Bonaventure

Art. 2. De secunda peccati occasione, quae est vanitas securitatis, agitur dupliciter.

Omnia haec consideravi. Egit supra de vanitate pronitatis; hic agit de vanitate securitatis; et quoniam haec vanitas periculosa est, quia impellit hominem ad culpam, sive ipsum impulsum detinet; ideo primo ponitur vanitas; secundo, vanitatis remedium, ibi: Qui fodit foveam incidet in eam, infra decimo³.

Primo ostenditur vanitas securitatis secundum duplicem eius ortum.

Securitas oritur dupliciter: primo scilicet ex apparentia defectus retributionis iustae; secundo, ex apparentia defectus regiminis providentiae, et hoc secundum tangitur ibi: Verti me ad alia et vidi nec velocium etc., infra nono⁴.

Primo securitas oritur ex apparentia defectus retributionis iustae; quae apparentia triplici ratione producitur.

Retributio autem iustitiae apparet deficere propter malorum exaltationem, propter bonorum depressionem, propter utrorumque indistinctionem; sunt igitur hic tres partes. Primo ostenditur, quomodo securitatis vanitas oritur ex promotione malorum; secundo, quomodo ex depressione bonorum, ibi⁵: Est et alia vanitas, quae fit super terram etc.; tertio, quomodo oritur ex indistinctione istorum et illorum, ibi: Et apposui cor meum, ut scirem sapientiam etc.

Primo, de malorum exaltatione.

Ortus igitur securitatis ex malorum exaltatione hoc ordine describitur. Primo insinuatur malorum sublimitas; secundo vero, quomodo ex hoc oritur impiis securitatis vanitas; tertio, quomodo ex hoc elicitur bonorum utilitas.

(Vers. 9. 10.). Primo igitur insinuatur malorum sublimitas, quam consideravit Ecclesiastes sua diligenti consideratione. Propter quod dicit: Omnia haec consideravi, supple: quae praedixi prius. Et dedi cor meum in cunctis operibus, quae fiunt sub sole, ut omnia considerarem; supra primo⁶: « Dedi cor meum, ut scirem prudentiam atque doctrinam erroresque et stultitiam ». Et in hac consideratione vidit ipse malorum sublimationem et in potentia et in fama. Quantum ad sublimationem in potentia dicit: Interdum dominatur homo homini in malum suum, videlicet quando malus praeest, quia bonus in bonum suum, cum bene praeest; unde primae ad Timotheum tertio⁷: « Si quis episcopatum desiderat, bonum opus desiderat »; sed malus in malum suum; unde Ecclesiastici septimo: « Non alliges tibi peccata duplicia; nec enim in uno eris immunis ». Malus praelatus alligat sibi peccata duplicia. — Quantum ad sublimationem in fama dicit: Vidi impios sepultos, scilicet profunditate desperationis; Proverbiorum decimo octavo⁸: « Impius cum in p. 68 profundum venerit peccatorum, contemnit ». Vel: sepultos, aggere adulationis; Matthaei octavo: « Sine, mortuos sepelire mortuos suos »; Gregorius: « Mortuus mortuum sepelit, cum aggere adulationis premit ». Vel: sepultos, continuatione transgressionis usque ad mortem, quasi dicat: qui in malitia sepulti et in malitia mortui fuerunt, secundum quod dicitur frequenter; tertii Regum decimo sexto¹: « Mortuus est in peccatis Ieroboam, qui peccare fecit Israel »; et secundum quod Dominus dicit Iudaeis Ioannis octavo: « Vos in peccato vestro moriemini ». Tales impios vidit exaltatos in fama; ideo dicit: Qui etiam, cum adhuc viverent, supple: in sua malitia, in loco sancto erant, id est in dignitate quasi sancti, sicut et antichristus, de quo Matthaei vigesimo quarto: « Cum videritis abominationem desolationis stantem in loco sancto » etc. Et laudabantur in civitate quasi iustorum operum. Et sic erant magni in fama; Psalmus²: « Quoniam laudatur peccator in desideriis animae suae »; et Proverbiorum vigesimo octavo: « Qui derelinquunt legem laudabant impium; qui autem custodiunt » etc.

(Vers. 10. 11.). Sed et hoc vanitas. Tangitur hic secundum, scilicet securitatis vanitas; quia ex hoc, quod mali non puniuntur, alii securi redduntur; ideo dicit: Sed et hoc vanitas, id est causa vanitatis. — Et hoc ostendit: Etenim, quia non profertur cito contra malos sententia, sed benigne exspectantur, secundum quod dicitur secundae Petri tertio³: « Non tardat Dominus promissionem, sed patienter agit propter vos, nolens, aliquem perire, sed omnes ad poenitentiam reverti ». Et absque timore ullo filii hominum perpetrant mala, et ita securi sunt, quia nihil cogitant nec timent de futuris; Proverbiorum vigesimo octavo⁴: « Viri mali non cogitant iudicium », quia scilicet nunc non puniuntur; Isaiae vigesimo sexto: « Misereamur impio, et non discet iustitiam » etc.

(Vers. 12. 13.). Attamen peccator etc. Tangitur hic tertium, quomodo ex hoc elicitur bonorum utilitas, quia ex hoc cognoscunt boni divinam misericordiam et exercitantur in iustitia. Propterea dicit: Attamen peccator, et debet construi sic littera: Attamen ex eo, quod peccator centies facit malum, id est multoties, secundum illud Ieremiae secundo⁵: « Quam vilis facta es nimis, iterans vias tuas ». Et per patientiam sustentatur, scilicet Dei, secundum illud ad Romanos secundo: « An ignoras, quod benignitas Dei ad poenitentiam te adducit »? Unde Threnorum tertio: « Misericordia Domini, quia non sumus consumti ». Ego cognovi, quod erit bonum timentibus Deum, id est a malo declinantibus; Proverbiorum decimo sexto⁶: « In timore Domini declinatur a malo ». Qui verentur faciem eius, et ob eius reverentiam peccare non audent, secundum quod Iob trigesimo primo dicit de se: « Semper quasi tumentes super me fluctus timui Deum, et pondus eius ferre non potui ». Sed ista utilitas divinae misericordiae et patientiae non se extendit ad malos; et ideo utilius est eis mori quam vivere. — Ideo dicit: Non sit bonum impio; hoc non dicit optando, sed praedicendo, sicut illud Psalmi⁷: « Convertantur peccatores in infernum ». Non sit bonum, scilicet gloriae; Isaiae vigesimo sexto: « Tollatur impius, ne videat gloriam Dei ». Non sit etiam bonum praesentis vitae; ideo addit: Nec prolongentur dies eius, id est, non prolongabuntur; Proverbiorum decimo⁸: « Anni impiorum breviabuntur »: et in Psalmo: « Viri sanguinum et dolosi non dimidiabunt dies suos ». Sed quasi umbra transeant qui non timent faciem Domini. Et revera tanquam umbra transeunt; unde in Psalmo: « Vidi impium superexaltatum », et post: « Transivi, et ecce, non erat »; unde in persona impiorum, Sapientiae quinto: « Transierunt haec omnia velut umbra et tanquam nuntius praecurrens et tanquam navis, quae pertransit fluctuantem aquam ».

Quaestiones.

I. Quaeritur hic de hoc quod dicit: Interdum dominatur homo homini; utrum homo possit iuste homini dominari. Quod sic, videtur:

1. Quia ad Romanos decimo tertio⁹: « Non est potestas nisi a Deo; et Apostolus dicit, quod serviendum est dominis, non tantum propter timorem, sed etiam propter conscientiam; ergo si omne, quod est a Deo, est iustum, ergo hominem habere potestatem super hominem, est iustum.

2. Praeterea, si conscientia non dictat homini nisi iustum, cum est recta; et hoc dictat, ut dicit Apostolus¹⁰: ergo iustum est, hominem homini esse subditum.

3. Item Apostolus dicit ad Ephesios sexto¹¹: Servi, obedite dominis carnalibus; sed Apostolus non hortatur nec praecipit nisi iustum: ergo etc.

p. 69 Contra: 1. Homines sunt aequales natura¹, ergo quod unus alteri praesit, hoc est contra naturam; sed omne, quod est contra naturam, est peccatum: ergo etc.

2. Item, omnes homines sunt liberi per naturam, ergo quando homo efficitur servus, hoc est per usurpationem²; sed omne usurpatum est peccatum: ergo peccatum est homini dominari.

Respondeo: dicendum, quod homo potest homini iuste dominari; quod patet, quia Noe divina auctoritate filium suum Chanaan fecit servum fratrum³; similiter Isaac fecit de Esau et Iacob.

1. 2. Quod ergo obiicitur de hoc, quod est contra naturam, et quod omnis homo est liber; intelligendum, quod duplex est status, scilicet naturae destitutae et naturae institutae. Quantum ad statum naturae institutae etsi omnes essent liberi et aequales, et non esset dictum hominibus, quod praeessent nisi solis brutis⁴; tamen quantum ad statum naturae corruptae aliter est. — Quia enim alii aliis sunt peiores et mali, ideo iusto Dei iudicio in se et posteris servi fiunt. — Alia etiam ratio est dominandi, scilicet propter cohibitionem malorum; si enim non esset potestas temporalis, quilibet faceret quod sibi rectum videretur, et ita esset scissio iniquitatis, et quilibet ad votum peccaret. Et sic iuste potest esse dominium et servitus in hominibus. — Utrum autem mali iuste possint praeesse bonis, quaeretur infra⁵.

II. Quaeritur de hoc quod dicit: Impius centies peccat et sustentatur; utrum sit benignitatis, vel severitatis. Quod benignitatis, videtur:

Threnorum tertio⁶: Misericordia Domini, quia non sumus consumti. — Praeterea, Apostolus ad Romanos secundo⁷: Ignoras, quod benignitas Dei ad poenitentiam te adducit?

Sed contra: Impius, quanto plus vivit, tanto plura mala facit, et quanto plura mala facit, tanto cruciabitur acrius: ergo si citius moreretur, melius esset ei: ergo quod dies elongantur sibi, potius est in malum quam bonum: ergo severitatis.

Respondeo: dicendum, quod quidam sunt impii, quos praevidit Deus ad se reversuros; talibus vitae dilatio est effectus magnae misericordiae, apertae et occultae. Alii sunt, quos praevidit peccata multiplicaturos et in eis morituros; et talibus prolongare iustitiae est et misericordiae: misericordiae, quia differtur eis poena crudelis; sed occultae iustitiae, quia permittitur ei qui in sordibus est, quod sordescat adhuc⁸; meruit enim ideo prolongationem vitae, quantum ad hoc severitatis occultae.

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Art. 2. On the second occasion of sin, which is the vanity of security, it is treated in two ways.

All these things I have considered. He treated above of the vanity of proneness; here he treats of the vanity of security; and since this vanity is dangerous, because it drives a man to fault, or holds him once he has been driven; therefore first the vanity is set down; secondly, the remedy of the vanity, at: He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it, below in the tenth³.

First the vanity of security is shown according to its twofold origin.

Security arises in two ways: first, namely, from the appearance of a failure of just retribution; secondly, from the appearance of a failure of the governance of providence, and this second is touched at: I turned me to other things, and I saw that… nor of the swift etc., below in the ninth⁴.

First, security arises from the appearance of a failure of just retribution; which appearance is produced for a threefold reason.

Now the retribution of justice appears to fail on account of the exaltation of the evil, on account of the abasement of the good, on account of the lack of distinction between both; there are therefore three parts here. First it is shown how the vanity of security arises from the promotion of the evil; secondly, how from the abasement of the good, at⁵: There is also another vanity, which is done upon the earth etc.; thirdly, how it arises from the lack of distinction between these and those, at: And I applied my heart to know wisdom etc.

First, on the exaltation of the evil.

The origin of security from the exaltation of the evil is therefore described in this order. First the loftiness of the evil is suggested; secondly, how from this the vanity of security arises for the wicked; thirdly, how from this the utility of the good is drawn out.

(Vers. 9. 10.). First, then, the loftiness of the evil is suggested, which Ecclesiastes considered with his diligent consideration. On account of which he says: All these things I have considered, supply: which I said before. And I gave my heart to all the works that are done under the sun, that I might consider all things; above in the first⁶: « I gave my heart to know prudence and learning^tr., and errors and folly ». And in this consideration he himself saw the elevation of the evil both in power and in fame. As to elevation in power he says: Sometimes one man ruleth over another to his own evil, namely when an evil man presides, because a good man presides to his own good, when he presides well; whence First to Timothy, the third⁷: « If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work »; but an evil man to his own evil; whence Ecclesiasticus, the seventh: « Bind not to thyself double sins; for even in one thou shalt not be unpunished ». An evil prelate binds double sins to himself. — As to elevation in fame he says: I saw the wicked buried, namely in the depth of despair; Proverbs, the eighteenth⁸: « The wicked man, when he is come into the p. 68 depth of sins, contemneth ». Or: buried, under the heap of flattery; Matthew, the eighth: « Let the dead bury their dead »; Gregory: « The dead man buries the dead, when he presses him under the heap of flattery ». Or: buried, by the continuation of transgression even to death, as if he should say: who were buried in malice and died in malice, according to what is often said; Third of Kings, the sixteenth¹: « He died in the sins of Jeroboam, who made Israel to sin »; and according to what the Lord says to the Jews in John, the eighth: « You shall die in your sin ». Such wicked men he saw exalted in fame; therefore he says: Who also, when they were yet living, supply: in their malice, were in the holy place, that is, in dignity as if holy, as also the antichrist, of whom Matthew, the twenty-fourth: « When you shall see the abomination of desolation standing in the holy place » etc. And were praised in the city as men of just works. And thus they were great in fame; the Psalm²: « For the sinner is praised in the desires of his soul »; and Proverbs, the twenty-eighth: « They that forsake the law praised the wicked; but they that keep it » etc.

(Vers. 10. 11.). But this also is vanity. Here the second is touched, namely the vanity of security; because from this, that the evil are not punished, others are made secure; therefore he says: But this also is vanity, that is, a cause of vanity. — And he shows this: For because sentence is not speedily pronounced against the evil, but they are kindly waited for, according to what is said in Second of Peter, the third³: « The Lord delayeth not his promise, but dealeth patiently for your sake, not willing that any should perish, but that all should return to penance ». And the children of men commit evils without any fear, and so they are secure, because they think of nothing and fear nothing concerning the things to come; Proverbs, the twenty-eighth⁴: « Evil men think not on judgement », because, namely, they are not now punished; Isaias, the twenty-sixth: « Let us have pity on the wicked, and he will not learn justice » etc.

(Vers. 12. 13.). Nevertheless a sinner etc. Here the third is touched, how from this the utility of the good is drawn out, because from this the good come to know the divine mercy and are exercised in justice. Therefore he says: Nevertheless a sinner, and the letter ought to be construed thus: Nevertheless, from this, that a sinner doth evil a hundred times, that is, many times, according to that of Jeremias, the second⁵: « How exceeding base art thou become, repeating thy ways ». And is borne with by patience, namely God's, according to that to the Romans, the second: « Knowest thou not that the benignity of God leadeth thee to penance »? Whence Lamentations, the third: « The mercy of the Lord, that we are not consumed ». I have known that there shall be good for them that fear God, that is, for those turning aside from evil; Proverbs, the sixteenth⁶: « By the fear of the Lord one turneth aside from evil ». Who reverence his face, and out of reverence for him do not dare to sin, according to what Job, the thirty-first, says of himself: « Always have I feared God as waves swelling over me, and his weight I was not able to bear ». But this utility of the divine mercy and patience does not extend itself to the evil; and therefore it is more useful for them to die than to live. — Therefore he says: Let there be no good for the wicked; this he does not say by wishing, but by foretelling, as that of the Psalm⁷: « Let sinners be turned into hell ». Let there be no good, namely of glory; Isaias, the twenty-sixth: « Let the wicked be taken away, that he may not see the glory of God ». Let there be no good of the present life either; therefore he adds: Neither let his days be prolonged, that is, they shall not be prolonged; Proverbs, the tenth⁸: « The years of the wicked shall be shortened »: and in the Psalm: « Bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days ». But as a shadow let them pass away that fear not the face of the Lord. And in truth they pass away as a shadow; whence in the Psalm: « I have seen the wicked highly exalted », and after: « I passed by, and lo, he was not »; whence in the person of the wicked, Wisdom, the fifth: « All those things are passed away like a shadow, and like a messenger that runneth before, and as a ship that passeth through the waving water ».

Questions.

I. It is asked here concerning what he says: Sometimes one man ruleth over another; whether man can justly have dominion over man. That he can, it seems:

1. Because to the Romans, the thirteenth⁹: « There is no power but from God; and the Apostle says that one must serve one's lords, not only on account of fear, but also on account of conscience; therefore if everything which is from God is just, therefore for man to have power over man is just.

2. Further, if conscience dictates nothing to a man but what is just, when it is right; and it dictates this, as the Apostle says¹⁰: therefore it is just that man be subject to man.

3. Likewise the Apostle says to the Ephesians, the sixth¹¹: Servants, be obedient to your lords according to the flesh; but the Apostle neither exhorts nor commands anything but what is just: therefore etc.

p. 69 On the contrary: 1. Men are equal by nature¹, therefore that one should preside over another is against nature; but everything which is against nature is sin: therefore etc.

2. Likewise, all men are free by nature, therefore when a man is made a servant, this is by usurpation²; but everything usurped is sin: therefore it is sin to have dominion over man.

I respond: it must be said that man can justly have dominion over man; which is clear, because Noe by divine authority made his son Chanaan the servant of his brethren³; likewise Isaac did with Esau and Jacob.

1. 2. To what is objected, then, concerning this, that it is against nature, and that every man is free; it must be understood that the state is twofold, namely of nature destitute and of nature instituted. As to the state of nature instituted, although all would have been free and equal, and it would not have been said to men that they should preside except over the brutes alone⁴; yet as to the state of nature corrupted it is otherwise. — For because some are worse than others and evil, therefore by the just judgement of God they are made servants in themselves and in their posterity. — There is also another reason for having dominion, namely on account of the restraint of the evil; for if there were no temporal power, everyone would do what seemed right to himself, and so there would be a rending of iniquity, and everyone would sin at will. And so there can justly be lordship and servitude among men. — But whether the evil can justly preside over the good will be asked below⁵.

II. It is asked concerning what he says: The wicked sinneth a hundred times and is borne with; whether this is of benignity, or of severity. That it is of benignity, it seems:

Lamentations, the third⁶: The mercy of the Lord, that we are not consumed. — Further, the Apostle to the Romans, the second⁷: Knowest thou not that the benignity of God leadeth thee to penance?

But on the contrary: The wicked man, the more he lives, the more evils he does, and the more evils he does, the more sharply he will be tormented: therefore if he died sooner, it would be better for him: therefore that his days are lengthened is rather for evil than for good: therefore it is of severity.

I respond: it must be said that some are wicked whom God has foreseen will return to him; for such, the delay of life is an effect of great mercy, open and hidden. There are others whom he has foreseen will multiply sins and die in them; and for such, to prolong is of justice and of mercy: of mercy, because a cruel punishment is put off for them; but of hidden justice, because it is permitted to him that is filthy, to be filthy still⁸; for he has thus merited the prolongation of life, as to which it is of hidden severity.

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