Bonaventure

Quaestio III. De extensione illius ignis.

On the footnote numbering. The Quaracchi apparatus restarts its numbering on every printed page, so the notes below are labelled by page: notes 6 through 11 of page 978 and notes 1 through 7 of page 979. Notes 1 through 5 of page 978 belong to the preceding question, and notes 8 through 10 of page 979 belong to the following question.

Tertio quaeritur de illius ignis extensione.

1. Super illud secundae ad Thessalonicenses primo⁶: In flamma ignis dantis vindictam; Glossa: « Praecedet ignis in mundo, qui tantum ascendet, quantum aqua in diluvio ».

2. Item, Beda super illud secundae Petri tertio⁷: Unus dies etc.; Glossa: « Tantum ascendet ille ignis, quantum aqua altior super omnes montes ».

3. Item, ratione videtur: quia purgatio illa est propter peccatum, ergo debet se solum extendere ad habitationem peccantium; sed hic est aër caliginosus⁸, qui constat quod non est super omnes montes plus quam quindecim cubitis: ergo etc.

4. Item, ille ignis non extendet se secundum totam virtutem, sed secundum divinum imperium; sed divinum imperium noluit, quod ultra procederent aquae quam quindecim cubitis super montes⁹: ergo similiter videtur de igne; aut si non, quare non?

Contra: 1. Videtur, quod ultra usque ad caelos: quia dicitur secundae Petri ultimo¹⁰: Caeli ardentes solventur: ergo si solventur illo igne, videtur, quod ascendet usque ad caelum.

2. Item, videtur, quod saltem usque ad sphaeram elementorum ultimam, quia dicit ibi¹¹ Glossa, quod « quatuor elementa ille maximus ignis absumet ».

3. Item, ratione videtur: quia ille ignis habet virtutem innovandi: ergo si omnia corpora innovabuntur, scilicet caelestia et elementaria; patet etc.

Conclusio

Ignis conflagrationis non ascendet ultra spatium continens elementa, non usque ad sidera, plus tamen, quam aquae diluvii ascenderunt.

Respondeo: Dicendum, quod ille ignis ascendet tantum, quantum durant corpora consumtibilia et passibilia; et quia « corpora caelestia non sunt receptibilia alienae impressionis¹ », dico, quod quantum durat spatium continens elementa, ascendet flamma et ulterius non procedet; unde dico, quod non ascendet usque ad sidera, plus tamen ascendet quam aqua diluvii.

Ad obiecta vero dicendum, quod duplex est purgatio: una, quae fit a foeditate peccati, alia vero a vetustate corruptionis. Dico ergo, quod foeditas culpae se extendit per aërem caliginosum, non quod in ipso aëre sit peccatum, sed² quaedam foeditas contrahitur in loco ex peccato, et etiam fumo sacrificiorum idolorum quodam modo est aër infectus; et quantum ad istam purgationem tantum ascendet, quantum aqua diluvii. — Alia purgatio est a vetustate corruptionis sive naturae corruptae, et haec est in ceteris elementis, quae debent esse incorruptibilia post resurrectionem³; et quantum ad hanc ascendet usque ad ultimum sphaerae ignis. — Et secundum has duas rationes solvuntur obiectiones factae de purgatione.

3. Ad illud quod obiicitur de innovatione, dicendum, quod duplex est innovatio: uno modo per abiectionem, alio modo per additionem et meliorationem. Primo modo est in corporibus elementaribus, in quibus purgabuntur qualitates corporales; secundo modo in corporibus caelestibus, quibus augebitur lumen⁴. Prima innovatio est per operationem ignis, quae abiicit et purgat; secunda sine.

1. Ad illud vero quod dicit beatus Petrus, quod caeli ardentes solventur; dicendum, quod hoc non est intelligendum de illis caelis, qui sunt incorruptibiles et non corrumpentur; sed intelligendum de caelo aëreo et igneo, et haec vocat Scriptura caelos, secundum illud Matthaei decimo tertio⁵: Volucres caeli comederunt illud. — Similiter, si inveniatur, quod stellae cadent de caelo⁶; intelligitur de caelo aëreo; et stellae vocantur ibi a simili, quia habent similitudinem stellarum et secundum vulgarem opinionem dicuntur stellae cadere, quoniam a superius descendunt; et Scriptura conformat se modo communi loquendi. Tunc autem maxime fiet talis impressio, quia ignea qualitas abundabit; et hoc faciet Dominus ad terrorem peccatorum⁷.

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Question III. On the extent of that fire.

Thirdly it is asked about the extent of that fire.

1. Upon that text of the second [letter] to the Thessalonians, chapter one⁶: In a flame of fire, giving vengeance; the Gloss: « A fire shall go before in the world, which shall ascend as high as the water did in the flood ».

2. Likewise, Bede upon that text of the second [letter] of Peter, chapter three⁷: One day etc.; the Gloss: « That fire shall ascend as high as the water stood above all the mountains ».

3. Likewise, it seems by reason: because that purgation is on account of sin, therefore it ought to extend itself only to the dwelling-place of those who sin; but this is the dark air⁸, which it is agreed is not above all the mountains more than fifteen cubits: therefore etc.

4. Likewise, that fire will not extend itself according to its whole power, but according to the divine command; but the divine command did not will that the waters should proceed further than fifteen cubits above the mountains⁹: therefore the like seems [to hold] concerning the fire; or if not, why not?

On the contrary: 1. It seems that [it will ascend] beyond, even as far as the heavens: because it is said in the last chapter of the second [letter] of Peter¹⁰: The burning heavens shall be dissolved: therefore if they shall be dissolved by that fire, it seems that it will ascend as far as heaven.

2. Likewise, it seems that [it will ascend] at least as far as the outermost sphere of the elements, because the Gloss says there¹¹ that « that greatest fire shall consume the four elements ».

3. Likewise, it seems by reason: because that fire has the power of renewing: therefore if all bodies shall be renewed, namely the celestial and the elemental; it is evident etc.

Conclusion

The fire of the conflagration will not ascend beyond the space containing the elements, not as far as the stars, yet more than the waters of the flood ascended.

I respond: It must be said that that fire will ascend only so far as bodies consumable and passible extend; and because « celestial bodies are not receptive of an alien impression¹ », I say that as far as the space containing the elements extends, the flame will ascend, and it will proceed no further; hence I say that it will not ascend as far as the stars, yet it will ascend more than the water of the flood.

But to the objections it must be said that purgation is twofold: one which is from the foulness of sin, the other from the oldness of corruption. I say therefore that the foulness of guilt extends itself through the dark air — not that there is sin in the air itself, but² that a certain foulness is contracted in the place from sin, and also that by the smoke of the sacrifices of idols the air is in some manner infected; and as regards that purgation it will ascend only as high as the water of the flood. — The other purgation is from the oldness of corruption, or of a corrupted nature, and this is in the remaining elements, which ought to be incorruptible after the resurrection³; and as regards this it will ascend as far as the outermost limit of the sphere of fire. — And according to these two grounds the objections made concerning purgation are resolved.

3. To that which is objected concerning renewal, it must be said that renewal is twofold: in one way by casting off, in another way by addition and bettering. In the first way it is in elemental bodies, in which the bodily qualities shall be purged; in the second way in celestial bodies, whose light shall be increased⁴. The first renewal is by the operation of fire, which casts off and purges; the second without [it].

1. But to that which blessed Peter says, that the burning heavens shall be dissolved; it must be said that this is not to be understood of those heavens which are incorruptible and shall not be corrupted; but it is to be understood of the airy and fiery heaven, and these Scripture calls heavens, according to that text of Matthew, chapter thirteen⁵: The birds of heaven ate it up. — Similarly, if it be found that the stars shall fall from heaven⁶, it is understood of the airy heaven; and they are there called stars by likeness, because they have a likeness of stars, and according to common opinion they are said to be stars falling, since they come down from above; and Scripture conforms itself to the common manner of speaking. But such an impression will then occur most of all, because the fiery quality will abound; and the Lord will do this for the terror of sinners⁷.

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