Dist. 19, Art. 1, Q. 2
Book IV: On the Sacraments · Distinction 19
Quaestio II. Utrum malus sacerdos communicet cum bono in potestate clavium, an sit in solo bono.
Secundo quaeritur, utrum malus sacerdos communicet cum bono in potestate clavis, an sit in solo bono. Et quod tantum in bono, videtur.
1. In donatione sive promissione clavium, quae facta est Petro, primo commendatus est Petrus: Beatus es, Simon1 etc; et post: Ego dico tibi etc; ergo videtur, quod si omnibus datae sunt in Petro, et datae sunt Petro ratione fidelis et bonae confessionis, quod ad illos solos descendat, qui sunt Petro similes et eius imitatores. Ad huius autem confirmationem adducitur verbum Augustini2, quod dicitur super illud: Tibi dabo: « Sicut dictum est Iudae: Pauperes semper vobiscum habebitis etc, gerenti typum malorum; sic dictum est Petro: Tibi dabo claves etc, gerenti typum bonorum »: ergo etc.
2. Item, Ioannis vigesimo3, ubi primo datae sunt hae claves, dicitur: Accipite Spiritum sanctum; quorum remiseritis peccata, remittuntur etc: ergo si ante donationem potestatis dedit Spiritum sanctum, qui non habent Spiritum sanctum non habent potestatem clavium; sed mali non habent Spiritum sanctum: ergo etc. In huius autem confirmatione adducitur Glossa Augustini ibidem4: « Ecclesiae caritas, quae diffunditur per Spiritum sanctum in cordibus eorum, in quibus est, peccata dimittit »; sed soli boni habent caritatem: ergo etc. — Ad hoc autem sunt multae auctoritates in littera.
3. Item, hoc videtur ratione: quia bonus distributor nulli dat aliquam potentiam distribuendi qui est omnino indignus; sed peccator, in peccato existens, indignus est tam nobili potestate, scilicet solvendi et ligandi; hoc apertum est, et Deus hoc scit et ipse est, qui hanc potestatem tribuit: ergo aut male donat dona sua, aut talis non habet potestatem.
4. Item, stultus esset rex, qui clavem camerae suae committeret inimico suo: si ergo peccator inimicus Christi est; cum Christus nihil stulte agat, peccatoribus clavem camerae suae non committit. Sed haec est clavis caeli: ergo etc.
Contra:
1. Matthaei vigesimo tertio5 dicit Dominus discipulis: Super cathedram Moysi sederunt Scribae et Pharisaei; quaecumque dixerint vobis, servate et facite; constans est, quod Dominus loquitur de malis, sicut ibidem patet, et illis dicit reverentiam exhibendam et obedientiam: vult ergo Dominus, etiam malis praelatis subesse bonos subditos. Si ergo potestas praelationis in novo testamento in potestate clavium consistit: ergo Dominus vult hanc potestatem malis communicare.
2. Item, sicut clavis ligandi et solvendi est a Deo, ita et clavis scientiae est a Deo; sed Dominus clavem scientiae legisperitis dedit, qui mali erant, et etiam male utebantur, ut dicitur Lucae undecimo6: ergo nihil prohibet, clavem istam malis tribui.
3. Item, ratione videtur: quia gratia non transfunditur ab uno homine in alterum, ut in praecedentibus7 visum est: ergo gratia gratum faciens nihil facit ad hoc, quod in isto gratia fiat: ergo nec ad hoc, quod iste illi regnum aperiat.
4. Item, nihil refert ad hoc, quod aliquis cellarii claves gerat debite, utrum ipse bibat, sed sufficit, quod aliis administret: ergo a simili videtur, quod in hoc nullum praeiudicium generetur Ecclesiae, si quis habet claves caeli, licet8 ipse non habeat sensum gratiae et gustum.
5. Item, si non habet clavem nisi iustus; cum nemo nec de se nec de alio sciat, utrum sit iustus9, nemo scit, utrum solvat, an liget, aut utrum sit solutus, vel ligatus: ergo dubitatio maxima et perplexitas in Ecclesia Dei relinquitur; quod est contra bonam institutionem Ecclesiae, quae debet fundata esse in fundamento veritatis aeternae.
6. Item, si potestas clavis sequeretur sanctitatem; cum tota die fiat transmutatio in sanctitate, quia ille qui est minus sanctus, fit magis sanctus, et e converso; modo subditus fieret praelatus, modo praelatus subditus: ergo nulla stabilitas esset in Ecclesia; quod abhorret fides recta.
### Conclusio. Malus sacerdos communicat cum bono in potestate clavium quoad ea quae sunt de necessitate, non autem quoad ea quae sunt de idoneitate.
Respondeo: Dicendum, quod est loqui de collatione clavis alicui quantum ad ea quae sunt de necessitate, vel quantum ad ea quae sunt de idoneitate. Si loquamur quantum ad ea quae sunt de necessitate; sic ad esse clavis sufficit donum Spiritus sancti secundum gratiam gratis datam; haec autem infallibiliter et secundum divinam institutionem datur omni suscipienti ordinis Sacramentum, sive sit bonus, sive sit malus.
Ratio autem huius est, quia donum gratiae gratis datae non repugnat iniquitati, quin simul stet cum ea, sicut patet in scientia et aliis donis10. Et rursus, perversitas non repugnat utilitati illius doni. Sicut enim malus praedicator bene praedicat et frequenter fructificat — propter quod Dominus noluit prohibere eum qui in nomine eius eiiciebat daemonia, quamvis eum non sequeretur11, quia hoc erat ad utilitatem aliorum — sic, quia bonum illud gratiae gratis datae ordinatum est ad utilitatem communem, et quamvis non valeat accipienti, tamen valet aliis: ideo Dominus, qui in distributione Sacramentorum communem considerat utilitatem et suam institutionem non retractat, malis12 confert istam potentiam, qui ordinati sunt secundum Ecclesiae catholicae formam. Sic ergo quantum ad id quod est de necessitate clavis, sive quantum ad esse, sive quantum ad exsecutionem; cum nihil exigatur ad hoc nisi ordo et iurisdictio, et hoc dicit donum gratiae gratis datae; tam in bonis quam in malis est.
Si autem loquamur quantum ad ea quae spectant ad idoneitatem; cum ad debitum usum officii concurrat meritum, et auctoritas praelationis debeat esse cum sanctitate, maxime tale officium et talis auctoritas; competit, quod habeat caritatem. — Et hoc patet: quia officium illud est officium mediatoris et reconciliatoris; et cum auctoritas ista sit iudiciariae potestatis, et nullus sit bonus mediator, qui est inimicus; nullus sit bonus iudex in ea causa, in qua est reus: oportet, ipsum esse mundum et sanctum; alioquin, etsi sit minister, non tamen est idoneus vel dignus. — His visis, facile est respondere ad obiecta. Concedendae enim sunt rationes probantes, claves esse in malis.
Ad 1, 2. Ad auctoritates autem in oppositum, solvendum, quod loquuntur quantum ad idoneitatem, non quantum ad necessitatem. — Vel dicendum, quod, sicut supra dictum est in baptismo, quod fides et caritas Ecclesiae operatur in baptismo collato a malis, quia confertur in forma Ecclesiae; sic in proposito est intelligendum.
Ad 3. Ad illud quod obiicitur de bono dispensatore, quod non dat indigno; potest responderi, quod Deus non dat ei propter se, sed propter communem utilitatem; et quia, quamvis malus non sit dignus, potest tamen esse utilis; ideo ei confert. — Vel dicendum, quod Deus hoc facit ad ostendendum abundantiam largitatis suae, qua solem suum oriri facit super bonos et malos.
Ad 4. Ad illud quod obiicitur de clave camerae; dicendum, quod si clavis talis esset naturae, quod nec aperiret nec aperire posset nisi amicis, secure posset talis clavis cuilibet dari; talis autem est clavis caeli, ut patet ex dictis in praecedentibus.
Scholion pro Articulo I (quaest. I et II) cum bon-sent-IV-d19-a1-q1 redditur. — The scholion for Article I (covering both Question I and Question II) is rendered with the preceding chunk, bon-sent-IV-d19-a1-q1; see there.
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Question II. Whether a wicked priest shares with a good one in the power of the keys, or whether it is in the good one alone.
Secondly it is asked whether a wicked priest shares with a good one in the power of the keys, or whether it is in the good one alone. And that it is only in the good one seems to be the case.
1. In the giving or promising of the keys, which was made to Peter, Peter is first commended: Blessed art thou, Simon1 etc; and afterwards: I say to thee etc; therefore it seems that, if they were given to all in Peter, and were given to Peter by reason of his being faithful and of his good confession, they descend to those alone who are like Peter and his imitators. And in confirmation of this is adduced the saying of Augustine2, which is said upon that text I will give to thee: « As it was said to Judas: The poor you will have always with you etc, who bore the type of the wicked; so it was said to Peter: I will give to thee the keys etc, who bore the type of the good »: therefore etc.
2. Likewise, in John the twentieth3, where these keys are first given, it is said: Receive the Holy Spirit; whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven etc: therefore if before the giving of the power he gave the Holy Spirit, those who do not have the Holy Spirit do not have the power of the keys; but the wicked do not have the Holy Spirit: therefore etc. And in confirmation of this is adduced the Gloss of Augustine in the same place4: « The charity of the Church, which is poured out through the Holy Spirit in the hearts of those in whom it is, forgives sins »; but only the good have charity: therefore etc. — And to this end there are many authorities in the text.
3. Likewise, this seems to be so by reason: because a good distributor gives to no one who is wholly unworthy any power of distributing; but a sinner, existing in sin, is unworthy of so noble a power, namely of loosing and binding; this is plain, and God knows it and is himself the one who bestows this power: therefore either he badly gives his gifts, or such a one does not have the power.
4. Likewise, a king would be foolish who would commit the key of his chamber to his enemy: if therefore a sinner is an enemy of Christ; since Christ does nothing foolishly, he does not commit the key of his chamber to sinners. But this is the key of heaven: therefore etc.
On the contrary:
1. In Matthew the twenty-third5 the Lord says to the disciples: The Scribes and Pharisees have sat upon the seat of Moses; whatsoever they shall say to you, observe and do; it is certain that the Lord is speaking of the wicked, as is clear there, and to them he says reverence and obedience are to be shown: therefore the Lord wills that good subjects be subject even to wicked prelates. If therefore the power of prelacy in the new testament consists in the power of the keys: therefore the Lord wills to share this power with the wicked.
2. Likewise, just as the key of binding and loosing is from God, so too the key of knowledge is from God; but the Lord gave the key of knowledge to the lawyers, who were wicked, and who also used it badly, as is said in Luke the eleventh6: therefore nothing prevents this key from being given to the wicked.
3. Likewise, it seems so by reason: because grace is not transfused from one man into another, as was seen in the preceding7: therefore grace that makes pleasing does nothing toward this, that grace come to be in that one: therefore neither toward this, that this one open the kingdom to him.
4. Likewise, it makes no difference toward this, that someone bear the keys of the cellar duly, whether he himself drink, but it suffices that he administer to others: therefore by a likeness it seems that in this no prejudice is generated to the Church, if someone has the keys of heaven, although8 he himself does not have a sense of grace and a taste of it.
5. Likewise, if no one has the key except the just man; since no one knows either of himself or of another whether he is just9, no one knows whether he looses or binds, or whether he is loosed or bound: therefore the greatest doubt and perplexity is left in the Church of God; which is against the good institution of the Church, which ought to be founded upon the foundation of eternal truth.
6. Likewise, if the power of the key followed sanctity; since all day long there occurs a change in sanctity, because he who is less holy becomes more holy, and conversely; now the subject would become the prelate, now the prelate the subject: therefore there would be no stability in the Church; which right faith abhors.
### Conclusion. A wicked priest shares with a good one in the power of the keys as regards those things that are of necessity, but not as regards those things that are of fitness.
I respond: It must be said that there is a way of speaking of the conferring of the key upon someone as regards those things that are of necessity, or as regards those things that are of fitness. If we speak as regards those things that are of necessity; thus for the being of the key the gift of the Holy Spirit according to grace freely given suffices; and this is given infallibly and according to divine institution to everyone receiving the Sacrament of orders, whether he be good or whether he be wicked.
And the reason for this is that the gift of grace freely given is not repugnant to iniquity, so as not to stand together with it, as is plain in knowledge and other gifts10. And again, perversity is not repugnant to the usefulness of that gift. For just as a wicked preacher preaches well and frequently bears fruit — on account of which the Lord did not will to forbid the one who in his name was casting out demons, although he did not follow him11, because this was for the benefit of others — so, because that good of grace freely given is ordered toward the common benefit, and although it does not avail the receiver, nevertheless it avails others: therefore the Lord, who in the distribution of the Sacraments considers the common benefit and does not retract his own institution, confers this power on the wicked12 who are ordained according to the form of the catholic Church. Thus therefore as regards that which is of the necessity of the key, whether as regards its being, or as regards its execution; since nothing is required for this except order and jurisdiction, and this means the gift of grace freely given; it is in the wicked as much as in the good.
But if we speak as regards those things that pertain to fitness; since for the due use of the office merit concurs, and the authority of prelacy ought to be with sanctity, most of all such an office and such an authority; it is fitting that he have charity. — And this is clear: because that office is the office of a mediator and a reconciler; and since this authority is of judiciary power, and no one is a good mediator who is an enemy; no one is a good judge in that case in which he is the accused: it is necessary that he be clean and holy; otherwise, even if he be a minister, nevertheless he is not fit or worthy. — These things having been seen, it is easy to respond to the objections. For the arguments proving that the keys are in the wicked are to be conceded.
To 1, 2. As for the authorities to the contrary, it must be resolved that they speak as regards fitness, not as regards necessity. — Or it must be said that, just as it was said above concerning baptism, that the faith and charity of the Church operates in baptism conferred by the wicked, because it is conferred in the form of the Church; so in the present case it is to be understood.
To 3. As for that which is objected concerning the good dispenser, that he does not give to the unworthy; it can be answered that God does not give to him for his own sake, but for the common benefit; and because, although a wicked man is not worthy, nevertheless he can be useful; therefore he confers it on him. — Or it must be said that God does this to show the abundance of his liberality, by which he makes his sun to rise upon the good and the wicked.
To 4. As for that which is objected concerning the key of the chamber; it must be said that if the key were of such a nature that it could neither open nor be able to open except for friends, such a key could safely be given to anyone; but such is the key of heaven, as is plain from what was said in the preceding.
The scholion for Article I (Questions I and II) is rendered with bon-sent-IV-d19-a1-q1. — The scholion for Article I (covering both Question I and Question II) is rendered with the preceding chunk, bon-sent-IV-d19-a1-q1; see there.
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- 1Matth. 16, 17. seqq.Matthew 16:17 ff.
- 2In Ioan. Evang. tr. 50. n. 12, ubi exponens illud Ioan. 12, 8: Pauperes enim semper habetis vobiscum etc, ait: Iudae dictum est. Quare ergo non dixit: habebis, sed habebitis? Quia non unus est Iudas. Unus malus corpus malorum significat, quomodo Petrus corpus bonorum, immo corpus Ecclesiae, sed in bonis. Nam si in Petro non esset Ecclesiae sacramentum, non ei diceret Dominus [Matth. 16, 19.]: Tibi dabo claves etc. Cfr. Enarrat. in Ps. 108. n. 1.On the Gospel of John, tract 50, n. 12, where, expounding that text of John 12:8, For the poor you have always with you etc, he says: It was said to Judas. Why then did he not say: thou wilt have, but you will have? Because Judas is not one. One wicked man signifies the body of the wicked, just as Peter signifies the body of the good, indeed the body of the Church, but in the good. For if in Peter there were not the sacrament of the Church, the Lord would not say to him [Matt. 16:19]: I will give to thee the keys etc. Cf. Enarration on Psalm 108, n. 1.
- 3Vers. 22. seq.Verse 22 f.
- 4In Ioan. Evang. tr. 121. n. 4: Ecclesiae caritas, quae per Spiritum sanctum diffunditur in cordibus nostris, participum suorum peccata dimittit. Cfr. supra lit. Magistri d. XVIII. c. 5, ubi haec sententia verbis Glossae ordinariae apud Strabum et Lyranum exhibetur. Respicitur hic Rom. 5, 5. — Inferius post in quibus plures codd. omittunt est, pro quo ed. 1 Ecclesia, Vat. etiam.On the Gospel of John, tract 121, n. 4: The charity of the Church, which is poured out through the Holy Spirit in our hearts, forgives the sins of those who share in it. Cf. above, the Master's text, d. XVIII, c. 5, where this sentence is set out in the words of the Glossa ordinaria in Strabus and Lyranus. Reference here is to Rom. 5:5. — Below, after in whom, several codices omit is, in place of which edition 1 reads Ecclesia, and so too the Vatican edition.
- 5Vers. 2. seq. Vulgata voci quaecumque praemittit omnia ergo.Verse 2 f. The Vulgate prefixes all things therefore to the word whatsoever.
- 6Vers. 52: Vae vobis legisperitis, quia tulistis clavem scientiae; ipsi non introistis et eos qui introibant prohibuistis.Verse 52: Woe to you lawyers, for you have taken away the key of knowledge; you yourselves did not enter, and those who were entering you have hindered.
- 7Dist. 5. a. 2. q. 1, d. 18. p. I. a. 2. q. 1. fundam. 4. Vide ibi notam adiectam. Cfr. hic lit. Magistri, c. 2. seq.Distinction 5, a. 2, q. 1; d. 18, p. I, a. 2, q. 1, foundation 4. See the note added there. Cf. here the Master's text, c. 2 f.
- 8Codd. FGR et (cod. H mox habet pro habeat), cod. K (I a secunda manu) si.Codices FGR have et (codex H presently has habet for habeat), codex K (I, by a second hand) si.
- 9Eccle. 9, 1. Vide supra pag. 333, nota 4.Ecclesiastes 9:1. See above, p. 333, note 4.
- 10Cfr. I. Cor. 13, 1. seqq.Cf. 1 Cor. 13:1 ff.
- 11Luc. 9, 49. seq.Luke 9:49 f.
- 12Plerique codd. repetunt ideo ante malis. — Cod. H supplet homo, edd. substituunt ei, qui pro quod. — Dist. 5. a. 1. q. 2. et a. 2. q. 1. seq. — Superius pro solvendum edd. dissolvendas, dici potest.Most codices repeat therefore before the wicked. — Codex H supplies man, the editions substitute to him, who for that. — Distinction 5, a. 1, q. 2, and a. 2, q. 1 f. — Above, in place of to be resolved the editions have to be dissolved, it may be said. ---