Bonaventure

Quaestio II. Utrum in libro vitae omnia scribantur.

Secundo quaeritur, quae sit huius libri scriptura. Et quod omnia ibi scribantur, videtur:

1. Quia ipse Dei Filius est omnium exemplar⁶ et omnia cognoscit, qui dicitur liber vitae.

2. Item, videtur, quod etiam mali scribantur in eo: quia dicitur in Psalmo⁷: Deleantur de libro viventium; sed nihil deletur de aliquo, nisi quod est scriptum in eo: ergo etc.

3. Item, liber ille est immutabilis: ergo si mali semel scripti sunt, semper scripti sunt: non ergo delentur.

Contra:

1. Quod non omnia ibi scribantur, videtur: quia tunc secundum hoc videtur, quod lapis esset scriptus in libro vitae; quod non dicitur⁸ nisi de electis.

2. Item, quod mali non sint in eo scripti, p. 898 videtur: quia malum non habet exemplar in Deo¹: ergo si liber ille est exemplar, patet etc.

3. Item, Lucae decimo² dixit Dominus discipulis: Gaudete, quia nomina vestra scripta sunt in caelis; sed si hic liber esset omnium, tunc omnibus esset gaudendum; quod cum non sit: patet etc.

Iuxta hoc quaeritur: quomodo potest in illo libro transumi deletio, cum dicat variationem et privationem et corruptionem, quae nullo modo sunt in Deo?

Conclusio. Libri vitae scriptura dicitur praedestinatio salvandorum quoad ipsos et gratiam et gloriam, quam habituri sunt.

Respondeo: Dicendum, quod sicut ars et exemplar est totius Trinitatis, tamen appropriatur Filio, sic liber vitae. — Sed notandum, quod creaturarum ad Deum est duplex comparatio: una in exeundo, et haec est omnium creaturarum, quia omnes a Deo exierunt; alia est in redeundo, et haec est creaturarum ad beatitudinem ordinatarum, quia regressus est per virtutem, et quies per beatitudinem. Quantum ergo ad primam comparationem dicitur³ Filius «ars plena omnium rationum viventium»; et scriptura istius libri est aeterna dispositio omnium producendorum quantum ad suas rationes et ideas. Quantum ad secundam comparationem dicitur Filius liber vitae; et scriptura istius libri est praedestinatio omnium salvandorum quantum ad ipsos et gratiam et gloriam, quam habituri sunt⁴.

Sed attendendum, quod gratiam, per quam est regredi ad Deum, quidam habent temporaliter, quidam vero finaliter. Qui habent finaliter, ipsi scribuntur et eorum gratia, quia ipsi redeunt per gratiam. Qui autem temporaliter, ipsi quidem in praedestinatione scripti non sunt, quia non sunt praedestinati, sed eorum gratia scripta est secundum veritatem et merita, quae semper rememorabuntur; et ratione illius scribi dicuntur, non simpliciter, sed solum secundum reputationem⁵, quia iustitia divina ad tempus iudicat eos gloria dignos, et cum cadunt, iudicat indignos. — Ideo dicuntur deleri, non quia prius sint scripti et postmodum deleti, sed quia prius secundum merita scripta iudicantur digni, deinde indigni. — Ex his patent quaesita.

1, 2. Primum patet: quia liber vitae non continet rationem exemplaris totam, sed tantum praedestinationis. — Secundum patet: quia mali, qui habent praesentem iustitiam, secundum reputationem scripti sunt et post non reputantur; ideo deleri dicuntur.

3. Ex his patet ultimum: quia quod Deus iudicat aliquem prius dignum et post indignum, solum dicit⁶ mutationem in homine, non in Deo: et ita deletio illa non dicit permutationem in scriptura, sed in his quae per illam scripturam repraesentantur⁷.

Notae numeratae infra respondent signis in textu Latino supra et in versione Anglica positis. Quaracchi numerationem notarum in singulis paginis impressis restaurat; ideo signa paginis distinguuntur (p897, p898).

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Question II. Whether all things are written in the book of life.

Secondly, it is asked what the writing of this book is. And that all things are written there seems to be the case:

1. Because the Son of God himself is the exemplar of all things⁶ and knows all things, he who is called the book of life.

2. Likewise, it seems that even the wicked are written in it: because it is said in the Psalm⁷: Let them be blotted out of the book of the living; but nothing is blotted out of anything unless it is written in it: therefore etc.

3. Likewise, that book is immutable: therefore if the wicked have once been written, they are always written: therefore they are not blotted out.

On the contrary:

1. That not all things are written there seems to be the case: because then, on this reckoning, it would seem that a stone were written in the book of life; which is not said⁸ except of the elect.

2. Likewise, that the wicked are not written in it seems to be the case: because evil does not have an exemplar in God¹: therefore, if that book is an exemplar, it is evident, etc.

3. Likewise, in the tenth [chapter] of Luke² the Lord said to the disciples: Rejoice, because your names are written in heaven; but if this book were [the book] of all, then all would have to rejoice; which, since it is not so, is evident, etc.

In connection with this it is asked: how can a blotting-out be transferred to that book, since it implies variation and privation and corruption, which are in no way in God?

Conclusion. The writing of the book of life is called the predestination of those to be saved, as regards themselves and the grace and glory which they are to have.

I respond: It must be said that, just as art and exemplar belongs to the whole Trinity, yet is appropriated to the Son, so also the book of life. — But it must be noted that of the creature there is a twofold comparison to God: one in going forth, and this belongs to all creatures, because all went forth from God; the other is in returning, and this belongs to creatures ordered to beatitude, because the return is through virtue, and the rest through beatitude. As regards the first comparison, therefore, the Son is called³ «the art full of all the living reasons»; and the writing of this book is the eternal disposition of all things to be produced as regards their reasons and ideas. As regards the second comparison, the Son is called the book of life; and the writing of this book is the predestination of all who are to be saved as regards themselves and the grace and glory which they are to have⁴.

But it must be attended to, that the grace by which there is a returning to God some have temporally, but some finally. Those who have it finally, they themselves are written, and their grace, because they themselves return through grace. But those who [have it] temporally, they themselves indeed are not written in predestination, because they are not predestined, but their grace is written according to truth and merits, which will always be remembered; and by reason of that they are said to be written, not simply, but only according to reckoning⁵, because the divine justice for a time judges them worthy of glory, and when they fall, judges them unworthy. — Therefore they are said to be blotted out, not because they were first written and afterwards deleted, but because first, according to their merits, the things written are judged worthy, then unworthy. — From these things the matters sought are evident.

1, 2. The first is evident: because the book of life does not contain the whole account of the exemplar, but only [that] of predestination. — The second is evident: because the wicked, who have present justice, are written according to reckoning and afterwards are not reckoned; therefore they are said to be blotted out.

3. From these the last is evident: because the fact that God judges someone first worthy and afterwards unworthy states only⁶ a change in the man, not in God: and thus that blotting-out does not state a change in the writing, but in those things which are represented through that writing⁷.

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