2 Divina eruditone firmandos = tou\j didacqhsome/nouj, a common form of expression in Leo. Cf. Lett. XXVIII. the Tome, chap. I, quod voce omnium regenerandorum (= tw=n a0nagennhqhsome/nwn), depromitur.
3 Or testament (Lat. testamentum).
5 Jer. xxxi. 31 and part of 33: the passage is quoted in full, Heb. viii. 8-12.
6 Or testament (Lat. testamentum).
8 S. Paul's lauguage (Rom. viii. 15) is in his mind.
10 Et illis in tenuitate amica est mansuetudo et istis divitiis familiaris elatio.
11 The mss.vary between primum and primi. The rendering above given practically represents either. If primi, however, is read, it may be questioned whether the true rendering is not "the first apostles after the LORD," which would be interesting assuggesting that S. Leo did not necessarily confine the title "apostle" to the Twelve.
16 S. Matt. v. 5. It will be observed that Leo's order for the 2nd and 3rd beatitudes is that of the English version, not that of the Vulgate.
17 In nullo iam spiritui futura contraria et cum voluntate animi perfectoe unitatis habitura consensum: compare S. Aug. de Fide et symbolo, cap. 23, "est autem animoe natura perfecta cum spiritui suo subditar et cum sequitur sequentum Deum-non est desperandum etiam corpus restitui naturoe proprioe-tempore opportuno in novissima tuba, cum mortui resurgent incorrupti et nos immutabimur." The interpretation of this beatitude in this way is fantastic, and very strange to modern notions.
20 Quod fuit oneri, sit honori, the play on the words (which is quite classical) may perhaps be represented by the difference between onerous and honorary.
22 Ps. xxxiv. 8: suavis, A.V. and R.V.good, P.B.V. gracious, LXX. crhsto/j.
23 Deut. vi. 5, quoted, it will be remembered, by our Lord, as "the first and great commandment" in the law, S. Matt. xxii. 37: S. Mark xii. 30: S. Luke x. 27.
24 The two words for "love" here are different, and speak for themselves, diligere (a0gapa=n) Deum and amare(e0pa=n) iustitiam.
26 Operantium : operatio is the regular patristic term for the doing of charitable actions; for this application of the beatitude and its promised reward, compare Ps. xli. 1-3.
30 Exod. xxxiii. 20 ; S. John. i. 18 ; 1 Tim. vi. 16.
31 Is. lxiv. 4 ; 1 Cor. ii. 9.
33 Rom. v. 1, where "we have" or "let us have" is the exact phrase.
1 In this passage the phrase magisterium humilitatis has reference to Matt. xx. 25, &c., or Luke xxii. 25, &c., and ipsa lingua confunditur to Gen. xi. 7. The meaning appears to be that, when men seek and attain in a spirit of pride the office which according to our Lord's teaching is one of humility, they are incapable of fulfilling its duties by speaking to others so to be understood and edify. They are as the arrogant builders of Babel, whose language the Lord confounded, that they might not understand one another's speech.