Dist. 16, Art. 1, Q. 2
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/3/d/16/q/bon-sent-III-d16-a1-q2
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### Question II. *Whether in Christ there was a most bitter pain.*

Secondly it is asked concerning the bitterness of pain, and the question is whether in Christ there was a most bitter pain. And that there was, it seems.

1. Lamentations, chapter one: *O all you who pass by the way, attend and see, if there is any sorrow like my sorrow*; this is said in the person of Christ: therefore it seems that no other pain can be equaled to his.

2. Likewise, in the Psalm: *You have brought in upon me all your billows*, is said in the person of Christ; but he did not bring them all in as regards variety: therefore he brought them all in as regards equivalence and bitterness.

3. Likewise, it seems so by reason. The nobler the complexion, the more bitter is the suffering of pain in it; but Christ had the noblest complexion — for the nobility of the complexion corresponds to the nobility of the soul — therefore since Christ had the noblest soul, he had therefore in suffering the greatest affliction of pain.

4. Likewise, the more lively the sense of touch, the sharper is the pain which is according to sense, whence in those members in which the sense of touch is vigorous, the pain is sharpest; but in Christ the sense of touch was most lively; for « man is the most prudent of the animals », as the Philosopher says, and among all men Christ, since he was the best disposed: therefore the pain which he felt was sharpest above all pains.

5. Likewise, the greater the good which is lost, the greater the pain it brings on him who knows it and has the use of reason; but the life of Christ was the noblest, and that suffering was destroying his life: therefore it inflicted the sharpest pain on that soul.

6. Likewise, a penalty is the more bitter the more swiftly it casts down the strength of nature, especially where it does not destroy any of the principal members; but Christ, suspended on the Cross, died so quickly that even Pilate marveled: therefore it seems that his pain was most grievous.

**On the contrary:** 1. First it is objected on the part of the *kind of penalty*, because the penalty of fire afflicts more sharply than the penalty of iron; but Lawrence and Vincent were burned in fire: therefore it seems that they felt greater pain than Christ.

2. Likewise, the same is shown on the part of the *will to suffer*, because, the more one desires to suffer, the less he grieves in suffering; but Christ vehemently desired to suffer for the human race, as is said in Luke chapter twelve: *I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how am I straitened until it be accomplished* etc.: therefore it seems that his pain had very little of bitterness.

3. Likewise, the same is shown on the part of the *aid*, because the greater the charity a man has, the more easily he bears the torment of penalty; but Christ was of the greatest charity: therefore he bore the torments most easily: therefore he grieved very little.

4. Likewise, the same seems so on the part of the *good lost*, because, the greater the good which is lost, the greater the pain to him who loses it; but the sinner lost God, who is a greater good than this bodily life: therefore it seems that there is more bitter pain in a contrite and penitent man than there was in the suffering Christ.

5. Likewise, the same is shown on the part of the *recompense*, because, the greater and better the recompense made to someone for the good lost, the milder the pain; but to Christ, for the pain of the passion and the exposing of his life, there was being restored the robe of glory in himself and in his other members: therefore etc.

6. Likewise, the same is shown on the part of *hope*, because the more certainly one expects deliverance, the less he is afflicted in suffering; but Christ was most certain of his deliverance soon to come: therefore it seems that his affliction was very moderate.

### Conclusion

> The pain of Christ's passion among other pains was most bitter and most sharp.

**I respond:** It must be said that the pain of Christ's passion, among other pains and sufferings, was most bitter and most sharp. And this is plain if those things are considered which render the suffering of pain more bitter. These are three, namely the *cause of the suffering* and the *manner of suffering* and the *condition of the sufferer*.

If the cause is considered, on account of which Christ suffered, there was in him a great affliction of pain. For he was not suffering for his own fault, but rather for another's; not for friends only, but also for enemies, and even for those whom he saw to be ungrateful. — But if the manner of suffering is considered, there was in him a more bitter suffering of pain, both on account of its generality, because he was afflicted in all his members, and also on account of its continuity, because his hanging was continuous, and the nails afflicted him hanging as much as they afflicted him when his hands and feet were pierced, in which the affliction was greatest on account of the nerves and muscles meeting there, in which sense is especially vigorous. — But if the quality or condition of the sufferer is considered, the affliction was greatest on account of the greatest evenness of complexion and on account of the liveliness of sense. Whence, because no one could be equaled to him either in evenness of complexion or in liveliness of sense, his pain was the sharpest of all pains.

And therefore let us grant the reasons which show this; and let us return him thanks, as much as we can and beyond what we can, if in any way it be granted us to suffer along with one suffering so grievously. — But the reasons which are objected to the contrary, which show a mitigation of Christ's pain, do not oppose the truth, if they are rightly understood. For it happens that there is bitterness in pain in two respects, namely as regards the *experience of sense* and as regards the *repugnance* *of reason*. But although there was in Christ the greatest affliction of pain as regards the experience of sense; nevertheless the reason of Christ reckoned all those torments slight — yet this did not take away the bitterness, but the overthrow of reason.

**To the opposing arguments:** *To 2, 3, 5, 6.* And by this is plain the response to those four reasons which are taken on the part of the desiring will, on the part of the aiding charity, on the part of the recompense, and on the part of expectation.

*To 1.* To that which is objected on the part of the kind of penalty, it must be said that that reason proceeds from an insufficient ground. For the bitterness of a penalty is not weighed so much on the part of the agent as on the part of the patient. « For the act of agents is in a disposed patient »; and because the quality in Christ rendered him disposed to greater pain, therefore I grant well that the iron nail afflicted Christ much more than the fire afflicted Lawrence.

*To 4.* To that which is objected, that the pain in the contrite man exceeds the pain in Christ on account of the quantity of the good lost; it must be said that *damage* of itself does not bring on pain, but the *sense of damage*; and although the sinner loses a greater good, yet because he does not feel it more, but less, it does not follow that he grieves more, for the most part. For he is afflicted very little, although he has a great ground and cause for grieving.

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