Bonaventure

Articulus II. De innovatione corporum superiorum.

Quaestio II. Utrum corpora supercaelestia quietabuntur.

Nota de numeratione. Quaracchi restarts its footnote numbering on every printed page. The markers below are page-qualified: notes 1–9 of page 991 and notes 1–3 of page 992. Notes 4–10 of page 992 anchor in the following question and are rendered there.

Secundo quaeritur, utrum corpora supercaelestia quietabuntur. Et quod sic, videtur:

1. Quia motus corporum supercaelestium est propter continuam generationem¹; sed omnis generatio est ordinata ad multiplicationem hominum, et multiplicatio hominum ad perfectionem civitatis supernae: si ergo necesse est, illam civitatem perfici; necesse est, omnem generationem cessare: ergo et motum corporum supercaelestium, et sic etc.

2. Item, omnis motus est propter aliquem finem; sed omnis motus ordinatus, nisi sit frustra², aliquando consequitur finem; sed quod movetur propter aliquid, assecuto eo, quiescit: ergo cum corporum supercaelestium motus sit huiusmodi, patet etc.

3. Item, nobilior dispositio est quies quam motus; quod patet in Deo³: ergo si mundus post resurrectionem erit in optima dispositione, omnia corpora in eo quiescent.

4. Item, hoc dicit ratio, non tantum fides, quod omnia propter hominem et ad opus obsequii sunt creata⁴: ergo omnia debent habere usum et actum convenientem humano obsequio; sed homo incorruptibilis post resurrectionem non indiget obsequio variabili: ergo etc.

Contra:

1. Corpora supercaelestia serviunt homini luce et motu; sed quia luce serviunt, maiori luce remunerantur⁵: ergo cum serviant in motu, debent velociori motu remunerari.

2. Item, corpus orbiculare naturaliter est aptum ad motum⁶; sed per gratiam aptitudo naturaliter perficitur et non efficitur imperfecta; sed unumquodque perfectius est, quando est coniunctum suo actui: ergo corpora orbicularia actualiter movebuntur et continue.

3. Item, nihil quod inest alicui secundum assimilationem ad Deum, semper debet per remunerationem privari; sed «corpora supercaelestia, ut dicit Commentator⁷, moventur, ut assimilentur Deo», et in ipso motu assimilantur: ergo etc.

4. Item, motus orbicularis per naturam est interminabilis⁸; sed Deus per gloriam non destruet naturam: ergo motum corporum supercaelestium non terminabit; et si hoc: ergo semper movebuntur.

Conclusio

Motus corporum supercaelestium terminabitur, quamvis per naturam non habeat de se terminum intra.

Respondeo: Dicendum, quod, sicut dicit Isidorus, et habetur in littera⁹, quod «sol et luna post iudicium non tendent ad occasum, sed stabunt in ordine suo, in quo creati sunt».

Ad intelligentiam autem obiectorum notandum, quod in motu est duplicem finem considerare, scilicet finem intra, et iste dicitur terminus sive consummatio; et finem extra, et iste est terminus intentionis, ut verbi gratia, cum lapis desursum ad terram descendit, locus terrae est finis, qui est terminus intra;

sed quies in loco est finis, qui est terminus intentionis. — Dico ergo, quod quidam motus sunt, qui naturaliter habent utrumque finem, ut sunt motus recti¹; quidam vero motus sunt, qui habent alterum per naturam, ut puta finem intentionis, alterum vero habent solum ratione ipsius principii moventis, ut est motus circularis ipsius rotae, quae volvitur ad acuendum cultellum. Quod enim rota quiescat modo, vel post, non est determinatum, quia semper posset moveri, si esset qui posset et vellet movere; sed quando cultellus factus est acutus, cum motus ille ordinaretur ad hoc, necesse fuit quietari, vel frustra fieri.

Quoniam igitur motus corporum supercaelestium ordinatur ad complendum numerum electorum; et illum necesse est compleri: ideo et motum terminari, quamvis per naturam non habeat terminum intra de se.

Ad argumenta:

Ad 1. Ad illud quod obiicitur, quod remuneratur in luce, ergo debet remunerari in motu; dicendum, quod non est simile: quia obsequium motus non ita competit corporibus Beatorum, sicut obsequium luminis².

Ad 2. Ad illud quod obiicitur, quod aptitudo naturalis est perficienda; dicendum, quod verum est de aptitudine naturali, quae est ad actum perfectionis; sed quae est ad actum imperfectionis, non.

Ad 3. Ad illud quod obiicitur de assimilatione, dicendum, quod non assimilatur simpliciter, sed in causando; et ideo ad tempus assimilatur in hoc.

Ad 4. Ad illud quod ultimo obiicitur, quod est naturaliter interminabilis; dicendum, quod hoc est falsum, quia secundum intentionem naturae, quae est regulata secundum institutionem divinam, terminabilis est, licet non sit terminabilis ratione termini, qui respicit conditiones mobilis et spatii³.

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Article II. On the renewal of the higher bodies.

Question II. Whether the supercelestial bodies will come to rest.

Secondly it is asked, whether the supercelestial bodies will come to rest. And that they will, it seems:

1. Because the motion of the supercelestial bodies is on account of continual generation¹; but every generation is ordered to the multiplication of men, and the multiplication of men to the perfection of the supernal city: if therefore it is necessary that that city be perfected, it is necessary that all generation cease: therefore also the motion of the supercelestial bodies, and so forth.

2. Likewise, every motion is on account of some end; but every ordered motion, unless it be in vain², at some time attains its end; but what is moved on account of something, once that is attained, comes to rest: therefore, since the motion of the supercelestial bodies is of this kind, it is clear, etc.

3. Likewise, rest is a nobler disposition than motion; which is clear in God³: therefore if the world after the resurrection will be in the best disposition, all bodies in it will be at rest.

4. Likewise, reason says this, and not faith only, that all things were created on account of man and for the work of service⁴: therefore all things ought to have a use and an act suited to human service; but incorruptible man after the resurrection has no need of variable service: therefore, etc.

On the contrary:

1. The supercelestial bodies serve man by light and by motion; but because they serve by light, they are rewarded with greater light⁵: therefore, since they serve in motion, they ought to be rewarded with swifter motion.

2. Likewise, a spherical body is naturally apt for motion⁶; but by grace a natural aptitude is perfected and is not rendered imperfect; but each thing is more perfect when it is joined to its act: therefore the spherical bodies will be moved actually and continuously.

3. Likewise, nothing that belongs to a thing according to its assimilation to God ought ever to be taken away by way of reward; but «the supercelestial bodies, as the Commentator says⁷, are moved that they may be assimilated to God», and in that very motion they are assimilated: therefore, etc.

4. Likewise, circular motion is by nature unterminable⁸; but God by glory will not destroy nature: therefore he will not terminate the motion of the supercelestial bodies; and if this: therefore they will always be moved.

Conclusion

The motion of the supercelestial bodies will be terminated, although by nature it does not have of itself a term within.

I respond: It must be said that, as Isidore says, and as is had in the text⁹, «the sun and the moon after the judgement will not tend toward their setting, but will stand in their own order, in which they were created».

But for the understanding of the objections it must be noted that in motion there is a twofold end to consider, namely the end within, and this is called the term or consummation; and the end without, and this is the term of intention, as for example, when a stone descends from above to the earth, the place of the earth is the end, which is the term within;

but rest in that place is the end which is the term of intention. — I say therefore that there are certain motions which naturally have both ends, as are rectilinear motions¹; but there are certain motions which have the one by nature, namely the end of intention, while the other they have only by reason of the moving principle itself, as is the circular motion of a wheel which is turned for the sharpening of a knife. For that the wheel should rest now, or afterwards, is not determined, because it could always be moved if there were one who could and would move it; but when the knife has been made sharp, since that motion was ordered to this, it was necessary that it come to rest, or else be done in vain.

Since, therefore, the motion of the supercelestial bodies is ordered to the completing of the number of the elect, and it is necessary that that number be completed: therefore the motion also is terminated, although by nature it does not have of itself a term within.

To the arguments:

To 1. To that which is objected, that it is rewarded in light, therefore it ought to be rewarded in motion; it must be said that the case is not alike: because the service of motion does not belong to the bodies of the Blessed in the same way as the service of light².

To 2. To that which is objected, that a natural aptitude is to be perfected; it must be said that this is true of a natural aptitude which is toward an act of perfection; but not of one which is toward an act of imperfection.

To 3. To that which is objected concerning assimilation, it must be said that it is not assimilated simply, but in causing; and therefore for a time it is assimilated in this.

To 4. To that which is objected last, that it is naturally unterminable; it must be said that this is false, because according to the intention of nature, which is regulated according to the divine institution, it is terminable, although it is not terminable by reason of a term which regards the conditions of the movable thing and of space³.

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