Dist. 30, 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/30/q/bon-sent-III-d30-a1-q2
----------------------------------------
### Article unique. *On charity with respect to the perfection of merit.*
### Question II. *Whether a man, constituted in however little charity, is bound to undergo death for Christ.*

Secondly it is asked whether a man, constituted in however little charity, is bound to undergo death for Christ. And that he is, seems [to follow].

1. Luke 9: *Whoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of Man be ashamed, when he shall come in his majesty*; but Christ will be ashamed of no one, when he shall come in his majesty, except on account of mortal sin: if therefore that sentence is general, it seems that all sin mortally who, in the danger of death, are ashamed to confess the Lord himself: therefore all are bound to undergo death for Christ.

2. Likewise, 1 John 3: *Because he laid down his life for us, we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren*: if therefore Christ laid down his life for all, it seems that all are bound and ought to undergo death for him and for his members, when the opportunity of place and time presents itself.

3. Likewise, everyone is bound to love God more than every creature, however imperfect he may be: therefore everyone is bound, for the honor of God and his glory, to set little store by himself and his own: since therefore the opportunity of time presents itself, it seems that everyone is bound to undergo death for Christ.

4. Likewise, eternal goods are incomparably more to be loved than temporal ones, just as they are incomparably better; but everyone willingly gives that which he loves less for the sake of that which he loves more: if therefore all are bound to love eternal life more than temporal, it seems that all are bound to be willing to expose freely the present life to death, that they may gain the eternal. But what a man is bound to will, he is bound to do for place and time: therefore, when the opportunity presents itself, it seems that all are bound to undergo death for Christ.

**On the contrary:**
1. John 15: *Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends*: therefore to undergo death for Christ seems to be of the greatest perfection; but imperfect men are not bound to works of perfection: therefore not all are bound to undergo death for Christ.

2. Likewise, on Romans 6, on that text: *I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh*, the Gloss: « There are found some who prefer righteousness to the pleasures of the flesh, yet for righteousness they dread punishments and death »; but it is established that, according to the authority of the Apostle, as the Gloss says, such are servants of righteousness: therefore, since such shun death, it seems that they are not bound to be willing to undergo death for Christ.

3. Likewise, Augustine says, and it is found at the end of the preceding distinction: « This is perfect charity, that one be ready to die for the brethren »; and this appears from the fact that prelates are bound to a greater perfection than subjects; and the highest perfection which is required of a prelate is that he lay down his life for his subjects, according to that text of John 10: *The good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep*. If therefore the imperfect are not bound to the works of perfect charity, it seems that not all are bound to undergo death for Christ and for his members.

4. Likewise, it is greater to undergo death for Christ than to renounce all temporal things; but not all are bound to leave all earthly things: therefore not all are bound to undergo death for Christ. And that it is of greater perfection is plain from that which Gregory says: « It is not a great thing to renounce what you have, but it is a very great thing to renounce what you are »; and it is established that it is much greater to renounce one's very self than one's goods, and to give the life of the body than earthly substance.

> ### Conclusion.
> Everyone is bound to die for Christ, but only for place and time, when the necessity is present either of deserting righteousness or of losing life.

**I respond:** For the understanding of what has been said it must be noted that to undergo death with the intention of pleasing God can be threefold: in one way, when the necessity is present either of deserting righteousness or of losing life; in another way, when the opportunity presents itself of manifesting the divine glory and building up the Church; in a third way, solely from this, that one holds his life hateful. The first is of righteousness and necessity; the second is of perfection and supererogation; the third is of rashness and cruelty. Hence Augustine says that those who suffocate themselves and dash themselves down by a precipice out of hatred of the present life are most wicked and most cruel murderers, treating that text of John 12: *He who hates his life in this world keeps it unto life eternal.*

When therefore it is asked whether all are bound to undergo death for Christ; it must be said that for place and time, where such a choice is given — either that righteousness be deserted, or that life be lost — there all, however imperfect they may be, are bound to undergo death and to choose rather, with God beloved, to die than, with him offended, to live. But where such a necessity does not threaten, nor is the choice given, yet the opportunity presents itself of manifesting the divine glory and building up the Church, if a man expose himself to death, to undergo death is of perfection and supererogation, to which not all are bound for Christ. — And along this way proceed the arguments showing that not all are bound to undergo death for Christ; and therefore they are to be conceded.

**To the arguments:**

*To that which is objected last* concerning the renunciation of temporal substance and the suffering of death, it can be answered that it is so in the case of necessity for everyone to desert all temporal things, just as also to undergo death, indeed much more strongly. Hence this is given to be understood through the argument from the lesser; and so that argument, just as the others, does not compel except insofar as it is understood simply, namely that a man is by mere will ready to renounce temporal things and to undergo death.

*To 1.* But to that which is objected first to the contrary, that we ought in the danger of death to confess the name of Christ; it must be said that it is true, if we are placed in the necessity in which it is fitting either to confess or to deny. But there can be a middle between these, because the imperfect man can flee away and hide himself, nor is he on this account said to be ashamed of the name of Christ; but he is then said to be ashamed when out of fear of death he denies Christ himself. Therefore, although all are bound to this, that no one deny, yet from this it cannot be concluded that all are simply bound to endure death, except where the aforesaid necessity intervenes.

*To 2.* To that which is objected, that because he laid down his life for us, we ought to lay down our life for the brethren; it must be said that there is a debt of necessity and there is a debt of fittingness, that is, a debt to which we are obliged, and a debt to which we are admonished. But blessed John does not understand it of a debt in the first way, but of a debt in the second way, which pertains more to supererogation than to a necessary and general obligation.

*To 3.* To that which is objected, that everyone is bound to love God more than every creature; it must be said that it is true; nevertheless from this it does not follow that a man is bound for Christ to desert every creature, because he can at the same time have Christ and the creature which he loves. For a man can at the same time keep the life of the body and the friendship of God, because it is not necessary, nor does the law of charity require, that for the love of God one should endure death, unless he fall into the aforesaid necessity, namely in which it is fitting that he either deny Christ or undergo death.

*To 4.* To that which is objected last, that a man willingly gives that which he loves less for the sake of that which he loves more; it must be said that it is true, if he cannot otherwise attain it; and since a man can attain eternal life even apart from the endurance of martyrdom: therefore it does not follow that all are bound to be willing to die for Christ simply, but under condition, namely if they cannot otherwise please him; and this only is in the article of the aforesaid necessity.