Articulus unicus
Article 1
Utrum omnes sancti qui sunt per Ecclesiam canonizati sint in gloria vel aliqui eorum sint in inferno
Whether all the saints who are canonized through the Church are in glory, or are some of them in hell
Deinde quaeritur quantum ad gloriam pertinet, utrum omnes sancti qui sunt per Ecclesiam canonizati sint in gloria vel aliqui eorum sint in inferno? Et videtur quod aliqui possunt esse in inferno de his qui sunt ab Ecclesia canonizati.
Then there is a question regarding glory, whether all the saints who are canonized through the Church are in glory, or are some of them in hell. And it seems that some men canonized by the Church can be in hell.
Nullus enim potest esse ita certus de statu alicuius sicut ipsemet, quia quae sunt hominis nemo novit nisi spiritus hominis qui in ipso est, ut dicitur I Corinthiorum II; sed homo non potest esse certus de se ipso utrum sit in statu salutis: Ecclesiastes IX: nemo scit utrum sit dignus odio vel amore; ergo multo minus Papa scit; ergo potest in canonizando errare.
Obj. 1: For no one can be as sure of the state of someone else as he can be of his own self, because those things which are of a man no one knows unless the spirit of the man which is in him, as is said in 1 Corinthians 2:11. But a man cannot be sure of himself whether he is in the state of salvation. Ecclesiastes 9:1: no one knows whether he is worthy of hatred or of love. Therefore, much less does the pope know. Therefore, he can err in canonizing.
Praeterea. Quicumque in iudicando innititur medio fallibili, potest errare; sed Ecclesia in canonizando sanctos innititur testimonio humano, cum inquirat per testes de vita et miraculis; ergo, cum testimonium hominum sit fallibile, videtur quod Ecclesia in canonizando sanctos possit errare.
Obj. 2: Whoever in judging leans upon a fallible middle can err. But the Church in canonizing saints leans upon human testimony, since she inquires through witnesses concerning the life and miracles. Therefore, since the testimony of men is fallible, it seems that the Church in canonizing saints can err.
Sed contra. In Ecclesia non potest esse error damnabilis; sed hic esset error damnabilis, si veneraretur tanquam sanctus qui fuit peccator, quia aliqui scientes peccata eius vel heresim, si ita contigerit, possent ad errorem perduci; ergo Ecclesia in talibus errare non potest.
On the contrary (1): In the Church there cannot be a damnable error. But it would be a damnable error if one were venerated as a saint who was a sinner, because some men knowing his sins or heresy, if it happens thus, could be led into error. Therefore, the Church in such matters cannot err.
Praeterea. Augustinus dicit in epistola ad Ieronimum quod, si in Scriptura canonica aliquod mendacium admittatur, nutabit fides nostra, quae ex Scriptura canonica dependet; sed, sicut tenemur credere id quod est in Sacra Scriptura, ita id quod communiter per Ecclesiam determinatur, unde hereticus iudicatur qui sentit contra determinationem conciliorum; ergo commune iudicium Ecclesiae erroneum esse non potest. Et sic idem quod prius.
Furthermore (2): Augustine says in an epistle to Jerome that, if in canonical Scripture any lie should be admitted, our faith will give way, which faith depends upon canonical Scripture. But, just as we are held to believe that which is in Sacred Scripture, so likewise that which commonly is determined through the Church, hence a heretic is judged who opines against the determination of councils. Therefore, the common judgment of the Church cannot be erroneous. And thus, the same holds as before.
Responsio. Dicendum quod aliquid potest iudicari possibile secundum se consideratum, quod relatum ad aliquid extrinsecum impossibile invenitur. Dico ergo quod iudicium eorum qui praesunt Ecclesiae errare in quibuslibet, si personae eorum tantum respiciantur, possibile est. Si vero consideretur divina providentia quae Ecclesiam suam Spiritu Sancto dirigit ut non erret, sicut ipse promisit Iohannis XVI quod Spiritus adveniens doceret omnem veritatem, de necessariis scilicet ad salutem, certum est quod iudicium Ecclesiae universalis errare in his quae ad fidem pertinent, impossibile est; unde magis est standum sententiae Papae, ad quem pertinet determinare de fide, quam in iudicio proferret, quam quorumlibet sapientum hominum in scripturis opinioni, cum Cayphas, quamvis nequam, tamen quia pontifex legatur etiam inscius prophetasse, Iohannis XI. In aliis vero sententiis, quae ad particularia facta pertinent, ut cum agitur de possessionibus vel de criminibus vel de huiusmodi, possibile est iudicium Ecclesiae errare propter falsos testes.
I answer that something can be judged possible considered according to itself which is found impossible related to something extrinsic. Therefore, I say that for the judgment of those who are over the Church to err in any matters, if only their persons are regarded, is possible. Whereas if divine providence were to be considered which directs its Church by the Holy Spirit so that it might not err, just as he promised in John 16:13 that the Spirit coming would teach all truth, namely, concerning things necessary unto salvation, it is certain that it is impossible for the judgment of the Church universal to err in these things which pertain to faith. Hence the sentence of a pope, to which it pertains to determine concerning faith, which he proffers in judgment, must stand more than the opinion of any wise men in their writings, since Caiaphas, although wicked, is still read, because he was the pontiff, to have prophesied unknowingly, in John 11:51. Whereas in other sentences, which pertain to particular facts, as those concerning possessions or concerning crimes or concerning things of this sort, it is possible for the judgment of the Church to err on account of false witnesses.
Canonizatio vero sanctorum medium est inter haec duo; quia tamen honor quem sanctis exhibemus quaedam professio fidei est, qua sanctorum gloriam credimus, pie credendum est quod nec etiam in his iudicium Ecclesiae errare possit.
The canonization of saints is a middle between these two. Since, nevertheless, the honor which we exhibit to the saints is a certain profession of faith, by which we believe in the glory of the saints, piously it must be believed that not even in these matters can a declaration of the Church err.
Ad primum ergo dicendum quod pontifex, cuius est canonizare sanctos, potest certificari de statu alicuius per inquisitionem vitae et attestationem miraculorum, et praecipue per instinctum Spiritus Sancti, qui omnia scrutatur, etiam profunda Dei.
Reply Obj. 1: It must be said that a pontiff, to whom it belongs to canonize saints, can be made certain concerning the state of someone through inquisition of life and attestation of miracles, and especially through the instinct of the Holy Spirit, who scrutinizes all things, even the profundities of God (1 Cor 2:10).
Ad secundum dicendum quod divina providentia praeservat Ecclesiam ne in talibus per fallibile testimonium hominum fallatur.
Reply Obj. 2: It must be said that divine providence preserves the Church lest she be deceived in such matters through the fallible testimony of men.