Bonaventure

Articulus II. De innovatione corporum superiorum.

Quaestio III. Utrum elementa innovabuntur.

Note on the apparatus numbering. Quaracchi restarts its footnote numbering on every printed page. The labels below are page-qualified. This chunk anchors notes 4–10 of page 992 (notes 1–3 of page 992 anchor in the preceding question, `d48-a2-q2`) and notes 1–8 of page 993.

Tertio quaeritur, utrum innovabuntur elementa. Et quod sic, videtur.

1. Primae ad Corinthios septimo⁴: Praeterit figura huius mundi; aut igitur in nihil, aut in melius, aut in peius. In nihil non, quia Deus nihil permittit omnino perire; non in peius, quia, si homo melioratur, et mundus: ergo in melius. Sed quod senescit et in melius mutatur innovatur, ergo mundus iste; sed elementa sunt partes mundi: ergo etc.

2. Item, Augustinus, de Ecclesiasticis Dogmatibus⁵: « Elementa non dicimus abolenda, sed in melius commutanda ».

3. Item, ratione videtur: quia aut innovabuntur omnia, aut nulla, aut quaedam. Si omnia, habeo propositum; si nulla: ergo erunt in continua transmutatione et impuritate, quam contraxerunt; sed hoc est inconveniens, cum sint propter hominem incorruptibilem et omnino mundum⁶. Si quaedam sic, et quaedam non: ergo solvitur harmonia elementorum: ergo et pulcritudo et decor universi.

4. Item, ignis est completissimum elementorum, unde et species elementorum dicitur. Quaero igitur: aut ignis innovabitur, aut non. Si non innovatur, sed consumitur: ergo perit nobilitas et decor elementorum. Si innovatur: ergo cum alia elementa magis sint accedentia ad vetustatem, videtur, quod omnia debeant innovari⁷.

Sed contra: 1. Matthaei vigesimo quarto⁸: Caelum et terra transibunt: si ergo terra est stabilissimum inter elementa, et ipsa non innovatur, sed transit; nec alia innovabuntur. Si dicas, quod non transit quantum ad substantiam, sed quantum ad figuram, sicut dicitur primae ad Corinthios septimo: Praeterit figura huius mundi; tunc ergo, cum figura respiciat quantitatem et dispositionem partium, non qualitatem; videtur ergo, quod alterius figurae erit universum. Cum ergo modo sit circulare, tunc erit non circulare; sed hoc est inconveniens: ergo etc.

2. Item, super secundae Petri ultimum⁹ dicit Glossa: « Elementa quatuor, quibus mundus consistit, ille maximus ignis absumet, nec cuncta in tantum consumet, ut non sint; sed duo ex toto consumet, duo vero in meliorem restituet faciem ».

3. Item, ratione videtur: quia, si elementa innovabuntur, aut ergo quantum ad substantiam, aut quantum ad qualitatem. Non quantum ad substantiam, quia substantia erit eadem, « non recipiens magis et minus¹⁰ »; non quantum ad qualitates, quia

accidentia sunt inalterabilia: ergo nullo modo. Si dicas, quod quantum ad qualitates erit innovatio, quia qualitates istae transibunt; contra: forma substantialis in materia est causa immediata ipsarum qualitatum elementarium: ergo si, « posita causa immediata, necessario ponitur effectus »; sed remanebit forma substantialis in materia: ergo et qualitates.

4. Item, calidum in summo est dispositio ad formam ignis; sed remota dispositione et privata, per consequens privatur forma: ergo etc.

Conclusio

Elementorum et substantia et qualitates remanebunt; sed qualitates quoad substantiam remanentes innovabuntur quoad rationem corruptionis.

Respondeo: Dicendum, quod ubi est innovatio, substantia remanet eadem, sed sub aliis proprietatibus; ideo dicendum, quod omnia elementa secundum substantiam remanebunt, sed quantum ad qualitates innovabuntur. — Sed circa ipsas qualitates duplex est opinio.

Quidam enim dicunt, quod tria sunt genera qualitatum in elementis: quaedam, secundum quas ordinantur in mundo, ut gravitas et levitas; et istae remanebunt, quia remanebunt in mundo ordo et situs elementorum. Quaedam sunt qualitates, secundum quas est receptio influentiae luminis sine omni corruptione, ut perspicuitas et transparentia; et istae similiter remanebunt, sicut influentia luminis. Quaedam autem sunt, secundum quas ordinantur ad agendum et patiendum, et ita per consequens ad transmutationem et corruptionem; et secundum has non remanebunt. Sed inter has quaedam sunt activae, ut caliditas et frigiditas; quaedam passivae, ut humiditas et siccitas. — Et quae sunt activae sunt illae quae excitant et faciunt transmutationem; et istae tollentur ab elementis et non redibunt in nihil, sed cadent in regionem damnatorum, sicut vult Basilius super illud¹: Vox Domini intercidentis flammam ignis. Dicit enim, quod « calor cedat in partem damnatorum, sed lux in regionem salvandorum »; similiter et in aqua frigiditas ad affligendum; siccum vero et humidum non tollentur, sed terminabuntur. Et ideo dicunt, quod Beda² dicit, quod « duo totaliter absumentur » propter coniunctionem, quae erat ex duplici qualitate, non quantum ad integritatem substantiae, sed quantum ad totalitatem duplicis qualitatis ratione activae. — Sed quia Augustinus dicit vigesimo de Civitate Dei³, quod « omnium elementorum qualitates ardendo penitus interibunt », et siccitas et humiditas sunt qualitates corruptibiles; non videtur maior ratio de caliditate et frigiditate quam de aliis duabus.

Ideo dicunt alii aliter, quod omnes res, quantum est de se, appetunt esse perpetuum et divinum⁴; sed quaedam formae sunt, quae appetunt continuare esse per multiplicationem sui in altero, ut puta sunt formae activae accidentales et substantiales; quaedam autem appetunt continuare esse suum per continuam adhaerentiam cum materia, ut sunt formae et qualitates passivae. Quoniam igitur post iudicium auferetur ab elementis omnis ratio multiplicandi se, et dabitur virtus continuandi se in se, quia erunt incorruptibilia; hinc est, quod elementa, quae habent qualitates activas, dicuntur totaliter absumi, quia omnino auferetur ab eis ratio agendi et se multiplicandi; alia vero duo dicuntur in meliorem faciem restituenda⁵, quia appetitus continuandi in se esse, qui modo est in eis secundum esse imperfectum, complebitur et perficietur. Manebunt ergo qualitates omnium elementorum quantum ad substantiam, sed quantum ad rationem corruptionis innovabuntur; similiter et formae substantiales⁶. — Et haec opinio est probabilior.

Ad opposita: Ad 1. Et patent obiecta praeter primum, quod dicit, quod figura non transit. Dico enim, quod figura dicitur tripliciter: uno modo dispositio ex clausione linearum; et haec praeterit quantum ad terram, quia non omnino est orbicularis. Secundo modo dicitur figura exterior rei facies sive pulcritudo; et haec transibit, sicut dicitur in Glossa⁷, « non substantia, sed pulcritudo ». Tertio modo figura dicitur fictio vel fragilitas a fingo, fingis, ut vasa figuli; et sic etiam pertransibit. — Et sic patet, quod non transibit substantia, sed dispositio partium quoad terram et pulcritudo et fragilitas⁸.

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Article II. On the renewal of the higher bodies.

Question III. Whether the elements will be renewed.

Thirdly it is asked, whether the elements will be renewed. And that they will, it seems.

1. First to the Corinthians, chapter seven⁴: The figure of this world passeth away; either therefore into nothing, or into something better, or into something worse. Not into nothing, because God permits nothing to perish utterly; not into something worse, because, if man is made better, so also the world: therefore into something better. But that which grows old and is changed into something better is renewed; therefore this world is; but the elements are parts of the world: therefore etc.

2. Likewise, Augustine, On Ecclesiastical Dogmas⁵: « We do not say that the elements are to be abolished, but to be changed into something better ».

3. Likewise, it seems by reason: because either all will be renewed, or none, or some. If all, I have what I proposed; if none: then they will be in continual transmutation and in the impurity which they have contracted; but this is unfitting, since they exist for the sake of a man incorruptible and wholly clean⁶. If some thus, and some not: then the harmony of the elements is dissolved: therefore also the beauty and comeliness of the universe.

4. Likewise, fire is the most complete of the elements, whence it is even called the species of the elements. I ask therefore: either fire will be renewed, or not. If it is not renewed, but consumed: then the nobility and comeliness of the elements perishes. If it is renewed: then, since the other elements are more inclined toward oldness, it seems that all ought to be renewed⁷.

On the contrary: 1. Matthew, chapter twenty-four⁸: Heaven and earth shall pass away: if therefore the earth is the most stable among the elements, and it itself is not renewed but passes away, neither will the others be renewed. If you say that it does not pass away as to substance, but as to figure, as is said in the first to the Corinthians, chapter seven: The figure of this world passeth away; then therefore, since figure regards quantity and the disposition of parts, not quality; it seems therefore that the universe will be of another figure. Since therefore it is now circular, then it will be non-circular; but this is unfitting: therefore etc.

2. Likewise, on the last chapter of the second [epistle] of Peter⁹ the Gloss says: « The four elements of which the world consists, that greatest fire will consume; nor will it consume all of them so far that they should not be; but two it will consume wholly, while two it will restore to a better appearance ».

3. Likewise, it seems by reason: because, if the elements will be renewed, then either as to substance, or as to quality. Not as to substance, because the substance will be the same, « not receiving more and less¹⁰ »; not as to qualities, because

accidents are unalterable: therefore in no way. If you say that as to qualities there will be a renewal, because those qualities will pass away; on the contrary: the substantial form in matter is the immediate cause of those elementary qualities: therefore if, « the immediate cause being posited, the effect is necessarily posited »; but the substantial form will remain in matter: therefore the qualities also.

4. Likewise, heat in the highest degree is the disposition toward the form of fire; but when the disposition is removed and taken away, the form is consequently taken away: therefore etc.

Conclusion

Both the substance and the qualities of the elements will remain; but the qualities, remaining as to their substance, will be renewed as to their character of corruptibility.

I respond: It must be said that where there is renewal, the substance remains the same, but under other properties; therefore it must be said that all the elements will remain according to substance, but as to qualities they will be renewed. — But concerning those qualities there is a twofold opinion.

For some say that there are three kinds of qualities in the elements: certain ones according to which they are ordered within the world, such as heaviness and lightness; and these will remain, because the order and the situation of the elements will remain in the world. There are certain qualities according to which there is a reception of the influence of light without any corruption, such as clarity and transparency; and these likewise will remain, just as the influence of light does. And there are certain ones according to which they are ordered to acting and to being acted upon, and thus consequently to transmutation and corruption; and according to these they will not remain. But among these some are active, such as heat and cold; some passive, such as moisture and dryness. — And those which are active are those which stir up and effect transmutation; and these will be taken away from the elements, and will not return into nothing, but will fall into the region of the damned, as Basil holds upon that text¹: The voice of the Lord divideth the flame of fire. For he says that « the heat should go over to the portion of the damned, but the light into the region of those to be saved »; and likewise in water the cold [goes] to afflicting; but the dry and the moist will not be taken away, but will be brought to their term. And therefore they say that Bede² says that « two will be wholly consumed » on account of the conjunction which arose from the twofold quality, not as to the integrity of the substance, but as to the totality of the twofold quality by reason of the active one. — But since Augustine says in the twentieth [book] On the City of God³ that « the qualities of all the elements will utterly perish in the burning », and dryness and moisture are corruptible qualities; there seems to be no greater reason concerning heat and cold than concerning the other two.

Therefore others say otherwise, that all things, so far as in them lies, desire a perpetual and divine being⁴; but there are certain forms which desire to continue their being through the multiplication of themselves in another, as for instance the active forms, both accidental and substantial; while certain others desire to continue their being through a continual adherence to matter, as are the passive forms and qualities. Since therefore after the judgment every ground of multiplying themselves will be taken away from the elements, and there will be given a power of continuing themselves in themselves, because they will be incorruptible; hence it is that the elements which have active qualities are said to be wholly consumed, because there will be entirely taken away from them the ground of acting and of multiplying themselves; while the other two are said to be restored to a better appearance⁵, because the appetite of continuing their being in themselves, which is now in them according to an imperfect being, will be completed and perfected. The qualities of all the elements will therefore remain as to substance, but as to their character of corruptibility they will be renewed; and likewise the substantial forms⁶. — And this opinion is the more probable.

To the opposing arguments: Ad 1. And the objections are clear except the first, which says that the figure does not pass away. For I say that figure is spoken of in three ways: in one way as the disposition arising from the enclosure of lines; and this passes away as regards the earth, because it is not wholly spherical. In a second way figure is called the outer face of a thing or its beauty; and this will pass away, as is said in the Gloss⁷, « not the substance, but the beauty ». In a third way figure is called fashioning or frailty, from fingo, fingis, as the potter's vessels; and thus too it will pass away. — And thus it is clear that the substance will not pass away, but the disposition of parts as regards the earth, and the beauty and the frailty⁸.

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