Pars 3, Cap. 11
by St. Bonaventure
Source text: Public Domain Mark 1.0. English translation/apparatus/encoding: CC BY-NC 4.0, Wroot Press.
https://bonaventure.wrootpress.com/browse/5/d/3/q/bon-brev-p3-c11
----------------------------------------
### 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 come — 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 *will*.

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 Spirit; 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 itself; 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 knowledge — 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 *penalty* 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 truth*, 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 truth*, 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 committed 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.

And thus every sin takes its *beginning* from pride 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. Amen*.

---