Canon Law & Easter Computus 12

Latin original · 6 verses · some words can be tapped for a gloss

12:1

Si pecuniarum pretiis eos oporteret honorare qui virtutibus eminent, parvus utique, sicut Salomon ait (Prov. post. v. 40 apud LXX), totus mundus divitia rum videretur, qui tuis possit adæquari virtutibus. Sed quia multo gratia melior quam divitiarum opu lentia quae tuae venerationi debetur, existit, exigit autem et sanctum Pascba charitatis munificentiam consuetam; offerimus excellenti prudentiæ tuæ mu nus,o homo Dei, parvum quidem, quanquam dignum videatur tibi deferri, sed nostris impar viribus non habetur. Hoc autem munus sermo est, veluti vesti mentum pauperrimum, ex inopi nostra intelligentia non sine labore contextum :

If it were fitting to honor with sums of money those who excel in virtues, then surely, as Solomon says (Prov.), the whole world of riches would appear small, that it could be matched against your virtues. But because grace is far better than that wealth of riches which is owed to your reverence, and because the holy Pasch also demands the customary munificence of charity, we offer to your excellent prudence a gift, small indeed, although it may seem worthy to be presented to you, yet not held unequal to our powers. And this gift is a discourse, like a very poor garment, woven not without labor out of our meager understanding:

倘若理當用金錢來尊敬那些在德行上卓越的人，那麼，正如所羅門所說（箴言），整個富有的世界都將顯得渺小，無法與你的諸般德行相比。但因為恩典遠勝於那理當歸於你之尊崇的財富豐裕，又因為神聖的逾越節也要求愛德慣有的慷慨，所以我們向你卓越的明智獻上一份禮物，誠然微小，雖然它看來配得呈獻給你，卻也不被視為超乎我們的能力。這份禮物乃是一篇論述，宛如一件極其貧寒的衣裳，是從我們貧乏的悟性中非不費力地織成的：

12:2

sermonis vero materia forsitan audacior plurimis esse videbitur, verumta men haud absurda vel indecens aestimatur. Solus quidem digne creaturam Dei consideravit, qui secun dum Deum creatus est. Et vere ad imaginem Dei con ditus formatusque Basilius, communis pater noster atque præceptor, qui sublimissimum creaturæ totius ornatum multis intelligibilem sua contemplatione perfecit, et in vera Dei sapientia formatum mundum his qui per ejus prudentiam huic aptantur inspe ctioni, notissimum esse constituit. Nos autem quam vis admirari de eo, ut dignum est, minime valeamus;

but the subject matter of the discourse will perhaps seem to many too bold, yet nevertheless it is judged neither absurd nor unseemly. He alone has worthily contemplated the creation of God who was himself created according to God. And truly Basil, made and formed according to the image of God, our common father and teacher, who by his contemplation perfected for many an understanding of the most sublime adornment of the whole creation, and established the world, formed in the true wisdom of God, to be most fully known to those who through his prudence are fitted for this inspection. But we, although we are by no means able to admire him as is worthy,

然而這篇論述的題材，對許多人來說，或許會顯得過於大膽，但無論如何，它並不被判為荒謬或不合宜。唯有那位自己照著神而受造的人，才配得思想神的創造。而巴西流，我們共同的父親與導師，確實是照著神的形像被造成形的，他藉著默觀，為許多人成全了對全受造界最崇高之裝飾的理解，又使那按神真智慧所成形的世界，得以被那些藉他的明智而適於這種察驗的人充分認識。但我們，雖然斷不能照所配得的那樣讚嘆他，

12:3

tamen ea quae desunt his quae ab hoc magistro per specta sunt, adjicienda credidimus, nullatenus occa sione praesenti laboris ejus attenuantes industriam (ncc enim fas sublime ejus eloquium nostris obum brari sermonibus) ; sed ne ea quæ videtur magis:ro deesse gloria, discipulis imputetur. Nam cum Hexae- Inero ejus de conditione hominis expositio desit, si nullus auditorum illius aliquod afferret studium, quo minus id quod desiderabatur impleret, adversus magnam gloriam ejus vituperationi forsitan præsta- retur occasio, veluti qui neglexerit ad habitum quem dam perspicacis intelligentiae suorum discipulorum mentes imbuere.

nevertheless we have thought that those things which are lacking to what has been thoroughly examined by this master should be added, in no way by the present occasion diminishing the diligence of his labor (for it is not lawful that his sublime eloquence should be overshadowed by our discourses), but lest that glory which seems wanting to the master should be imputed to his disciples. For since his exposition concerning the formation of man is lacking from his Hexaemeron, if none of his hearers should bring some effort whereby to fulfill what was desired, an occasion of reproach might perhaps be furnished against his great glory, as of one who neglected to imbue the minds of his disciples with a certain habit of penetrating intelligence.

我們仍然認為，凡是這位大師所詳察之事中尚有欠缺的，都當加以補足，絕無意藉這當前的機會貶損他勞作的勤勉（因為斷不可使他崇高的辭令被我們的論述所遮蔽），乃是免得那看來大師所欠缺的榮耀被歸咎於他的門徒。因為他的《六日創世論》中缺了論到人受造的解說，倘若他的聽眾中沒有一人付出某種努力，以成全所欠缺的，那麼或許就會給人留下指責他偉大榮耀的機會，彷彿他疏忽了，沒有使門徒的心智浸潤於某種敏銳穎悟的習性。

12:4

Nunc ergo juxta vires nostras id, quod minus deest, exponere aggressi, si quid tale reperitur in nostris quod ejus doctrinæ non sit indi- gnum, id ad magistrum jure referatur; si vero magni ficentiam contemplationis ejus nostra non assequatur oratio ; ille quidem præter accusationem manebit, qua putatur effectum dexterioris eventus noluisse suis insinuare discipulis, notam causationis effugiens. Nos autem apud eos qui vituperationibus student, consequenter erimus obnoxii, veluti qui parvitate cordis nostri tanti magistri sapientiam capere ue queamus. Est autem non parva ad contemplationem proposita nobis intentio, nec alicui eorum miraculo rum, quæ in mundo sunt, postponenda;

Now therefore, having undertaken according to our powers to expound that which is somewhat lacking, if anything of such a kind be found in our work that is not unworthy of his teaching, let it rightly be referred to the master; but if our discourse does not attain to the magnificence of his contemplation, he indeed will remain free from the accusation by which he is thought to have been unwilling to impart to his disciples the achievement of a happier outcome, escaping the mark of blame. But we, among those who are zealous for fault-finding, shall consequently be liable, as those who through the smallness of our heart are unable to grasp the wisdom of so great a master. The aim set before us for contemplation is no small one, nor to be set after any of the marvels which are in the world;

如今我們既已按自己的能力著手解說那尚有欠缺之事，倘若在我們的作品中發現任何此類不愧於他教導的內容，就當理所當然地歸於大師；但倘若我們的論述未能達到他默觀的宏偉，他確實仍可免於那種指責——即被認為不願將更美結局的成就傳給門徒——逃過受責的記號。而我們，在那些熱衷挑剔的人中，勢必難辭其咎，因為我們心智狹小，無法領會這位如此偉大之師的智慧。然而擺在我們面前供默觀的目標並不微小，也不當被列在世上任何奇蹟之後；

12:5

fortassis au tem et præferenda est omnibus, quæ notitiae nostrae subjecta sunt. Nihil enim eorum quæ videntur, si mile est Deo, sicut est humana conditio : ita ut a benignis auditoribus de his quae dicturi sumus vc- nia nobis in praesenti petenda sit, si sermo noster inferior quam rei dignitas exsposcit appareat. Opor tere autem existimo nihil eorum quæ circa homi nem prius effecta creduntur, et quae complenda spe rantur in posterum, quaeque nunc in praesenti cer nuntur, indiscussum prorsus omittere, ne minor pro missione nostra hæc expositio forsitan arguatur, si homine in contemplatione proposito praetermittatur aliquid eorum quæ ad causam pertinere monstran tur.

but perhaps it is even to be preferred above all things that are subject to our knowledge. For nothing of the things that are seen is like to God, as is the human constitution; so that pardon is to be asked of us in the present by kindly hearers concerning the things we are about to say, if our discourse should appear inferior to what the dignity of the matter requires. And I think it fitting to leave none of those things wholly undiscussed which are believed to have been wrought beforehand concerning man, and which are hoped to be fulfilled hereafter, and which are now beheld in the present, lest perhaps this exposition be convicted of being less than our promise, if, when man is set before us for contemplation, anything be passed over of those things which are shown to pertain to the matter.

或許它甚至當被置於凡屬我們認知範圍之事物之上。因為在一切可見之物中，沒有一樣像人的構造那樣與神相似；因此，論到我們將要說的話，當求仁慈的聽眾在此刻寬恕我們，倘若我們的論述顯得低於這題目尊嚴的要求。我以為理當不可全然略過任何關乎人的事，無論是相信先前已成就的、是盼望日後將要應驗的、還是如今當下所看見的，免得這篇解說或許被指為不及我們的承諾，倘若當人被擺在我們面前供默觀時，竟略過任何被指明與此題目相關之事。

12:6

Sed et quae videntur erga eum accidisse contra ria, et cur non illa quae ab initio facta sunt, in eju3 natura reperiantur, per quamdam consecutionem necessariam, quæ tam Scripturarum auctoritate quam rationis excogitatione collecta est, decentius expli cantur : ita ut sibi consonet universa materia, cum ordo ac series quæputatur adversa, ad unum termi num eumdemque conveniat, sic divina ope atque vir tute spem contra spem et facultatem nobis ex diffi cultate præstante. Manifestationis autem gratia opti mum fore credidi praesentem sermionem tibi capi tulis explicare, quo possis in brevi totius operis ef fectum per singula coeptorum nostrorum argumenta cognoscere.

But also those things which seem to have befallen him contrary to expectation, and why those things which were made from the beginning are not found in his nature, are more becomingly explained by a certain necessary sequence, gathered both from the authority of the Scriptures and from the reasoning of thought: so that the whole subject matter may be consonant with itself, when the order and series which is thought to be adverse converges upon one and the same end, thus by divine help and power affording us hope against hope and ability out of difficulty. And for the sake of clarity I have judged it best to set forth the present discourse to you in chapters, so that you may in brief recognize the effect of the whole work through the several arguments of our undertaking.

不僅如此，凡看來臨到他、與期望相反之事，以及為何那從起初所造之物不見於他的本性，都藉著某種必然的次序得到更合宜的解說——這次序乃是既從聖經的權威、又從思想的推究中匯集而成的：好使全部題材彼此一致，當那看似相違的秩序與系列匯聚於同一個終點時，便藉著神的幫助與大能，賜我們在無可指望中仍存指望、從艱難中得出能力。為求清晰，我認為最好將這篇論述按章節向你陳列，好使你能藉著我們所著手各部分的論點，扼要地認識全部作品的效用。

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