Cap. 13, Vers. 1-19
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/16/d/13/q/bon-sap-c13
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### Chapter XIII.

#### *Secondly, on punishing through heavier punishments ordained to condemnation, it is determined in two ways.*

*But all men are vain* etc. Above he determined of the punishing of the adversaries through lighter punishments ordained to correction, but here of their punishing through *heavier* punishments ordained to condemnation. And first he determines of the merit of their *fault,* namely up to the sixteenth chapter; secondly, of the penalty of their *punishment,* namely from the sixteenth chapter onward.

#### First is determined the demerit of fault, in three ways.

The merit of *fault* in respect of the condemnatory punishment of these was idolatry, by which they transferred the divine honour to the creature, or showed it to the creature. And therefore first is touched the manifold *error of those practising idolatry,* namely in this chapter; secondly, the *detestation of idols,* namely in the fourteenth chapter; thirdly, the *commendation* of the true God, namely in the fifteenth chapter.

#### First is treated the error of those practising idolatry.

The error of those practising idolatry is touched as twofold: the first, of those who worship the *creatures* of God; the second, of those who worship *their own makings: But unhappy are they.*

#### Their first error.

In the first, first is touched in them the *cause* of so great an error, namely ignorance of God; secondly, the

*effect* of the aforesaid cause, namely the worship of the creature: *But either the fire;* thirdly, the *inexcusability* of both: *With whose comeliness if;* fourthly, in *comparison* with others practising idolatry: *But yet.* — In the first is touched a twofold ignorance, namely because neither did they *acknowledge* God *by faith* nor *know* him *by reason: And by these good things that are seen.*

(Vers. 1.). He says therefore: *Vain* etc. It was said that some knew God amid the scourges, but did not venerate him; *but* (*autem*), for *sed; all men are vain* etc.; Ecclesiastes, the first: « Vanity of vanities » etc. « For they have walked after the vanity of the creature and are become vain », as is had in Jeremias, the second; *vain,* I say, by vanity of *thought;* whence to the Romans, the first: « They became vain in their thoughts » etc.; likewise in the Psalm: « The Lord knoweth the thoughts of men, that they are vain ». Likewise, by vanity of *speech;* whence in the Psalm: « They have spoken vain things, every one to his neighbour » etc. Likewise, by vanity of *operation;* whence Jeremias, the fifty-first: « Their works are vain and worthy to be laughed at ». *In whom there is not the knowledge of God,* that is, cognition of God through faith. Augustine: « Nor whatever can be known by man in human things, where there is very much of superfluous vanity and harmful curiosity, do I attribute to this knowledge, namely to divine knowledge; but only that by which the most wholesome faith is begotten, nourished, defended, strengthened, in which knowledge they are not strong » etc. *And by these good things that are seen,* namely openly; *they could not,* namely by an impotence following the will, not preceding it; whence the Gloss: « *They could not understand* etc., the blindness of sin standing in the way », according to that above, the second: « Their own malice blinded them »; in the Psalm: « He would not understand, that he might do well »; *understand,* that is, know by the understanding; for God cannot be known by sense; the first of John, the fourth: « No man hath seen God at any time »; *him who is,* that is, God, to whom *being* is *substantial,* not accidental; whence Hilary: « Being is not an accident to God, but subsisting truth ». Likewise, to whom *being is ever present,* never past, or future. For God, according to Augustine, always is, he has not been, or will be, because he does not know, namely by experience, past or future. Likewise, whose *being is pure* because, whatever is in him, he himself is; Augustine: « Whatever is in God is God ». Likewise, whose *being* is not from another, is *immutable;* whence Jerome to Marcella: « God, who alone has no beginning, has held the name of true *essence,* because in comparison with him who truly is, because he is unchangeable, those things which are changeable are as it were not », as are all creatures, according to that of the Psalm: « As a vesture thou shalt change them, and they shall be changed; but thou art always the selfsame » etc.; likewise Malachias, the third: « I am », God, or « the Lord, and I change not ». For the aforesaid reasons, to Moses asking his name he says, Exodus, the third: « I am who am. He said: thus shalt thou say to the children of Israel: He who is hath sent me to you ». *Neither by attending to the works,* which namely he himself made, *have they acknowledged who was the workman,* namely of these, and yet they could easily have known; to the Romans, the first: « For the invisible things of God, from the creation of the world, are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made ».

(Vers. 2.). *But either the fire,* namely Vulcan, as the Chaldeans adoring fire; *or the wind* (*spiritum*), that is, the ether, namely the upper part of the air, which some understood by Jove hurling the thunderbolt; *or the swift air,* that is, the lower part of the air, which they called Juno; *or the circle of the stars,* that is, the starry heaven, as those who adored the host of heaven, of whom it is said in Deuteronomy, the seventeenth: « That they go and serve strange gods, and adore them: the sun and the moon and all the host of heaven »; *or the great water,* which namely they called Neptune; *or the sun,* which they called Phoebus or Apollo, which the Babylonians adored: *or* *the moon,* which they called Diana, or « the queen of heaven », of which Jeremias, the forty-fourth. *They have imagined to be the gods that rule the world,* on account of some effects of theirs necessary to the world.

Note that they ought not to have thought creatures to be gods, first on account of the *corporeity* of their nature, because

God is a spirit; John, the fourth: « God is a spirit ». Likewise on account of the *place* and *determination of figure;* for God is present everywhere whole; likewise he is without figure according to the Deity. Likewise on account of the *determination* and limitation *of power* to certain effects; for God is omnipotent; above, the eleventh: « Thou hast mercy upon all, because thou canst do all things ». Likewise on account of the *necessity* and inevitability *of natural effects;* for God is of free choice. Likewise on account of *local motion;* because God is immobile, since he is the principle of all motion; Boethius:

> And, abiding unmoved, thou givest all things to be moved.

Likewise on account of the *defectibility of eternity;* for God is eternal, but eternity fails creatures, or is lacking to them.

According to the spiritual sense, the lustful worship *fire;* the proud, *the wind;* the wrathful and impetuous, *the swift air;* the curious in knowledge, *the circle of the stars;* the voluptuous, *the great water;* the covetous, *the sun* that begets these lower things; the slothful and sluggish (*accidiosi*), *the moon.*

*With whose comeliness if.* Here is shown their *inexcusability,* because namely they could have known the Creator either through the *beauty* of creatures, or through their *power;* which is shown there: *Or if the power* etc.; or through *both together,* which is shown there: *For by the greatness* etc.

(Vers. 3.). He says therefore: *With whose comeliness, if, being delighted,* that is, with beauty; Daniel, the thirteenth: « Comeliness hath deceived thee » etc.; *they took them to be gods,* supply: to be themselves; *they took them,* I say, by a false and erroneous opinion, since there is not but one God; Deuteronomy, the sixth: « Thy God is one ». *Let them know how much the ruler of them,* namely their Creator, governor, preserver and possessor, according to that of Judith, the ninth: « God of the heavens, creator of the waters, king of thy whole creation »; *is more comely than they,* namely he who made things so comely; *more comely,* I say, by an infinite distance, because God is comely through essence, but creatures through participation; above, the seventh: « She is more comely than the sun ». *For the begetter of comeliness, of comeliness,* namely of the creature, through its production, according to that of Boethius:

> Thou, most beautiful thyself, bearing a beautiful world
> in thy mind, and forming it in a like image.

Or: *of comeliness,* uncreated, that is, of the Son through eternal generation. *Made all those things,* namely the higher, the middle and the lower.

(Vers. 4.). *Or if the power,* that is, the greatness of power, *and their works,* that is, the effects proceeding from the power, *they admired,* namely so, that they believed them to be gods. *Let them understand by them*, that is, from the consideration of them, according to that of Job, the twelfth: « Ask the beasts, and they shall teach thee »; *that he that made them,* namely God, *is mightier than they,* that is, more powerful; whence Ecclesiasticus, the forty-third: « He is almighty above all his works and great exceedingly »; likewise Job, the ninth: « If strength be demanded, he is most strong ».

(Vers. 5.). *For by the greatness of the comeliness,* that is, of the beauty, *and of the creature,* that is, of the power of creatures, *knowably,* not sensibly, that is, by the intellectual eye, not the sensible, *the Creator of them may be seen;* Augustine: « All things cry out: God made me »; for the whole world is as it were a certain book, in which the Creator can be known through his power, wisdom, goodness, shining back in creatures; whence Ecclesiasticus, the twenty-fourth: « All these things are the book of life »; Isidore: « The Creator is praised through his creature, and how much more excellent he is is shown from the condition of his work ».

*But yet* etc. Here he shows the fault of those who worship creatures in *comparison with other idolaters;* and first they are shown in respect of those to be in some way excusable; secondly it is shown that nevertheless they are simply inexcusable: *But then again.*

(Vers. 6.). *But yet* etc., as if he should say: thus do those err; *but yet as to these,* namely those so erring, *there is less complaint,* that is, ground of complaint, than in those adoring graven things, because, as is said in Baruch, the last, « they shall not shine as the sun, nor give light as the moon », namely the graven things themselves. *For they perhaps err,* namely those who worship creatures; *perhaps* is here a mark of freedom of choice, not a mark of doubt. *Seeking God,* namely with a certain curiosity, according to that of Acts, the seventeenth: « He hath made of one all mankind, to dwell upon the whole face of the earth etc., that they should seek God, if happily they may feel after him, or find him ». *And desirous to find him,* namely by the intention of affection; Canticles, the third:

« I will rise and will go about the city », that is, the universe of creatures. For according to Boethius on the Consolation, « the desire of the true and the good is implanted in the minds of men ».

But *it is objected:* because in Luke, the eleventh, it is said: « Every one that seeketh findeth »: therefore these find the true God.

It must be said that that is understood of those seeking piously, not curiously.

(Vers. 7.). *For being conversant among his works,* namely by *disputing* about them as regards the understanding, according to that of Ecclesiastes, the third: « He hath delivered the world to their disputation »; and by *using* them, namely as regards affection and effect, because Matthew, the fifth: « He maketh his sun to rise upon the good and the bad ». *They search,* namely by reasoning, *and they are persuaded,* namely by passing judgement; *that the things are good which are seen;* Genesis, the first: « God saw all the things that he had made, and they were very good ». In this these are better, or less evil, than the Manichees themselves, who say that these visible things are evil.

(Vers. 8. 9.). *But then again they are not to be pardoned.* For *simple* ignorance merits pardon; whence the first to Timothy, the first: « I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly »; but *gross* and supine ignorance, not; whence the first to the Corinthians, the fourteenth: « If any man know not, he shall not be known ». — *For if they were able to know so much as to make a judgement of the world,* that is, to know the natures of the things of the world; *how did they not more easily find the Lord thereof,* namely of the world? as if he should say: they could more easily have known God.

**But on the contrary:** Above, the ninth: « Hardly do we guess aright at things that are upon earth; but the things that are in heaven, who shall search out »?

It must be said that he does not mean to say that they could more easily have known that God is the author of these simply; but rather that he is God, than the things which they worshipped.

#### Their second error, concerning two things.

*But unhappy are they* etc. Here is set down the error of those who worship *their own makings,* first, their own makings in *metallic* matter; secondly, in *wooden* matter: *Or if a carpenter.*

(Vers. 10.). He says therefore: *But unhappy are they,* namely by privation of the happiness of the way, of which above, the third: « He that rejecteth wisdom and discipline is unhappy ». *And among the dead,* namely by eternal death, *is their hope,* that is, expectation; but *hope* is here taken improperly, because *hope* properly so called is not except of the good. *Among the dead,* I say, *is their hope,* by privation of eternal happiness, according to that of the Psalm: « Like the slain sleeping in the sepulchres, whom thou rememberest no more, and they are cast off from thy hand », from the hand namely of saving mercy, not from the hand of punishing justice. Or the first refers to the punishment of loss in the future, the second to the punishment of sense. *Of those,* I say, *who have called gods* etc. And he says well *have called;* for they are gods by appellation only, not by nature. *The works of the hands of men,* according to that of the Psalm: « The images of the Gentiles are silver and gold, the works of the hands of men »; Isaias, the second: « They have adored the work of their own hands, which their own fingers have made »; *gold and silver,* that is, things made of gold and silver as regards the matter, according to that of Osee, the second: « I multiplied to them silver and gold, which they have made into Baal », according to that of Isaias, the second: « The land is filled with gold and silver, and there is no end of their treasures, and their land is filled with idols ». *The invention of art,* that is, some figure invented by art, and this as regards the form. *And the resemblances of beasts,* not the beasts themselves, but their image or likeness; against which it is said in Deuteronomy, the fourth: « You shall not make the likeness of any beasts that are on the earth ». *Or an unprofitable stone,* namely as to the profit which the idolaters believe to be in it, although it is profitable as regards natural use, because there is nothing superfluous in the works of God, of which kind are creatures; Deuteronomy, the thirty-second: « The works of God are perfect », neither superfluous nor deficient. *The work of an ancient hand,* that is, of the hand of an ancient workman, because « in the ancients is wisdom », Job, the twelfth. Against all these it is said in Acts, the seventeenth: « Being therefore the offspring of God, we must not suppose the divinity to be like unto gold, or silver, or stone, the graving of art and device of man ».

*Or if a carpenter.* Here is set down the error of those who worship their own makings in *wooden* matter; and first is touched their error in *fashioning* or carpentering; secondly, in *venerating: And concerning his substance.* — In the first, first he touches the *matter;* secondly the *form: And by the skill;* thirdly the *place: And make a convenient dwelling for it* etc.; fourthly the *impotence: An image* etc.

(Vers. 11.). *Or if a carpenter, a workman* (*artifex faber*); *workman* (*faber*) is here taken broadly for a craftsman in whatever

material, whether wooden, or other, not only iron; *hath cut down a straight tree out of the wood;* Isaias, the forty-fourth: « He cut down cedars, he took the holm » etc. *And of this,* namely of the tree, *skilfully taken off all the bark,* namely the outer; *and by his art, using it, diligently frame a vessel profitable* (*utile*); the Gloss: « Very profitable », *for the common uses of life,* namely human; the second to Timothy, the second: « For in a great house there are vessels of wood and of earth » etc.

(Vers. 12.). *And use the chips of his work*, that is, of the aforesaid wood, *to dress his meat* (*abutatur*), that is, use them, according to that of Isaias, the forty-fourth: « He took of them and warmed himself, and he kindled them and baked bread ».

(Vers. 13.). *And the residue of these,* of these namely which are put to human uses; *which is good for no use*, namely human, *is good for* (*facit*), that is, avails, I mean *a crooked piece of wood,* namely in itself, *and full of knots* (*vorticibus*), that is, of knots (*nodis*), namely outwardly; *carve diligently,* namely by removing the knottiness, *through his emptiness* (*per vacuitatem suam*), because, however much he labours there, his whole labour is reckoned idleness, since he labours there to no profit. *And by the skill of his art fashion it,* namely by outward lineation, and this as regards *form; and make it like the image of a man,* namely by the representation of the members. And note that he does not say *make it like a man,* but *like the image of a man,* because this configuration can be in the exterior and not in the interior.

(Vers. 14. 15. 16.). *Or make it like some beast,* that is, liken it; to the Romans, the first: « Into the likeness of the image of a corruptible man, and of birds and of fourfooted beasts » etc.; likewise in the Psalm: « They changed their glory into the likeness of a calf that eateth grass ». *Laying it over,* that is, outwardly, *with vermilion* (*rubrica*), that is, with a rule or thread drawn with red colour, by which the marking is made. For *rubrica* is said of red earth, and of the colour which is made from it, and of the rule or thread by which it is made, and of the dye itself, and the middle syllable ought always to be lengthened. *And with red making the colour thereof with paint* (*fuco*); *fucus* is said of an unnatural colour and as it were adulterate. Likewise it is to be noted that *fucus* is said of an animal like the bee, which does not make honey, but devours honey; likewise, of a certain herb, which dyes; likewise, of any adulterate colour; likewise, of a lie, or fraud and guile, according to Papias. *And every spot that is in it,* namely the wood, *laying over with earth*. — *And make a convenient dwelling for it;* whence Baruch, the last: « When they are set in the house, their eyes are full of dust from the feet of them that go in ». *And set it in a wall,* namely so that it may appear more, *and fastening it with iron,* that is, with iron nails. — *Lest it should fall;* Isaias, the forty-first: « He hath fastened it with nails, that it should not be moved »; *providing for it,* that is, foreseeing and taking precautions; *knowing that it is unable to help itself,* namely by itself; whence in the Psalm: « They have hands, and they shall not feel; they have feet, and they shall not walk » etc. No wonder; *for it is an image,* that is, a likeness of the thing, not the thing itself; *and hath need of help,* namely human; Baruch, the last: « If they fall to the ground, they will not rise up of themselves », as appeared of Dagon, the first of Kings, the fifth; likewise Jeremias, the tenth: « They must be carried to be removed, because they cannot go ».

(Vers. 17.). *And concerning his substance,* that is, concerning outward possession, *and concerning his children,* that is, concerning the welfare of his children, *and concerning marriage,* namely to be contracted, *making a vow,* namely to it, *he inquireth,* namely of it, that he may ask things necessary for himself and his children, when yet one is not to vow except to God, according to that of the Psalm: « Vow ye, and pay to the Lord your God » etc.; likewise Isaias, the nineteenth: « They shall make vows to the Lord and perform them ». *He is not ashamed to speak,* namely he himself who has a soul, *with that,* namely the false god, *which hath no soul;* Baruch, the last: « When they hear that one dumb cannot speak, they offer him to Bel »; in the Psalm: « They have mouths, and they shall not speak ».

(Vers. 18.). *And for health,* that is, his own or his family's, *he maketh supplication to the weak* (*infirmum*), that is, to one altogether impotent, *indeed* (*quidem*), that is, certainly, *and for life prayeth to that which is dead,* that is, altogether lacking life, so that *dead* is understood negatively, not privatively, because, if privatively, then it would be understood at some time to have

had life, but afterwards to have been deprived of it; which would be false. *And for aid calleth upon that which is unprofitable,* that is, not able to help itself or another; whence Baruch, the last: « It hath a sword in its hand, and does not deliver itself from robbers ».

(Vers. 19.). *And for a good journey,* that is, for the direction of the journey, *he petitioneth him that cannot walk,* according to that of the Psalm: « They have feet, and they shall not walk » etc.; Baruch, the last: « Having no feet, they are carried upon shoulders ». *And for getting,* namely through dealings in trade, *and for working,* namely through the mechanical arts, *and for the event of all things,* in general, *he asketh him that is unprofitable in all things;* Isaias, the forty-fourth: « He hath made a god, and cast a graven thing that is profitable for nothing ».

But it seems that the same could be objected against Christians who adore images.

But it must be said that it is not alike: because the idolaters adored images as *things,* thinking that there was something living in them; but Christians adore them as *signs* only, and insofar as they lead into those things of which they are signs.

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