Dist. 20
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/2/d/20/q/bon-sent-II-d20-littera
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### DISTINCTION XX.

#### Cap. I.

#### *On the mode of procreating children, if the first parents had not sinned.*

After these things it must be seen how the first parents, if they had not sinned, would have procreated children, and what manner of children would have been born to them. — *Opinion of certain ones.* Some think that the first men could not have been joined together in paradise for the begetting of children except after sin, saying that intercourse cannot happen without corruption or stain. But before sin neither corruption nor stain could be in man, since these things followed from sin. — *It is refuted.* To which it must be said that, if the first parents had not sinned, they would have come together in carnal union in paradise without any sin or stain, and there would have been an *undefiled marriage-bed*, and intercourse without concupiscence; and they would have commanded their genital members as the others, so that they would feel no illicit motion there; and just as we move other members of the body to others — the hand to the mouth — without the burning of lust, so they would have used their genital members without any itching of the flesh. For this deadly sickness has clung to the members of man from sin. They would therefore have begotten children in paradise through immaculate intercourse and without corruption.

*Augustine.* Hence Augustine *on Genesis*: « Why should we not believe that the first men, before sin, were able to command their genital members for procreation, just as we use the others in any work whatever without the itching of pleasure? For it is not incredible that God made those bodies such that, if they had not sinned, they would command those members as their feet, neither would they sow with burning nor bear with sorrow; but after sin they earned that motion which marriage orders and continence restrains ». « *Doubt 1.* For weakness prone to a downfall of turpitude is taken up by the honor of marriage, and what would be a duty in the sound is a remedy in the sick ». « *Doubt 2.* Once dismissed from paradise they did indeed come together and beget, but in paradise they could have had *honorable nuptials and an undefiled bed* without the burning of lust, without the labor of bringing forth ».

#### Cap. II.

#### *Why they did not have intercourse in paradise.*

Why then did they not have intercourse in paradise? *Doubt 3.* Because, the woman having been created, transgression at once took place, and they were cast out of paradise: or because God had not yet commanded that they have intercourse, and the divine authority could be awaited where concupiscence did not press. But God had not commanded it, because he foreknew their fall, from whom man was to be propagated. — Here you have expressly concerning the mode of propagation of children.

#### Cap. III.

#### *On the mode of translation to a better state, if they had not sinned.*

But concerning the terminus of the time at which they were to be translated to the spiritual and heavenly life, Scripture does not hand on anything certain. And therefore it is ambiguous *It is resolved two ways.* whether the parents, with children begotten and the justice of the human office being made perfect, would be translated to a better state, not through death, but through some change; or whether the parents would remain in some state of life, using the tree of life, until the children should attain the same state, and thus, the number being filled, all together would be translated to better things, so that they might be like the holy Angels in heaven. Concerning which *Augustine.* Augustine discusses ambiguously *on Genesis*, speaking thus: « The first men in paradise could have begotten children, not so that the parents dying the children might succeed them, but with the parents remaining in some state of form and drawing vigor from the tree of life, and the children would be led to the same state, until, the number being filled, animal bodies without death *Doubt 4.* would pass into another quality, in which they would serve entirely the ruling spirit, and, with the spirit alone vivifying, would live without bodily nourishments ». « Or the parents could yield to the children, so that through successions the number might be filled, who, with children begotten and the justice of the human office made perfect, would be translated to better things, not through death, but through some change ». — Behold, here we have something about the passage of man to better things, but it is left uncertain to us whether they were translated all at once or by successions.

#### Cap. IV.

#### *Whether the children would be procreated in the perfection of stature and use of members.*

« But if it be asked what sort of children, if man had not sinned, he would have begotten — namely, whether, just as the first man himself stood forth as perfect at once when made according to the stature of body and use of members, so also his children would exist perfect in the very beginning of birth, since they could walk and speak and do all things »; it can be answered that it was fitting that the children be born small on account of the necessity of the maternal womb. But whether, once born, they would have the perfection of stature and the use of members; or whether as small ones and set in a lesser age they could use the offices of the members; or whether through intervals of time, in that manner in which it now happens, they would receive perfection of stature and use of members; we have nothing defined from authorities.

And concerning this *Augustine.* Augustine speaks ambiguously. « It moves us, he says, whether the first men, if they had not sinned, would have had such children as would use neither tongue nor

nor hands nor feet. For perhaps on account of the necessity of the womb it was necessary that small ones be born; but, although the rib is a small part of the body, he did not on this account make a small wife for the man; whence also the omnipotence of the Creator could make his children great as soon as born ». « But to omit this, he could certainly have granted them what he granted to many animals, whose young, although small, nevertheless as soon as they are born run and follow their mothers. On the contrary, for a man newly born neither are his feet fit for walking nor are his hands at all dexterous, even for scratching, and with breasts placed beside them, those being born can rather, when hungry, cry than suck, and to the proper weakness of mind this weakness of flesh is congruent ». — By these words it seems to be hinted that the children, even though small, would be able to use the offices of the members.

*Opinion of others.* « But since Augustine hands on nothing as assertion concerning these things, it has pleased certain ones not unreasonably that the children of the first parents were to be born small, and then through intervals of time, by the same law by which we now see human birth ordered, would receive increase of stature and use of members, so that in them *Doubt 5.* the age for walking and speaking would be awaited, just as now in us; which certainly would not be imputed to fault, but to the condition of nature, just as they were not able to abstain altogether from food, yet that was not from fault, but from the nature of their condition ».

« *It is objected.* Against this however it is objected thus: if they had not sinned, they would not have died; but they would not have sinned, if they had not eaten: they could therefore live without nourishment. — *Response.* But, as we have said above, they would not only have sinned if they had eaten of the forbidden tree, but also if they had not used the permitted ones, because, just as it had been commanded to them not to feed on that tree, so to feed on the others. Moreover, they would have acted against natural reason, by which they understood that they were to eat of those which they also naturally desired. — *Another objection.* Likewise it is objected: since hunger is the punishment of sin, if they had not sinned, they would not feel hunger; but without hunger it would seem superfluous to eat ». « Whence some think that they did not need foods before sin, because they could not be hungry, if they had not sinned. — *Response.* To which it can be said that hunger truly is a defect and the punishment of sin. For it is an immoderate appetite of eating, to which man would not have been subject, if he had not sinned; but without doubt he would sin, unless he forestalled this defect with food. For he had a natural and moderate appetite, which had to be so satisfied that he might not feel the defect of hunger. As therefore it was not from fault, but from the condition of nature, that before sin man needed foods, so neither would it be from fault, but from nature, if man's condition, begun from the perfect in its beginning, that is in the first parent, in subsequent propagation should advance from little to greater, namely that through intervals of time it should take on increments of bodily stature and use of members ».

#### Cap. V.

#### *Whether they would also be born as small ones in sense.*

« And since concerning the human body it is not absurd or unfitting to estimate this, it is wont to be asked whether concerning the sense of the soul and the cognition of truth it must be thought in the same way, namely whether those who would be born without sin would exist imperfect in the sense and understanding of mind and through the accession of time would progress in these things up to perfection; or whether, once made, they would at once perceive the perfection of sense and cognition. — *The opinion of certain ones.* Those who think that the small ones born were to advance in the stature of body and use of members through the accession of time do not deny that the same ones in the beginning of birth exist imperfect in sense and through *Doubt 6.* an interval of time advance in sense and cognition up to the perfect ».

« *It is objected.* Against which some object, saying: if those newly born did not have the perfection of sense and intelligence, ignorance would be in them; but ignorance is the punishment of sin. — *Reply.* But those who say this do not consider diligently enough, because not everyone who does not know something or knows something less perfectly is at once to be said to have ignorance or to be *in ignorance*, because ignorance is not so called except when that which ought to be known and not ignored is not known. And such ignorance is the punishment of sin, when the mind is darkened by vice so that it cannot recognize the things it ought to know ».

#### Cap. VI.

#### *On the two goods, the one given here, the other promised.*

« Such was the institution of man before sin according to the condition of body. From this state, however, he was to be translated with all his posterity to a better and worthier state, where he would enjoy the heavenly and eternal good prepared for him in heaven. For just as man is compacted from a twofold nature, so the Creator from the beginning prepared two goods for him: one temporal, the other eternal; one visible, the other invisible; one for the flesh, the other for the spirit ». « And because the first is that which is *animal*, then that which is *spiritual*, he first gave the temporal and visible good. But the invisible and eternal he promised and proposed to be sought by merits. And for the custody of that which he had given, and for meriting the other, which he had promised, to the natural reason placed in the creation of man's soul, by which he could discern between good and evil, he added a precept *Doubt 7.* of obedience, by whose observance he would not lose the given and would obtain the promised, that through merit he might come to the reward ».

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