Dist. 18, Art. 2, Q. 3
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/18/q/bon-sent-III-d18-a2-q3
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### Question III. *Whether Christ merited for us the opening of the gate.*

Thirdly it is asked, whether Christ merited for us the opening of the gate. And that he did, it seems:

1. By the authority of Augustine on the Epistle to the Hebrews: « By another victim the entrance could not be opened to us, nor salvation be effected, except through the death of the Only-begotten, whose humility and patience were so great, that by his merit the entrance of the kingdom might lie open to those who believe in him ».

2. Likewise, this is seen by the authority of the Master in the text: « Christ's humility, by which he tasted death, was able to open the entrance of the heavenly kingdom to all his own, the decree of God being fulfilled »; and if this is true, the same returns as before.

3. Likewise, no one entered heaven before Christ suffered and died, but he descended to limbo, as is clear from the Old Testament; but now they ascend: therefore it seems that now the gate is opened through Christ's merit.

4. Likewise, if we could have entered into the glory of paradise otherwise than through Christ's merits, then we could be saved without the death and passion of Christ; and if so: then Christ would have died in vain. But if this is unfitting, it is established that the gate of paradise was not opened except through the merits of Christ.

**On the contrary:** 1. If Christ merited for us the opening of the gate of paradise, then either of the *earthly* paradise, or of the *heavenly*. Not of the *earthly* paradise, because those who die do not enter there; and besides, Enoch and Elijah entered before the coming of Christ. Not of the *heavenly* paradise, since in heaven no guard or barrier was set; for man was not cast out of it: therefore it does not seem that through Christ's merits the gate of any paradise was opened.

2. Likewise, if Christ opened the gate to us by his merits, then either by the merit of *actions*, or by the merit of *passions*. If by the merit of *actions*: then it seems that he suffered in vain, since his actions sufficed as to merit. If by *passions*: then it seems that Christ profited as to merit.

3. Likewise, all merit consists in the root of charity, and charity in Christ did not grow, therefore all that Christ merited, he merited from the beginning; but he did not merit for us the entrance of the kingdom from the beginning, otherwise it would not have been necessary for him to suffer: therefore it never seems that he could afterward have merited that entrance for us.

4. Likewise, either it was just that the gate be opened to us, or unjust. If just: then, the merits of Christ being set aside, the entrance of the kingdom ought to lie open to us. If unjust; but Christ merited nothing except what is just: therefore Christ did not merit for us the opening.

5. Likewise, charity merits glory by condignity; but Abraham had charity, just as we have it: therefore either God dealt unjustly with him, or he led him into glory; and if this, the entrance of the kingdom lay open before the coming of Christ: therefore the gate was not opened through his merits.

6. Likewise, the faith of Christ before the coming of Christ led man from the state of guilt into the state of grace, just as also after the coming: therefore by parity of reasoning it ought then to have led from the state of the wayfarer into the state of glory, just as now: therefore if now the entrance into heaven lies open to the faithful who die, it seems that it did so also before the coming of Christ: therefore the gate of heaven was not opened through his merits.

### Conclusion.

> Christ by his satisfaction merited for us the opening of the heavenly paradise.

**I respond:** For the understanding of the foregoing it must be noted that there is an *earthly* paradise, and there is a *heavenly* paradise, and when Adam sinned, the gate of each was closed. Now the closing of the gate of the earthly paradise was a sign of the closing of the gate of the heavenly paradise. Now the heavenly paradise is the open vision of God; and the closing of this gate was the impossibility of seeing God *face to face*, which impossibility arose from the merit of Adam's sin and from the decree of the divine sentence, by which namely God had decreed to admit no one to his sight, unless reparation and satisfaction were made to him for that sin. And since reparation and satisfaction were made to him through Christ, as will be better shown below; hence it is that through the merit of Christ the entrance into heaven lay open to us. — Hence the reasons and authorities that show this are to be conceded.

**To the arguments:**

1. As for that which is objected concerning the heavenly and earthly paradise; it must be said that through the merit of Christ the entrance into the heavenly paradise lay open to us, the closing of whose gate was made for us by the divine sentence, as has been said, and as the Master recounts in the text. On account of this the reason adduced proceeds by the supposition of something false.

2. As for that which is asked, whether he merited for us the opening of the gate by action or by passion; it must be said that it was by passion. For by passion he made satisfaction and paid the price; nor does it follow on this account that he profited in merit, because he merited not for himself, but for us; and therefore it cannot be concluded from this that he himself profited, but that we profited.

3. As for that which is objected, that all merit consists in the root of charity; it must be said that there is a merit *of the attainment of eternal life*, and there is a merit *of the remission of punishment*. The merit *of eternal life* consists in the root of charity, but the merit *of the remission of punishment* consists not only in charity, but also in the bitterness of the passion. Now the opening of the gate consisted principally as to the merit *of the remission of punishment*, for the reason that that opening had to be effected through the work of satisfaction; and satisfaction is made chiefly through penal works.

4. As for that which is objected, that it was either just or unjust that the gate be opened to us; it must be said that before satisfaction, the guilt remaining, it was *just* that the gate be closed to us; but satisfaction now having been made, it was *just* that the gate be opened to us. Hence Christ by making satisfaction made for us a debt out of what was not owed, and through this truly and properly merited for us that heaven be opened. Hence when it is said that Christ merited nothing except what is just; it must be said that this holds true, if it be understood that it would retain the character of injustice after the meritorious intervention; but it is not so here, as has been seen.

5. As for that which is objected, that charity merits eternal glory by condignity; it must be said that after the fall of man charity does not merit except by a preceding movement of faith; and absolute faith does not suffice, unless it be faith in the Creator and Mediator, without which no one can be justified; therefore the efficacy of every merit is founded upon the merits of Christ. And on this account it does not follow that charity merits glory, the merits of Christ being set aside, or leads into it, for the reason that the merit of our charity does not exclude the merits of Christ, but rather includes them.

6. As for that which is objected, that the faith of Christ before the passion led into grace, therefore by parity of reasoning also into glory; it must be said that there is no likeness, because the state of *grace* is well compatible with itself an obligation to punishment; but not so the state of *glory*, which excludes every imperfection of punishment and of guilt. Therefore, although the Lord gave grace on account of the promised satisfaction, he nevertheless was not obliged to give glory, except the satisfaction being paid. And therefore the entrance into the kingdom did not lie open, unless first the passion of Christ should intervene, through which the satisfactory price might be paid, and we be not only freed from guilt, but also absolved from punishment. But these things will be better manifested below.