Bonaventure

Articulus II. De igne conflagrationis.

Quaestio II. De virtute huius ignis, utrum sit naturalis, an supra naturam.

On the footnote numbering. Quaracchi restarts its footnote sequence on every printed page. This chunk spans two printed pages, so the apparatus below is labelled by page: notes 1–5 of page 977 and notes 1–5 of page 978. Notes 6–11 of page 978 are anchored in the following question (a. 2, q. 3, De extensione illius ignis) and are rendered there.

Secundo quaeritur, utrum virtus illius ignis sit naturalis, vel supra naturam. Et quod sit naturalis, videtur:

1. Quia, sicut aqua inundans naturaliter delevit omnia, sic ignis consumet omnia; sed virtus illius aquae fuit naturalis: ergo et huius ignis.

2. Item, ignis per naturam natus est multiplicare et purgare et subtiliare, ut patet: ergo si talis erit virtus illius ignis, patet etc.

3. Item, si detur ei virtus supra naturam, aut est spiritualis, aut corporalis. Non spiritualis, ut videtur, quia virtus spiritualis non debet esse in corporali subiecto¹, et Deus nihil facit per miraculum, quod non sit congruum. Si corporalis, quaeritur: quare illam modo non habet?

Contra: 1. Effectus iste, qui dicitur mundi conflagratio et terminatio, est supra naturam: ergo virtus, a qua est, est supra naturam.

2. Item, si fiat per ignem, qui est naturale elementum, necesse est, illum descendere²; sed ignis naturaliter ascendit: ergo quod descendat, est per virtutem supra naturam.

3. Item, ignis ille habebit virtutem meliorandi corpora mundi³; sed hoc non potest ignis iste: ergo etc. Si dicas, quod immo potest subtiliando; contra: ubi est subtiliatio, et rarefactio; ubi rarefactio, de necessitate est maioris loci occupatio: ergo si ignis ille cetera elementa rarefaciet, necessario oportebit, maiorem locum occupari: ergo oportebit firmamentum cedere, vel frangi.

Conclusio

Ignis conflagrationis quoad initium et consummationem aget virtute supernaturali, sed quoad progressum virtute naturali.

Respondeo: Dicendum, quod aliqui fuerunt, qui dixerunt, quod ignis conflagratio⁴ agit virtute naturali, et quod aquarum inundatio fuit virtute naturali. Potuerunt enim corpora habentia effectum super humidum concurrere sic in unum signum, ut tanta fieret vaporum elevatio et multiplicatio humorum; sic dicunt, quod sidera habentia virtutem inflammandi et corpora recipientia impressionem cursu naturali concurrere poterunt, ut tantus ignis aggregetur, qui totum consumat, totum purget et subtiliet et in meliorem faciem restituat. — Sed haec positio temeritatis est, illud quod omnino a divina providentia et in sola Dei voluntate determinatum est, quae respicit numerum electorum et merita personarum, ponere⁵ in cursibus siderum.

Ideo est secunda positio, quod est omnino a virtute supra naturam; et in Dei miraculis non est quaerenda ratio naturalis. — Et haec positio stolida est. Quare enim per ignem magis fit quam per aliud corpus, nisi sit virtus in igne, quae illi congruat¹ operationi?

Et ideo via media est eligenda, et ponendum est, quod est loqui de ignium conflagratione quantum ad inchoationem, progressum et consummationem. Quantum ad inchoationem, dicendum, quod a virtute supra naturam est. Quod enim ignis sic agat novo et insolito modo, cetera consumendo et sic se multiplicando, hoc non esset, nisi aliqua virtus nova assisteret; quae autem sit illa, ipse Dominus novit. — Quantum autem ad progressum, qui est purgare, urere, subtiliare, dicendum, quod est a virtute naturali. — Quantum ad consummationem, ut purgata sint incorruptibilia, ipsorum qualitates mutare², hoc est supra naturam. — Rationes igitur probantes, quod sit secundum naturam, procedunt via media, sicut patet quantum ad actum combustionis, purgationis et subtiliationis.

Ad 1. 2. Ad illud quod obiicitur in contrarium, quod sit supra naturam; verum est quantum ad inchoationem, ut probat prima ratio; et quantum ad consummationem, ut sequens³. Intelligendum tamen propter rationem, quod in agendo et multiplicando naturaliter ignis descendit, ubi habet materiam praeparatam; exemplum patet, si candela exstincta supponatur accensae.

Ad 3. Ad illud quod obiicitur, quod non erit subtiliatio; dicendum, quod subtiliatio dicitur dupliciter: aut per dilatationem et rarefactionem, et tunc corpus subtiliatum occupat maiorem locum; aut per depurationem et separationem puri ab impuro, et hanc subtiliationem facit ignis, quando res purganda includitur in vase forti; quemadmodum faciunt opifices alchimiae, qui dicunt, quod totum potest ibi subtiliari et depurari, ut veniat ad naturam quinti corporis⁴; et tunc faex tendit ad fundum, et subtile supernatat. Per hunc modum in proposito erit, quia caelum erit vas contentivum elementorum; et ideo depurabuntur, et faex elementorum ibit in infernum⁵.

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Article II. On the fire of the conflagration.

Question II. On the power of this fire, whether it is natural or above nature.

Secondly it is asked whether the power of that fire is natural, or above nature. And that it is natural, it seems:

1. Because, just as the flooding water naturally destroyed all things, so fire will consume all things; but the power of that water was natural: therefore also that of this fire.

2. Likewise, fire is by nature apt to multiply and to purge and to make subtle, as is evident: therefore if such will be the power of that fire, it is evident, etc.

3. Likewise, if a power above nature be granted to it, it is either spiritual or corporeal. Not spiritual, as it seems, because a spiritual power ought not to be in a corporeal subject¹, and God does nothing by miracle that is not fitting. If corporeal, it is asked: why does it not have it now?

Contra: 1. That effect which is called the conflagration and the ending of the world is above nature: therefore the power from which it comes is above nature.

2. Likewise, if it comes about through fire, which is a natural element, it is necessary that it descend²; but fire naturally ascends: therefore that it should descend is through a power above nature.

3. Likewise, that fire will have the power of bettering the bodies of the world³; but this fire cannot do this: therefore etc. If you say that on the contrary it can, by making subtle; on the contrary: where there is subtilization, there is also rarefaction; where there is rarefaction, of necessity there is the occupation of a greater place: therefore if that fire will rarefy the other elements, it will necessarily be required that a greater place be occupied: therefore it will be required that the firmament give way, or be broken.

Conclusio

The fire of the conflagration, as to its beginning and its consummation, will act by a supernatural power; but as to its progress, by a natural power.

Respondeo: It must be said that there were some who said that the fire of the conflagration⁴ acts by a natural power, and that the flooding of the waters was by a natural power. For bodies having an effect upon the moist were able to come together in one sign in such a way that so great an elevation of vapours and multiplication of humours came about; so they say that the stars having the power of inflaming, and bodies receiving that impression, will be able to come together by a natural course, so that so great a fire is gathered as may consume the whole, purge the whole and make it subtle and restore it to a better appearance. — But this position is one of rashness: to place⁵ in the courses of the stars that which is determined altogether by divine providence and in the will of God alone, which regards the number of the elect and the merits of persons.

Therefore there is a second position: that it is altogether from a power above nature; and in God's miracles a natural reason is not to be sought. — And this position is foolish. For why does it come about through fire rather than through another body, unless there be a power in fire which is suited¹ to that operation?

And therefore the middle way is to be chosen, and it must be laid down that one may speak of the conflagration of the fires as to its inception, its progress and its consummation. As to the inception, it must be said that it is from a power above nature. For that fire should act in a new and unaccustomed way, consuming the rest and so multiplying itself, this would not be unless some new power assisted it; but what that power is, the Lord Himself knows. — But as to the progress, which is to purge, to burn, to make subtle, it must be said that it is from a natural power. — As to the consummation, that the purged things be incorruptible, to change their qualities², this is above nature. — The reasons, therefore, proving that it is according to nature proceed by the middle way, as is evident with respect to the act of burning, of purging and of making subtle.

To 1 and 2. To that which is objected on the contrary, that it is above nature: it is true as to the inception, as the first reason proves; and as to the consummation, as the following one³. It must nevertheless be understood, on account of the reason, that in acting and multiplying fire naturally descends where it has matter prepared for it; the example is evident, if an extinguished candle be placed beneath a lighted one.

To 3. To that which is objected, that there will be no subtilization; it must be said that subtilization is spoken of in two ways: either by dilation and rarefaction, and then the subtilized body occupies a greater place; or by purification and the separation of the pure from the impure, and this subtilization fire brings about when the thing to be purged is enclosed in a strong vessel; just as the craftsmen of alchemy do, who say that the whole can there be made subtle and purified, so that it comes to the nature of a fifth body⁴; and then the dregs sink to the bottom, and the subtle part floats above. In this manner it will be in the case proposed, because the heaven will be the vessel containing the elements; and therefore they will be purified, and the dregs of the elements will go into hell⁵.

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