Chapter 2 (42)
Distinction XV | 61 profess to be impassible."*"—By these and other authorities, it is made very clear that Christ took a humanity that could suffer truly, and that in it he took the defects and affects of our infirmity, but by his own will and not by the condition of necessity.
13. HERE HE SETS OUT SOME ASSERTIONS WHICH APPEAR TO OPPOSE
THE FOREGOING. But some statements are found in the treatises of the saints which appear to oppose the foregoing. Indeed, commenting on that place in the Psalm: J have called out, and you will not hear me," Augustine appears to assert that Christ neither truly feared, nor was truly saddened; he states: "How does he say this, who committed no sin, nor was deceit found in his mouth?" But he says this of us, his body; for he spoke in the person of his body, that is, the Church. In the same way, when he said elsewhere: Let this cup pass from me," he speaks for us. Unless perhaps one holds that he feared to die. But the Lord, who was to rise on the third day, did not truly fear to suffer, since Paul burned [with desire] to be dissolved and be with Christ.*® For the soldier is not stronger than his commander. Does the soldier, who is to receive the crown, rejoice in dying, while his Lord, who is to crown him, fears death? No; he said these things to point out our weakness, for his weak ones, who fear to die: he was their voice.""'—Jerome too says: "Let them blush, who hold that the Saviour feared death, and that it was in fear of suffering that he said: Let this cup pass from me."**"° Chapter 2 (42) 1. DETERMINATION OF THE AUTHORITIES. But lest it be thought that there is any irreconcilable contradiction in the sacred texts, we say that the words of these authorities are to be taken in the following way: they are to be understood to take away from Christ not the truth or 'propassion' of fear and sadness, but rather the necessity and passion of his fear and sadness.—For Christ in his human nature had true fear and sadness, but not as we do, who are his members. For by reason of our sin, we are of necessity subject to these defects, and these defects exist in us according to both propassion and passion; but they are in Christ only according to propassion.
Pelagius, Libellus fidei ad Innocentium Papam, n5.
PS 21 03.
sol Lele Spee 3Mt. 26, 39.
"Phils i. 23; 7 Augustine, Enarrationes in Psalmos, on Ps. 21, n4.
8M t. 26, 39.
Jerome, In Matthaeum 26, |.
62 | THE SENTENCES, BOOK 3
2. ON THE PROPASSION AND PASSION OF FEAR OR SADNESS. For just as propassion and passion constitute degrees in sins, so also they are found in these emotions which are the punishment for sin. For one is at times affected by fear or sadness, but not in such a way that the mind's understanding is as a consequence removed from righteousness or the contemplation of God, and then it is propassion. But at times it is removed or troubled, and then it is a passion.
3. JEROME. But Christ was not so troubled in his soul by fear or sadness as to fall away in any way from righteousness or the contemplation of God; it is in this sense that the assertion that he was not fearful or sad is understood. Hence Jerome, in On Matthew, where we read: He began to be sad and sorrowful,' says: "He was truly saddened so as to prove how truly he had taken on humanity; but this passion did not dominate his spirit and, in truth, is propassion. Hence it says: He began to be sad.' And indeed, it is one thing to be sad, another to begin to be sad,"° that is, one is saddened in one way by propassion, in another way by passion. And so it is in accordance with this distinction that at times Christ is said not to have been truly afraid, at times that he was indeed afraid, because he felt true fear and sadness, but not according to passion, nor from the necessity of his condition.
4. AUGUSTINE, ON THE PSALM. Hence Augustine, wishing to interpret some statements in accordance with these reasons, asserts that Christ was not truly afraid or sad, but immediately adds that he had true sadness. He says: "It is by way of signifying in his own person those who are weak that the Lord says: Father, if it may be, let this cup pass from me.' For the Lord, who was to rise on the third day, did not truly fear to suffer, since Paul burned [with desire] to be dissolved and to be with Christ." Does he rejoice, who is to receive the crown, while the Lord, who is to crown him, is sad?"° See, here he seems to remove sadness and fear from Christ— But he immediately added: "But he took on sadness as he did flesh. For he was sad, as the Gospel says. Indeed, if he was not sad, even though the Gospel says: My soul is sad, etc.,' then he did not sleep when it says: Jesus slept,* and he did not eat when it says: He ate."
And so nothing is left solid, so that it can even be said that his body was not a true one. Therefore whatever was written of him is true, and hap- 'Mt. 26, 37.
"Ibid.
Jerome, In Matthaeum 26, 37.
'Mt. 26, 39.
Phil. 1, 23.
°Augustine, Enarrationes in Psalmos, on Ps. 93, 15, 019.
™Mt. 26, 38, Mk. 14, 34.
SMt. 8, 24.
"Tk 141