Abstract
ANDREW OF NOVO CASTRO, O.F.M., AND THE MORAL LAW Andrew of Novo Castro was a member of the Franciscan convent at Neufchâteau in Lorraine. He was an important enough writer to have received the honorific title Doctor Ingeniosissimus. It is known that he flourished in the second half of the fourteenth century, and it seems likely that he was Andrew Denisoti of Novo Castro, who was born c. 1340 and received his M. A. and B. Th. degrees before 1370. It is known that Andrew wrote three works. The De conceptione Virginis has been published recently,1 and his Commentary on the First Book of the Sentences was published at Paris in 1515. No manuscripts of this First Book are extant. There is, however, one extant manuscript of Andrew's Commentary on the Second Book of the Sentences .2 These commentaries on the Sentences were most likely written written between 1365 and 1370, and at Paris.3 The doctrine of divine absolute power plays an important role in Andrew's philosophy and theology, as it did generally throughout the whole of the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. Andrew teaches that God's power cannot be limited in regard to any action outside Him. ...quia impossibile est Deum antecedenter necessitari ad agendum extra se.4 This general principle has results in a number of areas. As regards love of God, that is, the virtue of charity, God can, through His 1 T. Szabo, "Andreas de Novo Castro, O.F.M., De conceptione Virginis gloriosae," Tractatus quatuor de immaculata conceptione B. Mariae Virginis (Quaracchi , 1954) 101-232. 4 Colmar (France), Bibliotheca Civitatis, cod. 232. • The fullest and most reliable information concerning Andrew's life and works is found in Szabo 103-119. 4 D. 46, q. 4; f. 236va. AU references to the writings of Andrew will be to his Commentary on the Sentences, Book I (Paris, 1515). Andrea of Novo Castro and the Moral Law29 absolute power, accept as His friends, and reward with eternal life, persons lacking charity. Possible est de potentia Dei absoluta hominem esse Deo carum et acceptum ad vitam eternam sine hac virtute caritatis supernaturalis informantis.6 God can also refuse to accept as His friends, and to reward with eternal life, persons possessing charity. ...habentem charitatem potest non acceptare tanquam indignum.* Dicitur tarnen quod de potentia Dei absoluta non est impossibile talem habitum [charitatem] inesse voluntati secundum id quod est realiter et phisice, et voluntatem non esse iustam simpliciter.7 ...de rigore districto iustitie, nulli quantumcunque bono tenetur [Deus] dare in fine vitam eternam.8 And, if a person is in mortal sin, God, by His absolute power, can cease rejecting him and begin accepting him, with no intrinsic change taking place in the person. Being acceptable to God, and being rejected by Him, are relationships to God which depend on God's free will; nothing intrinsic to a person is necessary for either, unless God freely attaches such a condition, as He has done in the present order of things. Sine assertione et sine preiudicio alterius sententie, possibile est de potentia Dei absoluta de prius peccatore et inaccepto fieri non peccatorem et fieri acceptum sine nova forme acquisitione vel deperditione reali in huiusmodi nomine.9 God can accept Socrates and reject Plato if they possess charity equally. Pone quod Sortes et Plato equaliter bene vixerit usque ad mortem , implendo precepta sibi data ita ut fuerint equaliter boni. Possibile erit Deum dare in fine isti beatitudinem, et non dare illi.10 6 D. 14-16, q. 1; 65rt>. • Ibid.; 65va.» D. 48, q. 1; 257rb. 8 Ibid.; 253va. • D. 14-16, q. 1; 67ra. 10 D. 48, q. 1; 253va. See also 256rb and 257rb. 30LEONARD A. KENNEDY Charity can also exist in a soul in the state of mortal sin. Igitur multo magis erit Deo possibile conservare habitum charitatis in anima licet ponatur omissio vel actus prohibitus.11 The general principle of Andrew concerning God's absolute freedom in regard to creatures also results in future contingent events remaining completely contingent until they take place, that is, remaining able to be different from what they finally are. ...omne quod est futurum eveniet contingenter...
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