Dist. 17, Part 2, Dubia
Book I: On the Mystery of the Trinity · Distinction 17
DUBIA CIRCA LITTERAM MAGISTRI.
DUB. I.
In parte ista incidunt dubitationes circa litteram, et primo de hoc quod dicit, quod Christo non ad mensuram datus est Spiritus. Videtur enim falsum, quia omne finitum habet mensuram: ergo si Christo datus est Spiritus non ad mensuram, Christo datus est Spiritus infinitus. Sed contra hoc est, quod omnia creata sunt finitae capacitatis.
Respondeo: Hoc infra melius patebit1; nunc tantummodo sufficiat, quod hoc vel est dictum propter gratiam unionis, quae fecit, quod omnia quae Dei sunt, sint illius hominis; vel propter gratiam capitis, quia in Christo est gratia ad omnes actus non arctata, sicut in capite vigent omnes sensus. Unde illa determinatio non privat finitatem, sed privat determinationem ad aliquem actum sive speciale donum2.
DUB. II.
Item quaeritur de hoc quod dicit Augustinus, quod caritas est animi nostri rectissima affectio. Videtur enim male dicere, quia nullus habitus est affectio; caritas est virtus et ita habitus: ergo non est affectio.
Respondeo: Dicendum, quod affectio dicitur quadrupliciter: uno modo ipsa vis affectiva; alio modo dicitur affectio passio vis affectivae, ut gaudium et dolor et huiusmodi; tertio modo dicitur actus potentiae affectivae3; quarto modo dicitur habitus affectivus, sicut intellectus uno modo dicitur habitus principiorum, qui4 est regula intellectus: et hoc modo accipitur, cum dicitur, quod caritas est affectio; et similiter accipit Bernardus5, cum dicit, quod virtus est affectio ordinata.
DUB. III.
Item quaeritur de hoc quod dicit Magister, quod caritas intus operatur alios actus atque motus, mediantibus aliis virtutibus. Videtur enim dicere contra illud quod dicitur ad Galatas quinto6: Fides per dilectionem operatur.
Respondeo: Dicendum, quod quamvis illud possit sustineri, quod caritas operatur mediantibus aliis virtutibus tanquam ministris, et aliae nihilominus per caritatem adiuvantem et dirigentem; tamen solutio Magistri, quam hic facit, non valet, quia Magister petit principium in solvendo. Supponit enim in solutione oppositum eius quod probatur. Cum enim Spiritus sanctus non efficiat in nobis opera aliarum virtutum sine habitibus mediis, quomodo efficit in nobis opus dilectionis? Si tu dicas, quod ipse dilectio est, similiter possum dicere, quod Filius est Sapientia et Verbum, ergo pari ratione sine habitu medio debet illuminare intellectum. Et propter hoc Magistri opinio non est ita7 probabilis nec quantum ad rationes nec quantum ad auctoritates. Quod patet, si attendantur praedictae solutiones. In omnibus enim solutionibus Magister petit quod est in principio8.
DUB. IV.
Item quaeritur de hoc quod dicit, quod Spiritus sanctus non dividitur. Videtur enim dicere falsum, quia Numerorum undecimo9 dicitur, quod Dominus dixit Moysi: Auferam de spiritu tuo etc. Item, primae Ioannis quarto10: De Spiritu suo dedit nobis; si dedit de Spiritu, videtur, quod vel totum dedit, vel divisit in partes.
Respondeo: Dicendum, quod Spiritus sanctus est in semetipso simplex et ideo in se indivisus; sed in effectibus est multiplex, et ideo quantum ad effectum dividitur, quia non datur singulis ad omnia. Et hinc est — quia plenius datus est Moysi quam aliis — quod ideo dicit: Auferam de spiritu tuo; et quia non ad omnia datur nobis, ideo dicit beatus Ioannes: De Spiritu suo dedit nobis.
---
DOUBTS ON THE MASTER'S TEXT.
Doubt I.
In this part there fall doubts concerning the littera, and first about what he says, that to Christ the Spirit was given not by measure. For it appears false, because every finite [thing] has a measure: therefore, if to Christ the Spirit was given not by measure, to Christ an infinite Spirit was given. But against this is, that all created things are of finite capacity.
I respond: This will appear better below1; for now let it suffice that this is said either on account of the grace of union, which made it that all things which are God's are that man's; or on account of the grace of [Christ as] head, because in Christ there is grace for all acts unconfined, just as in the head all the senses flourish. Whence that determination [i.e., the qualification "not by measure"] does not take away finitude, but takes away the determination to some [single] act or special gift2.
Doubt II.
Likewise it is asked about what Augustine says, that charity is the most upright affection of our soul. For it appears to speak ill, because no habit is an affection; charity is a virtue and thus a habit: therefore it is not an affection.
I respond: It must be said that affection is said in four ways: in one way, the affective power itself; in another way, an affection is called the passion of the affective power, as joy and grief and the like; in a third way, it is called the act of the affective potency3; in a fourth way, it is called an affective habit, just as intellect in one way is called the habit of principles, which4 is the rule of intellect: and in this way it is taken when it is said that charity is an affection; and similarly Bernard5 takes it when he says that virtue is an ordered affection.
Doubt III.
Likewise it is asked about what the Master says, that charity inwardly works the other acts and motions, by the mediation of the other virtues. For it appears to say [something] contrary to that which is said in Galatians five6: Faith works through love.
I respond: It must be said that, although it can be maintained that charity works by the mediation of the other virtues as by ministers, and the others, no less, [work] through charity helping and directing; nevertheless the solution of the Master, which he makes here, does not hold, because the Master begs the question in solving. For he supposes in the solution the opposite of what is being proved. For since the Holy Spirit does not effect in us the works of the other virtues without intermediate habits, how does he effect in us the work of love? If you say that he himself is love, similarly I can say that the Son is Wisdom and the Word, therefore by parity of reasoning he ought, without an intermediate habit, to illuminate the intellect. And on account of this the Master's opinion is not as7 probable, neither as to reasons nor as to authorities. Which is plain, if the aforesaid solutions are attended to. For in all the solutions the Master begs that which is at the beginning [i.e., the question itself]8.
Doubt IV.
Likewise it is asked about what he says, that the Holy Spirit is not divided. For it appears to say [something] false, because in Numbers eleven9 it is said that the Lord said to Moses: I will take from your spirit etc. Likewise, in First John, four10: Of his Spirit he has given to us; if he gave of [his] Spirit, it appears that either he gave the whole, or divided [it] into parts.
I respond: It must be said that the Holy Spirit is in himself simple and therefore in himself undivided; but in his effects he is manifold, and therefore with respect to effect he is divided, because he is not given to single [persons] for all things. And hence it is — because he was more fully given to Moses than to others — that he therefore says: I will take from your spirit; and because he is not given to us for all things, therefore the blessed John says: Of his Spirit he has given to us.
---
- Libr. III. Sent. d. 13. a. 1. — Mox ex mss. adiecimus nunc, cui cod. Y addit hoc.Book III Sentences, d. 13, a. 1. — Soon, from the manuscripts, we have added nunc, to which codex Y adds hoc.
- Vat. cum cod. cc bonum, sed contra alios codd. et edd. 1, 3.The Vatican [edition], with codex cc, [reads] bonum, but against the other codices and editions 1 and 3.
- Cod. M ante affectivus.Codex M [reads] ante affectivus.
- Plures codd. cum Vat. ponunt et loco qui, alii omittunt qui; alii ut HTVY cum ed. 1 exhibent lectionem in textum receptam.Many codices, with the Vatican [edition], place et in place of qui; others omit qui; others, such as HTVY with edition 1, exhibit the reading received into the text.
- De Gratia et lib. arb. c. 6. n. 17: Ut nihil aliud sint virtutes nisi ordinatae affectiones.On Grace and Free Choice, c. 6, n. 17: That the virtues are nothing other than ordered affections.
- Vers. 6, ubi Vulgata: Fides, quae per caritatem operatur. — Paulo ante in textu Magistri plures codd. ut AGIKT etc. omittunt mediantibus.Verse 6, where the Vulgate [reads]: Faith, which works through charity. — A little before, in the Master's text, many codices such as AGIKT etc. omit mediantibus.
- Cod. X omittit ita, qui et paulo ante cum uno alterove cod. ut V habet ideo loco propter hoc. Mox aliqui codd. ut ST post secundum nec omittunt minus bene quantum ad.Codex X omits ita, which [codex] also a little before, with one or another codex such as V, has ideo in place of propter hoc. Soon some codices such as ST, after secundum nec, omit, less well, quantum ad.
- Ultimam propositionem In omnibus etc. supplevimus ex antiquioribus mss. et ed. 1. — Solutiones Magistri vide hic in lit. c. 6, et hic p. I. q. 1.The last proposition In omnibus etc. we have supplied from the older manuscripts and edition 1. — For the Master's solutions see here in the text [of Lombard] c. 6, and here p. I, q. 1.
- Vers. 17.Verse 17.
- Vers. 13.Verse 13.