The Concept of Redemption and Co-redemptioin During the "Golden Age" of Spanish Theology and Mariology

2.1. c) Concept of "Redemption" According to "Debitist" Theologians

 In general "debitist" theologians hold the same basic concept of redemption, whether they affirm the existence of a remote debitum only, or defend the existence of a proximate debitum. All admit some relation, more or less profound, on the part of the Virgin Mary with the sin of Adam. Their differences pertain only to the form and nuancing of the explanation of how redemption truly affects the person of the Virgin Mary.

At times, these authors abuse conceptual subtlety, as well as divisions and classifications of aspects and notions: relation to natural, physical, moral, formal, fundamental sin... All these details, at some point, can modify the hypothesis and mode of explanation of each of the authors. This entails a difficulty in arriving at an exact and objective interpretation of their meaning. In fact, I think a number of these authors have not yet been interpreted in a completely objective manner.

In my opinion this occurs because not all these theologians hold the same concept of debitum or debt. This is a term which may refer to physical debt, to moral debt, or be understood as debt in any generic sense. ¹Also, on many occasions it is difficult to determine if redemption is intended in the proper sense, or in the broader sense. This is extremely important, to be kept always in mind, in order to avoid inexactitude and equivocations.

My intention here, is neither to examine nor to expound the teaching of these theologians on the debitum peccati, but to make known and assess their thought on "redemption." This involves us with their hypotheses over the debitum of the Virgin. Nonetheless, my intention, let it be said once more, is to expound the concept of redemption, and also of co-redemption, in Spanish theology and mariology of the golden age.

1)-Theologians Defending the Proximate Debitum: the Salmanticenses

1 - a - Presentation

 The Salmanticenses are among the leading theologians maintaining in the Immaculate the proximate debitum. The seriousness and strength of their argumentation, as well as their consistency in treating so complicated a question has been recognized by all commentators, even by those prescinding from the debitum in explaining the privilege of the Immaculate Conception. Agreement with their conclusions is quite another discussion.  ²The Salmanticenses represent a very important theological school among the seventeenth century thomists. Their Cursus Theologicus has been considered by the historians of theology and by the best students of St. Thomas as "a monumental piece of theological literature, and at the same time one of the more notable compendiums of thomism."³

The Salmanticenses expound the theme of "redemption" principally in two sections of their ample Cursus Theologicus (12 tomes). From a general point of view this theme is found in tract XXI: De Incarnatione, part 1, disputations 1 and 2 on the necessity and motive of the Incarnation. ⁴ From a more particular standpoint this is found in discussions of how redemption applies to the Immaculate Virgin in tract XIII on vices and sins, and still more properly in disputation XV dealing with the explanation of questions relative to original sin. ⁵One should keep in mind that the most wide-ranging and important analysis of the Salmanticenses on "redemption" is found in this disputation XV in relation to the Virgin Mary, Mother of the Redeemer.⁶

1 - b - Explanation: What is the "Redemption?"

 a) The Salmanticenses are clear and convinced defenders of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary, even though they defend Her submission to, or contraction, of the proximate debitum to sin. They affirm their belief clearly and expound it precisely, with an abundance of arguments at the very beginning of disputation XV.

It is not possible to believe that their objective in redacting this disputation had a hidden agenda, as their accusers before the Inquisition asserted: that of favoring, by recourse to the proximate debitum, the maculist opinion, so common in those days among thomist theologians. ⁷ Quite to the contrary. Domingo de Santa Teresa (author of this section) sought to facilitate acceptance of the pia sententia [pious opinion as the Immaculate Conception was designated before its dogmatic definition] throughout the entire Church, above all, by the ecclesiastical hierarchy, and to prepare the way for a solemn definition of the Immaculate by the Supreme Pontiff.

b) Before formulating the core problematic concerning the "redemption" of the Virgin, the Salmanticenses resolve a number of questions constituting the preliminaries of their exposition. These include the concept of debitum peccati and of the permanence of this debitum (dubium I), and a second question: whether the Virgin Mother of God could have been exempted from original sin, and whether this exemption could be by the merits of Christ (dubium II). Their solution to this last question is an affirmative, because this is not a question of what is necessary to God himself, but one of something he can do by his absolute power.⁸

 On the basis of the reply to the last question: God can exempt the Most Holy Virgin from the debitum of original sin, they formulate the principal question in dubium III: whether the exemption or exception of the Mother of God from the debitum of original sin prejudices or is incompatible with Her redemption.⁹

Moving on from the proemium, our theologians forcefully argue the question where they explain how some things considered apart (seorsim) and in an absolute sense, are not impossible to the divine omnipotence, even if without doubt incompatible in themselves. Hence, "one may affirm that the exemption (exceptio) of the Mother of God, taken by itself, would be in every way incompatible with Her redemption. For the same reason, it is not possible to verify whether She was truly and properly redeemed by the death and blood of Christ, and at the same time claim that She was preserved from said debitum.¹⁰

What is the foundation for or reason of this affirmation? Following a theological methodology, our theologians believe that this claim pertains to the faith of the Church, and seek, therefore, to demonstrate it with texts from Sacred Scripture and from the Magisterium and tradition of the Church.

Secondly, they adduce the very nature of the "redemption." This is what the concept of redemption implies according to the common teaching of theology. One should ponder carefully their formulation on this point:

A very special second reason, no less apodictic than the former, in favor of the common opinion can be deduced from the very essence and function of redemption: its notion cannot be verified truly and in the proper sense, except with a relation to sin, or to the debitum from which one is to be redeemed.¹¹

This text, like many others in this disputation, enjoys doctrinal worth; but it is also a witness with important historical value. According to the Salamanca theologian, the teaching concerning the debitum peccati was a common opinion in his day. This should be kept in mind. This is more the case in the schools and lecture halls of scholastic theology; far less so in books which are chiefly the fruit of piety and devotion.

This Salamanca Carmelite continues his explanation in treating of a notional and descriptive definition of "redemption." His first argument is based on philology: Let us examine and determine what the noun "redemption" implies, and how it is to be employed (no. 70).

Leaving the theological question aside, he first replies:

Redemption and redeem, if we attend to the sense of the word, and to the meaning given it by the ancients, and still in common usage, means to buy or free someone for a price who had once been free, but now is in captivity, or had been sold into slavery... Redeem means to buy again. Hence, it supposes that what is bought is under the dominion of another, to wit, the seller... Thus, what is redeemed must imply being under the power and for the service of someone else, from which what is purchased is removed (extrahitur) by the redeemer on paying price, which in Spanish is rightly called the ransom.¹²

The Salmanticenses posit two conditions or prerequisites as essential to verify a "redemption" in the proper sense: payment of the price of ransom to gain freedom; and that the person to be freed has fallen into slavery or servitude. These conditions appear much nuanced in many situations and circumstances.

 Here is the nucleus of the question: Do all theologians accept this definition of "redemption"? Is this the genuine concept or meaning of "redemption"? Our theologian claims this "is" the proper and legitimate meaning of redemption (l.c., no. 71). And he adduces many proofs from Latin dictionaries and from texts of the Holy Fathers.¹³

Redemption, however, is not a juridical concept, but theological and spiritual, according to which "redemption" is a work of the love of God, which through the life, death and resurrection of his Son, bestows freedom on the human race.

This is the concept of "redemption" proposed by the Salmanticenses in their tract on the Incarnation. Hence, they do hold a clear notion, firmly based and authentic, of what redemption of the human race really means.¹⁴

I want to repeat that for the Salmanticenses "redemption" essentially and in virtue of its very concept, implies a true relation, more or less profound, to sin. They affirm this more than once in the development of their thought, and resolve a number of difficulties which can be urged against this basic assertion.

Those admitting only a remote debitum analyze the causes and bases of such a debitum. They admit as valid, only those which suppose in the person, a reason for contracting original sin. Reasons which a priori exclude Mary from the moral headship of Adam, or affirm a special privilege of not being included in the law of transmission of original sin, are quite insufficient. All this breaks and annuls a true relation with sin. They think that the matter of "redemption," and its term a quo, to be sin, either committed or from which the subject is preserved.

In this disputation the Salmanticenses defend the thesis that the Virgin Mary was truly and really "redeemed" by virtue of the merits of Her Son. To explain this proposition, they expound, more than once, their notion of "redemption." Actual personal contraction of sin is not necessary. Its representation, or the fact of "having sinned in another" as one's moral head, is sufficient. This is the case of the Virgin Mother of God.

For a true and proper redemption, one may affirm that it is sufficient for the Virgin Mother of God to have been a sinner, dead and enslaved only in Adam, but in Herself only to have the debitum and to be prone to these defects... For the sin commited by Adam truly was our sin, insofar as we are represented in him... For quite adequately and in the proper sense, there is verified in Adam the diverse expressions of sin, of death, and of captivity, such that in him there existed true sin, the true death of the soul, and authentic captivity. So it was in reality.¹⁵

Finally, so as not to prolong this excessively, the Salamanca author reaffirms his thinking on this theme, reviewing the arguments of other theologians, who deny the debitum peccati in the Virgin Mary, and who understand "preservative redemption" as a higher, more excellent redemption, with a form which undoes or breaks the relation with original sin. 

Our author questions whether this "eminent redemption," certainly distinct in form from the common redemption, salvages anything of the real and proper notion and essence of redemption. One cannot arrive at a definitive conclusion, because there exists no uniformity among theologians as to understanding and application of this terminology, and because some, in recurring to this terminology, understand the eminence and excellence of this "redemption" to consist in the fact that Mary was not a moral daughter of Adam, nor was She included in the law of transmission of original sin, or in some other way received a blessing similar or greater than the one received through the common redemption.

Without doubt, there may exist a certain equivalency in the effects or benefits received via common and preservative redemption so understood. But the concept of redemption does not depend on this. Rather, it is the equivalent of being freed from subjection to slavery, the price of ransom having been paid, a price that was the mystery of the human nature of Christ: His blood poured out for the redemption of mankind.¹⁶

2) - Theologians Defending the Remote Debitum.¹⁷

a) As said above, the formulation of the problematic in this form, by the theologians defending the remote debitum of the Virgin Mary in relation to original sin, is simply a way of analyzing the concept of redemption, so as to be applied in this case as involving on Her part only a remote and wholly extrinsic relation to original sin. In this scenario, if Mary is immaculate in

Her conception, preserved from original sin, how can we explain that She was redeemed, or what kind of redemption is to be ascribed to Her?

It is not my intention to provide a study of the intricate problem of the remote debitum in Mary as related to original sin. Historically and conceptually, we encounter here a maze of explanations, of concepts, of applications to the Virgin which, in this obscure area, can only with difficulty, be fully illustrated. We also encounter the difficulty of relating different hypotheses according to which historians and theologians interpret the content of the sources and, finally, the various assessments which generally reflect the authors and documents of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Where is the truth? Without doubt this is an important chapter in the history of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception.

In the wide-ranging and variegated Spanish theological literature treating of the Immaculate in the golden epoch, the remote debitum does not denote a unified entity or distinctive characteristics. Some authors describe it as a capacity for sinning inherent in human nature, which is not subject of a special privilege. Thus, to cite one example, the Franciscan, Francisco Guerra, speaks of a remote debitum in the Virgin Mary.¹⁸Other authors who speak of a physical or moral debitum, admit in Mary a physical debitum, the equivalent of a remote debitum. For Ovidio Casada, the funamental debitum of which the Salmanticenses speak is the equivalent of the remote debitum (or proximate), of which some authors, inspired by Francisco Suárez, speak.¹⁹ For still others, the remote debitum finds its point of reference in the fact that the Virgin Mother of God was not included in the law governing the universality of original sin, etc. Even Quirino de Salazar, one of the most important authors on this problem, who denies any debitum in Mary, glimpses in Her the existence of a confused, nebulous debitum, which could indicate the debitum of being included under the physical or moral headship of Adam.²⁰

b)What do these theologians contribute to the concept of redemption? In general they follow the thesis of Scotus on preservative redemption in virtue of the merits of Christ. However, they are not in full agreement in determining the basis of this redemption. Some rest their views on the predestination of the Mother of God, who was not included under the moral headship of Adam, in view of the transmission of sin. Other authors fix their attention more on the fact that Mary did not sin in Adam. On this supposition, Her debitum to contract sin is naturally remote, and can find its basis in various considerations.