Bonaventure

Secundo datur remedium contra vanitatem securitatis.

Qui fodit foveam etc. Posuit supra vanitatem securitatis; hic secundo intendit dare remedium contra vanitatem illam; et quia securitas oriebatur ex defectu retributionis iustae et regiminis providentiae, qui apparebant esse: ideo sunt hic duae partes. Primo dat remedium contra defectum ordinis providentiae; secundo, contra defectum iustae retributionis, infra undecimo¹²: Mitte panem tuum etc.

Primo datur remedium contra securitatem ortam ex defectu .ordinis providentiae.

Inordinatio autem regiminis venit ex triplici causa: aut quia praeficitur malus, aut quia stultus, p. 83 aut quia inutilis et remissus. Primo ergo dat remedium contra praelatum malum; secundo, contra praelatum stultum, ibi: Verba oris sapientis gratia; tertio, contra praelatum carnalem et remissum, ibi: Vae terra tibi, cuius rex puer est.

Primo, quoad defectum regiminis, quando praeficitur praelatus malus.

Quantum igitur ad primum sic procedit. Primo dicit, bonum praelatum non esse amovendum; secundo, malum non esse sustinendum sive promovendum; tertio dicit, ipsum promotum esse corrigendum; quarto, quod non est ei occulte detrahendum.

(Vers. 8.). Primo igitur dicit, bonum praelatum non esse amovendum, nec per fraudulentiam nec per violentiam. Non per fraudulentiam; unde comminatur: Qui fodit foveam, scilicet parando laqueum bono praelato, incidet in eam; Psalmus¹: « Lacum aperuit et effodit eum, et incidit in foveam, quam fecit ». Non est etiam amovendus per potentiam; unde comminatur facienti contrarium: Qui dissipat sepem, id est bonum praelatum, qui custodit subditos sicut sepes; Ecclesiastici trigesimo sexto: « Ubi non est sepes, diripietur possessio ». Mordebit eum coluber, id est diabolus cum daemonibus, qui sunt colubri mordentes; Ieremiae octavo: « Ecce, ego mittam vobis serpentes pessimos, quibus non est incantatio, et mordebunt vos ».

(Vers. 9.). Qui transfert lapides etc. Hic secundo ostendit, durum et inutilem praelatum non esse promovendum; et comminatur promoventibus durum; unde dicit: Qui transfert lapides, id est, duros et malos ad maiorem promovet dignitatem; affligetur in eis, id est per eos, vel propter eos; Proverbiorum vigesimo sexto²: « Sicut qui mittit lapidem in acervum mercurii, ita qui tribuit insipienti honorem »; et post: « Qui volvit lapidem, ad eum revertetur »; et Ecclesiastici vigesimo septimo: « Qui in altum mittit lapidem, cadet super caput eius ». Non est etiam promovendus vanus et inutilis; ideo dicit: Qui scindit ligna, alia translatio: Qui dolat; ille dolat, qui supponere vult aedificationi praelatum inutilem³. Praelatus inutilis ligno comparatur, quia, sicut lignum infructuosum scissum igni traditur, sic et praelatus; Matthaei septimo⁴: « Omnis arbor, quae non facit fructum bonum, excidetur et in ignem mittetur ». Ille vulnerabitur ab eis, quia scilicet conscientia vulneratur; Ecclesiastici vigesimo septimo: « Plaga dolosa dolosi dividet vulnera ». De his vulneribus Isaiae primo: « Vulnus et livor et plaga tumens non est circumligata neque fota oleo ».

(Vers. 10.). Si retusum fuerit ferrum etc. Hic subiungit tertio, eum praelatum, qui aliquo modo declinavit in malum, esse corrigendum, quia potest valere, quamvis oporteat multum laborare. Ideo dicit: Si retusum fuerit ferrum, id est, acumen bonitatis et sapientiae fuerit immutatum per culpam in praelato; et hoc non ut prius, acutum supple, sed hebetatum fuerit, per culpam; multo labore, scilicet correptionis, exacuetur, id est, reducetur ad pristinam rectitudinem; Proverbiorum vigesimo septimo⁵: « Ferrum ferro acuitur, et homo exacuit faciem amici sui ». Et per hanc similitudinem corporalium infert in spiritualibus: Et post industriam, id est laborem industriae, sequetur sapientia, sicut post acuitionem ferri sequitur rectitudo et subtilitas aciei ad incidendum; Proverbiorum decimo quinto: « Auris, quae audit increpationes vitae, in medio sapientium commorabitur »; et Proverbiorum secundo: « Si quaesieris eam quasi pecuniam et sicut thesaurum effoderis illam; tunc intelliges timorem Domini et scientiam invenies ».

(Vers. 11.). Si mordeat etc. Hic quarto ostendit, non esse tali praelato occulte detrahendum; et ostendit magnitudinem culpae detractionis per simile in corporalibus. Ideo dicit: Si mordeat serpens in silentio, quod est ipsius serpentis, quia occulte venenum infundit; nihil eo minus habet qui occulte detrahit, quia, sicut illud est fraudulentum, ita et hoc, quia hoc est maledicere surdo; Levitici decimo nono⁶: « Non maledices surdo, nec coram caeco ponas offendiculum ». Sicut est illud mortiferum, ita et hoc; ad Galatas quinto: « Si invicem mordetis et comeditis, videte, ne ab invicem consumamini »; Proverbiorum vigesimo sexto: « Verba susurronis quasi simplicia, et ipsa perveniunt usque ad interiora ventris ». Sicut et olim liberabantur aspiciendo in Christum, secundum quod dicitur Sapientiae decimo sexto⁷: « Qui conversus erat, non per hoc quod videbat, sanabatur, sed per te Dominum, omnium Salvatorem »; ita et nunc. Unde ipse dicebat, Ioannis decimo quinto: « Si sermonem meum servaverunt, et vestrum servabunt ».

p. 84 ### Quaestio.

Quaeritur, utrum occulte dicere malum de aliquo sit detractio et peccatum, ubi constat esse verum dicenti. Quod non, videtur:

1. Quia, sicut bonus est dignus laude, ita malus est dignus vituperio: ergo sicut iustum est laudare bonum, ita iustum est vituperare malum: ergo sicut non peccat qui laudat bonum, ita nec qui dicit malum de malo.

2. Item, sicut congaudendum est bono, ita compatiendum est malo: ergo sicut potest aliquis recitare alicui bonum alterius congaudendo sine peccato, ita malum compatiendo: ergo qui dicit malum de altero occulte, si compatitur, non peccat.

3. Praeterea, Dominus dicit Matthaei decimo octavo¹, quod quando peccat proximus, est corrigendus coram uno vel coram duobus; quod si non audit, dicendum est Ecclesiae: ergo saltem de incorrigibili videtur quod homo possit malum dicere cuilibet.

Contra: 1. Quod tibi non vis fieri, alii ne feceris²: ergo quod non vis de te dici, non debes dicere de alio; sed non debes velle, quod aliquis diceret de te malum, te absente, quia nihil tibi proderit: ergo etc.

2. Item, qui dicit malum de alio aufert ei bonum nomen: ergo cum nomen bonum sit melius quam multi thesauri³, ergo cum homo non possit alii auferre thesauros sine peccato, similiter etc.

3. Item, dicitur Levitici decimo nono⁴: Non maledices surdo; sed qui male dicit retro maledicit surdo: ergo facit contra illud praeceptum.

4. Praeterea, peccatum factum in publico scandalizat: ergo qui peccatum aliquod, quod non est publicum, publicat, scandalizat; sed ille qui obloquitur, facit peccatum innotescere, quod latet: ergo scandalizat eum, cum quo loquitur.

Respondeo: dicendum, quod qui dicit malum de alio, aut dicit necessitate compulsus, aut inductus utilitate, aut exagitatus detrahendi libidine. Tunc compellitur necessitate, quando astringitur praecepto vel humano, vel divino: humano, quando dicit ei qui potest praecipere et praecipit, ut dicat; divino, quando conscientia dictat homini, quod ipse tenetur accusare proximum, ut corrigatur, secundum illud praeceptum Domini de correctione fraterna. — Tunc inducitur utilitate, quando narrat malum eius alicui, qui potest prodesse et non obesse, et cui prodest audire illud malum et non obest⁵, sicut quando quis narrat homini, qui diligit et qui compatitur et habet voluntatem corrigendi ipsum. — Quando vero non consideratur necessitas, nec consideratur utilitas, etiam si sit veritas, non excusatur a detrahendi libidine; immo peccato detractionis peccat, etiam si verum dicat.

Rationes igitur, quae probant, quod peccatum sit dicere malum de alio in absentia, concedendae sunt, nisi interveniat necessitas vel utilitas; tunc enim patet, quod non valent.

1. Quod obiicitur in contrarium, quod iustum est vituperare etc.; dicendum, quod quamvis digni sint vituperio, non tamen homo debet vituperare. Nec est simile de laude, quia fama bona excitat ad bonum, sed mala ad malum, et ideo non est publicandum malum, sicut bonum. — Praeterea, non est meum iudicare.

2. Quod obiicitur de compassione, dicendum, quod vera compassio est, in qua vulneratur compatiens, non in qua damnificatur miser. Et quia iste in hac oblocutione damnificat peccatorem⁶ in fama, ideo non debet accusare.

3. Quod obiicitur de Domini mandato, dicendum, quod Dominus intelligit, quod vocandi sunt qui possunt et volunt prodesse; et per Ecclesiam non intelligit multitudinem, sed intelligit eum qui prodesse potest et debet corrigere, et tali est dicendum⁷.

---

Secondly a remedy is given against the vanity of security.

He that diggeth a pit etc. Above he set forth the vanity of security; here, secondly, he intends to give a remedy against that vanity; and because security arose from a defect of just retribution and of the government of providence, which appeared to be: therefore there are two parts here. First he gives a remedy against the defect of the order of providence; secondly, against the defect of just retribution, below, in the eleventh¹²: Cast thy bread etc.

First a remedy is given against the security arisen from a defect .of the order of providence.

Now the disorder of government comes from a threefold cause: either because one is set over others who is wicked, or because he is foolish, p. 83 or because he is useless and remiss. First, therefore, he gives a remedy against the wicked prelate; secondly, against the foolish prelate, at: The words of the mouth of a wise man are grace; thirdly, against the carnal and remiss prelate, at: Woe to thee, land, whose king is a child.

First, as regards the defect of government, when a wicked prelate is set over others.

As to the first, then, he proceeds thus. First he says that a good prelate is not to be removed; secondly, that a wicked one is not to be borne or promoted; thirdly he says that the one promoted is to be corrected; fourthly, that he is not to be secretly detracted.

(Vers. 8.). First, then, he says that a good prelate is not to be removed, neither by fraudulence nor by violence. Not by fraudulence; whence he threatens: He that diggeth a pit, namely by preparing a snare for a good prelate, shall fall into it; the Psalm¹: « He hath opened a pit and dug it, and he is fallen into the hole which he made ». Nor is he to be removed by power; whence he threatens the one who does the contrary: He that breaketh a hedge, that is, a good prelate, who guards his subjects as a hedge; Ecclesiasticus, the thirty-sixth: « Where there is no hedge, the possession shall be spoiled ». A serpent shall bite him, that is, the devil with the demons, who are biting serpents; Jeremias, the eighth: « Behold, I will send among you most wicked serpents, against which there is no charm, and they shall bite you ».

(Vers. 9.). He that removeth stones etc. Here, secondly, he shows that a hard and useless prelate is not to be promoted; and he threatens those who promote the hard one; whence he says: He that removeth stones, that is, promotes the hard and wicked to a greater dignity; shall be afflicted in them, that is, through them, or on account of them; Proverbs, the twenty-sixth²: « As he that casteth a stone into the heap of Mercury, so is he that giveth honour to a fool »; and after: « He that rolleth a stone, it shall return to him »; and Ecclesiasticus, the twenty-seventh: « He that throweth a stone on high, it shall fall upon his head ». Nor is the vain and useless one to be promoted; therefore he says: He that cutteth trees, another translation: He that heweth; he hews who wishes to set a useless prelate under the building³. The useless prelate is compared to a tree, because, as a fruitless tree when cut is given to the fire, so too the prelate; Matthew, the seventh⁴: « Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit shall be cut down, and shall be cast into the fire ». He shall be wounded by them, namely because his conscience is wounded; Ecclesiasticus, the twenty-seventh: « The deceitful stroke will wound the deceitful ». Of these wounds Isaias, the first: « Wound and bruise and swelling sore is not bound up nor fomented with oil ».

(Vers. 10.). If the iron be blunt etc. Here he adds, thirdly, that the prelate who has in some way declined into evil is to be corrected, because he can avail, although it is needful to labour much. Therefore he says: If the iron be blunt, that is, if the edge of goodness and wisdom have been changed through fault in the prelate; and be not as before, sharp, supply, but be made blunt, through fault; with much labour, namely of reproof, it shall be sharpened, that is, it shall be brought back to its former rectitude; Proverbs, the twenty-seventh⁵: « Iron is sharpened by iron, and a man sharpeneth the face of his friend ». And through this likeness of bodily things he infers in spiritual things: And after industry, that is, the labour of industry, shall follow wisdom, as after the sharpening of iron there follow the straightness and fineness of the edge for cutting; Proverbs, the fifteenth: « The ear that heareth the reproofs of life shall abide in the midst of the wise »; and Proverbs, the second: « If thou shalt seek her as money, and shalt dig for her as for a treasure; then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and shalt find knowledge ».

(Vers. 11.). If a serpent bite etc. Here, fourthly, he shows that such a prelate is not to be secretly detracted; and he shows the greatness of the fault of detraction through a like case in bodily things. Therefore he says: If a serpent bite in silence, which is the serpent's own way, because it pours in its venom secretly; he that secretly detracteth hath nothing less than it, because, as that is fraudulent, so too is this, because this is to speak evil of the deaf; Leviticus, the nineteenth⁶: « Thou shalt not speak evil of the deaf, nor put a stumblingblock before the blind ». As that is deadly, so too is this; to the Galatians, the fifth: « If you bite and devour one another, take heed you be not consumed one of another »; Proverbs, the twenty-sixth: « The words of a talebearer are as it were simple, and they reach even to the inward parts of the belly ». As also of old they were delivered by looking upon Christ, according to what is said in Wisdom, the sixteenth⁷: « He that had turned was not healed by that which he saw, but by thee the Lord, the Saviour of all »; so too now. Whence he himself said, John, the fifteenth: « If they have kept my word, they will keep yours also ».

p. 84 ### Question.

It is asked whether secretly to speak evil of someone is detraction and a sin, where it is established that the speaker says what is true. That it is not, it seems:

1. Because, as the good man is worthy of praise, so the wicked man is worthy of blame: therefore, as it is just to praise the good, so it is just to blame the wicked: therefore, as he does not sin who praises the good, so neither does he who speaks evil of the wicked.

2. Likewise, as one ought to rejoice with the good, so one ought to have compassion on the wicked: therefore, as someone can recount to another the good of a third, rejoicing with him, without sin, so also the evil, having compassion: therefore he who speaks evil of another secretly, if he has compassion, does not sin.

3. Moreover, the Lord says in Matthew, the eighteenth¹, that when one's neighbour sins, he is to be corrected before one or before two; and if he does not hear, it is to be told to the Church: therefore at least concerning the incorrigible it seems that a man may speak evil to anyone whatever.

On the contrary: 1. What thou wouldst not have done to thee, do not to another²: therefore what you would not have said of you, you ought not to say of another; but you ought not to wish that someone should speak evil of you, you being absent, since it will profit you nothing: therefore etc.

2. Likewise, he who speaks evil of another takes from him his good name: therefore, since a good name is better than many treasures³, therefore, since a man cannot take treasures from another without sin, likewise etc.

3. Likewise, it is said in Leviticus, the nineteenth⁴: Thou shalt not speak evil of the deaf; but he who speaks evil behind one's back speaks evil of the deaf: therefore he acts against that precept.

4. Moreover, a sin done in public scandalizes: therefore he who publishes some sin which is not public scandalizes; but he who speaks against another makes known a sin which lies hidden: therefore he scandalizes him with whom he speaks.

I respond: it must be said that he who speaks evil of another speaks either compelled by necessity, or induced by utility, or driven by the lust of detracting. He is then compelled by necessity when he is bound by a precept, either human or divine: human, when he speaks to one who can command and does command that he speak; divine, when conscience dictates to a man that he is bound to accuse his neighbour, that he may be corrected, according to that precept of the Lord concerning fraternal correction. — He is then induced by utility when he tells another's evil to someone who can profit and not harm, and whom it profits to hear that evil and does not harm⁵, as when someone tells it to a man who loves him and has compassion and has the will to correct him. — But when neither necessity is considered nor utility, even if there be truth, he is not excused from the lust of detracting; nay rather he sins with the sin of detraction, even if he speak the truth.

The arguments, therefore, which prove that it is a sin to speak evil of another in his absence are to be conceded, unless necessity or utility intervene; for then it is plain that they do not hold.

1. As to what is objected to the contrary, that it is just to blame etc.: it must be said that, although they be worthy of blame, nevertheless a man ought not to blame them. Nor is the case alike with praise, because a good reputation stirs to good, but a bad one to evil, and therefore evil is not to be published as good is. — Moreover, it is not mine to judge.

2. As to what is objected concerning compassion, it must be said that true compassion is that in which the one who has compassion is wounded, not that in which the wretched man is damaged. And because this man, in this speaking against him, damages the sinner⁶ in his reputation, therefore he ought not to accuse.

3. As to what is objected concerning the Lord's command, it must be said that the Lord means that those are to be called who can and will profit; and by the Church he does not mean the multitude, but means him who can profit and ought to correct, and to such a one it is to be told⁷.

---