Pars 2, Cap. 3
Breviloquium · Pars II: De creatura mundi
Capitulum III. De natura corporali quantum ad esse.
De natura corporea quantum ad esse haec tenenda sunt, quod corporalis mundi machina tota consistit in natura caelesti et elementari, ita quod caelestis distincta est in tres caelos principales, scilicet empyreum, crystallinum et firmamentum. — Intra firmamentum autem, quod est caelum stellatum, continentur septem orbes septem planetarum, quae sunt: saturnus, iupiter, mars, sol, venus, mercurius, luna. — Natura vero elementaris in quatuor sphaeras distinguitur, scilicet ignis, aeris, aquae et terrae; et sic procedendo a summo caeli cardine usque ad centrum terrae, decem occurrunt orbes caelestes6 et quatuor sphaerae elementares; ex quibus integratur et constituitur tota machina mundi sensibilis distincte, perfecte et ordinate.
Ratio autem ad intelligentiam praedictorum haec est: quia, cum natura corporalis ad perfectionem sui et expressionem sapientiae multiformis primi principii requirat multiformitatem formarum, sicut apparet in mineralibus, plantis et animalibus; necesse fuit ponere aliqua corpora simplicia, quae multiformiter possent misceri ad introductionem formarum multiformium; et talis est natura subiecta contrarietati, et haec est elementaris. Necesse etiam fuit, fieri naturam, per quam haberent haec contraria in mixto conciliari; et talis est natura elongata a
contrarietate, cuiusmodi est natura lucis et corporis supercaelestis1.
Et quoniam mixtio fieri non potest nisi per contraria agentia et patientia, ideo necesse fuit, duplicem contrarietatem fieri in elementis, scilicet quantum ad qualitates activas, quae sunt calidum et frigidum; et quantum ad passivas, quae sunt humidum et siccum. Et quia quodlibet elementum agit et patitur, ideo habet duas qualitates, unam activam et alteram passivam, ita tamen, quod unam principalem et propriam: ac per hoc necesse est, tantum quatuor esse elementa secundum quatuor qualitates praedictas, quadrupliciter combinatas.
Natura vero caelestis aut est uniformis et immobilis, et haec est empyreum, quia lux pura; aut mobilis et multiformis, et sic firmamentum; aut mobilis et uniformis, et sic caelum medium inter empyreum et stellatum2, quod est caelum crystallinum. Quartum autem membrum, scilicet quod sit multiforme et immobile, non potest stare, quia multiformitas disponit ad motus varietatem, non ad uniformem quietem.
Sunt igitur tres caeli, quorum primum per totum est luminosum, scilicet empyreum; secundum per totum perspicuum, scilicet crystallinum; tertium ex utroque coniunctum, scilicet firmamentum. Cum igitur tres sint caeli incorruptibiles et quatuor elementa variabilia; ut fiat debita connexio, concordia et correspondentia, disposuit Deus septem orbes planetarum, qui sua varietate motuum et incorruptibilitate formarum quasi quoddam vinculum essent et iunctura inferiorum elementarium orbium et superiorum caelestium ad perficiendum et decorandum universum; quod secundum numerales proportiones3 ordinatum dicitur et connexum denario caelestium orbium et quaternario elementorum, reddentibus ipsum proportionaliter tam pulcrum quam perfectum et ordinatum, ut suo modo suum repraesentet principium.
Chapter III. On corporeal nature as regards its being.
Concerning corporeal nature as regards its being, these things are to be held: that the whole machinery of the corporeal world consists of a celestial and an elemental nature, in such a way that the celestial is distinguished into three principal heavens, namely the empyrean, the crystalline and the firmament. — Within the firmament, moreover, which is the starry heaven, are contained the seven orbs of the seven planets, which are: Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, the Sun, Venus, Mercury, the Moon. — But the elemental nature is distinguished into four spheres, namely of fire, of air, of water and of earth; and thus, proceeding from the highest pole of heaven down to the centre of the earth, there are met ten celestial orbs6 and four elemental spheres; out of which the whole machinery of the sensible world is integrated and constituted, distinctly, perfectly and in order.
Now the reason for the understanding of the foresaid is this: that since corporeal nature, for its own perfection and for the expression of the manifold wisdom of the first principle, requires a manifoldness of forms — as appears in minerals, plants and animals — it was necessary to posit certain simple bodies which could be mingled in manifold ways for the introduction of manifold forms; and such is the nature subject to contrariety, and this is the elemental. It was necessary also that there be made a nature through which these contraries might be reconciled in the mixture; and such is the nature far removed from
contrariety, of which kind is the nature of light and of the supercelestial body1.
And since mixture cannot come about except through contraries acting and being acted upon, therefore it was necessary that a twofold contrariety be made in the elements, namely as regards the active qualities, which are the hot and the cold; and as regards the passive, which are the moist and the dry. And because every element both acts and is acted upon, it therefore has two qualities, one active and the other passive, yet in such a way that one is principal and proper to it: and through this it is necessary that there be only four elements according to the four foresaid qualities, combined in a fourfold way.
But the celestial nature is either uniform and immobile, and this is the empyrean, because it is pure light; or mobile and multiform, and thus the firmament; or mobile and uniform, and thus the heaven midway between the empyrean and the starry2, which is the crystalline heaven. But the fourth member, namely that it should be multiform and immobile, cannot stand, because multiformity disposes toward a variety of motion, not toward a uniform rest.
There are therefore three heavens, of which the first is luminous throughout, namely the empyrean; the second transparent throughout, namely the crystalline; the third joined out of both, namely the firmament. Since therefore there are three incorruptible heavens and four variable elements, then — that there might come about a due connexion, concord and correspondence — God disposed seven orbs of planets, which by their variety of motions and incorruptibility of forms should be as it were a certain bond and juncture of the lower elemental orbs and the higher celestial ones, for the perfecting and adorning of the universe; which universe is said to be ordered and bound together according to numerical proportions3 by the ten of the celestial orbs and the four of the elements, these rendering it proportionally as beautiful as it is perfect and ordered, so that in its own manner it may represent its principle.
- 6Vide II. Sent. d. 2. p. II. a. 1. q. 1; d. 14. p. I. a. 1. q. 1. et p. II. a. 1. q. 3. in corp. De sphaera ignis cfr. ibid. pag. 321, nota 4. — Pro occurrunt, quod praebent B I S T V, alii codd. et edd. concurrunt. Superius pro crystallinum K aqueum, N caelum medium, H et caelum medium scilicet crystallinum. Inferius pro sensibilis C materialis.See II Sent. d. 2, p. II, a. 1, q. 1; d. 14, p. I, a. 1, q. 1 and p. II, a. 1, q. 3 in the body. On the sphere of fire compare ibid. p. 321, note 4. — For occurrunt, which B I S T V give, the other codices and editions [read] concurrunt. Above, for crystallinum K [reads] aqueum, N caelum medium, H et caelum medium scilicet crystallinum. Below, for sensibilis C [reads] materialis.
- 1Cfr. II. Sent. d. 14. p. I. a. 1. q. 2. fundam. 6. et in corp.; d. 17. a. 2. q. 2. — De mixtione et requisitis ad ipsam agit Aristot., I. de Generat. et corrupt. text. 43-90. (c. 6-10.) et ibid. II. text. 1. seqq. de elementis eorumque qualitatibus activis et passivis.Compare II Sent. d. 14, p. I, a. 1, q. 2, fundamentum 6 and in the body; d. 17, a. 2, q. 2. — On mixture and what is required for it Aristotle treats in I On Generation and Corruption, texts 43–90 (cc. 6–10), and ibid. II, text 1 ff., on the elements and their active and passive qualities.
- 2M et firmamentum stellatum.M [reads] et firmamentum stellatum.
- 3Cfr. supra Quaest. de scientia Christi, q. 3. ad 8. Vide etiam Boeth., I. de Arithmetica, c. 1. seq. et II. c. 40. seqq.Compare above, Disputed Questions on the Knowledge of Christ, q. 3, ad 8. See also Boethius, I On Arithmetic, c. 1 f., and II, c. 40 ff.