Dist. 22, Divisio Textus
Book I: On the Mystery of the Trinity · Distinction 22
DIVISIO TEXTUS.
Supra egit Magister de sacra Trinitate, secundum quod catholice creditur et intelligitur. In hac parte agit de ea, secundum quod credita et intellecta per catholicos sermones exprimitur. Unde, sicut ipse Magister dicit in littera, intendit hic agere de nominum divinorum diversitate. Et haec pars habet duas partes. In prima parte determinat1 de nominibus divinis in generali; in secunda in speciali, et hoc distinctione vigesima tertia: Praedictis tamen adiiciendum est, quod cum omnia nomina etc.
Prima pars dividitur in duas. In prima parte ponit Magister multiplices nominum divinorum differentias; in secunda omnes reducit ad duas, secundum illud Boethii in libro Divisionum2, quod omnis divisio est bimembris vel ad bimembrem reducibilis, et hoc ibi: Sciendum est igitur, quod illa quae proprie pertinent.
Item, prima pars dividitur in duas. In prima ponit Magister differentias nominum divinorum secundum Augustinum et secundum Ambrosium. In secunda ad maiorem explanationem superaddit alias tres differentias, ibi, secundo capitulo3: His adiiciendum est, quaedam nomina etiam esse etc.
Similiter secunda pars, in qua reducit haec membra ad duo, habet duas partes4. In prima ostendit, quod nomina in divinis quaedam dicuntur relative, et haec pertinent ad personas; quaedam ad se, et haec dicuntur de omnibus simul. In secunda ostendit, hoc esse verum, ibi: Deus enim non est magnus ea magnitudine.
TRACTATIO QUAESTIONUM.
Ad intelligentiam eorum quae in hac parte dicuntur de nominibus divinis, quatuor quaeruntur.
Primo quaeritur, utrum Deus sit nominabilis.
Secundo, utrum uno5 solo nomine, vel pluribus debeat nominari.
Tertio, supposito quod plura sint nomina divina, quaeritur, utrum omnia dicantur translative, aut6 etiam quaedam dicantur proprie.
Quarto, utrum nomina dicta de Deo dicantur secundum substantiam, an etiam aliquo7 alio modo.
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DIVISION OF THE TEXT.
Above the Master treated of the sacred Trinity, insofar as it is catholicly believed and understood. In this part he treats of it insofar as, having been believed and understood, it is expressed through catholic discourse. Whence, as the Master1 himself says in the text, he here intends to treat of the diversity of the divine names. And this part has two parts. In the first part he determines concerning the divine names in general; in the second concerning them in particular, and this in the twenty-third distinction: Yet to the foregoing it must be added that, since all names etc.
The first part is divided into two. In the first part the Master sets out manifold differences of the divine names; in the second he reduces them all to two, according to that saying of Boethius in the book On Divisions2, that every division is twofold-membered or reducible to a twofold-membered one, and this at: It must be known therefore, that those things which properly pertain.
Likewise, the first part is divided into two. In the first he sets out the differences of the divine names according to Augustine and according to Ambrose. In the second, for greater explanation, he superadds three other differences, there, in the second chapter3: To these it must be added that certain names also are etc.
Similarly the second part, in which he reduces these members to two, has two parts4. In the first he shows that, in divine matters, certain names are said relatively, and these pertain to the persons; certain are said with reference to himself, and these are said of all together. In the second he shows that this is true, there: For God is not great by that greatness.
TREATMENT OF THE QUESTIONS.
For the understanding of those things which are said in this part concerning the divine names, four questions are asked.
First it is asked whether God is nameable.
Secondly, whether he ought to be named by one5 sole name, or by several.
Thirdly, supposing that there are several divine names, it is asked whether all are said by transference, or6 whether some also are said properly.
Fourthly, whether the names said of God are said according to substance, or also in some7 other way.
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- Supple cum cod. Z et ed. 1 Magister.Supply with codex Z and edition 1 the word Magister ("the Master").
- Circa medium: «Divisio quoque, nominibus positis, quoniam semper in duos terminos secatur» etc. Et paulo post: «Ita ergo divisio omnis in gemina secaretur, si speciebus et differentiis vocabula non deessent».Near the middle: "Division also, the names being given, since it is always cut into two terms" etc. And a little after: "So therefore every division would be cut into twin parts, if names were not lacking for the species and differences."
- In Vat. praeter fidem mss. et ed. 1 deest secundo capitulo.In the Vatican edition, against the witness of the manuscripts and edition 1, the words secundo capitulo ("in the second chapter") are missing.
- Ed. 1 particulas.Edition 1 reads particulas ("little parts").
- Ex fere omnibus mss. et ed. 1 supplevimus male omissum uno.From nearly all the manuscripts and edition 1 we have supplied uno ("one"), which had been wrongly omitted.
- Ed. 1 an.Edition 1 reads an ("whether").
- Plures codd. ut AFGHKT etc. aliqua, quam lectionem etiam ed. 1 habet et insuper post unum addit bene omnia.Several manuscripts such as AFGHKT etc. read aliqua ("some [things]"), which reading edition 1 also has, and moreover after unum it adds, well, omnia ("all").