Question 101. Whether she knew civil rights, laws, and decrees in the highest degree?

Latin (Borgnet)English

p. 160

QUAESTIO CI. Utrum sciverit in summo jura civilia, leges et decreta?

Item, Quod jura civilia leges et decreta scivit in summo, patet hoc modo:

1. Sapientia advocati manifestatur in tribus. Unum, quod obtineat omnia contra judicem justum et sapientem. Secundo, quod contra adversarium astutum et sagacem. Tertio, quod in causa desperata. Sed beatissima Virgo contra judicem sapientissimum Dominum, contra adversarium callidissimum diabolum, in causa nostra desperata sententiam optatam obtinuit: ergo sapientissima advocata fuit.

2. Item, Sapientis est eligere advocatum sapientem: sed istam advocatam Spiritus sanctus elegit nobis, qui omnia cognovit: ergo ipsa sapientissima fuit.

3. Item, Aliqui advocati possunt injustum justum esse probare sophistice et non facere: sed beata Virgo hoc de nostra injustitia fecit: ergo improportionabiliter omnibus optime allegare scivit.

4. Item, Ipsa imperatrix fuit: ergo leges condere potuit, et legis interpretatio penes ipsam fuit, et omnia jura in arca sui cordis clausa habuit: ergo et beatissima Virgo jura omnia et rhetoricam in summo scivit ¹.

QUESTION 101. Whether she knew civil rights, laws, and decrees in the highest degree?

Likewise, that she knew civil rights, laws, and decrees in the highest degree is clear in this way:

1. The wisdom of an advocate is manifested in three things. One is that he obtains all things against a just and wise judge. Second, that he obtains them against an astute and shrewd adversary. Third, that he obtains them in a desperate case. But the most blessed Virgin, against the most wise judge, the Lord, against the most crafty adversary, the devil, in our desperate case obtained the desired sentence. Therefore she was a most wise advocate.

2. Likewise, it belongs to a wise person to choose a wise advocate. But the Holy Spirit, who knew all things, chose this advocate for us. Therefore she herself was most wise.

3. Likewise, some advocates can sophistically prove that an unjust thing is just and not make it just. But the blessed Virgin did this concerning our injustice. Therefore she knew how to plead best, disproportionately beyond all.

4. Likewise, she herself was empress. Therefore she could establish laws, and the interpretation of law was in her possession, and she had all rights closed in the ark of her heart. Therefore the most blessed Virgin also knew all rights and rhetoric in the highest degree ¹.

Notes

In the same place. (Ibidem.) ↩