LIBER PRIMUS SENTENTIARUM -- D. 42: Petri Lombardi

Magistri Petri Lombardi Arch. Episc. Parisiensis	Master Peter Lombard Archbishop of Paris
Sententiarum Quatuor Libri	The Four Books of Sentences
LIBER PRIMUS SENTENTIARUM. DE DEI UNITATE ET TRINITATE	THE FIRST BOOK OF THE SENTENCES ON THE UNITY AND TRINITY OF GOD
DISTINCTIO XLII.	DISTINCTION 42
Opera Omnia S. Bonaventurae, Ad Claras Aquas, 1882, Vol 1, pp. 743-744. Cum Notitiis Editorum Quaracchi	Latin text taken from Opera Omnia S. Bonaventurae, Ad Claras Aquas, 1882, Vol. 1, pp. 743-744. Notes by the Quaracchi Editors.
Cap. I. De omnipotentia Dei, quare dicatur omnipotens, cum nos multa possimus, quae ipse non potest.	Chapter I. On the Omnipotence of God, for what reason is He said (to be) “omnipotent”, since we can (do) many (things), which He Himself cannot (do).
Nunc de omnipotentia Dei agendum est, ubi prima consideratio occurrit, quomodo vere Deus dicatur omnipotens: an quia omnia possit, an tantum, quia ea quae vult. Quod enim Deus omnia possit, pluribus auctoritatibus comprobatur. Ait enim Augustinus in libro Quaestionum veteris ac novae Legis:¹ « Omnia quidem potest Deus, sed non facit nisi quod convenit veritati eius et iustitiae ». Idem in eodem: « Potuit Deus cuncta simul facere, sed ratio prohibuit », id est voluntas. Rationem nempe ibi voluntatem appellavit, quia Dei voluntas rationabilis est et aequissima. Fatendum est ergo, Deum omnia posse.	Now one must deal with the Omnipotence of God, where there occurs the first consideration, “In what manner is God truly said (to be) “omnipotent” ?”: whether because He can (do) all (things), or only, because (He can do all) those which He wills. For that God can (do) all (things), is completely proven by very many authorities. For (St.) Augustine says in the book of Questions on the Old and New Law:¹ « All (things), indeed, God can (do), but He does not do except what befits His Truth and Justice ». The same (says) in the same: « God could make all (things) at once, but reason prohibited (this) », that is (His) Will (prohibited it). Indeed [nempe] he named (His) Will there the “reason”, because God’s Will is reasonable and most equal. Therefore it must be said [fatendum], that God can (do) all (things).
Cap. II. Quomodo dicatur Deus omnia posse.	Chapter II. In what manner is God said to be able (to do) all (things).
Sed quaeritur, quomodo omnia posse dicatur, cum nos quaedam possimus,² quae ipse non potest. Non potest enim ambulare, loqui et huiusmodi, quae a natura divinitatis penitus sunt aliena, cum horum instrumenta nullatenus habere queat incorporea et simplex substantia. — Quibus id respondendum arbitror, quod huiusmodi actiones, ambulatio scilicet et locutio et huiusmodi, a Dei potentia alienae non sunt, sed ad ipsam pertinent. Licet enim huiusmodi actiones in se Deus habere non possit; non enim potest ambulare vel loqui et huiusmodi, eas tamen in creaturis potest operari. Facit enim, ut homo ambulet et loquatur, et huiusmodi. Non ergo per istas actiones divinae potentiae detrahitur aliquid, quia et hoc potest facere Deus³ omnipotens.	But there is asked, “In what manner is it said that He can (do) all, since we can² (do) certain (things), which He Himself cannot (do)?” For He cannot walk, speak and (do things) of this kind, which are entirely alien to [a] the Nature of the Divinity, since (His) incorporeal and simple Substance can to no extent have these instruments. — To which I judge that it must be responded, that actions of this kind, namely, walking and speaking and (those) of this kind, are not alien to God’s Power, but pertain to It. For though God cannot have actions of this kind in Himself; for He cannot walk and/or speak and (do things) of this kind, yet He can work these in creatures. For He causes, that a man walks and speaks, and (does things) of this kind. Therefore not through these actions is anything detracted from the Divine Power, because the omnipotent God³ can also do this.
Sed sunt alia quaedam, quae Deus nulltatenus facere potest, ut peccata; non enim potest mentire, non potest peccare. Sed non ideo omnipotentia⁴ Dei in aliquo detrahitur vel derogatur, si peccare non posse dicitur, quia non esset hoc potentiae, sed infirmitatis. Si enim hoc posset, omnipotens non esset. Non igitur impotentiae, sed potentiae imputandum est, quod ista non potest. Unde Augustinus in decimo quinto libro de Trinitate:⁵ « Magna, inquit, Dei potentia est non posse mentiri ». Sunt enim quaedam, quae in aliis rebus potentiae deputanda sunt, in aliis vero minime, et quae in aliis laudabilia sunt, in aliis vero reprehensibilia sunt. Non ergo Deus ideo minus potens est, quia peccare non potest, cum omnipotens nullatenus sit qui hoc potest.	But there are other certain (things), which God to no extent can do, such as ins; for He cannot lie, He cannot sin. But not for this reason is God’s Omnipotence⁴ detracted and/or derogated in anything, if it is said that He cannot sin, because this would not belong to power, but to infirmity. For if He could (do) this, He would not be omnipotent. Therefore not to impotence, but to power must it be imputed, that He cannot (do) these (things). Wherefore (St.) Augustine in the fifteenth book On the Trinity (says):⁵ « The great », he says, « power of God is that He cannot lie ». For there are certain (things), which in some things are to be deputed to power, but in others least of all, and which in some are able to be praised, but in others are reprehensible. Therefore God is not for that reason less powerful, because He cannot sin, since he who can do this is to no extent omnipotent.
Sunt etiam et alia quaedam, quae Deus non potest; unde videtur non omnia posse. Non enim potest mori vel falli. Unde Augustinus in libro de Symbolo:⁶ « Deus omnipotens non potest mori, non potest falli, non potest miser fieri, non potest vinci. Haec utique et huiusmodi absit, ut possit omnipotens. Si enim huiusmodi passionibus atque defectibus subiici posset, omnipotens minime foret ». Et inde monstratur omnipotens, quia ei haec propinquare non valent; potest tamen haec in aliis operari.	There are also even certain other (things), which God cannot (do); whence it seems that He cannot do all (things). For He cannot die and/or fail. Wherefore (St.) Augustine in (his) book on the Creed (says):⁶ « The Omnipotent God cannot die, He cannot fail, He cannot become miserable, He cannot be conquered. Indeed, far be it, that the Omnipotent can (do) these and (those) of this kind. For if He could be subjected to passions and defects of this kind, He would least of all be omnipotent ». And hence He is shown (to be) omnipotent, because these do not prevail to approach Him; yet He can work these in others.
Cap. III. Quod omnipotentia Dei secundum duo consideratur.	Chapter III. That the Omnipotence of God is considered according to two (acts).
Sic igitur⁷ diligenter considerantibus omnipotentia eius secundum duo apparet, scilicet quod omnia facit quae vult, et nihil omnino patitur. Secundum utrumque Deus omnipotens verissime praedicatur, quia nec aliquid est, quod ei ad patiendum corruptionem inferre valeat, nec aliquid ad faciendum impedimentum afferre. Manifestum est itaque, Deum omnino nihil posse pati et omnia facere posse praeter ea sola, quibus eius dignitas laederetur eiusque excellentiae derogaretur; in quo tamen non est minus omnipotens. Hoc⁸ enim posse non esset posse, sed non posse. Nemo ergo Deum impotentem in aliquo dicere praesumat, qui omnia potest, quae posse potentiae est; et inde vere dicitur omnipotens.	Therefore,⁷ to (those) diligently considering (the matter) in this manner, His Omnipotence appears according to two (acts), namely, (according) to which He does all which He wills, and He suffers entirely nothing. According to each He is most truly preached as the Omnipotent God, because there is neither something, which prevails to bring Him to [ei inferre ad] suffer corruption, nor something to contribute [afferre] to working (His) impediment. And so it is manifest, that God can suffer entirely nothing and can do all except those alone, by which His dignity would be wounded and His excellence derogated, in which, however, He is not less omnipotent. For to be able to do this⁸ would not be a ‘being able’, but rather a ‘not being able’. Let no one, therefore, presume to say that God is impotent in anything, He who can (do) all, which to be able (to do) belongs to power; and hence He is truly said (to be) “omnipotent”.
¹ Quaest. ex novo Test. q. 97; sequens locus ibid. ex utroque mixtim q. 106. ² Codd. A C D E possumus. — Hoc et alia plura, quae in hac dist. sequuntur sumta sunt ex Abaelardo, Introd. ad theol. III. n. 4. ³ Omittitur Deus a cod. D et edd., exceptis 1, 5. ⁴ Edd. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 omnipotentiae. ⁵ Cap. 15. n. 24. — Infra Vat. et aliae edd. nullatenus possit pro nullatenus sit, refragantibus codd. et edd. 1, 6 (5 in marg.). ⁶ Ad Catech. c. 1. n. 2; secundum sensum. — Paulo inferius pro inde Vat. et edd. 2, 4, 5, 6, 9 cum cod D ideo. ⁷ Vat. cum aliis edd., excepta 1, et cod. B minus congrue Hic ergo. ⁸ Codd. C D E Haec. Deinde solummodo Vat. et edd. 4, 6 quia omnia pro qui omnia.	¹ Questions on the New Testament, q. 97; the following passage is mixed from ibid., and q. 106. ² Codices A C D and E have when we can [cum possumus] for since we can [cum possimus]. — This and the many other (arguments), which follow in this Distinction have been taken from Abelard, Introduction to Theology, Bk. III, n. 4. ³ In codex D and the editions, except editions 1 and 5, there is read the Omnipotent [omnipotens] for the omnipotent God [omnipotens Deus]. ⁴ Editions 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 read is there a detraction and/or derogation of God’s Omnipotence in anything [omnipotentiae Dei in aliquo detrahitur vel derogatur] for is God’s Omnipotence detracted and/or derogated in anything [omnipotentia Dei in aliquo detrahitur vel derogatur]. ⁵ Chapter 15, n. 24. — Below in the Vatican edition and the other editions there is read can to no extent (be) omnipotent [omnipotens nulltatenus possit] for is to not extent omnipotent [omnipotens nullatenus sit], breaking with the codices and editions 1 and 6 (edition 5 in the margin). ⁶ To Catechumens, ch. 1, n. 2; according to the sense. — A little below this for hence [inde] the Vatican edition and editions 2, 4, 5, 6, and 8, together with codex D, have for this reason [ideo]. ⁷ The Vatican edition, together with the other editions, except edition 1, and codex B, has less congruously Therefore, to (those) diligently considering this [Hic ergo etc.] for Therefore, to (those) diligently considering (this matter) in this manner [Sic ergo etc.] ⁸ Codices C D and E read For to be able to do these [Haec enim posse] in place of For to be able to do this [Hoc enim posse]. Then only the Vatican edition and editions 4 and 6, have because He [quia] for He who [qui].

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Ex quibusdam tamen auctoritatibus traditur, ideo vere dici omnipotens, quia quidquid vult, potest. Unde Augustinus in Enchiridio:¹ « Non ob aliud veraciter vocatur omnipotens, nisi quoniam quiquid vult, potest, nec voluntate cuiuspiam creaturae voluntatis omnipotentis impeditur effectus ». Idem in libro de Spiritu et Littera:² « Non potest Deus facere iniusta, quia ipse summa iustitia et bonitas est. Omnipotens vero est, non quod possit omnia facere, sed quia potest efficere, quidquid vult, ita ut nihil valeat eius voluntati resistere, quin compleatur, aut aliquod modo impedire eandem ». Ioannes Chrysostomus in Homilia quaedam de expositione Symboli³ ait: « Omnipotens dicitur Deus, quia posse illius non potest invenire non posse, dicente Propheta:⁴ Omnia quaecumque voluit, fecit. Ipse est ergo omnipotens, ut totum, quod vult, possit. Unde Apostolus: Eius, inquit, voluntati quis resistit? » His auctoritatibus videtur ostendi, quod Deus ex eo tantum dicatur omnipotens, quod omnia potest, quae vult, non quia omnia possit.	However, it is handed down from certain authorities, that He is truly said (to be) “omnipotent” for this reason, because whatever He wills, He can (do). Whence (St.) Augustine in The Enchiridion (says):¹ « He is truthfully not called “omnipotent” on account of anything else, but (this), that whatever He wills, He can (do), nor is the effect of the Will of the Omnipotent impeded by the will of any creature ». The same in the book On Spirit and Letter (says): « God cannot do unjust (things), because He Himself is Most High Justice and Goodness. However He is omnipotent, not because He can do all, but because He can effect, whatever He wills, thus that nothing prevails to resist His Will being fulfilled [quin compleatur], or in any manner to impede the Same ». (St.) John Chrysostom in a certain Homily On the Exposition of the Creed³ says: « God is said (to be) “omnipotent”, because His “being able” cannot find a “not being able”, with the Prophet saying:⁴ All whatsoever He willed, He did. He is, therefore, omnipotent, so that the whole, which He wills, He can (do). Wherefore the Apostle (says): His Will, he says, who can resist? ». With these authorities it seems to be shown, that God is said (to be) “omnipotent” from this only, that He can (do) all, which He wills, not because He can (do) all.
Sed ad hoc potest dici, quod Augustinus, ubi dicit: Omnipotens non dicitur, quod omnia possit etc., tam ample et generaliter accepit omnia, ut etiam mala includeret, quae Deus nec vult nec potest. Non ergo negavit, eum posse omnia quae convenit ei posse. Similiter, cum dicit: Non ob aliud veraciter dicitur omnipotens, nisi quoniam quidquid vult, potest, non negat, eum posse etiam ea quae non vult; sed adversus illos qui dicebant, Deum multa velle, quae non poterat, affirmat, eum posse quidquid vult, et ex eo vere dici omnipotentem, non ob aliud, nisi⁵ quia potest quidquid vult. Sed cave, quomodo intelligas potest quidquid vult, an quidquid vult se posse, an quidquid vult facere, an quidquid vult fieri. Si enim dicas, ideo omnipotentem vocari, quia potest quidquid vult se posse, ergo et Petrus⁶ similiter omnipotens dici potest, vel quilibet sanctorum Beatorum, quia potest quidquid vult se posse, et potest facere quidquid vult facere. Non enim vult facere, nisi quod facit, nec posse, nisi quod potest; sed non potest facere quidquid vult fieri. Vult enim, salvos fieri qui salvandi sunt; verumtamen eos salvare non valet. Deus autem quidquid vult fieri, potest facere. Si enim vult aliquid fieri per se, potest illud per se facere, et per se facit, sicut caelum et terram per se fecit, quia voluit. Si autem vult fieri per creaturam et per eam operatur — sicut per homines facit domos et huiusmodi artificialia⁷ — et Deus quidem ex se et per se potest; homo autem vel Angelus, quantumcumque beatus est, non est potens ex se vel per se.	But to this it can be said, that (St.) Augustine, where he says: “He is not said (to be) “omnipotent”, because He can (do) all” etc., accepts “all” [omnia] so amply and generally, that it would also include the evils, which God neither wills nor can (do). Therefore He did not deny, that He can (do) all which befits His “being able”. Similarly, when he says: “He is truthfully not called “omnipotent” on account of anything else, but (this), that whatever He wills, He can (do)”, he does not deny, that He can (do) even those which He does not will; but against those, who used to say, that God wills many (things), which He could not (do), he affirms, that He can (do) whatever He wills, and that from this He is truly said (to be) “omnipotent”, not on account of anything else, except⁵ because He can (do) whatever He wills. But beware, in what manner you understand “He can (do) whatever He wills”, whether (it means) “whatever He wills that He can (do)”, or “whatever He wills to do”, or “whatever He wills be done”. For if you say, that He is called “omnipotent” for this reason, because He can (do) whatever He wills that He can (do), therefore even Peter⁶ can similarly be said (to be) “omnipotent”, and/or any of the blessed Saints, because He can (do) whatever He wills that He can (do), and He can do whatever He wills to do. For He does not will to do, except what He does, nor that He can (do), except what He can; but He cannot do whatever He wants done. For if He wants something to be done through Himself, He can do that through Himself, and through Himself He does (it), just as He made Heaven and Earth through Himself, because He willed (it). But if He wills that it be done through a creature and He works through that (creature) — just as through men He makes homes and artificial (things)⁷ of this kind — and God can indeed (do these) of Himself and through Himself, but a man and/or Angel, howsoever much he is blessed, is not powerful of himself and/or through himself.
Sed forte dices, nec Dei Filius potest a se, nec Spiritus sanctus, sed solus Pater. Ille enim potest a se, qui est a se; Filius atuem, quia non est a se, sed a Patre, non potest a se, sed a Patre; et Spiritus sanctus ab utroque. — Ad quod dicimus, quia licet Filius non possit a se nec operatur a se, potest tamen et operatur per se; sic et Spiritus sanctus. Unde Hilarius in libro nono de Trinitate:⁸ « Naturae, inquit, cui contradicis, haeretice, haec unitas est, ut ita per se agat Filius, ne a se agat, et ita non a se agat, ut per se agat ». Per se autem dicitur agere et potens esse, quia naturalem habet potentiam eandem, quam et Pater, qua⁹ potens est et operatur; sed quia illam habet a Patre, non a se, ideo a Patre, non a se dicitur posse et agere. Homo autem vel Angelus gratuitam habet potentiam, qua potens est. Ideo igitur vere ac proprie Deus Trinitas omnipotens dicitur, quia per se, id est naturali potentia, potest quidquid vult fieri, et quidquid vult se posse. Nihil enim vult fieri, quod non possit facere per se vel per creaturas;¹⁰ et nihil vult se posse, quod non possit: et omne quod vult fieri, vult se posse; sed non omne quod vult se posse, vult et fieri. Si enim vellet, et fieret, quia voluntati eius nihil resistere potest.¹¹	But perhaps you will say, (that) the Son of God cannot (act) from Himself [a se], nor the Holy Spirit, but the Father alone. For the Latter can (act) from Himself, who is from Himself; but the Son, because He is not from Himself, but from the Father, cannot (act) from Himself, but (does so) from the Father; and (that) the Holy Spirit (acts) from Each. — To which we say, that though the Son cannot (act) from Himself nor work from Himself, He can, however, also work through Himself; thus too the Holy Spirit. Wherefore (St.) Hilary (of Poitiers) in the ninth book On the Trinity (says):⁸ « The Nature », he says, « which you contradict, o heretic, is this Unity, that the Son so acts through Himself, that He does not act from Himself, and He so acts not from Himself, as to act through Himself ». Moreover He is said to act and to be powerful “through Himself”, because He has the same natural Power, which the Father also (has), by which⁹ He is powerful and works; but because He has That from the Father, not from Himself, for that reason He is said to be able and to act from the Father, not from Himself. But a man and/or an Angel has a gratuitous power, by which he is powerful. For that reason God the Trinity is truly and properly said (to be) “omnipotent”, because through Himself, that is by (His) natural power, He can (do) whatever He wills be done, and whatever He wills that He can (do). For He wills nothing to be done, which He cannot do through Himself and/or through creatures;¹⁰ and He wills that He can (do) nothing, which He cannot do: and everything which He wills to be done, He wills that He can (do); but not everything which He wills that He can do, He also wills be done. For if He willed (it), (it) also would be done, because nothing can resist His Will.¹¹
¹ Cap. 96. n. 24. ² Cap. 5. n. 31. et ultimo, secundum sensum. ³ Non invenitur in nova ed. Chrysost., sed in ed. antiqua (cfr. supra pag. 208, nota 8.), ubi est in hom. 2. ⁴ Psalm. 113, 11; sequens locus est ad Rom. 9, 19. ⁵ Ita codd. et ed. 1; aliae edd. vel omittunt nisi vel ponunt quam. ⁶ Codd. adiiciunt nunc, ed. 1 tunc. ⁷ Solummodo Vat. artificia; ed. 1 aedificia artificialia. Deinde codd. omittunt est post beatus. ⁸ Num. 48; in quo textu Vat. et edd. 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 cum codd. a se agit, ut pro a se agat, ut. ⁹ Vat. et ed. 8 cum cod. E qui. ¹⁰ Codd. et Vat. creaturam. Deinde fide codd. et ed. 1 adiunximus et ante fieri et ante fieret. ¹¹ In hac dist. et dd. 43. 44. Magister plura ad verbum vel ad sensum sumsit ex Hugone a S. Victor., Summa Sentientiarum, tr. I. c. 14; et de Sacram. I. p. II. c. 22. Ex his duobus operibus Magister etiam in aliis praecedentibus dist. interdum aliqua transcripsit.	¹ Chapter 96, n. 24. ² Chapter 5, n. 31 and the last, according to the sense. ³ Which is not found in the new edition of Chrysostom’s works, but in the ancient edition (cf. above d. XI, ch. 2, p. 208, footnote 8), where it is in Homily 2. ⁴ Ps. 113:11; the following passage is Rm. 9:19. ⁵ Thus the codices and edition 1; the others editions either omit except [nisi] or put than [quam]. ⁶ The codices adjoin a now [nunc], edition 1 a then [tunc]. ⁷ Only the Vatican edition reads handiworks [artificia] for artificial (things) [artificialia]. Then the codices omit he is [est] after much [beatus]. ⁸ Number 48; in which text the Vatican edition and editions 4, 5, 6, 8, and 9, together with the codices, have in the indicative acts not from Himself, that [a se agit, ut]. ⁹ The Vatican edition and edition 8, together with codex E, have He who [qui] for by which He [qua]. ¹⁰ The codices and the Vatican edition have a creature [creaturam]. Then, trusting in the codices and in edition 1, we have adjoined and [et] after the colon, and also [et] and the end of the sentence. ¹¹ In this Distinction and in Distinctions XLIII and XLIV Master (Peter) takes many (things) word for word and/or according to sense from Hugh of St. Victor’s, Summa Sententiarum, tr. I, ch. 14, and his On the Sacraments, Bk. I, p. II, ch. 22. From these two works Master (Peter) has also, in the preceding questions, transcribed other (things) now and then.

The English translation here has been released to the public domain by its author. 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. Items in round ( ) brackets are terms implicit in the Latin syntax or which are required for clarity in English.

Sententiarum Quatuor Libri

The Four Books of Sentences