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Dist. 14, Part 1, Art. 2, Q. 3

Book IV: On the Sacraments · Distinction 14

Textus Latinus
p. 327

Quaestio III. Utrum poenitentia sit prima virtus.

Tertio quaeritur de ordine poenitentiae ad alias virtutes; et quod sit prima virtus, videtur.

1. Matthaei tertio7: Poenitentiam agite; Glossa: « Prima virtus est per poenitentiam perimere veterem hominem ».

2. Item, ratione videtur: quia prius est declinare a malo quam facere bonum8; sed per poenitentiam est declinare a malo, per alias facere bonum: ergo etc.

3. Item, « egressus vitii virtutis operatur ingressum9 »; sed poenitentiae est peccata expellere: ergo etc.

Contra: 1. Fides est fundamentum totius spiritualis machinae, secundum Apostolum ad Hebraeos10; et hoc patet ratione, quia prius est actus intellectus quam affectus; sed fides dirigit intellectum, poenitentia affectum: ergo etc.

2. Item, cum dicitur poenitentia prima virtus, aut hoc est in quantum informis, aut in quantum formata. Informis non, quia ipsa generatur ex fide et spe et timore, ut ostensum est11; « virtus enim poenitentiae timore concipitur ». Si de formata; sed contra: omnes simul infunduntur12: ergo poenitentia infunditur cum aliis: ergo etc.

3. Item, primus actus est vivere; sed iustus ex fide vivit13, vel ex caritate, non ex poenitentia proprie: ergo prius est caritas et fides quam poenitentia.

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4. Item, nulli displicet offensa alicuius, nisi quia diligit illum; si enim odiret, placeret: ergo diligere Deum per naturam praecedit odium peccati; sed primum est caritatis, secundum poenitentiae: ergo etc.

5. Item, naturaliter prius est intentio ad terminum ad quem, quam separatio a termino a quo; sed caritas dirigit ad terminum ad quem, poenitentia separat a termino a quo, scilicet peccato: ergo caritas prior.

Conclusio. I. Licet virtutes infusae simul sunt secundum substantiam, tamen secundum actum in iustificatione gratia adveniens per modum reparantis prius respicit actum poenitentiae.

Respondeo: Dicendum, quod prius dupliciter dicitur: vel secundum substantiam, vel secundum usum1. Secundum substantiam omnes sunt simul; secundum usum distinguendum est: aut enim secundum imaginis informationem, et sic est fides prima; aut secundum regressum et reparationem, et sic actus poenitentiae est primus, quia immediatior est. Etsi enim simul stet motus liberi arbitrii cum contritione, qui quidem motus a pluribus dicitur motus fidei; tamen gratia adveniens per modum reparantis et expellentis culpam immediate respicit motum vel actum poenitentiae. Sicut enim gratia prius culpam expellit per naturam, quam habilitat ad bonum; sic necesse est, quod homo ex parte sua in iustificatione primo aspernetur culpam, quam dirigatur in bonum opus3.

1. 2. Per hanc duplicem distinctionem patet solutio ad primum et secundum: primum, quia fides est prima informando; secundum, quia omnes virtutes2 simul infunduntur et simul sunt quantum ad substantiam et essentiam.

3. Ad illud quod obiicitur de actu vivendi, dicendum, quod prior actus est vivificare quam vivere; unde etsi fides et caritas faciant vivere, poenitentiae tamen est vivificare; et sic potest dici prior.

4. Ad illud quod obiicitur, quod displicet offensa propter dilectionem; dicendum, quod non est necesse, actu praecedere dilectionem ipsam displicentiam, sed sufficit, quod comitetur in habitu.

5. Ad ultimum dicendum, quod verum est, ubi eodem motu receditur et acceditur; sed in spiritualibus non tenet, ubi alio motu receditur a termino et fertur in terminum. Tunc enim necesse est, quod primo resiliat, si vult accedere; unde prius oportet exire domum quam ire ad ecclesiam4.

Scholion

Scholion in articulum II (§ I–III, q. 1–3) cum Quaestione I huius articuli editur. — The scholion on this article (§ I–III, covering questions 1–3) is rendered with Question I of this article.

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English Translation

Question III. Whether penance is the first virtue.

Thirdly it is asked concerning the order of penance to the other virtues; and that it is the first virtue, seems to be the case.

1. Matthew, chapter three7: Do penance; the Gloss: "The first virtue is, through penance, to destroy the old man."

2. Likewise, it seems so by reason: because to decline from evil is prior to doing good8; but through penance there is a declining from evil, through the others a doing of good: therefore etc.

3. Likewise, "the going-out of vice works the going-in of virtue9"; but it belongs to penance to expel sins: therefore etc.

On the contrary: 1. Faith is the foundation of the whole spiritual structure, according to the Apostle to the Hebrews10; and this is clear by reason, because the act of intellect is prior to that of affection; but faith directs the intellect, penance the affection: therefore etc.

2. Likewise, when penance is called the first virtue, this is either insofar as it is unformed, or insofar as it is formed. Not unformed, because it itself is generated from faith and hope and fear, as has been shown11; "for the virtue of penance is conceived by fear." If [it is meant] of [penance] formed; but on the contrary: all [the virtues] are infused together12: therefore penance is infused together with the others: therefore etc.

3. Likewise, the first act is to live; but the just man lives by faith13, or by charity, not properly by penance: therefore charity and faith are prior to penance.

p. 328

4. Likewise, the offense of someone displeases no one except because he loves him; for if he hated him, it would please him: therefore to love God precedes by nature the hatred of sin; but the first belongs to charity, the second to penance: therefore etc.

5. Likewise, naturally the intention toward the term-to-which is prior to the separation from the term-from-which; but charity directs toward the term-to-which, penance separates from the term-from-which, namely sin: therefore charity is prior.

Conclusion. I. Although the infused virtues are together according to substance, nevertheless according to act, in justification the grace that comes in by way of repairing first regards the act of penance.

I respond: It must be said that prior is said in two ways: either according to substance, or according to use1. According to substance they are all together; according to use a distinction must be made: for either [it is taken] according to the informing of the image, and thus faith is first; or according to the going-back and the reparation, and thus the act of penance is first, because it is more immediate. For although the movement of free choice stands together with contrition — which movement is by many called the movement of faith — nevertheless the grace that comes in by way of repairing and expelling the fault immediately regards the movement or act of penance. For just as grace first expels the fault by nature before it makes [the soul] apt for the good; so it is necessary that man, on his own part, in justification first spurn the fault before he is directed to a good work3.

1. 2. By this twofold distinction the solution to the first and second [objections] is clear: the first, because faith is first in informing; the second, because all the virtues2 are infused together and are together as to substance and essence.

3. To the objection about the act of living, it must be said that the prior act is to vivify rather than to live; whence, although faith and charity cause one to live, yet it belongs to penance to vivify; and thus it can be called prior.

4. To the objection that the offense displeases on account of love, it must be said that it is not necessary that the love itself in act precede the displeasure, but it suffices that it accompany it in habit.

5. To the last [objection] it must be said that it is true where by the same movement one withdraws and approaches; but in spiritual matters it does not hold, where by one movement one withdraws from the term and by another is borne toward the term. For then it is necessary that one first leap back, if he wishes to approach; whence one must first leave the house before going to the church4.

Scholion

The scholion on this article (§ I–III, covering questions 1–3) is rendered with Question I of this article. — Scholion in articulum II (§ I–III, q. 1–3) cum Quaestione I huius articuli editur.

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Apparatus Criticus
  1. 7
    Vers. 2. — De Glossa vide supra pag. 318, nota 1.
    Verse 2. — On the Gloss see above, p. 318, note 1.
  2. 8
    Cfr. Ps. 36, 27.
    Cf. Ps. 36:27.
  3. 9
    Secundum Ambros. supra pag. 42, nota 6. allegatum.
    According to Ambrose, adduced above on p. 42, note 6.
  4. 10
    Cap. 11, 1: Est autem fides sperandarum substantia [i. e. fundamentum, ut explicat Glossa ordinaria; cfr. tom. III. pag. 604, nota 9.] rerum etc. — De ratione addita vide III. Sent. d. 23. a. 1. q. 1. in corp.
    Chapter 11:1: Now faith is the substance of things to be hoped for [i.e. the foundation, as the ordinary Gloss explains; cf. tom. III, p. 604, note 9] of things etc. — On the added reasoning see III Sent., d. 23, a. 1, q. 1, in the body.
  5. 11
    Quaest. praeced. — Seq. locus est ex Magistro, hic in lit. c. 1.
    The preceding question. — The following passage is from the Master, here in the text, c. 1.
  6. 12
    Ut dictum est III. Sent. d. 36. q. 1. — Pro Si de formata (supple: intelligitur) Vat. cum uno alteroque cod. Si formata.
    As was said in III Sent., d. 36, q. 1. — For If of [penance] formed (supply: it is understood) the Vatican [edition], with one or two other codices, [reads] If formed.
  7. 13
    Rom. 1, 17.
    Rom. 1:17.
  8. 1
    Cfr. tom. II. pag. 451, nota 1.
    Cf. tom. II, p. 451, note 1.
  9. 2
    Cfr. III. Sent. d. 34. p. I. a. 1. q. 2. in corp. — Post omnes supple virtutes.
    Cf. III Sent., d. 34, p. I, a. 1, q. 2, in the body. — After all supply the virtues.
  10. 3
    Vide infra d. 17. p. I. a. 2. q. 1. seqq.
    See below, d. 17, p. I, a. 2, q. 1 and following.
  11. 4
    Cfr. III. Sent. d. 26. a. 2. q. 1. ad 1. — Vide scholion ad 1. huius articuli quaest.
    Cf. III Sent., d. 26, a. 2, q. 1, ad 1. — See the scholion to question 1 of this article. ---
Cited by

2 places in the Opera Omnia citethis question. Derived from Quaracchi’s own apparatus, never tagged by hand.

Whether for the justification of the wicked an infusion of grace is necessary
Book IV: On the Sacraments · Distinction 17
supra d. 14. p. I. a. 2. q. 3.
Whether penance has in itself the character of a foundation
Book IV: On the Sacraments · Distinction 22 · 2×
supra d. 14. a. 2.

8 further references address the article or printed page this question belongs to, rather than the question itself.

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