Dist. 19, 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/4/d/19/q/bon-sent-IV-d19-a1-q2
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### Question II. *Whether a wicked priest shares with a good one in the power of the keys, or whether it is in the good one alone.*

Secondly it is asked whether a wicked priest shares with a good one in the power of the keys, or whether it is in the good one alone. And that it is only in the good one seems to be the case.

1. In the giving or promising of the keys, which was made to Peter, Peter is first commended: *Blessed art thou, Simon* etc; and afterwards: *I say to thee* etc; therefore it seems that, if they were given to all in Peter, and were given to Peter by reason of his being faithful and of his good confession, they descend to those alone who are like Peter and his imitators. And in confirmation of this is adduced the saying of Augustine, which is said upon that text *I will give to thee*: « As it was said to Judas: *The poor you will have always with you* etc, who bore the type of the wicked; so it was said to Peter: *I will give to thee the keys* etc, who bore the type of the good »: therefore etc.

2. Likewise, in John the twentieth, where these keys are first given, it is said: *Receive the Holy Spirit; whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven* etc: therefore if before the giving of the power he gave the Holy Spirit, those who do not have the Holy Spirit do not have the power of the keys; but the wicked do not have the Holy Spirit: therefore etc. And in confirmation of this is adduced the Gloss of Augustine in the same place: « The charity of the Church, which is poured out through the Holy Spirit in the hearts of those in whom it is, forgives sins »; but only the good have charity: therefore etc. — And to this end there are many authorities in the text.

3. Likewise, this seems to be so by reason: because a good distributor gives to no one who is wholly unworthy any power of distributing; but a sinner, existing in sin, is unworthy of so noble a power, namely of loosing and binding; this is plain, and God knows it and is himself the one who bestows this power: therefore either he badly gives his gifts, or such a one does not have the power.

4. Likewise, a king would be foolish who would commit the key of his chamber to his enemy: if therefore a sinner is an enemy of Christ; since Christ does nothing foolishly, he does not commit the key of his chamber to sinners. But this is the key of heaven: therefore etc.

**On the contrary:**

1. In Matthew the twenty-third the Lord says to the disciples: *The Scribes and Pharisees have sat upon the seat of Moses; whatsoever they shall say to you, observe and do*; it is certain that the Lord is speaking of the wicked, as is clear there, and to them he says reverence and obedience are to be shown: therefore the Lord wills that good subjects be subject even to wicked prelates. If therefore the power of prelacy in the new testament consists in the power of the keys: therefore the Lord wills to share this power with the wicked.

2. Likewise, just as the key of binding and loosing is from God, so too the key of knowledge is from God; but the Lord gave the key of knowledge to the lawyers, who were wicked, and who also used it badly, as is said in Luke the eleventh: therefore nothing prevents this key from being given to the wicked.

3. Likewise, it seems so by reason: because grace is not transfused from one man into another, as was seen in the preceding: therefore grace that makes pleasing does nothing toward this, that grace come to be in that one: therefore neither toward this, that this one open the kingdom to him.

4. Likewise, it makes no difference toward this, that someone bear the keys of the cellar duly, whether he himself drink, but it suffices that he administer to others: therefore by a likeness it seems that in this no prejudice is generated to the Church, if someone has the keys of heaven, although he himself does not have a sense of grace and a taste of it.

5. Likewise, if no one has the key except the just man; since no one knows either of himself or of another whether he is just, no one knows whether he looses or binds, or whether he is loosed or bound: therefore the greatest doubt and perplexity is left in the Church of God; which is against the good institution of the Church, which ought to be founded upon the foundation of eternal truth.

6. Likewise, if the power of the key followed sanctity; since all day long there occurs a change in sanctity, because he who is less holy becomes more holy, and conversely; now the subject would become the prelate, now the prelate the subject: therefore there would be no stability in the Church; which right faith abhors.

> ### Conclusion.
>
> A wicked priest shares with a good one in the power of the keys as regards those things that are of necessity, but not as regards those things that are of fitness.

**I respond:** It must be said that there is a way of speaking of the conferring of the key upon someone as regards those things that are of necessity, or as regards those things that are of fitness. If we speak as regards those things that are of necessity; thus for the *being* of the key the gift of the Holy Spirit according to grace *freely* given suffices; and this is given infallibly and according to divine institution to everyone receiving the Sacrament of orders, whether he be good or whether he be wicked.

And the reason for this is that the gift of grace *freely* given is not repugnant to iniquity, so as not to stand together with it, as is plain in knowledge and other gifts. And again, perversity is not repugnant to the usefulness of that gift. For just as a wicked preacher preaches well and frequently bears fruit — on account of which the Lord did not will to forbid the one who in his name was casting out demons, although he did not follow him, because this was for the benefit of others — so, because that good of grace *freely* given is ordered toward the common benefit, and although it does not avail the receiver, nevertheless it avails others: therefore the Lord, who in the distribution of the Sacraments considers the common benefit and does not retract his own institution, confers this power on the wicked who are ordained according to the form of the catholic Church. Thus therefore as regards that which is of the necessity of the key, whether as regards its *being*, or as regards its *execution*; since nothing is required for this except order and jurisdiction, and this means the gift of grace *freely* given; it is in the wicked as much as in the good.

But if we speak as regards those things that pertain to fitness; since for the due use of the office merit concurs, and the authority of prelacy ought to be with sanctity, most of all such an office and such an authority; it is fitting that he have charity. — And this is clear: because that office is the office of a mediator and a reconciler; and since this authority is of judiciary power, and no one is a good mediator who is an enemy; no one is a good judge in that case in which he is the accused: it is necessary that he be clean and holy; otherwise, even if he be a minister, nevertheless he is not fit or worthy. — These things having been seen, it is easy to respond to the objections. For the arguments proving that the keys are in the wicked are to be conceded.

*To 1, 2.* As for the authorities to the contrary, it must be resolved that they speak as regards fitness, not as regards necessity. — Or it must be said that, just as it was said above concerning baptism, that the faith and charity of the Church operates in baptism conferred by the wicked, because it is conferred in the form of the Church; so in the present case it is to be understood.

*To 3.* As for that which is objected concerning the good dispenser, that he does not give to the unworthy; it can be answered that God does not give to him for his own sake, but for the common benefit; and because, although a wicked man is not *worthy*, nevertheless he can be *useful*; therefore he confers it on him. — Or it must be said that God does this to show the abundance of his liberality, by which he makes his sun to rise upon the good and the wicked.

*To 4.* As for that which is objected concerning the key of the chamber; it must be said that if the key were of such a nature that it could neither open nor be able to open except for friends, such a key could safely be given to anyone; but such is the key of heaven, as is plain from what was said in the preceding.