Question LI, opening

Latin (Borgnet)English

p. 96

QUAESTIO LI. Qualiter latria, dulia et obedientia fuerunt in B. Virgine?

Post hoc videndum est de speciebus justitiae quae sunt latria, dulia, obedientia, qualiter et hae fuerunt in beatissima Virgine?

Et primo de latria. Est enim latria soli Deo debitus et exhibitus honor. Et intenditur honor iste per tria. Primum est dignitas personae exhibentis. Secundum est minus debitum exhibitionis. Tertium est excellentia impensae servitutis.

Dignitas personae exhibentis respectu omnium viatorum in summo fuit in beatissima Virgine: ipsa enim mater Dei, alii omnes servi: et improportionabiliter magis est esse matrem Dei, quam esse servum Dei: ergo improportionabiliter major est latria matris Dei, quam servorum Dei.

QUESTION LI. How were latria, dulia, and obedience in the blessed Virgin?

After this one must see concerning the species of justice, which are latria, dulia, and obedience, how these also were in the most blessed Virgin.

And first concerning latria. For latria is honor owed and exhibited to God alone. And this honor is intensified through three things. The first is the dignity of the person exhibiting it. The second is the lesser debt of the exhibition. The third is the excellence of the service bestowed.

The dignity of the person exhibiting, with respect to all wayfarers, was in the highest degree in the most blessed Virgin: for she herself is mother of God, all others servants; and it is disproportionately greater to be the mother of God than to be a servant of God. Therefore the latria of the mother of God is disproportionately greater than that of the servants of God.