The Life of Christ

The author of “The Imitation” has warned us, that in reading devout books, we should not pay overmuch attention to the question “who said this?” but “attend to what is said.” And this caution is important, as a guard against the vulgar practice of investing sayings and writings with a factitious value, simply because they proceed from some one who has rank or position. Yet “the authority of the writer” must not be altogether left out of our calculation, when, as in the present instance, it is founded upon the combined possession of sanctity and wisdom. These are intrinsic qualities; and to attempt to divide the consideration of the book in such a case from the life of the author, would be like the endeavour to separate the rays of light from the orb from which they emanate. We will commence, then, with a brief account of S. Bonaventure himself, and then make some introductory comments on his “Life of Christ.”