Moral Theology: Its Method and Masters
Bartholomew Medina
Drawn from the authors' own words; every quotation links to its place.
Dominican · 1528–1581
In the Index: Medina, B. de
In Prümmer's Catalogue and Haringer's Index
- “Medina, Barth., O.P., Spanish (1528-1581), is called the father of Probabilism. He wrote Commentaries on I-II and on III of St. Thomas, 2 folio volumes, Salamanca 1577, and then several times afterward. Likewise he published Breve instruccion de como se ha de administrar el Sacramento de la Penitencia, in 8vo, Salamanca 1580. This work, translated into Latin by Raphael de Cesare, was often edited.” — Prümmer, Catalogue of authors
- [**: weighty, probabilist] “Medina Bartholomaeus, Spanish, Dominican, celebrated professor of Salamanca, who first reduced the doctrine concerning probable opinions into a system (Expositions on St. Thomas), born 1528, died 1581.” — Haringer's index of writers (Gury-Ballerini) (p. XXIV, sign read on the page)
His Moral System, as Our Authors Report It
Every report quoted in the author's own words and linked to its place; point at a name to see his words. Haringer's signs give St. Alphonsus's judgment as Haringer found it in St. Alphonsus's works (his notice, Gury-Ballerini, 1884, p. XI); a sign on a writer the 1884 editor added to the list is the editor's own, and is said to be his.
| Probabilist | |
|---|---|
| “The first theologian who reduced Probabilism to a formula and attempted to demonstrate it systematically was Bartholomew de Medina, O. P. († 1581)”Koch-Preuss make him the first to reduce probabilism to a formula, and call him the Father of Probabilism | Koch-Preuss, Handbook I, the moral systems |
| “Bartholomew Medina was the first of all to propose explicitly and demonstrate by arguments the principle of probabilism (1577)”Noldin: the first to propose and demonstrate the principle of probabilism, which theologians of every order then accepted for almost a century | Noldin, Summa I, n. 238 |
| “Bartholomaeus Medina himself candidly confessed that his doctrine concerning Probabilism differed from the doctrine of the old authors”Prümmer: he introduced probabilism, and himself confessed that it differed from the doctrine of the old authors | Prümmer, Manuale I, n. 345 |
| “The dictum of the probabilists is: The more benign, provided that it is truly probable. Their reason is that it is not lawful to impose an obligation concerning which there is no certain evidence; now, there is no certain evidence concerning the law where the opinion for liberty is truly probable; therefore. Bartholomew Medina, O.P. (1.2, q. 19, a. 6, Commentary on St. Thomas), was the first who, in the year 1577, published this opinion: "If an opinion is probable, it is lawful to follow it, although the opposite is more probable."”Marc: the first to publish probabilism, in 1577 | Marc, Institutiones I, n. 86 |
| “Extrinsic Arguments.—(a) The Church gave explicit approval to Probabilism by praising the theological works of St. Alphonsus in which Probabilism is defended; she gave and continues to give implicit approval by the freedom she has granted to the teachers of this system from the days of Bartholomew Medina, its first expounder (1527-1581), down to the present.”McHugh-Callan: the first expounder of probabilism, whose formulation met with universal favor | McHugh-Callan, Moral Theology I, n. 717 |
| “when in the year 1577 Bartholomew Medina proposed to the schools the doctrine of probabilism reduced scientifically into a system, no one cried out against it as something new”Sabetti-Barrett: when he reduced probabilism to a system, no one cried out against it as new | Sabetti-Barrett, Compendium, n. 62 |
| “as Medina, the first favorer of probabilism, admits”Tanquerey: by his own admission probabiliorism was held before him | Tanquerey, Fundamental Moral Theology, n. 393 |
| “Probabilism was first formulated by Medina, a Dominican”Slater: probabilism was first formulated by a Dominican, and its first chief defenders were Dominicans | Slater, Cases of Conscience I, Conscience, case 2 |
| “probabilism, expounded in terms, was first from Medina, a Spaniard, of the Order of St. Dominic, in the year 1577”Bucceroni, after St. Alphonsus: the first to state probabilism in terms (1577), though the ancients held it in substance | Bucceroni, Commentarii, n. 110 |
| “The first who thought out some moral system, and indeed the system of Probabilism, was Barth. Medina”Prümmer: the first to think out a moral system, probabilism (1577), acknowledging that the ancient doctors taught otherwise | Prümmer, Manuale I, n. 337 |
| “By these and other arguments Medina put probabilism on a firm basis, and the doctrine was at once received on all hands”Slater: he put probabilism on a firm basis, and theologians of all schools accepted it at once | Slater, Short History, ¶ 86 |
| “Probabilism arose from this. For Bartholomew de Medina was the first who in the year 1577 formally taught at Salamanca: "if an opinion is probable, it is licit to follow it, although the opposite is more probable."”Merkelbach makes him the first to teach probabilism formally, at Salamanca in 1577 | Merkelbach, Summa II, excursus on the moral systems |
| “Then first came forth the System of Probabilism, whose author is reputed to be Bartholomaeus Medina, of the Order of Preachers; this System was immediately received very commonly, as the adversaries themselves confess.”Konings: the reputed author of probabilism, which was at once received very commonly | Konings, Compendium, n. 77 |
| “Medina Bartholomaeus, Spanish, Dominican, celebrated professor of Salamanca, who first reduced the doctrine concerning probable opinions into a system (Expositions on St. Thomas), born 1528, died 1581.”Haringer marks him **, giving St. Alphonsus's judgment of him (weighty and probabilist) | Haringer's index, Index of writers, p. XXIV |
Where Our Authors Discuss Him
Each read in its full passage; the words quoted are the author's own. Where several authors say the same thing, one is quoted and the others follow “in nearly the same words”; point at a name to see his words.
| “he is deservedly held to be the prince of the moderate probabilists” | Tanquerey, Fundamental Moral Theology, n. 45 |
| “The first who expressly defended that system is the aforesaid Medina”Tanquerey sets out his arguments | Tanquerey, Fundamental Moral Theology, n. 394 |
| “Before the close of the sixteenth century, when Bartholomew a Medina published his “Exposition” on St. Thomas, there was no commonly recognized method for forming one’s conscience in doubtful matters”Slater: before his Exposition there was no commonly recognized method of forming conscience in doubtful matters | Slater, Short History, ¶ 81 |
| “The Dominican Bartholomew a Medina (1577) was the first to show that if it were a question of obligation, not of mere counsel, this was illogical”Slater: he was the first to show that the obligation of the more probable opinion was illogical | Slater, Short History, ¶ 85 |
| “The lay and the matrimonial state is safe; the religious state is safer; yet each state is safe. And because Fr. Medina uses this example, on the I-II, question 19, article 6, in explaining the probable and the more probable, he is therefore commonly excused by many from the Probabilism of the Moderns.”Concina: because Medina used the example of the safe and the safer state, many excuse him from the probabilism of the moderns | Concina, Compendium II, diss. II, ch. II, n. V |
In the Catholic Encyclopedia (1913)
“Bartholomew Medina”, vol. 10, by Daniel Joseph Kennedy. Public domain; transcription from Wikisource.
Dominican theologian, b. at Medina, 1527; d. at Salamanca, 1581. With Dominico Soto, Melchior Canus, and Dominico Bañez he studied theology at the University of Salamanca under the celebrated professor Francis Vittoria. His life was devoted almost entirely to teaching theology at Salamanca, first in the chair of Durandus, afterwards as principal professor. He was appointed to the "cathedra primaria" after a successful concursus, in public, against the learned Augustinian, John of Guevara. Although he was well versed in Greek and Hebrew, he loved theology more, and all his writings preserved are theological, being principally commentaries on the Summa of St. Thomas. He is usually called the Father of Probabilism. Writers are divided as to his teaching on this important question of moral theology. Some hold that he did not introduce, but merely formulated, Probabilism when he wrote: "It seems to me that if an opinion is probable, it may be followed, even though the opposite opinion be more probable" (I-II, q. xix, a. 6). Others say he proposed that principle in the abstract (speculative), restricting it in practice so that there was no departure from rules of conduct formerly followed. Others still, e.g. Echard, followed by Billuart, maintain that the system proposed by Medina differed greatly from Probabilism as it has been explained by its later defenders, and they cite its definition: "that opinion is probable which is held by wise men and is supported by first-class arguments". Hurter (Nomencl.) writes: "He seems to have led the way to Probabilism". Echard admits, with Vincent Baron, O.P., that Medina opened the way for a flood of probabilistic theories, and closes with the declaration: St. Thomas is our Master, others only in so far as they follow his teaching. Probabiliorists are unwilling to admit that Medina is against them; probabilists are loath to admit that he proposed a new doctrine, or do not wish to give to him all the credit of introducing a new system for forming the conscience in doubtful cases. The following is a list of his most important works: "Commentaria in primam secundae" (Salamanca, 1577); "Commentaria in tertiam partem, a Q. I ad 60" (Salamanca, 1584); "Breve instruction de comme se ha administrar el sacramento de la penitencia" (Salamanca, 1580).
QUETIF-ECHARD, SS. Ord. Praed., II, 256; BOISDRON, Theories et systemes des probabitites en theologie morale (Fribourg, 1894), 6.
D.J. KENNEDY