Bonaventure

Quaestio VI. Utrum indulgentiae tantum valeant, quantum praedicatur.

Sexto et ultimo quaeritur, quantum valeant huiusmodi indulgentiae, quae fiunt. Et quod valeant tantum, quantum praedicatur, videtur:

1. Quia Iob decimo tertio¹: Non indiget Deus pro nostro mendacio: ergo videtur, quod Summus Pontifex in suis litteris mentiri non debeat: si ergo verum dicit, tantam tribuit indulgentiam quantam in suis litteris promittit.

2. Item, qui promittit aliquantam summam pecuniae alicui tenetur ei, si est in solvendo; sed Summus Pontifex et alii, qui dant indulgentias, promittunt aliquam partem poenitentiae relaxare: ergo si potest, solvere tenetur. Quod autem possit, videtur per illud quod dicitur secundae ad Corinthios secundo²: Si quid donavi in persona Christi; Glossa: «Ac si Christus donasset»; sed Christus potuit totum condonare: ergo etc.

3. Item, aliquis episcopus potest aliquantam indulgentiam facere, esto quod viginti dierum, vel quadraginta³; sed Summus Pontifex plus potest quam omnes episcopi, eo quod plenitudinem habet potestatis super omnes: ergo plus potest dare quam omnes: ergo videtur, quod totum possit condonare: ergo si totum, et per consequens quantamlibet partem.

4. Item, Summus Pontifex potest facere indulgentiam generalem unius diei: ergo centum millibus potest dare unum diem, ita quod cuilibet unum: ergo pari ratione uni potest dare quod divisim dat omnibus: ergo totum condonare: ergo tantum

valent indulgentiae, quantum faciunt⁴ litterae pontificales.

Contra: 1. Si tantum valent indulgentiae, quantum dicitur: ergo cum multae et largae indulgentiae fiant, et merita sint adeo pauca nunc, quod vix potest homo sibi sufficere; videtur, quod iam totus thesaurus Ecclesiae a longo tempore defecisset, et ita nulla indulgentia nunc valeret.

2. Item, si tantum valent, quantum dicitur, sed in aliquibus indulgentiis pro adiutorio facto fabricae ecclesiae vel consimili indulgentiae partis tertiae poenitentiae promittuntur⁵: ergo si detur primo unus denarius, et secundo secundus, et tertio tertius; videtur, quod ille qui mille peccata commisit, pro tribus obolis vel denariis sit liberatus; quod non tantum falsum, sed etiam irrisione dignum iudicat omnis anima recta.

3. Item, si tantum valent, quantum dicitur, ergo si peccatori, qui debet novem annos, remittitur triennium; similiter illi qui debet triginta, remittitur tertia pars, et ita decennium; videtur, quod reportet commodum de malitia sua⁶.

4. Item, si tantum valent, quantum dicitur, ergo ille qui habitat iuxta ecclesiam, in qua est indulgentia unius anni, dum visitat ecclesiam, tantum habet, quantum ille qui longe distat per decem dietas; et dives offerens unum obolum tantum habet, quantum una paupercula. Sed haec omnia sunt abusiones: ergo non tantum valent indulgentiae, quantum Ecclesia praedicat.

Conclusio

Conclusio. Indulgentiae, quantum est ex parte concedentis, tantum valent, quantum promittitur; non tamen cuilibet tantum nec aequaliter, sed secundum aestimationem concedentis.

Respondeo: Dicendum, quod communiter secundum doctores ad hoc, quod indulgentiae vel relaxationes aliquid valeant, exigitur duplex conditio ex parte donantis, et duplex ex parte recipientis. Ex parte dantis requiritur potentia, requiritur etiam honesta et rationabilis causa. Non enim credenda esset indulgentia alicuius valoris, si quis daret eam euntibus videre torneamenta⁷. — Ex parte recipientis duplex, scilicet confessio cum vera contritione et fides cum vera devotione, ut vere de peccatis sit poenitens et vere confidens, quod pastoris indulgentia sibi valeat.

His praesuppositis, dixerunt aliqui, huiusmodi indulgentias aliquid valere, sed nunquam tantum⁸, quantum promittitur; sed aliquid valent modicum, secundum quod meretur fides et devotio. Praedicat tamen hoc Ecclesia, ut filios suos bona quadam deceptione ad bonum alliciat, sicut mulier filio pomum promittit, quod postea non donat. — Sed istud Ecclesiae est derogare, dicendo, eam sub specie quadam mentiri, et opera inania et puerilia et iocosa esse, quae facit; quod abhorret mens recta.

Alii dixerunt, quod simpliciter tantum valent⁹, quantum promittitur: quia non consideratur hic emptio, sed Ecclesiae largitas; et aequa est hic conditio, quicumque sit ille qui se disponat. Unde sicut dives, mittens ad tabernam, tantum habet de vino, quantum habet vetula paupercula, si par pretium mittat; sic in ecclesiastica volunt intelligi indulgentia. — Sed ista positio nimis videtur adhuc magnum forum facere de indulgentiis, ac per hoc potius facit ad vilificationem ipsarum quam ad laudem.

Tertii dixerunt, quod ad hoc, quod valeant istae indulgentiae tantum, quantum promittitur, necessario requiritur existimatio iusta. Iustam autem existimationem vocaverunt, quando homo¹⁰ tantum eleemosynae facit pro Ecclesiae sublevatione, quantum vellet dare ad hoc, ut remitteretur tertia pars poenitentiae suae, sive quantum deberet velle dare. — Sed certe si ita esset, nulla in mundo esset relaxatio, sed solum commutatio, si quis inspiciat.

Possumus igitur dicere, quod quantitas indulgentiae attenditur respectu poenae, secundum quod habet rationem pretii vel debiti solvendi, non ratione antidoti vel purgationis scoriae peccati, quam necesse est amoveri per propriam poenam, ut puta per contritionem, vel alicuius poenae perpessionem. Haec autem quantitas mensuratur secundum rectum iudicium Summi Pontificis, vel eius qui indulgentias facit. Ille autem, qui dat indulgentias, cum eas tribuit, considerat causam, pro qua reputat eum dignam tanta gratia; et secundum quod plus vel minus accedunt homines ad illam causam, plus vel minus participant de indulgentia; ut verbi gratia stationes Romae institutae sunt, ubi sunt indulgentiae determinatae. Hoc instituerunt sancti Patres propter peregrinos, qui veniebant de locis remotis; nec existimaverunt, dignum esse tanta gratia eum qui est natus iuxta ecclesiam, sicut eum qui longa venit via¹¹; unde nec tantam recipit indulgentiam, sed aliquantam.

Concedo ergo, quod indulgentiae, quantum est ex parte dantis, tantum valent, quantum promittunt, sicut ostendunt primae rationes. Concedo nihilominus, quod non cuilibet valent tantum nec

aequaliter omnibus, sed secundum existimationem eius, quam habuit vel habere debuit qui indulgentiam fecit; quam non oportuit exprimere, quia omnes fideles debent illud in corde praesupponere, quod dona et miserationes sancti Spiritus donentur cum¹² aequo libramine. Nec hoc debet aliquem ab his retrahere, quia semper plus valent, si homo sit in caritate, quam valeat obsequium vel aliud aliquid, pro quo indulgentia conceditur vel donatur. — Et ex hoc patent omnia obiecta¹³.

Question VI. Whether indulgences are worth as much as is preached.

Sixth and last, it is asked how much these indulgences that are made are worth. And that they are worth as much as is preached seems so:

1. For Job, chapter thirteen¹: God does not need our lie: therefore it seems that the Supreme Pontiff ought not to lie in his letters: if therefore he speaks the truth, he grants as great an indulgence as he promises in his letters.

2. Likewise, one who promises some sum of money to another is bound to him, if he is able to pay; but the Supreme Pontiff and others who grant indulgences promise to relax some part of the penance: therefore if he is able, he is bound to pay. And that he is able is seen from what is said in Second Corinthians, chapter two²: If I have pardoned anything, in the person of Christ; the Gloss: «As if Christ had pardoned it»; but Christ could pardon the whole: therefore etc.

3. Likewise, some bishop can make some indulgence, suppose of twenty days, or forty³; but the Supreme Pontiff can do more than all the bishops, because he has the fullness of power over all: therefore he can give more than all: therefore it seems that he can pardon the whole: therefore if the whole, then consequently any part whatever.

4. Likewise, the Supreme Pontiff can make a general indulgence of one day: therefore to a hundred thousand he can give one day, so that to each one [day]: therefore by the same reasoning he can give to one what he distributes severally to all: therefore [he can] pardon the whole: therefore indulgences are worth as much as⁴ the pontifical letters make them [worth].

Contra: 1. If indulgences are worth as much as is said: therefore, since many and ample indulgences are made, and merits are now so few that a man can scarcely suffice for himself; it seems that by now the whole treasury of the Church would have failed long ago, and thus no indulgence would now be of any worth.

2. Likewise, if they are worth as much as is said, but in some indulgences, for help given to the fabric of the church or the like, [indulgences] of a third part of the penance are promised⁵: therefore if first one denarius be given, and second a second, and third a third; it seems that he who has committed a thousand sins would, for three obols or denarii, be freed; which every upright soul judges to be not only false, but even worthy of mockery.

3. Likewise, if they are worth as much as is said, therefore if to a sinner who owes nine years a triennium is remitted; likewise to him who owes thirty, a third part is remitted, and thus a decade; it seems that he would derive advantage from his own wickedness⁶.

4. Likewise, if they are worth as much as is said, therefore he who dwells next to the church, in which there is an indulgence of one year, in visiting the church has as much as he who is far off by ten days' journey; and the rich man offering one obol has as much as one poor little woman. But all these are abuses: therefore indulgences are not worth as much as the Church preaches.

Conclusion

Conclusion. Indulgences, as far as concerns the one who grants them, are worth as much as is promised; yet not so much for each one nor equally, but according to the estimation of the one granting them.

I respond: It must be said that commonly, according to the doctors, for indulgences or relaxations to be of any worth, a twofold condition is required on the part of the one giving, and a twofold on the part of the one receiving. On the part of the one giving there is required power, and there is required also an honest and reasonable cause. For an indulgence would not be thought to be of any value, if someone gave it to those going to watch tournaments⁷. — On the part of the one receiving there is a twofold [condition], namely confession with true contrition and faith with true devotion, so that he is truly penitent of his sins and truly trusting that the pastor's indulgence avails him.

These things presupposed, some have said that such indulgences are of some worth, but never so much⁸ as is promised; but they are worth something small, according as faith and devotion merit. The Church nonetheless preaches this, so that by a certain good deception she may entice her sons to the good, just as a woman promises her child an apple which afterward she does not give. — But this is to disparage the Church, by saying that under a certain appearance she lies, and that the works she does are empty and childish and frivolous; which an upright mind abhors.

Others have said that they are simply worth as much⁹ as is promised: because here a purchase is not considered, but the largesse of the Church; and the condition here is equal, whoever he be who disposes himself. Hence just as a rich man, sending to the tavern, has as much wine as a poor old woman has, if he sends an equal price; so in the ecclesiastical [indulgence] they wish it to be understood. — But this position seems still to make too great a market of indulgences, and by this rather tends to their disparagement than to their praise.

A third group said that for these indulgences to be worth as much as is promised, a just estimation is necessarily required. And they called a just estimation [the case] when a man¹⁰ gives as much in alms for the relief of the Church as he would be willing to give in order that a third part of his penance be remitted, or as much as he ought to be willing to give. — But surely if it were so, there would be no relaxation in the world, but only a commutation, if one considers it.

We can therefore say that the quantity of an indulgence is reckoned with respect to the punishment, according as it has the character of a price or of a debt to be paid, not by way of an antidote or of the purging of the dross of sin, which must be removed by one's own punishment, namely by contrition, or by the bearing of some punishment. And this quantity is measured according to the right judgment of the Supreme Pontiff, or of him who makes the indulgences. And he who grants indulgences, when he bestows them, considers the cause for which he reckons one worthy of so great a grace; and according as men approach more or less to that cause, they share more or less in the indulgence; as, for example, the stations at Rome were instituted, where there are determined indulgences. These the holy Fathers instituted on account of the pilgrims who came from distant places; nor did they esteem him worthy of so great a grace who is born next to the church, as one who has come by a long road¹¹; hence he does not receive so great an indulgence, but some [lesser] amount.

I grant therefore that indulgences, as far as concerns the one giving, are worth as much as they promise, as the first reasons show. I grant nonetheless that they are not worth as much for each one nor

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equally for all, but according to the estimation of him who had, or ought to have had, [it] who made the indulgence; which it was not necessary to express, because all the faithful ought to presuppose in their heart that the gifts and mercies of the Holy Spirit are bestowed with¹² an equal balance. Nor ought this to draw anyone away from these things, because they always avail more, if a man be in charity, than any service or anything else avails for which an indulgence is granted or given. — And from this all the objections are clear¹³.