Dist. 37, 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/37/q/bon-sent-I-d37-p1-divisio
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## Commentary on Distinction XXXVII.

### Part I.

#### *How God is in things and in corporeal places.*

> *"And since it has been shown in part how all things are said to be in God."*

### Division of the text.

Above the Master treated of how all things are in God. Here he secondly treats of how God is in things and in corporeal places. And since upon being in a place and in a mutable thing there follows mutation in that which is in it, he therefore secondly treats of God's immutability with respect to place, below in the same distinction beyond the middle, there: *"And since the divine nature,"* etc. The first part has three parts. In the first he narrates how God is in places and in things, and confirms it by authorities. In the second he strives to open up the understanding of what has been said, there: *"How, however, God dwells in the good,"* etc. In the third he shows the insufficiency of our intellect to grasp this, there: *"From what has been said it is clear, that God is whole everywhere."*

The first part has three [parts] according to three chapters. In the first he sets forth the modes of God's being in things. In the second he confirms by authorities that God is everywhere by essence, there: *"But lest these things, because the capacity of human intelligence,"* etc. In the third he shows that God dwells by grace in the saints alone, there: *"But he dwells in the saints, in whom,"* etc.

*"How, however, God dwells."* This is the second little part, in which he stirs [the reader] toward the understanding of what has been said, and this part has three parts. In the first he leads [us] forward by reason. In the second he excludes a foolish reasoning, there: *"It must also be known, since, as Augustine says."* In the third he raises [the mind] to wonder, there: *"This too is marvelous."* For divine sacraments are more wondrous than intelligible.

*"From what has been said it is clear, that God is whole everywhere."* This is the third part, in which he shows the insufficiency [of the intellect] for knowing how God is everywhere by essence; and this part has three parts according to three chapters. For first he shows that our intellects are insufficient. Second he excludes those who presumptuously resolve [the matter], there: *"Some, however, presuming to measure by their own ingenuity what is immense,"* etc. Third he rejects those who irrationally inquire, there: *"It is also wont to be asked by these same persons, how God,"* etc.: where he shows that their question is frivolous and unworthy of a reply.

### Treatment of the questions.

For the understanding of this part, inquiry is made concerning God's existence everywhere; and concerning this three [matters] are principally asked.

First it is asked, whether to be everywhere belongs to God.

Second, whether to be everywhere is proper to God [alone].

Third, in what manner being everywhere belongs to God.

And as to the first, since "to be everywhere" can be distributed across all things and across all places, two [questions] are asked.

First, whether God is in all things.

Second, whether he is in all places.

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