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Pars 2, Cap. 2

Breviloquium · Pars II: De creatura mundi

Textus Latinus
p. 219

Capitulum II. De natura corporali quantum ad fieri.

Natura vero corporea nobis consideranda est quantum ad fieri, quantum ad esse et quantum ad operari4.

De natura vero corporea quantum ad fieri haec specialiter tenenda sunt, quod sex diebus sit in esse producta, ita quod in principio, ante omnem diem creavit Deus caelum et terram5. — Prima vero die formata est lux; secunda firmamentum factum est in medio aquarum; tertia die separatae sunt aquae a terra et congregatae in locum unum; quarta vero die caelum ornatum est luminaribus; quinta, aer et aqua volatilibus et piscibus; sexta die, terra animalibus et hominibus; septima die requievit Deus, non a labore nec ab opere, cum usque nunc operetur,

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sed a novarum specierum conditione; quia omnia fecerat vel in simili, sicut illa quae propagantur, vel in seminali ratione, sicut illa quae aliis modis introducuntur in esse.

Ratio autem ad intelligentiam praedictorum haec est. Quia enim res manant a primo principio et perfectissimo; tale autem est omnipotentissimum, sapientissimum et benevolentissimum: ideo oportuit, quod sic producerentur in esse, ut in earum productione reluceret triplex nobilitas praedicta et excellentia. Et ideo triformis fuit operatio divina ad mundanam machinam producendam, scilicet creatio, quae appropriate respondet omnipotentiae; distinctio, quae respondet sapientiae, et ornatus, qui respondet bonitati largissimae.

Et quoniam creatio est de nihilo, ideo fuit in principio, ante omnem diem1, tanquam omnium rerum et temporum fundamentum.

Rursus, quia distinctio corporum mundi attenditur secundum triplicem modum, ideo facta fuit per triduum. Est enim distinctio naturae luminosae a perspicua et opaca, et haec facta est in prima die in divisione lucis a tenebris; et est distinctio naturae perspicuae a perspicua, et haec facta est secunda die in divisione aquarum ab aquis; et est distinctio naturae perspicuae ab opaca, et haec facta est tertia die in divisione aquarum a terris. In his autem implicite datur intelligi distinctio caelestium et elementarium, secundum quod post2 declarabitur. Sic igitur distinctio fieri debuit per triduum.

Et quia ornatus correspondet distinctioni, ideo similiter tribus diebus debuit consummari. Est enim ornatus naturae luminosae, et hic factus est quarta die in formatione stellarum, solis et lunae; et est ornatus naturae perspicuae, et hic factus est quinta die, in qua ex aquis facti sunt pisces et aves ad ornatum3 aquae et aeris; est et ornatus naturae opacae, scilicet terrae, et hic factus est sexta die, in qua factae sunt bestiae, facta sunt et reptilia, facta est etiam ad consummationem omnium natura humana.

Haec autem omnia, licet potuerit Deus facere in instanti, maluit tamen per successionem temporum, tum propter distinctam et claram repraesentationem potentiae, sapientiae et bonitatis; tum propter convenientem correspondentiam dierum sive temporum et operationum; tum etiam, ut sicut in prima mundi conditione fieri debebant seminaria operum fiendorum, sic fierent et praefigurationes temporum futurorum. — Unde in illis septem diebus quasi seminaliter praecessit distinctio omnium temporum, quae explicantur per decursum septem aetatum4. Et hinc est, quod sex diebus operum additur septimus quietis; qui dies non scribitur habere vesperam, non quia non habuerit dies illa noctem succedentem; sed ad praefigurandam animarum quietem, quae nunquam habebit finem. — Si autem diceretur alio modo, quod omnia essent simul facta5; tunc omnes hi septem dies referuntur ad angelicam considerationem. Verumtamen primus modus dicendi est magis Scripturae consonans et auctoritatibus Sanctorum, et qui praecesserunt, et etiam qui secuti sunt beatum Augustinum.

English Translation

Chapter II. On corporeal nature as regards its coming-to-be.

Now corporeal nature is to be considered by us as regards its coming-to-be, as regards its being, and as regards its operating4.

Concerning corporeal nature as regards its coming-to-be, these things in particular are to be held: that it was produced into being in six days, so that in the beginning, before any day, God created heaven and earth5. — But on the first day light was formed; on the second the firmament was made in the midst of the waters; on the third day the waters were separated from the earth and gathered into one place; but on the fourth day the heaven was adorned with luminaries; on the fifth, the air and the water with flying things and fishes; on the sixth day, the earth with animals and men; on the seventh day God rested, not from labour nor from work, since he works even until now,

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but from the founding of new species; because he had made all things either in the like, as those things which are propagated, or in a seminal reason, as those things which are brought into being in other ways.

Now the reason for the understanding of the foresaid is this. For since things flow from a first and most perfect principle; and such a principle is most omnipotent, most wise and most benevolent: therefore it was fitting that they should be so produced into being that in their production the foresaid threefold nobility and excellence should shine forth. And therefore the divine operation for producing the world's machinery was threefold in form, namely creation, which by appropriation answers to omnipotence; distinction, which answers to wisdom; and adornment, which answers to most bountiful goodness.

And since creation is out of nothing, therefore it was in the beginning, before any day1, as the foundation of all things and of all times.

Again, because the distinction of the bodies of the world is regarded according to a threefold mode, therefore it was made through three days. For there is a distinction of luminous nature from the transparent and opaque, and this was made on the first day in the division of light from darkness; and there is a distinction of transparent nature from the transparent, and this was made on the second day in the division of the waters from the waters; and there is a distinction of transparent nature from the opaque, and this was made on the third day in the division of the waters from the lands. And in these there is implicitly given to be understood the distinction of the celestial and the elemental, according to what will be declared afterward2. Thus therefore the distinction had to be made through three days.

And because adornment corresponds to distinction, therefore it likewise had to be completed in three days. For there is an adornment of luminous nature, and this was made on the fourth day in the formation of the stars, the sun and the moon; and there is an adornment of transparent nature, and this was made on the fifth day, on which out of the waters were made the fishes and the birds for the adornment3 of the water and of the air; and there is also an adornment of opaque nature, namely of the earth, and this was made on the sixth day, on which the beasts were made, the reptiles also were made, and there was made too, for the consummation of all things, human nature.

But all these things, although God could have made them in an instant, he nevertheless preferred [to make] through a succession of times: partly on account of the distinct and clear representation of power, wisdom and goodness; partly on account of the fitting correspondence of the days or times and of the operations; partly also, so that, just as in the first founding of the world there had to be made the seed-beds of the works to be done, so there should be made also the prefigurations of times to come. — Hence in those seven days there went before, as it were seminally, the distinction of all the times which are unfolded through the course of the seven ages4. And hence it is that to the six days of works there is added a seventh of rest; which day is not written to have an evening, not because that day did not have a night succeeding it, but in order to prefigure the rest of souls, which will never have an end. — But if it were said in another way, that all things were made at once5; then all these seven days are referred to the angelic consideration. Nevertheless the first way of speaking is more consonant with Scripture and with the authorities of the Saints, both those who went before and also those who followed blessed Augustine.

Apparatus Criticus
  1. 4
    De his agitur in hoc c. 2. et 3. 4. 5.
    These are treated in this c. 2 and in cc. 3, 4, 5.
  2. 5
    Gen. 1, 1. — Seq. locus est ibid. v. 6; tertius v. 9; quartus ibid. 2, 2. Subinde respicitur Ioan. 5, 17: Pater meus usque modo operatur, et ego operor. — Cfr. de his II. Sent. d. 12-17; de ratione seminali vide ibid. d. 7. p. II. a. 2. q. 1; d. 15. a. 2. q. 3. et dub. 4. et d. 18. a. 1. q. 2. seq.
    Gen. 1:1. — The following passage is ibid. v. 6; the third, v. 9; the fourth, ibid. 2:2. Thereafter Jn. 5:17 is had in view: My Father works until now, and I work. — On these compare II Sent. d. 12–17; on the seminal reason see ibid. d. 7, p. II, a. 2, q. 1; d. 15, a. 2, q. 3 and dub. 4; and d. 18, a. 1, q. 2 f.
  3. 1
    Cfr. II. Sent. d. 12. a. 2. q. 2; d. 1. p. I. dub. 2. et 4. — Superius pro triformis plures codd. triplex.
    Compare II Sent. d. 12, a. 2, q. 2; d. 1, p. I, dub. 2 and 4. — Above, for triformis very many codices [read] triplex.
  4. 2
    Cap. 3. et 5. — Post elementarium, pro quo A E elementorum, B addit rerum.
    Chapters 3 and 5. — After elementarium, for which A E [read] elementorum, B adds rerum.
  5. 3
    B D ornamentum.
    B D [read] ornamentum.
  6. 4
    Vide supra Prolog. § 3. — De seq. propositione cfr. August., Epist. 55. (alias 119.) c. 10. n. 19. seqq.; IV. de Gen. ad lit. c. 9. n. 16. seqq.; ibid. c. 18. n. 31. seqq. exponitur, cur septimus dies mane habuerit, non vesperam. — Ed. 1 Unde in illis sex diebus... sex aetatum. Superius pro in prima B in ipsa.
    See above, Prologue § 3. — On the following proposition compare Augustine, Letter 55 (elsewhere 119) c. 10, n. 19 ff.; IV On Genesis according to the Letter c. 9, n. 16 ff.; ibid. c. 18, n. 31 ff., where it is expounded why the seventh day had a morning and not an evening. — Edition 1 [reads] Unde in illis sex diebus… sex aetatum. Above, for in prima B [reads] in ipsa.
  7. 5
    Eccli. 18, 1: Qui vivit in aeternum creavit omnia simul. De hac secunda opinione Augustini cfr. II. Sent. d. 12. a. 1. q. 2, ubi etiam auctoritates aliorum Sanctorum allegatae sunt, et in solut. ad 2. alia datur istius loci interpretatio. Vide etiam infra c. 5. (pag. 223, col. I. et II.).
    Sir. 18:1: He who lives for ever created all things together. On this second opinion of Augustine compare II Sent. d. 12, a. 1, q. 2, where the authorities of the other Saints are also adduced, and in the solution to the second another interpretation of this passage is given. See also below, c. 5 (p. 223, cols. I and II).
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