Dist. 40, Art. 1, 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/40/q/bon-sent-III-d40-a1-q3
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### Question III. *On the difference of the two Laws with respect to the burden annexed, namely that the Law is a law of gravity, but the Gospel a law of sweetness.*

Thirdly, inquiry is made concerning the difference of the Law and the Gospel with respect to the burden annexed. For the Mosaic Law is said to be a law of gravity, and the evangelical Law is said to be a law of sweetness. And this difference is drawn from Matthew, chapter eleven: *For my yoke is sweet, and my burden light;* and in Acts, chapter fifteen, blessed Peter says: *This is a burden which neither we nor our fathers were able to bear.* Against this difference it is objected thus:

1. In the first Canonical [Letter] of John it is said: *His commandments are not heavy:* therefore if the old Law contains the commandments of God, it seems that it is not burdensome nor heavy.

2. Likewise, to the Romans, chapter thirteen: *He who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the Law;* but this is very easy, since it is altogether within the power of our heart: therefore it was easy to observe the Law: therefore that Law ought to be called a law of facility, not of gravity.

3. Likewise, if the Mosaic Law is said to be a law of gravity, either this is said with respect to the *virtuous* man, or with respect to the *sinner* and the unjust. If with respect to the *virtuous;* on the contrary: he who is virtuous has charity and loves, and all things are easy to one who loves. If with respect to the *sinner;* but with respect to such a one the Law of the Gospel is not only heavy, but rather altogether unbearable: therefore it does not seem that the difference of the new Law and the old ought to be assigned with respect to gravity.

Likewise, objection is raised against the *second* part of the difference:

4. Because « art and virtue [are] about difficult things »: therefore where there is greater virtue, there ought to be greater difficulty; but men of more perfect virtue are in the new Law than in the old: therefore it seems that the new Law ought to be of greater gravity and difficulty.

5. Likewise, it is more difficult to restrain the hand and the mind than the hand alone; but the Gospel restrains the hand and the mind, the Law only the hand: therefore the evangelical Law is of greater difficulty than the Mosaic Law.

6. Likewise, that which adds to another is more difficult than it; but the Law of the Gospel stands by addition to the old Law, as is clear from Matthew, chapter five: therefore there is greater gravity and difficulty in the Law of the Gospel than in the old Law: therefore the aforesaid difference is null.

> ### Conclusion.
> Although the evangelical Law is, as to the arduousness of its precepts, heavier than the old Law, nevertheless it is rightly called a law of sweetness, and the latter a law of gravity.

**I respond:** For the understanding of the foregoing it must be noted that these two Laws can be spoken of in a threefold manner: either by reason of the obligating precepts, or by reason of the moving affections, or by reason of the helping Sacraments. If by reason of the obligating precepts; thus they stand to each other as the exceeding and the exceeded. For as to *number* the Law was heavier on account of the multitude of judicial and ceremonial [precepts]; but as to *perfection* and *arduousness* the Gospel is heavier and more difficult, just as it is more difficult to live according to the requirement of perfection than according to the sufficiency of the common law. And thus

in a certain manner, by reason of the burden of the precepts, the Law exceeds [the Gospel], [and] in difficulty in a certain manner the Gospel [exceeds the Law]. — In another way these two Laws are to be compared with each other by reason of the *moving affections;* and thus the Gospel is lighter, because, since in the observance of the evangelical Law *love* moves [one] — which lightens the burden and does not feel the labor, as Bernard says, but rather [finds] delight in what it does — by reason of the moving affection the evangelical Law is easy and sweet. But on the contrary, the affection moving to the observance of the Mosaic Law was *fear;* and to that fear was joined a grave punishment, which was signified in Exodus, chapter seventeen, where it is said that *the hands of Moses were heavy.* And because *fear* of itself *has punishment* and was outwardly joined to punishment; hence it is that as to this the Mosaic Law was much heavier than the evangelical. — In a third way these Laws are to be compared with each other by reason of the *helping Sacraments;* and thus the evangelical Law is much lighter than the Mosaic, because the Sacraments of that [old] Law had much weight and had little of the efficacy of virtue; the contrary is the case in the Sacraments of the new Law, because they have little difficulty and have much usefulness. Hence it is that, according to this comparison, the new Law is not only said to be *lighter* than the Mosaic Law, but rather is called the *yoke of lightness,* and that [old one] is called the *burden of gravity.* — Hence it must be granted that the aforesaid difference is rightly assigned.

1. To that which is first objected to the contrary from the authority of John, it must be said that the commandments themselves can be spoken of in two ways: either by comparison to *sound* nature, or by comparison to *infirm* [nature]. If by comparison to *sound* nature; thus he says that His commandments are not heavy, because they are consonant with nature. But if by comparison to *infirm* nature, which has difficulty toward the good and a proneness toward evil; thus His commandments are both heavy and difficult; and as to this way, namely by comparison to *infirm* and *fallen* nature, the aforesaid difference is assigned.

2. To that which is objected, that he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the Law; it must be said that *Law* is there restricted to the commandments of the *Decalogue* which pertain to the second tablet, according as the Apostle himself explains. Hence in this are not included the *ceremonial* and *judicial* [precepts], especially those which do not order [one] toward the neighbor; and those indeed are quite difficult to observe: and therefore it does not follow that if it is easy to love the neighbor, that on this account it is easy to observe the whole Law. — *Moreover,* there is another defect there: because, although it is easy to love the neighbor for him who is led by *love;* yet for him who is governed by *servile fear,* it is very difficult to love the neighbor as himself and to injure the neighbor in nothing, then most of all, when he is injured and burdened by him.

3. To that which is asked, whether the Law be called heavy for the virtuous man, or for the non-virtuous; it must be said that it is understood of the *virtuous* man, for whom those ceremonial works and precepts also are difficult, such as *the baptisms of cups and pitchers*, and the avoidance of carnal uncleannesses, in which there consists rather the *signification* of justice than its *exercise.* Hence, as to what is said, that virtue renders the work easy; this is true as to the *proper act.* — Otherwise it can be said that the virtuous man can be spoken of in two ways: either as to *advance in the good,* or as to *the state of perfection.* But although as to the *state of perfection* all things are made easy for him, nevertheless as to *advance* many things are difficult for the man himself who has virtue, and this by reason of the defect of corrupt nature itself, for which it is difficult to cooperate with virtue and grace, unless it be supported by a great help.

4. To that which is objected, that art and virtue are about the difficult; it must be said that this is true of the difficult, according as it sounds toward the *perfection of arduousness,* but not according as it sounds toward the *burden of gravity and labor.* And therefore it does not follow that the Gospel is more difficult, although there is in it a more perfect exercise of virtue. — *Moreover,* as to what is said, that virtue is about the difficult, this is about the difficult to

the private virtue of nature, but not with respect to nature itself when informed and elevated through grace and virtue, in which manner indeed it is elevated in the Law of the Gospel.

5. To that which is objected, that it is more difficult to restrain the hand and the mind than the hand alone; it must be said that it is true, as far as concerns the kind of work and with respect to a man not having charity; but in the new Law, to those who wish to keep and guard it, grace and charity are given, which render [one] as easy to restraining the mind, as fear rendered [one] to restraining the hand.

6. To that which is objected, that the Law of the Gospel stands by addition to the old Law; it must be said that those additions which are in the new Law make for the increase of charity; and because, according as charity is increased, according to this the weight is lightened: hence it is that those additions rather lighten than weigh down. For not all things added weigh down, but certain ones lighten, like *feathers* in birds and *wheels* in chariots and *sails* in ships, because without these [the latter] are much heavier. In this manner it is to be understood concerning the addition made in the Gospel, which indeed makes for the advance of charity, whose [office] is to lift us upward in the manner of a *feather,* to order [us] continually to good works and to move [us] in the manner of a *wheel,* to carry [us] through the waters of temptations and tribulations in the manner of a *sail;* and he alone who has this charity belongs to the Law of the Gospel, which it is much better and more useful to desire than to have every gift of knowledge and prophecy; because *he who adds knowledge adds burden and sorrow*; but he who adds charity multiplies for himself merit and consolation.

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