Bonaventure

Articulus II. De dotium distinctione.

Consequenter quantum ad secundum articulum quaeritur de dotium distinctione. Et circa hoc duo quaeruntur.

Primo quaeritur de numero et sufficientia dotium.

Secundo quaeritur de aequalitate ipsarum.

Quaestio I. De numero et sufficientia dotium.

Quantum ergo ad primum proceditur sic. Dotes corporis consueverunt quatuor assignari, scilicet claritas, impassibilitas, subtilitas et agilitas. Sed quod debeant esse pauciores, videtur:

1. Quia dotes sunt in corpore, secundum quod comparatur ad animam; sed anima tantum dupliciter comparatur, scilicet ut motor et ut perfectio²: ergo videtur, quod tantum sint duae dotes.

2. Item, tantum tres dicuntur esse vires, secundum quas anima regit corpus et perficiendo et movendo, scilicet naturalis, vitalis et animalis; et secundum hoc dicuntur tres spiritus in corpore³: ergo videtur, quod sint tantum tres.

3. Item, dotes animae sunt tres⁴: ergo si anima pluribus dotibus dotanda est quam corpus, si anima non habet nisi tres, nec corpus.

Contra: Quod sint plures, videtur:

4. Quoniam, sicut claritas facit ad pulcritudinem, ita et partium congruentia; unde Augustinus de Civitate Dei⁵: « Pulcritudo est quaedam partium congruentia cum quadam coloris suavitate »: ergo sicut claritas est dos corporis, sic et congruentia, et sic etc.

5. Item, sicut corpus ad hoc, quod sit animae congruum organum, requirit debitam qualitatem, ita etiam debitam quantitatem: ergo sicut assignantur dotes a parte qualitatis, ita etiam a parte quantitatis: ergo plures sunt quam quatuor dictae.

6. Item, Anselmus in libro de Similitudinibus⁶ ponit, septem esse conditiones, quibus anima glorificatur in corpore: agilitatem, fortitudinem, libertatem, salutem, voluptatem, longaevitatem, pulcritudinem: ergo videtur, quod sint multo plures quam praedictae quatuor.

Conclusio

Dotes corporis erunt quatuor: claritas, impassibilitas, subtilitas et agilitas; quarum sufficientia quadruplici via insinuatur.

Respondeo: Dicendum, quod numerus istarum dotium sive qualitatum perficientium corpus accipitur ex Sapientiae tertio⁷: Fulgebunt iusti et tanquam scintillae in arundineto discurrent: in fulgore claritas; in iustitia impassibilitas, quia iustitia est perpetua et immortalis; in scintillae nomine subtilitas; in discursu agilitas.

Ratio autem istius numeri accipitur multipliciter a diversis. — Et primo modo secundum causam finalem hoc modo. Dicunt enim, quod corpus⁸ resurgit, disponitur et dotatur propter gloriam animae, quae consistit in perfecta cognitione cognitivae et unione affectivae. Ad cognitionem autem duo requiruntur, scilicet spiritualitas et luminositas, quia cognoscens debet esse spirituale et debet habere lumen; et ideo propter cognitionem animae est in corpore subtilitas et claritas. — Unio autem amoris est liberalis et fortis: Fortis enim est ut mors dilectio¹. Propter libertatem debet esse corpus agile, propter fortitudinem et indissolubilitatem debet corpus esse impassibile. Et sic patet, quod quatuor sunt dotes.

Secundo modo accipitur secundum causam efficientem. Dotes enim huiusmodi in corpore, ut supra² ostensum est, consummatum et perfectum esse habent ab influentia animae in corpus. Anima autem in corpus influit dupliciter, scilicet ut perfectio et ut motor. Ut perfectio anima gloriosa influit vivificando vita immortali, ut motor movendo motu infatigabili; alioquin non esset gloriosa, nisi excluderet mortem et poenam. — Quia ergo vivificat vita, ideo necesse est, in corpore esse dispositionem ad vitam, et haec est lucis abundantia et claritas³; quia vero vita immortali, necesse est, corpus habere dispositionem ad immortalitatem, et ita est impassibilitas. — Quia vero motu infatigabili movet, ideo oportet, quod nihil resistat, et ideo subtilitas est in corpore; oportet etiam, quod nihil retardet, et sic agilitas. Et sic patet similiter, quod quatuor sunt.

Tertio modo accipitur secundum causam formalem. Dicunt enim aliqui, quod in corpore nostro, cum sit natura caelestis concilians et elementaris⁴, modo dominatur elementaris, sed post dominabitur natura caelestis, quae est natura lucis; haec erit sicut formalis et completiva corporis. Et quia lux habet quatuor istas proprietates, sicut patet in radio, scilicet claritatem, quia illuminat; impassibilitatem, quia nihil ipsum corrumpit; agilitatem, quia subito vadit; penetrabilitatem, quia corpora diaphana sine eorum corruptione pertransit: sic etiam corpus gloriosum, in quo dominatur natura lucis, quatuor habet dotes.

Quarto modo accipitur secundum causam materialem sic. Corpus nostrum est compositum ex quatuor elementis. Et quia elementa sunt imperfecta, quadruplicem habet ab eis defectibilitatem. Ab aqua, quae est elementum humidum et passibile⁵, habet passibilitatem et corruptionem; unde humidum aqueum corpus corrumpit. A terra vero habet obscuritatem, quia est elementum opacum. Ab igne animalitatem, quia calor consumit continue; ideo continua indiget alimonia ciborum. Ab aëre vero habet infirmitatem; aër enim facillime immutatur et cedit cuilibet impellenti. Quoniam igitur quatuor isti defectus debent per bona opposita removeri ad hoc, quod corpus sit perfectum perfectione completa; ideo quatuor sunt dotes: contra corruptionem impassibilitas, contra obscuritatem claritas, contra animalitatem spiritualitas⁶, contra infirmitatem virtus sive penetrabilitas.

Et haec ultima sumtio convenientior est inter omnes, quoniam concordat auctoritati et rationi: auctoritati Apostoli, primae ad Corinthios decimo quinto⁷: Seminatur in corruptione, resurget in incorruptione; ecce impassibilitas. Seminatur in ignobilitate, surget in gloria; ecce claritas. Seminatur in infirmitate, surget in virtute; ecce penetrabilitas. Seminatur animale, surget spirituale; ecce agilitas. Unde Apostolus sumit dotes per comparationem ad illos quatuor defectus, quos removent. Similiter Augustinus, de Civitate Dei vigesimo secundo⁸: « Aberit a corporibus nostris omnis deformitas, omnis tarditas, omnis infirmitas, omnis corruptio ». Omnis deformitas per claritatem, omnis tarditas per agilitatem, omnis infirmitas per spiritualitatem, omnis corruptio per impassibilitatem. — Concordat etiam haec sumtio⁹ rationi. Dotes enim corporis dicunt non omnes qualitates, sed qualitates nobiles et principales, de novo superadditas naturae. Et quia de novo superadditae debent accipi secundum naturales defectus, et hi secundum causas principales, quae sunt quatuor elementa: patet, quod ista via inter omnes est magis congrua. Ex his patent obiecta.

Ad 1. 2. Quod enim obiicit, quod anima comparatur dupliciter vel tripliciter tantum; dicendum, quod anima secundum illas duas comparationes ad corpus, ut motor et perfectio requirit in corpore quatuor dispositiones, ut ostensum est prius.

Ad 3. Ad illud quod obiicitur, quod plures debent esse dotes animae quam corporis; dicendum, quod dotes animae attenduntur secundum potentias, sed dotes corporis secundum qualitates respicientes elementa; et ideo patet, quare illae tres, istae plures.

Ad 4. 5. Ad illud quod obiicitur de congruentia partium et quantitate, dicendum, quod illa erit, quae nunc est, in quibus convenienter est; ideo non est aliqua de novo dos penes ipsam¹⁰.

Nota de numeratione. Quaracchi restarts its footnote numbering on every printed page. The apparatus below is therefore labelled by page: notes 2–9 of page 1015 (note 1 of page 1015 anchors in the preceding question, art. I, q. 2) and notes 1–10 of page 1016.

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Article II. On the distinction of the dowries.

Next, as to the second article, inquiry is made concerning the distinction of the dowries. And concerning this two questions are asked.

First it is asked concerning the number and sufficiency of the dowries.

Second it is asked concerning their equality.

Question I. On the number and sufficiency of the dowries.

As to the first, then, one proceeds thus. Four dowries of the body have customarily been assigned, namely clarity, impassibility, subtlety and agility. But that they ought to be fewer, it seems:

1. Because the dowries are in the body according as it is related to the soul; but the soul is related only in a twofold way, namely as mover and as perfection²: therefore it seems that there are only two dowries.

2. Likewise, only three powers are said to exist according to which the soul rules the body both by perfecting and by moving, namely the natural, the vital and the animal; and according to this three spirits are said to be in the body³: therefore it seems that they are only three.

3. Likewise, the dowries of the soul are three⁴: therefore if the soul is to be endowed with more dowries than the body, if the soul has only three, neither does the body.

On the contrary: That they are more, it seems:

4. Since, just as clarity contributes to beauty, so also does the congruity of the parts; whence Augustine in On the City of God⁵: « Beauty is a certain congruity of the parts together with a certain sweetness of color »: therefore just as clarity is a dowry of the body, so also is congruity, and so forth.

5. Likewise, just as the body, in order that it be a fitting organ for the soul, requires a due quality, so also a due quantity: therefore just as dowries are assigned on the side of quality, so also on the side of quantity: therefore they are more than the four stated.

6. Likewise, Anselm in the book On Likenesses⁶ lays down that there are seven conditions by which the soul is glorified in the body: agility, strength, liberty, health, pleasure, longevity, beauty: therefore it seems that they are far more than the aforesaid four.

Conclusion

The dowries of the body will be four: clarity, impassibility, subtlety and agility; the sufficiency of which is intimated by a fourfold way.

I respond: It must be said that the number of these dowries, or of the qualities perfecting the body, is taken from the third chapter of Wisdom⁷: The just shall shine forth, and shall run to and fro like sparks among the reeds: in the shining forth, clarity; in justice, impassibility, because justice is perpetual and immortal; in the name of sparks, subtlety; in the running to and fro, agility.

But the ground of this number is taken in many ways by different authors. — And in the first way, according to the final cause, in this manner. For they say that the body⁸ rises, is disposed and is endowed for the sake of the glory of the soul, which consists in the perfect knowledge of the cognitive power and the union of the affective. Now for knowledge two things are required, namely spirituality and luminosity, because the knower must be spiritual and must have light; and therefore, for the sake of the soul's knowledge, there is in the body subtlety and clarity. — But the union of love is generous and strong: For love is strong as death¹. On account of liberty the body must be agile, on account of strength and indissolubility the body must be impassible. And so it is clear that the dowries are four.

In the second way it is taken according to the efficient cause. For dowries of this kind in the body, as was shown above², have their consummate and perfect being from the soul's inflowing into the body. But the soul flows into the body in a twofold manner, namely as perfection and as mover. As perfection the glorious soul flows in by vivifying with immortal life, as mover by moving with an untiring motion; otherwise it would not be glorious, unless it excluded death and punishment. — Since therefore it vivifies with life, it is therefore necessary that there be in the body a disposition to life, and this is abundance of light and clarity³; but since with immortal life, it is necessary that the body have a disposition to immortality, and thus there is impassibility. — But since it moves with an untiring motion, it is therefore required that nothing resist, and therefore subtlety is in the body; it is also required that nothing retard, and so agility. And so likewise it is clear that they are four.

In the third way it is taken according to the formal cause. For some say that in our body, since it is a nature celestial-conciliating and elemental⁴, now the elemental dominates, but afterwards the celestial nature will dominate, which is the nature of light; this will be as it were the formal and completive element of the body. And because light has these four properties, as is clear in a ray, namely clarity, because it illuminates; impassibility, because nothing corrupts it; agility, because it goes instantly; penetrability, because it passes through transparent bodies without their corruption: so too the glorious body, in which the nature of light dominates, has four dowries.

In the fourth way it is taken according to the material cause, thus. Our body is composed of four elements. And because the elements are imperfect, it has from them a fourfold defectibility. From water, which is a moist and passible element⁵, it has passibility and corruption; whence a moist watery humor corrupts the body. From earth it has obscurity, because it is an opaque element. From fire, animality, because heat consumes continually; therefore it needs the continual nourishment of food. From air it has infirmity; for air is most easily altered and yields to whatever impels it. Since therefore these four defects must be removed by opposite goods, in order that the body be perfect with a complete perfection; therefore the dowries are four: against corruption impassibility, against obscurity clarity, against animality spirituality⁶, against infirmity strength or penetrability.

And this last reckoning is the more fitting among them all, since it accords with authority and with reason: with the authority of the Apostle, in the fifteenth chapter of First Corinthians⁷: It is sown in corruption, it shall rise in incorruption; behold impassibility. It is sown in ignobility, it shall rise in glory; behold clarity. It is sown in infirmity, it shall rise in strength; behold penetrability. It is sown an animal body, it shall rise a spiritual body; behold agility. Whence the Apostle takes the dowries by comparison to those four defects which they remove. Likewise Augustine, in the twenty-second book On the City of God⁸: « There will be absent from our bodies every deformity, every slowness, every infirmity, every corruption ». Every deformity by clarity, every slowness by agility, every infirmity by spirituality, every corruption by impassibility. — This reckoning⁹ also accords with reason. For the dowries of the body do not name all qualities, but qualities noble and principal, newly superadded to nature. And because things newly superadded must be taken according to the natural defects, and these according to the principal causes, which are the four elements: it is clear that this way is the more fitting among them all. From these things the objections are clear.

To 1 and 2. As to what is objected, that the soul is related only in a twofold or threefold way; it must be said that the soul, according to those two relations to the body, as mover and perfection, requires in the body four dispositions, as was shown above.

To 3. As to what is objected, that the dowries of the soul must be more than those of the body; it must be said that the dowries of the soul are reckoned according to the powers, but the dowries of the body according to the qualities regarding the elements; and therefore it is clear why those are three and these more.

To 4 and 5. As to what is objected concerning the congruity of the parts and quantity, it must be said that it will be the same as it now is, in those in whom it is fittingly present; therefore there is no dowry newly added in respect of it¹⁰.

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