer was there any Emperor in the East. Again, as the Assyrians devastated the Jews, so did the Saracens occupy the Churches of Antioch, Jerusalem, Alexandria, Constantinople, and all the way to Sicily. As the Ten Tribes fell and broke away from the house of David, so did these Churches fall and break away from Peter to whom it had been said: "I will give thee the keys of the kingdom," and they succumbed to the wolves. 28. In quinto tempore, scilicet regalis gloriae, fuerunt tria: Deiectio superbi regis, ampliatio cultus divini, divisio decem tribuum a duabus. -- In novo testamento temporis sublimis cathedrae a Gregorio usque ad Hadrianum patriarcha Constantinopolitanus contendebat cum Romano et dicebat se patriarcham catholicum, hoc est universalem, et fuit excommunicatus et humiliatus, et thronus David exaltatus, sicut Petro promiserat Dominus . Similiter, Gregorius, adhuc iuvenis et nondum Pontifex pugnavit cum Eutychio, qui negabat resurrectionem, et devicit eum in conspectu populi, ut David Goliam. -- Sicut etiam David ampliavit cultum, sic iste ordinavit officium; et sicut David ducebat arcam cum septem choris, sic iste fecit processionem cum septem choris; et sicut David vidit Angelum percutientem super Ierusalem et promeruit, ut cessaret, sic iste super Romam et promeruit, ut cessaret. -- Sicque factum est quod Graeci, videntes, Ecclesiam Romanam exaltari, divisi sunt et ceciderunt in haeresim Eutychianam, et hoc tempore Heraclii, qui primo fuit bonus et postea cecidit in haeresim. Post illum nunquam fuit imperator in oriente. Sicut etiam Assyrii vastaverunt Iudaeos, sic Saraceni occupaverunt Ecclesiam Antiochenam, Hierosolymitanam, Alexandrinam, Constantinopolitanam, usque Siciliam. Sicut illae decem tribus ceciderunt et recesserunt a domo David; sic illae Ecclesiae, quia ceciderunt et recesserunt a Petro, cui dictum erat: Tibi dabo claves regni caelorum*, inciderunt in lupos.
29. In the sixth time, three events came about: the height of victory, of teaching, and of prophecy. The height of victory occurred with Sennacherib who rose against Jerusalem, and an angel of the Lord ... slew ... a hundred and eighty-five thousand. Yet Ezechias was healed in a manner that opposed [the laws of] nature, and the sun went backwards. Likewise, in the time from Hadrian through that of Charlemagne who miraculously brought about triumphal victories as if he were an angel sent by the Lord, and the sun, to wit, the tide of tribulations, receded, and there came about the peace of the Church which was later to set up archbishops, bishops and the religious way of life. Clarity of teaching belonged to that time, for Charlemagne appealed to the clerics and had books written, for instance in [the monastery of] St. Denis, and Bibles in many places, and people began to read and to study philosophy, and he [the Emperor] also increased the number of members of religious communities. At that time, it was fitting that there come about a way of life that would be orderly, that would have prophetical action. Now, this time is twofold. Hence, as in the passion of the Lord, first there was light, then darkness, then light again: so also it must come to pass that there be first the light of teaching, and then that Josias be the successor of Ezechias, and that after this, there be the tribulation of the Jews in captivity. For it was a necessity that there arise at first a prince who would support the Church, one who is to come, or one who has already existed—and he added: Would that he had not already existed — after which would come the darkness of tribulations. In a corresponding time, Charlemagne exalted the Church and his successors opposed it: in the days of Henry IV there were two popes, and two also in the days of Frederic the Great. And it is certain that one of them wanted to exterminate the Church4 But an angel ascending from the rising of the sun . . . cried ... to the four angels ... "Do not harm the earth or the sea ... till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads." Wherefore the Church's tribulations are lasting until now. And it was said to the Angel of Philadelphia, who was the sixth, "Thus says the holy one, the true one, he who has the key of David, he who opens and no one shuts, and who shuts and no one opens: I know thy works. Behold, I have caused a door to be opened before thee.— And he said that now for the first time the understanding of Scripture would be given, either as revelation or as the key of David, to a single person or to a great number of people; and I believe rather [that it would be given] to a great number. 29. In sexto tempore facta sunt tria: praeclaritas victoriae, praeclaritas doctrinae, praeclaritas vitae propheticae. -- Praeclaritas victoriae in Sennacherib, qui venit contra Ierusalem, et Angelus Domini interfecit centum octoginta quinque millia . Et Ezechias contra naturam sanatus est, et sol abiit retro . -- Similiter in tempore Hadriani per Carolum, qui miraculose fecit triumphos quasi missus Angelus a Domino, et sol, id est aestus tribulationis, abiit retro, et facta est pax Ecclesiae, ut postea statueret archiepiscopos, episcopos et coenobia. -- Hoc tempore fuit claritas doctrinae, quia Carolus vocavit clericos et scripsit libros, ut in sancto Dionysio Biblia et in multis locis, et inceperunt legere et philosophari, et religiosos etiam dilatavit. -- Hoc tempore oportuit venire vitam per ordinem, qui haberet vitam propheticam. Hoc autem tempus est geminum, unde, sicut in passione Domini fuit primo lux, deinde tenebra, postea lux, sic necesse est, ut primo sit lux doctrinae, et succedat Iosias Ezechiae , post quam facta est tribulatio Iudaeorum per captivitatem. Necesse est enim, ut surgat unus princeps zelator Ecclesiae, qui vel erit, vel iam fuit -- et addidit: Utinam iam non fuerit -- post quem fit obscuritas tribulationum. Hoc tempore similiter Carolus exaltavit Ecclesiam, et eius successores oppugnaverunt eam: tempore Henrici quarti fuerunt duo Papae, similiter tempore Frederici magni, duo. Et certum est, quod aliquis inter eos voluit exterminare Ecclesiam; sed Angelus ascendens ab ortu solis cla- mavit quatuor Angelis: Nolite nocere terrae et mari, quousque signemus servos Dei nostri in frontibus eorum . Unde adhuc restat Ecclesiae tribulatio. Et dictum est Angelo Philadelphiae, qui sextus est: Haec dicit Sanctus et Verus, qui habet clavem David; qui aperit, et nemo claudit; claudit, et nemo aperit. Scio opera tua, quia ecce, dedi coram te ostium apertum . -- Et dixit, quod adhuc intelligentia Scripturae daretur vel revelatio vel clavis David personae vel multitudini; et magis credo, quod multitudini.
30. In the seventh time, we know the following events occurred: the rebuilding of the temple, the restoration of the city and the establishment of peace. Likewise, in the seventh time to come, there will be a rebuilding of divine worship and a restoration of the city. Then will be fulfilled the prophecy of Ezechiel, when the city will come down from heaven, not indeed that city which is above, but the one below, that is, the [Church] Militant: when it will be conformed to the [Church] Triumphant, as far as it is possible on the pilgrim way. Then there will be a building of the city, and a restoration [of it] as it was in the beginning. And then there shall be peace. But how long this peace will last, God knows. 30. In septimo tempore scimus quod haec facta sunt; reaedificatio templi, restauratio civitatis et pax data. Similiter in tempore septimo futuro erit reparatio divini cultus et reaedificatio civitatis. Tunc implebitur prophetia Ezechielis , quando civitas descendet de caelo, non quidem illa quae sursum est , sed illa quae deorsum est, scilicet militans; quando erit conformis triumphanti, secundum quod possibile est in via. Tunc erit aedificatio civitatis et restitutio, sicut a principio; et tunc pax erit. Quantum autem durabit illa pax, Deus novit.
31. And so, since there are seven times both in the Old Testament and in the New, and each one of them is threefold or contains three events, the sevenfold series multiplied twice by three amount to the number forty-two, corresponding to the forty-two stages through which the promised land was reached. Thus it is clear how Scripture describes the succession of times; and they are not haphazard nor left to chance, but they contain a marvelous light and many spiritual meanings. 31. Igitur cum sint septem tempora et in veteri testamento et in novo, et quodlibet triforme, vel in quolibet tria sint; septenarius multiplicatus per ternarium bis, quadraginta duo facit; et iste sunt quadraginta duae mansiones, quibus pervenitur ad terram promissionis . -- Et sic patet, quomodo Scriptura describit successiones temporum; et non sunt a casu et fortuna, sed mira lux est in eis et multae intelligentiae spirituales.