Pars 5, Cap. 7
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/5/q/bon-brev-p5-c7
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### Chapter VII. *On the exercise of grace with respect to the things to be believed.*

Fourthly, then, it remains to consider grace as regards the *exercises of merits*. And concerning these, four things are to be considered. First, the exercise of grace in *things to be believed*, of which sort are the articles of faith; second, in *things to be loved*, of which sort are those things which pertain to the order of loving; third, in *things to be carried out*, of which sort are the precepts of the divine law; fourth, in *things to be asked for*, of which sort are the petitions of the Lord's Prayer.

Concerning the *articles* of *faith*, these things are to be held: that although through faith we are bound to believe many things which are above reason, and *generally* all things which are contained and set forth in the canon of sacred Scripture, nevertheless *specially* and properly those are called articles of faith which are contained in the series of the apostolic Creed; which in one way are *twelve*, if regard be had to those who issued the Creed, in another way *fourteen*, if we consider what things are radically to be believed as the foundations of all things to be believed.

Now the reason for the understanding of the foresaid is this: since the first principle, in itself, is supremely *true* and *good*, while in its own work it is supremely *just* and *merciful*; and since to the supremely *true* there is owed a firm assent, to the supremely *good* a fervent love, to the supremely *just* a universal subjection, to the supremely *merciful* a trustful invocation; and since grace is ordinative of our mind toward the worship due to the first principle: hence it is that grace directs and regulates toward the due and meritorious exercises in *things to be believed, to be loved, to be carried out* and *to be asked for*, according as the supreme truth, goodness, justice and mercy in the blessed Trinity requires.

Since, therefore, *truth* is to be believed, and a greater truth more to be believed, and the supreme truth consequently to be supremely believed; and since the truth of the first principle is infinitely greater than every created truth and more luminous than every light of our intellect: hence it is that, in order that our intellect be rightly ordered in things to be believed, it is necessary that it believe the supreme truth more than itself, and that it bring itself into the obedience of Christ; and through this, that it believe not only those things which are *according to reason*, but also those which are *above reason* and *against the experience of the senses*; and if it refuses this, it does not render to the supreme truth the reverence due, while it prefers the judgment of its own industry to the dictate of the eternal light — which cannot be without the swelling of pride and of a blameworthy elation.

Again, because the truth which is *above* reason, or *beyond* reason, is a truth not seen nor apparent, but rather hidden and most difficult to believe, therefore, in order that it be firmly believed, there is necessary an *illumination of the truth* raising the soul, and there is necessary also a *testimony of authority* strengthening the soul. The first comes about through *infused faith*, the second through *authentic Scripture*, both of which are from the supreme truth

through Jesus Christ, who is the Splendor and the Word, and through the Holy Spirit, who shows and teaches the truth and nonetheless makes us believe. Hence it is that *authority* affords the support of faith, and *faith* assents to authority. And because authority resides principally in sacred Scripture, which was wholly established by the Holy Spirit for the directing of the catholic faith, hence it is that true faith does not disagree with Scripture, but assents to it with an assent not feigned.

Last, because the truth to the believing of which we are constrained by faith, and of which sacred Scripture treats principally, is not just any truth, but the divine truth — either as it is in its proper nature, or as it is in the assumed nature — for in the knowledge of this truth consists both the reward of the fatherland and the merit of the way — hence it is that the articles of faith, which are the foundations of faith, either regard the *Divinity* or the *humanity*. And since the *Divinity* has to be considered in *three persons*, namely the Father generating, the Son begotten and the Holy Spirit proceeding, and in a *fourfold operation*, namely creation in the *being* of nature, re-creation in the *being* of grace, resuscitation in the repair of life and glorification in the conferring of glory: hence it is that the articles regarding the *Divinity* are seven. — Likewise, because Christ's *humanity* has to be considered as conceived of the Holy Spirit, as born of the Virgin, as suffering on the cross, as descending into hell, as rising from the dead, as ascending into heaven, as coming to the final judgment: hence it is that the articles of the *humanity* are seven, and thus in all *fourteen*, after the manner of the seven stars and the seven golden candlesticks, in the midst of which the Son of man was walking.

Since, therefore, Christ is one in the divine nature and the human; and there is only one supreme truth, which is the one, first, supreme and sole reason of believing, which is not changed through the ages: hence it is that of all the foresaid articles there is only one faith concerning the same, unchanged as much in things present as in things past as in things future, although it is clearer and more explicit in those who follow Christ than in those who went before his coming; just as the new testament is clearer than the old, in which the foresaid articles are contained.

And because the Holy Spirit compacted into one these articles of faith, contained in the depth of the Scriptures, through the twelve Apostles as through most firm witnesses: hence it is that the foresaid articles were gathered into one Symbol of the Apostles. And therefore, according to the Apostles who composed it, the articles can be called *twelve*, since each Apostle placed one article for the building up of faith as one living stone; which the Holy Spirit rightly prefigured in the twelve men who drew twelve stones from the bed of the Jordan for the constructing of the altar of the Lord.

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