Dist. 38
Book II: On the Creation of Things · Distinction 38
DISTINCTIO XXXVIII.
Cap. I. De voluntate et eius fine.
Post praedicta de voluntate eiusque fine disserendum est. Sciendum igitur est, quod ex fine suo, ut ait Augustinus1, voluntas cognoscitur, utrum recta, an prava sit. Finis autem bonae voluntatis beatitudo est, vita aeterna, Deus ipse. Malae vero finis est aliud, scilicet mala delectatio, vel aliquid aliud, in quo non debet voluntas quiescere. Finem bonum insinuat Propheta dicens: Omnis consummationis vidi finem etc. Caritas ergo, cuius latum mandatum est, finis omnis consummationis est, id est omnis bonae voluntatis et actionis, ad quam omne praeceptum referendum est. Unde Augustinus in Enchiridio2: «Omnia praecepta divina referuntur ad caritatem, de qua dicit Apostolus: Finis praecepti est caritas de corde puro et conscientia bona et fide non ficta. Omnis itaque praecepti finis caritas est, id est, ad caritatem refertur omne praeceptum. Quod vero ita fit vel timore poenae, vel aliqua intentione carnali, ut non referatur ad caritatem, quae est dilectio Dei et proximi, nondum fit quemadmodum oportet fieri, quamvis fieri videatur». «Tunc enim recte fiunt quae mandat Deus et quae consilio monet, cum referuntur ad dilectionem Dei et proximi». — His verbis aperte insinuatur, quis sit rectus finis voluntatis, sive actionis, scilicet caritas, quae et Deus est, ut supra3 ostendimus.
Cap. II. Quis sit bonus finis, scilicet caritas.
Qui ergo caritatem sibi ponit finem, Deum sibi ponit finem; unde et Christum finem legis ad iustitiam dicit Apostolus4 esse omni credenti. Et recte dicitur Christus finis legis ad iustitiam, quia, ut ait Augustinus in libro Sententiarum Prosperi, «in Christo lex iustitiae non consumitur, sed impletur. Omnis enim perfectio in ipso est, ultra quem non est quo spes se extendat». «Finis fidelium Christus est, ad quem cum pervenerit currentis intentio, non habet quo possit amplius venire, sed habet in quo debeat permanere». — Finis ergo rectus atque supremus Deus Pater est et Filius et Spiritus sanctus; neque hi tres sunt tres fines, sed unus finis, quia non tres Dii, sed unus Deus.
Cap. III. Quod omnes bonae voluntates unum habent finem, et tamen quaedam diversos fines sortiuntur.
Sed quaeritur, utrum omnes bonae voluntates unum tantum habeant finem. De hoc Augustinus in libro undecimo de Trinitate5 ita ait: «Aliae atque aliae voluntates suos proprios fines habent, qui tamen referuntur ad finem illius voluntatis, qua volumus beate vivere et ad eam pervenire vitam, quae non referatur ad aliud, sed amanti per se ipsam sufficiat; quemadmodum voluntas videndi finem habet visionem, et voluntas videndi fenestram finem habet fenestrae visionem; altera vero est voluntas per fenestram videndi transeuntes, cuius item finis est visio transeuntium. Ad quod etiam praedictae referuntur voluntates». Item: «Rectae sunt voluntates et omnes sibimet religatae, si bona est illa, ad quam cunctae referuntur. Si autem prava est, pravae sunt omnes; et ideo rectarum voluntatum connexio iter quoddam est ascendentium ad beatitudinem, quod certis velut passibus agitur; pravarum autem et distortarum voluntatum implicatio vinculum est, quo alligabitur qui hoc agit, ut proiiciatur in tenebras exteriores». — His auctoritatum testimoniis evidenter monstratur, plures in fidelibus rectas esse voluntates, proprios ac diversos fines habentes, et tamen unum eundemque, quia omnes referuntur ad unum, qui est finis finium, de quo paulo ante diximus; ita e converso forte est et in malis.
Verumtamen huic sententiae, qua dictum est, fideliam quasdam rectas voluntates diversos fines sortiri, et tamen ad unum referri; videtur obviare quod alibi Augustinus monet, ne scilicet nobis duos fines constituamus, ita inquiens in libro de Sermone Domini in monte6: «Non debemus ideo evangelizare, ut manducemus, sed ideo manducare, ut evangelizemus: ut cibus non sit bonum, quod appetitur, sed necessarium, quod adiicitur, ut illud impleatur: Quaerite primum regnum Dei, et haec omnia adiicientur vobis». Non dixit: «primum quaerite regnum Dei, et deinde: quaerite ista, quamvis sint necessaria; sed ait: haec omnia adiicientur vobis, id est, haec consequentur, si illa quaeratis; ne, cum ista quaeritis, illinc avertamini, aut ne duos fines constituatis, ut et regnum propter se appetatis, et ista necessaria propter illud». «Ergo propter regnum Dei tantum debemus operari omnia, non solam, vel cum regno Dei mercedem temporalem meditari». — Ecce hic aperte dicit, ne duos fines nobis constituamus, sed unum tantum, id est regnum Dei, cum supra dixerit, bonas voluntates alias et alias proprios habere fines.
Haec autem sibi non repugnare, animadvertit qui verbis praemissis simplici oculo diligenter intendit. Qui enim dixit, ne duos fines nobis constituamus, sed omnia propter regnum Dei faciamus, ipse praemisit, quod debemus manducare, ut evangelizemus. Cum autem hoc ita facimus, actionis illius finem Evangelium constituimus, sed et hunc finem ad regnum Dei referimus. Manducamus enim propter Evangelium, et manducamus et evangelizamus propter regnum Dei. Duos igitur fines nobis in manducando constituimus; sed ista facientes, nunquid peccamus? Absit. Nam et ipse sic facere suadet, si diligenter eius verba inspiciamus. Cum ergo ait, ne duos fines nobis constituamus, fines in diversa tendentes intelligi voluit, scilicet, quorum alter ad alterum non referatur; ita et cum dicit, propter regnum Dei tantum omnia agenda, nec cum ipso mercedem temporalem meditandam; ita intelligendum est, ut non appetendo meditemur cum regno mercedem temporalem, ita quod non propter regnum, sed propter se, ut scilicet regnum propter se appetamus, et ista propter illud, sicut ipse docet. Si enim petimus vitam aeternam petimusque etiam temporalia a Deo; si ea petimus propter vitam aeternam, non offendimus, neque sinistra tunc scit, quid faciat dextera, quia mercedem temporalem non propter se meditamur, sed propter regnum Dei, ut sit laeva sub capite et dextera in amplexu. Alioquin si haec temporalia propter se quaerimus, sicut aeterna, miscetur dextrae sinistra. Ideoque cum Dominus dixerit: Attendite, ne iustitiam vestram faciatis coram hominibus, ut videamini ab eis; alibi ait: Sic luceant opera vestra bona coram hominibus, ut glorificent Patrem vestrum qui in caelis est. — Propter Deum ergo omnia facienda sunt, ut omnia quae facimus, omniumque fines ad eum referamus.
Cap. IV. De differentia voluntatis et intentionis et finis.
Solet etiam quaeri, quid distet inter voluntatem et intentionem ac finem. — Ad quod dici potest, inter voluntatem et finem certo atque evidenti modo distingui, quia voluntas est, qua volumus aliquid; finis vero voluntatis est vel illud quod volumus, per quod impletur ipsa voluntas, vel potius aliud, propter quod illud volumus. Intentio vero interdum pro voluntate, interdum pro fine voluntatis accipitur, quae diligens ac pius lector in Scriptura, ubi haec occurrunt, discernere studeat. Finis autem voluntatis est delectatio bona vel mala, ad quam nititur quisque pervenire. Unde Augustinus super illum locum Psalmi7: Scrutans corda et renes, sic ait: «Deus solus scrutatur corda, id est, quid quisque cogitet, et renes, id est, quid quemque delectet; quia finis curae et cogitationis est delectatio, ad quam cura et cogitatione nititur quisque pervenire». Et paulo post: «Opera nostra, quae sunt in dictis et factis, possunt homines videre, sed quo animo fiant et quo venire cupiant, solus Deus videt; qui cum videt, cor esse in caelo, et non delectari nos in carne, sed in Domino, id est, cum bonae sunt cogitationes et earum fines, dirigit iustum». Idem super alterius Psalmi8 locum illum, scilicet: In laqueo isto, quem absconderunt, comprehensus est pes eorum, dicit: «Pes animae amor est, qui, si pravus est, dicitur cupiditas vel libido; si rectus, dicitur caritas. Eo movetur anima, quasi ad locum, quo tendit, id est ad delectationem bonam vel malam, quo se supervenisse per amorem laetatur». Finis ergo voluntatis, ut praemissum est, dicitur et illud quod volumus, et illud propter quod volumus, et intentio ad illud respicit propter quod volumus, et voluntas ad illud quod volumus, ut verbi gratia, si velim esurientem reficere, ut habeam vitam aeternam, voluntas est, qua volo reficere esurientem, cuius finis est refectio esurientis; intentio vero, qua sic ad vitam pervenire volo; finis autem supremus est ipsa vita, ad quam et alius finis refertur.
Sed quaeritur, utrum intentio talis sit voluntas, et si voluntas est, an in hoc opere sit una eademque voluntas, qua volo habere vitam aeternam, et qua volo reficere esurientem. Videtur nempe talis intentio esse voluntas, ut enim voluntas est, qua volo reficere pauperem, ita et voluntas est, qua per istud volo habere vitam. Et alia quidem videtur esse voluntas, qua volo habere vitam, et alia, qua pauperi subvenire volo. Sed ista ad illam refertur. «Nam etsi hoc ita placet, ut in eo cum aliqua delectatione voluntas acquiescat, nondum est tamen illud quo tenditur, sed hoc ad illud refertur, ut illud deputetur tanquam patria civis, istud vero tanquam refectio vel mansio viatoris9». Et sunt istae voluntates affectus sive motus mentis, quibus quasi gressibus vel passibus tenditur ad patriam. Sicut
ergo altera est voluntas videndi fenestras, ut supra, docente Augustino, didicimus, altera, quae ex ista nectitur, voluntas scilicet per fenestras videndi transeuntes; ita nonnullis alia videtur esse voluntas eleemosynas dandi pauperi, alia voluntas habendi vitam. Alii autem putant, quod una sit voluntas et hic et ibi, sed propter subiectorum multiplicitatem diversitas memoratur voluntatum. Ceterum quodlibet horum verum sit, illud nulli10 in ambiguum venit, quin voluntas ex suo fine pensetur, utrum recta sit, an prava, peccatum, an gratia, et quin nomine intentionis aliquando finis, aliquando voluntas intelligatur.
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DISTINCTION XXXVIII.
Chap. I. On the will and its end.
After the foregoing, we must treat of the will and its end. It must be known, therefore, that from its end, as Augustine says1, the will is recognized, whether it be right or perverse. And the end of a good will is beatitude, eternal life, God himself. But the end of an evil will is something else, namely an evil delight, or something else, in which the will ought not to rest. The Prophet intimates the good end, saying: I have seen an end of all perfection etc. Charity, therefore, whose commandment is broad, is the end of all perfection, that is, of every good will and action, to which every precept is to be referred. Hence Augustine in the Enchiridion2: «All the divine precepts are referred to charity, of which the Apostle says: The end of the precept is charity from a pure heart and a good conscience and faith unfeigned. The end of every precept, therefore, is charity, that is, every precept is referred to charity. But what is done either from fear of punishment, or from some carnal intention, so that it is not referred to charity, which is the love of God and neighbor, is not yet done as it ought to be done, although it may seem to be done». «For then are rightly done the things which God commands and which he advises by counsel, when they are referred to the love of God and neighbor». — By these words it is openly intimated what is the right end of the will, or of the action, namely charity, which is also God, as we showed above3.
Chap. II. What the good end is, namely charity.
He, therefore, who sets charity as his end, sets God as his end; whence the Apostle4 also calls Christ the end of the law unto justice to everyone that believeth. And rightly is Christ called the end of the law unto justice, because, as Augustine says in the book of the Sentences of Prosper, «in Christ the law of justice is not consumed, but fulfilled. For all perfection is in him, beyond whom there is nothing to which hope may extend itself». «The end of the faithful is Christ, to whom when the intention of one running has come, it has nowhere it can come further, but it has wherein it ought to remain». — The right and supreme end, therefore, is God the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit; nor are these three three ends, but one end, because they are not three Gods, but one God.
Chap. III. That all good wills have one end, and yet certain ones obtain diverse ends.
But it is asked whether all good wills have one end only. Concerning this Augustine in the eleventh book On the Trinity5 thus says: «Various wills have their own proper ends, which nevertheless are referred to the end of that will by which we will to live blessedly and to attain that life which is not referred to anything else, but suffices of itself to the one loving it; just as the will of seeing has sight as its end, and the will of seeing a window has the seeing of the window as its end; but there is another will of seeing through the window those passing by, whose end likewise is the sight of those passing by. To which the aforesaid wills are also referred». Likewise: «The wills are right and all bound to one another, if that be good to which they are all referred. But if it be perverse, they are all perverse; and therefore the connection of right wills is a certain road of those ascending to beatitude, which is traversed as it were by fixed steps; but the entanglement of perverse and distorted wills is a chain, by which he who does this will be bound, that he may be cast into the exterior darkness». — By these testimonies of authorities it is evidently shown that there are in the faithful many right wills, having their own and diverse ends, and yet one and the same, because they are all referred to one, which is the end of ends, of which we spoke a little before; and so, conversely, perhaps it is also in evil things.
Nevertheless, to this opinion, by which it has been said that certain faithful right wills obtain diverse ends, and yet are referred to one, there seems to be opposed what Augustine elsewhere advises, namely that we should not set up two ends for ourselves, thus saying in the book On the Lord's Sermon on the Mount6: «We ought not to evangelize for this reason, that we may eat, but to eat for this reason, that we may evangelize: so that food is not a good which is sought, but a necessity which is added, that it may be fulfilled: Seek first the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added unto you». He did not say: «first seek the kingdom of God, and then: seek these things, although they are necessary; but he said: all these things shall be added unto you, that is, these will follow, if you seek those; lest, when you seek these things, you be turned away from there, or set up two ends, so that you both seek the kingdom for its own sake, and these necessary things for its sake». «Therefore, for the kingdom of God alone we ought to work all things, not to meditate on temporal reward alone, or together with the kingdom of God». — Behold, here he plainly says that we should not set up two ends for ourselves, but one only, that is, the kingdom of God, since above he had said that good wills have various proper ends.
But that these do not contradict one another, he perceives who attends carefully with a simple eye to the foregoing words. For he who said that we should not set up two ends for ourselves, but do all things for the kingdom of God, himself premised that we ought to eat that we may evangelize. But when we do this thus, we set up the Gospel as the end of that action, but we also refer this end to the kingdom of God. For we eat for the sake of the Gospel, and we eat and evangelize for the sake of the kingdom of God. We therefore set up two ends for ourselves in eating; but doing these things, do we sin? By no means. For he himself advises us to do so, if we carefully examine his words. When therefore he says that we should not set up two ends for ourselves, he meant ends tending in diverse directions to be understood, namely, of which one is not referred to the other; so also when he says that all things are to be done for the kingdom of God alone, and that temporal reward is not to be meditated on together with it; it is thus to be understood, that we do not by seeking meditate on temporal reward together with the kingdom, so that not for the kingdom, but for itself, namely that we should seek the kingdom for its own sake, and these things for its sake, as he himself teaches. For if we ask for eternal life and also ask for temporal things from God; if we ask for them on account of eternal life, we do not offend, nor then does the left know what the right does, because we meditate on temporal reward not for its own sake, but for the kingdom of God, that the left may be under the head and the right in the embrace. Otherwise, if we seek these temporal things for their own sake, like the eternal, the left is mingled with the right. And therefore, since the Lord said: Take heed that you do not your justice before men, to be seen by them; he says elsewhere: So let your good works shine before men, that they may glorify your Father who is in heaven. — For the sake of God, therefore, all things are to be done, that all the things we do, and the ends of all, we may refer to him.
Chap. IV. On the difference of will and intention and end.
It is also wont to be asked what distinction there is between will and intention and end. — To which it can be said that between will and end there is a distinction in a certain and evident manner, because will is that by which we will something; but the end of the will is either that which we will, by which the will itself is fulfilled, or rather something else, on account of which we will that. But intention is sometimes taken for the will, sometimes for the end of the will, which the diligent and pious reader should strive to discern in Scripture, where these things occur. And the end of the will is a good or evil delight, to which each one strives to attain. Hence Augustine, on that passage of the Psalm7: Searching the hearts and reins, thus says: «God alone searches the hearts, that is, what each one thinks, and the reins, that is, what delights each one; because the end of care and thought is delight, to which by care and thought each one strives to attain». And a little after: «Our works, which are in words and deeds, men can see, but with what mind they are done and whither they desire to come, God alone sees; who when he sees the heart to be in heaven, and that we delight not in the flesh, but in the Lord, that is, when the thoughts and their ends are good, directs the just man». The same author, on the passage of another Psalm8, namely: In this snare which they have hidden, their foot has been caught, says: «The foot of the soul is love, which, if it be depraved, is called cupidity or lust; if right, is called charity. By it the soul is moved, as it were to a place to which it tends, that is, to a good or evil delight, where it rejoices to have arrived through love». The end of the will, therefore, as has been premised, is said to be both that which we will, and that on account of which we will, and intention looks to that on account of which we will, and will to that which we will; as for example, if I will to refresh a hungry man, that I may have eternal life, the will is that by which I will to refresh the hungry man, whose end is the refreshment of the hungry man; but the intention is that by which I thus will to attain to life; and the supreme end is life itself, to which the other end also is referred.
But it is asked whether such an intention is a will, and if it is a will, whether in this work there is one and the same will, by which I will to have eternal life, and by which I will to refresh the hungry man. For such an intention seems indeed to be a will, for as it is a will by which I will to refresh the poor man, so also it is a will by which through this I will to have life. And there seems indeed to be one will, by which I will to have life, and another, by which I will to succor the poor man. But that is referred to this. «For although this so pleases, that in it the will rests with some delight, nevertheless it is not yet that to which it tends, but this is referred to that, so that that may be reckoned as the homeland of the citizen, but this as the refreshment or lodging of the wayfarer9». And these wills are affections or motions of the mind, by which, as it were by gait or steps, one tends to the homeland. Just as
therefore there is one will of seeing the windows, as above, with Augustine teaching, we have learned, and another, which is knit from this, namely the will of seeing through the windows those passing by; so to some it seems that there is one will of giving alms to the poor man, and another will of having life. But others think that the will is one both here and there, but on account of the multiplicity of the objects a diversity of wills is spoken of. But whichever of these be true, it comes into doubt for no one10 that the will is weighed from its end, whether it be right or perverse, sin or grace, and that by the name of intention sometimes the end, sometimes the will is understood.
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- Libr. XI. de Trin. c. 6. n. 10, sententialiter. — Locus Prophetae est Ps. 118, 96.Book XI On the Trinity, c. 6, n. 10, given in substance. — The passage of the Prophet is Ps. 118:96.
- Cap. 121. n. 32, ubi locus Scripturae est I. Tim. 1, 5. Seq. locus Augustini ibid. parum inferius.Chapter 121, n. 32, where the scriptural passage is 1 Tim. 1:5. The following passage of Augustine is in the same place, a little lower down.
- Libr. I. d. XVII. c. 3. — Paulo superius post actionis Vat. cum pluribus edd. addit bonae.Book I, d. XVII, c. 3. — A little above, after actionis the Vatican edition with several editions adds bonae.
- Rom. 10, 4. Verba Augustini in libro Sentent. Prosperi sunt sent. 190 (August. Enarrat. in Ps. 43. n. 1.); et quae sequuntur sent. 206 (in Ps. 56. n. 2.). In primo loco post perfectio Vat. addit ex ipso et, refragantibus codd. A B C D et edd. I, 8; in aliis tantum ex ipso. De originali recte annotat cod. Erf.: In originali in ipso, non ex ipso.Rom. 10:4. The words of Augustine in the book of the Sentences of Prosper are sentence 190 (Augustine, Enarrationes in Ps. 43, n. 1); and what follows is sentence 206 (on Ps. 56, n. 2). In the first place, after perfectio the Vatican edition adds ex ipso et, against codices A B C D and editions 1, 8; in the others only ex ipso. Concerning the original codex Erfurt rightly notes: in the original in ipso, not ex ipso.
- Cap. 6. n. 10. Seq. locus ibid. parum inferius, ubi in fine respicitur Matth. 22, 13.Chapter 6, n. 10. The following passage is in the same place, a little lower down, where at the end Matt. 22:13 is alluded to.
- Libr. II. c. 16. n. 54. Locus Scripturae est Matth. 6, 33. — Paulo superius pro monet Vat. cum pluribus edd. et cod. A admonet. — Seq. locus ibid. c. 17. n. 56; tertius ibid. infra, in quo pro temporalem edd., exceptis I, 8 et Vat., corporalem, sed originale temporalium.Book II, c. 16, n. 54. The scriptural passage is Matt. 6:33. — A little above, for monet the Vatican edition with several editions and codex A reads admonet. — The following passage is in the same place, c. 17, n. 56; the third is in the same place below, in which for temporalem the editions, except 1, 8 and the Vatican, read corporalem, but the original has temporalium.
- Psalm. 7, 10. Enarrat. ibi n. 9, multis mutatis, sed ad verbum in Glossa ibid. Ibid. est etiam seq. locus; et respicitur Ps. 36, 4.Ps. 7:10. Enarratio there, n. 9, with many changes, but word for word in the Gloss on the same place. In the same place is also the following passage; and Ps. 36:4 is alluded to.
- Psalm. 9, 16; Enarrat. in hunc Ps. n. 13.Ps. 9:16; Enarratio on this Psalm, n. 13.
- Augustinus, XI. de Trin. c. 6. n. 10, vide supra pag. 878, nota 3, ubi plura ex eodem loco afferuntur, ad quae mox respicitur.Augustine, On the Trinity XI, c. 6, n. 10; see above, p. 878, note 3, where more is adduced from the same passage, to which reference is presently made.
- Codd. nullis.The codices read nullis. ---