Christian Texts

Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Ser. II, Vol. XI: The Works of John Cassian.: Chapter II. The author adapts the mystery of the number seven (made up of the five loaves and two fishes) to his own work.

John CassianNicene and Post-Nicene FathersVincent of Lerins

Summary only - full text stays on its own separately-gated source. Read the full text at the source »

This is a prefatory passage from a multi-volume Christian theological or spiritual work, written in the patristic tradition, in which the author announces the completion of five books and his intention to add two more. The central conceit is an extended allegorical comparison between the author's seven books and the miracle of the loaves and fishes: just as Christ fed a multitude with five barley loaves and two fish, the author hopes his writings will provide spiritual nourishment to all members of the Church. The author is notably self-deprecating about his own literary abilities, insisting the books are "worthless" in themselves but derive value entirely from the scriptural material woven through them—an analogy to barley bread that looks poor but contains life-giving substance. The final portion shifts into direct prayer, petitioning God to ratify the gospel-patterned number of volumes with gospel-worthy fruit, and specifically to use the completed work to heal those whose faith has been corrupted by heresy (figured as the "deadly breath of that poisonous serpent"). The passage is distinctive for its tight structural logic: the number seven is not ornamental but load-bearing, obligating the author to produce exactly two additional books so the corpus formally mirrors the miracle. Readers interested in early Christian literary self-presentation, the theology of scriptural interpretation, or patristic attitudes toward authorship and humility will find it substantive.

Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Ser. II, Vol. XI: The Works of John Cassian.: Chapter II. The author adapts the mystery of the number seven (made up of the five loaves and two fishes) to his own work.

Related pages View as graph →