← Back to Distinction 40

Dist. 40

Book III: On the Incarnation of the Word · Distinction 40

Textus Latinus
p. 883

DISTINCTIO XL.

Cap. I. Quare Lex dicitur comprimere manum, non animum.

<small>Dubia 1. 2.</small> Sextum praeceptum est1: Non desiderabis uxorem proximi tui. — Septimum est: Non concupisces domum proximi tui, non servum, non ancillam etc. — <small>Difficultas.</small> Sed videtur praeceptum de non concupiscendis rebus proximi unum cum eo esse, quo dicitur: Non furaberis; et praeceptum de non concupiscenda uxore unum esse cum eo quo dicitur: Non moechaberis. «Poterat enim praeceptum non furandi in illa generalitate intelligi, ubi de non concupiscenda re proximi praecipitur; et in eo quod dictum est: Non moechaberis, poterat illud intelligi: Non concupisces uxorem proximi tui. <small>Solvitur.</small> Sed in illis duobus praeceptis non moechandi et non furandi ipsa opera notata sunt et prohibita, in his vero extremis ipsa concupiscentia2». Multum ergo differunt illa ab istis. Unde illi praecepto non moechandi fit superadditio in Evangelio, ubi omnis concupiscentia moechandi prohibetur. — <small>De differentia Legis et Evangelii.</small> Sed cum hic prohibetur concupiscentia alienae uxoris et alienae rei; quare dicitur Lex comprimere manum et non animum, Evangelium vero et manum et animum? Illud de Lege dicitur secundum caerimonialia, non secundum moralia; vel quia in Lege non est generalis prohibitio omnis mortiferae concupiscentiae, ut in Evangelio.

Cap. II. Quid sit littera occidens.

Si vero quaeritur, quam dicat Apostolus3 litteram occidentem; «ea certe est Decalogus, qui non dicitur littera occidens, eo quod mala sit Lex, sed quia, prohibens peccatum, auget concupiscentiam et addit praevaricationem, nisi liberet gratia», quae gratia non sic abundabat in Lege, ut in Evangelio; vel secundum eorum carnalem intelligentiam. Lex ergo bona est, et tamen occidit sine gratia, cum sit virtus peccati4; quae iubet quod sine gratia impleri non potest. Gratia autem deerat, et ideo littera occidens erat.

Cap. III. De Legis et Evangelii distantia.

Distat autem Evangelii littera a Legis littera; quia diversa sunt promissa: ibi terrena, hic caelestia promittit5; diversa etiam Sacramenta, quia illa tantum significabant, haec conferunt gratiam; praecepta etiam diversa quantum ad caerimonialia; nam quantum ad moralia sunt eadem, sed plenius in Evangelio continentur6. — <small>Epilogus.</small> Audistis decem chordas Psalterii utrique sexui impositas, quae caritate tangendae sunt, ut vitiorum ferae occidantur7.

EXPLICIT LIBER TERTIUS SENTENTIARUM.

---

English Translation
p. 883

DISTINCTION XL.

Chap. I. Why the Law is said to compress the hand, not the mind.

<small>Doubts 1, 2.</small> The sixth precept is1: Thou shalt not desire thy neighbor's wife. — The seventh is: Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house, nor servant, nor handmaid, etc. — <small>Difficulty.</small> But it seems that the precept about not coveting the goods of one's neighbor is one with that in which it is said: Thou shalt not steal; and that the precept about not coveting [another's] wife is one with that in which it is said: Thou shalt not commit adultery. «For the precept of not stealing could be understood in that generality where it is enjoined that one not covet a neighbor's thing; and in that which was said, Thou shalt not commit adultery, that could be understood: Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife. <small>It is resolved.</small> But in those two precepts of not committing adultery and not stealing, the very deeds are marked and forbidden, whereas in these last two it is the concupiscence itself2». Therefore those differ much from these. Hence to that precept of not committing adultery there is made an addition in the Gospel, where all concupiscence of committing adultery is forbidden. — <small>On the difference between the Law and the Gospel.</small> But since here the concupiscence of another's wife and of another's thing is forbidden, why is the Law said to compress the hand and not the mind, but the Gospel both the hand and the mind? That is said of the Law according to the ceremonial precepts, not according to the moral ones; or because in the Law there is not a general prohibition of every deadly concupiscence, as there is in the Gospel.

Chap. II. What the letter that kills is.

But if it is asked what letter the Apostle3 calls the one that kills: «it is certainly the Decalogue, which is not called the killing letter on the ground that the Law is evil, but because, forbidding sin, it increases concupiscence and adds transgression, unless grace sets free», which grace did not so abound in the Law as in the Gospel; or [it is so called] according to their carnal understanding. The Law therefore is good, and yet it kills without grace, since it is the strength of sin4; for it commands what without grace cannot be fulfilled. But grace was lacking, and so it was a letter that kills.

Chap. III. On the difference between the Law and the Gospel.

But the letter of the Gospel differs from the letter of the Law; for the promises are diverse: there it promises earthly things, here heavenly5; the Sacraments also are diverse, because those only signified, these confer grace; the precepts too are diverse as regards the ceremonial ones; for as regards the moral ones they are the same, but are more fully contained in the Gospel6. — <small>Epilogue.</small> You have heard of the ten strings of the Psaltery laid upon both sexes, which are to be touched with charity, that the beasts of the vices may be slain7.

HERE ENDS THE THIRD BOOK OF THE SENTENCES.

---

Apparatus Criticus
  1. Cfr. August., II. Quaestion. in Pentateuch, q. 71. n. a. Scripturae locus est Deuter. 5, 21.
    Cf. Augustine, Questions on the Pentateuch, Book II, q. 71, n. a. The scriptural passage is Deuteronomy 5:21.
  2. August., loc. cit. De seqq. cfr. Hugo de S. Vict., Sum. Sent. tr. 4. c. 6. — Pro hic prohibetur edd., exceptis 1, 8, hic prohibentur.
    Augustine, in the place cited. On what follows cf. Hugh of St. Victor, Summa Sententiarum, tract 4, c. 6. — For hic prohibetur the editions, except 1 and 8, [read] hic prohibentur.
  3. Epist. II. Cor. 3, 6. — Locus seq. est August., de Spiritu et lit. c. 4. n. 6; II. contra Adversar. Legis et Proph. c. 7. n. 25; et Glossa loc. cit. — Pro abundabat multae edd. et cod. B abundat; deinde codd. A C D E et edd. 1, 3, 5, 7, 8 omittunt verba vel secundum… intelligentiam.
    Second Epistle to the Corinthians 3:6. — The following passage is from Augustine, On the Spirit and the Letter, c. 4, n. 6; Against the Adversary of the Law and the Prophets, Book II, c. 7, n. 25; and the Gloss at the place cited. — For abundabat many editions and codex B [read] abundat; further, codices A C D E and editions 1, 3, 5, 7, 8 omit the words vel secundum… intelligentiam.
  4. Epist. I. ad Cor. 15, 56: Virtus peccati Lex.
    First Epistle to the Corinthians 15:56: The strength of sin is the Law.
  5. Solae edd., exceptis 1, 8, promittuntur.
    Only the editions, except 1 and 8, [read] promittuntur [they are promised].
  6. Quae praecedunt habet August., Enarrat. in Ps. 73. n. 2.
    What precedes is found in Augustine, Enarration on Psalm 73, n. 2.
  7. August., Serm. 9. (alias 96. de Temp.) c. 9. n. 13.
    Augustine, Sermon 9 (otherwise 96, On the Season), c. 9, n. 13.
Dist. 40, Divisio Textus→