Dist. 4, Part 1, Art. 1, Q. 1
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/4/q/bon-sent-IV-d4-p1-a1-q1
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### Article I. *On those who receive baptism worthily.*
### Question I. *Whether baptism, in those who receive worthily, deletes all guilt.*

And that in those who receive worthily it deletes all guilt is shown thus.

1. Upon that text of Exodus, chapter fourteen: *Not one of them remained;* the Gloss: «All sins are taken away in baptism, the power of the devil is submerged».

2. Likewise, one baptized, if he were to die immediately after baptism, would fly off [to heaven], as the Saints and Bede say, that «baptism opens heaven»; but no one in whom there is any guilt flies off immediately, since the perfection of glory does not bear with guilt: therefore baptism deletes all guilt.

3. Likewise, however small a grace deletes every mortal and also venial [sin], of which there is contrition: therefore if the Sacrament of baptism adds something, it seems that it deletes all guilt.

4. Likewise, the Sacrament of baptism is a perfect remedy, since it is the foundation of the law of perfection: therefore since original sin has deprived man of innocence directly and principally, it does not perfectly delete original [sin] except by restoring innocence. But no one is innocent simply except him who lacks all guilt: therefore it seems etc.

**On the contrary:**
1. The medicines of diverse diseases are diverse, as Jerome says: «What does not heal the eye heals the heel»: therefore since the guilts are diverse, not only in species but in genus, namely original and actual and mortal, then in order that they be cured, it is necessary that diverse spiritual medicines be applied. But baptism is a single Sacrament: therefore it does not delete all guilt.

2. Likewise, baptismal grace is the grace of beginners; but the state of beginners is more liable to guilt than that of the advancing and the perfect, and beginning grace bears more with guilt than ad-

vancing or perfect [grace]; but grace in the advancing and even in the perfect bears with some guilt, namely venial: therefore much more so baptismal grace.

3. Likewise, suppose that someone approaches baptism with a movement of venial sin; either the effect of the Sacrament is given to him, or not. If not: then he is a feigner. But whoever is a feigner sins mortally: therefore venial sin is to him mortal; which seems foolish, if anyone says this, since he is bound to nothing new. But if he is not a feigner, then he receives grace; and it is certain that it [the venial movement] does not delete guilt, since then it [the grace] would at once be and not be: therefore baptismal grace does not delete all guilt.

4. Likewise, if baptism deletes all guilt, since the Sacraments are not necessary to us except for deleting guilt — because if there were no sin, there would be no Sacrament — then the rest are superfluous.

And therefore it is asked whether such an effect ought to have been given to some Sacrament, and why rather to the Sacrament of baptism than to any of the others.

> **Conclusion.** In baptism worthily received, all guilt is deleted and man is restored to his pristine innocence as to the soul.

**I respond:** It must be said that, as the authorities say, and the masters commonly assert, in the Sacrament of baptism, if its efficacy and remedy is fully received, all guilt is deleted and man is restored to his pristine innocence as to the soul.

If the reason of this be asked; it must be said that the causal reason of this was the divine liberality, which conferred so great an efficacy on this Sacrament. But if the reason of this be asked, a threefold fittingness can be assigned. — The first can be on the part of that against which baptism is [directed]. For baptism is properly against original [sin], which among all sins left the worst consequences in the soul, and whose corruption is universal and great; and therefore it was fitting that God should institute a remedy of great efficacy against it; so that, just as in the corruption of that disease the rigor of divine justice is manifested, so also in the remedy the sweetness of divine mercy might be manifested, so that not only that disease, but all the things that follow as annexed [to it], might be deleted by the power of this remedy. And this is what is said to the Romans, chapter five: *Not as the offense, so also the gift* etc.

The second fittingness is by reason of that for which it is [ordained], namely because it is for regenerating. Hence in this Sacrament man is transferred from the power of darkness into the adoption of the sons of God, and the bounty of the divine hand is most opened in the first return and coming. And this is what is said to Titus, chapter three: *Through the laver of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he has poured out upon us abundantly.*

The third fittingness is by reason of order, because it is the first among all the Sacraments and the foundation for the others; therefore, that the foundation might be perfectly laid, it pleased the divine mercy to give to this Sacrament a perfect efficacy for deleting all guilt, so that, forgetful of the things behind, he who has been baptized and as it were made new, might wholly extend himself to the things before. — And because [God] disposed to give to this Sacrament a chief efficacy, and that the power of the passion should be specially present to this Sacrament; therefore he also gave it an express signification; for this, among the rest, more indicates that the soul is made holy and pure. It must be granted, therefore, that it deletes all guilt.

**To the objections:**

1. To that, then, which is objected, that the medicines of diverse diseases are diverse etc.; it can be said that this is true in corporeal things, in which there is a restriction of power; but in spiritual things, where there is a greater communication of goodness, it is otherwise. — But since we have said this to be true in spiritual things, on account of the fact that the Sacraments are distinct; it must be said that a remedy can regard a disease in two ways: either because it is principally made for this, or because it cures this as something annexed. I say therefore that, according as the spiritual diseases are diverse, so also the sacramental medicines principally ordained to them are diverse. But if a disease should have another disease joined to it, and the medicine should have a perfect power of curing; it cures not only the principal but also the annexed; and so I say baptism does.

2. To that which is objected, that baptismal grace is of beginners; it must be said that baptismal grace has a twofold comparison, namely to the good, for which it makes fit, and to the evil, from which

it cures, that is, to sin. According to the first comparison it belongs to the state of beginners, but as to the other comparison, since it is a perfect medicament, it has the power of perfect grace, and this from the divine ordination, which in that Sacrament wills to delete all things and to restore innocence perfectly.

3. To that which is objected concerning the movement of venial sin, some respond that the venial is then made mortal, because he neglects to prepare himself and to dispose himself toward the Sacrament, not because the same sin which was venial becomes mortal, but because contempt is added, which is mortal. — But this saying is hard, since venial movements frequently arise, even when men are spiritual, in the reception of the divine Sacraments. — Therefore others say that there is feigning in two ways, namely *simply* and *in a certain respect:* feigning *simply* takes away the whole effect, and this is with the will of sinning mortally; feigning *in a certain respect,* this is venial, which does not impede the entrance of grace, but its completion, whence in such a one it does not have a perfect effect. — Yet it can otherwise be said that the venial movement does not make a feigner *simply,* but *for a time,* since it does not expel grace, but delays it, while one does not raise himself to receiving divine grace; and when such a movement ceases, I believe that baptism at once has its full effect and deletes this movement and the other sins, even if no new contrition for it should supervene.

4. What is objected last is plain, because baptism is not repeatable. And again, certain consequences remain, which, although they are not guilt, incline to guilt, and therefore need other remedies. — But why this Sacrament is more efficacious than the others is plain from what has already been said.