Cap. 10, Vers. 1-3
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/15/d/10/q/bon-eccl-c10-v1-3
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### Chapter X.

(Vers. 1.). Therefore he adds: *dying flies,* that is, the thoughts of sins succeeding one another and inclining to mortal sin, *spoil the sweetness of the ointment,* that is, they spoil the unction, and so many good things, since the first of John, the second: « The unction teacheth you of all things ». Or: *the sweetness of the ointment,* that is, inward devotion and the sweetness of wisdom; Proverbs, the twenty-seventh: « With ointment and divers perfumes it is delighted ».

(Vers. 1. 2.). *Wisdom is more precious.* Here, thirdly, wisdom is set before *the height of worldly glory,* or even before folly, which fools desire. Therefore he says: *Wisdom is more precious with a little glory,* that is, with a little glory, *for a time,* that is, temporally; better, I say, than *folly,* even with great glory; above, the fourth: « Better is a child that is poor and wise than a king that is old and foolish ». Or the sense can be that wisdom is better than folly; and also a little glory, *for a time,* that is, conferred in due time, is better than folly. — And the reason is added: *The heart of a wise man is in his right hand, and the heart of a fool is in his left,* by the *right hand* good things, by the *left* evil things; Matthew, the twenty-fifth: « He shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left ». He means, then, that the wise think good things, and fools think evil things; Proverbs, the tenth: « The lips of the just consider what is acceptable, the mouth of the wicked perverse things ». The *right hand* gives to understand eternal goods, the *left* temporal ones; whence

Proverbs, the third: « Length of days is in her right hand, in her left riches and glory ». He means, then, that the wise think and desire eternal goods, and fools temporal ones; the Canticle, the second: « His left hand is under my head, and his right hand shall embrace me ». The fool therefore thinks vain things and does not know how in any way to consider things that are distinct, neither in himself nor in others, which is a greater unfittingness. Therefore he adds: *Yea, and the fool when he walketh in the way,* in that way, namely, which seems good to him; Proverbs, the twelfth: « The way of a fool is right in his own eyes ». *Whereas he himself is a fool,* that is, since he walks foolishly, because in darkness; above, the second: « The fool walketh in darkness ». *He esteemeth all men fools,* whence Proverbs, the twenty-sixth: « The sluggard seemeth to himself wiser than seven men that speak sentences ».

### Question.

Here a question falls in about what he says: *He that shall offend in one* etc.

1. For if God always punishes short of what is condign, then he who sins in one thing ought not to be punished except in one: then he ought not to lose many things, but one.

2. Likewise, from this it seems that there is a connexion in vices, as in virtues; because, if vice is the privation of good, then if by one sin many goods are lost, then by one sin a man incurs many vices; but this is not except through connexion: then there is connexion in vices.

3. Likewise, that there is a connexion in vices as regards all of them seems so; it is said in James, the second: *He that shall offend in one is become guilty of all:* then it seems that he who commits one vice is as guilty as if he committed all.

**On the contrary:** 1. Because some vices are contrary: then if there were connexion in vices, two contraries would be at once in the same thing, which it is wicked to say.

2. Likewise, vices are not from God, but acquired from our working; but it is certain that temperance and justice are not acquired in us by the same act, when they are habitual: then likewise also in vices.

**I respond:** it must be said that one can speak of sin by reason of *deformity* and by reason of *the obligation to punishment.* If by reason of *deformity,* that indeed regards three things, namely *the privation of gratuitous good, the privation of natural good* or of natural aptitude, and further *the inclination to a disordered act,* which is called a certain aptitude. By reason of the first good there is indeed connexion in vices, because he who sins in one sin loses grace and all the virtues, insofar as they are gratuitous. But by reason of *the privation of aptitude* there is not connexion, but their distinction, because each vice deprives of its own aptitude. By reason of the third, namely *the inclination to act,* there is neither complete distinction nor complete connexion, nor in some does one incline to another, in some it inclines at times, as the sin of gluttony to the sin of lust, likewise in spiritual things pride to envy.

Again, one can speak of sins as regards *the obligation of punishment,* and so they oblige to a twofold punishment, namely of the lack of vision and of the bitterness of fire. As regards *the first* there is connexion, because he who sins in one sin loses the glory due to all the virtues. But as regards *the second* there is not connexion, but distinction, because to each corresponds its own bitterness. — This word, then, of Ecclesiastes and of blessed James is understood as regards the loss of grace and of glory.

1. As to what is objected, then, that he is punished beyond what is condign: I say that it is false, because he who sins in one act sins against the grace of all the virtues, and therefore merits to lose the whole.

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