Dist. 47
Book IV: On the Sacraments · Distinction 47
DISTINCTIO XLVII.
Nota de numeratione. Quaracchi numerat notas suas per singulas paginas impressas, et in his paginis duas series distinctas praebet: unam ad commentarium S. Bonaventurae, alteram sub titulo NOTAE AD LIBR. SENTENTIARUM ad ipsam litteram Magistri. Notae huius capituli sunt notae 1–3 seriei Notae ad libr. Sententiarum paginae 968, et notae 1–6 paginae 969. Notae 1–7 seriei commentarii paginae 968 ad dubia distinctionis XLVI. pertinent et ibi redduntur.
Cap. I. De sententia iudicii.
Solet etiam quaeri: qualiter dabitur iudicii sententia? — Sed non est perspicuum id explicare. Non enim Scriptura1 aperte definit, an voce illa proferantur: Venite benedicti, et: Ite maledicti; an virtute iudicis ita fiet, conscientiis singulorum attestantibus, ut modo dicitur futurum, ut iudicis potentiae effectus ipsius dictione significetur. Illa etiam: Esurivi, et non dedistis mihi manducare, et huiusmodi, magis conscientiis exprimenda plurimi putant quam verbis, quia Apostolus in momento, in ictu oculi mysterium consummandum tradit. Sed illud ad resurrectionis statum tantum referunt, non ad iudicium, qui iudicii sententiam et malorum increpationes et bonorum praeconia verbis exprimenda asserunt.
Cap. II. Quod Sancti iudicabunt, et quomodo.
Non autem solus Christus iudicabit, sed et Sancti cum eo iudicabunt nationes2. Ipse enim Apostolis ait: Sedebitis et vos super duodecim sedes, iudicantes duodecim tribus Israel. Nec est putandum, quod duodecim Apostolis tantum hoc promiserit Christus. Ubi enim sedebit Paulus, qui plus omnibus laboravit, si non ibi sedebunt nisi duodecim? « Per duodecim igitur sedes3 » perfectio tribunalis, id est « universitas iudicantium intelligitur », scilicet omnes perfecti, qui relictis omni-
bus, secuti sunt Christum; « per duodecim tribus universitas iudicandorum ». Iudicabunt vero eos Sancti, non modo comparatione, sed etiam auctoritate et potestate; unde gladii ancipites in manibus eorum, id est sententia de bonis et malis in potestate eorum. — Si vero quaeritur: quae erit eorum potestas vel auctoritas in iudicando? puto, non ante posse sciri, quam videatur, nisi divina revelatione quis didicerit.
Cap. III. De ordinibus eorum qui erunt in iudicio.
Erunt autem quatuor ordines in iudicio. Duae quippe sunt partes, electorum scilicet et reproborum, ut Gregorius1 in Moralibus ait, « sed bini ordines eisdem singulis partibus continentur. Alii enim iudicantur et pereunt, alii non iudicantur et pereunt; alii iudicantur et regnant, alii non iudicantur et regnant. Iudicantur et pereunt quibus dominica inclamatione dicetur: Esurivi, et non dedistis mihi manducare etc. Non iudicantur et pereunt quibus Dominus ait: Qui non credit iam iudicatus est. Eorum enim damnatio toti Ecclesiae nota est et certa, et ideo dicuntur tunc non iudicari, quia ad conspectum districti iudicis cum aperta damnatione suae infidelitatis accedent. Qui vero professionem fidei sine operibus habent iudicabuntur et peribunt, id est, redarguentur, ut pereant. Qui vero nec fidei Sacramenta tenuerunt increpationem iudicis in se fieri non audient, quia, infidelitatis suae tenebris praeiudicati, eius quem despexerant invectione redargui non merentur. Illi saltem verba iudicis audient, qui eius fidem saltem verbo tenuerunt. Illi autem in damnatione sua aeterni iudicis nec verba percipient, qui eius reverentiam nec verbotenus servare voluerunt »; et ideo illi iudicandi, isti non iudicandi dicuntur. « Ex electorum vero parte alii iudicantur et regnant, scilicet qui vitae maculas lacrymis tergunt et eleemosynarum superinductione operiunt; quibus iudex veniens in dextera consistentibus dicet: Esurivi, et dedistis mihi manducare. Alii autem non iudicantur et regnant, qui etiam praecepta legis perfectionis virtute2 transcendunt; quia non hoc solum, quod lex praecipit, implere contenti sunt, sed et quod ad perfectionem consulitur implere student. De quibus Propheta ait: Dominus ad iudicium veniet cum senatoribus populi sui; et Salomon, de Ecclesiae sponso loquens, ait: Nobilis in portis vir eius, quando sederit cum senatoribus terrae; et Iob: Non salvat impios et pauperibus iudicium tribuit. Hi ergo recte sub generali iudicio non tenentur, sed iudices veniunt, quia et praecepta generalia vivendo vicerunt, et omnibus relictis, Christum secuti sunt. Recte pauperibus iudicium tribuit, qui quanto huic mundo magna humilitate despecti sunt, tanto tunc maiori culmine potestatis excrescent ». « De talibus dicitur: Qui vicerit, dabo ei sedere mecum in throno meo; sicut et ego vici et sedi cum Patre meo in throno eius. Vincens Dominus cum Patre in throno sedit, quia post passionis certamen et resurrectionis palmam, quod Patri esset aequalis, omnibus claruit. Nobis vero in throno Filii sedere est ex eiusdem Filii potestate iudicare; quia enim iudicandi principatum ex eius virtute percipimus, quasi in eius throno residemus3 ». — Ex his apparet, quod etiam perfectiores Sancti cum Christo iudicabunt potestate; et quare quidam dicuntur iudicandi, alii non iudicandi.
Cap. IV. De ordine iudicii et ministerio Angelorum.
Cum autem in Evangelio4 legatur, quod Dominus mittet Angelos suos, qui colligent de regno eius omnia scandala et mittent iniquos in caminum ignis; et item: Exibunt Angeli et separabunt malos de medio iustorum et mittent eos in caminum ignis; et item: Mittet Angelos suos cum tuba et congregabunt electos a quatuor ventis; et Propheta dicit: Congregate illi Sanctos eius: ministerio Angelorum illa impleri, dubitandum non est. Domino enim veniente ad iudicium, praecedet ante eum ignis, quo comburetur facies mundi huius, et peribit caelum et terra, non secundum substantiam sed secundum speciem, quae immutabitur, caelum quidem aereum, non aethereum. Tantum enim ascendet ignis in iudicio, quantum ascenderunt aquae in diluvio. Ille autem ignis malis, qui reperti fuerint vivi, erit consumtio, bonis vero non. Ut enim ait Augustinus5, hoc erit incendium mundi Sanctis, quod fuit caminus tribus pueris; in quibus, si aliquid purgandum fuerit, per illum ignem purgabitur; aliis vero nullam ingeret molestiam. Purgato vero per ignem mundo, et ad iudicium veniente Domino, emittetur vox illa magna, qua resurgent omnes mortui; et tunc ministerio Angelorum ventilabitur area, quia boni congregabuntur ei de quatuor partibus orbis angelico ministerio; quo et rapientur obviam Christo in aëra, reprobis in terra, quam dilexerunt, remanentibus. Et tunc praeconia illa bonorum: Esurivi, et dedistis mihi manducare; et increpationes illae malorum: Esurivi, et non dedistis mihi manducare etc.; proferentur vel sono vocali, vel alio modo. Denique proferetur sententia super utrosque: Venite benedicti etc.; et: Ite maledicti etc.; et ministerio Angelorum, virtute Dei cooperante, mittentur mali in caminum ignis, hoc est in infernum.
Cap. V. Si post iudicium daemones praeerunt hominibus ad puniendum.
Et solet quaeri, utrum in inferno malis ad puniendum praesint daemones post iudicium, quos carnifices tortoresque animarum Scriptura6 appellat. — Aposto-
lus dicit, quod Christus tunc evacuabit omnem principatum et potestatem et virtutem. Dum enim durat mundus, Angeli Angelis, daemones daemonibus, homines hominibus praesunt; sed omnibus collectis, iam omnis praelatio cessabit. — Hinc quidam putant, post iudicium daemones non habere potestatem cruciandi homines, sicut modo, sed ut daemones virtute Dei cruciari sine creaturae ministerio asserunt, sic reprobos homines ibi non per operationem daemonum, sed virtute divina tantum aeternis subiici cruciatibus. — Praemissa tamen auctoritas non id cogit sentire, quae, etsi asserat, tunc nec daemones daemonibus, nec homines hominibus praeesse, non definit tamen, an daemones praesint hominibus ad torquendum. Unde quibusdam videtur, eos sic exstare hominibus tortores in poena, sicut exstiterunt incentores in culpa.
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DISTINCTION XLVII.
A note on the numbering. Quaracchi numbers its notes anew on each printed page, and on these pages it offers two distinct series: one for St. Bonaventure's commentary, the other, under the heading NOTAE AD LIBR. SENTENTIARUM, for the text of the Master itself. The notes of this chunk are notes 1–3 of the Notae ad libr. Sententiarum series of page 968, and notes 1–6 of page 969. Notes 1–7 of the commentary series of page 968 belong to the doubts of Distinction XLVI and are rendered there.
Cap. I. On the sentence of the judgement.
It is also wont to be asked: in what manner will the sentence of the judgement be given? — But it is not clear how to explain this. For Scripture1 does not openly define whether those words are uttered by voice: Come, ye blessed, and: Go, ye cursed; or whether it will come about by the power of the judge, with the consciences of individuals bearing witness, as it is now said will be the case, so that the effect of the judge's power is signified by his very pronouncement. Those words also: I was hungry, and you gave me not to eat, and the like, very many think are to be expressed rather to the consciences than in words, because the Apostle hands down that the mystery will be consummated in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye. But those who assert that the sentence of the judgement and the rebukes of the wicked and the acclamations of the good are to be expressed in words refer that saying only to the state of the resurrection, not to the judgement.
Cap. II. That the Saints will judge, and in what manner.
Now Christ alone will not judge, but the Saints too will judge the nations2 with him. For he himself says to the Apostles: You also shall sit upon twelve seats, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. Nor is it to be supposed that Christ promised this only to the twelve Apostles. For where will Paul sit, who laboured more than all, if none but twelve shall sit there? « By the twelve seats3, therefore, » is understood the perfection of the tribunal, that is, « the whole body of those who judge », namely all the perfect, who, having left all,
followed Christ; « by the twelve tribes, the whole body of those who are judged ». And the Saints will judge them not merely by comparison, but also by authority and power; whence two-edged swords are in their hands, that is, the sentence upon the good and the wicked is in their power. — But if it be asked what their power or authority in judging will be, I think that it cannot be known before it is seen, unless someone has learned it by divine revelation.
Cap. III. On the orders of those who will be in the judgement.
Now there will be four orders in the judgement. For there are two parts, namely of the elect and of the reprobate, as Gregory1 says in the Morals, « but two orders each are contained within these several parts. For some are judged and perish, others are not judged and perish; some are judged and reign, others are not judged and reign. Those are judged and perish to whom it shall be said at the Lord's cry: I was hungry, and you gave me not to eat etc. Those are not judged and perish to whom the Lord says: He that believeth not is already judged. For their damnation is known and certain to the whole Church, and therefore they are said then not to be judged, because they will come before the sight of the stern judge with the open damnation of their unbelief. But those who have the profession of faith without works will be judged and will perish, that is, they will be refuted so that they perish. But those who have not even held the Sacraments of the faith will not hear the judge's rebuke made against them, because, forejudged by the darkness of their own unbelief, they do not deserve to be refuted by the reproach of him whom they had despised. Those at least will hear the words of the judge, who at least in word held his faith. But those in their damnation will not perceive even the words of the eternal judge, who were unwilling to keep reverence for him even in word »; and therefore the former are called to-be-judged, the latter not-to-be-judged. « But on the side of the elect, some are judged and reign, namely those who wipe away the stains of their life with tears and cover them by the overlaying of alms; to whom, standing at his right hand, the judge at his coming will say: I was hungry, and you gave me to eat. But others are not judged and reign, who by the power of perfection2 even transcend the precepts of the law; because they are not content to fulfil only what the law commands, but strive to fulfil also what is counselled unto perfection. Of whom the Prophet says: The Lord will come to judgement with the elders of his people; and Solomon, speaking of the spouse of the Church, says: Her husband is honourable in the gates, when he shall sit among the senators of the land; and Job: He saveth not the wicked, and he giveth judgement to the poor. These, then, are rightly not held under the general judgement, but come as judges, because they both overcame the general precepts by their living, and, having left all, followed Christ. Rightly he giveth judgement to the poor, since the more they were despised by this world in their great humility, so much the greater will they then rise up to a height of power ». « Of such it is said: He that shall overcome, I will give to him to sit with me in my throne; as I also have overcome, and have sat with my Father in his throne. The Lord, overcoming, sat with the Father in the throne, because after the contest of the passion and the palm of the resurrection it became clear to all that he was equal to the Father. But for us to sit in the throne of the Son is to judge by the power of that same Son; for since we receive the sovereignty of judging from his power, we as it were reside in his throne3 ». — From these things it appears that the more perfect Saints too will judge with Christ by power; and why some are called to-be-judged, and others not-to-be-judged.
Cap. IV. On the order of the judgement and the ministry of the Angels.
But since it is read in the Gospel4 that the Lord will send his Angels, who shall gather out of his kingdom all scandals and shall cast the wicked into the furnace of fire; and again: The Angels shall go out and shall separate the wicked from among the just and shall cast them into the furnace of fire; and again: He shall send his Angels with a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds; and the Prophet says: Gather ye together his Saints to him: it is not to be doubted that these things are fulfilled by the ministry of the Angels. For when the Lord comes to judgement, a fire will go before him, by which the face of this world will be burned up, and heaven and earth will perish, not according to substance but according to species, which will be changed — the heaven, indeed, that is airy, not the ethereal one. For the fire will rise as high in the judgement as the waters rose in the flood. But that fire will be a consuming for the wicked who shall be found alive, but not for the good. For as Augustine5 says, this burning of the world will be to the Saints what the furnace was to the three boys; in whom, if there be anything to be purged, it will be purged by that fire; but upon the others it will inflict no trouble. And when the world has been purged by fire, and the Lord is coming to judgement, that great voice will be sent forth, by which all the dead will rise; and then by the ministry of the Angels the threshing-floor will be winnowed, because the good will be gathered to him from the four parts of the world by angelic ministry; by which also they will be caught up to meet Christ in the air, the reprobate remaining on the earth which they loved. And then those acclamations of the good: I was hungry, and you gave me to eat; and those rebukes of the wicked: I was hungry, and you gave me not to eat etc.; will be uttered either by vocal sound, or in some other way. Finally the sentence will be pronounced over both: Come, ye blessed etc.; and: Go, ye cursed etc.; and by the ministry of the Angels, with the power of God co-operating, the wicked will be cast into the furnace of fire, that is, into hell.
Cap. V. Whether after the judgement the demons will preside over men for punishing them.
And it is wont to be asked whether in hell the demons preside over the wicked for punishing them after the judgement, whom Scripture6 calls butchers and torturers of souls. — The Apo-
stle says that Christ will then bring to nought all principality and power and virtue. For while the world lasts, Angels preside over Angels, demons over demons, men over men; but when all have been gathered, then every prelacy will cease. — Hence some think that after the judgement the demons do not have the power of tormenting men, as they do now; but just as they assert that the demons are tormented by the power of God without the ministry of any creature, so likewise that reprobate men are there subjected to eternal torments not through the operation of the demons, but by the divine power alone. — The authority set forth above, however, does not compel one to hold this, since, even if it asserts that then neither do demons preside over demons, nor men over men, it nevertheless does not define whether the demons preside over men for torturing them. Whence it seems to some that they stand forth to men as torturers in punishment, just as they stood forth as instigators in fault.
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- 1Matth. 25, 34, deinde v. 41. 42; denique I. Cor. 15, 52. — Solae edd., exceptis I et 6, addunt aliis ante iudicii, et pro praeconia ponunt praemia.Matthew 25, 34, then vv. 41 and 42; finally I Cor. 15, 52. — Only the editions, with the exception of 1 and 6, add aliis before iudicii, and for praeconia put praemia.
- 2Sap. 3, 8; deinde Matth. 19, 28, et I. Cor. 15, 10; cfr. August., Enarrat. in Ps. 86. n. 4; XX. de Civ. Dei, c. 5. n. 3.Wisdom 3, 8; then Matthew 19, 28, and I Cor. 15, 10; cf. Augustine, Enarration on Psalm 86, n. 4; On the City of God XX, c. 5, n. 3.
- 3Hic et duo seqq. loci sunt ex Beda, Homil. in festo S. Benedicti, et super Matth. 19, 28, etiam apud Lyranum. Respiciuntur Matth. 19, 27; Marc. 10, 28; Ps. 149, 6.This passage and the two following are from Bede, Homily on the feast of St. Benedict, and on Matthew 19, 28, found also in Lyra. Reference is made to Matthew 19, 27; Mark 10, 28; Psalm 149, 6.
- 1Libr. XXVI. Moral. c. 27. n. 50; respiciuntur Matth. 25, 42; Ioan. 3, 18. Seq. locus est Gregorii, ibid. n. 51.Morals Book XXVI, c. 27, n. 50; reference is made to Matthew 25, 42; John 3, 18. The following passage is Gregory's, ibid. n. 51.
- 2In originali et Vat. perfectione virtutum, sed antiqua lectio, notata a Maurinis, convenit cum lectione codd. et edd. Loci Scripturae sunt Isai. 3, 14; Prov. 31, 23; Iob 36, 6.In the original and in the Vatican edition, perfectione virtutum ("by the perfection of the virtues"); but the ancient reading, noted by the Maurists, agrees with the reading of the codices and of the editions. The passages of Scripture are Isaiah 3, 14; Proverbs 31, 23; Job 36, 6.
- 3Ibid. c. 28. n. 53; citatur Apoc. 3, 21.Ibid. c. 28, n. 53; Apocalypse 3, 21 is cited.
- 4Matth. 13, 41. seq., deinde v. 49, et denique 24, 31; Ps. 49, 5.Matthew 13, 41 f., then v. 49, and finally 24, 31; Psalm 49, 5.
- 5Libr. XX. de Civ. Dei, c. 18. secundum sensum. — In edd., excepta I, contra codd. omittitur enim ante ait, et verba colligantur cum praecedentibus. In seqq. respiciuntur, vel citantur Matth. 3, 12; I. Thess. 4, 17; Matth. 13, 42.On the City of God Book XX, c. 18, according to the sense. — In the editions, with the exception of 1, against the codices, enim is omitted before ait, and the words are joined with what precedes. In what follows, reference is made to, or citation is made of, Matthew 3, 12; I Thessalonians 4, 17; Matthew 13, 42.
- 6Videtur alludere ad Matth. 18, 34. Seq. locus est I. Cor. 15, 24.He seems to allude to Matthew 18, 34. The following passage is I Cor. 15, 24. ---