Dist. 19, Art. 1, Q. 2
Book III: On the Incarnation of the Word · Distinction 19
Quaestio II. Utrum per passionem Christi facta fuerit chirographorum deletio.
Secundo quaeritur, utrum per passionem Christi facta fuerit chirographorum deletio. Et quod sic, videtur:
1. Primo auctoritate Apostoli ad Colossenses secundop402-2: Donans nobis delicta et delens quod adversum nos erat chirographum decreti, quod erat contrarium nobis.
2. Item, hoc ipsum videtur auctoritate Augustini, quam Magister ponit in litterap402-3: « Fuso sanguine sine culpa, omnium culparum chirographa deleta sunt ».
3. Item, omnia merita et demerita scribuntur a iusto iudice, iuxta illud quod dicitur Ieremiae decimo septimop402-4: Peccatum Iudae scriptum est stylo
ferreo in ungue adamantino; sed passio Christi nos liberavit ab ira ventura: ergo delevit nostrarum culparum chirographa.
4. Item, ante adventum Christi etiam sancti Patres iuste detinebantur in limbo; hoc autem non erat nisi propter peccatum Adae, quod praecesseratp403-1: ergo peccatum illud adhuc remanebat in memoria tanquam in scriptura. Sed post passionem Christi non detinebantur: ergo videtur, quod scriptura illa, per quam obligati fuerunt, deleta fuit. Restat igitur, quod Christus in passione sua delevit culparum nostrarum chirographa.
Sed contra: 1. Adhuc sunt aliqua peccata, per quae diabolus detinet homines hic et in futuro ad luenda supplicia: ergo si tenentur propter alicuius culpae memoriam, videtur, quod per passionem Christi non sunt deleta omnium culparum chirographap403-2.
2. Item, si per passionem deleta sunt omnium culparum chirographap403-3: ergo superfluunt omnia alia remedia; quod si hoc est falsum, restat etc.
3. Item, crucifigentes Christum et passionem eius procurantes in ipsa passione graviter peccaverunt: ergo non videtur, quod per passionem deleta sunt culparum ipsarump403-4 chirographa, sed potius inscripta et roborata. Si tu dicas, quod deleta fuerunt quantum ad meritum per passionem: contra: tantum malum fuit occisio Christi, quantum bonum fuit vita Christi: ergo malitia occidentium aequabatur solutioni pretii: ergo non videtur, quod per passionem Christi posset scriptura culpae ipsorum deleri.
4. Item, chirographum decreti aut est culpa, aut est poena. Si culpa: ergo idem est delere chirographum et delere culpam: ergo male distinguit Apostolus, ad Colossenses secundop403-5, inter haec duo, dicens: Donans nobis delicta et delens quod adversum nos erat chirographum. Si poena; contra: chirographum obligat, sed poena non obligat: ergo videtur, quod chirographum non possit stare pro poena, vel pro culpa. Si igitur passio Christi non est nisi contra culpam, vel contra poenam, per passionem Christi non habent deleri culparum nostrarum chirographa.
5. Item, chirographum illud aut habebatur a Deo, aut a nobis, aut a diabolo. Si a Deo, ergo videtur, quod delere non poterat, quia a nullo potest superari divina iustitia nec infringi divina sententia. Si a nobis habebatur: ergo videtur, quod non esset adversum nos. Si a diabolo; contra: diabolus nullum ius acquisierat in nobisp403-6: ergo nullum adversum nos habebat chirographum.
Item, quaeritur iuxta hoc, quae sit differentia inter chirographum decreti et chirographum culpae, cum uno nomine nominet Augustinus, et alio nomine nominet Apostolusp403-7; et quae sit illa scriptura, et qualiter per passionem Christi affixa sit cruci.
Conclusio.
Conclusio. Christus per passionem suam delevit chirographa culparum, quia per passionem suam impetravit remissionem culparum quoad maculam et quoad reatum.
Respondeo: Ad praedictorum intelligentiam est notandum, quod sermo iste est metaphoricus, quo dicitur, per passionem Christi deleri chirographa culparum. Dicitur enim chirographum a chirosp403-8, quod est manus, et graphia, quod est scriptura, quasi scriptura manu facta. Quae autem sit ista scriptura, quae dicitur chirographum decreti et chirographum culpae, diversimode potest assignari secundum diversas expositiones, quae innuuntur super secundum ad Colossensesp403-9.
Secundum tamen expositionem, quae magis consonat verbo Apostoli et dicto Augustini, sciendum est, quod chirographum culpae dicitur esse memoriale, quo anima tenetur astricta et obligata alicui poenae, sicut aliquis, quando obligat se alteri, facit ei chirographum; et hoc innuit Augustinus in litterap403-10, cum dicit: « Culparum chirographa deleta
sunt, quibus debitores ante a diabolo tenebantur ». Et dicitur illud chirographum culpae et chirographum decreti, quia talis obligatio consurgit ex nostra culpa tanquam ex merito, et ex divina sententia tanquam ex decreto. Et sic chirographum illud dicitur esse memoriale illud, quo quidem peccatum manet quantum ad reatum, ratione cuius divina iustitia habet nos punire, diabolica malitia potest accusare et detinere, et conscientia nostra potest contra nos remurmurare. Et illud chirographum adversum nos habet inscribi non solum pro peccatis nostris actualibus, sed etiam pro peccato primi parentis; et ratione huius diabolus habet in nos aliquam potestatem vel simpliciter, vel ad tempus.
Quoniam igitur Christus per passionem suam non solum impetravit nobis remissionem culpae quantum ad maculam, sed etiam quantum ad reatump404-1; hinc est, quod dicit Apostolus, et Augustinus, quod Christus per passionem suam delevit chirographa culparum. — Sed Apostolus dicit singulariter delens chirographum decreti, quia loquitur de memoriali transgressionis primi parentis; Augustinus vero pluraliter, quia loquitur de remissione omnium peccatorum quantum ad reatum, ut perfectum exprimat ipsius passionis effectum. — Concedendum est igitur, quod per passionem Christi delentur chirographa culparum. Concedendae sunt etiam rationes, quae hoc ostendunt.
Ad argumenta in contrarium:
1. Ad illud vero quod primo obiicitur in contrarium, quod diabolus multos detinet ad luenda supplicia; dicendum, quod dupliciter est loqui de efficientiap404-2 passionis Christi; aut quantum ad sufficientiam, aut quantum ad efficaciam. Quantum ad sufficientiam, sic se extendit ad omnes homines et ad omnes culpas. Si vero quantum ad efficaciam, sic se extendit solummodo ad eos qui baptizantur in nomine eius, qui absolvuntur a reatu originalis et actualis, ita quod a diabolo non possunt amplius teneri, nisi forte se ei voluntarie subiiciant, et nova contra eos scribantur chirographa.
2. Ad illud quod obiicitur, quod si deleta sunt culparum chirographa per passionem, quod superfluunt alia remedia; dicendum, quod illud non sequitur, quia alia remedia a passione habent efficaciamp404-3; nec passio delet efficienter huiusmodi chirographa, nisi interveniant illa remedia.
3. Ad illud quod obiicitur, quod non sunt deleta crucifixorum chirographa, sed potius scripta; dicendum, quod deleta fuerant in ipsis crucifixoribus quantum ad sufficientiam et quantum ad meritum: licet in pluribus eorum non sint deleta quantum ad efficaciam et quantum ad actum, propter eorum negligentiam. Et si tu obiicias, quod quantitas transgressionis eorum aequabatur quantitati satisfactionis; dicendum, quod excusabantur per ignorantiam, sicut dicit Anselmusp404-4; si enim cognovissent, nunquam Dominum gloriae crucifixissent. — Aliter etiam potest dici, quod nunquam illi crucifixores ex tam mala voluntate Christum occidebant, ex quam bona voluntate Christus passionem sustinebat; et ideo longe potentior erat passio Christi ad satisfaciendum, quam esset illorum culpa ad obligandum.
4. Ad illud quod quaeritur, utrum chirographum decreti sit culpa, vel poena; dicendum, quod proprie loquendo, nec est culpa nec est poena; sed est reatus consequens culpam, qui est obligatio ad poenam, quae quidem dicitur chirographum, in quantum tenet obligationem respectu poenae et rationem memorialis respectu culpae praeteritae. « Culpa enim frequenter transit actu et remanet reatup404-5 », sicut patet in sanctis Patribus, qui detinebantur in limbo, in quibus deletum erat originale quantum ad culpam, sed adhuc remanebat in eis reatus, propter quem ianua erat eis clausa.
5. Ad illud quod quaeritur: quis habebat illud chirographum? dicendum, sicut tactum fuit, quod et Deus et homo et diabolus habebat, sed Deus ut iudex, homo ut reus, diabolus ut accusator. Et sicut latro fert insigne contra se, sicp404-6 homo contra se ipsum ferebat chirographum, nec per illud chirographum acquirebatur aliquod ius diabolo. Quamvis enim homo iuste detineretur, ipse tamen iniuste detinebat. Nec in illius deletione factum est aliquod praeiudicium divinae iustitiae, sed potius satisfactum est ei per beneficium misericordiae Redemptoris.
Ad illa vero, quae quaerebantur ultimo, patet responsio per ea quae dicta sunt in huius responsionis principio, sicut planum est pertractanti.
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Question II. Whether through the passion of Christ the blotting out of the bond was accomplished.
Secondly it is asked, whether through the passion of Christ the blotting out of the bond was accomplished. And that it was so, it seems:
1. First, by the authority of the Apostle to the Colossians, chapter twop402-2: Forgiving us our offenses and blotting out the bond of the decree that was against us, which was contrary to us.
2. Likewise, this same thing seems [to follow] from the authority of Augustine, which the Master sets down in the textp402-3: « When the blood was poured out without fault, the bonds of all faults were blotted out ».
3. Likewise, all merits and demerits are written down by the just judge, according to that which is said in Jeremiah, chapter seventeenp402-4: The sin of Judah is written with a pen
of iron, with the point of a diamond; but the passion of Christ freed us from the wrath to come: therefore it blotted out the bonds of our faults.
4. Likewise, before the coming of Christ even the holy Fathers were justly held in limbo; but this was not except on account of the sin of Adam, which had gone beforep403-1: therefore that sin still remained in memory as in a writing. But after the passion of Christ they were not held [there]: therefore it seems that that writing, by which they were bound, was blotted out. It remains, therefore, that Christ in his passion blotted out the bonds of our faults.
On the contrary: 1. There still are certain sins, on account of which the devil holds men, here and in the future, for the suffering of punishments: therefore if they are held on account of the memory of some fault, it seems that through the passion of Christ the bonds of all faults are not blotted outp403-2.
2. Likewise, if through the passion the bonds of all faults are blotted outp403-3: then all other remedies are superfluous; and if this is false, the conclusion follows, etc.
3. Likewise, those crucifying Christ and procuring his passion sinned gravely in that very passion: therefore it does not seem that through the passion the bonds of their faultsp403-4 are blotted out, but rather inscribed and reinforced. If you say that they were blotted out as to merit through the passion: on the contrary: the killing of Christ was as great an evil as the life of Christ was a good: therefore the malice of those killing was equal to the payment of the price: therefore it does not seem that through the passion of Christ the writing of their fault could be blotted out.
4. Likewise, the bond of the decree is either fault or punishment. If fault: then it is the same to blot out the bond and to blot out the fault: then the Apostle distinguishes badly, to the Colossians chapter twop403-5, between these two, saying: Forgiving us our offenses and blotting out that which was against us, the bond. If punishment; on the contrary: a bond obligates, but punishment does not obligate: therefore it seems that a bond cannot stand for punishment, or for fault. If, therefore, the passion of Christ is only against fault, or against punishment, through the passion of Christ the bonds of our faults are not blotted out.
5. Likewise, that bond was held either by God, or by us, or by the devil. If by God, then it seems that he could not blot it out, since by no one can the divine justice be overcome nor the divine sentence broken. If it was held by us: then it seems that it was not against us. If by the devil; on the contrary: the devil had acquired no right over usp403-6: therefore he had no bond against us.
Likewise, in connection with this it is asked what is the difference between the bond of the decree and the bond of fault, since Augustine names it by one name and the Apostle by anotherp403-7; and what that writing is, and in what way through the passion of Christ it was fixed to the cross.
Conclusion.
Conclusion. Christ through his passion blotted out the bonds of faults, because through his passion he obtained the remission of faults as to stain and as to guilt.
I respond: For the understanding of the foregoing it must be noted that this manner of speaking is metaphorical, by which it is said that through the passion of Christ the bonds of faults are blotted out. For a bond [chirographum] is named from chirosp403-8, which is the hand, and graphia, which is writing, as it were a writing made by hand. But what that writing is, which is called the bond of the decree and the bond of fault, can be assigned in various ways according to various expositions, which are intimated on [the passage from] the second [chapter] to the Colossiansp403-9.
According, however, to the exposition which agrees more with the word of the Apostle and the saying of Augustine, it must be known that the bond of fault is said to be a memorial by which the soul is held bound and obligated to some punishment, just as someone, when he obligates himself to another, makes for him a bond; and this Augustine intimates in the textp403-10, when he says: « The bonds of faults were blotted out,
by which the debtors were before held by the devil ». And that bond is called the bond of fault and the bond of the decree, because such an obligation arises from our fault as from merit, and from the divine sentence as from a decree. And thus that bond is said to be that memorial by which sin indeed remains as to guilt, by reason of which the divine justice has [the right] to punish us, the diabolical malice can accuse and detain [us], and our conscience can murmur against us. And that bond against us has [the right] to be inscribed not only for our actual sins, but also for the sin of the first parent; and by reason of this the devil has some power over us either simply, or for a time.
Since, therefore, Christ through his passion obtained for us not only the remission of fault as to stain, but also as to guiltp404-1; hence it is that the Apostle says, and Augustine, that Christ through his passion blotted out the bonds of faults. — But the Apostle says in the singular, blotting out the bond of the decree, because he speaks of the memorial of the transgression of the first parent; Augustine, however, [says it] in the plural, because he speaks of the remission of all sins as to guilt, in order to express the perfect effect of the passion itself. — It must be granted, therefore, that through the passion of Christ the bonds of faults are blotted out. The reasons too which show this must be granted.
To the arguments to the contrary:
1. To that which is first objected to the contrary, that the devil holds many for the suffering of punishments; it must be said that there are two ways of speaking of the efficiencyp404-2 of the passion of Christ; either as to sufficiency, or as to efficacy. As to sufficiency, thus it extends to all men and to all faults. But if as to efficacy, thus it extends only to those who are baptized in his name, who are absolved from the guilt of the original and the actual [sin], so that they can no longer be held by the devil, unless perchance they voluntarily subject themselves to him, and new bonds be written against them.
2. To that which is objected, that if the bonds of faults are blotted out through the passion, then the other remedies are superfluous; it must be said that this does not follow, because the other remedies have their efficacy from the passionp404-3; nor does the passion efficiently blot out bonds of this kind, unless those remedies intervene.
3. To that which is objected, that the bonds of those who crucified [Christ] are not blotted out, but rather written; it must be said that they had been blotted out in the crucifiers themselves as to sufficiency and as to merit: although in many of them they are not blotted out as to efficacy and as to act, on account of their negligence. And if you object that the magnitude of their transgression was equal to the magnitude of the satisfaction; it must be said that they were excused through ignorance, as Anselm saysp404-4; for if they had known, they would never have crucified the Lord of glory. — Otherwise too it can be said that those crucifiers never killed Christ with so evil a will as the good will with which Christ underwent the passion; and therefore the passion of Christ was far more powerful for making satisfaction than their fault was for obligating.
4. To that which is asked, whether the bond of the decree is fault or punishment; it must be said that, properly speaking, it is neither fault nor punishment; but it is the guilt consequent upon fault, which is an obligation to punishment, which indeed is called a bond, inasmuch as it holds an obligation with respect to punishment and the character of a memorial with respect to the past fault. « For fault frequently passes in act and remains in guiltp404-5 », as is evident in the holy Fathers, who were held in limbo, in whom the original [sin] was blotted out as to fault, but the guilt still remained in them, on account of which the gate was closed to them.
5. To that which is asked: who held that bond? it must be said, as was touched upon, that both God and man and the devil held it, but God as judge, man as defendant, the devil as accuser. And just as a thief bears the mark against himself, sop404-6 man bore the bond against his own self, nor through that bond was any right acquired for the devil. For although man was justly detained, he himself [the devil] nevertheless detained [him] unjustly. Nor in the blotting out of it was any prejudice done to the divine justice, but rather satisfaction was made to it through the benefit of the mercy of the Redeemer.
But to those things which were asked last, the response is evident through the things that have been said in the beginning of this response, as is plain to one who works it through.
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- Vers. 13. seq. Vulgata: donans vobis omnia delicta; delens.[Col. 2,] v. 13. f. The Vulgate [reads]: donans vobis omnia delicta; delens (forgiving you all offenses; blotting out).
- Hic c. 1.Here [in the Lombard's text], c. 1.
- Vers. 1. — In minori respicitur Matth. 3, 7. et Luc. 3, 7.[Jer. 17,] v. 1. — In the minor [premise], reference is made to Matt. 3, 7 and Luke 3, 7.
- Cfr. supra d. 18. a. 2. q. 3. — Circa finem arg. pro nostrarum cod. Y ipsarum.Cf. above, d. 18, a. 2, q. 3. — Near the end of the argument, for nostrarum (of our) cod. Y [reads] ipsarum (of these).
- Glossa ordinaria super Colos. 2, 14. apud Strabum: Quia, nisi hoc [peccatum Adae] et alia tolleret, non liberaremur a morte et inferno.The ordinary Gloss on Col. 2, 14, in Strabo: Because, unless he took away this [sin of Adam] and the others, we would not be freed from death and hell.
- Cod. F Item, si sunt deleta omnia culparum chirographa; Vat. Item, delela sunt culparum nostrarum chirographa per passionem Christi: videtur ergo quod etc. Non pauci codd. et edd. 1, 2 omittunt prorsus verba Item, si per... chirographa, et conclusionem, quae sequitur, conclusioni praecedenti continuo annectunt, sed perperam, ut palam est. Nostra lectio innititur auctoritati codd. K M P Q (in cod. Q desideratur omnium tantum) bb.Cod. F [reads] Item, si sunt deleta omnia culparum chirographa (Likewise, if all the bonds of faults are blotted out); Vat. [reads] Item, deleta sunt culparum nostrarum chirographa per passionem Christi: videtur ergo quod etc. (Likewise, the bonds of our faults are blotted out through the passion of Christ: it seems therefore that, etc.). Not a few codd. and edd. 1, 2 omit entirely the words Item, si per... chirographa, and join the conclusion that follows directly to the preceding conclusion, but wrongly, as is plain. Our reading rests on the authority of codd. K M P Q (in cod. Q only omnium is wanting) bb.
- Pro ipsarum, quod a codd. 1 L aa abest, codd. E bb ipsorum, cod. O ipsa, edd. nostrarum. Paulo inferius post occidentium cod. Y subdit Christum.For ipsarum (of these [fem.]), which is absent from codd. 1 L aa, codd. E bb [read] ipsorum (of these [masc.]), cod. O ipsa, the editions nostrarum (of our). A little below, after occidentium (of those killing) cod. Y adds Christum (Christ).
- Vers. 13. seq.[Col. 2,] v. 13. f.
- Ut ostendit Anselm., l. Cur Deus homo, c. 7. et Meditat., medit. II. de redemptione humana, quo ulteriore loco dicit: Nam non peccavit [homo] adversus diabolum, sed adversus Deum; nec homo diaboli erat, sed et homo et diabolus Dei erant. Sed et quod diabolus vexabat hominem, non hoc faciebat zelo iustitiae, sed nequitiae; nec iubente Deo, sed permittente, non diaboli, sed Dei iustitia exigente. Cfr. infra dub. 3.As Anselm shows, in the book Cur Deus homo (Why God Became Man), c. 7, and the Meditations, meditation II on human redemption, where in the latter place he says: For [man] did not sin against the devil, but against God; nor was man the devil's, but both man and the devil were God's. But also, that the devil vexed man, he did not do this from zeal for justice, but for wickedness; nor by God's command, but by his permission, the justice not of the devil but of God requiring it. Cf. below, dub. 3.
- Vide hic fundam. 1. et 2.See here the fundamenta (foundational arguments) 1 and 2.
- Graece χείρος (genitiv. vocis χείρ); graphia, Graece γραφή.In Greek χείρος (genitive of the word χείρ); graphia, in Greek γραφή.
- Vers. 13. seq., quem locum Petr. Lombard. sic exponit: Delens chirographum decreti, scilicet legis i. e. memoriam transgressionis, quae erat ex decreto i. e. ex lege, quod chirographum erat adversum nos, et conscientia enim nostra et diabolus ad accusandum nos erat memor transgressionis illius, et ita haec memoria erat adversum nos, scilicet nocens nobis et nos crucians... Et non solum chirographum decreti erat adversum nos, sed etiam ipsum decretum i. e. vetus Lex; unde subdit quod erat etc.[Col. 2,] v. 13 f., which passage Peter Lombard expounds thus: Blotting out the bond of the decree, namely of the law, i.e. the memory of transgression, which was from the decree, i.e. from the law, which bond was against us, for both our conscience and the devil, for accusing us, was mindful of that transgression, and thus this memory was against us, namely harming us and crucifying us... And not only the bond of the decree was against us, but also the decree itself, i.e. the old Law; whence he adds that which was etc.
- Hic c. 1. — Paulo ante pro quando obligat se cod. U qui se obligat, cod. W legit qui alteri obligatur.Here [in the Lombard's text], c. 1. — A little before, for quando obligat se (when he obligates himself) cod. U [reads] qui se obligat (who obligates himself), cod. W reads qui alteri obligatur (who is obligated to another).
- De distinctione inter maculam et reatum peccati vide II. Sent. d. 42. dub. 1. Vide etiam hic solut. ad 4.On the distinction between the stain and the guilt of sin, see II Sent., d. 42, dub. 1. See also here the reply to [argument] 4.
- Plerique codd. et edd. 1, 2 erronee efficacia; Vat. efficientia vel effectu. — Cfr. infra lit. Magistri, d. XX. c. 5. — Circa finem solut. pro teneri codd. A G K U bb detineri, cod. F retineri.Most codd. and edd. 1, 2 erroneously [read] efficacia (efficacy); Vat. [reads] efficientia vel effectu (efficiency or effect). — Cf. below, the text of the Master, d. XX, c. 5. — Near the end of the reply, for teneri (to be held) codd. A G K U bb [read] detineri (to be detained), cod. F retineri (to be retained).
- Cfr. supra pag. 400, nota 3. — Mox pro efficienter codd. A W efficaciter.Cf. above, p. 400, note 3. — Presently, for efficienter (efficiently) codd. A W [read] efficaciter (efficaciously).
- Libr. II. Cur Deus homo, c. 13. Vide supra d. 18. dub. 2. — Loc. Scripturae, qui sequitur, est I. Cor. 2, 8. — Paulo inferius pro ex quam bona cod. bb ex quanta bona, codd. A K U X et edd. 1, 2 ex qua bona.Book II of Cur Deus homo, c. 13. See above, d. 18, dub. 2. — The scriptural passage which follows is 1 Cor. 2, 8. — A little below, for ex quam bona (with how good a [will]) cod. bb [reads] ex quanta bona (with how great a good), codd. A K U X and edd. 1, 2 ex qua bona (with which good).
- Secundum August., l. de Nuptiis et concupisc. c. 26. n. 29. Cfr. II. Sent. d. XXXII. lit. Magistri, c. 1, et Comment. a. 1. q. 1. et dub. 4. — De seqq. cfr. supra d. 18. a. 2. q. 3. — Post pauca pro in eis reatus cod. E in eis quantum ad reatum.According to Augustine, the book On Marriage and Concupiscence, c. 26, n. 29. Cf. II Sent., d. XXXII, the text of the Master, c. 1, and the Commentary, a. 1, q. 1, and dub. 4. — On what follows, cf. above, d. 18, a. 2, q. 3. — After a little, for in eis reatus (in them the guilt) cod. E [reads] in eis quantum ad reatum (in them as to guilt).
- Cod. N sic et. In fine solut. pro misericordiae Vat. misericordis; et subinde pro Redemptoris codd. A F N V redemptionis, cod. U nostrae redemptionis.Cod. N [reads] sic et (so also). At the end of the reply, for misericordiae (of mercy) Vat. [reads] misericordis (of the merciful one); and thereupon for Redemptoris (of the Redeemer) codd. A F N V [read] redemptionis (of the redemption), cod. U nostrae redemptionis (of our redemption).