Dist. 43, 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/43/q/bon-sent-IV-d43-a2-q2
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### Question II. *Whether all things are written in the book of life.*

Secondly, it is asked what the writing of this book is. And that all things are written there seems to be the case:

1. Because the Son of God himself is the exemplar of all things and knows all things, he who is called the book of life.

2. Likewise, it seems that even the wicked are written in it: because it is said in the Psalm: *Let them be blotted out of the book of the living*; but nothing is blotted out of anything unless it is written in it: therefore etc.

3. Likewise, that book is immutable: therefore if the wicked have once been written, they are always written: therefore they are not blotted out.

**On the contrary:**

1. That not all things are written there seems to be the case: because then, on this reckoning, it would seem that a stone were written in the book of life; which is not said except of the elect.

2. Likewise, that the wicked are not written in it seems to be the case: because evil does not have an exemplar in God: therefore, if that book is an exemplar, it is evident, etc.

3. Likewise, in the tenth [chapter] of Luke the Lord said to the disciples: *Rejoice, because your names are written in heaven*; but if this book were [the book] of all, then all would have to rejoice; which, since it is not so, is evident, etc.

In connection with this it is asked: how can a *blotting-out* be transferred to that book, since it implies variation and privation and corruption, which are in no way in God?

> **Conclusion.** The writing of the book of life is called the predestination of those to be saved, as regards themselves and the grace and glory which they are to have.

**I respond:** It must be said that, just as *art* and *exemplar* belongs to the whole Trinity, yet is appropriated to the Son, so also the *book of life*. — But it must be noted that of the creature there is a twofold comparison to God: one *in going forth*, and this belongs to all creatures, because all went forth from God; the other is *in returning*, and this belongs to creatures ordered to beatitude, because the *return* is through virtue, and the *rest* through beatitude. As regards the *first* comparison, therefore, the Son is called «the art full of all the living reasons»; and the writing of this book is the *eternal disposition of all things to be produced* as regards their reasons and ideas. As regards the *second* comparison, the Son is called the *book of life*; and the writing of this book is the *predestination of all who are to be saved* as regards themselves and the grace and glory which they are to have.

But it must be attended to, that the *grace* by which there is a returning to God some have *temporally*, but some *finally*. Those who have it *finally*, they *themselves* are written, and their *grace*, because they themselves return through grace. But those who [have it] *temporally*, they *themselves* indeed are not written in predestination, because they are not predestined, but their *grace* is written according to truth and *merits*, which will always be remembered; and by reason of that they are said to be written, not *simply*, but only according to *reckoning*, because the divine justice for a time judges them *worthy* of glory, and when they fall, judges them *unworthy*. — Therefore they are said to be *blotted out*, not because they were first written and afterwards deleted, but because first, according to their *merits, the things written* are judged *worthy*, then *unworthy*. — From these things the matters sought are evident.

1, 2. The first is evident: because the book of life does not contain the *whole account of the exemplar*, but only [that] *of predestination*. — The second is evident: because the wicked, who have present justice, are written according to reckoning and afterwards are not reckoned; therefore they are said to be blotted out.

3. From these the last is evident: because the fact that God judges someone first *worthy* and afterwards *unworthy* states only a change in the man, not in God: and thus that *blotting-out* does not state a change in the writing, but in those things which are represented through that writing.

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