Coll. 1
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/12/d/1/q/bon-don-c1
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### COLLATION I.
#### *A treatment of grace is set first, according to its rise, its use and its fruit.*

### Summarium

*Introduction, number* 1. 2. — *Division of the argument,* 3. — Part I. On the rise of grace. *It comes down from above,* 4. — *And indeed through the Word incarnate, crucified and inspired,* 5-7. — *A disposition toward it and a horror of sin are required,* 8. — Part II. On the use of grace. *It ought to be faithful toward God,* 9. 10. — *Manly in itself,* 11. — *Generous toward one's neighbour,* 12. — Part III. On the fruit of grace. *This is threefold,* 13. — *The first is the remission of sins,* 14. — *The second, the fulness of justice,* 15. — *The third, the attainment of eternal blessedness,* 16. — *Hence there is a threefold grace with seven sevens,* 17. 18.

1. *We exhort you, that you receive not the grace of God in vain*. — *Grace is poured abroad in thy lips, therefore hath God blessed thee for ever.* The word set down in the second place is directed to our Lord Jesus Christ, as appears in the Psalm from the text preceding and following. For there is set before it in the Psalm — where these words are written — *Beautiful above the sons of men;* and there follows: *Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever,* and so on. He speaks therefore of Christ, who is blessed, in whom all the nations of the earth are blessed. *In thy seed shall all the nations be blessed,* was said to Abraham; and since Christ is the Word through which all things are blessed; and he who is blessed by God the Father is blessed by Christ: therefore all things are blessed through Christ.

2. It is said in Ecclesiastes: *The words of the mouth of a wise man are grace.* True is what is written in John: *The law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Christ.* For salvation two things are necessary, namely the knowledge of truth and the exercise of virtue. The knowledge of truth is had through the Law, but the exercise of virtue is had through grace. « Virtue is a good quality of the mind, by which one lives rightly, which no one uses ill, which God works in us ». The Law stands to grace as the apprehensive power stands to the motive power, and as the instrument stands to the operative power. Suppose a bird had sight to see the sky and had no power in its wings: it could not fly, nor reach it. So, however much the Jew may glory in the Law, since he is without grace, he is nothing. A craftsman, when he has an instrument through which he works, unless he has operative power in his hands, can do nothing good. O faithless Jew, thou hast the Law in thy hand, but unless thou hast the operative power, in vain dost thou think that thou hast the Law. Therefore no one is saved through the Law, unless grace be present. And so it is clear that the grace of God is far more excellent than the Law itself. — At another time I spoke to you of the law of the decalogue, and now I shall speak to you of grace; and grace is more necessary to us than the Law; and to the fruitful receiving of that grace our mother the Church and the Apostle Paul exhort us. And at the outset we shall ask the Lord that our words may serve grace, and that the intention of our mind, if it have grace, may be strengthened in words, so that we may be able to say something that is to the praise of God and the salvation of our souls.

3. *We exhort you* etc. The Apostle Paul in this brief word rouses us to the *receiving* of divine grace, to the *keeping* of what has been received, and to the *multiplying* of grace received and kept. He exhorts us *that we receive not the grace of God in vain*, but that we receive it fruitfully: therefore he means to say that we should be ready for the receiving, the keeping and the multiplying of the grace of God. But that this exhortation may be fulfilled in us, three things here come before us to be considered: first, what the *rise* of grace is; second, what the *use* of grace is; and third, what the *fruit* of grace is. I wish to speak only in the plainer manner I can, so that anyone may grasp it.

4. First I say: if we consider the *rise* of grace, I ask what the original principle of grace is. It is certain that grace is *the best gift and the perfect gift, coming down from above from the Father of lights.* I make an argument from the Canonical Epistle of James. I lay down the universal affirmative major thus: *Every best gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down*

*from the Father of lights, with whom there is no change nor shadow of alteration;* but grace, as I shall show in what follows, is the best gift and the perfect gift — the whole of what I shall say I mean to order toward proving that assumed premise — but if grace is the best gift and the perfect gift: therefore it is from above, coming down from the Father of lights.

5. But by what way does grace come down into men? Job asks, saying: *By what way is the light spread, and heat divided upon the earth?* I answer and say that grace comes down upon rational minds through the Word *incarnate*, through the Word *crucified* and through the Word *inspired*. — The proof. It is said in the Canonical Epistle of James: *Of his own will hath he begotten us by the word of truth, that we might be some beginning of his creature.* Through the Word incarnate there came down to us an abundance of graces; whence in John: *Of his fulness we all have received, and grace for grace.* It is certain that the original principle, which is God, when he created man to his own image and likeness in the state of innocence, created him so near to himself that through the *uncreated* Word man was capable of being informed unto grace. But after man fell through sin, the divine wisdom provided a mode of condescension through the Word *incarnate*, by which man might be fitted for grace. And because this was done in the womb of the glorious Virgin, therefore it was said to her: *Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee*; and the Apostle Paul urges those who wish to obtain grace to draw near to the throne of grace, that is, to the glorious Virgin. *Let us go,* he says, *with confidence to the throne of his grace.* — So then at first sight there meet us the *Father of mercies* and the mother of mercies and the Son, who is the light of mercies. So the first origination of grace in us is clear, which comes about through the Word *incarnate*. O most wretched men! they who are ignorant of this beginning cannot have grace.

6. Second, grace comes down into us through the Word *crucified*. Not only were we unfit for the receiving of grace on account of ignorance of the divine commandments, but even on account of our infirmity and impotence and covetousness of earthly things: therefore the Lord willed to set supports beneath us. That he might heal our ailments, he came down into us through the Word *crucified*. Whence the Apostle to the Ephesians: *God, who is rich in mercy, for his exceeding charity wherewith he loved us; even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together in Christ, by whose grace you are saved.* We are quickened in Christ through Christ, because Christ triumphed over death; whence death could not swallow him up, but rather the fountain of life swallowed up death, according to what was said: *O death, I will be thy death.* Otherwise we could not be healed and saved. Whence the Apostle to the Galatians: *I cast not away the grace of God; for if justice be by the Law, then Christ died in vain;* but Christ died that he might raise the dead to the receiving of life and grace: therefore grace is poured into us through the Word *incarnate* and through the Word *crucified*. — And the blessed Virgin received that Word *full of grace*; and a river of graces went forth from her side, which has the power to heal us.

7. Third, grace arises in us through the Word *inspired*. However much *God sent his Son* in the flesh, unless thou believe him crucified, thou shalt not have grace. Whence the Apostle to Titus: *Not by the works of justice which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the laver of regeneration and renovation of the Holy Spirit, whom he hath poured forth upon us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour.* Dearly beloved! It is the Holy Spirit who is the giver of graces and the love proceeding from the Father and the Son. Whatever therefore the Father may do and the Son may suffer, without the Holy Spirit it is nothing. For he it is who joins us to the Father and the Son. Whence the Apostle: *The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,* as to the second, *and the charity of God,* as to the first, *and the communication of the Holy Spirit,* as to the third, *be with you all. Amen.*

8. Therefore, if thou wilt have the love of the Son and of the original Principle and of the Gift, the Holy Spirit, dispose thyself for grace. Whence then does grace arise? I say that it arises from the Father of lights through the Word incarnate, through the Word crucified and through the Word inspired. A noble inflowing, which has its origin from God incarnate! This grace ought to be guarded very well; but thou losest it through sin. How wouldst thou dare to bring into thy house a harlot who would carry off everything, whatever thou hadst? Thou lovest temporal things; much more oughtest thou to love grace. When a man is worthy of eternal life, through sin he makes himself worthy of eternal death. Such a one deserves to be greatly punished. Whence the Apostle to the Hebrews: *A man making void the law of Moses dieth without any mercy under two or three witnesses. How much more, do you think, he deserveth worse punishments, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God and*

*hath esteemed the blood of the testament unclean, by which he was sanctified, and hath offered an affront to the Spirit of grace?* If a man sins, he treads under foot the Son of God. — Therefore the grace of God comes down to us through the Word incarnate, through the Word crucified and through the Word inspired. This most noble inflowing man assails through sin. For all the things in the world a man ought not to commit sin. Not without cause did God will to be tempted. It is said in Ecclesiasticus: *Flee from sin as from the face of a serpent.* A serpent pouring out venom kills; so sin kills the life of grace. — Now it is clear what the *rise* of grace is.

9. Let us see what the *use* of grace is. You must understand that the use of grace is to this end, that it may lead us into advancement; and for this it is required that the use of grace be *faithful* toward God, *manly* in oneself and *generous* toward one's neighbour. — First, I say, the use of grace ought to be *faithful* toward God. Whence the Apostle: *But when it pleased him who separated me from my mother's womb and called me by his grace, immediately I condescended not to flesh and blood.* He is faithful who does not diminish the gift he receives on another's behalf. But when thou seekest anything more principal than God, thou art not faithful. Therefore the Apostle says: *I condescended not to flesh and blood*, that is, I sought not carnal glory, but only the divine. Those learned in optics say that if a ray fall perpendicularly upon a body wiped clean and polished, it must needs be reflected back by the same way. The inflowing of grace is like a perpendicular ray; I speak of grace that makes pleasing, since grace freely given is like a ray of incidence; it is necessary therefore that he who truly receives the grace of God should render glory to God. Whence if thou preachest for thine own glory, nothing is the better for thee. Upon that word of Ecclesiastes: *Unto the place from whence the rivers come out, they return;* Bernard says that « the origin of springs is the sea, the origin of virtues and of the sciences is Christ ». He says therefore: *Unto the place from whence the rivers come out*, namely of graces, *they return, that they may flow again.* For just as a spring has no lasting, unless it have continual conjunction with its origin, nor light either; so the grace of the Holy Spirit cannot flourish in the soul except through its return into its own original principle.

10. This return and conjunction humility preserves, and pride dissolves. Whence in the Canonical Epistle of James: *God resisteth the proud, but to the humble he giveth grace.* And what is the reason? Who is humble? Surely he who attributes all the good things he has to his original principle; but the proud man attributes everything to himself. The humble man is continued with his origin, but the proud man is discontinued and as it were says: this I did not receive from thee. And therefore Lucifer was made dark, because he withdrew from his original principle; but Christ led himself back into his original principle through humility, and therefore he was bright. — On this account it is said in Ecclesiasticus: *The greater thou art, humble thyself in all things.* Art thou an archbishop or a bishop; wilt thou find grace? Humble thyself. Otherwise we are thieves, unless we humble ourselves. If a king had enriched a man, and that man were unwilling to acknowledge that he had received goods from him, he would be very unfaithful and would deserve to be stoned. We see some men exalted by God who nevertheless raise themselves against God, saying: *Our hand is high, and God hath not done all these things*. Such men lose both the land of the living and the grace of the Holy Spirit.

11. The second mark of the use of grace is that it ought to be *manly* in itself. Whence the Apostle to the Hebrews: *It is best to establish the heart with grace,* he does not say the belly. At other times you have laboured to establish your bodies. He who wishes to have strong arms must exercise himself in strong works. Likewise, he who wishes to have establishing grace must exercise himself in the works of the virtues. The Apostle, when he said: *By the grace of God I am what I am;* adds: *I have laboured more abundantly than all.* Dost thou then praise thyself, O Apostle? No; whence he adds: *Not I, but the grace of God with me.* It is a noble example that some should know their own virtue and not be proud of it. How virtuously do some men act with the grace of the Holy Spirit! — Samson with his hair was exceedingly strong; his strength went beyond nature. And why was his strength in seven locks of hair? I say that by the seven locks is signified the sevenfold grace of the Holy Spirit, by whom *his strength is made firm.* But when he lay down in Dalila's lap and had not his hair, he became in strength like other men. Give me one man without grace who could endure what blessed Lawrence endured. For man can do nothing without grace; and nothing is so hard that a man cannot endure it with grace. Whence the Apostle: *I can do all things in him who strengtheneth me.*

12. Third, the use of grace ought to be *generous* toward one's neighbour. Whence in Matthew: *Freely have you received, freely give.* O sun, why dost thou not sell thy light? And thou, Seine, why dost thou not sell thy drops of water?

Surely, because it has received freely, therefore it communicates freely. Only wretched man is the one who sells the grace conferred on him. Whence did this selling first come in? Surely from Simon Magus, to whom the Apostle Peter said: *Thy money be with thee unto perdition.* The chief of the Apostles, blessed Peter, says: *As every man hath received grace, ministering the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.* Dionysius determines for us the use of grace in the angelic and heavenly hierarchy and says that if the higher Angels were to hold themselves back and were unwilling to pour into the lower Angels, then they would close against themselves the way of God's inflowing. If thou deniest to another the good which thou hast from God, and seest a man poor in life or in merit, thou art not worthy of eternal life, and thy life is most base and swinish. — It is difficult for a man to be *faithful, manly* and *generous;* therefore many go astray concerning the *use* of grace.

13. But what is the *fruit* of all these? He who plants a vineyard plants it for the fruit. Now the fruit of grace is threefold, and it can never be found except in one who is in grace. The first is *the remission of sin*, the second is *the fulness of justice*, and the third is *the perpetuation of the blessed life.*

14. The first fruit of grace, I say, is *the remission of sin*. Whence the Apostle to the Romans: *Being justified by faith, let us have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom also we have access through faith into this grace, wherein we stand and glory in the hope of the glory of the sons of God.* As the Philosopher would have it, no one is changed from viciousness to the virtues except through habituation to the contrary habit; so sin will not be remitted for ever except through grace. Can a miser come to generosity except through the exercise of generosity? The Philosopher considers vice insofar as it states a certain *disorder;* when I have knowledge of God, I judge of sin that it is *an offence against God;* for *by the privation of the law thou dishonourest God*; whence it is necessary that thou lie under the vengeance of God. He who is disordered in fault must needs lie under punishment. — Sin lies under the divine vengeance; it is fitting therefore that the punishment be eternal, since the offence is infinite. For the offence is as great as he is who is offended; but God is immense, and his majesty is infinite: therefore the offence too is infinite: therefore the punishment too is infinite, not *intensively*, but *by prolongation;* since it is impossible that a created active power be infinite. It is necessary therefore that an eternal power should work; but God is infinite: therefore if he himself is to change the soul, this must come about through some inflowing of grace. Again, hell is not remitted except through grace. See therefore how grace frees from the servitude of sin and of the devil.

15. The second fruit of grace is *the fulness of justice*, which consists in this, that a man be just *in himself* and as regards *God* and as regards *his neighbour*, namely that a man shun evil and do good. And how? The Apostle says to Titus: *The grace of God our Saviour hath appeared to all men, instructing us that, denying ungodliness and worldly desires, we should live soberly and justly and godly in this world, looking for the blessed hope and coming of the glory of the great God.* — *The grace of God our Lord Jesus Christ hath appeared* etc. This is the grace which drives out all evils and bestows all goods: therefore in grace is *the fulness of justice.* Whence in Ecclesiasticus the uncreated Wisdom says: *I am the mother of fair love and of fear and of knowledge and of holy hope; in me is all grace of the way and of the truth; in me is all hope of life and of virtue; come over to me, all ye that desire me, and be filled with my fruits.* Do you wish to be full of grace and virtue? Come over to me, that is, to Christ. And how? We cannot do this unless we are *raised* above ourselves; but certain things hinder us from being raised above ourselves: therefore it is fitting that we *rise up* against those things which hinder us. In this fulness of grace no one is set except he who rises up against himself and is raised above himself and loves God above all things and his enemy as himself; since by the name of *neighbour*

every man is understood. Full justice therefore is to love God above all things, and this is to love every man, and so both the member of one's household and one's enemy. But what will bring it about that a man be lifted against himself and above himself? Surely grace; I mean, *the grace of the way and of the truth.* It is difficult for anyone to love his enemy, except through grace. A stone cannot give heat of itself; but if it be set beside a burning furnace, it can afterward give heat. *If you love them that love you,* what grace is that? To love only a friend is not the power of grace.

16. The third fruit of grace is *the attainment of eternal blessedness.* Whence the Apostle to the Romans: *The wages of sin is death; but the grace of God, life everlasting.* Thou hast the planting of life and of death. The grace of God is *life everlasting.* But what is sin? Surely nothing else but the tree of death. Here is the tree of *death*, and here is the tree of *life;* set thyself in the garden, where is *the tree of life*. He would be a fool who should plant the tree of death; if thou hast planted a tree on which thou oughtest to be hanged, thou wouldst be a fool. The wicked therefore plant that tree of sin. — There is therefore a threefold fruit of grace: the first is *the remission of sin*, the second is *the fulness of justice*, and the third is *the attainment of eternal blessedness.*

17. And according to this there is a threefold grace, namely the grace that *heals*, the grace that *strengthens* and the grace that *consummates*. — The grace that heals *is given* in the seven Sacraments against the sevenfold sickness; in the just it *is kept* through the seven exercises of justice, which are treated in the seven penitential Psalms. And not without reason are those seven Psalms called penitential, and not others, nor can they be changed nor multiplied. Again, the healing grace *is perfected* in the seven works of mercy. — But the grace that *strengthens* consists in two things. For either it stands after the manner of *setting right*, and so consists in the seven *virtues;* or it stands after the manner of *making ready*, and so consists in the seven *gifts of the Holy Spirit*. — But the grace that *consummates* consists in two sevens, namely the grace consummating *on the way* in the seven *beatitudes*, which are touched on in the Gospel, when it is said: *Blessed are the poor, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven* etc.; but the grace consummating *of the fatherland* in the seven *dowries*, namely in the three dowries of the *soul* itself, which are *vision, fruition* and *holding*. The first answers to faith; the second, to hope; and the third answers to charity. It consists also in the four dowries of the *body*, which redound into the body from the blessedness of the soul and are *brightness, subtlety, agility* and *impassibility;* which answer to the four cardinal virtues.

18. And so there are seven sevens. To speak of the seven Sacraments, of the seven exercises of justice and of the seven works of mercy would be too long; to speak also of the seven beatitudes and of the seven dowries would for the present be too arduous. And therefore we propose to hold to the middle and to speak of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, which are the gift of *wisdom* and of *understanding*, the gift of *counsel* and of *fortitude*, the gift of *knowledge* and of *piety* and the gift of *the fear of the Lord*. And we shall proceed not in that manner in which Isaias proceeds, but we shall begin from the last gift, namely from the gift of *the fear of the Lord;* and we shall ask the Lord that he give us the gifts of the Holy Spirit, who with the Father and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns etc.

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