Dist. 43, Art. 2, 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/2/d/43/q/bon-sent-II-d43-a2-q1
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### Article II. *On the same sin as to its proper conditions.*

It is asked next concerning this kind of sin as to its proper conditions, and concerning this two questions are raised.

First it is asked concerning the gravity of this sin.

Second it is asked concerning the irremissibility of this sin.

### Question I. *Whether the sin against the Holy Spirit is the gravest.*

Concerning the first one proceeds thus, and it is asked whether that kind of sin is the gravest. And that it is, seems to be the case:

1. *First*, by the authority of the Master in the text: "There is, moreover, a certain kind of sin graver and more abominable than the rest."

2. *Likewise*, it seems so by reason. That sin is greater which puts one further from pardon; but such is the sin against the Holy Spirit: therefore etc.

3. *Likewise*, that sin is greater which has less of the ground of excuse; but the sin against the Holy Spirit is of this kind, for it has, among the other kinds of sins, less of the color of excuse: therefore etc.

4. *Likewise*, that sin is greater which more disables the soul for justice; but the sin against the Holy Spirit is of this kind, because it most disorders the will: therefore etc.

5. *Likewise*, just as ignorance excuses the sinner, so knowledge aggravates, because *the servant who knows the will of his Lord* etc.; but the sin against the Holy Spirit is a sin from deliberateness or from settled malice: therefore etc.

**On the contrary:**
1. Upon that text of the Psalm: *They shall be converted at evening* etc., the Gloss: "No one is more incurable than he who seems to himself to be healthy"; therefore the sin in which one sins knowingly puts one less far from health than that in which one sins ignorantly; but the sin against the Holy Spirit is a sin in which one sins knowingly: therefore it seems that it is a lesser sin than the sin of ignorance.

2. *Likewise*, although the majesty of the Three is one, and all are equally to be honored; nevertheless majesty is appropriated to the Father, and honor by appropriation is owed to Him: therefore the sin which is against the Father dishonors God either as much as, or more than, the sin which is against the Son or the Holy Spirit. If therefore the quality of a sin is weighed according to the quantity of contempt, it seems that the sin against the Holy Spirit is not more grave than the sin against the Father and the Son.

3. *Likewise*, malice is a penalty inflicted for original sin, just as ignorance and infirmity are; but ignorance and infirmity, because they are penalties, in some way excuse the consequent sin: therefore by parity of reasoning malice does too.

4. *Likewise*, that sin is graver in which lust more reigns; but in the sin which is from concupiscence lust reigns more than in the sin which is from malice — as is plain, because the lust in fornication is greater than in despair — therefore it seems that the sin which is from concupiscence is greater than that which is from malice: therefore the sin against the Holy Spirit is not the gravest sin.

5. *Likewise*, that sin is graver in which there is corruption of a greater good; but in the sin of unbelief the corruption is greater than in the sin against the Holy Spirit, for in that sin one departs both from truth and from goodness: therefore it seems that unbelief or heresy is graver than the sin against the Holy Spirit.

### Conclusion.

> **Conclusion.** The sin against the Holy Spirit is the gravest, both because it most harms nature and because it most offends the eyes of God.

**I respond:** It must be said that the sin against the Holy Spirit is the gravest sin, both because it most harms nature and because it most offends the eyes of God. — It most harms nature, I say, in that it not only takes from it health, but also blocks the way to health; whence, just as that disease is more dangerous which not only harms nature but also blocks the way to the taking of food or medicine, so is it to be understood of this spiritual disease. It most offends the eyes of God, because it has no color of excuse; and therefore one who sins by this kind of sin deserves to be judged more severely. And on account of these two things the Master says that this sin is "graver and more abominable than the rest," so that it is called graver by reason of the greater harm, more abominable by reason of the lack of excuse.

The reason for this is that the sin against the Holy Spirit is from malice, and not only from malice, but from malice and deliberateness. For then does one sin by the sin against the Holy Spirit, when one is moved to evil out of wickedness of spirit, knowing oneself to be moved to evil; whence the sin against the Holy Spirit is from malice, fused together from the concurrence of the malice contracted from original sin and the malice of conjoined actual deliberateness; and therefore it is said to be not only from malice, but from settled malice. — Now the first malice, namely that left from original sin, does not excuse this sin, because such malice is in the will itself in its own right; and therefore, since it is subject to the will, it does not lessen the character of the voluntary, as infirmity and ignorance do; and because it does not lessen the character of the voluntary, it does not diminish the character of sin; and therefore it does not excuse. — But the *other* malice not only does not excuse, but even greatly aggravates, both by reason of its *own wickedness* and by reason of the *adjoined knowledge*; for it belongs to each to aggravate. — And thus it is plain why the sin against the Holy Spirit most *offends the eyes of God*, namely because it is from settled malice.

From this same cause also it *harms nature*. For the harm of sin consists principally in the disordering of the will; and the more wickedly the will inclines itself to something, the more it disorders and depraves itself. And because this sin proceeds from *settled malice*, therefore in this kind of sin the sinner knowingly and deliberately, indeed even imprudently, chooses evil beforehand; and therefore his will, more in this sin than in others, rejects the good, because the will's taste is more deeply infected; and hence it is also that it rejects the medicine, just as a taste most infected rejects good food.

Since therefore this sin proceeds from *settled malice*, hence it is that it is *graver* and *more abominable* than the rest, so far as it is from the kind of sin. Hence it is also that it is most *harmful to nature*, and most *offensive to the eyes of the divine Majesty*. — And therefore the arguments showing that this sin is the gravest are to be granted.

**To the objections:**
1. To that which is first objected, that the sin from ignorance puts one further from health; it must be said that greater incurability can come from two causes: either from the condition of the *disease*, or from the condition of the *sick man*. When therefore it is said that no one is more incurable than he who seems to himself to be healthy, this is understood as to the condition and state of the sick man, in that such a one, not feeling himself sick, does not seek the physician, and so is never healed. But as to the condition of the *disease* it does not hold true. For if one who sins from ignorance is instructed, he easily recovers health; but one who sins against the Holy Spirit is rebellious to instruction by the very nature of such a disease; and therefore, so far as in itself, that sin is both graver and more incurable.

2. To that which is objected, that the sin against the Father is equally grave, or more so, than the sin against the Holy Spirit, because majesty is appropriated to the Father; it must be said that that sin is not called graver than others on the ground that in it the *person of the Holy Spirit* is contemned more than the *person of the Father* — for in every sin the one majesty of the three persons is contemned; whence, just as this kind of sin is not distinguished from the sin against the *Father* by the fact that here the *Holy Spirit* is contemned, and there the *Father*, so neither is it on this account judged graver — but it is

graver on this account, that in it the majesty of the three persons is more contemned than in the other kinds of sins. For it more assails *grace*, which is the effect of the whole Trinity; and therefore it is a greater kind of sin; and therefore that argument proceeds from a false understanding.

3. To that which is objected, that malice is a penalty inflicted, therefore it ought to excuse, just as the other penalties; it must be said that it is not the same. And the reason for this is that malice regards the *will* itself in its own right, but ignorance regards the *intellect*, and infirmity regards the *flesh*; and these are not so much in the will as malice itself; and therefore they diminish the character of sin more than malice does. *Moreover*, the sin against the Holy Spirit is not only from *contracted* malice, but rather is from malice fused together from *contracted* malice and *proper* malice, as was said above.

4. To that which is objected, that that sin is graver in which lust more reigns; it must be said that greater lust is so called in two ways; either by reason of greater *pleasure*, or by reason of greater *wickedness*. For lust names a will that is pleasure-seeking and wicked. When therefore it is said that the gravity of a sin is reckoned according to the *quantity of lust*; it must be said that this is true insofar as the quantity of lust is weighed according to the *wickedness of the will*; but it is not true insofar as it is weighed in respect of *pleasure*; as is plain, because an old fornicator or adulterer sins more gravely than a young one; for he is moved by a more wicked will, although the young man takes more pleasure. Although therefore in the other kinds of sins lust more abounds as to *pleasure*; nevertheless, because in this sin it more abounds as to the *wickedness of the will*, this sin is graver.

5. To that which is objected, that the corruption is greater in the sin of unbelief; it must be said that greater corruption can be in two ways: either *intensively*, or *extensively*. Speaking *extensively*, more goods are taken away in the sin of unbelief than in the sin against the Holy Spirit, because in that kind of sin the foundation of the whole spiritual edifice is removed. But *intensively* the privation is greater in the sin against the Holy Spirit, in that it more renders one unfit for the good and more firmly fixes one in evil; whence that sin is rightly called graver in which there is greater privation of good intensively. And because the sin of heresy very frequently has the sin against the Holy Spirit conjoined, as obstinacy; hence it is that that sin is very dangerous. For if heretics were moved only from ignorance, a remedy would more easily be applied to them; but because with obstinate mind they pertinaciously cling to their error, they are broken rather than bent.