Dist. 17, Part 1, Divisio Textus
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/1/d/17/q/bon-sent-I-d17-p1-divisio
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### COMMENTARY ON DISTINCTION XVII.

#### *On the invisible mission of the Holy Spirit.*

### Part I.

#### *The invisible mission of the Holy Spirit is determined.*

> *Now therefore let us approach the assignment of the mission of the Holy Spirit, by which he is invisibly sent* etc.

### DIVISION OF THE TEXT.

The part being finished in which the Master treated of the visible procession of the Holy Spirit, in this part he treats of the invisible. And this part is divided into two. In the first, the Master determines the invisible mission of the Holy Spirit according to his own opinion. In the second, however, because his opinion had many opponents, he sets out the defense of his opinion, at: *It is asked here, whether charity is the Holy Spirit.*

Again the first part has two: in the first, he makes known the invisible mission of the Holy Spirit; in the second, he confirms it, at: *But lest in so great a matter [we should seem to bring in anything] of our own* etc.

Likewise, the first part, in which he makes it known, has two; in the first of these he announces his intention, at: *Now therefore let us approach the assignment*; in the second, supposing that the Holy Spirit is the love by which we love God and neighbor, he shows that he is invisibly sent when he effects this effect in us; and this he does at: *But that this may be taught more intelligibly* etc.

*But lest in so great a matter.* This is the second part, in which he confirms his position; and this part is divided into four parts. In the first he shows that the love by which we love God is God, and likewise the love by which we love the neighbor. In the second, however, he shows that that love is properly the Holy Spirit, at: *But since fraternal love is God* etc. In the third he shows that the Holy Spirit is charity, not causally speaking, but essentially and formally, at: *But lest perchance someone should say, that thing said*. Fourthly and lastly he concludes, as something now manifested, that the Holy Spirit is then invisibly sent when he makes us lovers of God and neighbor, at: *From what has been said it becomes clear, that the Holy Spirit is charity* etc.

### TREATMENT OF THE QUESTIONS.

For the understanding of this part four things are asked.

First and principally, on account of the position of the Master, it is asked whether, besides the gift of uncreated charity, a gift of created charity is to be posited; and this is to ask whether the charity by which we love God is the Holy Spirit.

Secondly, granted that there is a created charity, it is asked whether that charity is to be loved by charity.

Thirdly, whether charity can be known with certitude by one having charity.

Fourthly, whether it can be known by one not having it.

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