The Preacher Hugh of Saint Cher:
Scripture Study and the Salvation of Souls
Fr. J. M. Sullivan, O.P.
Dominican House of Studies
Washington, DC
I. The Life and Works of Hugh of Saint Cher
The Dominican Order was founded as an order of preachers,
which sought to evangelize and renew the faith of the
Church. The zeal for their mission led the friars to a
deepened and productive study of the Scriptures. At the
same time that the Order was founded the rise of the
medieval university was underway. The convergence of the
Order's mission and the development of the university led
to a remarkable renewal of the study of the Bible. Among
the forerunners who undertook an intense study of the
sacred page was Hugh of Saint Cher.
Very little is known of Hugh's life before he entered the
Order. He was born c.1195 in the town of St. Cher near
Vienne in southeastern France. After completing his early
studies at a local monastery near his home, at about the
age of fourteen, Hugh went to the University of Paris to
study both canon law and theology. He quickly rose in the
Law Faculty and already by 1224 he was both a Master of Law
and also a Bachelor of Theology. The Order's first record
of Hugh concerns itself with the date he received the
habit, that is, February 22, 1225. One of his more famous
students, Humbert of Romans, who would later become the
Order's fifth Master, was one of Hugh's students at the
University of Paris. When Humbert decided to enter the
newly formed Order of Friars Preachers at Saint Jacques he
went to seek the counsel of one of his teachers, Hugh of
Saint Cher. The story is told: He then called upon his
professor, who was afterwards known to the world as
Cardinal Hugh de St Cher and acquainted him with his
determination, begging him at the same time not to put any
hindrance in his way. On hearing this his master thanked
God, and assured him of his best wishes for success:
"Learn, besides, that I have made the same resolve, but am
at present only hindered by my pressing business from
carrying it out, since it demands my fullest attention. Go
with confidence, and be assured that I shall follow you."
The student then entered the Order on St Andrew's Day, and
in the next Lent Master Hugh followed his example, taking
the habit on the feast of St Peter's chair.
The Order's recognition of Hugh's talents and intellectual
ability was almost immediate. Within two years of his
receiving the habit Hugh was elected provincial of the
Province of France for a two year term. In 1230 Hugh
returned to the University to become the Order's second
Master of Theology. He replaced Roland of Cremona who had
been transferred to the Dominican convent in Toulouse.
Three years later in 1233, Hugh was elected prior of Saint
Jacques, a position he would hold until 1236 when he would
again be elected provincial. Hugh served as provincial
until 1244 when on May 28 of that year he was made a
cardinal by Pope Innocent IV. Hugh then left the University
of Paris never to return but his influence continued in the
works which he had completed during his time there.
Hugh of Saint Cher is best known for his work in Sacred
Scripture and during his years at Saint Jacques he
completed three monumental undertakings. These three works
are his Postillae, his Correctorium, and the Concordance of
Saint Jacques. For anyone else, any one of these projects
by itself could have represented a lifetime achievement.
For Hugh these works were necessary for the preaching of
the Gospel and so each was needed for the new Order which
was founded for this explicit purpose.
The Postillae is a commentary on the whole of Scripture,
from Genesis to the Apocalypse. The name of the work
itself, postillae or postilla in the singular, derives most
likely from post illa verba. This was a supplement to what
had already been said about the verses of Sacred Scripture
by the Fathers; Hugh wanted this work to be "after those
words" found in the patristic tradition. In his commentary,
then, Hugh drew not only from the wealth of the Fathers but
also from the most current sources of biblical research.
"His gigantic work is especially noteworthy in that it is
the fruit of his own meditation...Hugh's originality was
one of the chief characteristics of his commentary." Never
before had a work attempted to include current trends in
theology next to the reigning influence of the Fathers
themselves. This was a truly bold adventure. Hugh was able
to accomplish his aim by including notable authors of the
previous centuries. Included among his constellation of
great commentators were: Andrew of Saint Victor and the
Victorine School, Peter the Chanter, Stephen Langton, and
William of Auvergne alongside Saint Augustine, Saint
Ambrose, Bede the Venerable, and the great Saint Augustine.
The work proved valuable for centuries. It was reprinted
until the seventeenth century. No reputable late medieval
library was without the Postillae of Hugh of Saint Cher.
Hugh's second major scriptural work, the Correctorium,
relates closely to his preaching. As the name clearly
suggests Hugh attempts in the Correctorium to correct the
various mistranslations of the Vulgate which had crept into
many circles of Scripture study. Because the Vulgate had
been copied and re-copied so many times mistakes were
unavoidable. The need for serious research is this matter
had become apparent a century before Hugh but no one
undertook the task until the Dominicans of Saint Jacques
stepped forward. Hugh's method for re-establishing the
original Vulgate was to work almost exclusively with the
oldest manuscripts he could find. Some of the earliest
manuscripts dated from the fourth century. In addition to
these Latin texts of the Vulgate, Hugh also used Hebrew,
Greek, and Syriac manuscripts. The difficulty with Hugh's
Correctorium, however, is that he was working with the
current assumption of the day, which was that the Vulgate
was not the product of Saint Jerome. Hugh would therefore
pass over a comment of Saint Jerome to select another
source, which he believed to be closer to the original.
This misapprehension would cause his work to fall into
disrepute when later discoveries authenticated the
authorship of the Vulgate to Saint Jerome. Hugh's
Correctorium though remained ahead of its time in terms of
critical thinking and inspired numerous other Dominican
scholars to undertake the same task.
Hugh's dealings with the Vulgate did not end with his
Correctorium, however. He also compiled its first verbal
concordance, known as the Concordance of Saint Jacques. The
immediate purpose of this work it seems was to provide the
student of Scripture with a quick word reference. "In place
of the present division into verses, Hugh divided each
chapter of the Bible into seven equal parts, indicated by
the first seven letters of the alphabet." The limitation of
Hugh's concordance was that it listed where the word could
be found in Scripture without listing it within the context
of the verse. Despite this methodological shortcoming
Dominican scholars were eager to follow in Hugh's footsteps
and compile even more helpful concordances which were to
list not only the word and the verse but also the meaning
of the word in a particular passage
These three scriptural works, the Postillae, the
Correctorium, and the Concordance of Saint Jacques were by
no means Hugh of Saint Cher's only endeavors. Hugh also
wrote a Commentary on the Sentences of Peter Lombard, since
commenting on The Sentences was a prerequisite for all
Masters of Theology at Paris. This work most likely was
composed just after his first term as provincial, somewhere
near 1230-1232. Among his other more famous theological
works are De Doctrina (sive Preparatione) Cordis and
Tractatus Super Missam seu Speculum Ecclesiae. In addition
there are almost four hundred and thirty of his homilies
extant in manuscript form. These sermons are all firmly
grounded in Scripture as one would suspect from Hugh's
academic background.
Hugh's regency at Paris ended when he was elected
provincial again in 1236. This election, however, did not
end his academic interests; he continued to direct
scholarly efforts at Saint Jacques even during this period
(1236-1244). Then in 1244 as was noted above Hugh of Saint
Cher was made a cardinal and began a new phase in his life.
He was never to return again to the scholarly work which
was the hallmark of his life before becoming a cardinal.
While his experience as provincial would have given him
wide exposure to the world of his day his service to the
pope as cardinal and later as papal legate would far
outweigh any of his previous travels.
These final years of Hugh's life (1244-1263) reveal his
great diplomatic skill, certainly already evidenced in his
earlier roles as a superior. Because of previous political
problems, Pope Innocent IV was forced to reside in Lyons
and there he made Hugh a cardinal. At Lyons Hugh fulfilled
many duties and even participated in the Council of Lyons.
One of Hugh's most well-known endeavors during this period
was his organization of the Rule and liturgy for the
Carmelite Order. He was then appointed to serve as the
papal-legate to Germania (an area which today would
includes such countries as Belgium, Poland, Germany, and
Holland). This assignment involved a great deal of
traveling, but in the end Hugh had accomplished a great
deal both politically and ecclesiastically. He not only
strengthened the Church's alliance with the German royalty,
but he also brought needed reform to many dioceses and
monasteries. Hugh then returned to Rome in 1254 and was
soon after appointed the Sacred Penitentiary. In Rome he
remained a papal advisor and confidant. After faithfully
serving three popes, Innocent IV, Alexander IV, and Urban
IV, he died in 1263. It is a great testimony to Hugh's
accomplishments that the Order of Preachers should
recognize his achievements by ascribing to him the same
suffrages due a Master of the Order.
II. Hugh of Saint Cher's Spirituality of Preaching
To answer the question, "Why did Hugh of Saint Cher
preach?", is complex and could be the subject of a lengthy
discussion all its own. Preaching after all was the very
reason for his mission as a Dominican. He entered the Order
to undertake this specific task. He knew that his calling
required him to be first and foremost a preacher. Hugh's
entire life was dedicated to the tireless preaching of the
Gospel. His range of preaching was wide and varied. One
finds him preaching in the classroom at the University of
Paris, the cloister of Saint Jacques, and in the papal
court of Rome. Every project he undertook had preaching as
its central motivating force. This is certainly evident in
all of Hugh's work in Scripture, which appear to create an
"ideology of preaching." This "ideology of preaching" is so
evident that one scholar writes: :[T]he value of preaching
and the responsibilities of the preacher were advertised
with great persistence in the biblical teaching" of Hugh of
Saint Cher. Hugh could not conceal his identity as a
preacher.
The effective preaching of the Gospel required tremendous
resources and tools, which needed to be developed. Hugh was
able to orchestrate the talents and zeal of the Dominicans
at Saint Jacques toward developing a vast array of
preaching tools and resources. As one scholar rightly
observes: "The first thing the Paris Dominicans did was to
provide the requisite library and classroom equipment for
the study of Scripture. They could not buy it, since it did
exist. They had to make it for themselves." Hugh of Saint
Cher, with the help of his fellow Dominicans, compiled a
commentary, a concordance, and a list of corrections to aid
his preaching and the preaching of all the friars.
The Concordance of Saint Jacques best exemplifies this work
of the friars in Paris. The Concordance was the product of
the entire community of friars. The title obviously comes
from the name of the convent where the Friars Preachers
lived at Paris instead of bearing the name of any one
individual friar. The Concordance was such an immense
undertaking that it required the expertise of many hands or
as one scholar writes it was "under the inspiration and
guidance of Hugh of Saint Cher, [who was] assisted by a
great number of Dominicans." This is also true for Hugh's
Postillae and his Correctorium. This fact, however, does
not diminish the scholarly ability of Hugh but rather
reveals his ingenuity by enlisting the aid of his brothers.
One can imagine the group of friars pouring over the pages
of Scripture in search of a reference for the Concordance
of Saint Jacques or paging through the Hebrew texts to help
finish the Correctorium. This communal activity did not
only produce the work in less time but it furthered
knowledge of Sacred Scripture among the friars.
There scriptural projects were daunting undertakings. Hugh
was not cowed by its magnitude, for he was amply supported
by the resources of the entire community of friars who were
engaged in these projects. Certainly as a superior, Hugh
considered these efforts the responsibility of the entire
community itself. The community, in turn, fervently
dedicated itself to these endeavors just as it had to the
preaching of the Gospel. As another author relates, no
doubt it "was the needs of the preacher that promoted the
preparation of scriptural commentaries, and led to the
compilation of verbal biblical concordances."
A number of observations may now be made. At the outset it
must be affirmed that the Scriptures and the extensive
study of these Scriptures were at the heart of Hugh of
Saint Cher's preaching. That his study was nurtured by his
own Dominican life is clear from passages of his Postillae.
Hugh, as might be imagined for an early member of any
order, took his Dominican life seriously. He understood
well that keeping the evangelical counsels contributed
greatly to the study and preaching of the Gospel. He
embraced its poverty, welcomed its obedience, and grew in
its chastity. Hugh took every possible opportunity to
explain the life of the preaching friar. One author writes:
The primacy of preaching is nicely brought out in Hugh of
Saint Cher's wry comment on the word pedestres in Mark
6:33: 'we find only one prophet coming into the land of
Syria on horseback, and he was devoured by a lion.' (Though
the text he is commenting on is actually about the crowds
that followed Jesus, it seems certain that Hugh had
preachers in mind, or at least mendicants in general,
because this was where horse-riding was an important
issue). It is because you are a prophet that you must not
ride horses (unless you want to end 'feeding ruddy lions').
It is the practice of the vita apostolica that makes you an
apostle; it is because you are an apostle that you have to
follow the apostolic rule.
Hugh's zeal for the Dominican life is obvious. Hugh's
remark is reminiscent of the story told of the
ineffectiveness of the first preachers sent to convert the
Albigensians. The monks arrived in town with their very
elaborate entourage. They dismounted from their horses and
began to preach about the necessity of poverty. Needless to
say no one was converted by their Gospel message because it
was not mirrored by their actions. To be a mendicant,
however, was to be a traveler and an itinerant who begged
for his daily bread and lodging. No Dominican would be food
for the "ruddy lion" if he faithfully followed the
evangelical counsels.
One can see how Hugh could take a verse, and building on
the meaning, use it to show its application to the life of
the friar. Commenting on John 20:21-3, "as the Father has
sent me, so I send you...receive the Holy Spirit," Hugh
explains this to mean: "He sent me and I send you, and it
is the same work in each case that we are sent to do,
namely, preach." These verses reveal Hugh's great reverence
for preaching and also his understanding of that authority
which comes with the charge to preach. The previous remark
on the vita apostolica should be repeated: "It is the
practice of the vita apostolica that makes you an apostle;
it is because you are an apostle that you have to follow
the apostolic rule." Just as none of the Apostles chose on
their own to be an apostle so also a man does not choose
for himself to become a preacher. Hugh with his constant
references to preaching is reminding the friars who would
have been the immediate audience of the Postillae that
theirs is a sacred duty. They are called to live as
apostles and it is by living this life that they are made
apostles. It is an important reminder for any age of the
Order.
Commenting on Romans 10:15, "How shall they preach unless
they are sent?" Hugh is quick to caution the friar about
his formidable preaching task. Natural ability is not
enough to preach, the friar needs to rely on grace. Hugh
writes: "if a man is known to be without the grace for it
(si sciatur quod sit sine gratia) he ought not to be sent
out on any job of public preaching." The gift of preaching
is a particular grace. This reminder can only further cause
the reader to cherish the great gift of his Dominican
vocation. The opposite can certainly be imagined, namely,
one sent out to preach who does not have the "grace for
it." From the earliest days of the Order of Preachers even
novices were sent out to preach. There was an inherent
confidence that the Order graced with the name of
"preacher" would certainly be graced with the ability to
accomplish this task.
In addition to commenting on Dominican life, Hugh also
protected the life that would produce a Dominican preacher.
"Already in 1257 Hugh of Saint Cher is complaining that no
one is paying the slightest attention to the formation of
the novices, with the result that they are exposed to all
kinds of hazards without being given the chance to 'mature
in the cloister'." This excerpt is taken from a letter to
Hugh's former student, Humbert of Romans, who by this time
was serving the Order as its Master. Even though Hugh was a
cardinal, who was attentive to the needs of the larger
Church, he remained observant concerning the observances of
his Order. This "maturation" of which Hugh speaks can be no
other than that maturation which forms the novice into a
present-day apostle. Hugh was not only concerned with the
novices, however. In another letter to Humbert, Hugh also
charges that some friars too readily leave the cloister "to
undertake journeys for the wrong reasons."
III. Hugh of Saint Cher's Relevancy
The value of doing research on a Dominican friar from the
past allows one the opportunity to see the Order of that
time period though the life of one of its sons. The Order
at the beginning of the thirteenth century was exploding
all over Europe. Although Hugh of Saint Cher pioneered many
innovative means to accomplish effective preaching, he
never lost sight of the importance of returning to the
cloister so that he could "mature" into the apostle that he
was called to become. The faithful living of the
evangelical counsels provided Hugh with the spiritual
impetus that undoubtedly made his preaching enterprise so
fruitful.
There are three factors which make Hugh of Saint Cher a
relevant figure to study and imitate even now at the end of
the twentieth century. First, Hugh believed that preaching
must be scripturally based for it to be effective. The
testimony of his entire life's work confirms this. His
efforts to develop the Postillae, the Correctorium, and the
Concordance of Saint Jacques all point to preaching as the
end for his scholarship. He understood that Dominican
preaching must be firmly rooted not only in Scripture but
also in the serious study of Scripture. His drive to
complete the Correctorium affirms such an intelligent
approach to Scripture. Hugh wanted the full power of the
Word to take root in the hearts of his listeners. His
wanted that Word to be preached in all its pristine
splendor. To aid the preacher in effectively finding a
word, the Concordance itself gave the friar what could be
compared to a key for Scripture. The scriptural parallels
drawn with the aid of a concordance, continue to make for
powerful homilies to this day.
Second, Hugh's preaching resulted from something more than
just a life of Scripture study. He firmly believed that the
cloister of the Dominican convent provided an environment
that produces a preacher. Preaching was a communal
enterprise that needed to be cultivated within the context
of community life. This point is clearly reflected in his
cooperative efforts at composing his scriptural works.
Although the Dominican life is a mixture of study and of
preaching, it also includes a life of choral office and
common fraternity. Hugh valued each of these aspects of the
Order.
Third and perhaps the most relevant piece of advice from
Hugh of Saint Cher could be derived from his commentary on
Ecclesiastes 2: 7, "I acquired male and female slaves..."
Hugh's explanation deals with the power of the preacher.
[T]he servants of Solomon are the preachers who serve the
whole Church. These are the cupbearers who set before the
bridegroom and bride the wine of sacred doctrine. It is
said of them in 3 Kgs. [= 1 Kgs.] 10 that they were clothed
with the adornment of a uniform garment, and seeing them
the queen of Sheba no longer had any spirit: because the
Church of the gentiles (ecclesia de gentibus), seeing the
apostles and their followers preaching the same thing and
doing the same thing, no longer had any confidence in the
doctrine of its own philosophers.
Preaching the truth brings with it a certain authority,
confidence, and audacity. The truth will change hearts. It
will do away with error. It will unseat the philosophies of
the world. Hugh's great emphasis on preaching must "have
helped prevent the attractions of pure thought from
eclipsing the sense of pastoral vocation among the friars
studying at Paris." Hugh clearly understood the unity of
truth. Truth to be understood fully must be both studied
and lived. Dominican preaching of Gospel truth is the
foundational reason for Dominican study.
Hugh of Saint Cher then remains an important figure in the
history of preaching, not only because he was one of the
first members of the Order of Preachers but rather because
he gave so much of his talent for the enhancement of the
preaching task. The modern-day friar can learn much about
Dominican life by heeding the counsel of Hugh of Saint
Cher. Hugh's life is a testimony to the development of a
Dominican preacher who is formed by the exercises of the
friar's life, i.e., choral office, assiduous study, the
common life, and preaching for the salvation of souls. "How
shall they preach unless they are sent?" (Romans 10:15)
Hugh knew that the Dominican is sent simply by the grace of
his vocation. The Dominican is charged with preaching just
as the Apostles were charged, and it is by living the vita
apostolica that the Dominican remains faithful to this
divine command.
(Taken from www.op.org/domcentral/trad/default.htm)
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