S. Bonaventurae Bagnoregis
S. R. E. Episc. Card. Albae
atque Doctor Ecclesiae Universalis

St. Bonaventure of Bagnoregio
Cardinal Bishop of Alba
& Doctor of the Church

Commentaria in Quatuor Libros Sententiarum

Commentaries on the Four Books of Sentences

Magistri Petri Lombardi, Episc. Parisiensis

of Master Peter Lombard, Archbishop of Paris

SECUNDI LIBRI

BOOK TWO

COMMENTARIUS IN DISTINCTIONEM XVI.

COMMENTARY ON DISTINCTION XVI

ARTICULUS II.

 

Quaestio II.

ARTICLE II

 

Question 2

 

Opera Omnia S. Bonaventurae,
Ad Claras Aquas, 1885, Vol. 2, pag. 403-404.
Cum Notitiis Originalibus

 

 

Latin text taken from Opera Omnia S. Bonaventurae,
Ad Claras Aquas, 1885, Vol. 2, pp. 403-404.
Notes by the Quaracchi Editors.

 

QUAESTIO II.

 

Utrum imago principalius sit in masculo quam in femina.

QUESTION 2

 

Whether the image (of God) is more principally in the male than in the female?

SECUNDO QUAERITUR, utrum principalius sit imago in masculo quam in femina.  Et quod sic, videtur.

SECOND THERE IS ASKED, whether the image (of God) is more principally in the male [masculo] than in the female [femina].  And it seems, that (it is) so:

1. Primae ad Corinthios undecimo:1  Vir est imago et gloria Dei.  Hoc autem, ut dicit Apostolus, separat virum a muliere:  ergo aut mulier non est imago, aut si est imago, non est ita expressa, sicut vir.

1. According to the eleventh (chapter of St. Paul’s) First (Letter) to the Corinthians:1  Man [vir] is the image and glory of God.  But this, as the Apostle says, separates the man from the woman [muliere]:  therefore either the woman is not an image, or if she is an image, she is not so express (an image), as the man.

2. Item, Glossa2 ibidem:  « Ad imaginem Dei factus est vir, non mulier »; sed hoc non est dictum, quod mulier nullo modo sit ad imaginem facta:  ergo dictum est, quia minus est ad imaginem quam vir.

2. Likewise, the Gloss2 on the same passage (says):  « To the image of God was made man, not woman »; but this has not been said, because the woman has in no manner been made to the image (of God):  therefore it was said, because she is less to the image (of God) than the man.

3. Item, quia homo est ad imaginem, unibilis est naturae divinae; sed magis fuit unibilis in sexu masculino quam feminino:  ergo magis est imago vir quam mulier.

3. Likewise, because man [homo] is to the image (of God), he is unitable to the Divine Nature; but he was more unitable in the masculine sex than in the feminine:  therefore man [vir] is more the image than woman.

4. Item, quia homo est imago Dei, omnibus est praelatus sive praepositus, secundum quod innuitur in textu, Genesis primo:3  Faciamus hominem ad imaginem etc.  Et subditur:  Et praesit piscibus etc.:  ergo si praesidere non convenit homini in sexu femineo, sed masculino, videtur, quod imago excellentiori modo sit in masculino sexu quam in feminino.

4. Likewise, because man [homo] is the image of God, he has taken precedence [praelatus] or been placed before [praepositus] all, according to what is hinted at in the text, in the first (chapter) of Genesis:3  Let us make man [hominem] to Our image etc..  And there is subjoined:  And let him take precedence [praesit] to the fish etc.:  therefore if presiding [praesidere] does not convene man in the female [femineo] sex, but in the masculine, it seems, that the image (of God) is in a more excellent manner in the masculine sex than in the feminine.

CONTRA:  1. Genesis primo:4  Creavit Deus hominem ad imaginem et similitudinem suam, masculum et feminam creavit illos:  si igitur mulier creata est ad imaginem Dei et ad aequalitatem viri — sicut innuit formatio eius de latere, et ratio etiam, quare formata est, cum dicitur:  Faciamus adiutorium simile sibi — videtur ergo, quod in viro et muliere aequaliter reperiatur ratio imaginis.

ON THE CONTRARY:  1. In the first (chapter) of Genesis4 (there is written):  God created man [hominem] to His own image and similitude, male and female did He create them:  if, therefore, the woman was created to the image of God and to equality with the man [ad aequalitatem viri] — just as her formation from (his) side hints at, and the reason too, why she was formed, when there is said:  Let us make a help similar to him — it seems, therefore, that in man and woman there is equally found the reckoning of (God’s) image.

2. Item, imago attenditur in homine quantum ad supremum animae; sed in supremo animae non est distinctio aliqua secundum sexum:  ergo sive homo sit mulier, sive vir, aequaliter est imago.

2. Likewise, the image (of God) is attained in man [homine] as much as regards the supreme (part) of the soul; but in the supreme (part) of the soul there is no distinction according to sex:  therefore whether the man [homo] be woman, or man [vir], he is equally an image.

3. Item, sexus non variat speciem,5 ergo vir et mulier sunt eiusdem speciei; sed imago consequitur hominem quantum ad formam speciei, non quantum ad formam individui:  ergo aequaliter est in viro et muliere.

3. Likewise, the sex does not vary the species, therefore man [vir] and woman are of the same species; but the image (of God) is consequent to man [homo] as much as regards the form of (his) species, not as much as regards the form of the individual:  therefore it is equally in the man [viro] and in the woman.

4. Item, imago creationis ordinatur ad imaginem recreationis sive gratificationis;6 sed imago recreationis, quae consistit in gratia et virtutibus, ita excellenter potest esse in muliere, sicut in viro:  ergo pari ratione et imago creationis, in qua conditus est homo.

4. Likewise, the image (of God) belonging to (the act of) creation [imago creationis] is ordered to the image (of God) belonging to (the act of) recreation [imago recreationis] or gratification;6 but the image of recreation [imago recreationis], which consists in grace and the virtues, can be as excellently in woman, as (it is) in man:  therefore for an equal reason also the image of creation [imago creationis], in which man [homo] was founded.

CONCLUSIO.

 

Ratio imaginis non est magis in viro quam in muliere quoad primum esse, sed tantum quoad accidentalem proprietatem.

CONCLUSION

 

The reckoning of (God’s) image is not more in the man than in the woman in regard to (its) prime ‘being’, but only in regard to an accidental property.

RESPONDEO:  Ad praedictorum intelligentiam notandum est, quod, sicut ex praecedentibus7 patet, imago quantum ad suum esse principaliter consistit in anima et eius potentiis, et in his potissime, prout habent ad Deum converti; et quantum ad hoc non est distinctio masculi et feminae, servi et liberi:8  ideo imago, quantum ad id quod est de complemento eius et de eius esse, non magis reperitur in viro quam in muliere.  —  Quantum autem ad bene esse sive ad clariorem expressionem, consistit magis9 in anima, secundum quod ad corpus habet ordinem et habitudinem. Et quoniam ex parte corporis est sexuum distinctio, et secundum sexuum distinctionem maior est repraesentatio sive quantum ad rationem praesidendi, sive quantum ad rationem principiandi, quia vir est caput mulieris, et vir est principium mulieris, et non vir propter mulierem, sed mulier propter virum:10  quantum ad hunc utique modum excellentiori modo reperitur imago in sexu masculino quam feminino, non ratione eius quod est de esse ipsius imaginis, sed ratione ipsius quod adiacet.  Et secundum hoc satis plane potest responderi ad obiecta.

I RESPOND:  For an understanding of the aforesaid it must be noted, that, just as is clear from the preceding (Questions),7 the image (of God) according to its ‘being’ consists principally in the soul and its powers, and in these chiefly [potissime], insofar as they keep (themselves) converted [habent converti] to God; and as much as regards this there is not distinction of male and female, servant and freeman:8  for that reason the image, as much as regards that which concerns its complement and concerns its ‘being’, is not found more in the man than in the woman.  —  But as much as regards (its) well ‘being’ or clearer expression, it consists more9 in the soul, according to which it has an order and habitude to the body.  And since on the part of the body there is a distinction of the sexes, and according to the distinction of the sexes there is a greater representation whether as much as regards the reckoning of presiding, or as much as regards the reckoning of beginning, because the man is the head of the woman, and the man is the beginning of the woman, and not man for the sake of woman, but woman for the sake of man:10  as much as regards this standard of measure the image (of God) is indeed found in a more excellent manner in the masculine sex than in the feminine, not by reason of that which concerns the ‘being’ of the image itself, but by reason of that which is adjacent (to it).  And according to this one can respond in a sufficiently plain manner to the objections.

Rationes enim ostendentes, quod non magis est imago vir quam mulier, procedunt de imagine quantum ad suum primum esse, sicut intuenti patet.  Rationes vero ad oppositum procedunt de imagine quantum ad aliquam accidentalem proprietatem sive per relationem ad corpus.

For the reasons showing, that man is not more the image (of God) than woman (is), proceed from the image as much as regards its first ‘being’, just as is clear to the one looking into (them).  But the reasons for the opposite proceed from the image as much as regards some accidental property (of the man) or through the (soul’s) relation to the body.

1  Vers. 7.

2  De hac Glossa, quam refert Lyranus in hunc locum, cfr. August., XII. de Trin. c. 7. n. 10. et 12.

3  Vers. 26.  —  Cfr. August., III. de Gen. ad lit. c. 20. n. 30; Serm. 43. (alias de Verbis Apostoli, serm. 27.) c. 2. n. 3 ex quo supra pag. 398, nota 5. quaedam allegat sunt.

4  Vers. 27:  Et creavit Deus hominem ad imaginem suam, ad imaginem Dei creavit illum, masculum et feminam creavit eos.  —  Seq. textus est. Gen. 2, 18.  Ibid. v. 21. seq. agitur de formatione mulieris de costa Adami.

5  Aristot., X. Metaph. text. 25. (IX. c. 9.).

6  Cfr. August., XIV. de Trin. c. 16. n. 22, ubi exponit verbum Apostoli, Col. 3, 9:  Exspoliantes vos veterem hominem etc.  —  Plures codd. cum edd. 2, 3, 4 non ordinatur; perperam.

7  Quaest. praeced. et supra a. 1. q. 1.  —  Cfr. I. Sent. d. 3. p. II. a. 1. q. 1. seq., ubi etiam diffusius ostenditur, quod imago consistit in his potentiis, prout ad Deum convertuntur.

8  Gal. 3, 28:  Non est Iudaeus, neque Graecus; non est servus, neque liber; non est masculus, neque femina.

9  Vat. imago pro magis.

10  Epist. I. Cor. 11, 3:  Caput autem mulieris vir.  Ibid. v. 8. seq.:  Non enim vir ex muliere est, sed mulier ex viro.  Etenim non est creatus vir propter mulierem etc.

1  Verse 7.

2  On this Gloss, which (Nicholas) of Lyra reports on this passage, cf. (St.) Augustine, On the Trinity., Bk. XII, ch. 7, nn. 10 and 12.

3  Verse 26.  —  Cf. (St.) Augustine, On a Literal Exposition of Genesis, Bk. III, ch. 20, n. 30; Sermon 43 (alias On the Words of the Apostle, sermon 27), ch. 2, n. 3, from which certain (words) have been cited above in a. 1, q. 3, p. 398, footnote 5.

4  Verse 27:  And God created man to His image, to the image of God did He create him, male and female did He create them [Et creavit Deus hominem ad imaginem suam, ad imaginem Dei creavit illum, masculum et feminam creavit eos].  —  The following text is Gen. 2:19.  Ibid., v. 21 f., deals with the formation of woman from the rib of Adam.

5  Aristotle, Metaphysics, Bk. I, text 25 (Bk. IX, ch. 9).

6  Cf. (St.) Augustine, On the Trinity, Bk. XIV, ch. 16, n. 22, where he expounds the words of the Apostle, Col. 3:9:  Stripping yourself of the old man etc. [Exspoliantes vos veterem hominem etc.].  —  Several codices, together with editions 2, 3 and 4, have is not ordered [non ordinatur], faultily.

7  In the preceding Question and above in a. 1, q. 1.  —  Cf. Sent, Bk. I, d. 3, p. II, a. 1, q. 1 f., where there is also shown more diffusely, that the image consists in these powers, insofar as they are converted to God.

8  Gal. 3:28:  (In Christ) there is no Jew, nor Greek; there is no servant, nor freeman; there is no male, nor female [Non est Iudaeus, neque Graecus; non est servus, neque liber; non est masculus, neque femina.]

9  The Vatican edition has the image consists [consistit imago] for it consists more [consistit magis].

10  1 Cor. 11:3:  But the head of the woman (is) the man [Caput autem mulieris vir].  Ibid., v. 8, f.:  For the man is not out of the woman, but the woman out of the man.  For indeed the man was not created for the sake of the woman etc. [Non enim vir ex muliere est, sed mulier ex viro.  Etenim non est creatus vir propter mulierem etc.].

 

p. 404

 

1. 2. Ad illud autem quod dicit Apostolus et Glossa, quod vir est imago et gloria Dei; dicendum, quod vir accipitur metaphorice pro superiori parte rationis, et mulier pro inferiori, sicut exponit Augustinus duodecimo1 de Trinitate.  Et si tu obiicias, quod Apostolus loquitur de viro et muliere ad litteram; dicendum, quod loquitur de eis non secundum se, sed secundum significationem.  Vir enim quia fortis est et praesidet mulieri, superiorem portionem rationis significat, mulier vero inferiorem.  Unde etiam est in matrimonio, quod vir significat Deum, et mulier significat Ecclesiam sive animam.2  Hoc autem est ratione virilitatis ex parte una, et infirmitatis sive fragilitatis ex altera, quae non respiciunt imaginem secundum se, sed ratione corporis annexi, et ita non essentialiter, sed accidentaliter.3

1. 2. To that, however, which the Apostle and the Gloss says, that man is the image and glory of God; it must be said, that “man” [vir] is accepted (there) metaphorically for the superior part of reason, and “woman” [mulier] for the inferior (part), just as (St.) Augustine expounds (it) in the twelfth (book) On the Trinity.1  And if you object, that the Apostle is speaking of man and woman literally [ad litteram]; it must be said, that he is speaking of them not according to themselves, but according to (their) signification.  For the man because he is strong and presides over the woman, signifies the superior part of reason, but the woman the inferior (part).  Whence is it too in matrimony, that the man signifies God, and the woman signifies the Church or the soul.2  But this is by reason of the virility on one side, and the infirmity or fragility on the other, which do not look back to the image according to itself, but by reason of the body annexed (to it), and thus not essentially, but accidentally.3

1  Cap. 7. n. 10. et 12.  Cfr. III. de Gen. ad lit. c. 22. n. 34. et XI. c. 42. n. 58.  —  Paulo inferius post loquitur in aliquibus codd. et ed. 1 additur ibi.

2  Ephes. c. 5, 22. seqq.

3  Vide scholion ad praecedentem quaest.

1  Chapter 7, nn. 10 and 12.  Cf. On a Literal Exposition of Genesis, Bk. III, ch. 22, n. 34, and Bk. XI, ch. 42, n. 58.  —  A little below this after is speaking [loquitur] there is added in some codices and edition 1 there [ibi].

2  Eph. 5:22 ff..

3  See the Scholium to the preceding Question.

This English Translation and the digitization of the Latin and English texts, the HTML markup,  all emendations and corrections of the Latin text, and all notes by the Translator, are © 2007, 2008 by Br. Alexis Bugnolo.  The / symbol is used to indicate that the text which follows appears on the subsequent page of the Quaracchi Edition. The translation of the notes in English corresponds to the context of the English text, not that of the Latin text; likewise they are a freer translation than that which is necessitated by the body of the text. Items in square [ ] brackets contain Latin terms corresponding to the previous English word(s), or notes added by the English translator.
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