The Fifteenth Method: Collation

On Collation (Conference) — The Fifteenth Method

Collation, or the Collative exposition, ¹ is that which expounds the divine oracles by familiar and mutual colloquies and dialogues; of which there are two species ² — namely the Continuous and the Interrupted. Now the Continuous ³ is that in which, the course of the discourse being unbroken, one person speaks throughout, reporting a conversation held by himself or by another with others, and at the same time connecting, by the words “I say” and “he says,” the questions and answers of those conversing — as among the Greeks Cebes the Theban did in the dialogue whose title is πίναξ [pinax], that is, the Tablet, explaining the sense of a mystical picture; and among the Latins Severinus Boethius, in the two dialogues he published on the exposition of Porphyry. But the Interrupted ⁴ is that in which — lest “I say” and “he says” be too often and tediously repeated — the progress of the narration is interrupted, and, after the manner of Plato and Cicero, various persons are brought in conversing among themselves and examining the senses of the sacred volumes by mutual questionings, so that the discourse seems to be held face to face as if by persons present. The former species of Collation was embraced, among the Greeks, by John Cassian, ⁵ discoursing on many places of the divine letters in his Conferences; and by Zacharias, bishop of Hierapolis, in his dialogue upon the golden statue of Daniel, ⁶ which is entitled ΧΡΥΣΕΙΚΩΝ [Chryseikon, “the Golden Image”]; and among the Latins by Jacobus Sadoletus, bishop of Carpentras, in his commentaries on the epistle to the Romans. The latter species was followed, among the Greeks, by Apollinaris the Younger, bishop of Laodicea, reducing the evangelical and apostolic writings to the form of a dialogue; and among the Latins by Salonius, bishop of Vienne, and by John Gerson — of whom the former expounded the Proverbs and Ecclesiastes of Solomon, the latter the Song of Songs of Solomon, in dialogue. Examples of both species are these:

An Example of Continuous Collation, on Psalm 116

When yesterday, expounding the hundred-and-sixteenth Psalm in a sermon, I had said that this same Psalm is the beginning, end, sum, and compendium of all Psalms and Hymns, our Aurelius, who was then present, came to me when the discourse was finished; and when he had fallen into talk about the things I had spoken, he said that he wondered how this Psalm — by far the shortest of all — could comprehend all Hymns and Psalms; and he asked that this be explained to him by us. Then I: “There is nothing, best son, why you should wonder, if you consider that the whole kind of Psalms and Hymns was invented for the singing of the praises of the divine works, but especially for celebrating those twin virtues of the most high God, Mercy and Truth — the fullness of which comprehends all the deeds and wondrous works of God, David saying: All the ways of the Lord are Mercy and Truth.” ⁷ And thereupon Aurelius: “I confess,” he said, “that not only is this the aim of all hymns, but that all the divine works are contained in these two virtues. But what you would gather from this, set forth.” I then [said]: “Do you not see how these two most excellent works of God, Mercy and Truth, are set forth in the present Psalm most abundantly — in brief words indeed, yet plainly eloquent and fruitful?” “I see,” said he, “and I have both sufficiently in view.” Then I, as though drawing a conclusion from what he had granted, said: “Since, therefore, this Psalm declares the praises of the divine mercy and truth, by which all the divine works, everywhere sung in all songs and hymns, are comprehended — it follows that, as many as there are in the whole compass of Psalms and odes, it embraces the praises and encomia of the divine works, as though compressed into a sum and compendium,” etc. ⁸

An Example of Interrupted Collation, on the hundred-and-sixteenth Psalm

AURELIUS: Tell me, venerable Augustine — is it true, what I lately heard when you were preaching, that the hundred-and-sixteenth Psalm is the beginning, end, and compendium of all Psalms and hymns? AUGUSTINE: It is true, my Aurelius. AUR.: I wonder how it can be that a Psalm, by far the shortest of all, should comprehend so many and almost innumerable hymns, Psalms, and odes. AUG.: Yet so it truly is. For just as all lines run together into the very center of a circle, so into this one Psalm all the rest flow together as into the end and beginning of all Psalms. AUR.: I could wish this to be explained more openly. AUG.: Do you grant that every kind of Psalm and hymn contains the praises of God, and was framed chiefly for celebrating the divine works? ⁹ AUR.: I grant it. AUG.: Do you confess that the sum of all the divine deeds is referred to those two most splendid works — Mercy, I say, and Truth? ¹⁰ AUR.: I confess it; and often too I have that saying of David upon my lips: All the ways of the Lord are mercy and truth. AUG.: But do you not see how this Psalm proclaims these two admirable works of God, in brief but most fruitful words? AUR.: I see indeed, and acknowledge it well enough. AUG.: Therefore, since the aim and argument of this Psalm is to celebrate those two things, within which the arguments of all the Psalms are compressed, it is agreeable [to reason] that all the Psalms are concluded in this one Psalm, etc.