Dist. 34, Art. 1, Q. 3
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/34/q/bon-sent-I-d34-a1-q3
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### Question III.
#### *Whether appropriation is to be posited in the divine.*

Thirdly it is asked, whether appropriation is to be posited in the divine. And that it is so, appears thus:

1. Because by way of the common things one comes to the understanding of the proper, just as it is clear, that by memory, intelligence and will one comes to the knowledge of the Trinity; likewise by unity, by truth and goodness, in which consists the account of the *vestige*; but one does not come from the common to the proper, unless the common things are in some way appropriated: since therefore in the divine one comes through common things to the knowledge of the proper, there is appropriation there.

2. Likewise, for this there is the authority of sacred Scripture, which appropriates common things to the persons, as power to the Father, wisdom to the Son and goodness to the Holy Spirit.

**On the contrary:**

1. As the proper stands to the common, so the common to the proper; but the proper cannot be communicated except falsely: therefore neither can the common be appropriated. As, therefore, what is proper to the Father is never made common to the others, so neither is the common [made] proper.

2. Likewise, if there is appropriation in the divine, either it is according to the thing, or according to the understanding: if according to the thing; but where there is appropriation according to the thing, something is said of that to which it is appropriated by way of priority: therefore in the divine there is a prior and a posterior as to the essentials, which is unfitting. If according to the understanding, but the understanding appropriates [a thing] to that to which it judges it more to befit: therefore since the understanding more judges that wisdom is in the Father as in the more ancient, to him it ought to be appropriated. But it is appropriated to the contrary: therefore appropriation is against the understanding: therefore it is not taken according to the understanding.

3. Likewise, where there is appropriation, the proper is prior according to the account of understanding to the appropriated — for the account of appropriation is prior in the proper — therefore since the appropriated is common, according to the account of understanding the proper will be prior to the common; which is unfitting.

### Conclusion.

> *Common things, which in some way connote the origin of the persons, have a ground for being appropriated on the side of the thing; insofar as they do not connote origin, they are not appropriable, except perhaps for the sake of removing an error of our understanding.*

**I respond:** It must be said, that of appropriated things one may speak in two ways: either as to that which they signify, or as to the order which they connote. If as to the signified, since that is common and altogether befits [each person] indifferently, it does not happen to be appropriated by reason taken on the side of the thing; nevertheless it is appropriated by reason taken on the side of our understanding, for the sake of removing error. For since the carnal understanding sees in a carnal father a defect of power, and in a son a defect of wisdom, and in a [breath/]spirit understands the fury of wrath; therefore the spiritual understanding, in order that it may raise [us] up from carnality, attributes power to the Father, although it does not befit him more, but lest it seem to befit him less; and so of the others.

But if we speak as to the order or origin which they connote, then they are appropriated on the side of the thing on account of a fittingness with the propers of the persons. Whence since the Father is from no one, and the Son from the Father, and the Holy Spirit from both, and an order of this sort is regarded in power, wisdom and goodness; therefore the ground of appropriating is clear. Whence those things which do not in some way connote order or origin are not appropriable.

1. *To that, then,* which is objected, that the proper is not communicated, therefore etc., it must be said that the case is not similar, since from the fact that the common is appropriated, it is not attributed except to him to whom it befits; but if the proper were made common, then it would be attributed to him to whom it does not befit: and therefore the case is not similar.

2. *To that which is asked*, whether appropriation is according to the thing or according to the understanding;

it must be said, that by this [word] which is *according to* there can be meant the appropriative power or the principle which appropriates, or this [word] which is *according to* can convey the ground of appropriating. If in the first way, then since to appropriate belongs to a knowing power, in this way appropriation is according to our understanding. But if *according to* states the ground of appropriating, then in one way it is according to the thing, namely as to the connoted order; in another way according to the understanding as to the signified. Whence the understanding appropriates on account of [the] understanding, but not the same understanding on account of itself, but the sound and faithful understanding on account of the carnal understanding, not that it may agree with it, but that it may go to meet it. And therefore since the carnal understanding believes [there to be] little of power in the Father, the spiritual [understanding] appropriates power to him. Nor however is the understanding false, because it does not understand more of power to be in the Father, but not less than in the Son. But if it appropriated power to the Son, then the carnal understanding would believe there to be more in the Son, and therefore would be false; and so this is clear.

3. *To the last it must be said*, that the appropriated, according to that which it is, is prior according to the account of understanding to the proper; but the appropriated under this intention follows the account of the proper, and this is no inconvenience.