Dist. 46, Art. 1, Q. 1
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/46/q/bon-sent-I-d46-a1-q1
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### Sole Article. *On the will of God with respect to the salvation of all, and with respect to evil.*
### Question I. *Whether God wills all men to be saved by the will of good-pleasure.*

That God wills all men to be saved by the will of *good-pleasure* is shown thus:

1. *First Letter to Timothy*, chapter 2: *He wills all men to be saved*; but it is established that this was not said of the will of sign, since [it is] neither of precept nor of fulfillment nor of any other [kind of sign] — for this does not fall under precept — therefore it is established to have been said of the will of good-pleasure.

2. Likewise, [John] Damascene: « It must be known, that God antecedently wills all men to be saved, and to obtain the fortune of his kingdom; for God did not fashion us for punishment »: therefore, since the *antecedent* will is the will of good-pleasure, which is of good things — things which are irrefragably good — by the will of good-pleasure he wills all men to be saved or to attain salvation.

3. Likewise, everyone having *charity* wills all men to be saved, however small the love he has. Since therefore God has supreme love and charity, it appears that he himself wills all men to be saved.

4. Likewise, as the Philosopher holds, a first [principle] in one way relates to all things or to all [men]; therefore, so far as in itself, it loves all uniformly; therefore if [God] wills some to be saved, he wills all; or if of some he does not will [it], by the same reasoning of none.

**On the contrary:**

1. *Against* this, *first*, is the instance which the Master adduces in the text: if he wills all men to be saved, and of all the greater number are damned than are saved, then his will is frustrated and rendered void; which is openly against the truth.

2. Likewise, all whom God wills to be saved he *elects* to salvation — for God's election says nothing other than love unto saving — therefore if he wills all to be saved, all are elect. *On the contrary*, Matthew 22: *Many are called, but few are chosen*.

3. Likewise, in *predestination* there are only these two, namely *foreknowledge* and the will of *saving*, by reason of which God is said to predestine. For when he proposes to give grace and to prepare glory, he is said to predestine: therefore, since God's foreknowledge is com-

mon to all, if the will of salvation is with respect to all, then all are predestined. But all the predestined will be saved: therefore all will be saved; which is against the faith. If you say to me that the will is twofold, *absolute* and *conditional*, and that God by absolute will wills to save only those whom he foreknew to be *made conformed to the image of his Son*, and these he predestined, but by conditional will he wills all, if they themselves will [it]; then it is objected that the conditional will does not seem to befit God, since this is a half-full will, whereas God whatever he wills, wills fully. And *again*, whatever he does, he does fully. And *again*, this conditioned will is either the will of *good-pleasure*, or the will of *sign*. If of sign, then [it is] nothing to the purpose, since by the will of sign he does not will all men to be saved. If [it is] the will of *good-pleasure*; but this exists and is so called in one way only, and is always fulfilled: therefore all men are saved. And *furthermore*, this conditioned will, by which it is said that he wills [it] if they themselves will, can have no place in little ones who die [in infancy]: therefore even so this distinction does not solve [the difficulty].

4. Likewise, when it is said thus: he wills this one to be saved, with someone pointed out, either this — i.e. to will something — connotes [something], or *nothing*. If nothing: then by the same reasoning it can be said of a stone, that God wills this one to be saved. If [it connotes] *something*, [it connotes] nothing but salvation: therefore it follows that if he wills this one to be saved, then this one will be saved, however *to-will* be taken. If you say that it connotes possibility and orderability toward salvation, then it is objected that of anything orderable toward anything else it can be said that God wills it; but every cleric is orderable to the episcopate, and every soldier to royal dignity: therefore God wills all clerics to be bishops, and all soldiers to be kings; which is not granted.

### Conclusion.

> **Conclusion.** God wills all to be saved by the will of good-pleasure, which can be understood either with Augustine of the consequent will, or with Damascene of the antecedent will.

**I respond:** It must be said that since the Apostle says that God wills this, namely *that all men be saved*, we must necessarily concede that God wills [it]. And since it cannot be expounded of the will of *sign*, we must necessarily expound [it] of the will of *good-pleasure*. But since not all are saved, and God's will is never frustrated, therefore it is necessary that force be put on the *mode of distribution*, or on the *mode of willing*.

And the eminent doctor Augustine in the *Enchiridion* applies force in two ways in the *mode of distribution*: in one way, [namely] that the distribution is *accommodated*, as also this [example]: "every man fears at sea" is understood according to the common manner of speaking [as referring to him] who is at sea. Similarly Augustine gives the example: « This master teaches all the boys of this city, namely because he teaches all who are learning. For no one is taught except through him ». Similarly, « God wills all men to be saved, because no one is saved unless God wills [it], and therefore he must be prayed to, that he may will it ». — He also applies force in another way to the distribution according to the common manner of distinguishing — [namely] that [the distribution] can be made for *individuals of [each] genus*, and thus it is false, nor does the Apostle understand [it] thus; or for *genera of individuals*, and thus [it is] true, since God of every nation has willed and wills some to be saved — of Greeks and Latins, of prelates and subjects, and of every nation; and therefore the Apostle says that prayer is to be made for all. This is Augustine's reply, on which the Master leans; and

it is necessary to resolve [it] in this way or that, supposing that *to will* there says the willing of God according as he is said to will by satisfied resolve or by *absolute* will, of which it is true to say: *He has done all that he willed*.

But Damascene applies force in the *mode of willing*. For he distinguishes in God an *antecedent* will and a *consequent* will. And the *antecedent* will is the will with respect to that on account of which God makes man, and is irrefragably of good things. The *consequent* will, however, is the will, not which follows merits, but which wills certain things according to the foreknowledge of merits. The *first*, namely the antecedent, is called by the masters the *conditional* will, or the will by which God wills, so far as in himself. The *second*, namely the consequent, is called *absolute*. But the difference between this will and that is not according to diversity of *affection* or of mode of willing which may be in God, but according to a ground of *connotation* and *understanding*. — For inasmuch as God is said to will the salvation of all, *so far as in himself and antecedently*, there is connoted in all men *orderability* toward salvation, both on the side of given nature, and on the side of grace offered. For God gave a nature according to which they can know him, and seek him once known, and find him once sought, and cling to him once found, and through this obtain salvation. Likewise he offered grace, when he sent and offered the Son, whose price sufficed for the salvation of all. He also bestowed laws and commandments of salvation and showed them. He himself also is present to all who seek, *and is near to all who call upon him*. Therefore to will *antecedently* to save a man is to be ordered toward making salvation and to not fail him who wills to attain [it]. Hence to will antecedently to save does not connote salvation, but orderability toward salvation. But to will *consequently* or absolutely to save is to will to give salvation to him whom [God] foreknows will reach salvation through his own help and grace, and it connotes *the event of salvation*. And thus it is not to be said that God wills all men to be saved.

To this reply the masters give greater consent, although both [replies] are good. According to this [reply], therefore, it must be said that God wills all men to be saved, so far as in himself, or by *antecedent* will, but not by *absolute* or *consequent* will.

**Replies to the arguments:**

*Ad 1, 2, 3, 4.* And because [the antecedent will] does not connote the effects alone, it is not therefore hindered by the fact that not all are saved. — The reply is also plain to that which is objected concerning *predestination* or *election*, because in these the absolute will is included, not only the antecedent. — The reply is also plain to the last [objection], concerning the connotation.

To that which is *objected*, that *conditioned* will does not fall in God, it must be said that velleity is not posited in God as regards a defect of the fullness of will, nor on account of diverse modes of willing, but on account of another relation in connoting; and thus this [objection] is clear.

**Replies to the arguments on the contrary:**

*Ad 1, 2.* As to the reasonings on the contrary side — that God wills all men to be saved — it can be answered to the first two that they conclude both truly and rightly.

*Ad 3.* To that which is objected concerning the charity of men, it must be said that the case is not similar, since we do not know the future merits of men finally; and if anyone did know that some were foreknown [as reprobate], although, so far as in himself, he ought to will them to be saved, yet not by absolute will. But these matters will be made clearer below.

*Ad 4.* To that which is objected, that God relates to all in one way; it must be said that this saying of the Philosopher has place as regards the *governance* of things, not as regards their *production*; or as regards natural things, not as regards things of grace.