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Dist. 11

Book III: On the Incarnation of the Word · Distinction 11

Textus Latinus
p. 241

# DISTINCTIO XI.

Cap. I. Utrum Christus sit creatura, vel factus.

Solet etiam quaeri, utrum debeat simpliciter dici atque concedi, Christum esse factum, vel creatum, vel creaturamp241-1. — Ad quod dici potest, hoc simpliciter et absque determinatione minus congruenter dici; et si quandoque brevitatis causa simpliciter denuntietur, nunquam tamen simpliciter debet intelligi; quia, ut Augustinus in primo libro de Trinitatep241-2 ait, « cum de Christo loquimur, quid, secundum quid et propter quid dicatur, prudens et diligens ac pius lector intelligere debet ». — Qui Christum vel Dei Filium non esse factum, vel creaturam, in libro primo de Trinitate ostendit ita inquiens: « In principio erat Verbum; et Verbum caro factum est; et omnia per ipsum facta sunt. Neque dicit omnia, nisi quae facta sunt, id est omnem creaturam. Unde liquido apparet, ipsum factum non esse, per quem facta sunt omnia; et si factus non est, creatura non est. Si autem creatura non est, eiusdem cum Patre substantiae est. Omnis enim substantia, quae Deus non est, creatura est; et quae creatura non est, Deus est. Sed si Filius non eiusdem substantiae est, cuius Paterp241-3, ergo facta substantia est; et si facta substantia est, non omnia per ipsum facta sunt; at omnia per ipsum facta sunt: facta igitur substantia non est, sed una cum Patre infecta substantia est ». Item in eodemp241-4: « Si vel Filium fecit Pater, quem non fecit ipse Filius, non omnia per Filium facta sunt; at omnia per Filium facta sunt: ipse igitur factus non est, ut cum Patre faceret omnia quae facta sunt ». Idem in libro Octoginta trium Quaestionump241-5: « Dicitur creatura quidquid fecit Pater Deus per Filium, qui non potest appellari creatura, quoniam per ipsum facta sunt omnia ». Ambrosius in primo libro de Trinitatep241-6: « Probemus, inquit, creaturam non esse Dei Filium. Audivimus enim in Evangelio, Dominum mandasse discipulis: Praedicate Evangelium universae creaturae. Qui universam creaturam dicit nullam excipit. Et ubi sunt qui creaturam Christum appellant? Nam si creatura esset, sibi mandaret Evangelium praedicari », et subiectus esset vanitati, quia testante Apostolo: Omnis creatura vanitati subiecta est. Non igitur Christus creatura est, sed Creator, qui docendae creaturae discipulis mandat officium.

Cap. II. De perfidia et poena Arii.

Arii haec fuisse perfidia legitur, ut Christum creaturam fatereturp241-7. Ideo effusa sunt Arii viscera, atque crepuit medius, prostratus in faciem, ea quibus Christum negaverat foeda ora pollutus. His aliisque plurimis testimoniis instruimur, non debere lateri simpliciter, Christum esse factum, vel creaturam; sed addita determinatione, recte dici potest, ut si dicatur factus secundum carnem, vel secundum hominem, ut factura humanitati, non Deo attribuatur. Ut enim ait Ambrosius in libro primo de Trinitatep241-8: « Non Deus factus est, sed Deus Dei Filius natus est; postea vero secundum carnem homo factus ex Maria est. Misit enim Deus Filium suum factum ex muliere, factum sub Lege; Filium, inquit, suum, scilicet non unum de multis. Cum dicit suum, generationis aeternae proprietatem significavit. Postea factum ex muliere asseruit, ut factura non Divinitati, sed assumtioni corporis ascriberetur. Factum igitur ex muliere dicit propter carnis susceptionem, sub Lege propter observantiam Legis ». « Generatio generationi non praeiudicat, nec caro divinitati ». « Deus enim aeternus incarnationis sacramentum suscepit, non dividuus, sed unus et in utroque unus, scilicet Divinitate et corpore. Non enim alter ex Patre, alter ex Virgine, sed idem aliter ex Patre, aliter ex Virgine », « qui factus est secundum nostrae susceptionem naturae, non secundum aeternae substantiam vitae », « quem legimus primogenitum et unige-p. 242nitum: primogenitum, quia nemo ante ipsum; unigenitum, quia nemo post ipsum ». — Ex his evidenter traditur, qua intelligentia accipiendum sit, cum dicitur Christus factus vel simpliciter, vel cum additamento, ut factura scilicet vel creatura non ad assumentem Deum, sed ad assumtum hominem referatur. In Deo enim creatura esse non potest, ut Ambrosius ait in primo libro de Trinitatep242-1: « Nunquid dicto factus est Christus? Nunquid mandato creatus est Christus? Quomodo autem creatura in Deo esse potest? Etenim Deus naturae simplicis est, non coniunctae atque compositae, cui nihil accidat, sed solum quod divinum est in natura habeat sua ». — Etsi ergo Christus secundum hominem dicitur creatura, non tamenp242-2 simpliciter praedicandus est creatura. Nec ex eo, quod Christus secundum hominem dicitur esse creatura, potest quis progredi sic argumentando: si, secundum quod homo, Christus est creatura; vel rationalis, vel non; vel quae est Deus, vel non; nitens per hoc probare, Christum esse aliquid non divinum; quia quod ipse est secundum hominem ipse est. Et ideo, si secundum hominem est aliqua substantia non divina, est utique aliquid non divinum. — Sed ex tropicis locutionibus non est recta argumentationis processio; illa autem locutio tropica est, qua Christus dicitur creatura vel simpliciter, vel cum adiunctione.

Cap. III. An homo ille semper fuerit.p242-3

Post praedicta quaeritur, utrum homo ille coeperit esse, vel semper fuerit: sicut simpliciter enuntiamus, Christum vel Dei Filium semper fuisse nec coepisse. De hoc Augustinus dicit ita super Ioannemp242-4: « Habuit aliquando Dei Filius quod nondum habuit idem ipse homo filius, quia nondum erat homo ». Idem in eodemp242-5: « Priusquam mundus esset, nec nos eramus, nec ipse mediator Dei et hominum, homo Christus Iesus ». Idem super Psalmos: « Christus noster, etsi forte homo recens est, tamen est aeternus Deus ». — Alibip242-6 vero legitur, quod puer ille creavit stellas; et Christus dicit, se esse principium et esse ante Abraham. His igitur auctoritatibus in nullo resultantes, dicimus, hominem illum, in quantum homo est, coepisse; in quantum Verbum est, semper fuisse. Hic enim absque distinctione non est ferenda responsio. Nam et ipse Augustinus huiusmodi utitur distinctione in pluribus locisp242-7 dicens, per Christum omnia esse facta, in quantum est Verbum; secundum id vero, quod homo est, ipsum esse factum et glorificatum. Si igitur ad personam respicias, confidenter dic, hominem illum semper fuisse; si vero ad naturam hominis, concede, eum coepisse.

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English Translation

# DISTINCTION XI.

Chapter I. Whether Christ is a creature, or made.

It is also wont to be asked whether it ought to be said simply and conceded that Christ is made, or created, or a creaturep241-1. — To which it can be said that this is less fittingly said simply and without qualification; and even if at times, for the sake of brevity, it be declared simply, it ought nevertheless never to be understood simply; because, as Augustine says in the first book On the Trinityp241-2, "when we speak of Christ, the prudent and diligent and pious reader ought to understand what is said, in what respect, and on what account." — He who shows that Christ, or the Son of God, is not made nor a creature, in the first book On the Trinity, does so, saying thus: "In the beginning was the Word; and the Word was made flesh; and all things were made through him. Nor does he say 'all things' save those which were made, that is, every creature. Whence it plainly appears that he himself is not made, through whom all things were made; and if he is not made, he is not a creature. But if he is not a creature, he is of the same substance with the Father. For every substance which is not God is a creature; and what is not a creature is God. But if the Son is not of the same substance as the Fatherp241-3, then he is a made substance; and if he is a made substance, not all things were made through him; but all things were made through him: therefore he is not a made substance, but is together with the Father an unmade substance." Likewise in the same workp241-4: "If the Father made even the Son, whom the Son himself did not make, then not all things were made through the Son; but all things were made through the Son: therefore he himself was not made, so that with the Father he might make all things that were made." The same, in the book Of Eighty-three Questionsp241-5: "Whatever the Father God made through the Son is called a creature, who cannot be called a creature, since through him all things were made." Ambrose, in the first book On the Trinityp241-6: "Let us prove, he says, that the Son of God is not a creature. For we have heard in the Gospel that the Lord charged the disciples: Preach the Gospel to every creature. He who says every creature excepts none. And where are they who call Christ a creature? For if he were a creature, he would charge that the Gospel be preached to himself," and he would be subject to vanity, since, as the Apostle attests: Every creature is made subject to vanity. Therefore Christ is not a creature, but the Creator, who charges the disciples with the office of teaching the creature.

Chapter II. On the perfidy and punishment of Arius.

This is read to have been the perfidy of Arius, that he confessed Christ to be a creaturep241-7. Therefore the bowels of Arius gushed out, and he burst asunder in the midst, cast down upon his face, polluted in that foul mouth wherewith he had denied Christ. By these and very many other testimonies we are instructed that it ought not to be hidden simply that Christ is made, or a creature; but with a qualification added, it can rightly be said, as if it be said made according to the flesh, or according to the man, so that the making be attributed to the humanity, not to God. For as Ambrose says in the first book On the Trinityp241-8: "Not as God was he made, but as God the Son of God he was born; but afterward, according to the flesh, he was made man of Mary. For God sent his Son made of a woman, made under the Law; his Son, he says, that is, not one of many. When he says his own, he signified the property of the eternal generation. Afterward he asserted made of a woman, so that the making might be ascribed not to the Divinity, but to the assumption of the body. Therefore he says made of a woman on account of the taking up of the flesh, under the Law on account of the observance of the Law." "Generation does not prejudice generation, nor flesh the divinity." "For the eternal God took up the sacrament of the incarnation, not divided, but one and in both one, namely in Divinity and in body. For he is not one from the Father, another from the Virgin, but the same one otherwise from the Father, otherwise from the Virgin," "who was made according to the assumption of our nature, not according to the substance of the eternal life," "whom we read to be firstborn and only-begotten:p. 242firstborn, because none before him; only-begotten, because none after him." — From these it is evidently handed down with what understanding it is to be taken when Christ is said to be made, either simply, or with an addition, so that the making, namely, or the creature, be referred not to the assuming God, but to the assumed man. For in God there cannot be a creature, as Ambrose says in the first book On the Trinityp242-1: "Was Christ made by a word? Was Christ created by a command? But how can a creature be in God? For God is of a simple nature, not of a conjoined and composite one, to which nothing accrues, but which has only what is divine in its nature." — Although, therefore, Christ is said to be a creature according to the man, yet he is notp242-2 to be predicated simply a creature. Nor from this, that Christ is said to be a creature according to the man, can anyone proceed to argue thus: if, insofar as he is man, Christ is a creature; he is either rational, or not; either that which is God, or not; striving thereby to prove that Christ is something not divine; because what he himself is according to the man, that he is. And therefore, if according to the man he is some substance not divine, he is assuredly something not divine. — But from tropical locutions there is no right procedure of argumentation; and that locution is tropical whereby Christ is said to be a creature, either simply, or with an adjunct.

Chapter III. Whether that man always existed.p242-3

After the foregoing it is asked whether that man began to be, or always existed: just as we simply declare that Christ, or the Son of God, always was and did not begin. Concerning this Augustine speaks thus on Johnp242-4: "The Son of God had at some time what that same man-son did not yet have, because he was not yet man." The same, in the same placep242-5: "Before the world was, neither were we, nor was he himself the mediator of God and men, the man Christ Jesus." The same, on the Psalms: "Our Christ, even though perhaps he is recently man, is nevertheless eternal God." — But elsewherep242-6 it is read that that boy created the stars; and Christ says that he is the beginning and is before Abraham. In nothing, therefore, resisting these authorities, we say that that man, insofar as he is man, began; insofar as he is Word, always was. For here a response is not to be borne without a distinction. For Augustine himself too uses a distinction of this kind in many placesp242-7, saying that all things were made through Christ, insofar as he is the Word; but according to that whereby he is man, that he himself was made and glorified. If therefore you regard the person, say confidently that that man always existed; but if the nature of the man, concede that he began.

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Apparatus Criticus
  1. Edd. 1, 8 omittunt creaturam. Paulo superius post Christum codd. ABCO omittunt esse. Infra post dici potest edd. 1, 8 addunt quod et deinde ponunt dicitur pro dici.
    Editions 1, 8 omit creaturam ("a creature"). A little above, after Christum, codices ABCO omit esse. Below, after dici potest, editions 1, 8 add quod and then put dicitur for dici.
  2. Cap. 13. n. 28; seq. locus est c. 6. n. 9, ubi respicitur Ioan. 1, 1. 11.
    Chapter 13, n. 28; the following passage is c. 6, n. 9, where reference is made to John 1:1, 11.
  3. Edd. 1, 8 cum Patre pro cuius Pater.
    Editions 1, 8 read cum Patre ("with the Father") for cuius Pater ("whose [is the] Father").
  4. Cap. 6. n. 12.
    Chapter 6, n. 12.
  5. Quaest. 67. n. 1, secundum sensum.
    Question 67, n. 1, according to the sense.
  6. Sive de Fide, c. 14. n. 86; ubi citatur Marc. 16, 15, et infra Rom. 8, 20.
    Or On Faith, c. 14, n. 86; where Mark 16:15 is cited, and below Romans 8:20.
  7. Ita codd. et edd. 1, 5, 8; in ceteris faceret. — De Arii poena cfr. Ambros., l. de Fide c. 19. n. 123. seq.
    Thus the codices and editions 1, 5, 8; in the others, faceret. — On the punishment of Arius cf. Ambrose, book On Faith, c. 19, n. 123 ff.
  8. Ibid. c. 14. n. 93. seq., et citatur Gal. 4, 4. Seq. locus est eiusdem de Incarnat. dominicae sacramento, c. 5. n. 36; tertius locus ibid. n. 86; quartus n. 37; tandem quintus eiusdem l. de Fide, c. 14 n. 89.
    Ibid., c. 14, n. 93 ff., and Galatians 4:4 is cited. The following passage is from the same author's On the Sacrament of the Lord's Incarnation, c. 5, n. 36; the third passage, ibid., n. 86; the fourth, n. 37; finally the fifth, from the same author's book On Faith, c. 14, n. 89.
  9. Sive de Fide, c. 16. n. 105. seq.
    Or On Faith, c. 16, n. 105 ff.
  10. Codd. ABCE et edd. 1, 8 addunt Christus; eaedem edd. infra pro rationalis, vel non habent rationalis vel irrationalis.
    Codices ABCE and editions 1, 8 add Christus; the same editions, below, for rationalis, vel non ("rational, or not") read rationalis vel irrationalis ("rational or irrational").
  11. Hic in codd. ABCE et edd., exceptis 1 et Vat., incipit d. XII.
    Here in codices ABCE and the editions, except 1 and the Vatican edition, distinction XII begins.
  12. Tract. 106. in Ioan. Evang. (c. 17.) n. 5. In originali expressius legitur Deus Filius pro Dei Filius. Post ipse homo edd., exceptis 1, 8, non bene addunt Dei, refragantibus etiam codd. et originali. Sensus est, quod Christus, qui ut Deus omnia simul cum Patre habuit, ut homo nondum glorificatus quodam modo nondum habuerat discipulos, unde dicere potuit: Mihi eos dedisti (Ioan. 17, 6.).
    Tractate 106 on the Gospel of John (c. 17), n. 5. In the original it reads more expressly Deus Filius ("God the Son") for Dei Filius ("the Son of God"). After ipse homo, the editions, except 1, 8, not rightly add Dei, against the codices also and the original. The sense is that Christ, who as God had all things together with the Father, as man not yet glorified had in a certain manner not yet had disciples, whence he could say: Thou hast given them to me (John 17:6).
  13. Tract. 105. n. 7. Seq. locus est Enarrat. in Ps. 80. n. 13. Est etiam ibid. v. 10. in Glossa interlineari.
    Tractate 105, n. 7. The following passage is the Exposition on Psalm 80, n. 13. It is also found there, v. 10, in the interlinear Gloss.
  14. Glossa in Matth. 2, 2, apud Lyranum. Seqq. loci Scripturae sunt Ioan. 8, 25. et 58. — Infra pro resultantes, quod habent nostrae edd. nec non codd., in ed. Parmensi Comment. S. Thomae reluctantes. Deinde ante coepisse edd. 1, 8 praefigunt esse; denique pro ferenda codd. BC et edd. 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 9 referenda.
    The Gloss on Matthew 2:2, in Lyra. The following passages of Scripture are John 8:25 and 58. — Below, for resultantes ("resisting"), which our editions as well as the codices have, the Parma edition of the Commentary of St. Thomas reads reluctantes. Then before coepisse, editions 1, 8 prefix esse; finally for ferenda, codices BC and editions 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 9 read referenda.
  15. Tract. 105. in Evang. Ioan. n. 2. et 4; tr. 1. n. 9. et seqq.; l. contra Maximin. c. 17, et II. c. 17. n. 2. et Epist. 187. (alias 57.) c. 3. n. 8.
    Tractate 105 on the Gospel of John, nn. 2 and 4; tractate 1, n. 9 and following; book Against Maximinus, c. 17, and book II, c. 17, n. 2, and Letter 187 (formerly 57), c. 3, n. 8. ---
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