Sole Question: What peace is

PEACE is described by the Saintly Doctor in the opusc. de septem Donis, on the Gift of fear, cap. 4., from D. Augustine, serm. 167. de tempore: Peace is the serenity of the mind, the tranquillity of the soul, the simplicity of the heart, the bond of love, the fellowship of Charity. By these he shows that peace consists in consent and simplicity, which is the perfect unity of the affections in the true and entire good, as D. Thom. also says, art. 1. But it differs from Concord; because this is the union of hearts and wills in one, as D. Bonav. says, 3. p. centil. sect. 44., and in the opusc. declaring the terms of Theology, near the end. But there can be an evil concord, as D. Bonav. notes in Pharetra, in the place cited.

From the justice of Kings arises the Peace of peoples, as Caesarius of Arles says, homil. 22., on that word of Luke 17., the Kingdom of God is within you, as gathered by D. Bonaventure in the place cited, de septem donis. The reason is, because they are two sisters: Justice and Peace have kissed, Psalm 44.

That THIS is an effect of Charity, the Saintly Doctor shows in Lib. 4. Pharetrae, and D. Greg. in the registry, lib. 7. indic. 11., and lib. 4. indic. 13. cap. 80., and Lib. 7. indic. 2. cap. 27.

He describes it there from D. Augustine, serm. 57. de verbis Domini: Peace is placid to all; it does not seek what is another's, it assigns its own; it teaches to love what it knows not how to hate. It knows not how to be exalted, it knows not how to be inflated. Therefore he who receives it, let him hold it; he who has lost it, let him seek it back; he who has missed it, let him look for it: since he who shall not be found in it is cast off by the Father, disinherited by the Son, and none the less is made a stranger by the Holy Spirit. He continues from D. Augustine, Lib. 1. de civit. cap. 13.: The testament of God, and the inheritance, is peace, that it may be possessed by concordant partners, not divided by litigants; from which he deduces that the opposite of peace is dissension, and therefore the Apostle says it withers away, first Corinth. 14.: God is not of dissension, but of peace.

The Saintly Doctor shows the same there from D. Augustine, lib. 19. de civitate, cap. 12.: Wars are waged with the intention of peace (he says), because those who wish wars wish nothing else than to conquer. But victory is the subjection of those who resist; and when that has been done, there will be peace.

See the Saintly Doctor there, citing other Fathers saying wondrous things.

Hence he shows, on 2. Luke, that peace is not without Charity, from those words: And on earth peace to men of good will, that is, to the just. Because there is no peace for the wicked, as it is said: Isaiah 57. On the contrary, to the just it is said, Philip. 4.: And the Peace of God, which surpasses all sense, keep your hearts. Therefore upon the poor, contrite of heart, and trembling at my words, says the Lord, Isaiah 66.: I will cause to flow upon him a river of peace. See the Seraphic Doctor there, uttering most excellent things. The Saintly Doctor observes there, and on 24. Luke, that it is so precious that Christ was called the Apostle of peace: Coming, he evangelized peace to you, Ephes. 2.; He himself also is called our Peace, who made both one, Ephes. 1.; And pacifying through his blood, whether the things that are on earth, or the things that are in heaven, Coloss. 1. See the Saintly Doctor on 24. Luke on those words: Peace be to you.

But the Saintly Doctor shows in the passages alleged that for peace it is necessary that there be no dissension with others, and with oneself. S. Thom. is of the same mind here, and Tannerus disp. 2. quaest. 4. dub. 1. num. 20., and commonly.

And this S. Augustine seems to have indicated, Lib. 19. de civit. cap. 13., where, describing peace, he says it is the tranquillity of order, because all things are ordered. D. Dionysius indicates the same, cap. 11. de divin. nominibus, saying: Peace is the unitive of all things, and operative of consent. But if he consent with others, not with himself, he will have concord, not peace; since peace indeed includes concord, and adds the consent of the appetitions within the same man himself. Yet broadly peace is called ordered concord, by D. Augustine, Lib. 19. de civitate Dei, cap. 13.

Further (says Valentia, punct. 2.) not every kind of entire consent and union of appetitions is the peace of which we speak; but it must be consent in the true good, as the Saintly Doctor shows in that Isa. 57.: there is no peace for the wicked, Jerem. 6.: Saying peace, peace, and there is no peace.

S. Bonaventure, de gradibus virtutum, cap. 13., enumerates three degrees of the one union, or unity, constituting peace: Another degree of Peace (he says) is when the flesh is subjected to the spirit, or to reason, rendering itself difficult toward all evils to be perpetrated, as it is said: Rom. 6. Let not sin reign in your mortal body, that you obey the concupiscences thereof; and cap. 7.: I myself serve with the mind the Law of God; but with the flesh, the law of sin. A higher, when the flesh is subjected to the spirit, exhibiting itself prompt for the doing of all good: I chastise my body, etc., first Corinth. 9. The highest, when the spirit is subjected to God, observing every ordering in all the powers of the soul thoroughly. This last degree is kept in heaven.

Likewise, a high degree is to spare inferiors if they have exceeded in something, and to console them kindly if they have fallen into any affliction. A higher is to converse kindly with equals, so as to do them the good which he would justly wish done to himself. The highest, to conform one's own will to the will of superiors in all things.

Likewise a high degree is to trouble no one by deeds; a higher, to trouble no one by words, or in any other way, when absent. The highest, to give no one a just occasion of trouble.

Likewise he ascends into the high degree of peace who does not publish the evils of his neighbours. Into a higher degree, he who does not diminish the goods of his neighbours, nor blacken them, nor twist them, but extols them. Into the highest ascends he who compassionates their defects, and congratulates them from the heart upon their progress.

See the same Saintly Doctor, de Donis Spiritus sancti, and de Dono Timoris, cap. 4., recounting the degrees of Peace.

But how peace is an effect of Charity: whether it is an act of it, or a relation following the act of Charity, is a question of a name, as Valentia says. For Cajetan says it is a relation following, which is the union of the appetitions, or tranquillity, as D. Augustine used to say, 19. de civit. cap. 13. But D. Thom., art. 4., seems altogether to will it to be an act, concerning which there is an external precept, Mark 9.: Have peace among you; but in either way Peace seems an effect of Charity, as Valentia says. For it signifies also the foundation of that relation, which is to will the same and not to will the same, which is an act of Charity, as Tannerus admonishes, disp. 2. quaest. 4. dub. 1. num. 23.

Hence you will see what S. Dionysius wills, cap. 11. de Divinis nominibus, teaching that Peace is the unitive of all things, and operative of consent.

But no other virtue is necessary for producing peace than Charity, because, Charity being had, the union of all the affections is easily had entire, since no other difficulty remains on account of which new virtues are necessary.

From these you have that peace is reckoned under diverse reasons, both among the Beatitudes, Matth. 5., and among the fruits of the Spirit, Galat. 5. For it is a kind of beatitude, inasmuch as it is an act of a perfect virtue, for instance of Charity, or the state of that virtue itself, in which there is delight in God without contradiction from the flesh, the world, and the devil; or if there is any, it is ineffectual, as D. Bonaventure teaches, Lib. 5. Compend. Theol. cap. 54. But it is a fruit, inasmuch as it is a certain ultimate good which has pleasantness, or delight, as S. Bonavent. says, loco cit. cap. 57., and D. Thom. art. 4. ad 1., and Valentia disp. 3. quaest. 6. puncto 2. near the end.

It follows also that there is nothing which does not in its own way seek peace, as D. Thom. teaches, art. 2., and D. Augustine shows, Lib. 19. de civitate, cap. 12., as gathered by D. Bonavent. loco cit. Phaeratrae. The reason is, because every thing, in the manner suitable to its nature, seeks the good, and wills to obtain the perfection congruent to itself without any repugnance; and thus with no appetite resisting. That itself is, to have peace. And D. Augustine hints at this reason, saying: As there is no one who does not will to rejoice, so there is no one who does not will to have peace; doubtless because one then rejoices when he possesses the good with quiet and tranquillity, and thus with peace. Therefore Christ, leaving us that precious treasure, and commending it, often repeats, Mark 9. Luke 24. John 14. and 20.

Lastly, it follows that peace is not without cause so greatly commended in the Scriptures, for nothing is more desirable than to possess a good tranquilly. Wherefore the Angels, at the Nativity of Christ, wishing to announce the greatest good to men, announced: Glory to God in the Highest, and on earth peace to men, as D. Bonaventure elegantly pursues, ad 2. Lucae. For therefore, as I said, Christ himself was made the Apostle, announcer of peace, acquiring it with his blood, as the Apostle says in the places cited above. And our Gospel is the Gospel of peace, as it is said, Isaiah 52.

Hence he taught that form of saluting: Peace be to you, Luke 24. and John 20., as S. Bonaventure elegantly pursues on those passages. Where he also shows at what price he redeemed it: For the discipline of our peace was upon him, Isaiah 53.; thus with his life he acquired this infinite treasure, so that, giving peace, he might take away the greatest evil, which is that of dissension. For it is said, Ephes. 2.: God of peace, not of dissension, as I noted above also.

Further, the Apostle hands down the rule for obtaining peace, Galat. 6.: But far be it from me to glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ: through whom the world is crucified to me, and I to the world; and whosoever shall follow this rule, peace upon them.

S. Bonaventure interprets this rule to be the rule of the Friars Minor, inasmuch as it commands the entire abnegation of self, as he pursues at length in the exposition, in whose Prologue he places the place of these words of the Apostle: But to me, etc., as above.

Further, see the excellent praises of Peace in D. Bonavent. in Diaeta, tit. 7. cap. 6., where he shows it to be the Idiom of heaven, which the Angels, and Christ, used.