§ 111. KOGER BACON. 697
century except that the ancient Romans did not know the virtues of love, faith, and hope which were revealed by Christ.1 He quoted Seneca at great length. Such criticism suffi ciently explains the treatment which the English Franciscan received.
This thirteenth-century philosopher pronounced the dis cussion over universals and individuals foolish and meaning less. One individual is of more value than all the universals in the world. A universal is nothing but the agreement between several objects, convenientia plurium individuorum convenientia individui respectu alterius. That which is com mon between two men and which an ass or a pig does not possess, is their universal.
In the department of philology,2 and in the interest of a correction of the Vulgate and a new translation of Aristotle's works, he urged the study of Arabic, Hebrew, and Greek. He carried down the history of the translations of the Bible to Jerome.
He recommended the study of comparative religions which he arranges in six classes, — Pagan, Idolater, Tartar (Bud dhist), Saracen, Jew, and Christian, — and concludes that there can be only one revelation and one Church because there is only one God.3 He finds in miracles especially the power to forgive sins, the chief proof of Christ's divinity, and gives six reasons for accepting the testimony of the Christian writers; namely, sanctity, wisdom, miraculous powers, firm ness under persecution, uniformity of faith, and their success in spite of humble origin. It is characteristic of this phi losopher that in this treatment he avails himself of the infor mation brought to Europe by William Rubruquis whom he quotes.4
He regarded philosophy as having been revealed to the Jewish patriarchs, and the Greek philosophy as having been under the guidance of providence, nay, as having been a divine gift, as Augustine said of Socrates.5 Aristotle is the great
1 Op. maj., II. 303 sqq. 2 Bridges' ed., I. 66-96.
8 Bridges' ed., II. 366-404. * I. 303, II. 367 sq.
6 I. 41.
698 THE MIDDLE AGES. A.D. 1049-1204.
philosopher, and philosophy leads to the threshold of revealed truth, and it is the duty of Christians to avail themselves of it.1 As Solomon, a type of Christ, employed Hiram and other outside workers at the temple, so the Church should utilize heathen philosophers.2 He gives five reasons why the early Church did not make use of Greek philosophy except for the regulation of the calendar and its music,3 a proposition which would seem very crude to the present advocates of the theory of the dependence of the Apostolic writers upon Hellenic modes of thought. Bacon magnified the supreme authority of the Scriptures in which all truth strikes its roots and which laymen should read. All sciences and knowledge are to be subordinated to the Catholic Church, which is the appointed guardian of human interests. Theology is the science which rules over all the others.4 It seems almost incongruous that Bacon should have brought his Opus majus to a close by arguing for the "sacrament of the altar" as con taining in itself the highest good, that is, the union of God with man. In the host the whole of the Deity is con tained.
The admirable editor of Bacon's Opus majus, Dr. Bridges, has compared Bacon's procedure to a traveller in a new world, who brings back specimens of produce with the view of persuading the authorities of his country to undertake a more systematic exploration.5 Without entering into the discussion of those great themes which the other Schoolmen so much delighted in, Bacon asserted the right principle of theological study which excludes from prolonged discussion subjects which have no immediate bearing upon the interests of daily life or personal faith, and pronounced as useless the weary systems which were more the product of human inge nuity in combining words than of a clear, spiritual purpose. To him Abselard is not to be compared. Abtelard was chiefly a scholastic metaphysician; Bacon an observer of nature. Abselard gives the appearance of being a vain aspirant after
1 I. 56-59. 2 im 37. 3 i. 28-30.
4 I. 33, Una scientia dominatrix aliarum. 6 I. p. Ixxxix.