← Back to Pars IV: De incarnatione Verbi

Pars 4, Cap. 6

Breviloquium · Pars IV: De incarnatione Verbi

Textus Latinus
p. 246

Capitulum VI. De plenitudine sapientiae in intellectu.

De plenitudine autem sapientiae Christi in intellectu hoc tenendum est, quod in Verbo incarnato, Christo scilicet Domino nostro, fuit omnis sapientiae plenitudo6 non solum quantum ad cognita, verum etiam quoad cognoscendi modos et differentias. — In Christo namque fuit cognitio sempiternalis ex parte Deitatis, cognitio sensibilis ex parte sensualitatis et carnis, cognitio scientialis ex parte mentis et spiritus; et haec fuit triplex: quaedam scilicet per naturam, quaedam per gratiam et quaedam per gloriam. Unde sapientiam habuit et ut Deus et ut homo, ut comprehensor et ut viator, ut illuminatus per gratiam et ut recte formatus per naturam; et ita in universo fuerunt in Christo quinque modi cognoscendi. — Primus est secundum divinam naturam; et hoc modo cognovit omnia actualia et possibilia, finita et infinita, cognitione actuali et comprehensiva. — Secundus est per gloriam; et hoc modo cognovit omnia actualia et finita, cognitione actuali et comprehensiva; infinita vero7 non nisi forte cognitione habituali, vel excessiva. — Tertius, per gratiam; et hoc modo cognovit omnia spectantia ad humani generis redemptionem. — Quartus, secundum naturam integram, cuiusmodi fuit in Adam; et hoc modo cognovit omnia, quae spectant ad universi constitutionem. — Quintus, secundum sensibilem experientiam; et hoc modo cognovit ea quae veniunt ad organa sensuum, secundum quem modum dicitur, quod didicit ex his quae passus est, obedientiam8.

Ratio autem ad intelligentiam praedictorum haec est: quia, sicut reparativi principii est nos reparare per liberalissimam gratiam; sic etiam per providentissimam sapientiam. Quod enim secundum ordinem sapientiae conditum fuit non potest absque luce et ordine sapientiae reparari; et ideo, sicut Christus debuit esse immunis ab omni culpa, sic elongatus debuit esse ab omni ignorantia, ac per hoc totaliter repletus supernae sapientiae luce et circumfulgentia. Quapropter cognitionem perfectam habuit secundum utramque naturam et potentiam cognoscitivam et secundum omnem rerum existentiam.

Quia ergo res habent esse in aeterna arte et in humana mente et in proprio genere9; necesse fuit, Christum habere hanc triformem rerum cognitionem. Quia vero res dupliciter potest cognosci in arte, scilicet vel ab ipso artifice, vel ab alio contemplante artem; similiter habet dupliciter esse et cognosci in mente, etiam praeter acquisitionem, quae Christo non competit propter imperfectionem, scilicet vel secundum habitum innatum, vel secundum habitum infusum: hinc est, quod necessarium fuit ad perfectam sapientiae plenitudinem, quinque modos praedictos reperiri in Christo Deo et homine, ut in arte aeterna cognoscat1 res et per naturam Deitatis et per gloriam comprehensionis; in mente sua per habitum naturalem et innatum, sicut cognoverunt Adam et Angeli; et per habitum gratuitum et infusum, sicut Sancti Dei per Spiritum sanctum illuminati; in proprio vero genere cognosceret via sensus, memoriae et experientiae, quae in nobis facit rem incognitam cognosci2, in Christo vero rem cognitam secundum unum modum cognosci fecit secundum alium.

p. 247

Quoniam autem divina substantia, virtus et operatio est immensa, hinc est, quod secundum primum modum, qui est per naturam Deitatis, infinita actualiter comprehendit; quodam enim ineffabili modo summe infinito omnis infinitas est finita.

Quia vero creaturae quantumcumque sublimatae finita est substantia, virtus et operatio, ita tamen, quod mens humana non quiescit nisi in bono infinito, nec tamen illud proprie comprehendit, quia infinitum non comprehenditur a finito, accepta comprehensione proprie: hinc est, quod quantum ad secundum modum cognoscendi anima Christi per gloriam comprehensionis capit quantumcumque potest capere natura finita, per bonum infinitum beatificata, cui est summe unita; ac per hoc ad finita se extendit actualiter comprehendendo, ad infinita vero non nisi forte habitualiter, vel etiam excedendo. Non enim potest anima3 aequari Verbo, nec in scientia nec in aliquo alio.

Rursus, quia gratia maxime respicit opus reparationis; hinc est, quod secundum tertium modum cognoscendi per gratiam perfectissimam cognovit Christus omnia, quae spectant ad reparationem nostram, longe excellentius et melius quam aliquis Prophetarum, vel etiam Angelorum.

Amplius, quia natura hominis bene instituta nata erat omnibus creaturis praeesse et ipsas nosse tanquam eas quae debeant sibi servire, sicut patuit in primi hominis conditione4: hinc est, quod quantum ad quartum modum cognoscendi cognovit Christus omnia, quae spectant ad mundanam machinam construendam, longe excellentius quam Adam.

Postremo, quia sensus non est perceptivus rerum nisi ad obiecti praesentiam5; hinc est, quod secundum cognitionem sensitivam non simul cognoscebat omnia, sed modo haec, modo illa, iuxta quod opportunum erat ad reparationem humani generis faciendam.

---

English Translation

Chapter VI. On the fullness of wisdom in the intellect.

Concerning the fullness of Christ's wisdom in the intellect, however, this is to be held: that in the incarnate Word, namely Christ our Lord, there was the fullness of all wisdom6 not only as regards the things known, but also as regards the modes of knowing and their differences. — For in Christ there was everlasting knowledge on the side of the Deity, sensible knowledge on the side of the sensuality and the flesh, scientific knowledge on the side of the mind and the spirit; and this last was threefold: some of it, namely, through nature, some through grace and some through glory. Hence he had wisdom both as God and as man, both as comprehensor and as wayfarer, both as illuminated through grace and as rightly formed through nature; and so in all there were in Christ five modes of knowing. — The first is according to the divine nature; and in this mode he knew all things actual and possible, finite and infinite, by actual and comprehensive knowledge. — The second is through glory; and in this mode he knew all things actual and finite by actual and comprehensive knowledge; the infinite, however7, not save perhaps by habitual or excessive knowledge. — The third, through grace; and in this mode he knew all things that pertain to the redemption of the human race. — The fourth, according to entire nature, of the sort that was in Adam; and in this mode he knew all things that pertain to the constitution of the universe. — The fifth, according to sensible experience; and in this mode he knew those things that come to the organs of the senses, according to which mode it is said that he learned, from the things which he suffered, obedience8.

Now the reason for the understanding of the foresaid is this: since, just as it belongs to the reparative principle to repair us through most liberal grace, so also through most provident wisdom. For what was founded according to the order of wisdom cannot be repaired apart from the light and order of wisdom; and therefore, just as Christ had to be immune from all fault, so he had to be set far from all ignorance, and through this wholly filled with the light and encompassing radiance of supernal wisdom. Wherefore he had perfect knowledge according to each nature and cognitive power, and according to the whole existence of things.

Since therefore things have being in the eternal art and in the human mind and in their own kind9; it was necessary that Christ have this threefold knowledge of things. And since a thing can be known in the art in two ways, namely either by the artificer himself or by another contemplating the art; likewise it has being and is known in two ways in the mind, apart even from acquisition, which does not belong to Christ on account of imperfection, namely either according to an innate habit or according to an infused habit: hence it is that it was necessary, for the perfect fullness of wisdom, that the five foresaid modes be found in Christ, God and man, so that in the eternal art he might know1 things both through the nature of the Deity and through the glory of comprehension; in his own mind through a natural and innate habit, as Adam and the Angels knew; and through a gratuitous and infused habit, as the Saints of God illuminated through the Holy Spirit; while in their own kind he would know them by way of sense, memory and experience, which in us makes a thing unknown to be known2, but in Christ made a thing known according to one mode to be known according to another.

Now since the divine substance, power and operation is immeasurable, hence it is that according to the first mode, which is through the nature of the Deity, he actually comprehends the infinite; for by a certain ineffable mode every infinity is finite to the supremely infinite.

But since the substance, power and operation of a creature, however sublimated, is finite — yet in such wise that the human mind does not rest except in the infinite good, nor nevertheless properly comprehends it, since the infinite is not comprehended by the finite, comprehension being taken properly: hence it is that as regards the second mode of knowing, the soul of Christ, through the glory of comprehension, grasps as much as a finite nature can grasp, beatified by the infinite good, to which it is supremely united; and through this it extends itself to finite things by actually comprehending, but to infinite things not save perhaps habitually, or even by exceeding. For the soul3 cannot be equalled to the Word, neither in knowledge nor in anything else.

Again, since grace chiefly regards the work of reparation; hence it is that according to the third mode of knowing Christ knew, through most perfect grace, all things that pertain to our reparation, far more excellently and better than any of the Prophets, or even of the Angels.

Further, since human nature, well instituted, was born to preside over all creatures and to know them as those which ought to serve it, as appeared in the condition of the first man4: hence it is that as regards the fourth mode of knowing Christ knew all things that pertain to the constructing of the world's fabric, far more excellently than Adam.

Lastly, since sense is not perceptive of things except at the presence of the object5; hence it is that according to sensitive knowledge he did not know all things at once, but now these, now those, according as was opportune for effecting the reparation of the human race.

---

Apparatus Criticus
  1. 6
    Col. 2, 3: In quo [Christo] sunt omnes thesauri sapientiae et scientiae absconditi. — Mox pro quoad plures codd., ut F G H M N R et 2 quantum ad. Subinde pro differentias M causas, et pro sensibilis D E K S sensualis, ac pro scientialis E spiritualis.
    Colossians 2, 3: In whom [Christ] are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. — Shortly after, for quoad several codices, such as F G H M N R, and edition 2 have quantum ad. Thereupon, for differentias M has causas, and for sensibilis D E K S have sensualis, and for scientialis E has spiritualis.
  2. 7
    Fide plurium codd., inter quos B S T, post vero hoc loco et infra in explicatione adiecimus non nisi forte. Superius pro possibilia edd., excepta 2, potentialia. Inferius post gratiam C H addunt unionis.
    On the faith of several codices, among them B S T, after vero in this place and below in the explanation we have added non nisi forte. Above, for possibilia the editions, except 2, have potentialia. Further below, after gratiam C H add unionis.
  3. 8
    Hebr. 5, 8. — De hoc cap. vide supra Quaest. de scientia Christi, q. 1. et 5. seqq.; III. Sent. d. 14. per totam. — Pro cognovit ea plures codd., Vat., 1 et 3 cognovit omnia.
    Hebrews 5, 8. — On this chapter see above the Disputed Questions on the Knowledge of Christ, q. 1 and 5 ff.; III Sent., d. 14, throughout. — For cognovit ea several codices, the Vatican edition, and editions 1 and 3 have cognovit omnia.
  4. 9
    Cfr. supra pag. 230, nota 5. — Post pauca pro potest A possunt, et habent pro habet. Subinde cum A B C F G I K L M N O et 2 vocibus dupliciter cognosci interseruimus esse et.
    Cf. above, p. 230, note 5. — A little after, for potest A has possunt, and habent for habet. Thereupon, together with A B C F G I K L M N O and edition 2, we have inserted esse et between the words dupliciter cognosci.
  5. 1
    Edd., excepta 2, cognosceret.
    The editions, except 2, have cognosceret.
  6. 2
    Respiciuntur verba Aristot. supra pag. 21, nota 10. allegata. — Mox pro cognitam plures codd., inter quos E L M P S, notam, B innotam.
    The words of Aristotle cited above at p. 21, note 10, are referred to. — Shortly after, for cognitam several codices, among them E L M P S, have notam, B innotam.
  7. 3
    Vat., 1 et 3 addunt Christi.
    The Vatican edition and editions 1 and 3 add Christi.
  8. 4
    Partis II. c. 4. circa finem et c. 11. — Superius pro perfectissimam A perfectissime. Inferius pro construendam A constituendam.
    Part II, ch. 4, near the end, and ch. 11. — Above, for perfectissimam A has perfectissime. Further below, for construendam A has constituendam.
  9. 5
    Cfr. II. Sent. d. 8. p. I. a. 3. q. 2. ad 5; tom. III. pag. 342, nota 7. et pag. 738, nota 4.
    Cf. II Sent., d. 8, p. I, a. 3, q. 2, ad 5; tom. III, p. 342, note 7, and p. 738, note 4. ---
← Pars 4, Cap. 5Pars 4, Cap. 7→