Bonaventure

Articulus I. De mitigatione poenae damnatorum.

Quaestio III. Utrum Deus misericordius agat cum uno quam cum alio.

Nota de numeratione notarum. Quaracchi restarts its footer numbering on every printed page. The apparatus below is therefore labelled by page: notes 3–11 belong to the footer of page 960 (notes 1–2 of that page are anchored in the preceding question), and notes 1–2 to the footer of page 961.

Tertio quaeritur, utrum Deus misericordius agat cum uno quam cum altero. Et quod sic, videtur.

1. Ad Romanos nono³: Cui vult miseretur, et quem vult indurat: si ergo misericordius agit cum uno, quem revocat, quam cum eo quem indurat: patet etc.

2. Item, ordo et gradus est in effectibus divinis propter sapientiam, cuius est ordinare⁴; sed divina misericordia non miseretur nisi sapienter et ordinate: ergo magis uni quam alii.

3. Item, misericordia intuetur miseriam⁵; sed unus magis est miser quam alter: ergo Deus debet magis misereri unius quam alterius.

4. Item, magis miseretur qui miseriam totam aufert, quam qui temperat⁶; sed Deus ab aliquibus aufert totam miseriam, aliquibus mitigat: ergo etc.

Contra: 1. Actus et effectus respondent habitui sive origini in quolibet⁷; sed divina misericordia est summa: ergo cuiuscumque miseretur, miseretur in summo.

2. Item, misericordia intuetur miseriam: ergo si magis miseretur alicui, ergo magis misero; sed in futuro magis miser est qui magis peccavit: ergo magis miseretur eius qui magis peccavit. Sed hoc est inconveniens: ergo etc.

3. Item, quia Deus est sapientissimus, ideo facit sapientissime, quidquid facit: ergo⁸ cum sit misericordissimus, misericordissime se habet ad quemlibet: ergo etc.

Conclusio. Respectu effectus sive relevationis a miseria Deus misericordius agit cum uno quam cum altero, tam in praesenti quam in futuro, sed aliter.

Respondeo: Dicendum, quod magis misereri hoc potest intelligi tripliciter: aut maiori habitu, aut actu, aut effectu. Primo modo et secundo impossibile est; sed tertio modo, scilicet quantum ad effectum, qui est relevatio a miseria, verum est tam in praesenti quam in futuro⁹; sed aliter nunc, aliter tunc: quia nunc misericordiae effectus sunt principales, et effectus iustitiae sunt annexi; tunc autem effectus iustitiae erunt principales, et misericordiae erunt annexi. Tunc enim reddet Deus secundum opera sua unicuique¹⁰, nunc autem secundum benignitatem suam. Et ideo simpliciter magis miseretur in praesenti eius cui magis vult, in futuro magis eius qui magis indiget; unde magis misero plus condonabit secundum quantitatem absolutam, non tamen secundum quantitatem relatam, ut patebit postea¹¹.

Ad 1. Ad illud ergo quod obiicitur, quod effectus respondet habitui; dicendum, quod verum est in agente inferiori, qui facit omne quod potest; non sic est in Deo¹.

Ad 2. Ad illud quod obiicitur, quod peccator reportat commodum; dicendum, quod falsum est, quia semper sibi remanet poena maior.

Ad 3. Ad illud quod obiicitur de sapientia, dicendum, quod non est simile: quia sapientia connotat ordinem, non effectum absolutum, ut misericordia².

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Article I. On the mitigation of the punishment of the damned.

Question III. Whether God acts more mercifully with one than with another.

Thirdly it is asked whether God acts more mercifully with one than with another. And that he does, seems [to be the case].

1. Romans, chapter nine³: He has mercy on whom he wills, and whom he wills he hardens: if therefore he acts more mercifully with the one whom he calls back than with him whom he hardens: it is clear, etc.

2. Likewise, there is order and degree in the divine effects on account of wisdom, whose office it is to set in order⁴; but the divine mercy does not show mercy except wisely and in an ordered way: therefore more to one than to another.

3. Likewise, mercy looks upon misery⁵; but one man is more miserable than another: therefore God ought to have more mercy on the one than on the other.

4. Likewise, he has more mercy who takes away the whole misery than he who tempers it⁶; but God takes away the whole misery from some, and mitigates it for others: therefore, etc.

On the contrary: 1. Acts and effects correspond in every case to the habit or the origin⁷; but the divine mercy is supreme: therefore on whomever he has mercy, he has mercy in the supreme degree.

2. Likewise, mercy looks upon misery: therefore if he has more mercy on someone, therefore on one more miserable; but in the future the one who has sinned more is more miserable: therefore he has more mercy on him who has sinned more. But this is unfitting: therefore, etc.

3. Likewise, because God is most wise, therefore he does most wisely whatever he does: therefore⁸, since he is most merciful, he bears himself most mercifully toward everyone: therefore, etc.

Conclusion. With respect to the effect, that is, to the relieving from misery, God acts more mercifully with one than with another, both in the present and in the future, but in different ways.

I respond: It must be said that to have more mercy can be understood in three ways: either by a greater habit, or by a greater act, or by a greater effect. In the first way and in the second it is impossible; but in the third way, namely as regards the effect, which is the relieving from misery, it is true both in the present and in the future⁹; but otherwise now, otherwise then: because now the effects of mercy are the principal ones, and the effects of justice are annexed; but then the effects of justice will be the principal ones, and those of mercy will be annexed. For then God will render to each one according to his works¹⁰, but now according to his own kindness. And therefore, simply speaking, in the present he has more mercy on him whom he loves more, in the future more on him who is more in need; whence to the more miserable he will remit more according to the absolute quantity, yet not according to the relative quantity, as will appear later¹¹.

To 1. To that, therefore, which is objected, that the effect corresponds to the habit; it must be said that this is true in a lower agent, which does everything it can; it is not so in God¹.

To 2. To that which is objected, that the sinner carries off an advantage; it must be said that this is false, because a greater punishment always remains for him.

To 3. To that which is objected concerning wisdom, it must be said that the case is not alike: because wisdom connotes order, not an absolute effect, as mercy does².

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