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

Commentary on the Book of Sentences

of Peter Lombard, Bishop of Paris

Book III, Distinction XII, Article III, Question I

Latin text taken from Opera Omnia S. Bonaventurae, Ad Claras Aquas, 1883, Vol iii, p.270-271.
Scholion by the Quarrachi Editors

ARTICULIS III.

De conditione naturae quantum ad sexum.

Consequenter quaeritur de conditione naturae assumtae quantum ad sexum. Et circa hoc duo quaeruntur.

Primo quaeritur, utrum Deum decuerit assumere sexum mulierbrem.¹

Secundo, utrum decuerit carnem assumere de sola muliere.

ARTICLE III

Concerning the condition of the nature [assumed] according to gender.

Consequently there is sought concerning the condition of the nature assumed according to gender. And about this two things are asked.

First it is asked, whether it would have been fitting that God assume the womanly gender.¹

Second, whether it would have been fitting that the flesh be assumed from a woman alone.

QUAESTIO I.

Utrum decuerit Deum assumere sexum muliebrem.

QUESTION I

Whether it would have been fitting that God assume the womanly gender.

Circa primum sic proceditur et quaeritur, utrum decuerit Deum assumere muliebrem sexum ad reparandum genus humanum. Et quod sic, videtur:

1. Quia ordo reparationis per oppositum debet respondere lapsui;² sed nostra ruina fuit per mulierem: ergo relevatio. Sed relevatio facta est per naturam assumtam: ergo etc.

2. Item, ideo assumsit Deus naturam fragilem, ut, dum sua fragilitate vinceret fortem, mirabilis in hoc Dei potentia reluceret: si ergo fragilior est sexus mulierbris, videtur, quod magis fuisset eius potentia manifestata, si in sexu muliebri diabloum superasset: ergo magis congruum fuit, mulierem quam virum assumi a Verbo Dei.³

3. Item, spiritus rationalis ita unibilis est indifferenter sexui mulierbri, ut virili: ergo pari ratione et spiritus increatus: ergo indifferenter se habent sexus utrique⁴ ad unionem, quantum est ex parte naturae. Si ergo sexus mulierbris magis depressus erat in miseriam quam virilis; cum Dei Filius incarnatus fuerit ad nostram miseriam relevandam, videtur, quod magis debuerit assumere sexum femineum quam virilem.

4. Item, proles assimilari debet sui principio; sed Christus natus fuit ex sola Virgine matre: ergo si ex femina traxit carne, magis debuit assimilari matri quam alii: ergo si non degeneravit, potius debuit ex ea trahere sexum, quem habebat Virgo, quam alium.

About the first it is thus proceeded and asked, whether it would have been fitting that God assume the womanly gender to repair the human race. And that [this is] so, it seems [from the following]:

1. Since the order of reparation should respond to that of the fall by opposites;² but our ruin was through a woman: therefore [also should be its] relief. But the relief must be accomplished by the nature assumed: therefore etc.

2. Likewise, for this reason did God assume a fragile nature, so that, while with His own fragility He might conquer the strong one, the power of God might shine forth wonderful in this: if therefore the gender of a woman is more fragile, it seems, that His power would have been more manifested, if in the womanly gender He had conquered the devil: therefore it was more suitable, that a woman rather than a man be assumed by the Word of God.³

3. Likewise, the rational spirit is so indifferently unitable to the womanly gender, as to the manly one: therefore by equal reckoning also is the uncreated spirit: therefore the sexes of both⁴ are considered indifferently to union, in as much as it is on the part of the nature [assumed.] If therefore the gender of a woman had been more depressed in misery than that of a man; since the Son of God had become incarnate to relieve our misery, it seems, that it would have been more fitting that He assume the femine gender than the manly one.

4. Likewise, an offspring should be likened to its principle: but Christ was born from a Virgin mother alone: therefore if He drew [His] flesh from the woman, He should be likened to His mother more than to others: therefore if He did not become unlike His parent, He should rather draw from her [even] the gender, which the Virgin had, rather than another.

SED CONTRA: 1. Philosophus in libro de Animalibus⁵ dicit, quod « femina est vir occasionatus », hoc est imperfectus: ergo si homo assumtus debuit esse perfectissimus, non ergo debuit mulier esse, sed tantum masculus.

2. Item, quod maius est, Apostolus primae ad Corinthos undecimo⁶ dicit, quod caput mulieris est vir, non e converso; sed homo assumtus est caput totius Ecclesiae: ergo non debuit esse sexus feminei, aliquin fieret perversio ordinis; quod quidem non debuit Deus in sua incarnatione facere, quin potius destructum ordinem debuit reparare.

3. Item, principium totius generationis est sexus virilis, nam ex uno viro omnes;⁷ sed homo assumtus debuit esse principium totius generationis spiritualis: non ergo sexus mulierbris, sed virilis.

4. Item, si assumsisset sexum mulierbrem, ergo cum fiat communicatio idiomatum, deberet dici dea et deberet dici filia: si ergo non decet esse nisi Deum et Filium in illa summa Trinitate, non deam aut filiam;⁸ nullo modo decuit Deum assumere feminam.

ON THE CONTRARY: 1. The Philosopher says in his book On Animals,⁵ that "a woman is a premature man," that is an imperfect [man]: therefore if the human assumed should be the most perfect, it should not be a woman, but rather a masculine one.

2. Likewise, what is greater, the Apostle in the eleventh⁶ [chapter] of [his] First [Letter] to the Corinthians says, that the head of a woman is the man, and not conversely; but the human assumed is the Head of the entire Church: therefore it should not be of the femine gender, lest otherwise there be a perversion of order; that indeed God should not do in His incarnation, so that He should rather repair the order [that has been] destroyed.

3. Likewise, the principle of all generation is the manly gender, for from one man all⁷ [were brought forth], but the human assumed should be the principle of all spiritual generation: not therefore of the womanly gender, but of the manly.

4. Likewise, if He had assumed the womanly gender, therefore when the communicatio idiomatum is undertaken, there should be said goddess and there should be said daughter: if therefore it is not fitting that there be but God and Son in that highest Trinity, not goddess nor daughter;⁸ in no manner was it fitting that God assume the woman.

CONCLUSIO

Absque dubio non ita decuit Deum assumere sexum femineum, sicut virilem, in unitatem personae.

CONCLUSION

Without doubt it would not have been so fitting that God assume the femine gender, as the manly one, into the unity of His Person.

RESPONDEO: Dicendum, quod absque dubio non ita decuit Deum assumere sexum femineum, sicut virilem, in unitatem personae. — Et ratio huius est, quia mulierbris sexus non est tantae dignitatis, sicut

I RESPOND: It must be said, that without doubt it would not have been as fitting that God assume the feminine gender, as the masculine, into the unity of His Person. — And the reason for this is, since the womanly gender is not of such dignity, as is

¹ Pro sexum muliebrem non pauci codd. mulierem, qui tamen infra in ipsa quaestione nostrae lectioni assentiuntur.
² Cfr. tom. II. pag. 517, nota 8. — Edd. conclusionem valde truncarunt, exhibentes sola verba: ergo et relevatio etc.
³ Chrysost., Homil. in S. Dorsidem M. n. 3: Quanto infirmius est vas, tanto maior est gratia, tanto illustrius trophaeum, tanto micantior et insignior victoria. — Pro manifestata codd. H I L aa manifesta.
⁴ Edd. se habet sexus uterque. In fine arg. pro femineum cod. K mulierbrem.
⁵ Libr. XVI. sive, secundum recentiorem operum Aristot. divisionem, II. de Generat. animal. c. 3. Cfr. tom. II. pag. 485, nota 5.
⁶ Vers. 3. — De minori vide infra d. 13. a. 2. q. 1. seqq.
⁷ Hebr. 2, 11. August. XII de Civ. Dei, c. 27. n. 1: Quem [primum parentem] propterea Deus creare voluit unum, de quo multitudo propagaretur, ut hac admonitione etiam in multis concors unitas servaretur. Cfr. II. Sent. lit. Magistri, d. XVIII. c. 1, et Comment. a. 1. q. 1 in corp. nec non dub. 1.
⁸ Anselm., Monolog. c. 42, ad ostendendum, quod in significandis personis Ss. Trinitatis nomina patris et filii, et non matris et filiae adhibenda sint, optime hanc rationem affert: quia « prima et principalis causa prolis semper est in patre. Nam si maternam causam quolibet modo semper paterna praecedit, nimis est incongruum, ut illi parenti adaptetur nomen matris, cui ad gingendam prolem nulla alia causa aut sociatur aut praecedit...Quodsi filius semper similior est patri quam filia [quae disparis est sexus]; nihil autem similius est alteri, quam summo Patri proles sua: verissimum est, hanc prolem non esse filiam, sed filium.(» ?)— In fine arg. pro assumere feminam codd. M O assumere sexum femineum, quibus verbis adhuc addunt sicut virilem in unitatem personae.

¹ For the womanly gender not a few codices have a woman, which however below in the very question agree with our reading.
² Cf. Tome II, page 517, note 8. — The editions certainly truncate the conclusion, allowing only the words: therefore also the relief etc.
³ St. John Chrysostom, Homily on St. Dorsides, Martyr, n. 3: "In as much as the vessel is the more infirm, so much greater is the grace, so much more illustrious the trophey, so much more glittering and remarkable the victory. — For manifested codices H I L and aa read manifest.
⁴ The editions read both the sexes are considered. At the end of the paragraph codice K has womanly for femine.
⁵ Book XVI or, according to the more recent division of Aristotle's works, Book II of the On the Generation of Animals, chapter 3. Cf. Tome II, page 485, note 5.
⁶ Verse 3. — Concerning the minor [of this argument] see below, d. 13. a. 2. q. 1.ff.
⁷ Hebrews 2:11. St. Augustine's XII Book of the City of God, ch. 27, n. 1: "Which [as the first parent] God therefore wanted to create as sone, from whom the multitude would be propagated, so that by this admonition the harmonious unity would be observed even among the many. Cf. II Book of the Sentances of Peter Lombard, d. XVIII, c. 1, and the Commentary of St. Bonaventure a. 1. q. 1. in the body not without dubium 1.
⁸ St. Anselm, Monologion, ch. 42, to show, that in the signifying of the persons of the Most Holy Trinity the names of "father" and of "son", and not those of "mother" or of "daughter" may be employed, he most rightly brings forward this reason: since "the first and principal cause of offspring is always in the father. For if the paternal always preceeded the maternal cause by whatever manner, it is exceedingly unsuitable, that to that parent be adapted the name of "mother," whose begetting of offspring no other cause either preceeds or is associated...But a son is always more similar to his father than is a daughter [who is of a different gender]; nothing however is more similar to another, than His Son to the Most High Father: it is most true, that this Offspring be not a daughter, but a son(" ?)— At the end of the paragraph for assume the woman codices M and O read assume the femine gender, to which words they here add as the manly one in to the unity of the [divine] Person.

p. 271

virilis. Excellit enim sexus virilis muliebrem et quantum ad dignitatem in principiando, et quantum ad virtutem in agendo, et quantum ad auctoritatem in praesidendo. Quantum ad dignitatem in principiando, quia omnes tam viri quam mulieres ex uno viro fuerunt, in quo est expressa repraesentatio egressus rerum ab illo unico principio primo et summo.¹ — Quantum ad virtutem in agendo similiter praecellit, quoniam viri est agere, et mulieris est pati. Unde plus habet sexus virilis de virtute activa, propter quod et robustior est et re et nominatione. — Quantum ad auctoritatem in praesidendo etiam praeexcellit. Nam secundum rectum ordinem non mulier viro, sed vir praeficitur mulieri tanquam caput corpori, sicut dicit Apostolus.² — Quoniam ergo in Verbo assumente naturam humanam est praecipua dignitas in principiando et virtus in agendo et dominium in praesidendo; hinc est, quod magis decuit, sexum virilem quam muliebrem assumi a Verbo increato, quia illi naturae assumtae debuerunt haec tria communicari excellenter. — Et ideo concedendae sunt rationes ad hanc partem.

1. Ad illud ergo quod primo obiicitur in contraium, quod ruina fuerit per mulierem; dicendum, quod quam vis in sexu mulierbri ruina nostra fuit inchoata, in sexu tamen virili est consummata. Et quoniam nostra reparatio in natura assumta habuit consummari, hinc est, quod secundum rectam correspondentiam magis decuit, virum quam mulierem assumi.

2. Ad illud quod obiicitur de fragilitate, dicendum, quod sic congruum fuit, Christum vincere per fragilitatem in patiendo, ut postmodum vinceret per virtutem in resurgendo; et ideo sexum talem debuit assumere, qui etiam³ fragilis esset ad tempus propter passibilitatis qualitatem, et nihilominus ad virtutem ordinabilis secundum qualitatem naturae; et talis fuit virilis sexus magis quam muliebris.

3. Ad illud quod obiicitur de unione spiritus rationalis ad utrumque sexum, dicendum, quod non est simile: primum, quia spiritus unitur corpori, ita quod ex his fit unum, et non est communicatio idiomatum; non sic autem⁴ de Verbo aeterno, quod manet in sua proprietate, communicans homini assumto suas proprietates, ad quas communicandas magis sexus virilis quam mulierbris competens erat. — Praeterea, non est simile, quia spiritus increatus est nobilissimus, et unio, qua unit sibi nostram naturam in persona, est nobilissima; et ideo nobiliorem sexum debet assumere. Non sic autem est de spiritu rationali.

4. Ad illud quod obicitur, quod proles debet assimilari suo principio; dicendum, quod illud est verum, quando producit prolem omnino secundum propriam virtutem naturae suae; non sic autem est in proposito. Nam Virgo concepit mota et adiuta Spiritu sancto;⁵ et ideo magis proles habuit sexum, quem Spiritus sanctus elegit, quam sexum, quem in matre invenit. Nec in tali generatione est degeneratio, sed magis nobilitatio; quia non est contra naturam mulieris concipere sexum virilem, immo magis cupit naturaliter mulier habere filium masculum quam feminam.

the manly. For the manly gender excels the womanly both according to dignity of beginning, and according to virtue in acting, and according to authority in presiding. According to dignity in beginning, since all, as much as men as women, were from one man, in whom is the express representation of the going-forth of things by that one First and Highest Principle.¹ — According to virtue in acting it similarly overrules, since it belongs to a man to act, and it belongs to the woman to endure. Whence the manly gender has more of active virtue, on account of which it is even more robust both in reality [res] and in name [nominatio]. — According to authority in presiding it even excels beforehand [praeexcellit]. For according to right order it is not the woman over the man, but the man who is appointed over the woman as head of the body, as the Apostle says.² — Therefore since in the Word assuming a human nature there is a distinguished [praecipua] dignity in beginning and a virtue in acting and a dominion in presiding; hence it is, that it is more fitting, that the manly gender rather than the womanly be assumed by the uncreated Word, since those [perfections] of the assumed nature should have shared these three [perfections] in an excellent manner. — And on that account the reasons in favor of this side must be conceded.

1. To that therefore which is at first objected to the contrary, that the ruin was through a woman; it must be said, that the strength in the womanly gender was our inchoate ruin, however in the manly gender it was consummated. And since our reparation had top be consumated in the assumed nature, hence it is, that according to a right correspondence it is more befitting, that a man be assumed than a woman.

2. To that which is objected concerning fragility, it must be said, that thus it was suitable, that Christ conquer through fragility in suffering, so that soon He would conquer through virtue in resurrecting; and on that account He should have assumed such a gender, which would also³ be fragile in respect to time, on account of [its] quality of passibility, and nevertheless [also] ordainable [i.e. useful] in respect to virtue, according to the quality of [its] nature; and such was the manly gender rather than the womanly.

3. To that which is objected concerning the union of a rational spirit to either gender, it must be said, that it is not the same thing: first, since the spirit is united to the body, so that from these one thing be made, and there is no communicatio idiomatum; not so however⁴ concerning the eternal Word, who maintained [manet] His own propterty [of being], communicating to the assumed man His own propterties [of being], to communicate which things the manly gender was more competant than the womanly. — Besides, it is not the same thing, since the uncreated spirit is the most noble, and union, by which it unites Itself to our nature in its Person, is the most noble; and on that account It should assume the more noble gender. Not so, however, is it concering the rational spirit.

4. To that which is objected, that the offspring should be assimilated to its principle; it must be said, that that is true, when it produces an offspring entirely according to its own virtue of its nature; not so, however, is it in the proposition. For the Virgin conceived, moved and aided by the Holy Spirit;⁵ and on that account the offspring had rather the gender, which the Holy Spirit chose, than the gender, which is found in the mother. Nor in such a generation is there a becoming-unlike-one's-kind (degeneratio), but rather an enoblement; since it is not against the nature of a woman to conceive the manly gender, on the contrary the woman rather desires naturally to have a masculine son than a femine [daughter].

¹ Cfr. II Sent. d. 18. a. 1. q. 1. in corp. et dub. 1 De ratione seq. cfr. hoc idem dub. 1, nec non supra pag. 111, nota 4.
² Epist. I. Cor. 11,3, et Eph. 5, 23. — Paulo superius pro praeexcellit codd. A I L T Z aa praecellit.
³ Codd. A H K L aa bb et.
⁴ Codd. K aa bb adiiciunt est. In fine solut. pro debet edd. cum aliquot codd. debuit.
⁵ Cfr. supra d. 4. a. 3. q. 1. seq. — Ultima solut. verba quam feminam desunt in codd. I L aa; pro feminam, quod habent edd. cum codd. A Z bb, alii codd. substituerunt femineum.

¹ Cf. Book II of the Sentances, d. 18. a. 1 q. 1. in the body of the article and dubium 1. On the reasoning that follows cf. likweise dubium 1, not without what is above on page 111, in note 4.
² 1 Cor. 11:3 and Eph 5:23 — A little above this for excells beforehand codices A I L T Z and aa have overrules
³ Codices A H K L aa and bb read even.
⁴ Codices K aa and bb add is it. At the end of this third reply, the editions, with some codices, have should have in place of should.
⁵ Cf above d. 4. a. 3. q. 1 ff. — The last words of this reply than a femine [daughter] are lacking in codices A Z and bb, other codices substituted a femine [child].

SCHOLION

I. Hanc quaestionem Magister (hic c. 3.) incipit his verbis: « Solet etiam quaeri, quamvis curiose, a nonnullis, si Deus humanam naturam potuit assumere » etc., eamque paucis verbis expedit. Nihilominus Gaulterus a S. Victore ob hanc quaetionem acerrime insectatur Magistrum tanquam blasphemum, sed immerito (cfr. D'Argentré, Collectio iudicior. t. I. pag. 117). — Argumenta congruentiae pro hac et seq. quaetione sunt manifesta, et a diversis diversa addita sunt. De hac quaestione: S. Thom., hic qu. 3. a. 1. — B. Albert., a. 10. — Petr. a Tar. hic a. 4. quaestiunc. 1. 2. — Richard. a Med., hic a. 2. q. 4.

II. De seq. (2.) questione: Alex. Hal., S. p. III. q. 2. m. 11. 12. — S. Thom., loc. cit. a. 2; S. III q. 28. a. 1, q. 32. a. 1. — Petr. a Tar., loc. cit. — Richard. a Med., loc. cit. q. 2.

SCHOLIUM

I. The Master begins this question with these words: "One is accustomed even to be asked, although curiously, by not a few, if God could have assumed a human nature " etc., and he expedites the matter with a vew words. Nevertheless Gaulterus of St. Victor on account of this question rails most sharply at the Master as [if it were] blasphemy, but undeservedly (cf. D'Argentré's more judicious Collectio, tome I, page 117). — Suitable arguments for this and the following question have been manifested, and by diverse authors there have been added diverse things. Concerning this question: St. Thomas, here on q. 3. a. 1. — St. Albert the Great, a. 10. — (Bl.) Peter of Tarrentaise here on a. 4. questiuncula 1 and 2 — Richard of Middleton, here on a. 2. a. 4..

II. Concerning the following question: Alexander of Hales, Summa, part II, q. 2. m. 11 and 12. — St. Thomas, loc. cit. a. 2; Summa Theologiae III q. 28. a. 1. q. 32. a. 1. — (Bl.) Peter of Tarrentaise, loc. cit. — Richard of Middleton, loc. cit. q. 2..

The English translation here has been released to the public domain by its author. Items in [ ] brackets in the English translation are notes added by trans. or the latin term which is the equivalent of the immediately preceding English word or phrase. N.B. that 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 that that which is necessitated by the body of the text.