Dist. 36
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/36/q/bon-sent-I-d36-littera
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### DISTINCTION XXXVI.

#### Chapter I.

*Whether all things ought to be said to be in God's essence, in the way that they are said to be in God's cognition or foreknowledge.*

It is wont to be asked here — since all things are said to be in God's cognition or foreknowledge, or in God by cognition, and His cognition or foreknowledge is the divine essence — whether it is to be conceded that all things are in the divine essence, or in God by essence. — To which we say that God's cognition is indeed His essence, and His foreknowledge, in which all things are, is His cognition; and yet not all things which are in His foreknowledge or cognition ought to be said to be in His essence. For if this were said, they would be understood to be of the same essence with God. For in God [a thing] is said to be by essence which is the divine essence, which is God. God therefore has with Himself in His foreknowledge what He does not have in His [own] nature. Whence Augustine, *On the words of the Apostle*, thus says: « *He chose us before the foundation of the world*. Who is sufficient to expound this? Those are chosen who are not, nor does He err who chooses, nor does He choose in vain; He nevertheless chooses, and has the elect — those whom, as about-to-create, He is to choose — whom He has with Himself not in their nature, but in His foreknowledge ». They to whom [the kingdom] was promised were not yet, but they themselves were the promised ones, to whom it was promised. — Behold, here he openly says that God has the elect with Himself before the world, not in their nature, but in His foreknowledge — although His foreknowledge is nothing other than His nature, since His foreknowledge is His knowing. It can however be referred to the elect, when he says: *in their nature*, that is, of those [elect]. For He had them from eternity with Himself, not in their nature, that is, of those who were not yet, but in His foreknowledge, because He so knew them as if they were.

#### Chapter II.

*By what reason good things are said to be in God, and not evil ones.*

After the foregoing it is asked — since all things are said to be in God, not by the essence of nature but by the cognition of [His] science, and God knows good and evil things — whether it is to be conceded simply that evils are in God, or are in God by cognition. For God knows, and has always known, all things, both good and evil, even before they were made, and from eternity foreknew them as future. And therefore, since we have said that all good things are in God on account of the foreknowledge of [His] cognition, by the same reason it seems to be said that all evil things are in Him, since He has always known them, and they have been present to Him by cognition. For God foreknew from eternity certain men [as] going to be evil and their malice, as Augustine says — He foreknew it, but did not prepare it. Since therefore He knows the sins of all, must it be understood that they are included in that generality of expression by which the Apostle said that all things are in God? *From Him*, he says, *and through Him and in Him are all things*. — But who, save a madman, would say that evils are in God? For those things are understood to be in God which are from Him and through Him; but those things are through Him and from Him of which He is the author; but He is not the author save of good things. Therefore there are not from Him and through Him save good things; thus therefore there are not in Him save good things: therefore evils are not in God, because, although He knows them, He does not nevertheless so altogether know them as good things. He knows evils as it were from afar, as the Prophet says: and *the lofty He knows from afar*, that is, pride. And elsewhere, speaking to God of evils, he says: *From Your hidden things their belly is filled*. Augustine, expounding [this], says: « Hidden, he says, are the sins which are hidden from the light of Your truth ». But how are sins hidden from the light of divine truth, since they are known by God? For if He did not know, how would He judge concerning them and damn the wicked for them? Elsewhere the Prophet: *For [help comes] neither from the East nor from the West*. Cassiodorus, expounding [this], says: « God is wanting neither to the good nor to the evil, but is present to all and a knower [of all] ». God therefore knows both good and evil things by [His] science, but the good He also knows by approval and by good pleasure, the evil ones not. Whence Cassiodorus on the Psalm says: « Sins are hidden from God, because He does not know [them], that is, does not approve [them] ». And in that sense Augustine said they were hidden from the light of God. Who also in the Epistle to Evodius suggests that God's cognition is to be taken in various ways, saying: « If you refer [it] to [His] science,

God is not ignorant of any persons or any things, [persons] who nevertheless in the judgment He will say to certain ones: *I never knew you*, but their reprobation has been suggested by this word ». — Behold, God is said not to know what He does not approve, [the things] which are not pleasing to Him. It appears therefore that what we have said is true, namely that in a certain way God knows good things in a way in which He does not know evils. Both indeed He knows equally and in the same manner so far as concerns notice, but the good He also knows by approval and good pleasure.

And thence it is that good things alone are said to be in God, not evils — and the former *near*, the latter *far* — because, although in God some things are said to be on account of the presence of cognition, and God knows good and evil things, the evils nevertheless He does not know save by notice, but the goods not only by [His] science but also by approval and good pleasure. And on account of such a cognition some things are said to be in God, namely because He so knows them as also to approve [them], and they please [Him] — that is, He so knows them, that He is the author of them.

#### Chapter III.

*Whether to be from God and through Him and in Him is the same.*

Therefore, if we look diligently, to be *from God* and *through Him* and *in Him* seems to be the same. Whence Ambrose in the third book *On the Holy Spirit*: « These three, *from Him and through Him and in Him*, [signify] all to be *one*, as we said above. When He says *all things to be through Him*, He has not denied *all things to be in Him*. All these have the same force, namely *with Him and in Him and through Him*; and one in these and consimilar, and not contrary, is understood ». — Behold, you have it, that out of the same understanding Scripture says all things to be in Him and through Him and from Him or with Him. Therefore, since by that reason all things are said to be from God or through Him — not only because He knows, but also because He is the author of them — it follows that by the same reason they are said to be in God, namely because He knows and is the author of them: it is said that *in Him we live and move and are*, because, with Him as author, we are, are moved, and live. Since therefore He is not the author save of good things, deservedly good things alone are said to be in Him, just as [they are] from Him and through Him. Since therefore in His cognition or foreknowledge there are all things, namely good and evil, in Him nevertheless they are not said to be save the good, of which He is the author. Whence Augustine in his book *On the Nature of the Good*: « When we hear, he says, *that from God and through Him and in Him are all things*, we ought certainly to understand all natures, and all things which are naturally. For the sins which do not preserve nature but vitiate [it] are not from Him, [the sins] which are born from the will of those who sin ». — Here it is openly said that in that generality of expression good things alone are contained.

#### Chapter IV.

*That [all things] are in [each one] of the three [Persons] and through Him and in Him.*

Furthermore it must be known that, although there a distinction of Persons is indicated when it is said *from Him and through Him and in Him*, all things are nevertheless from the Father and through the Father and in the Father; the same is to be received concerning the Son and the Holy Spirit. Whence Augustine in his book *On the Trinity*: « What the Apostle says, *from Him and through Him and in Him*, is not, he says, to be received confusedly: he says *from Him* on account of the Father, *through Him* on account of the Son, *in Him* on account of the Holy Spirit ». But take vigilant heed, lest, because, wishing the Father to be understood, he said *from Him*, you so understand all things to be from the Father as to deny that all things are from the Son or from the Holy Spirit — since *from* the Father and *through* the Father and *in* the Father all things can soundly be said *to be*; the same is to be said also concerning the Son and the Holy Spirit.

#### Chapter V.

*That not all things which are from God are also of Him.*

This too must here be added, that not all things which are said to be *from* God ought also to be said to be *of* Him; « because, as Augustine says in his book *On the Nature of the Good*, *from Him* does not signify altogether the same as *of Him*. For what is *of Him* can be said to be *from Him*, but not all that is *from Him* can be said to be *of Him*, because it is not of His substance. For from Him are heaven and earth, because He made them, but not of Him, because not of His substance. Just as if some man begets a son and makes a house — the son is from him, the house also is from him, but the son [is] of him, the house [is] of earth and wood », not of him.

In the foregoing it has been made plain that in the cognition or foreknowledge of God all things are, namely good and evil, but not in every manner are evils there in the way that goods are; and that in God there are good things alone, just as [they are] from Him and through Him, not evils; and out of what sense these are to be received has been assigned; and that *of Him* is not properly said to be that which is something other than Himself; but *from Him* are said to be all things which are by His authorship.

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