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Pars 3, Cap. 11

Breviloquium · Pars III: De corruptela peccati

Textus Latinus
p. 240

Capitulum XI. De origine peccatorum finalium, quae sunt peccata in Spiritum sanctum.

De peccatis autem finalibus sive irremissibilibus, cuiusmodi sunt peccata in Spiritum sanctum, haec tenenda sunt, quod licet omne peccatum generaliter sit contra Deum trinum et unum, appropriate tamen dicitur aliquod peccatum esse in Patrem, aliquod in Filium, aliquod in Spiritum sanctum. — Hoc autem peccatum in Spiritum sanctum irremissibile dicitur in hoc saeculo et in futuro1, non quia in hoc saeculo non possit dimitti, sed quia raro dimittitur aut vix in hoc saeculo quantum ad culpam, modicum autem et quasi nihil fiet sibi remissio in futuro quantum ad poenam. — Huius autem peccati sex sunt differentiae, scilicet invidia fraternae gratiae, impugnatio veritatis agnitae, desperatio, praesumtio, obstinatio mentis et impoenitentia finalis.

Ratio autem ad intelligentiam praedictorum haec est: quia, cum peccatum dicat recessum a primo principio trino et uno, omne peccatum imaginem Trinitatis deformat et ipsam animam foedat quantum ad triplicem potentiam, scilicet irascibilem, rationalem et concupiscibilem; et a libero arbitrio procedit, quod gerit in se insigne Trinitatis: Patris, ratione facultatis; Filii, quia rationis; Spiritus sancti, quia voluntatis2.

Licet autem haec tria concurrant simul ad omnem culpam, quaelibet tamen harum per suum defectum potest esse ratio deordinandi alias. Defectus autem circa facultatem est impotentia, circa rationem est ignorantia, circa voluntatem est malitia. Et hinc est, quod cum quaedam sint peccata ex impotentia, quaedam ex ignorantia, quaedam ex malitia; et potentia attribuatur Patri, sapientia Filio et voluntas Spiritui sancto3; quod quaedam dicuntur esse in Patrem, quaedam in Filium, quaedam in Spiritum sanctum. Et quoniam nihil magis est in voluntate quam ipsa voluntas4; et voluntas ipsa est origo peccati: nullum peccatum est adeo voluntarium et mere, sicut illud quod provenit ex corruptione existente in voluntate. — Cum enim dupliciter dicatur involuntarium, scilicet per violentiam et per ignorantiam: primum per defectum potentiae, secundum per defectum scientiae5; quando voluntas sola corruptione sua, licet possit resistere et sciat, hoc malum esse, aliquid eligit; tunc dicitur peccare ex certa malitia; et tale peccatum mere procedit ex improbitate voluntatis liberi arbitrii et directe impugnat gratiam Spiritus sancti. — Et quia mere procedit ex libertate arbitrii, ideo non habet colorem excusationis, et propterea modicum et quasi nihil debet ei qui punitur, de poena6 relaxari. Quia vero directe impugnat gratiam Spiritus sancti, per quam fit remissio peccati; ideo dicitur irremissibile, non quia nullo modo possit remitti, sed quia, quantum est de se, directe est impugnativum medicamenti et remedii, per quod fieri habet remissio peccati.

Et quoniam remissio peccati fit a Deo per gratiam poenitentialem intra ecclesiasticam unitatem; ideo differentiae huius peccati accipiuntur, secundum quod directe impugnant illa tria. Aut enim impugnant ipsam gratiam poenitentialem in se; aut in comparatione ad Deum, a quo datur; aut in comparatione ad Ecclesiam, in qua suscipitur. Si in comparatione ad unitatem Ecclesiae; sic, quia unitas Ecclesiae consistit in fide et caritate, sive in gratia et veritate7: sic est duplex peccatum, scilicet invidia fraternae gratiae et impugnatio veritatis agnitae. — Si in comparatione ad Deum dantem; cum universae viae eius quantum ad iustificationem maxime sint misericordia et veritas8, sic est duplex peccatum: unum scilicet, quod impugnat misericordiam, et hoc est desperatio; aliud, quod impugnat iustitiam, et hoc est impunitatis praesumtio. — Si vero impugnat ipsam gratiam poenitentialem in se vel secundum se, sic est duplex: quia gratia poenitentialis facit resilire a commissis9 et praecavere a committendis. Contra primum est obstinatio mentis, contra secundum est impoenitentia finalis, secundum quod finalis impoenitentia dicitur propositum non poenitendi; sic enim est species peccati in Spiritum sanctum. Secundum autem quod finalis impoenitentia dicit continuationem peccati usque in finem; sic est sequela omnium mortalium, quae in hac vita non remittuntur, et maxime omnium specierum peccati in Spiritum sanctum.

p. 241

Et sic omne peccatum initium sumit a superbia1 et consummationem sive finem habet in finali impoenitentia; in quam qui pervenerit corruit in gehennam, a qua nullus peccans mortaliter potest liberari, nisi interveniat gratia mediatoris Christi. Et ideo incarnationem ipsius desiderabat universitas salvandorum, cui mediatori Domino nostro omnis honor et gloria in saecula saeculorum. Amen2.

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English Translation

Chapter XI. On the origin of the final sins, which are the sins against the Holy Spirit.

Now concerning the final or irremissible sins, of which sort are the sins against the Holy Spirit, these things are to be held: that although every sin is generally against God three and one, nevertheless by appropriation some sin is said to be against the Father, some against the Son, some against the Holy Spirit. — But this sin against the Holy Spirit is called irremissible in this world and in the world to come1 — not because it cannot be remitted in this world, but because it is rarely remitted, or scarcely, in this world as regards fault, while little and almost no remission will be made for it in the world to come as regards penalty. — Now of this sin there are six differentiae, namely envy of a brother's grace, impugning of the acknowledged truth, despair, presumption, obstinacy of mind and final impenitence.

Now the reason for the understanding of the foresaid is this: since sin bespeaks a withdrawal from the first principle, three and one, every sin deforms the image of the Trinity and defiles the soul itself as regards its threefold power, namely the irascible, the rational and the concupiscible; and it proceeds from free choice, which bears in itself the mark of the Trinity — of the Father, by reason of faculty; of the Son, because of reason; of the Holy Spirit, because of will2.

But although these three concur together in every fault, nevertheless each of them through its own defect can be the ground of disordering the others. Now the defect concerning faculty is impotence, that concerning reason is ignorance, that concerning will is malice. And hence it is that, since some sins are from impotence, some from ignorance, some from malice; and since power is attributed to the Father, wisdom to the Son and will to the Holy Spirit3; therefore some are said to be against the Father, some against the Son, some against the Holy Spirit. And since nothing is more in the will than the will itself4; and the will itself is the origin of sin: no sin is so voluntary and so purely voluntary as that which comes forth from a corruption existing in the will. — For since the involuntary is said in two ways, namely by violence and by ignorance — the first through a defect of power, the second through a defect of knowledge5 — when the will, by its own corruption alone, although it is able to resist and knows this to be evil, chooses something; then it is said to sin from settled malice; and such a sin proceeds purely from the wickedness of the will of free choice, and directly impugns the grace of the Holy Spirit. — And because it proceeds purely from the liberty of choice, therefore it has no color of excuse, and on that account little and almost nothing ought to be relaxed of the penalty6 for him who is punished. But because it directly impugns the grace of the Holy Spirit, through which the remission of sin comes about; therefore it is called irremissible, not because it can in no way be remitted, but because, so far as lies in itself, it is directly destructive of the medicine and the remedy through which the remission of sin has to come about.

And since the remission of sin is brought about by God through penitential grace within ecclesiastical unity; therefore the differentiae of this sin are taken according as they directly impugn those three. For either they impugn penitential grace itself in itself; or in comparison to God, by whom it is given; or in comparison to the Church, in which it is received. If in comparison to the unity of the Church: then, because the unity of the Church consists in faith and charity, or in grace and truth7, the sin is twofold, namely envy of a brother's grace and impugning of the acknowledged truth. — If in comparison to God who gives: then, since all his ways, as regards justification, are chiefly mercy and truth8, the sin is twofold — one, namely, which impugns mercy, and this is despair; the other, which impugns justice, and this is presumption of impunity. — But if it impugns penitential grace itself in itself or according to itself, it is twofold: because penitential grace makes one recoil from things committed9 and beware of things to be committed. Against the first is obstinacy of mind, against the second is final impenitence — according as final impenitence is called the resolve of not repenting; for so it is a species of the sin against the Holy Spirit. But according as final impenitence means the continuation of sin unto the end; so it is the sequel of all mortal sins which are not remitted in this life, and most of all of all the species of the sin against the Holy Spirit.

p. 241

And thus every sin takes its beginning from pride1 and has its consummation, or end, in final impenitence; and whoever comes to that falls headlong into hell, from which no one sinning mortally can be freed unless the grace of the mediator Christ intervene. And therefore the whole company of those to be saved longed for his incarnation — to whom, our Lord and mediator, be all honor and glory unto the ages of ages. Amen2.

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Apparatus Criticus
  1. 1
    Matth. 12, 32: Qui autem dixerit contra Spiritum sanctum, non remittetur ei neque in hoc saeculo neque in futuro (ibid. mentio fit peccati contra Filium hominis). — De hoc cap. cfr. II. Sent. d. 43. per totam.
    Matt. 12:32: But he that shall speak against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, nor in the world to come (in the same place mention is made of the sin against the Son of man). — On this chapter cf. II Sent., d. 43, throughout.
  2. 2
    Edd., excepta 2, Filii, ratione rationis; Spiritus sancti, ratione voluntatis. Pro insigne plures codd. imaginem.
    The editions, except edition 2, read Filii, ratione rationis; Spiritus sancti, ratione voluntatis. For insigne several codices have imaginem.
  3. 3
    Cfr. supra p. I. c. 6. — De triplici peccato, scil. ex infirmitate, ignorantia et malitia, eiusque diversa gravitate vide Gregor., XXV. Moral. c. 11. n. 28, et Isidor., II. Sent. sive de Sum. Bono, c. 17. n. 3. seqq., ex quo Magister Sent. quaedam retulit II. Sent. d. XXII. c. 4. in fine.
    Cf. above, part I, c. 6. — On the threefold sin, namely from infirmity, ignorance and malice, and on its differing gravity, see Gregory, Moralia XXV, c. 11, n. 28, and Isidore, Sentences II, or On the Highest Good, c. 17, n. 3 ff., from which the Master of the Sentences reported certain things in II Sent., d. XXII, c. 4, at the end.
  4. 4
    August., I. de Lib. Arb. c. 12. n. 26: Quid enim tam in voluntate quam ipsa voluntas sita est? Ibid. III. c. 3. n. 7: Nihil tam in nostra potestate quam ipsa voluntas est. Cfr. II. Sent. lit. Magistri, d. XLI. c. 4. — Pro et mere E H S et merum (scil. peccatum).
    Augustine, On Free Choice of the Will I, c. 12, n. 26: For what is so much placed in the will as the will itself? In the same work III, c. 3, n. 7: Nothing is so much in our power as the will itself. Cf. II Sent., the text of the Master, d. XLI, c. 4. — For et mere, E H S have et merum (namely, sin).
  5. 5
    Vide Aristot., III. Ethic. c. 1, et Damasc., II. de Fide orthod. c. 24. Cfr. II. Sent. d. 22. a. 2. q. 3. — Inferius post Spiritus sancti Vat., 1 et 3 addunt per quam fit remissio peccati.
    See Aristotle, Ethics III, c. 1, and Damascene, On the Orthodox Faith II, c. 24. Cf. II Sent., d. 22, a. 2, q. 3. — Below, after Spiritus sancti, the Vatican edition and editions 1 and 3 add per quam fit remissio peccati.
  6. 6
    Plures codd., inter quos etiam E L M S, de culpa.
    Several codices, among which also E L M S, have de culpa.
  7. 7
    Ioan. 1, 17: Lex per Moysen data est, gratia et veritas per Iesum Christum facta est.
    John 1:17: The law was given by Moses; grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
  8. 8
    Psalm. 24, 10: Universae viae Domini [ita etiam B] misericordia etc. Cfr. IV. Sent. d. 46. a. 2. q. 3.
    Ps. 24:10: All the ways of the Lord [so also B] are mercy etc. Cf. IV Sent., d. 46, a. 2, q. 3.
  9. 9
    Edd. cum aliquot codd. praefigunt peccatis.
    The editions, together with some codices, prefix peccatis.
  10. 1
    Vide supra c. 9. — Inferius post a qua edd. addunt quidem impoenitentia finali, L M V autem prosequuntur: nullus moriens in peccato mortali potest liberari, nisi, dum vivit, poeniteat, adiuvante et interveniente gratia mediatoris etc.
    See above, c. 9. — Below, after a qua, the editions add quidem impoenitentia finali, while L M V continue: nullus moriens in peccato mortali potest liberari, nisi, dum vivit, poeniteat, adiuvante et interveniente gratia mediatoris, etc.
  11. 2
    Epist. I. Tim. 1, 17. Ibid. 2, 5: Unus et mediator Dei et hominum, homo Christus Iesus.
    Epistle 1 Timothy 1:17. Ibid. 2:5: And one mediator of God and men, the man Christ Jesus. ---
Cited by

2 places in the Opera Omnia citethis question. Derived from Quaracchi’s own apparatus, never tagged by hand.

Whether the sin against the Holy Spirit names a kind of sin distinct from the other kinds of sins
Book II: On the Creation of Things · Distinction 43 · 2×
Breviloq. p. III. c. 11.
On the integrity of marriage
Breviloquium · Pars VI: De medicina sacramentali
supra pag. 240, nota 5

1 further reference addresses the article or printed page this question belongs to, rather than the question itself.

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