Cap. 8, Vers. 9-13
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/8/q/bon-eccl-c8-v9-13
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#### Art. 2. *On the second occasion of sin, which is the vanity of security, it is treated in two ways.*

*All these things I have considered.* He treated above of the vanity of *proneness;* here he treats of the vanity of *security;* and since this vanity is dangerous, because it drives a man to fault, or holds him once he has been driven; therefore first the *vanity* is set down; secondly, *the remedy of the vanity,* at: *He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it,* below in the tenth.

#### First the vanity of security is shown according to its twofold origin.

*Security* arises in two ways: first, namely, from the appearance of a failure of *just retribution;* secondly, from the appearance of a failure of *the governance of providence,* and this second is touched at: *I turned me to other things, and I saw that… nor of the swift* etc., below in the ninth.

#### First, security arises from the appearance of a failure of just retribution; which appearance is produced for a threefold reason.

Now *the retribution* of justice appears *to fail* on account of *the exaltation of the evil,* on account of *the abasement of the good,* on account of *the lack of distinction between both;* there are therefore three parts here. First it is shown how the vanity of security arises from *the promotion of the evil;* secondly, how from *the abasement of the good,* at: *There is also another vanity, which is done upon the earth* etc.; thirdly, how it arises from *the lack of distinction between these and those,* at: *And I applied my heart to know wisdom* etc.

#### First, on the exaltation of the evil.

The origin of security from *the exaltation of the evil* is therefore described in this order. First *the loftiness of the evil* is suggested; secondly, how from this *the vanity of security* arises for the wicked; thirdly, how from this *the utility of the good* is drawn out.

(Vers. 9. 10.). First, then, *the loftiness of the evil* is suggested, which Ecclesiastes considered with his diligent consideration. On account of which he says: *All these things I have considered,* supply: which I said before. *And I gave my heart to all the works that are done under the sun,* that I might consider all things; above in the first: « I gave my heart to know prudence and learning, and errors and folly ». And in this consideration he himself saw the elevation of the evil both in *power* and in *fame.* As to elevation in *power* he says: *Sometimes one man ruleth over another to his own evil,* namely when an evil man presides, because a good man presides to his own good, when he presides well; whence First to Timothy, the third: « If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work »; but an evil man to his own evil; whence Ecclesiasticus, the seventh: « Bind not to thyself double sins; for even in one thou shalt not be unpunished ». An evil prelate binds double sins to himself. — As to elevation in *fame* he says: *I saw the wicked buried,* namely *in the depth of despair;* Proverbs, the eighteenth: « The wicked man, when he is come into the

depth of sins, contemneth ». Or: *buried, under the heap of flattery;* Matthew, the eighth: « Let the dead bury their dead »; Gregory: « The dead man buries the dead, when he presses him under the heap of flattery ». Or: *buried, by the continuation of transgression* even to death, as if he should say: who were buried in malice and died in malice, according to what is often said; Third of Kings, the sixteenth: « He died in the sins of Jeroboam, who made Israel to sin »; and according to what the Lord says to the Jews in John, the eighth: « You shall die in your sin ». Such wicked men he saw exalted in fame; therefore he says: *Who also, when they were yet living,* supply: in their malice, *were in the holy place,* that is, in dignity as if holy, as also the antichrist, of whom Matthew, the twenty-fourth: « When you shall see the abomination of desolation standing in the holy place » etc. *And were praised in the city as men of just works.* And thus they were great in fame; the Psalm: « For the sinner is praised in the desires of his soul »; and Proverbs, the twenty-eighth: « They that forsake the law praised the wicked; but they that keep it » etc.

(Vers. 10. 11.). *But this also is vanity.* Here the second is touched, namely *the vanity of security;* because from this, that the evil are not punished, others are made secure; therefore he says: *But this also is vanity,* that is, a cause of vanity. — And he shows this: *For because sentence is not speedily pronounced against the evil,* but they are kindly waited for, according to what is said in Second of Peter, the third: « The Lord delayeth not his promise, but dealeth patiently for your sake, not willing that any should perish, but that all should return to penance ». And *the children of men commit evils without any fear,* and so they are secure, because they think of nothing and fear nothing concerning the things to come; Proverbs, the twenty-eighth: « Evil men think not on judgement », because, namely, they are not now punished; Isaias, the twenty-sixth: « Let us have pity on the wicked, and he will not learn justice » etc.

(Vers. 12. 13.). *Nevertheless a sinner* etc. Here the third is touched, how from this *the utility of the good* is drawn out, because from this the good come to know the divine mercy and are exercised in justice. Therefore he says: *Nevertheless a sinner,* and the letter ought to be construed thus: *Nevertheless, from this, that a sinner doth evil a hundred times,* that is, many times, according to that of Jeremias, the second: « How exceeding base art thou become, repeating thy ways ». *And is borne with by patience,* namely God's, according to that to the Romans, the second: « Knowest thou not that the benignity of God leadeth thee to penance »? Whence Lamentations, the third: « The mercy of the Lord, that we are not consumed ». *I have known that there shall be good for them that fear God,* that is, for those turning aside from evil; Proverbs, the sixteenth: « By the fear of the Lord one turneth aside from evil ». *Who reverence his face,* and out of reverence for him do not dare to sin, according to what Job, the thirty-first, says of himself: « Always have I feared God as waves swelling over me, and his weight I was not able to bear ». But this utility of the divine mercy and patience does not extend itself to the evil; and therefore it is more useful for them to die than to live. — Therefore he says: *Let there be no good for the wicked;* this he does not say by wishing, but by foretelling, as that of the Psalm: « Let sinners be turned into hell ». *Let there be no good,* namely of glory; Isaias, the twenty-sixth: « Let the wicked be taken away, that he may not see the glory of God ». Let there be no good of the present life either; therefore he adds: *Neither let his days be prolonged,* that is, they shall not be prolonged; Proverbs, the tenth: « The years of the wicked shall be shortened »: and in the Psalm: « Bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days ». *But as a shadow let them pass away that fear not the face of the Lord.* And in truth they pass away as a shadow; whence in the Psalm: « I have seen the wicked highly exalted », and after: « I passed by, and lo, he was not »; whence in the person of the wicked, Wisdom, the fifth: « All those things are passed away like a shadow, and like a messenger that runneth before, and as a ship that passeth through the waving water ».

### Questions.

I. It is asked here concerning what he says: *Sometimes one man ruleth over another;* whether man can justly have dominion over man. That he can, it seems:

1. Because to the Romans, the thirteenth: « *There is no power but from God;* and the Apostle says that one must serve one's lords, not only on account of fear, *but also on account of conscience;* therefore if everything which is from God is just, therefore for man to have power over man is just.

2. Further, if conscience dictates nothing to a man but what is just, when it is right; and it dictates this, as the Apostle says: therefore it is just that man be subject to man.

3. Likewise the Apostle says to the Ephesians, the sixth: *Servants, be obedient to your lords according to the flesh;* but the Apostle neither exhorts nor commands anything but what is just: therefore etc.

**On the contrary:** 1. Men are equal by nature, therefore that one should preside over another is against nature; but everything which is against nature is sin: therefore etc.

2. Likewise, all men are free by nature, therefore when a man is made a servant, this is by usurpation; but everything usurped is sin: therefore it is sin to have dominion over man.

**I respond:** it must be said that man can justly have dominion over man; which is clear, because Noe by divine authority made his son Chanaan the servant of his brethren; likewise Isaac did with Esau and Jacob.

1. 2. To what is objected, then, concerning this, that it is against nature, and that every man is free; it must be understood that the state is twofold, namely of nature *destitute* and of nature *instituted.* As to the state of nature *instituted,* although all would have been free and equal, and it would not have been said to men that they should preside except over the brutes alone; yet as to the state of nature *corrupted* it is otherwise. — For because some are worse than others and evil, therefore by the just judgement of God they are made servants in themselves and in their posterity. — There is also another reason for having dominion, namely on account of the restraint of the evil; for if there were no temporal power, everyone would do what seemed right to himself, and so there would be a rending of iniquity, and everyone would sin at will. And so there can justly be lordship and servitude among men. — But whether the evil can justly preside over the good will be asked below.

II. It is asked concerning what he says: *The wicked sinneth a hundred times and is borne with;* whether this is of *benignity,* or of *severity.* That it is of *benignity,* it seems:

Lamentations, the third: *The mercy of the Lord, that we are not consumed.* — Further, the Apostle to the Romans, the second: *Knowest thou not that the benignity of God leadeth thee to penance?*

**But on the contrary:** The wicked man, the more he lives, the more evils he does, and the more evils he does, the more sharply he will be tormented: therefore if he died sooner, it would be better for him: therefore that his days are lengthened is rather for evil than for good: therefore it is of severity.

**I respond:** it must be said that some are wicked whom God has foreseen will return to him; for such, the delay of life is an effect of great mercy, open and hidden. There are others whom he has foreseen will multiply sins and die in them; and for such, to prolong is of *justice* and of *mercy:* of *mercy,* because a cruel punishment is put off for them; but of *hidden justice,* because it is permitted to him *that is filthy, to be filthy still*; for he has thus merited the prolongation of life, as to which it is of hidden severity.

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