Dist. 19, Part 2, 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/19/q/bon-sent-I-d19-p2-divisio
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### COMMENTARY ON DISTINCTION XIX.

### Part II.

#### *On equality proved by the exclusion of inequality.*

> *But now let us return to our proposition.*

> FOR THE TEXT OF THIS PART, SEE ABOVE P. 337.

### DIVISION OF THE TEXT.

Above the Master showed that the divine persons are made equal with respect to magnitude positively by the fact that one essence is whole in each of them. Here he shows that there is in them the highest equality, and this he does by excluding from them every account of inequality. And this part is divided into three parts. In the first he shows that the account of an integral whole does not apply there. In the second he shows that the account of genus and species does not apply there, at: *Here it must be added, that so great is the equality* etc. In the third he shows that the account of number does not apply there, at: *But what John says* etc.

The first part again has two. In the first, because he had made a digression, he connects what has been said with what is to be said. In the second, however, he shows that the account of whole and part does not apply there, at: *Nor is any one of the three persons.*

Likewise the second part, in which he shows that in divine matters the account of a universal — that is, of genus and species — does not apply, has two parts. In the first he shows that in divine matters one cannot take a genus nor a species nor an individual. In the second, however, he objects against this by the authority of the Damascene, at: *But to these things certain things seem to be opposed.* The first has two: first he shows that the account of genus or species or individual does not apply there; secondly, that the account of a material principle does not apply there, at: *It must also be noted, that the divine essence is not matter.* Similarly the part in which he objects against this has two: in the first he shows that the account of universal and individual does apply there, by the reasoning of the Damascene; in the second he resolves it. He does the first at: *But to these things there seem to be opposed* etc.; the second, at: *But these things which are said here, although in particular discourses.*

*But what John says* etc. This is the third particle in which he shows that in divine matters the account of number does not apply, and this part has four parts. In the first, having premised that in the equality of the persons the account of number does not apply, he shows in which modes differing in number does not befit the persons, and in which modes it does befit them. In the second he shows that in the divine persons there is as much magnitude in one person as in three, at: *It must be known therefore.* In the third he shows that God cannot be called threefold or manifold, at: *Moreover, since God is called triune.* In the fourth he shows the difference between the plurality which is in the Trinity and the plurality which is in corporeal creatures, in the last chapter: *In corporeal things not only* etc.

And it must be noted that the whole sum and foundation of the entire distinction consists in this word, that the divine essence is one magnitude not multiplied, and whole undivided in each of the persons; therefore it is necessary that the persons be altogether equal in magnitude. Nor can the account of a universal whole apply there, because that is multiplied in its parts; nor of an integral whole, because that is divided into parts and is not whole in each part; and thus neither the account of a material principle, nor the account of number.

### TREATMENT OF THE QUESTIONS.

For the understanding of this part four things are asked.

First, whether in divine matters an integral whole is to be posited.

Secondly, whether a universal whole is to be posited.

Thirdly, whether in the divine persons there is a material principle.

Fourthly, whether in divine matters there is difference according to number.

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