Bonaventure

DUBIA CIRCA LITTERAM MAGISTRI.

DUB. I.

In parte ista sunt dubitationes circa litteram et primo quaeritur de hoc quod dicit: Eos cadentes caliginosi aeris habitaculum suscepisse... ad nostram probationem: ergo videtur ex hoc, quod ultimo¹ dicitur, quod debeant habitare in terra, cum ad nostrum exercitium sint deputati. — Item, in Dialogo² legitur, quod quaedam comedit lactucam et statim obsessa est a daemonio; et ibidem ratio redditur, quia diabolus erat in lactuca, quam momordit: ergo videtur, quod sint in terra.

RESPONDEO: Dicendum, quod divina clementia et providentia locum sequestratum providit daemonibus, ne nimis acriter nos tentarent, nec tamen nimis a nobis longinquum, ut possent nos exercitare. Unde quod habitent in caliginoso aere, hoc divinae sententiae est; quod vero ad nos veniant, hoc permissionis est. Unde cum triplex sit aeris interstitium, si quaeratur, in qua parte sint; probabile videtur, quod sint in medio, ubi est turbulentia et vexatio et varietas impressionum; et hinc est, quod frequenter commovent ventos et pluvias³.

DUB. II.

Item quaeritur de hoc quod dicit: In isto aere caliginoso, qui eis carcer est. Videtur enim, quod nullo modo sit carcer, quia discurrunt quo volunt. — Et iterum, spirituales sunt, ergo nec prohibentur nec detinentur corpore. — Item, ventus non potest commovere nec conturbare radium⁴, ergo multo fortius nec spiritum. — Item, cum non habeant visum corporalem, videtur, quod nullus locus sit eis caliginosus, nec puniri videntur tenebris corporalibus.

RESPONDEO: Dicendum, quod sicut ex quadam congruitate caelum empyreum est Angelis sanctis locus conveniens et aptus, tum ex luce tum ex spatiositate, ita ut recte possit dici palatium, attestans claritati et tranquillitati et amplitudini caritatis⁵; sic, per oppositum, aer iste caliginosus carcer est, quia parvus et arctus et obscurus, non obscuritate, quae obscuret, vel arctitudine, quae angustet, sed potius, quae attestatur mentis arctitudini et frigori iniquitatis et commotioni affectionum. Et ideo recte carcer dicitur. Et sicut alio modo p. 170locus corporalis locat spiritus, alio modo corpora; ita etiam alio et alio modo incarcerat. Et sic patent obiecta.

DUB. III.

Item quaeritur de hoc quod dicit, quod dabitur ei potestas a Deo tentandi homines, quam modo non habet. Contra: Iob quadragesimo primo⁶: Non est potestas super terram, quae possit ei comparari; ergo si vires eius excedunt nostras, potius videtur, quod Deus deberet nobis augere posse quam daemonibus; aut videtur iniuste agere et inaequaliter, dum exponit debilem forti et fortificat fortem contra debilem.

RESPONDEO: Dicendum, quod potestas illa, de qua loquitur Iob, est potestas virtutis naturalis, non est potestas tentandi. Nam potestas tentandi debilis est, nisi fortificetur per consensum tentati. «Debilis enim est hostis, qui non vincit nisi volentem⁷». Quia tamen propter nostram concupiscentiam et ignorantiam multipliciter nos decipit et allicit, ideo fortis est et adeo, quod pauci essent, qui non vincerentur, nisi Deus eius astutiam et fallaciam restringeret, quam in fine iusto iudicio permittet dilatari⁸. Et ideo potestatem tentandi dicitur dare, non conferendo novam potentiam, sed sinendo ipsum operari secundum istam potentiam et astutiam, quam iam habet.

DUB. IV.

Item quaeritur de hoc quod dicit, quod non est fas illi spiritui, qui victus est, impugnare aliquem. Contra: probabiliter creditur, quod diabolus magnus, qui tentavit Adam, tentavit Christum et omnimode est victus: ergo videtur, quod nunquam amodo tentet; quod est contra textum Apocalypsis⁹. — Item, si hoc est verum, ergo videtur exercitus daemonum adeo diminutus in fine, quod tentare non possit; hoc autem falsum est, cum fortius tentet in fine¹⁰.

RESPONDEO: Dicendum, quod circa hoc difficile est veritatem determinare. Quod enim fiat imminutio in illo exercitu daemonum, non videtur improbabile, cum ita videamus contingere secundum legem belli, ut qui superatur amoveatur a bello; quantum tamen et quando, difficile est determinare; unde quidquid dicat Origenes¹¹, melius est dubitare, quam super hoc aliquid definire.

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DOUBTS CONCERNING THE TEXT OF THE MASTER.

DOUBT I.

In this part there are doubts concerning the text, and first it is asked concerning that which he says: That those falling took up the dwelling-place of the murky air... for our probation: therefore it seems from this, which is said last¹, that they ought to dwell on the earth, since they are appointed for our exercising. — Likewise, in the Dialogue² it is read that a certain woman ate lettuce and was at once possessed by a demon; and there a reason is given, that the devil was in the lettuce which she bit: therefore it seems that they are on the earth.

I RESPOND: It must be said that the divine clemency and providence provided a secluded place for the demons, that they might not tempt us too sharply, yet not too far from us, that they might be able to exercise us. Hence that they dwell in the murky air, this is of the divine decree; but that they come to us, this is of [divine] permission. Hence, since the interstice of the air is threefold, if it be asked in what part they are; it seems probable that they are in the middle, where there is turbulence and disturbance and variety of impressions; and hence it is that they frequently stir up winds and rains³.

DOUBT II.

Likewise it is asked concerning that which he says: In this murky air, which is a prison for them. For it seems that it is in no way a prison, because they run about wherever they will. — And again, they are spiritual, therefore they are neither hindered nor detained by a body. — Likewise, the wind cannot move nor disturb a ray [of light]⁴, therefore much less a spirit. — Likewise, since they do not have bodily sight, it seems that no place is murky for them, nor do they seem to be punished by bodily darkness.

I RESPOND: It must be said that, just as by a certain fittingness the empyrean heaven is for the holy Angels a suitable and apt place, both from [its] light and from [its] spaciousness, so that it can rightly be called a palace, attesting to the brightness and tranquility and amplitude of charity⁵; so, conversely, this murky air is a prison, because [it is] small and narrow and dark, not by a darkness which darkens, or a narrowness which constrains, but rather [one] which attests to the straitness of mind and the cold of iniquity and the agitation of the affections. And therefore it is rightly called a prison. And just as in one manner a corporeal place locates spirits, in another bodies; so also in one and another manner it imprisons. And thus the objections are clear.

DOUBT III.

Likewise it is asked concerning that which he says, that power will be given to him by God of tempting men, which he does not now have. On the contrary: Job, forty-first [chapter]⁶: There is no power upon earth that can be compared with him; therefore if his powers exceed ours, it rather seems that God ought to increase the ability for us rather than for the demons; or he seems to act unjustly and unequally, while he exposes the weak to the strong and strengthens the strong against the weak.

I RESPOND: It must be said that that power, of which Job speaks, is the power of natural strength, [it] is not the power of tempting. For the power of tempting is weak, unless it be strengthened by the consent of the one tempted. «For the enemy is weak, who does not conquer except the willing⁷». Yet because, on account of our concupiscence and ignorance, he deceives and allures us in many ways, therefore he is strong, and so much so that few there would be who would not be conquered, unless God restrained his cunning and deceit, which at the end, by a just judgment, he will permit to be enlarged⁸. And therefore he is said to give the power of tempting, not by conferring a new potency, but by allowing him to operate according to that potency and astuteness which he already has.

DOUBT IV.

Likewise it is asked concerning that which he says, that it is not permitted to that spirit which has been conquered to assail anyone. On the contrary: it is probably believed that the great devil, who tempted Adam, tempted Christ and was in every way conquered: therefore it seems that he never henceforth tempts; which is against the text of the Apocalypse⁹. — Likewise, if this is true, then the army of demons seems so diminished at the end that it cannot tempt; but this is false, since he tempts the more strongly at the end¹⁰.

I RESPOND: It must be said that concerning this it is difficult to determine the truth. For that there should be a diminution in that army of demons does not seem improbable, since we thus see it happen according to the law of war, that he who is overcome is removed from the war; how much, however, and when, it is difficult to determine; whence, whatever Origen¹¹ may say, it is better to doubt than to define anything about this.