Pars 4, Cap. 10
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/4/q/bon-brev-p4-c10
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### Chapter X. *On the passion of Christ as regards the outcome of the passion.*

Now concerning the *outcome* of the passion of Christ and its *fruit* these things are to be held beyond doubt: that the soul of Christ after the passion descended to hell, or to the limbo, for the liberation not of all, but of those who had died among the members of Christ through a living faith, or through the sacraments of faith. — After these things, *on the third day he rose again* from the dead, taking up again the body which he had before given life to — yet not such as it had been before; for before it was passible and mortal, but after he rose again, impassible and immortal, living perpetually. — Then after forty days he ascended to the heavens, where, exalted above every creature, he sits at the right hand of the Father. Which saying is understood not as regards position, which does not belong to God the Father, but as regards the excellence of goods, because he abides in the more excellent goods of the Father. — Lastly, ten days having been interposed, he sent into the Apostles the promised Holy Spirit, through whom the Church of the gentiles was gathered together and was ordered according to the various distributions of offices and of graces.

Now the reason for the understanding of the foresaid is this: since, just as Christ, in so far as he is the uncreated Word, most perfectly formed all things, so in so far as he is incarnate he had most perfectly to re-form all things. For it befits a most perfect principle not to leave a work short of the perfect; therefore the reparatory principle had to bring the remedy of human redemption through to the perfect. And for this, that it should be most perfect, it was required that it be *most sufficient* and *most efficacious*.

Since therefore it was *most sufficient*, therefore it extended itself to things *heavenly*, *earthly* and *infernal*. Since therefore through Christ things *infernal* were recovered, things *earthly* remedied, things *heavenly* restored — so that the first of these he did through *pardon*, the second through *grace* and the third through *glory* — therefore after the passion the soul *descended* to the lower regions to liberate those detained in hell; then he *rose again* from the dead to give life to those dead in sins; he *ascended* to the heavens, leading back captivity, to restore the heavenly Jerusalem; he *sent the Holy Spirit* to build up the earthly Jerusalem. All which things follow necessarily and are required for the sufficiency of human reparation.

Again, since that remedy was *most efficacious* both toward those who *went before* Christ's coming and toward those who *follow*, who nevertheless have come and do come to Christ himself and have been and are his members — and such are they who cling to him through faith, hope and charity — therefore that remedy had to have its efficacy first upon those who believed in Christ, and believing hoped, and hoping loved; and through this it had at once to *descend* to the lower regions for their liberation. Hence, the gate of heaven having been opened through the passion of Christ, who by making satisfaction had removed the flaming sword, by changing the divine sentence he snatched out of hell all his members.

It had also to have its chief efficacy upon those who *follow* Christ's coming, so that by drawing them to *faith*, *hope* and *charity* it might at last bring them through to the heavenly glory. In order therefore that he might *build up unto faith*, by which we believe Christ to be true man and true God, by which we also believe that he willed to redeem us through death and is able to lead us back to life through the resurrection; therefore he willed to *rise again* to immortal life, an owed space of time having nevertheless been interposed, namely of thirty-six hours; in which it is shown that he truly died; nor ought he to have hastened it more, lest, if he rose again too soon, it should be believed that he had not truly died but had feigned himself dead; nor to have deferred it longer, lest, if he lay always in death, he should be believed powerless and unable to recall any to life; and so *he rose again on the third day*.

Further, that he might *raise up unto hope*, he *ascended* to the heavenly glory which we hope for. But because hope does not arise except from faith in a future immortality, therefore he did not ascend at once, but with a space of forty days interposed, in which through many signs and arguments he might establish the true resurrection, through which the mind might be made firm in faith and lifted up to hope for the heavenly glory.

Lastly, that he might *inflame unto charity, he sent the fire of the Holy Spirit* on the day of Pentecost. And because no one is filled with this fire except him who asks, seeks and knocks with an urgent and importunate desire of hope; therefore he did not send at once after the ascension, but with a space of ten days interposed, in which the disciples, fasting, praying and groaning, disposed themselves for the reception of the Holy Spirit. — And through this, just as he kept the owed hour in *suffering*, so in *rising again*, so in *ascending* into heaven, so in *sending the Holy Spirit*, both on account of the founding of the three foresaid virtues and on account of the many mysteries which are enfolded in these times.

And since the Holy Spirit, who is charity and is had through charity, is the origin of all the charisms; therefore, when the Holy Spirit descended, the fullness of the charisms was poured out for the consummating of the mystical body of Christ. And because diverse members ought to be in a perfect body, and of diverse members diverse offices and exercises, and of diverse offices diverse charisms; hence it is that *to one is given through the Spirit the word of wisdom, to another the word of knowledge, to another faith, to another the grace of healings, to another the working of powers, to another prophecy, to another the discernment of spirits, to another kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of speeches; all which things one and the same Spirit works, dividing to each severally, as he wills*, according to his most liberal providence and his most provident largesse.

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