← Back to Pars IV: De incarnatione Verbi

Pars 4, Cap. 5

Breviloquium · Pars IV: De incarnatione Verbi

Textus Latinus
p. 245

Capitulum V. De plenitudine gratiae Christi quantum ad charismata in affectu.

Postquam innotuit nobis Verbum incarnatum quantum ad unionem naturarum, considerandum est quantum ad plenitudinem charismatum spiritualium. Circa quae primo consideranda est plenitudo gratiae in affectu, deinde5 plenitudo sapientiae in intellectu, et postremo plenitudo meriti in opere vel effectu6.

De plenitudine igitur gratiae in affectu in Christo haec tenenda sunt, quod in Christo a sui conceptione fuit plenitudo omnis gratiae quantum ad gratiam singularis personae et quantum ad gratiam capitis et quantum ad gratiam unionis; ita quod per gratiam singularis personae habuit omnis culpae immunitatem et quantum ad actum et quantum ad posse, quia nec peccavit nec peccatum potuit habere. — Per gratiam autem unionis dignus est non tantum felicitate gloriae, verum etiam adoratione latriae, quae est cultus reverentiae soli Deo debitae. — Per gratiam vero capitis influit motum et sensum in universos, qui ad eum accedunt vel per fidem rectam, vel per fidei Sacramenta, sive adventum eius praecesserint, sive fuerint subsecuti. Nam et qui praeibant et qui sequebantur clamabant: Hosanna filio David7.

Ratio autem ad intelligentiam praedictorum haec est: quia reparatio est operatio primi principii, ita quod ab ipso manat secundum liberalitatem et ad ipsum reducit secundum conformitatem; ideo oportet, quod fiat per gratiam et deiformitatem. Gratia enim et manat a Deo liberaliter et reddit hominem deiformem. Quoniam ergo reparativum principium per gratiam reparat, et omnis res plenius et perfectius est in suo fonte et origine8 quam alibi; necesse est, quod in principio nostro reparativo, scilicet Christo Domino, fuerit omnis gratiae plenitudo. Et quoniam reparativum principium in reparando non tantum tenet rationem principii, verum etiam medii et extremi, extremi quidem in satisfaciendo, medii in reconciliando, et principii in superinfluendo: ideo necesse est, quod in Christo fuerit plenitudo gratiae ratione extremi satisfacientis, medii reconciliantis et principii superinfluentis. Quoniam igitur extremum ad satisfaciendum idoneum necesse est esse Deo placens, ac per hoc ab omni peccato perfecte9 immune; et hoc non potest esse nisi per donum divinae gratiae in aliquo homine: necesse fuit ponere in Christo gratiam ipsum sanctificantem et confirmantem, quam vocamus gratiam singularis personae.

Rursus, quoniam medium ad reconciliandum conveniens non est, nisi habeat in se utramque naturam, superiorem scilicet et inferiorem, adorabilem et adorantem; et hoc nullo modo fieri potest nisi per summe dignativam et gratuitam unionem; ideo necesse est in Christo ponere gratiam super omnem gratiam et omnimoda reverentia venerandam, quam vocamus gratiam unionis, ratione cuius Christus homo est super omnia benedictus Deus1, et ideo cultu latriae venerandus.

p. 246

Postremo, quia principium ad influendum efficax non est, nisi habeat in se plenitudinem fontalem et originalem, quae non tantum est plenitudo sufficientiae, sed etiam superabundantiae; ideo necesse est, Verbum incarnatum esse plenum gratiae et veritatis2, ita quod de plenitudine eius accipere valeant universi iusti, sicut universa membra a capite recipiunt influentiam motus et sensus. Et propter hoc vocatur haec gratia gratia capitis, pro eo quod, sicut caput habet in se sensuum plenitudinem et ceteris membris est conforme ceterisque praesidet ac ceteris beneficium praestat influentiae, quae ipsi capiti connectuntur: sic Christus, habens in se gratiae superabundantiam3 et nobis consimilis in natura, prae ceteris sanctus et iustus, ceteris, qui ad ipsum accedunt, praestat beneficium gratiae et spiritus, per quae fit sensus et motus in spiritualibus.

Et quoniam ad ipsum accedere est per fidem, vel per fidei Sacramentum; et fides Christi eadem est in praeteritis, praesentibus et futuris: ideo ratio influendi in Christo ponitur respectu omnium, tam praeteritorum quam praesentium quam etiam futurorum, in Christum credentium et in Christo renatorum, qui per fidem copulantur Christo et per gratiam influentem fiunt membra Christi et templa Spiritus sancti4, ac per hoc filii Dei Patris, connexi ad invicem per indivisibile vinculum caritatis. Quod sicut distantia locorum non dividitur, sic nec diuturnitate temporum separatur; ac per hoc omnes iusti, ubicumque sint et quandocumque fuerint, unum efficiunt corpus Christi mysticum, sensum et motum suscipiendo ab uno capite influente, secundum fontalem, radicalem et originalem plenitudinem omnis gratiae in Christo habitantis5 sicut in fonte.

---

English Translation

Chapter V. On the fullness of Christ's grace as regards the charisms in the affective power.

After the incarnate Word has become known to us as regards the union of the natures, it must be considered as regards the fullness of the spiritual charisms. Concerning which, first there is to be considered the fullness of grace in the affective power, then5 the fullness of wisdom in the intellect, and last the fullness of merit in work or effect6.

Concerning therefore the fullness of grace in the affective power in Christ these things are to be held: that in Christ, from his conception, there was the fullness of all grace as regards the grace of the singular person and as regards the grace of the head and as regards the grace of union; in such wise that through the grace of the singular person he had immunity from all fault both as regards act and as regards the ability, since he neither sinned nor could have sin. — But through the grace of union he is worthy not only of the happiness of glory, but also of the adoration of latria, which is the worship of reverence owed to God alone. — And through the grace of the head he pours motion and sense into all who approach him either through right faith or through the Sacraments of faith, whether they went before his coming or came after it. For both those who went before and those who followed were crying out: Hosanna to the son of David7.

Now the reason for the understanding of the foresaid is this: since reparation is an operation of the first principle, in such wise that it flows from him according to liberality and leads back to him according to conformity; therefore it must be that it come about through grace and deiformity. For grace both flows from God liberally and renders man deiform. Since therefore the reparative principle repairs through grace, and every thing is more fully and more perfectly in its own source and origin8 than elsewhere; it is necessary that in our reparative principle, namely Christ the Lord, there should have been the fullness of all grace. And since the reparative principle, in repairing, holds not only the formal character of a principle, but also of a middle and of an extreme, of an extreme indeed in making satisfaction, of a middle in reconciling, and of a principle in superinfluencing: therefore it is necessary that in Christ there should have been the fullness of grace by reason of the extreme making satisfaction, of the middle reconciling and of the principle superinfluencing. Since therefore the extreme, to be fit for making satisfaction, must be pleasing to God, and through this immune from all sin perfectly9; and this cannot be except through the gift of divine grace in some man: it was necessary to place in Christ the grace sanctifying and confirming him, which we call the grace of the singular person.

Again, since a middle suitable for reconciling does not exist unless it have in itself both natures, namely the higher and the lower, the adorable and the adoring; and this can in no way come about except through a supremely condescending and gratuitous union; therefore it is necessary to place in Christ a grace above every grace and to be venerated with reverence of every kind, which we call the grace of union, by reason of which Christ as man is over all things God blessed1, and therefore to be venerated with the worship of latria.

Lastly, since a principle efficacious for influencing does not exist unless it have in itself a fontal and original fullness, which is not only a fullness of sufficiency, but also of superabundance; therefore it is necessary that the incarnate Word be full of grace and truth2, in such wise that all the just may be able to receive of his fullness, as all the members receive from the head the influence of motion and sense. And on account of this this grace is called the grace of the head, for this reason, that as the head has in itself the fullness of the senses and is conformed to the other members and presides over the rest and bestows on the rest, which are joined to the head itself, the benefit of influence: so Christ, having in himself a superabundance of grace3 and like to us in nature, holy and just beyond the rest, bestows on the rest, who approach him, the benefit of grace and of spirit, through which sense and motion come to be in spiritual things.

And since to approach him is through faith, or through the Sacrament of faith; and the faith of Christ is the same in those past, present and future: therefore the ground of influencing is placed in Christ with respect to all, as much of those past as of those present as also of those future, believing in Christ and reborn in Christ, who through faith are joined to Christ and through the inflowing grace become members of Christ and temples of the Holy Spirit4, and through this sons of God the Father, connected to one another by the indivisible bond of charity. Which, as it is not divided by distance of places, so neither is it separated by length of times; and through this all the just, wherever they be and whenever they shall have been, make up one mystical body of Christ, receiving sense and motion from the one influencing head, according to the fontal, radical and original fullness of all grace dwelling in Christ5 as in a fount.

---

Apparatus Criticus
  1. 5
    D E S secundo, et mox tertio pro postremo. Subinde pro igitur, quod B D M omittunt, E T autem.
    D E S have secundo, and shortly after tertio for postremo. Thereupon, for igitur, which B D M omit, E T have autem.
  2. 6
    De his agitur hic et 2 seqq. capp.
    These matters are treated here and in the 2 following chapters.
  3. 7
    Marc. 11, 9. et Matth. 21, 9. — De immunitate a culpa cfr. III. Sent. d. 12. a. 2. q. 1; de gratia singularis personae, unionis et capitis vide ibid. d. 13. per totam; de latria ibid. d. 9. a. 1. q. 1. — Superius pro debitae A H debitus.
    Mark 11, 9 and Matthew 21, 9. — On immunity from fault cf. III Sent., d. 12, a. 2, q. 1; on the grace of the singular person, of union and of the head see ibid., d. 13, throughout; on latria ibid., d. 9, a. 1, q. 1. — Above, for debitae A H have debitus.
  4. 8
    I L M V omnis res in suo principio est plenius et perfectius sicut in suo fonte et origine. Mox pro quam alibi 1 quam in suo rivulo et effectu. Superius pro reducit non pauci codd. reformat, Q reducit et reformat.
    I L M V have omnis res in suo principio est plenius et perfectius sicut in suo fonte et origine. Shortly after, for quam alibi, edition 1 has quam in suo rivulo et effectu. Above, for reducit not a few codices have reformat, Q reducit et reformat.
  5. 9
    B M N Q omittunt perfecte. Inferius edd. ipsam pro ipsum, quod habent L M N, aliique propter compendiosam scripturam ita legi possunt.
    B M N Q omit perfecte. Further below the editions have ipsam for ipsum, which L M N have, and others can be read so on account of the abbreviated script.
  6. 1
    Rom. 9, 5. — Paulo ante pro venerandam A H L reverendam.
    Romans 9, 5. — A little before, for venerandam A H L have reverendam.
  7. 2
    Ioan. 1, 14. Ibid. v. 16: Et de plenitudine eius nos omnes accepimus etc. — Superius post originalem B addit et radicalem, H legit originem radicalem (cfr. finis cap.).
    John 1, 14. Ibid., v. 16: And of his fullness we all have received, etc. — Above, after originalem B adds et radicalem, H reads originem radicalem (cf. the end of the chapter).
  8. 3
    Ita non pauci codd., inter quos E M P S V, edd. gratiam superabundantem.
    So not a few codices, among them E M P S V; the editions have gratiam superabundantem.
  9. 4
    Epist. I. Cor. 6, 15. et 19. — Superius pro Sacramentum I M Q Sacramenta, et pro in Christo plures codd. et 1, 2, 3 in ipso. Paulo inferius pro indivisibile Vat., 1, 3 cum uno alteroque cod. non bene indissolubile.
    The Epistle I Corinthians 6, 15 and 19. — Above, for Sacramentum I M Q have Sacramenta, and for in Christo several codices and 1, 2, 3 have in ipso. A little further below, for indivisibile the Vatican edition and 1 and 3, with one codex or another, wrongly have indissolubile.
  10. 5
    Col. 1, 18. seq.: Et ipse est caput corporis Ecclesiae.. quia in ipso complacuit, omnem plenitudinem inhabitare.
    Colossians 1, 18 f.: And he is the head of the body, the Church.. because in him it hath well pleased that all fullness should dwell. ---
← Pars 4, Cap. 4Pars 4, Cap. 6→