[Rationale divinorum officiorum]

Here begins the Rationale of Divine Offices.

A large ornamental drop-cap 'Q' decorated with intricate floral and foliage patterns, spanning approximately twelve lines of text.

Whatever is constituted in ecclesiastical offices, things, and ornaments is full of divine signs and mysteries, and each individual thing overflows with heavenly sweetness. If only they had diligent inspectors who know how to draw honey from the rock and oil from the hardest stone. Yet who knows the order of the sky and can set its reasons on the earth? For the searcher of majesty will be oppressed by the glory. Since the pit is deep, and I do not have anyone to draw water unless He who gives abundantly to all and does not reproach reaches out to me, so that passing through the midst of the mountains, I may draw water in joy from the fountains of the Savior. Although, therefore, a reason cannot be given for all things which have been handed down by the ancients, because what lacks reason in these things must be rooted out, therefore I, William, called Bishop of the Church of Mende by the sole patience of God, knocking at the door if by chance the Key of David might deign to open so that the King might introduce me into the wine cellar, in which He might demonstrate to me the heavenly exemplar that was shown to Moses on the mountain, so that concerning the individual things that consist in ecclesiastical offices, objects, and ornaments, I might, with Him revealing, be able to discuss clearly and openly what they signify and figure, and provide the reasons. For He makes the tongues of infants eloquent, whose spirit breathes where it wills, dividing to each as He wills for the praise and glory of the Trinity. Truly, here we take sacraments for signs or figures; since indeed figures are not virtues, but signs of virtues, by which, using them as if they were writings, they teach. Moreover, some signs are natural, others are positive, about which and what a sacrament is will be said in the fourth part under the seventh particle of the canon, upon the word "mystery of faith." Therefore, priests and prelates of the church, to whom it is given to know the mysteries, as is held in Luke, and who are the bearers and dispensers of the sacraments, ought to understand the sacraments and shine with the virtues which are signified by them, lest the others are illuminated by their light; otherwise they are blind and leaders of the blind. According to that prophetic word: "Let their eyes be darkened that they may not see." But, alas, they themselves today for the most part perceive little of these things, which they use in daily ecclesiastical things and offices, as to what they signify and why they were instituted, so that it seems that that prophetic word is fulfilled to the letter: "Like people, like priest" (Psalm 23). For carrying the loaves of proposition to the table of the Lord, and mysteries which they neither understand nor see, they are going to have too much of an account to render by the just judgment of God, as much as they carry the discovered loaves for the use of others, for which ignorance they are going to have to render an account on the day of vengeance and wrath, when indeed the cedars of Lebanon will tremble. What then will the rod of the desert do?

For to them it is said through the prophet: "They indeed have not known my ways, for which I swore in my anger that they shall not enter into my rest." For indeed, any professors of the liberal arts, by a nod of chance and inhabiting them, for the most part strive to clothe, support, and color their contents with causes and reasons. Painters also and any mechanics or craftsmen in any varieties of their works strive to render and have at hand plausible reasons and causes. But even according to secular laws themselves, it is shameful for a patrician and one who handles cases to be ignorant of the law in which he is involved. Truly, although knowledge is very necessary for priests for teaching, it is not, however, to be detracted from simple priests, even from those who are scholastic. According to that saying likely referring to a common proverb regarding the tolerance of ignorance. Whence according to Augustine: "They will not mock if by chance they notice some prelates and ministers of the church invoking God even with barbarisms and solecisms, or not understanding the same words that they pronounce." Because he who cannot distinguish them is not able to correct others, but because they are to be piously tolerated by those who know. What, however, priests ought to know will be said in the second part under the tract about the priest. Furthermore, it is not to be believed that the things that are done in ecclesiastical matters and offices are done figuratively, both because figures have receded and today is the time of truth, and because we ought not to Judaize. But although truly the figures, the truth of which has appeared today, have receded, yet still a manifold truth lies hidden which we do not see, for which reason the church uses figures. For example, by white vestments we understand in some way the beauty of our souls, namely the glory of our immortality, which we cannot see clearly, and in the mass, from the preface onwards, the passion of Christ is represented, so that it may be held in memory more tenaciously and faithfully. It is to be noted, however, that of those things which are held in the Law, some are moral, others are mystical. Moral are those which inform morals, and here they are to be understood as the words themselves sound, such as "You shall love God," "Honor your father," "You shall not kill," and such. Mystical are those that are figurative, which signify something else beyond that which the letter sounds. Of these, some are sacramental, others are ceremonial. Sacramental are those of which a reason can be given why they were so commanded according to the Law, such as about circumcision and the observance of the Sabbath and such. Ceremonial are those of which a reason cannot be given why they were commanded, such as "You shall not plow with an ox and an ass together," "You shall not wear a garment woven of linen and wool," "You shall not sow your field with different seed," and such. For indeed, as far as moral things are concerned, the law does not receive change, but as far as sacramental and ceremonial things are concerned, it was changed according to the surface of the letter; however, their mystical understanding has not been changed. Whence it is not said that the law is changed, although with the priesthood transferred to us, it has been transferred. It is to be known also that in divine scriptures there is a historical, allegorical, tropological, and anagogical sense. Whence, according to Boethius, "Every divine authority is either from the historical or allegorical, or from an understanding opposed by both." And according to Jerome...