Dist. 14, Part 1, Art. 2, 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/4/d/14/q/bon-sent-IV-d14-p1-a2-q2
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### Question II. *Whether penance arises from fear.*

Secondly it is asked concerning the origin of penance; the Master says in the text that «penance-as-virtue is conceived in fear».

**But on the contrary:** 1. Because, if it is a virtue, it is [had] through infusion: therefore not through conception.

2. Likewise, since conception is not without generation, why does he say *is conceived* rather than *is generated*?

3. Likewise, why rather by *fear* than by *another principle*? And it seems [it should rather be] by *love*, because fear is caused by love: therefore the first ground of generating and conceiving is in love: therefore etc.

4. Likewise, both fear and love are from the *knowledge of faith*: therefore he ought to say that it is conceived by *faith*.

5. Likewise, if [it is conceived] by fear; [it is] either by *servile*, or by *initial*, or by *filial* [fear]. Not by *servile*, because together with it the will to sin remains; not by *initial* nor by *filial*, because, before one has *filial* or *initial* fear, it is necessary that one repent of sin.

6. Likewise, fear is a *gift*; but penance-as-virtue is prior to the gifts in the natural order: therefore it is not conceived by any fear.

> **Conclusion.** The effective origin of penance is God, but the disposition is in a certain manner and order from us.

**I respond:** It must be said that the effective origin of the virtue of penance is God, but the dispositive [origin is] from us, because «He who created us without us does not justify us without us». — But the disposition proceeds in this order. First it is necessary to know *the goodness and justice of God* — to whom every evil and disorder is displeasing, and by it He is offended, and in no way does He leave evil unpunished — and [to know] that *one has done something* which ought to be displeasing to His goodness; and this is the knowledge of *fault*, and from this a man knows himself to be bound to punishment by the divine sentence. — It is necessary, secondly, to know *the mercy of God*, by which He is ready to remit and pardon every one who returns and grieves over the fault committed. — From the first knowledge is generated *fear*; from the second is generated *hope* of remission; and from these [is generated] the *will* of returning and of being reconciled to God and of making satisfaction through groaning and other penalties; and if one begins to do what is in oneself, one is disposed for justification.

1. 2. From this, therefore, the response is clear, how the virtue of penance is conceived through the disposition for receiving it; and why it is said rather to be *conceived* than *generated*; because *to generate* belongs to the efficient [cause] and to the effective principle, but *to conceive* to the receptive [one].

3. 4. From this it is clear why he says [it is conceived] rather by *fear* than by *love*, because the sinner does not have the love of God, but of himself; and that love never generates penance, except because he fears; whence as long as he *loves* and *believes*, he does not flee from sin, but [only] when he *fears*; and therefore it is not conceived by *faith*, because before fear there is no seedbed of penance, which is to cease from evil. From this it is also clear why [it is conceived] rather by *fear* than by *hope*, because *fear* conceives, but *hope* advances.

5. From this it is clear that it is conceived by *servile fear*. Nor is this unfitting, because this conception is not through a *production into being*, but through *disposition* and *preparation*; and therefore it is not necessary that penance be [held] together with servile fear, but it suffices that the fear prepare [one] for penance.

6. To the objection that penance is prior to the gifts; it must be said that it is a *gift* of the Holy Spirit, together with whom the Holy Spirit is and is given; and this belongs to grace which makes pleasing [*gratia gratum faciens*], and concerning this what he objects is true. And it is a gift which is *without the giving of the Holy Spirit* properly so called, which is through indwelling; and this belongs to gratuitously given grace [*gratia gratis data*], and such a gift is servile fear, and this precedes the virtues; and by such fear penance is conceived. Therefore the objection does not hold.