Master Bandinus (Bandinus Magister)
(On the Ecclesiastical Sacraments)
Table of Contents
Master Bandinus: On Ecclesiastical Sacraments, which is the Fourth of the Sentences.
Throughout nearly this entire fourth book, with remarkable clarity and in very few words, Bandinus discusses the confirmation of man restored through Christ's death, which consists in the saving use and dispensation of the holy sacraments of the Church, deriving their power and origin from Christ's passion. Toward the end, he touches upon certain matters concerning the ultimate — so to speak — beatification of man confirmed through the ecclesiastical sacraments, explaining the resurrection of the dead and the last judgment, with the punishments of the impious and the joys of the pious; with which Bandinus happily concludes his book, praying that the Lord may make us sharers in the joy of the just.
Distinction I. On sacraments in general. What a sacrament is.
After the treatment of things which are to be enjoyed and used, and of those who enjoy and use them, let us come to treat the waters of refreshment which are called sacraments. A sacrament, therefore, is a visible form of invisible grace, or a sign of a sacred thing. A sign, moreover, is a thing which, beyond the appearance it presents to the senses, causes something else from itself to come to knowledge.
How the sacraments of the old and new law differ.
Moreover, a sacrament bears a resemblance to the reality of which it is a sign — as the waters of baptism resemble the cleansing of sins. Indeed, a sacrament is properly said to be that which so signifies grace that it also confers it. Through this the difference between the old and new sacraments is clearly noted: for those only promised and signified, while these both signify and give grace.
Why the sacraments were instituted.
They were instituted for a threefold cause: namely, that we might be humbled, instructed, and exercised. For man, who despised one greater than himself, is pleasing to God when he is reverently humbled by visible things inferior to himself at the command of the Creator — since also through that which is perceived in visible form, the mind is instructed to know the invisible power. Through these sacraments also one avoids harmful occupation and is usefully exercised who could not be idle.
On circumcision.
Although the ancient sacraments did not give grace, circumcision nonetheless had the same power against sin that baptism now has. Whence Bede says: Circumcision under the law provided the same remedy of saving healing against the wound of original sin as baptism does in the time of grace, except that it did not open the gate of the kingdom.
On the institution and cause of circumcision.
Circumcision was first commanded to Abraham, and afterward to his seed. It was commanded to him for the approval of his faith and obedience, and so that that people might be distinguished from other nations by this sign.
Why in the flesh of the foreskin.
It was also commanded to be done in the flesh of the foreskin, because it was fitting that the sign of obedience should appear where the punishment of disobedience — that is, concupiscence — most held sway.
Why on the eighth day and with a stone knife.
It was performed on the eighth day, with a stone knife, because through the resurrection of Christ which occurred on the eighth day, the soul is cleansed from sins; and in the general resurrection, in the eighth age to come, all corruption will be removed from the elect through the rock which is Christ.
By what means original sin was removed before circumcision.
Before circumcision, sins were forgiven for infants through the faith of their elders, and for adults through sacrifices. Whence Gregory says: what the water of baptism avails among us, among the ancients either faith alone accomplished for infants, or the power of sacrifice for adults.
Why circumcision was changed into baptism.
Circumcision was rightly changed into baptism, because baptism is more universal and more perfect; let us now consider it.
Distinction II. On Baptism.
It should be known that the baptism by which the faithful are regenerated was preceded by the baptism of John, which was useful in this: that it prepared people by the practice of baptizing for the baptism of Christ.
Why it is called the baptism of John.
It is called the baptism of John because it was the work of John alone, who washed only outwardly — not of God working inwardly. This baptism was conferred in the name of the one who was to come.
Whether those baptized by John ought to be rebaptized.
Therefore those baptized with John's baptism, who did not believe that the Holy Spirit existed, were rebaptized with the baptism of Christ. Whence Jerome says: Those who did not know the Holy Spirit, when they received baptism from John in the name of the one to come, were baptized again — lest anyone should think that water without the Holy Spirit suffices for salvation. Let us therefore consider what baptism is, what its form is, when it was instituted, and why.
Distinction III. What baptism is.
Baptism is the immersion of the body performed under the form of the word, of which it is said: The word comes to the element, and it becomes a sacrament.
The form of baptism. Whether it is permitted to baptize in the name of Christ.
That word is the invocation of the Trinity. According to what the Truth says, showing the form of baptizing: Go, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28). This word comes to the element not only because it is spoken, but because it is believed. We also read that the apostles baptized in the name of Christ (Acts 8, 10). In which the whole Trinity is understood — namely the Anointed One Himself, and the Father by whom He was anointed, and the Holy Spirit by whom He was anointed.
Whether it is permitted to baptize by naming only one Person.
Indeed, the sacrament is perfectly conferred even by naming only one of the Persons, provided one holds right belief about the others. And conversely, even if all are named, the mystery is empty if one holds wrong belief about them. Whence Ambrose says: Just as if you comprehend in speech only one — whether the Father, the Son, or the Holy Spirit — yet in faith you deny neither the Father, nor the Son, nor the Holy Spirit, the sacrament of faith is complete; so also, even if you name the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, but diminish the power of any one of them, the mystery is empty. It is safer, however, to name the three Persons in baptism, saying: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit — not 'in the names' but 'in the name,' that is, in the invocation or confession of the three Persons.
Where baptism was instituted.
Baptism was instituted in the Jordan, when Christ by the touch of His pure flesh conferred regenerative power upon the waters, so that whoever was afterward immersed, with the name of the Trinity invoked, might be cleansed from sins.
Why one is baptized only in water.
Baptism is celebrated in water, not in any other liquid, so that no one may be excused by poverty, and on account of the resemblance of the sacrament: for just as water washes away the stains of the body, so baptism wipes away the stains of the soul.
How many times the one being baptized should be immersed.
According to the varying custom of churches, the one being baptized is immersed once or three times. Whence Gregory says: In one faith, the diverse custom of the holy Church does no harm; hence it is in no way reprehensible to immerse an infant being baptized three times or once, because by immersing three times, the Trinity of Persons is designated, and by once, the unity of the divinity can be designated. We who immerse three times also signify the sacrament of the three-day burial.
Distinction IV. On the threefold effect of baptism. The error of some.
After the foregoing, it should be known that some receive both the sacrament and the reality, others the sacrament only, and others the reality only. Infants receive both the sacrament and the reality, although some think otherwise about those who are to perish, wrongly relying on the word of Augustine who says: The sacraments effect what they represent only in the saints. This should be understood as follows: since the sacraments effect forgiveness for all, they do this unto salvation only for the elect. Adults also who approach with faith receive both the sacrament and the reality; those without faith receive the sacrament only. Whence Jerome says: Those who do not receive baptism with full faith receive not the Holy Spirit but water.
Augustine also says: Everyone who has already been constituted as the arbiter of his own will, when he approaches the sacrament of the faithful, cannot begin a new life unless he repents of the old. As for what Augustine seems to say — that sins are forgiven at the very moment for one approaching falsely — he does not say this asserting it, but comparing and challenging others. This is shown from the fact that he says in the same place: If one approaches baptism falsely, either his sins have been forgiven or they have not been forgiven — let them choose which they will. He also says: Baptism begins to avail for salvation when that falsehood has departed from the heart through a truthful confession that follows. Therefore one who approaches falsely receives not the reality, but only the sacrament.
What baptism avails for those who approach with faith.
But what does baptism provide for those who approach with faith, when they have already been justified? To this we say that absolution from exterior satisfaction is granted to them, and helping grace, and every virtue is increased; the tinder of sin is also further weakened. Whence Augustine says: The faith that makes the faithful is given or nourished in the waters of baptism, because to one who does not have it, it is sometimes given there; and to one who has it, it is given so that he may have it more fully.
Who receives the reality and not the sacrament.
Those who shed their blood for Christ, or who hold his faith, receive the reality but not the sacrament — those who cannot be helped because of the urgency of time. Whence Augustine says: Considering again and again, I find that not only suffering undertaken for the name of Christ supplies the place of baptism, but also faith and conversion of heart — provided that the mystery of baptism is excluded not by contempt of religion, but by the exigency of necessity. Ambrose also says of Valentinian: I grieve in my heart, because I lost the one I was about to regenerate; yet he did not lose the grace he had requested.
What seems to contradict the foregoing.
This opinion is not contradicted by what the Lord says: Unless one is born again of water and the Spirit, etc. (John 3). For this is to be understood of those who are able to be baptized but refuse. Similarly, this too is to be understood: We believe that no catechumen, however much he may have died in good works, has life.
Baptism relates to the remission of sins in various ways. What godparents ought to do. Explanation of the words which those receiving the child speak. What precedes baptism.
It should be known that since baptism is the sacrament of the remission of sins, it sometimes precedes remission itself — as when one who is insincere is baptized; sometimes it follows — as when a just person is baptized; sometimes they occur simultaneously — as when infants are baptized. When they are baptized, they receive the grace of doing good as a gift but not in actual use, which they will have when they reach a more advanced age, unless they choose wrong use through free will. For them, godparents request faith and profess belief. All of this is to be understood of the sacrament of baptism, so that the meaning is: I seek faith — that is, I am ready to receive the sacrament of faith. I believe — that is, I receive the sacrament of faith; which the godparent says on behalf of the infant, who does not have the age to speak for himself. Through this the infant is also bound to fulfill it when he has grown up, and the godparent is also bound to work diligently so that it may be fulfilled. Whence Augustine says: You have made a most certain pledge, by which you promised to renounce the pomps of the devil.
Baptism is preceded by exorcism — that is, adjuration — and catechism — that is, instruction — not because baptism cannot exist without these, but so that the one to be baptized may be instructed about what to flee and may know to whom he becomes a debtor. Whence Augustine says: The infant is breathed upon and exorcized, so that the devil may flee from him, and he may know to whom he henceforth becomes a debtor.
Distinction V. Baptism is equally effective whether from a good or bad minister.
Since Christ alone truly baptizes, an equally good baptism is always conferred by anyone, whether it be conferred by a good or bad minister.
Distinctions VI and VII. Who is permitted to baptize.
In summary, it should be known that the ministry of baptism is lawful only for priests. In time of necessity, however, it is lawful for deacons and any person whatsoever to administer baptism, which, conferred by anyone whatsoever, provided there is no error in the form of the Church, is not repeated.
Distinction VIII. On the sacrament of the Eucharist. Whence the Eucharist is so called.
After the sacrament of baptism follows the sacrament of the Eucharist, and rightly so: for through baptism we are cleansed; through the Eucharist we are strengthened in goodness.
The Eucharist is called 'good grace,' because in this sacrament the whole of Him is received who is the font and origin of all grace. In this sacrament, then, let us consider its institution, its form, and its reality.
On the institution of this sacrament.
The Lord therefore instituted this sacrament at the supper, after the typological lamb, in which He signified that the sacraments of the old law would be terminated by His death, and that the things of the new law were about to begin.
On the form of this sacrament.
The form is that which the Lord Himself instituted, saying: This is my body which will be given for you. And: This is my blood which will be shed for many (Matthew 26). The rest is said in praise of God. Whence Augustine says: It should be believed that the sacraments are confected in those words of Christ; all the rest are praises, supplications, and petitions.
Three things to be distinguished in this sacrament.
There are three things to be distinguished in this sacrament: first, that which is sacrament only — namely, the species of bread and wine; second, that which is both sacrament and reality — namely, the flesh of Christ which He took from the Virgin, and the blood which He shed for us; third, that which is reality only of the sacrament — namely, the unity of the Church, which is the spiritual flesh of the Lord, of which it is said: Unless you eat my flesh and drink my blood, you will not have eternal life in you (John 6).
Distinction IX. On the two modes of eating.
Just as there are two realities of this sacrament, so also there are two modes of eating: sacramental — that is, by which the body which He took from the Virgin is received under the sacrament, and the blood is drunk; and spiritual — by which one eats if he remains in God and God in him. Whence Augustine says: He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him. If he remains in me and I in him, then he drinks. But whoever does not remain in me, nor I in him, even if he receives the sacrament, he acquires great torment.
Likewise: Why do you prepare your stomach and teeth? Believe and you have eaten. According to these two modes is distinguished what Augustine says: The good person receives the sacrament and the reality of the sacrament. The bad person receives only the sacrament — that is, the body of Christ. According to this also is understood that saying of Augustine: The non-eater eats, and the eater does not eat.
Distinction X. The body of Christ is on every altar.
The body of Christ, taken from the Virgin, is on every altar at the time of sacrifice. Yet in only one place is it visible — namely, at the right hand of the Father, visibly according to its human form. This is what Augustine says: The body of Christ is in one place visibly — namely, in human form; yet its truth is everywhere — that is, its divinity. Likewise: Its truth — that is, its true body — is everywhere — that is, on every altar where it is celebrated — yet invisibly, according to the same form. Similar statements are to be understood in this way.
Distinction XI. On the conversion of bread into the flesh of Christ and wine into blood.
Therefore true faith confesses that ordinary bread is on the altar before the sacred words which were set forth above; after those words, from bread the flesh of Christ is made — or it is confected, or the bread passes over, or is converted into flesh. Similarly also with the wine.
How this conversion takes place.
If one asks about the manner of the conversion, we say that some hold that the conversion is to be understood in this way: that under those accidents under which there was formerly the substance of bread and wine, after the consecration there is the substance of the body and blood. Others say that the bread is substantially changed into flesh, yet it is not increased. For all that is there shines forth by the power of the miracle. But whether it be in this way or otherwise, what Augustine says must be held: If you ask the manner by which this can happen, I say briefly: the mystery of faith can be profitably believed; it cannot be profitably investigated.
Why the body of Christ is received under another species.
The body of Christ is received under a different species than its own for a threefold reason: namely, so that faith might have merit; so that the mind might not be horrified at what the eye would see; and so that religion might not be mocked by unbelievers.
Why under a twofold species. Why water is mixed in.
Under a twofold species also, the whole Christ is received, to show that Christ assumed the whole of human nature and redeemed it entirely. For bread relates to flesh and wine to blood, as Moses says: Flesh is offered for your body, blood indeed for the soul (Deuteronomy 12; Leviticus 17). Water also, which signifies the people, is mixed with the wine, so that through this the faithful people may be shown to be joined to Him in whom they believe. If water is omitted through ignorance or negligence, what is done is not void. But if this is done in order to introduce heresy, nothing is accomplished.
Distinction XII. Where those accidents are grounded. On the breaking and the parts.
If one asks about those accidents, where they are grounded — it seems more proper to admit that they exist without a subject, which is not impossible for Him who created them. The body of the Lord is indeed broken — not in its own essence, since it has been made impassible — but in the sacrament, as Augustine says: And indeed in the sacrament it is so done, in which sacrament it is so handled and broken and ground by the teeth of the faithful, as Berengarius swore before Pope Nicholas.
What those parts signify.
Three parts are made in the daily use of this same sacrament in the Church.
Not without signification, as Pope Sergius says. For the part of the offering placed in the chalice represents the body of Christ which has already risen; the part consumed represents the body still walking on earth; the part remaining on the altar until the end of Mass represents the body lying in the tomb, because until the end of the world the bodies of the saints will be in tombs.
Why this sacrifice is called an immolation. Why it was instituted. How often one should communicate in a year.
This sacrifice is called the immolation of Christ. For Christ is immolated daily — not in His essence, since He died once and now dies no more — but by sacramental representation. Nor is this sacrament repeated, because the blessing is not repeated over the same thing, just as baptism is not repeated in the same person. This sacrament was instituted as a medicine for daily weakness. Whence Augustine says: This offering is repeated daily because we sin daily. Likewise: Because we fall daily, the mystery of Christ is daily immolated for us. Three times in the year each of the faithful should communicate: at Easter, Pentecost, and Christmas.
Distinction XIII. Who confects this sacrament.
This sacrament is confected by any priest according to the rite and with the intention of confecting, provided he stands in the unity of the Church. Those who are excommunicated, or marked with manifest heresy, do not confect this sacrament. For no one consecrating says 'I offer,' but 'we offer,' as if from the person of the Church, which Augustine says thus: Recall the name and attend to the truth. For it is called 'Mass' because the heavenly messenger — that is, the angel — comes to consecrate the body of the Lord, as the priest says: Almighty God, command this to be borne by the hands of your angel to your sublime altar. But does God send an angel from heaven to consecrate His offering when a heretic usurps this mystery? These things we have briefly touched upon concerning the heavenly mystery, which are to be faithfully held by Catholics.
Distinction XIV. On penance. Whence penance is so called. What it is to repent. Division of penance.
After this, let us consider penance, which after the shipwreck of Adam and original sin is the second plank. For the first is baptism, where the old man is put off and the new put on — which, once bestowed, is not repeated. Penance, however, frequently comes to our aid. With penance the preaching of John began, saying: Do penance, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand (Matthew 3). Penance is so called from 'punishing,' by which one punishes the unlawful things he has committed. For to repent is to hold to punishment, so that one always punishes in oneself by avenging what one committed by sinning. Therefore the virtue of penance is conceived in fear. Whence Isaiah says: From your fear, O Lord, we have conceived the Spirit of salvation.
Solemn penance. Non-solemn penance. Confession.
Of penances indeed, one kind is solemn, and another is not.
Solemn penance, as Ambrose says, is that which is done publicly outside the church, in ashes and sackcloth, which is imposed only for manifest and horrible offenses, and which is not repeated out of reverence for the sacrament. For it signifies the expulsion of the first man from paradise. The other kind is not solemn: it is a virtue of the mind, is carried out in secret, and can frequently be repeated by the same person for salvation. This is proved by the example of David, who, after obtaining pardon for adultery and murder, sinned gravely in numbering the people. When the angel was striking the people, he offered himself saying: What has this flock done? Let your hand be upon me and upon my father's house. He was immediately made worthy of sacrifice and deserved to be absolved (2 Samuel 24). This is also what Augustine says: Confess your sins even once to an earthly judge before death, but frequent confession to God brings life. Likewise on the Psalm: He will spare the poor (Psalm 71). If one who has been freed offends, he will spare, because all sin. The authorities, therefore, that seem to forbid penance from being repeated are to be understood either of the penance of the perfect or of solemn penance — such as: Penance is always a punishment that punishes what one has committed; and: Those are found who think penance should be performed repeatedly, who revel in Christ.
Distinction XV. Whether a confession of one sin avails while the rest remain.
It seems that a confession made about only one sin has value, especially if satisfaction has been made for it, because Scripture says: God will not judge twice for the same thing, and a double affliction will not arise (Nahum 1). But this is to be understood of those who are changed for the better by present punishment. If, however, they persist in evil, they join eternal punishments to present ones, according to that saying: Crush them with a double crushing, O Lord our God (Jeremiah 17).
For Gregory says: The Lord rained upon one city, and upon another He did not rain. And the same city He partly rained upon and partly left dry. When one who hates his neighbor corrects himself of other vices, one and the same city is partly rained upon and partly remains dry, because there are some who, while they cut away certain vices, gravely persist in others. But this is to be referred not to the pardon of the crime, but to the abandonment of the act of sinning. So that part of the city is said to be rained upon, because it now refrains from the pleasure and act of sinning. And this restraint is called rain, because it proceeds from the font of grace — so that one may either gradually repent in this way, or be less punished by God, who through a more prolonged pleasure and act of sin would have accumulated greater torment for himself.
Whether satisfaction should be imposed for a sin confessed without the others.
As for the question that is commonly asked — whether satisfaction ought to be imposed again for that sin — we say it should be imposed again, because the first time he did not make worthy satisfaction, since his penance was false. For Innocent says: It is established that penance is false when, with many sins despised, penance is performed for only one. Or when penance is performed for one in such a way that one does not depart from another; yet this can be moderated at the discretion of the priest.
Distinction XVI. On the three things considered in penance.
In penance three things are to be considered: compunction of heart, confession of mouth, and satisfaction of works. For just as we offend in three ways, so we ought to make satisfaction in three ways: by heart, by mouth, and by deed.
On three differences of sin.
There are three differences of sin, as if three deaths: in the house, at the gate, and in the tomb — which the Lord signified in the three dead persons He raised. Compunction is commended where it says: Rend your hearts and not your garments (Joel 2). Confession where it says: The just man is his own accuser at the beginning of his speech (Proverbs 18). Satisfaction where it says: Bring forth worthy fruits of penance (Luke 3).
What the one confessing should attend to.
The one who confesses, as Augustine says, should express to the priest the nature of the crime, the place, the time, his own persistence, and the condition and intention of the person with whom he sinned, and by what kind of temptation he did this. For all this variety must be confessed and lamented.
Confession should not be divided among different priests.
Let him also beware lest, led by shame, he divide his confession, wishing to reveal different things to different priests — which is to praise himself, to tend toward hypocrisy, and always to lack pardon, to which he vainly thinks he will attain.
On the three actions of penance.
There are also three actions of penance. Whence Augustine says: People perform penance before baptism for their prior sins, yet in such a way that they are baptized. They also perform penance after baptism, if they have sinned so gravely as to deserve excommunication. There is also a penance of good faithful people, nearly daily, for those sins without which this life is not lived, for which we beat our breasts saying: Forgive us our debts (Matthew 6).
Distinction XVII. To whom confession should be made.
Light sins may be confessed to any companion with a contrite heart; grave sins, however, must ultimately be confessed to a priest, unless he is absent and danger presses. Whence Bede says on the text: Confess your sins to one another (James 5): We reveal daily and light sins to our equals, but grave ones to a priest. But grave sins also should be revealed to equals when a priest is lacking and danger presses. Therefore if grave sins are hidden, let them be confessed in secret; but if manifest, they require public medicine.
Augustine teaches this through the likeness of those who were raised from the dead by the Lord. For he says: At the raising of the girl, few were present who saw it (Matthew 9). He raised indoors the one He found indoors, leaving only Peter, James, and John, and the girl's father and mother (Mark 5) — in whom the priests of the Church are signified. But those He found outside, He raised thus (Luke 7). The crowd wept for the widow's son. Mary and Martha wept, pleading for their brother (John 11). By this we are taught that for those who sin publicly, not their own merit but that of the Church suffices.
Distinction XVIII. When and what God forgives and the priest.
God forgives sin in the contrition of the heart before the confession of the mouth. Whence the Prophet says: I said: I will confess my injustice against myself to the Lord; and you have forgiven the wickedness of my sin (Psalm 31). Where Cassiodorus says: Great is the mercy of God, which forgives sins at the mere promise. Likewise Augustine: He has not yet spoken, and God forgives. God forgives sin in this way: He dissolves the debt of eternal death and inwardly purifies the soul. For God covers sin in the penitent so that He may not punish eternally. Whence Augustine says: For God to see sins is to impute them to punishment; but to turn His face away from sins is not to reserve them for punishment.
On the darkness of the soul.
Behold, thus He forgives sin as regards exterior darkness; He also forgives as regards interior darkness, when He illuminates the soul darkened by the cloud of sin and restores it to His own purity. Whence: Rise, you who sleep (Ephesians 5). And in the Psalm: He scatters mist like ashes (Psalm 147).
What the priest forgives.
The priest forgives sin in confession by the ministry of his office, by which, as an evangelical minister, he both binds and looses — that is, he shows by his office that one has been bound or loosed by God, just as the priest of the law formerly declared a leper contaminated or cleansed — that is, showed him to be contaminated or cleansed (Leviticus 13). For whatever power the latter had over the body, the former has over the mind. He shows one loosed by the very fact that he obliges to temporal punishment one whom he judges to be truly penitent; he shows one bound if he has acted to the contrary. The priest also binds when he imposes temporal punishment; he looses when he remits it. Thirdly, he also binds when he suspends from communion; he looses when he restores to communion.
On the keys of the Church.
This the priest is permitted to do by the authority of the keys of the Church, which were conferred upon him at ordination, the bishop saying to him what only a priest can bind and loose. The Lord said to Peter: Whatever you shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven, and whatever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven (Matthew 16). That is, as Augustine says: I and God and all the orders of the heavenly host and all the saints in my glory praise with you and confirm those whom you loose and bind; He did not say, those whom you think you bind or loose, but those upon whom you exercise the work of justice and mercy. But your other works against sinners I do not recognize.
Jerome also says: Some, not understanding this passage, take something from these words with the pride of the Pharisees, so that they think they can condemn the innocent and absolve the guilty — whereas before God, it is not the sentence of priests but the life of the accused that is examined, namely whether it benefits or harms them.
On the sentence of the pastor. What the two keys are.
Moreover, whether the sentence of the pastor is just or unjust, it is rightly to be feared, yet without prejudice to truth. For sometimes one who is cast out is within, and one who seems to be retained within is actually outside. These two keys are: the knowledge of discerning sins, and the power of judging concerning sins.
Distinction XIX. How these keys are given and to whom.
Everyone who is ordained as a priest receives these keys. For even if he previously had the knowledge of discerning, he did not have it as a key — that is, he could not use it with the authority of the key-bearer, which only one who is ordained can do. It would seem, however, that not all priests have these keys. For Origen says: This power was granted to Peter alone and to his imitators — namely, to the worthy — or to imitators in rank, if not in life. This dignity belongs to the order, therefore, not to the person. Augustine proves this by the example of Caiaphas (John 11). He says: This was said of the most wicked Caiaphas. He did not say this of himself, but because he was the high priest of that year. By this it is shown that the spirit of graces follows not the person of the worthy or unworthy, but the order of tradition, so that however worthy someone may be in merit, he cannot bless unless he has been ordained.
Why must one confess to a priest after the crime has been forgiven by God?
But if God forgives sin in contrition, why must anyone thereafter confess to a priest — that is, to the Church? I believe that among other reasons this is the principal one: that through this sacrament the unity between Christ and the Church may be commended — so that just as the two are in one flesh and in one voice, so also the two may be in one confession. This was not required in the Old Testament, but is required now — because now, not then, these two are one in one flesh.
On general confession.
Penance is to be performed, as we said above, where there is memory of offenses. But since no one understands all his offenses, at least they should be confessed in general terms, as Augustine says. For he says: If some sins have slipped from the mind, one confesses the truth to God when he says generally: God, who know the hidden things of hearts, my works and my offenses are not hidden from you — grant them pardon. And this is the truth of the one confessing, which God loves.
Distinction XX. On those who repent at the end.
Since penance is always necessary, that penance is most praiseworthy which has not only fear but also freedom. Whence Augustine says: Let no one wait until he can no longer sin. God seeks freedom of will, that He may be able to blot out what was committed — not necessity but charity, not merely fear, because man does not live by fear alone. Therefore that penance which is performed at the end of life is not so praiseworthy, because it seems to come more from fear than from charity — when, that is, your sins dismiss you rather than you them. Whence Augustine says: If you wish to do penance when you can no longer sin, your sins dismiss you, not you them. And therefore assurance is not granted to one who repents in this way. If you wish to be freed from doubt, therefore, do penance while you are healthy.
Distinction XXI. Do forgiven sins return?
It is also commonly asked whether forgiven sins return when the one who repented sins again. We say that either position can be held with faith intact. For approved doctors support both sides of the question: namely, that either forgiven sins return when someone is ungrateful for the benefits — which the evangelical parable seems to explain — or that they do not return, but in their place there are as many acts of ingratitude as there were sins that had been forgiven (Matthew 18). Whence Augustine says: Bless the Lord, O my soul, and do not forget all His rewards, which are as many as there are remissions; therefore there are also as many acts of forgetfulness.
Distinction XXII. On the anointings. The anointing of catechumens. The external anointing of the sick. The anointing in confirmation. What oil and balsam signify.
Lastly, it should be known that there are three kinds of anointing. The first is that by which catechumens and neophytes are anointed on the chest and between the shoulders, so that as they approach the military service of Christ, they may be strengthened for right understanding and right action. The second is the anointing of the sick, which began with the apostles, as James says: Is anyone among you sick? Let him bring in the priests of the Church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and if he is in sins, they will be forgiven him (James 5). This anointing is repeated or granted only once, according to the varying practice of the churches.
There is a third anointing, more reverend than the others, by which the head is anointed — whether of a bishop, a king, a baptized person, or one confirmed on the forehead. This prerogative of overflowing grace, which is conferred in it, is called chrism, which means anointing. For by the privilege of more abundant grace, it has two principal liquids mixed together: oil and balsam, of which one excels in brightness, the other in fragrance. By oil, therefore, the glory of conscience is signified; by balsam, the most celebrated fame — so that those who are anointed with chrism may be both clear in conscience and glorious in reputation.
What is the sacrament, and what is the reality of the sacrament.
In these, therefore, the sacrament is the anointing of the outward person; the reality of the sacrament, however, is the fruitfulness of the inward person, which is then given to us through the Holy Spirit.
Distinction XXIII. On ecclesiastical orders.
Now let us consider the ecclesiastical orders, explaining what power they hold in us and how Christ bore them in Himself.
What an order is.
An order is a seal — that is, a certain sacred thing by which spiritual power and office are conferred upon the ordained.
How many orders of clerics there are.
According to the prerogative of the sevenfold Spirit, there are seven orders: namely, porter, lector, exorcist, acolyte, subdeacon, deacon, and priest.
Why they are called clerics. What the tonsure signifies.
All are called clerics — that is, 'chosen by lot' — because Matthias, whom the Church first ordained, was elected by lot. The tonsure signifies this lot, which is a sign of royalty and honor. Whence all ministers of the Church are not undeservedly called kings, as Peter says: You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood (1 Peter 2).
Whence the porter is so called.
The porter is so called because he presides over the doors of the temple. In the Old Testament he was called a doorkeeper, appointed to guard the temple lest any unclean person should enter it (1 Chronicles 26). So also now he guards the church, receiving the worthy and rejecting the unworthy. Whence the keys of the church are given to him by the bishop when he is ordained.
Where Christ exercised the office of porter.
The Lord fulfilled this office in Himself when He drove the buyers and sellers from the temple with a whip (John 2).
On lectors. The office of lectors.
The second order is that of lectors, who are so called from reading, because they sing and read in the church, so as to stir the hearts of the hearers to compunction. It pertains to them by office to read the prophecies and lessons in church. Whence the book of divine law is given to them by the bishop when they are ordained. They ought therefore to have knowledge, so that they may be able to pronounce and expound clearly what they read.
Christ also fulfilled this office when, opening the book of Isaiah (chapter 61), He read clearly in the midst of the elders: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me; He has sent me to preach good tidings to the meek (Luke 4).
The third order is that of exorcists, who in Latin are called 'rebukers' or 'helpers.' For they adjure or rebuke the unclean spirit over catechumens and demoniacs — that is, the possessed. The exorcist, therefore, by office ought to lay hands upon the aforementioned with exorcism. Whence he also receives the book of exorcisms from the bishop when he is ordained.
The Lord exercised this office when He touched and healed the ears and tongue of the deaf and mute man, and when He also put many demons to flight by His command (Mark 7).
The fourth order is that of acolytes, who in Latin are called candle-bearers, who carry candles before, especially when the Gospel is to be read. It pertains to the acolyte to prepare and carry the light in the sanctuary, and to offer the vessels for the Eucharist to the subdeacons. When he is ordained, he receives from the archdeacon a candlestick with a candle, and an empty cruet.
Christ fulfilled this office when He said: I am the light of the world; he who follows me does not walk in darkness (John 8; Mark 7).
The fifth order is that of subdeacons, who are so called because in their ministries they are subject to the instructions and offices of deacons. It pertains to the subdeacon to carry the chalice and paten to the altar and to hand them to the deacons; also to hold the cruet and water, the towel, and the hand-cloth for the priests and Levites for washing hands before the altar. Whence when they are ordained, they receive from the bishop the chalice and paten, and from the archdeacon the cruet, etc.
Where Christ exercised this office.
The Lord exercised this office when He girded Himself with a linen cloth and washed the feet of the disciples (John 13).
On deacons. The office of deacons. The manner of ordaining deacons.
The order of deacons is in sixth place, in which their perfection is commended. In Latin they are called ministers, because just as in the priest there is consecration, so in the deacon there is the dispensation of the mystery. It pertains to him to set the Lord's table, to carry the cross, to preach, and always to assist and minister at the celebration of the sacraments. They are also called Levites, from the tribe of Levi, because just as the ministry of the temple was entrusted to that tribe for all Israel, so to these the ministry of the altar is assigned for the whole Church. The bishop lays his hand upon them when they are ordained, and places the stole on the left side, so that they may be free to minister; and spiritually, so that they may understand that whatever pertains to the left they are to subject to the divine yoke. He also gives them the text of the Gospel, to proclaim them heralds of Christ.
Where Christ exercised the office of deacon.
Christ exercised this office when He dispensed the sacrament of His body and blood to the disciples, and when He admonished them to pray, saying: Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation (Matthew 26).
On priests. The manner of ordaining priests. Where Christ exercised this power.
The seventh order is that of priests, who are translated as 'elders' — not for age, but for dignity. For they ought to excel in character and prudence among the people, as it is written: For venerable old age is not that of long life, nor is it measured by the number of years (Wisdom 4). For gray hair is the understanding of a man, and the age of old age is an unspotted life. When they are ordained, the bishop anoints their hands, by which they receive the grace of consecration. They also receive the stole which covers or presses upon both sides, so that as more perfect they may submit both adversity and prosperity to the yoke of the Lord.
The Lord exercised this office when He converted bread and wine into His body and blood, and offered Himself on the altar of the cross.
On the names of dignities.
There are also certain other names not of orders but of dignities, such as bishop, so called because he superintends, exercising care over his subjects; for 'epi' means 'over' and 'skopein' means 'to watch.'
The order of bishops is fourfold: namely, patriarchs, metropolitans, archbishops, and simply bishops. Patriarch means 'chief of the Fathers.' Metropolitan is so called from the measure of the cities. Archbishop means the prince of bishops. All these are called pontiffs and are named high priests; for they ordain the other priests and Levites and arrange all the orders of the Church — which they can unhesitatingly do so long as they persist in the unity of the Church.
Distinction XXIV. On those ordained by heretics. Bandinus resolves the apparent contradiction of opinions.
If they have erred from the womb and speak falsely, Innocent, Gregory, Cyprian, and Jerome say that their baptism alone is valid; but the rest of what they administer is false and empty. Indeed, those who have lost honor cannot give it. By which it seems that honor should be repeated for those who return from heretics to the Church. Augustine, however, seems to contradict this, proving that the right of conferring orders belongs to heretics just as baptism does — yet both to their own destruction. And therefore they can give what they have, nor should it be repeated for those who return, lest an injury be done to the sacrament.
But this apparent contradiction is resolved in many ways. Either the aforementioned authors speak of heretics who have been cut off by formal sentence, while Augustine speaks of those who are divided from the purity of faith only by the depravity of their own thinking; or the aforementioned speak of heretics who celebrate the sacraments under a different form, while Augustine speaks of those who preserve the form of the Church in celebrating; or the aforementioned looked to the effect of the sacraments, which are empty for those who handle them unlawfully, while Augustine said they are true and valid in themselves; or the aforementioned speak of heretics who are outside the Church, while Augustine speaks of those who received orders within the Church.
On the age of those to be ordained.
Concerning those to be ordained, the canons have decreed that a subdeacon shall not be ordained before fourteen years of age, a deacon before twenty-five years, and a priest before thirty, even if he is very worthy.
Distinction XXV. On marriage.
Now let us consider marriage, which is read to have been instituted in paradise before all sacraments for the first humans, when the Lord said: Increase and multiply, and fill the earth (Genesis 1). Before the multiplication, marriage was for duty according to the commandment; but afterward it was for a remedy according to indulgence, so that the weakness of man, prone to the ruin of base conduct, might be received by the honesty of marriage.
Distinction XXVI. What marriage is.
Marriage is the marital union between legitimate persons, retaining an undivided mode of life. Although it is grasped or consists in many things, it is principally concerned with this: that while both are living, neither of them is maritally joined to another.
Who are legitimate persons.
Legitimate persons are those who are not impeded by a vow of continence, or sacred order, or spiritual or carnal kinship, or disparity of worship, or condition, or natural frigidity. By the first four they are wholly illegitimate; by the last two, however, they are in an intermediate state. For if such persons are joined in ignorance, when certain circumstances obtain they can cohabit, and when these circumstances cease they can be separated — as when the known condition is acceptable and natural frigidity is not found repugnant.
What cause effects marriage. The effect of marriage. In what the perfection of marriage consists. A twofold union is understood in marriage.
The efficient cause of marriage is consent, not about the future but about the present, expressed through words of this kind: I take you as husband, and I take you as wife. In this both human and divine laws agree. For the law says: Marriages are contracted not by dowries but by affection. And Isidore says: Consent makes marriage; consent about the present, not the future, effects marriage. Likewise Pope Nicholas says: Let consent alone suffice according to the laws of those whose unions are in question; if this alone is lacking, everything else, even if celebrated with intercourse itself, is frustrated.
This consent is that of an undivided life and of conjugal society to be mutually preserved, from which marriage is indeed initiated and perfected in carnal union. For Ambrose says: When marriage is initiated, the name of marriage is taken on. Likewise Isidore says: From the first pledge of betrothal they are more truly called spouses. That it is perfected in carnal union, Ambrose says: In every marriage a spiritual union is understood, which the bodily mingling of the spouses confirms and perfects. Likewise Jerome says: The Lord prohibited adultery in regard to the future proper to marriages, which are initiated by the contract of betrothal and perfected by the mingling of bodies.
From these things it is possible to understand that marriage is a sacrament and a sacred sign of a sacred reality — namely, of the union of Christ and the Church: according to the spirit, as regards its beginning; according to the flesh, as regards its perfection. And thus it is a sign of a twofold sacred reality: namely, of the union of the soul to God, which is signified in the betrothal; and of our flesh in God, which is signified in carnal union — namely, when man and woman are made one flesh.
Just as Christ and the Church were made one flesh in the Virgin's womb. According to that last sign, the authority speaks: There is no doubt that that woman does not pertain to marriage — namely (as far as this sign is concerned) — with whom it is shown there was no sexual union.
Distinction XXVII. Coercion excludes consent.
Moreover, that this consent ought to be free from coercion, the laws also say: Marriages ought to be free both in contracting and in dissolving.
Distinction XXVIII. That error impedes marriage.
Error also impedes marriage, because nothing is so contrary to consent as error, which reveals ignorance. But we understand this of error of person and of condition, which entirely impedes marriage — not of error of fortune or quality, which is tolerated in marriage.
On the final cause of marriage.
The final cause of marriage is principally offspring, according to what the Lord says: Increase and multiply (Genesis 1); secondarily, the avoidance of fornication. There are also other causes, such as the restoration of peace, the beauty of the husband or wife, also profit and the possession of wealth, and many other things which anyone attending carefully would easily find.
On the marriage of the Virgin and Joseph.
According to the threefold good of which we shall speak immediately below, between the Virgin and Joseph there was a perfect marriage. For Augustine says: In the parents of Christ every good of marriage was fulfilled; for we know the offspring to be Christ the Lord; fidelity, because there was no adultery; the sacrament, because there was no divorce.
Distinction XXIX. On the threefold good of marriage.
There are therefore three goods of marriage, as Augustine says: fidelity, offspring, and the sacrament. Fidelity, lest one have relations with another man or woman; offspring, that it be lovingly received and religiously educated. If these are lacking, there is offspring without the good of offspring — as when one rashly wishes to have an heir of his possessions, not desiring to seek offspring in order to form it religiously. But marriages frequently lack these two goods, which never happens with the third — which is the sacrament: namely, that the marriage not be separated — that is, that while both are living, neither ever be sacramentally joined to another.
What and how many kinds of separation of marriage there are.
There is bodily separation and sacramental separation. Bodily separation can occur on account of fornication without consent, or by mutual consent for a time on account of religion, or until the end. Therefore where these three goods are present, intercourse is excused either from all fault if it is done for the sake of offspring, or from greater fault if it is done because of incontinence. Whence Augustine says: Conjugal intercourse for the sake of generation has no fault; for the satisfaction of concupiscence, but yet with one's spouse on account of fidelity to the marriage bed, it has venial fault. But when fidelity and the good of offspring are lacking, intercourse that occurs for the sake of satisfying the spouse's lust has the nature of a crime. Whence Sextus the Pythagorean says in his Sentences: Every excessively ardent lover of his own wife is an adulterer.
Distinction XXX. On things that impede marriage. In which order marriage cannot be contracted.
Now let us take up again the causes that impede marriage and pursue them at greater length. Not every ecclesiastical order impedes marriage, but only the priesthood, the diaconate, and the subdiaconate; in the others it is permitted, unless they have taken the religious habit or have made a vow of continence. Whence Innocent says: That the law of continence and purity pleasing to God may be extended in the ecclesiastical orders, we decree that bishops, priests, deacons, and subdeacons who have professed, and who have presumed to take a wife in transgression of their sacred resolution, shall be separated. Likewise the Council of Ancona says: Any deacons who, when asked about continence, have sworn and received the laying on of hands, having professed continence — if they afterward enter into marriage, they ought to cease from their ministry.
Distinction XXXI. On the difference of vows. Division of individual vows.
One kind of vow is common, such as that which all make in baptism; another is individual, as when someone voluntarily promises continence. Of individual vows, one kind is private — that which is made in secret or without solemnity; another is solemn — that which has solemnity, which in widows is constituted by the religious habit. This alone impedes marriage. The aforementioned order in clerics, the blessing in virgins, claims for itself a name both general and proper.
Distinction XXXII. On disparity of worship.
Disparity of worship — that is, disparity of religion — impedes marriage. For it is not lawful for a Christian to enter into marriage with a pagan or a Jew. But if they entered into marriage while both were unbelievers, and one is converted to the faith, the marriage can stand according to the counsel of the Apostle who says: If any brother has an unbelieving wife, and she consents to live with him, let him not dismiss her; and similarly regarding a woman (1 Corinthians 7). In this the Apostle counsels that there is an occasion for winning the other, since it is lawful for him to leave. For on account of fornication, both bodily and spiritual, a wife may lawfully be dismissed.
Threefold marriage. Legitimate and ratified. Ratified and not legitimate. Legitimate and not ratified.
Here it should be known that one kind of marriage is legitimate and ratified — such as that which is contracted publicly between the faithful with the customary solemnities preserved. Another is ratified and not legitimate — such as that which is contracted between the same parties secretly and without any solemnity; this is prohibited lest, when legitimate spouses become displeasing to each other, they be separated when proof of the marriage is lacking. Another is legitimate and not ratified — such as that which is entered into between unbelievers with public solemnity.
Distinction XXXIII. On kinship of flesh. How far consanguinity impedes. The impediment of affinity.
The kinship that impedes those who wish to marry is of two kinds: one of flesh and another of spirit. Of the flesh, one is called consanguinity and another affinity. Consanguinity impedes marriage up to the sixth or seventh degree, according to different methods of computation. Affinity also impedes marriage, and indeed in various ways according to its many kinds. For in the first kind, it impedes just as consanguinity does — that is, to the seventh degree; in the second, to the fifth, though they are permitted in the fourth; in the third, to the second.
The first kind of affinity. The second kind. The third kind.
The first kind of affinity to you is all the blood relations of your wife, and yours to her. The second kind of affinity to you is every spouse of the blood relatives of your wife, and similarly the spouse of your relatives to her. The third kind to you and your wife is the spouse of those who are affines of the second kind, mutually. Just as those who are affines of the first kind to you and your wife are second-kind affines to one another, so those who are affines of the second kind to you and your wife are third-kind affines to one another. For each person added through marriage changes the kind but not the degree; but a person added through generation changes the degree but not the kind.
Distinction XXXIV. On the degrees of affinity.
You will compute the degrees of affinity thus: since you and your wife, according to the divine sentence, are one flesh, and are reckoned as one person also (Genesis 2), in whatever degree her blood relative stands to her, in the same degree that same person is an affine to you, and conversely. And so count in every case of affinity. Affinity is not destroyed in the surviving spouse upon the death of one spouse, because the word of the Lord is strong and mighty, by which He said: The two shall be in one flesh (ibid.).
Distinction XXXV. On spiritual kinship.
Spiritual kinship is that which the heavenly sacrament creates through ministry between certain persons — as between a godfather and godmother, and their sons and daughters. Through this, a spiritual nearness arises between natural children and spiritual children. And therefore, between the person through whom the co-parentage was contracted and the natural children of the other, as Pope Nicholas says, marriage cannot take place; among others, however, it can, even though Pope Paschal seems to prohibit from marriage those born after the co-parentage was established.
Whether one can marry two godmothers one after the other.
One can also have two godmothers as wives one after the other, if the co-mothership and carnal union with the first never coexisted — as if he married her but did not know her; or if one who was long since known and repudiated without reconciliation was made a godmother of someone. So say Pope Paschal and the Council of Tribur. But if those two things coexisted, he cannot have both as wives, as Nicholas says.
Distinction XXXVI. On the resurrection. What the trumpet of the last judgment is.
Lastly, let us consider the resurrection and the manner of those who will rise. The resurrection ought to be believed by all. For Isaiah says: The dead shall rise, and those who were in the tombs shall rise again (Isaiah 26). And John says: The hour is coming in which all who are in the tombs shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and shall come forth, etc. (John 5). The resurrection will occur at the sound of the trumpet (that is, openly), which will have the power of raising the dead (1 Thessalonians 4). Whence the Prophet says: Behold, He will give to His voice a voice of power (Psalm 67). This trumpet is the cry of which it is said: At midnight a cry was made: Behold the bridegroom comes, go out to meet him (Matthew 25). This voice or trumpet is said to be that of the archangel — that is, of Christ — which He will utter at midnight. This is not said of the hour of time, but because He will come when He is not expected, or it is said of the time.
For Cassiodorus says: At this time the firstborn of Egypt were struck (Exodus 12), when also the bridegroom is to come. This time is also called the day of the Lord, not for the quality of the time, but because then the secrets of each individual will lie open. Whence Daniel: The Ancient of Days took His seat, and the books (that is, the consciences of each individual) were opened before Him (Daniel 7).
Distinction XXXVII. On the age and stature of those who will rise. In what manner will the wicked rise?
Every person will rise according to the age of Christ, as the Apostle says: We shall all meet in the perfect man, in the measure of the age of the fullness of Christ (Ephesians 4). Not, says Augustine, in the measure of the body or stature, but of age — because each one will receive his own measure, which he either had in his youth if he died old, or would have had if he died before reaching it. In those who rise, Christ will restore with wonderful swiftness everything of which their body had consisted, nor will it matter whether hair returns to hair and nails to nails, or whether whatever had perished of them is changed into flesh and recalled to other parts of the body — with the one who raises them taking care that nothing unseemly should occur there; for indeed nothing unseemly will be there.
This is to be understood of the elect. As for whether the wicked will rise with the defects and deformities of their bodies — what need is there to labor in investigating this? For the uncertain condition or beauty of those whose damnation will be certain and everlasting ought not to weary us.
Distinction XXXVIII. On prayers for the dead.
In the meantime, however, before the resurrection takes place, let us consider what benefit the good works done in the Church for the dead provide. There are four orders of the dead. Some are very good, some very bad, some moderately good, and some moderately bad. When sacrifices or offerings are made for them: for the very good, they are thanksgivings; for the very bad, even though they provide no help to them, they are at least consolations of some sort for the living. For the other two orders they are beneficial: for the moderately good, so that there may be a remission of punishment for them; for the moderately bad, so that their damnation may be more tolerable.
Distinction XXXIX. On the order of those who are to be judged.
There will be four orders of those present at the judgment. Some will be judged and will perish — those to whom it is said: I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, etc. (Matthew 25). Others will not be judged, yet will perish — such as those to whom the Lord says: He who does not believe is already judged (John 3). Others will be judged and will reign — those who will hear: I was hungry and you gave me food to eat. Others will not be judged and will reign — those to whom the Lord says: You also shall sit upon twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel (Matthew 19). This is to be understood as said not only to the apostles, but to all who, having attained apostolic perfection, left everything and followed Christ.
These will judge both by the comparison of their better conduct and by the power of judgment; whence two-edged swords are in their hands (Psalm 149) — that is, the sentence concerning both the good and the wicked is in their power. But whether what is believed to be spoken there will be uttered by voice, or will only take effect by the power of the judge, has been clearly defined by no authority.
Distinction XL. On the place and sentence of the judgment.
The place of the judgment, as the authority on the prophet Joel says, will be in the space of this air before the Mount of Olives (Joel 3), whence He ascended. There the Lord will judge in the glorified form of a servant, appearing to both the good and the wicked. Whence Augustine says: When both good and evil have seen Him judging in the glorified form of a servant, the wicked man shall be taken away lest he see the glory of God; and then the angels will bear the sign of the cross before Him, as He Himself says: Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven (Matthew 24).
Distinction XLI. On the difference of dwellings in heaven and in hell.
The impious will be tormented with diverse punishments. The pious, however, will differ in the brightness of knowledge, because in my Father's house there are many mansions (John 14). Yet the joy of all will be equal, either because each will rejoice in the good of another as if in his own, or because in everything from which one will rejoice, all will rejoice — so that equality refers not to the intensity of rejoicing, but to the number of things in which they rejoice.
May the Lord make us sharers in that joy. Amen.
Distinction XLII. On the vision of the good and the wicked.
Lastly, it should be known that the saints teach that before the judgment neither the good nor the wicked see each other. After the judgment, however, the good will see the wicked, but the wicked will not see the good. Whence Gregory says: The unbelievers placed below before the day of judgment; the faithful in rest observe, whose joys they cannot afterward contemplate. Isaiah also says: The elect will go out and will see the corpses of the living who have transgressed against me (Isaiah 66). And the Psalmist says: The just man will rejoice when he sees the vengeance (Psalm 58).
End of the fourth book of the Sentences of Bandinus.