Dist. 17, Part 1, 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/4/d/17/q/bon-sent-IV-d17-p1-a2-q3
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### Question III. *Whether it is necessary that attrition precede the justification of the wicked, or contrition.*

Thirdly it is asked whether it is necessary that attrition precede the justification of the wicked, or contrition. And that it is so seems [to be the case]:

1. Because, if God were to justify without preparation, then He would also justify without a motion of free will; which indeed He does not do, as Augustine says: "He who created you without you does not justify you without you." Then therefore I ask: by what does one immediately prepare oneself? If by some act other than that of sorrow; since grace is not destructive of one's preparation, it will not expel that act but will inform it: therefore one will be able to be justified without any contrition; but this is false: therefore, etc.

2. Likewise, grace is of itself sufficient to destroy guilt, from the moment it comes into the soul: therefore if an act is required, this seems to be rather for introducing grace than for assisting grace once introduced; but a motion of sorrow before the infusion of grace is attrition: therefore, etc.

3. Likewise, although sorrow is an instantaneous motion, nevertheless it is not elicited by free will except through a preparation and a bringing-together, which happens in time; but justification happens in an instant: therefore it is necessary that before that instant free will begin to sorrow.

**On the contrary:**
1. We see Paul justified, in whom no preparation nor attrition preceded.

2. Likewise, Ambrose: "The grace of the Holy Spirit knows no slow endeavors": therefore the whole thing can be done at once: therefore, etc.

3. Likewise, if a preceding sorrow is required, either that sorrow is informed by the coming of grace, or not. If so: then attrition becomes contrition, and a dead work becomes living; which is unfitting. If it is not informed, then it is necessary that a new sorrow be elicited; but it could likewise be elicited if that one had not preceded: therefore, etc.

Likewise, in connection with this it is asked whether attrition becomes contrition. And that it does not, seems [to be the case]: because it takes its origin from servile fear, which is expelled, not informed. — But that it does [become contrition] seems [to be the case]: because it takes its origin from unformed faith, which is not expelled but informed: therefore likewise also attrition.

> **Conclusion.** *Attrition precedes the justification of the wicked according to the common law.*

**I respond:** It must be said that according to a special privilege God can justify without any preparation; nevertheless according to the common law He does not justify any but those who prepare themselves, as is said in Zechariah: *Turn to me, and I will turn to you.* And because the preparation ought to be according to the fittingness by which it is ordered to justification, [there must be] in the motion of free will both contrition; it is necessary that a person prepare himself by a motion of faith and of sorrow, so that grace may find free will in both of these acts, or even supremely prepared for both, so that in the same instant it be prepared to be moved in which grace arrives. — And the arguments for this position are to be granted; for they proceed according to the common law, which does not prejudice the special privilege.

*To 1 and 2.* And so it is clear in the case of Paul. Likewise, as to its knowing no slow endeavors; it must be said that it is true that grace comes suddenly, but nevertheless a person is not suddenly prepared.

*To 3.* As to that which is objected, whether that sorrow is informed, or a new one elicited; those who say that contrition follows after the remission of guilt say that a new one is elicited, and that after the infusion of grace all the virtues have new acts. But those who say that contrition is in the instant of justification must say that that sorrow is informed, as is the motion of faith or of free will.

To that, then, which is asked, whether attrition becomes contrition; it must be said that this can be understood in three ways: either that the habit by which one is brought to attrition is informed and by it one is brought to contrition, just as unformed faith becomes formed; and this I believe to be true, for I believe that the unformed habit of penance is informed by the advent of grace. Nor is it similar in the case of servile fear, in which the will to sin lives. — In a second way it can be understood with respect to the underlying act; and here too I concede that the act which at its beginning is attrition, before it is interrupted, becomes contrition, as is clear in the case of the motion by which someone goes to church, if grace is infused into him on the way. — In a third way it can be understood with respect to a superadded condition, namely that the dead work, according to that part by which it is dead, should become living; and this is impossible, because that part of the motion passed away and was unformed and is never informed, because the same thing which has passed away is not taken up again.

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