Dist. 7, Art. 2, Q. 2
Book III: On the Incarnation of the Word · Distinction 7
Quaestio II. Utrum haec sit vera: Filius Dei praedestinatus est esse homo.
Secundo quaeritur de hac: Filius Dei est praedestinatus esse homo. Et quod sit vera, videtur:
1. Primo per Magistrum in littera2, qui dicit, eam secundum quamlibet trium opinionum esse concedendam. (Fundamenta.)
2. Item, hoc ipsum videtur ratione. Tantum repugnat vel amplius Filio Dei fieri3, quantum praedestinari; sed haec conceditur: Filius Dei est factus homo: ergo et haec: Filius Dei est praedestinatus esse homo.
3. Item, prophetia illa, qua dicitur Isaiae septimo4: Ecce Virgo concipiet, dicitur esse prophetia praedestinationis: ergo quod Verbum caro fieret, sicut ex tempore fuit prophetatum et impletum, ita et ab aeterno praedestinatum: ergo sicut ex tempore factus est homo, ita et ab aeterno praedestinatus est esse homo.
4. Item, Filius Dei est homo aut per gratiam, aut per naturam; non per naturam: ergo per gratiam; sed omnis gratia, quaecumque datur alicui ex tempore, praeordinata fuit et praeparata ab aeterno; sed hoc non est aliud quam praedestinari5: ergo videtur, quod haec: Filius Dei est praedestinatus esse homo, est concedenda.
Sed contra: (Ad oppositum.) 1. Praedestinatio est respectu gratiae et gloriae, non respectu naturae6; sed esse hominem dicit praedicatum naturale, non donum gratuitum: ergo respectu illius nullus debet dici praedestinatus.
2. Item, necessario sequitur: iste praedestinatus est habere gratiam et gloriam, ergo est praedestinatus, ergo similiter sequitur: Filius Dei est praedestinatus esse homo, ergo est praedestinatus; sed haec est neganda: Filius Dei est praedestinatus, sicut ostensum est supra7: ergo etc.
3. Item, praedestinatio dicit antecessionem non solum respectu termini8, sed etiam respectu praedestinati; sed quamvis divina praevisio praecesserit humanam naturam, non tamen praecessit divinam personam: igitur sive dicatur absolute, sive respectu humanae naturae, negandum est, Filium Dei praedestinatum esse: ergo falsa est praedicta locutio, scilicet: Filius Dei praedestinatus est esse homo.
4. Item, quicumque praedestinatur9, ad aliquod donum gratuitum praeparatur; sed Filius Dei cum factus est homo, nulla fuit facta gratia illi personae Filii Dei, sed solummodo generi humano: ergo videtur, quod nullo modo Filio Dei competat ista praedestinatio.
Conclusio.
Locutio: Filius Dei praedestinatus est esse homo, admitti potest, licet in uno sensu falsa sit.
Respondeo: Dicendum, quod cum hoc participium praedestinatus dicat antecessionem, tripliciter potest eam importare: vel respectu subiecti, vel respectu praedicati, vel respectu totius copulati. (Tripliciter importat antecessionem.) Si autem importet antecessionem respectu subiecti, tunc est sensus: Filius Dei est praedestinatus esse homo, id est, Filius Dei ante praevisus est esse homo, quam esset Filius Dei; et hoc modo falsa est praedicta locutio. (Conclusio 1.) — Si autem importet antecessionem respectu praedicati; tunc est sensus: Filius Dei praevisus1b est esse homo, id est, cognitus vel praevisus fuit esse homo, non antequam Filius Dei esset, sed antequam esset homo. — Si autem importet antecessionem respectu totius dicti; tunc est sensus: Filius Dei est praedestinatus esse homo, id est, praedestinatum est, ut Filius Dei sit homo.
Sic igitur potest esse triplex sensus praedictae locutionis; et unus quidem falsus est, duo autem sequentes sunt veri; et quantum ad istos duos sensus subsequentes recipitur praedicta locutio ab omnibus opinionibus, ut Magister dicit in littera2b. (Conclusio 2.) Et ideo secundum hunc sensum concedendum est, ipsam esse veram.
Ad argumenta in contrarium: (Solutio oppositorum.) Ad 1. Ad illud vero quod primo obiicitur in contrarium, quod praedestinatio est respectu gloriae et gratiae, non respectu naturae; dicendum, quod cum vocabulum praedestinationis per se profertur, claudit in se intellectum gratiae et gloriae, ut puta cum dicitur aliquis esse simpliciter praedestinatus. Cum autem additur ei determinatio exterior, solum retinet intellectum principalis significati, videlicet praeordinationis sive praevisionis. (Notandum.) Unde cum dicitur: iste est praedestinatus habere gratiam et gloriam, praedestinatus tantum valet ibi quantum praevisus. Et est simile, cum dicitur: cede; per se tantum valet quantum: locum da; sed cum dicitur: cede locum, cede habet solum intellectum alterius. Et ideo, cum dicitur: Filius Dei praedestinatus est esse homo, praedestinatus solum importat praevisionem vel ordinationem; et ideo importat solum generalem significationem. — Posset tamen dici, quod etsi esse hominem de Filio Dei praedicet esse naturale, concernit tamen gratiam unionis; et ideo tale praedicatum non exit extra rationem praedestinationis. (Aliter.)
Ad 2. Ad illud quod obiicitur, quodsi est praedestinatus esse homo, quod est praedestinatus; dicendum, quod non sequitur, quia, cum praedestinatus ponitur inter subiectum et praedicatum, potest dicere antecessionem tam respectu unius quam respectu alterius; sed cum per se praedicatur3b, dicit antecessionem respectu subiecti. Et ideo non sequitur: est praedestinatus esse homo, ergo est praedestinatus; sicut non sequitur: Filius Dei est praedestinatus, secundum quod homo, ergo est praedestinatus. Nec est simile de aliis, qui praedestinantur ad gratiam et gloriam, quia in eis praedestinatio non tantummodo dicit antecessionem respectu eius, ad quod praedestinantur, sed etiam respectu eorum, qui praedestinantur; non sic autem est in proposito.
Ad 3. Ad illud autem quod tertio obiicitur, quod praedestinatio dicit antecessionem respectu praedestinati; dicendum, quod verum est, quando simpliciter et per se de aliquo dicitur; sed quando in comparatione dicitur ad praedicatum aliquod, tunc potest dicere antecessionem respectu illius praedicati. Et hoc modo dicit in proposito; et ideo non cogit illa obiectio4b.
Ad 4. Ad illud quod ultimo obiicitur, quod quicumque praedestinatus est, ei fit aliqua gratia; dicendum, quod praedestinatio respectu eius importat gratiae collationem, respectu cuius importat antecessionem. Cum autem dicitur: Filius Dei praedestinatus est esse homo, non conceditur, secundum quod praedestinatio importat antecessionem respectu subiecti, sed solum secundum quod importat5b respectu praedicati. Et ideo non notatur, quod aliqua gratia fiat ipsi Filio Dei, sed filio hominis; et hoc quidem verum est, et ideo illa obiectio et ceterae praecedentes non currunt nisi secundum illum sensum, secundum quem praedicta locutio non recipitur6b.
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Question II. Whether this is true: the Son of God is predestined to be man.
Secondly, inquiry is made concerning this proposition: the Son of God is predestined to be man. And that it is true is shown:
1. First, by the Master in the text2, who says that it is to be conceded according to each of the three opinions. (Foundations.)
2. Likewise, this same thing seems [to follow] by reason. It is as much repugnant, or more, for the Son of God to be made3 [man] as to be predestined; but this is conceded: the Son of God was made man: therefore this too: the Son of God is predestined to be man.
3. Likewise, that prophecy by which it is said in Isaiah, chapter seven4: Behold, a Virgin shall conceive, is said to be a prophecy of predestination: therefore that the Word should become flesh, just as it was prophesied and fulfilled in time, so also was it predestined from eternity: therefore, just as he was made man in time, so also from eternity he was predestined to be man.
4. Likewise, the Son of God is man either by grace or by nature; not by nature: therefore by grace; but every grace, whatsoever is given to anyone in time, was preordained and prepared from eternity; but this is nothing other than to be predestined5: therefore it seems that this proposition — the Son of God is predestined to be man — is to be conceded.
On the contrary: (To the opposite.) 1. Predestination is in respect of grace and glory, not in respect of nature6; but to be man states a natural predicate, not a gratuitous gift: therefore in respect of that no one ought to be called predestined.
2. Likewise, it follows necessarily: this one is predestined to have grace and glory, therefore he is predestined; therefore likewise it follows: the Son of God is predestined to be man, therefore he is predestined; but this is to be denied: the Son of God is predestined, as was shown above7: therefore etc.
3. Likewise, predestination states a precedence not only in respect of the terminus8, but also in respect of the one predestined; but although the divine foreknowledge preceded the human nature, nevertheless it did not precede the divine person: therefore whether it be said absolutely, or in respect of the human nature, it must be denied that the Son of God is predestined: therefore the aforesaid expression is false, namely: the Son of God is predestined to be man.
4. Likewise, whoever is predestined9 is prepared for some gratuitous gift; but when the Son of God was made man, no grace was made for that person of the Son of God, but only for the human race: therefore it seems that this predestination in no way befits the Son of God.
Conclusion.
The expression "the Son of God is predestined to be man" can be admitted, although in one sense it is false.
I respond: It must be said that, since this participle predestined states a precedence, it can convey it in three ways: either in respect of the subject, or in respect of the predicate, or in respect of the whole compound. (It conveys precedence in three ways.) But if it conveys precedence in respect of the subject, then the sense is: the Son of God is predestined to be man, that is, the Son of God was foreseen to be man before he was the Son of God; and in this way the aforesaid expression is false. (Conclusion 1.) — But if it conveys precedence in respect of the predicate, then the sense is: the Son of God was foreseen1b to be man, that is, he was known or foreseen to be man, not before the Son of God existed, but before he was man. — But if it conveys precedence in respect of the whole statement, then the sense is: the Son of God is predestined to be man, that is, it was predestined that the Son of God should be man.
Thus, therefore, there can be a threefold sense of the aforesaid expression; and one indeed is false, but the two following are true; and as regards those two subsequent senses the aforesaid expression is received by all the opinions, as the Master says in the text2b. (Conclusion 2.) And therefore according to this sense it must be conceded that it is true.
To the arguments to the contrary: (Solution of the opposing arguments.) To 1. To that which is objected first to the contrary, that predestination is in respect of glory and grace, not in respect of nature; it must be said that when the word predestination is uttered by itself, it includes within itself the understanding of grace and glory, as for instance when someone is said to be simply predestined. But when an external determination is added to it, it retains only the understanding of the principal signification, namely of preordination or foreknowledge. (Note.) Hence when it is said: this one is predestined to have grace and glory, predestined there has only the force of foreseen. And it is similar, when it is said: "yield"; by itself it has only the force of "give place"; but when it is said "yield place," yield has only the understanding of the other [word]. And therefore, when it is said: the Son of God is predestined to be man, predestined conveys only foreknowledge or ordination; and therefore it conveys only the general signification. — It could, however, be said that, although to be man predicates of the Son of God something natural, it nevertheless concerns the grace of the union; and therefore such a predicate does not pass outside the account of predestination. (Otherwise.)
To 2. To that which is objected, that if he is predestined to be man, then he is predestined; it must be said that it does not follow, because, when predestined is placed between the subject and the predicate, it can state precedence in respect of the one as much as of the other; but when it is predicated per se3b, it states precedence in respect of the subject. And therefore it does not follow: he is predestined to be man, therefore he is predestined; just as it does not follow: the Son of God is predestined, insofar as he is man, therefore he is predestined. Nor is it similar in the case of others, who are predestined to grace and glory, because in them predestination states a precedence not only in respect of that to which they are predestined, but also in respect of those who are predestined; but it is not so in the case at hand.
To 3. But to that which is objected thirdly, that predestination states precedence in respect of the one predestined; it must be said that this is true when it is said of something simply and per se; but when it is said in comparison to some predicate, then it can state precedence in respect of that predicate. And in this way it speaks in the case at hand; and therefore that objection does not compel4b.
To 4. To that which is objected last, that to whoever is predestined some grace is made; it must be said that predestination in respect of him conveys the conferral of grace, in respect of which it conveys precedence. But when it is said: the Son of God is predestined to be man, it is not conceded insofar as predestination conveys precedence in respect of the subject, but only insofar as it conveys [precedence]5b in respect of the predicate. And therefore it is not denoted that any grace is made to the Son of God himself, but to the son of man; and this indeed is true, and therefore that objection and the others preceding hold only according to that sense by which the aforesaid expression is not received6b.
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- Elicitur ex iis quae Magister hic c. I. seqq. et infra d. X. c. I. 3. proponit.Drawn from what the Master sets forth here in chapter I and following, and below in distinction X, chapters I and 3.
- Pro fieri edd. hominem fieri.For fieri (to be made) the editions read hominem fieri (to be made man).
- Vers. 14.Verse 14.
- Praedestinatio namque definiri solet: praeparatio gratiae in praesenti et gloriae in futuro. Cfr. supra pag. 177, nota 5.For predestination is wont to be defined as: the preparation of grace in the present and of glory in the future. Cf. above, page 177, note 5.
- Cfr. nota praeced.Cf. the preceding note.
- Quaest. praeced.The preceding question.
- Pro termini cod. U naturae.For termini (of the terminus) codex U reads naturae (of the nature).
- Cod. N praedestinatus. In fine arg. pro ista codd. ti (K a secunda manu) Z bb ipsa.Codex N reads praedestinatus. At the end of the argument, for ista codices ti (K by a second hand) Z bb read ipsa.
- In cod. bb verbum praevisus a secunda manu bene transformatum est in praedestinatus. Paulo superius pro quam esset codd. NT quam esse.In codex bb the word praevisus (foreseen) has been well transformed by a second hand into praedestinatus (predestined). A little above, for quam esset codices NT read quam esse.
- Hic c. I. seqq., sententialiter. — Paulo superius pro et unus quidem cod. H primus quidem.Here, chapter I and following, in substance. — A little above, for et unus quidem codex H reads primus quidem.
- Ut in huius obiectionis consequente: est praedestinatus. — Mox ante est praedestinatus esse homo edd. supplent Filius Dei. Circa finem solut. pro ad quod praedestinantur codd. et edd. exhibent ad quod praedestinatur; sed perperam, ut ex contextu apparet.As in the consequent of this objection: he is predestined. — Just before est praedestinatus esse homo the editions supply Filius Dei. Near the end of the solution, for ad quod praedestinantur the codices and editions exhibit ad quod praedestinatur; but wrongly, as is clear from the context.
- Cod. G ratio.Codex G reads ratio.
- Edd. et nonnulli codd. hic repetunt antecessionem. Incipiente solutione, pro quicumque praedestinatus est codd. G Z bb quicumque praedestinatur.The editions and some codices here repeat antecessionem (precedence). At the beginning of the solution, for quicumque praedestinatus est codices G Z bb read quicumque praedestinatur.
- Vide scholion ad praecedentem quaestionem.See the scholion to the preceding question.