Bonaventure

The numbered footnotes below correspond to markers in both the Latin body above and the English translation. These are the NOTAE AD LIBR. SENTENTIARUM (notes to the Lombard text). Quaracchi restarts footnote numbering on each printed page and prints them per column; within this file the markers are numbered continuously 1–14 across the whole Master's text (Pars I + Pars II). Page-block split: 1–3 = p.543 (the LIBR. SENTENTIARUM footer in the right column; the left-column `' ² ' ^ '` footer of p.543 belongs to the preceding d.20 COMMENTARIUS and is forwarded); 4–9 = p.544 (left-column footers 1–4, right-column footers 5–6); 10–14 = p.545 (left-column footers 1–3 = 10–13, right-column footers 4–5 = 14), which carry the Master's Pars II littera (Caps. VII–IX, De confessione generali*) now rendered in this same chunk.

Pars I.

Cap. I. De peccatis, quae post hanc vitam dimittuntur.

Solet etiam quaeri, utrum post hanc vitam aliqua peccata remittantur. Quod aliqua post hanc vitam remittantur, Christus ostendit in Evangelio, ubi ait¹: Qui peccaverit in Spiritum sanctum, non remittetur ei, neque in hoc saeculo neque in futuro. Ex quo datur intelligi, sicut sancti doctores tradunt, quod quaedam peccata in futuro dimittentur. «Quaedam enim culpae in hoc saeculo relaxantur, quaedam vero parvae etiam in futuro; quae quidem post mortem gravant, sed dimittuntur, si digni sunt, si bonis actibus in hac vita meruerunt, ut dimittantur eis²».

Cap. II. De his qui aedificant aurum, argentum, lapides pretiosos, lignum, foenum, stipulam.

De illis etiam, qui aedificant lignum, foenum, stipulam, dicit Augustinus³ quod ignem tribulationis transitoriae invenient, cremabilia aedificia, quae secum portaverunt, cremantem. Ait enim sic: «Post istius sane corporis mortem, donec de igne purgatorio veniatur ad diem damnationis et remunerationis, si hoc temporis intervallo spiritus defunctorum, qui aedificaverunt lignum, foenum, stipulam, huiusmodi ignem dicantur perpeti, quem alii non sentiunt, qui huiusmodi aedificia non portaverunt, ut inveniant ignem transitoriae tribulationis, venialia concremantem; non

redarguo, quia forsitan verum est». «Sed quia dicitur: Salvus erit quasi per ignem, contemnitur ille ignis. Gravior tamen erit ignis ille, quam quidquid potest homo pati in hac vita⁴». — Hic aperte insinuatur, quod illi qui aedificant lignum, foenum, stipulam, quaedam cremabilia aedificia, id est venialia peccata, secum portant, quae in igne emendatorio cremantur. Unde constat, quaedam peccata venialia post hanc vitam deleri.

Cap. III. De igne purgatorio, quo alii citius, alii tardius purgantur.

In illo autem igne purgatorio alii tardius, alii citius purgantur, secundum quod ista pereuntia magis vel minus amaverunt. Unde Augustinus⁵: «Post hanc vitam incredibile non est nonnullos fideles per ignem quendam purgatorium, quanto magis minusve bona pereuntia dilexerunt, tanto tardius citiusque salvari».

Cap. IV. Quid sit aedificare lignum, foenum, stipulam.

«Unde non frustra illa tria distinxit Apostolus lignum, foenum, stipulam, quae illi aedificant, qui, etsi aliena non rapiant, rebus tamen infirmitati concessis aliqua dilectione inhaerent; qui secundum suos amandi modos diutius, ut lignum, vel minus, ut foenum, vel minimum, ut stipula, ignem sustinebunt. Qui vero superaedificant aurum, argentum et lapidem pretiosum, de utroque igne securi sunt, non solum de illo aeterno, qui cruciaturus est impios in aeternum, sed etiam de illo emendatorio, quo purgabuntur quidam salvandi⁶». Hic obiici potest: si per lignum, foenum, stipulam venialia intelliguntur peccata; et nullus adeo perfectus est, qui venialiter non peccet: ergo qui aedificant aurum, argentum, lapidem pretiosum, aedificant etiam lignum, foenum, stipulam; ergo per ignem transibunt. — Ad quod dicimus, quia non omnis qui venialiter peccat, lignum, foenum, stipulam aedificat; sicut e converso non omnis qui contemplatur Deum et diligit proximum et opera bona facit, aedificat aurum, argentum, lapidem pretiosum. Et tamen in auro intelligitur contemplatio Dei, in argento dilectio proximi, in lapide pretioso bona opera. Sed illi qui aedificant lignum, foenum, stipulam, Deum contemplantur et proximum diligunt et opera bona faciunt, nec tamen aedificant aurum, argentum, lapidem pretiosum.

Cap. V. Quid sit aedificare aurum, argentum, lapides pretiosos.

Haec enim aedificat qui sic illa tria facit, ut cogitet quae Dei sunt, et quomodo placeat Deo, non mundo. «Lignum vero et foenum et stipula accipi possunt saecularium rerum, quamvis licite concessarum, tales cupiditates, ut amitti sine animi dolore non possint⁷». Haec ergo aedificat is qui cogitat quae mundi sunt, quomodo placeat mundo, «qui circa divitias suas quodam carnali affectu tenetur, et tamen ex eis multas eleemosynas facit nec pro eis aliquid fraudis vel rapinae molitur». — Ex his igitur patet, quod non idem homo simul haec et illa aedificat. Illa enim aedificatio perfectorum tantum est, qui non cogitant placere mundo, sed tantum Deo; qui etsi venialiter aliquando peccant, fervore caritatis ita absumitur in eis peccatum⁸ sicut gutta aquae in camino ignis; et ideo nunquam secum portant cremabilia. Haec autem inferior aedificatio minorum est, qui non tantum Deo, sed etiam mundo placere cogitant, Deum tamen praeponunt. Si vero mundum praeponerent, non superaedificarent, sed destruerent fundamentum. Affectiones igitur carnales, quibus dediti sunt domibus, coniugibus, possessionibus, ita ut nihil praeponant Christo, illis tribus significantur; quae in mentes perfectorum non cadunt, etsi alia venialia admittant; in cordibus vero minorum interdum durant usque in finem, qui cum talibus aedificiis transeunt, sed dissolventur in igne; ipsi vero merito fundamenti salvi erunt, gravissimam tamen poenam sentient. Ex quo apparet, quantam hic misericordiam exhibet Deus, et quantam ibi exerceat veritatem, cum pro eodem peccato multo gravius ibi puniat quam hic.

Cap. VI. Quod aliquem vere poenitet, etsi non de omni veniali.

Sed forte dices, illud esse accipiendum de poena peccati, non de ipso peccato, quod Gregorius⁹ dicit, quaedam levia in futuro dimittenda. Si enim veram poenitentiam habuerit quis, omnia dimissa sunt ei, sed poena forte remansit; ideoque, si vere poenitens obiit, sine peccato transit; si autem vere poenitens non est in obitu, maculam portat, quae nunquam delebitur. Qui vero aedificat lignum, foenum, stipulam, vere poenitet, quia bonus est et caritatem habet et in caritate de hac vita transit: ergo sine peccato transit. — Non sequitur: verum quidem est, quia bonus est et

caritatem habet et vere poenitet; et tamen cum veniali peccato transit, quod non delevit poenitentia. Poenitentia enim non delet nisi peccatum illud, quod deserit homo. Tale autem peccatum saepe in hac vita non relinquitur ab homine, et tamen vere poenitens est, etsi non de omnibus venialibus poeniteat. Potest enim quis de omni mortali et de omni veniali poenitere, excepto uno vel pluribus venialibus quidem; sicut habet quis caritatem et unum vel plura venialia; quod de criminalibus nullatenus esse potest. Est enim aliquis bonus caritatem habens, sed adhuc quodam cupiditatis affectu amans haec saecularia; talis existens subita morte opprimitur, in illo terreno affectu mortuus est, et tamen salvabitur, a quo non se hic absolvit: ergo post hanc vitam ab illo purgabitur. Constat ergo, quaedam peccata, sed levia, post hanc vitam dimitti. Si vero de poena peccati illud intelligi voluissent auctores, cur magis commemorassent levia quam gravia, cum etiam gravium poena hic inexpleta post hanc vitam restet?

Pars II. De confessione generali.

Cap. VII. Quid sit generalis confessio.

Post haec considerandum est, utrum¹⁰ prosit confessio illa, ubi singula peccata, quae quisque fecit, non exprimuntur. — Sane dici potest, quod omnia criminalia semel saltem oportet in confessione exprimi, nisi aliqua a mente exciderint. Sed quia delicta nemo intelligit omnia, generaliter saltem ea confitere, quorum memoriam non habes; et sic nihil celasti de sceleribus tuis. Venialia vero, quia innumerabilia sunt, sufficit generaliter confiteri, nisi aliqua sint frequenter iterata; perfectius est tamen etiam illa exprimere, si vales. Ideoque quotidie generaliter fit confessio in Ecclesia, pro venialibus scilicet peccatis, quae quotidie admittimus, et pro illis mortiferis, quorum notitiam non habemus. Unde Augustinus¹¹: «Veritatem dicit Deo poenitens, quando nihil illi de commissis sceleribus celat; non quod, etsi voluntate celaverit, Deus ignoret, sed veritatem sibi ab eo dici vult, ut veniam consequatur. Si vero mente aliqua exciderint, confitetur veritatem Deo, cum generaliter dixerit: Deus¹² qui nosti occulta cordis, et opera mea et delicta a te non sunt abscondita, quibus veniam largiaris. Et haec est veritas confitentis, quam diligit Deus». Unde: Ecce enim veritatem dilexisti. — Hic insinuatur, quod generalis confessio etiam mortalia delet, quorum intelligentia non habetur.

Cap. VIII. Quod nemo debet confiteri peccata, quae non fecit.

Sicut autem poenitens celare non debet peccatum, quia superbia est; ita nec humilitatis causa fateri se reum illius quod se non commisisse noscit, quia incauta est talis humilitas et peccatorem constituit. Unde Augustinus¹³: «Cum humilitatis causa mentiris, si non eras peccator, antequam mentireris, mentiendo efficeris quod evitaveras. Veritas in te non est, nisi ita te dixeris peccatorem, ut etiam esse cognoscas. Veritas autem ipsa est, ut quod es dicas. Nam quomodo est veritas, ubi regnat falsitas»?

Cap. IX. De poena sacerdotis, qui peccata confitentis publicat.

«Caveat autem sacerdos, ne peccata confitentium aliis prodat, alioquin deponatur. Unde Gregorius: Sacerdos ante omnia caveat, ne de his qui confitentur peccata, alicui recitet, non propinquis, non extraneis, nec, quod absit, pro aliquo scandalo. Nam si hoc fecerit, deponatur et omnibus diebus vitae suae ignominiosus peregrinando pergat». «Quod vero dictum est, ut poenitens eligat sacerdotem scientem ligare et solvere, videtur contrarium¹⁴ ei quod in canonibus reperitur, ut nemo scilicet alterius parochianum iudicare praesumat. Sed aliud est favore vel odio proprium sacerdotem contemnere, quod canones prohibent, aliud caecum vitare, quod Urbanus facere monet, ne, si caecus caecum ducat, ambo in foveam cadant». Ait enim Urbanus secundus: «Placuit, ut nulli sacerdotum deinceps liceat quemlibet commissum alteri sacerdoti ad poenitentiam suscipere sine eius consensu, cui se prius commisit, nisi pro ignorantia illius cui prius confessus est. Qui vero contra hoc facere tentaverit gradus sui periculo subiacebit».

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Part I.

Chap. I. On the sins that are remitted after this life.

It is also wont to be asked whether after this life any sins are remitted. That some are remitted after this life, Christ shows in the Gospel, where He says¹: Whoever shall sin against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world nor in [the world] to come. From which it is given to be understood, as the holy doctors hand down, that certain sins will be remitted in the [world] to come. «For certain faults are released in this world, but certain small ones even in the [world] to come; which indeed weigh [upon a man] after death, but are remitted, if [men] are worthy, if by good acts in this life they have merited that they be remitted to them²».

Chap. II. On those who build gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble.

Concerning those also who build wood, hay, stubble, Augustine says³ that they will find a fire of transitory tribulation, burning the combustible buildings which they carried with them. For he says thus: «After the death of this body indeed, until one come, by the purgatorial fire, to the day of damnation and remuneration, if in this interval of time the spirits of the dead, who built wood, hay, stubble, are said to suffer a fire of this kind, which others do not feel, who did not carry buildings of this kind, so that they find a fire of transitory tribulation, burning up the venial [sins]; I do

not gainsay [it], because perhaps it is true». «But because it is said: He shall be saved, yet so as by fire, that fire is despised. Yet that fire will be heavier than anything man can suffer in this life⁴». — Here it is plainly intimated that those who build wood, hay, stubble, certain combustible buildings, that is, venial sins, carry [them] with [them], which are burned in the amending fire. Whence it is established that certain venial sins are blotted out after this life.

Chap. III. On the purgatorial fire, by which some are purged sooner, others later.

But in that purgatorial fire some are purged later, some sooner, according as they loved these perishing things more or less. Whence Augustine⁵: «After this life it is not incredible that some of the faithful are saved through a certain purgatorial fire, the more or less slowly and quickly the more or less they loved the perishing goods».

Chap. IV. What it is to build wood, hay, stubble.

«Whence not in vain did the Apostle distinguish those three, wood, hay, stubble, which those build who, although they do not seize what belongs to another, yet cleave with some love to things conceded to [their] weakness; who according to their modes of loving will endure the fire longer, as wood, or less, as hay, or least, as stubble. But those who build upon [the foundation] gold, silver, and precious stone, are secure from both fires, not only from that eternal [fire], which will torment the impious for eternity, but also from that amending [fire], by which certain [who are] to be saved will be purged⁶». Here it can be objected: if by wood, hay, stubble venial sins are understood; and no one is so perfect that he does not sin venially: therefore those who build gold, silver, precious stone, build also wood, hay, stubble; therefore they will pass through the fire. — To which we say that not everyone who sins venially builds wood, hay, stubble; just as conversely not everyone who contemplates God and loves [his] neighbor and does good works builds gold, silver, precious stone. And yet in gold is understood the contemplation of God, in silver the love of [one's] neighbor, in precious stone good works. But those who build wood, hay, stubble, contemplate God and love [their] neighbor and do good works, yet do not build gold, silver, precious stone.

Chap. V. What it is to build gold, silver, precious stones.

For he builds these who so does those three that he thinks the things that are of God, and how he may please God, not the world. «But wood and hay and stubble can be taken to be such desires of worldly things, although lawfully conceded, as cannot be lost without grief of soul⁷». This therefore he builds who thinks the things that are of the world, how he may please the world, «who is held about his riches by a certain carnal affection, and yet out of them gives many alms nor contrives any fraud or rapine for their sake». — From these things therefore it is plain that the same man does not build these and those at once. For that building is of the perfect only, who do not think to please the world, but God alone; who, although they sometimes sin venially, by the fervor of charity the sin is so consumed in them⁸ as a drop of water in a furnace of fire; and therefore they never carry combustible things with them. But this lower building is of the lesser, who think to please not only God, but also the world, yet set God before [it]. But if they were to set the world before [Him], they would not build upon [the foundation], but would destroy the foundation. Carnal affections therefore, by which they are given over to houses, spouses, possessions, so that they set nothing before Christ, are signified by those three; which fall not into the minds of the perfect, even if they admit other venial [sins]; but in the hearts of the lesser they sometimes last right up to the end, [men] who pass over with such buildings, but they will be dissolved in the fire; yet they themselves will be saved by the merit of the foundation, though they will feel a most grievous penalty. From which it appears how great a mercy God shows here, and how great a truth He exercises there, since for the same sin He punishes there much more grievously than here.

Chap. VI. That one truly repents, even if not of every venial [sin].

But perhaps you will say that this is to be understood of the penalty of the sin, not of the sin itself, which Gregory⁹ says, that certain light [sins] are to be remitted in the [world] to come. For if anyone has had true penance, all [his sins] have been remitted to him, but the penalty perhaps remained; and therefore, if he died truly penitent, he passes without sin; but if he is not truly penitent at [his] death, he carries a stain which will never be blotted out. But he who builds wood, hay, stubble truly repents, because he is good and has charity and in charity passes from this life: therefore he passes without sin. — It does not follow: it is indeed true, because he is good and

has charity and truly repents; and yet he passes with a venial sin, which penance did not blot out. For penance does not blot out except that sin which a man forsakes. But such a sin is often not relinquished by the man in this life, and yet he is truly penitent, even if he does not repent of all venial [sins]. For one can repent of every mortal and of every venial [sin], excepting one or several venial ones indeed; just as one has charity and one or several venial [sins]; which can in no way be the case with criminal [sins]. For there is some good man having charity, but still loving these worldly things with a certain affection of cupidity; such a one, existing [thus], is overwhelmed by sudden death, [and] has died in that earthly affection, and yet will be saved, [though] from it he did not absolve himself here: therefore after this life he will be purged of it. It is established therefore that certain sins, but light ones, are remitted after this life. But if the authors had wished that to be understood of the penalty of sin, why would they rather have mentioned light [sins] than grave ones, since even of grave [sins] the penalty, here unfinished, remains after this life?

Part II. On general confession.

Chap. VII. What general confession is.

After these things it must be considered whether¹⁰ that confession profits in which the individual sins which each one has committed are not expressed. — Indeed it can be said that all criminal [sins] must at least once be expressed in confession, unless any have slipped from the mind. But because no one is aware of all his offenses, confess at least in general those of which you have no memory; and thus you have concealed nothing of your crimes. But the venial [sins], because they are innumerable, it suffices to confess in general, unless any be frequently repeated; yet it is more perfect to express even those, if you are able. And therefore daily confession is made in general in the Church, namely for the venial sins which we daily commit, and for those deadly [sins] of which we have no knowledge. Whence Augustine¹¹: «The penitent tells the truth to God when he conceals nothing from Him of the crimes committed; not that, even if he should conceal [it] by his will, God would be ignorant, but He wills the truth to be told to Him by him, that he may obtain pardon. But if any [sins] have slipped from the mind, he confesses the truth to God when he has said in general: God¹² who knowest the hidden things of the heart, both my works and my offenses are not hidden from Thee, for which mayest Thou bestow pardon. And this is the truth of the one confessing, which God loves». Whence: For behold Thou hast loved truth. — Here it is intimated that general confession blots out even mortal [sins] of which the understanding is not had.

Chap. VIII. That no one ought to confess sins which he has not done.

But just as the penitent ought not to conceal a sin, because it is pride; so neither for the sake of humility [ought he] to confess himself guilty of that which he knows he has not committed, because such humility is incautious and constitutes [him] a sinner. Whence Augustine¹³: «When for the sake of humility you lie, if you were not a sinner before you lied, by lying you become what you had avoided. Truth is not in you, unless you so call yourself a sinner that you also know yourself to be [one]. But the truth itself is that you say what you are. For how is there truth where falsity reigns»?

Chap. IX. On the penalty of the priest who publishes the sins of the one confessing.

«But let the priest beware lest he disclose to others the sins of those confessing, otherwise let him be deposed. Whence Gregory: Let the priest before all things beware lest he recount to anyone [aught] of those who confess [their] sins, not to kinsmen, not to strangers, nor, which God forbid, for any scandal. For if he shall have done this, let him be deposed and go ignominiously on pilgrimage all the days of his life». «But as for what was said, that the penitent should choose a priest knowing [how] to bind and to loose, it seems contrary¹⁴ to that which is found in the canons, namely that no one should presume to judge another's parishioner. But it is one thing to despise one's own priest out of favor or hatred, which the canons forbid, [and] another to avoid a blind [guide], which Urban admonishes to do, lest, if a blind man lead a blind man, both fall into the pit». For Urban II says: «It has pleased [us] that henceforth it be permitted to none of the priests to receive for penance anyone committed to another priest without the consent of him to whom he first committed himself, except for the ignorance of him to whom he first confessed. But whoever shall attempt to do contrary to this shall lie under the peril of his rank».

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