De tribus generibus lectorum.
Different aims in reading
Those who are advancing in spiritual life read with a different purpose than beginners, and what is allowed to one may not yet be required of the other.
I think it has been made sufficiently clear that for those who are advancing and promising even more of themselves, the purpose is not the same as it is for those who are just beginning. But just as some things are legitimately granted to the ones that the others can scarcely do without fault, so too something is demanded of the others that the ones are not yet bound to.1
Corrupt and curious motives
Some read Scripture for worldly gain, others merely for wonder, admiring God's power but not loving his mercy, turning divine praise into entertainment.
So now I return to what I promised to address, in order to show clearly how those who still seek only knowledge in Scripture are to read the divine writings. There are some who seek knowledge of divine Scripture in order to amass wealth, attain honors, or acquire fame — and the more twisted their intention, the more pitiable it is. Then there are others who are delighted to hear the words of God and learn of his works — not because they bring salvation, but because they are wonders. They want to search out hidden and unheard-of things — to know much and do nothing. They admire God's power, but to no avail, since they do not love his mercy.2 So what else can I say these people are doing but turning divine praises into stories?
The misguided and the praiseworthy
Those who treat Scripture as entertainment should be helped rather than censured, while those who read to grow in faith, teach others, and love more ardently are truly praiseworthy.
We throw ourselves into theatrical shows and stage performances to feed our ears, but not our minds; yet I believe people like this should be helped more than censured, since their will is not malicious at all, just misguided. Others, by contrast, read sacred Scripture so that — following the apostle's instruction — they may be ready to give an account of the faith they stand in to everyone who asks, so that they might powerfully refute the enemies of truth, teach the less learned, recognize the way of truth more perfectly themselves, and, as they grasp God's mysteries more deeply, love more ardently — people whose devotion is surely praiseworthy and worthy of imitation. So there are three kinds of people who read sacred Scripture: the first are to be pitied, the second are to be helped, and the third are to be praised.
A shared desire for all
The author expresses a pastoral desire that what is good in everyone may increase and what is perverse be corrected, so that all may understand and act.
As for us, because we aim to serve everyone, we desire that what is good in all people increase and what is perverse be changed. We want everyone to understand what we say, everyone to do what we urge.
Read the original Latin
Satis, ut puto, aperte demonstratum est provectis, et aliquid amplius de se promittentibus, non idem esse propositum cum incipientibus. sed sicut illis aliquid licite conceditur quod isti sine culpa minime agere possunt, ita etiam ab istis aliquid requiri quo illi nondum obligati sunt. nunc igitur ad promissa solvenda redeo, ut videlicet ostendam qualiter eis divina scriptura legenda sit, qui adhuc in ea solam quaerunt scientiam. sunt nonnulli qui divinae scripturae scientiam appetunt ut vel divitias congregent, vel honores obtineant, vel famam acquirant, quorum intentio quantum perversa, tantum est miseranda. sunt rursus alii, quos audire verba Dei et opera eius discere delectat, non quia salutifera, sed quia mirabilia sunt. scrutari arcana et inaudita cognoscere volunt, multa scire et nil facere. in vanum mirantur potentiam qui non amant misericordiam. hos ergo quid aliud agere dicam, quam praeconia divina in fabulas commutare?
sic theatralibus ludis, sic scenicis carminibus, intendere solemus, ut scilicet auditum pascamus, non animum, huiusmodi tamen non tam confundi quam adiuvari oportere censeo, quorum voluntas non utique maligna est, sed improvida. alii vero idcirco sacram scripturam legunt ut, secundum apostoli praeceptum, parati sint omni poscenti reddere rationem de ea fide in qua positi sunt, ut videlicet inimicos veritatis fortiter destruant, minus eruditos doceant, ipsi perfectius viam veritatis agnoscant, et altius Dei secreta intelligentes artius ament, quorum nimirum devotio laudanda est et imitatione digna. tria igitur sunt genera hominum sacram scripturam legentium, quorum primi quidem miserandi sunt, secundi iuvandi, tertii laudandi. nos vero, quia omnibus consulere intendimus, quod bonum est in omnibus augeri cupimus, et quod perversum, commutari. omnes intelligere volumus quod dicimus, omnes facere quod hortamur.
Notes
- 1 ↩The identity of 'illis' and 'isti' is context-dependent: the most natural reading, given the contrast with the previous sentence, is that 'illis' refers to the advanced (provectis) and 'isti' to the beginners (incipientibus), though the pronouns could be read in the reverse sense.
- 2 ↩'In vanum' could modify either the act of admiring (they admire power uselessly) or the broader condition (it is futile to admire power without loving mercy); the translation takes it as an adverbial comment on the whole clause.
Didascalicon de Studio Legendi (On the Study of Reading) companion
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