Bonaventure — Opera Omnia

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

Book IV: On the Sacraments · Distinction 3

Textus Latinus

p. 68

Quaestio III. Utrum ad completum et integrum esse baptismi sit necessaria fides alicuius articuli.

Tertio quaeritur, utrum ad completum et integrum esse baptismi sit necessaria fides alicuius articuli. Et quod sic, videtur:

1. Quoniam Ambrosius dicit, et habetur in littera², quod «baptismus est fidei Sacramentum»: ergo si desit fides, deest illud quod principaliter et specialiter respicit baptismus: ergo non est integrum Sacramentum.

2. Item, Augustinus dicit, et habetur in littera³: «Unde haec tanta virtus aquae, ut corpus tangat et cor abluat, nisi faciente verbo, non quia dicitur, sed quia creditur»: ergo si necesse est dici, necesse est et credi.

3. Item, ad Romanos sexto⁴: Quicumque baptizati sumus in Christo Iesu, in morte ipsius baptizati sumus; Glossa: «In morte ipsius dicit nos baptizari, quia mors Christi causa est nostrae purificationis»; sed mors Christi non est: ergo si aliquid facit, necesse est, quod faciat per illud quod aliquo modo est. Sed fides est illud, secundum quod manet adhuc passio, quia creditur: ergo ad integritatem baptismi necessaria est fides articuli passionis.

4. Item in actu baptizandi et in verbo est professio fidei⁵; sed professio fidei, quando non est fides, falsa est et inefficax: ergo ad hoc, quod baptismus sit Sacramentum completum et efficax, necessaria est fides.

Contra: 1. Baptismus est praevius ad virtutes tanquam primum Sacramentorum, quod imprimendo characterem disponit ad fidem⁶; sed prius potest esse sine posteriori: ergo Sacramentum baptismi est integrum cum defectu fidei.

2. Item, cum nobilior sit caritas quam fides et efficacior ad merendum⁷; si baptismus habet efficaciam ab aliqua virtute, potius videtur, quod debeat habere a caritate quam a fide.

3. Item, si fides est de necessitate baptismi ad hoc, quod sit perfectum et efficax Sacramentum; cum et Sacramenta veteris legis efficaciam haberent, cum fides erat adiuncta⁸: videtur, quod non differat baptismus a Sacramentis veteris legis.

4. Item, videtur, quod non sit necessaria fides articuli passionis, sed magis Trinitatis: quia in baptismo exprimitur verbum, in quo est professio fidei Trinitatis⁹: ergo si maxime est necessarium credere quod fides exprimit in illo Sacramento; videtur tunc, quod non fides articuli passionis, sed Trinitatis sit de necessitate baptismi.

Propter hoc igitur est quaestio, quomodo Sacramenta dicantur habere virtutem a fide. Et si alia Sacramenta habent, sicut et baptismus; quare magis ipse baptismus dicitur Sacramentum fidei quam alia Sacramenta?

Conclusio. Ad baptismum necessaria est fides alicuius articuli, cum in fide Ecclesiae baptismus suscipiatur.

Respondeo: Dicendum, quod fides non tantum necessaria est Sacramento baptismi, sed etiam omnibus Sacramentis, specialiter tamen Sacramento baptismi, quia «omnia Sacramenta virtutem habent a fide», ut dicit Hugo¹⁰. — Huius autem ratio sumitur generaliter respectu omnium Sacramentorum, scilicet necessitatis et congruentiae. Ratio autem necessitatis est, quoniam

p. 69

in fide est prima ratio uniendi et prima ratio elevandi supra naturam. Propter primam rationem uniendi necessaria est in Sacramentis¹¹, quoniam gratia sacramentalis comparatur ad virtutem passionis ut ad meritum, sed ad virtutem Trinitatis sicut ad principium effectivum. Ad hoc autem, quod virtus passionis magis operetur et disponat in Sacramentis quam alibi, necesse est, quod aliquo modo copuletur huiusmodi signis¹². Hoc autem non potest esse sine eo, in quo est prima unio; et haec est fides, per quam meritum capitis fit membrorum. Dum enim credimus, quod pro nobis passus est, meritum Christi fit Ecclesiae. — Similiter ad hoc, quod virtus divina specialiter et mirabiliter influat supra naturam, necessaria est fidei virtus, in qua est prima ratio elevandi potentiam supra naturam; et haec est fides, propter quod etiam maxime attribuitur ei virtus faciendi miracula¹³.

Ratio autem congruentiae est: quia, sicut Sacramenta dicunt quoddam velamen gratiae interioris, quod tamen aliquo modo illuminat ad cognoscendum; sic fides velamen dicit futurae contemplationis, et tamen hoc velamen potius est illuminans quam obscurans¹⁴. Et rursus, sicut in Sacramentis est aliquid mysticum et aliquid gratuitum; sic aliquid in fide respicit non tantum intellectum, sed etiam affectum¹⁵. — Haec igitur est ratio generalis, quare fides necessaria est omnibus Sacramentis.

Sed specialiter appropriatur baptismo, quoniam baptismus est primum inter Sacramenta et ianua Sacramentorum, sicut fides ianua virtutum; et rursus, quia in hoc Sacramento magis explicite est professio fidei quam in aliquo alio Sacramento, tum in actu, tum in verbo, et in actu est professio fidei passionis, scilicet per immersionem, sed in verbo professio fidei Trinitatis. Unde et maior efficacia est in hoc Sacramento quam in aliquo alio¹⁶.

Et ex hoc patet, cuius articuli fidei sit necessaria, scilicet passionis, a qua est meritum, et Trinitatis, quae est principium effectivum. — Concedendae ergo sunt rationes, quae ostendunt, quod ad baptismum necessaria est fides alicuius articuli. Attamen sicut baptismus est Sacramentum non singularis hominis, sed Ecclesiae; sic efficaciam habet a fide Ecclesiae, et hoc per unitatem sponsae et columbae¹⁷.

Ad opposita:

Ad 1. Ad illud ergo quod obiicitur, quod baptismus est praevius ad virtutes; dicendum, quod quamvis sit praevius respectu suscipientis, non tamen respectu¹⁸ Ecclesiae, in qua suscipitur Sacramentum.

Ad 2. Ad illud quod obiicitur de caritate, iam patet responsio: quia non ita congruit sicut fides, rationibus praedictis; et tamen fides Ecclesiae verae non est sine caritate¹⁹.

Ad 3. Ad illud quod obiicitur, quod non differt a Sacramentis legis veteris; dicendum, quod immo, quia illa habebant efficaciam a fide specialis personae, unde parvulus iustificabatur in fide parentum; haec autem habent a fide Ecclesiae. — Alia etiam differentia est, quia illa totam efficaciam habebant a fide, haec autem non tantum habent a fide, sed etiam a pactione divina, quae ipsum opus operatum ordinavit ad gratiam percipiendam; illa vero solum per accidens iustificabant, sola circumcisione excepta, quae virtutem habuit a fide Ecclesiae et ex pactione Dei. Dominus enim pactum fecit, cum dixit Marci ultimo²⁰: Qui crediderit et baptizatus fuerit, salvus erit; et similiter Genesis decimo septimo: Ponam pactum meum etc.

English Translation

Question III. Whether for the complete and entire being of baptism faith in some article is necessary.

Thirdly it is asked whether for the complete and entire being of baptism faith in some article is necessary. And that it is, seems [so]:

1. Because Ambrose says, and it is found in the text², that «baptism is the Sacrament of faith»: therefore if faith is lacking, there is lacking that which baptism principally and specially regards: therefore it is not a complete Sacrament.

2. Likewise, Augustine says, and it is found in the text³: «Whence this so great power of the water, that it should touch the body and wash the heart, except by the working of the word — not because it is spoken, but because it is believed»: therefore if it is necessary that it be spoken, it is also necessary that it be believed.

3. Likewise, to the Romans, chapter six⁴: Whoever of us have been baptized in Christ Jesus, have been baptized in his death; the Gloss: «In his death he says that we are baptized, because the death of Christ is the cause of our purification»; but the death of Christ is not [now]: therefore if it does something, it must do it through that which in some way is. But faith is that according to which the Passion still abides, because it is believed: therefore for the integrity of baptism faith in the article of the Passion is necessary.

4. Likewise, in the act of baptizing and in the word there is a profession of faith⁵; but a profession of faith, when there is no faith, is false and ineffectual: therefore in order that baptism be a complete and effectual Sacrament, faith is necessary.

On the contrary: 1. Baptism is prior to the virtues as the first of the Sacraments, which, by imprinting a character, disposes to faith⁶; but the prior can exist without the posterior: therefore the Sacrament of baptism is entire even with a defect of faith.

2. Likewise, since charity is nobler than faith and more effectual for meriting⁷; if baptism has its efficacy from some virtue, it rather seems that it ought to have it from charity than from faith.

3. Likewise, if faith is of the necessity of baptism in order that it be a perfect and effectual Sacrament; since the Sacraments of the old law also had their efficacy when faith was joined to them⁸: it seems that baptism does not differ from the Sacraments of the old law.

4. Likewise, it seems that faith in the article of the Passion is not necessary, but rather [faith in the article] of the Trinity: because in baptism the word is expressed, in which there is a profession of faith in the Trinity⁹: therefore if it is most of all necessary to believe what faith expresses in that Sacrament; it then seems that not faith in the article of the Passion, but [faith in the article] of the Trinity is of the necessity of baptism.

On account of this, therefore, there is the question how the Sacraments are said to have power from faith. And if the other Sacraments have [it], as baptism also does; why is baptism itself rather called the Sacrament of faith than the other Sacraments?

Conclusion. For baptism faith in some article is necessary, since baptism is received in the faith of the Church.

I respond: It must be said that faith is necessary not only to the Sacrament of baptism, but to all the Sacraments, yet especially to the Sacrament of baptism, because «all the Sacraments have their power from faith», as Hugh says¹⁰. — Now the ground of this is taken generally with respect to all the Sacraments, namely [the ground] of necessity and of fittingness. The ground of necessity is, because

in faith is the first ground of uniting and the first ground of elevating above nature. On account of the first ground, that of uniting, it is necessary in the Sacraments¹¹, because sacramental grace is related to the power of the Passion as to its merit, but to the power of the Trinity as to its effective principle. But in order that the power of the Passion should operate and dispose more in the Sacraments than elsewhere, it is necessary that it be in some way joined to signs of this kind¹². And this cannot be without that in which there is the first union; and this is faith, through which the merit of the Head becomes [the merit] of the members. For while we believe that he suffered for us, the merit of Christ becomes the Church's. — Likewise, in order that the divine power should flow in specially and wonderfully above nature, the virtue of faith is necessary, in which is the first ground of elevating the power above nature; and this is faith, on account of which also the power of working miracles is most of all attributed to it¹³.

Now the ground of fittingness is: because, just as the Sacraments express a certain veil of the interior grace, which nevertheless in some way illumines unto knowing; so faith expresses a veil of the future contemplation, and yet this veil is rather illuminating than obscuring¹⁴. And again, just as in the Sacraments there is something mystical and something gratuitous; so something in faith regards not only the intellect, but also the affection¹⁵. — This, therefore, is the general ground why faith is necessary to all the Sacraments.

But it is specially appropriated to baptism, because baptism is the first among the Sacraments and the gate of the Sacraments, just as faith is the gate of the virtues; and again, because in this Sacrament the profession of faith is more explicit than in any other Sacrament, both in the act and in the word, and in the act there is a profession of faith in the Passion, namely through immersion, but in the word a profession of faith in the Trinity. Hence too there is greater efficacy in this Sacrament than in any other¹⁶.

And from this it is clear of which article faith is necessary, namely [the article] of the Passion, from which the merit comes, and of the Trinity, which is the effective principle. — Therefore the arguments which show that for baptism faith in some article is necessary are to be conceded. Yet just as baptism is the Sacrament not of a single man, but of the Church; so it has its efficacy from the faith of the Church, and this through the unity of the bride and the dove¹⁷.

To the objections:

To 1. To that which is objected, that baptism is prior to the virtues; it must be said that, although it is prior with respect to the recipient, it is nevertheless not prior with respect to¹⁸ the Church, in which the Sacrament is received.

To 2. To that which is objected concerning charity, the answer is already clear: because it does not so fittingly agree as faith, for the aforesaid reasons; and yet the faith of the true Church is not without charity¹⁹.

To 3. To that which is objected, that it does not differ from the Sacraments of the old law; it must be said that, on the contrary [it does], because those had their efficacy from the faith of a particular person, whence an infant was justified in the faith of its parents; but these have it from the faith of the Church. — There is also another difference, because those had their whole efficacy from faith, but these have it not only from faith, but also from the divine covenant, which ordained the work-itself-done unto the receiving of grace; whereas those justified only per accidens, with circumcision alone excepted, which had its power from the faith of the Church and from the covenant of God. For the Lord made a covenant when he said, in the last [chapter] of Mark²⁰: Whoever shall have believed and been baptized shall be saved; and likewise Genesis, chapter seventeen: I will set my covenant etc.

Apparatus Criticus

2
Hic c. 1. — Inferius verbo respicit cod. aa praefigit requirit; baptismus vel.
Here, c. 1. — Below, before the word respicit ("regards") codex aa prefixes requirit ("requires"); baptism or [the like].
3
Hic c. 1. — De conclusione vide quaest. praeced. ad 2.
Here, c. 1. — On the conclusion, see the preceding question, ad 2.
4
Vers. 3. — Glossa est ordinaria apud Strabum et Lyranum. Cfr. III. Sent. d. 19. a. 1. q. 1.
Verse 3 [Romans 6:3]. — The Gloss is the ordinary one in Strabo and Lyra. Compare Sentences III, d. 19, a. 1, q. 1.
5
Cfr. quaest. praeced. et infra p. II. a. 2. q. 1.
Compare the preceding question and below, part II, a. 2, q. 1.
6
Vide supra q. 1. in fine, et infra d. 6. p. I. q. 1. — De minori cfr. tom. III. pag. 600, nota 4.
See above, q. 1, at the end, and below, d. 6, part I, q. 1. — On the minor premise compare tome III, page 600, note 4.
7
Ut ostensum est III. Sent. d. 27. a. 2. q. 1.
As was shown in Sentences III, d. 27, a. 2, q. 1.
8
Cfr. supra d. I. p. 1. q. 5, et III. Sent. d. 40. q. 2. — Pro cum fides cod. V quando fides.
Compare above, d. 1, part 1, q. 5, and Sentences III, d. 40, q. 2. — For cum fides ("when faith") codex V [reads] quando fides ("when faith").
9
Vide infra n. 2. q. 2.
See below, n. 2, q. 2.
10
Libr. 1. de Sacram. p. X. c. 9, ubi ostendit, ex tribus ad salutem necessariis (cfr. supra pag. 36, nota 5.), fidem esse «initium boni et principium restaurationis», quia per fidem homo incipit summum bonum et finem suum iam hic quodammodo videre eique coniungi, ad quam coniunctionem muniendam instituta sunt Sacramenta. Cfr. de Sacram. legis naturalis et scriptae, et III. de Anima (inter opera Hug.), c. 50. — Paulo inferius pro generaliter codd. E G L V Z bb et ed. 1 generalis. Subinde pro scilicet necessitatis codd. non solum necessitatis, sed etiam, et post ratio elevandi codd. F H supplent potentiam.
Book 1 of On the Sacraments, part X, c. 9, where he shows, from the three things necessary unto salvation (compare above, page 36, note 5), that faith is «the beginning of good and the principle of restoration», because through faith man begins in some way already here to see the highest good and his own end and to be joined to it; for the strengthening of which conjunction the Sacraments were instituted. Compare On the Sacrament of the law of nature and of the written law, and On the Soul III (among the works of Hugh), c. 50. — A little below, for generaliter ("generally") codices E G L V Z bb and ed. 1 [read] generalis ("general"). Then, for scilicet necessitatis ("namely of necessity") the codices [read] non solum necessitatis, sed etiam ("not only of necessity, but also"), and after ratio elevandi ("the ground of elevating") codices F H supply potentiam ("the power").
11
Simul audi cum codd. II Z fides.
At the same time read, with codices I I Z, fides ("faith").
12
In cod. Z additur id est Sacramentis. Inferius pro quod pro nobis codd. F G I R V et ed. 1 quae pro nobis.
In codex Z is added id est Sacramentis ("that is, in the Sacraments"). Below, for quod pro nobis ("that for us") codices F G I R V and ed. 1 [read] quae pro nobis ("which for us").
13
Epist. I. Cor. 13, 2: Si habuero omnem fidem, ita ut montes transferam. Cfr. Matth. 17, 19. et Marc. 9, 22.
First Epistle to the Corinthians 13:2: If I should have all faith, so that I could remove mountains. Compare Matthew 17:19 and Mark 9:22.
14
Hugo a S. Vict., 1. de Sacram. p. X. c. 9: Ipsa enim fides imago est et sacramentum; contemplatio autem futura res et virtus sacramenti. Qui fidem non habent nihil vident; qui fidem habent iam aliquid videre incipiunt, sed imaginem solam. Si enim fidelis nihil videret, ex fide illuminatio non esset, nec dicerentur illuminati fideles; si autem iam ipsam rem viderent et non amplius videndum aliquid exspectarent, non per speculum in aenigmate, sed facie ad faciem viderent. Ergo qui per fidem vident imaginem vident; qui per contemplationem vident rem vident. Qui fidem habent sacramentum habent; qui contemplationem habent rem habent. Fides ergo sacramentum est futurae contemplationis; et ipsa contemplatio res et virtus sacramenti.
Hugh of St. Victor, Book 1 of On the Sacraments, part X, c. 9: For faith itself is an image and a sacrament; but the future contemplation is the reality and power of the sacrament. Those who do not have faith see nothing; those who have faith now begin to see something, but only the image. For if the believer saw nothing, there would be no illumination from faith, nor would the faithful be called illumined; but if they now saw the reality itself and no longer awaited anything to be seen, they would see not through a glass in a riddle, but face to face. Therefore those who see through faith see the image; those who see through contemplation see the reality. Those who have faith have the sacrament; those who have contemplation have the reality. Faith, therefore, is the sacrament of the future contemplation; and contemplation itself is the reality and power of the sacrament.
15
Alex. Hal., S. p. IV. q. 1. m. 5. a. 2. § 1: Sacramentum concernit duo: unum mysticum et aliud gratuitum, unde signat et efficit. Ratione, qua importat quod est mysticum, perficit intellectum quodammodo; ratione, qua gratuitum, ipsum affectum, quia tollendo culpam; unde oportet, quod virtutem habeat [Sacramentum] a virtute, quae perficit intellectum et affectum; haec est fides, qua anima adhaeret primae Veritati propter se. Cfr. S. Bonav., III. Sent. d. 23. a. 1. q. 2. et supra d. I. p. 1. q. 2. — Paulo post verbis omnibus Sacramentis cod. H bene praemittit in. Inferius pro quoniam cod. F quia sic.
Alexander of Hales, Summa, part IV, q. 1, m. 5, a. 2, § 1: The Sacrament involves two things: one mystical and the other gratuitous, whence it signifies and effects. By the account by which it imports what is mystical, it perfects the intellect in a certain way; by the account by which it is gratuitous, [it perfects] the affection itself, because by taking away guilt; whence it is necessary that the Sacrament have its power from the virtue which perfects the intellect and the affection; this is faith, by which the soul adheres to the first Truth for its own sake. Compare St. Bonaventure, Sentences III, d. 23, a. 1, q. 2, and above, d. 1, part 1, q. 2. — A little after, before the words omnibus Sacramentis ("to all the Sacraments") codex H rightly prefixes in. Below, for quoniam ("because") codex F [reads] quia sic ("because thus").
16
Vide infra d. 4. p. 1. a. 1. q. 1.
See below, d. 4, part 1, a. 1, q. 1.
17
August., in Ioan. Evang. tr. 6, solvens quaestionem, quare Deus per columbae speciem ostendere voluerit Spiritum sanctum, n. 6. ait: Per hanc enim potestatem [baptizandi], quam Christus solus sibi tenuit et in neminem ministrorum transfudit, quamvis per ministros suos baptizare dignatus sit, per hanc stat unitas Ecclesiae, quae significatur in columba, de qua dictum est: Una est columba mea, una est matri suae [Cantic. 6, 8.]. Si enim, ut iam dixi, Fratres mei, transferretur potestas a Domino ad ministrum, tot baptismata essent, quot ministri essent, et iam non staret unitas baptismi etc. Cfr. V. de Baptismo contra Donatistas, c. 21. n. 29, C. Aliud est (39.), de Consecrat. dist. 4. et infra lit. Magistri, d. V. c. 2. — Pro per unitatem codd. F L propter unitatem.
Augustine, On the Gospel of John, tractate 6, resolving the question why God willed to show the Holy Spirit under the form of a dove, n. 6, says: For by this power [of baptizing], which Christ alone retained for himself and transfused into none of the ministers — although he deigned to baptize through his ministers — by this stands the unity of the Church, which is signified in the dove, of which it was said: One is my dove, one is she to her mother [Canticle 6:8]. For if, as I have already said, my Brethren, the power were transferred from the Lord to the minister, there would be as many baptisms as there were ministers, and the unity of baptism would no longer stand, etc. Compare On Baptism against the Donatists V, c. 21, n. 29, C. Aliud est (39), On Consecration, distinction 4, and below in the text of the Master, d. V, c. 2. — For per unitatem ("through the unity") codices F L [read] propter unitatem ("on account of the unity").
18
Cod. Z addit dantis, id est.
Codex Z adds dantis, id est ("of the one giving, that is").
19
Cfr. III. Sent. d. 27. a. 2. q. 1.
Compare Sentences III, d. 27, a. 2, q. 1.
20
Vers. 16. — Seq. textus est Gen. 17, 2. et 7. — De duplici hac differentia vide supra d. I. p. I. q. 5. et p. II. a. I. q. I. seqq. — Aliquanto superius non pauci codd. omittunt parvulus, ed. 1 legit unde iustificabant.
Verse 16 [Mark 16:16]. — The following text is Genesis 17:2 and 7. — On this twofold difference see above, d. 1, part I, q. 5, and part II, a. I, q. I, and following. — Somewhat above, not a few codices omit parvulus ("the infant"); ed. 1 reads unde iustificabant ("whence they justified").