Lectio 5 Lecture 5 Christus creator Christ the creator ^1:10 Et: Tu in principio, Domine, terram fundasti: et opera manuum tuarum sunt caeli. [n. 67] ^1:10 And: you, O Lord, founded the earth in the beginning: and the works of your hands are the heavens. [n. 67] ^1:11 Ipsi peribunt, tu autem permanebis, et omnes ut vestimentum veterascent: [n. 71] ^1:11 They shall perish: but you shall continue: and they shall all grow old as a garment. [n. 71] ^1:12 et velut amictum mutabis eos, et mutabuntur: tu autem idem ipse es, et anni tui non deficient. [n. 76] ^1:12 And as a vesture shall you change them, and they shall be changed. But you are the selfsame: and your years shall not fail. [n. 76] 67. Supra praemiserat Apostolus quatuor, in quibus Christus excellit angelos, et probavit duo illorum, scilicet et quod excedit eos, quia est filius, et quia est haeres, nunc probat tertium, scilicet quod excedit eos in virtute operationis, quia per eum Pater fecit et saecula. 67. Above, the Apostle mentioned four things in which Christ excelled the angels, and he proved two of them, namely, that he excels them because he is the Son and because he is the heir (C. 1, L. 3). Now he proves the third, namely, that he excels them in his power of acting, because through him the Father made the world. Hoc autem probat Apostolus ex auctoritate eiusdem prophetiae, et But the Apostle proves this on the authority of the same prophet. circa hoc duo facit. In regard to this he does two things: Primo ostendit virtutem operationis inquantum Creator; first, he shows the power of his activity inasmuch as he is Creator; secundo quantum ad differentiam Creatoris ad creaturam, ibi ipsi peribunt. second, inasmuch as there is a difference between Creator and creature, at they shall perish. Circa primum duo facit, quia In regard to the first he does two things: primo ponit creationem terrae; first, he describes the creation of earth; secundo caelorum, ibi et opera manuum. second, of the heavens, at and the works of your hands. 68. Sciendum est autem circa primum, quod hoc potest dupliciter legi: uno modo, ut sit sermo prophetae directus ad patrem, ut sit sensus tu, Domine, scilicet Deus Pater, fundasti terram in principio, id est in Filio tuo, qui est principium. Io. VIII, 25: ego principium, qui et loquor vobis. Et hoc tantum valet ac si dixisset: tu fundasti terram per Filium: Ps. CIII, 24: omnia in sapientia fecisti. Filius autem est sapientia genita, unde supra dixit eum splendorem gloriae. Et hoc quod dicit hic, respondet huic quod supra dixit per quem fecit et saecula. 68. It should be noted in regard to the first that this can be interpreted in two ways: in one way, so that it is taken to be a word of the prophet directed to the Father. As if to say: you, O Lord, namely God the Father, founded the earth in the beginning, i.e., in your Son, who is the beginning: I am the beginning who also speak to you (John 8:25). And this is the same as saying: you founded the earth through the Son: you have made all things in your wisdom (Ps 104:24). But the Son is wisdom begotten: hence, above he called him the splendor of his glory. And what he says here corresponds to what he had said above: by whom also he made the world. Alio modo, quod sit sermo directus ad Filium, sic: et tu, Domine, scilicet fili, fundasti terram in principio, scilicet temporis, ut excludat opinionem ponentium aeternitatem mundi; vel in principio, scilicet productionis rerum, ut excludat opinionem dicentium, corporalia non fuisse creata cum spiritualibus, sed post. Gen. I, 1: in principio creavit Deus caelum et terram. Eccli. XVIII, 1: qui vivit in aeternum, creavit omnia simul. In another way, so that it is a word directed to the Son. As if to say: and: you, O Lord, founded the earth in the beginning, namely of time. This is to exclude the opinion of those who say that the world is eternal; or in the beginning, namely, of the production of things, to exclude the opinion of those who say that bodily things were not created with spiritual things, but after: in the beginning God created heaven and earth (Gen 1:1); he that lives forever created all things together (Sir 18:1). 69. Sciendum est autem, quod tripliciter potest distingui terra a caelo. Uno modo et ad litteram quod per terram intelligatur elementum terrae, per caelum autem superiora corpora; ut sicut Moyses non facit mentionem de aere, quia est cum aqua, ita hic intelligit per caelum, ipsum caelum et alia duo elementa, scilicet aerem et ignem, quae magis accedunt ad naturam caeli, quod patet ex loco ipsorum. Sic etiam accipit Moyses. 69. But it should be noted that the earth can be distinguished from heaven in three ways: in one way, so that by the earth is understood the element earth, and by heaven the higher bodies; so that just as Moses made not mention of the air, because it exists with water, so here he understood by heaven the very heaven and the other two elements, namely, air and fire, which most resemble the nature of the heavens and which is clear from their place. And this is the way Moses took it (Gen 1:1). Et dicit fundasti, And he says, founded, ut ostendat tria ad terram pertinere, primo quidem terrae quietem; omnia enim alia participant motum, sola autem terra secundum totalitatem suam immobilis perseverat, ut sit sensus fundasti, id est, firmasti. Ps. CIII, 5: qui fundavit terram super stabilitatem suam. Secundo, ut ostendat terrae perpetuitatem, nam fundamentum aedificii inter alias eius partes stabilius est. Terra autem in aeternum stat, Eccle. I, 4. Et secundum hoc dicit fundasti terram, id est, perpetuo solidasti. Tertio, ut ostendat terrae ordinem to show that three things pertain to the earth: first, the earth’s rest, for all other things partake of motion, but the earth alone according to its totality remains motionless. As if to say, founded, i.e., firmly established: who has founded the earth upon its own bases (Ps 104:5). Second, to show the perpetuity of the world, for the foundation of a building is its most enduring part: but the earth remains for ever (Eccl 1:4). And according to this he says, founded the earth, i.e., established for ever. Third, to show the order of the earth; quia sicut fundamentum, quod est prima pars aedificii, est in imo, ita terra inter omnia elementa tenet locum imum. Is. XLVIII, v. 13: manus mea fundavit terram. Ps.: aridam fundaverunt manus eius. because just as the foundation, which is the first part of a building, is below, so earth holds the lowest place among the elements: my hand also has founded the earth (Isa 48:13); his hands formed the dry land (Ps 94:5). Non autem dicit fecisti caelos, sed opera manuum tuarum sunt caeli, quia illud quod aliquis facit manibus, magis diligenter videtur facere. Et ideo sic loquitur ad designandum nobilitatem et pulchritudinem ipsorum. Is. XLVIII, 13: dextera mea mensa est caelos. He does not say, you made the heavens, but the works of your hands are the heavens, because that which a person makes with his hands, he seems to make with greater care. Consequently, he speaks this way to signify their nobility and beauty: my right hand measured the heavens (Isa 48:13). Aliter vero quod per terram intelligat totam naturam corporalem. Et sic terram fundasti, quia materia est locus et fundamentum formarum; per caelos autem, spirituales substantias. Ps. CXLVIII, 4: laudate eum, caeli caelorum. Et hi sunt opera manuum eius, quia fecit eos ad imaginem et similitudinem suam. In another way, so that by earth he understands every bodily nature; founded the earth, because matter is the place and foundation of forms; but by heavens, he understands spiritual substances: praise him, you heavens of heavens (Ps 148:4). And these are the works of his hands, because he made them to his own image and likeness. Vel per terram imperfecti in Ecclesia, quia sunt fundamentum aliorum; quia nisi esset activa in Ecclesia, contemplativa non subsisteret. Per caelos contemplativi. Et haec facta in Ecclesia in principio, id est per Filium. Is. LI, 16: posui verba mea in ore tuo, ut fundes terram, id est, imperfectos, et plantes caelos, id est, perfectos. Or, by earth, he means those who are imperfect in the Church and are the foundation of the others (for if there were no active life in the Church, the contemplative life could not exist), and by heavens, he means the contemplatives. And these were made in the Church in the beginning, i.e., by the Son: I have placed my words in your mouth, that you might found the earth, i.e., the imperfect, and plant the heavens (Isa 51:16). Quantum autem ad caelos dicit opera manuum tuarum sunt caeli. But in regard to the heavens, he says, the works of your hands are the heavens. Dicit autem opera manuum tuarum, et non simpliciter, caelos fecisti, propter quatuor rationes. Primo, ut excludat errorem dicentium Deum esse animam caeli, et per consequens totum mundum et partes eius debere coli ut Deus, quod et idololatrae faciebant; et hoc excludit, cum dicit opera manuum tuarum sunt caeli, quasi dicat: non sunt proportionati tibi, ut corpus animae, sed subiecti et proportionati virtuti, et voluntati tuae. Deut. IV, 19: ne forte oculis ad caelum elevatis, videas solem et lunam et omnia astra caeli, et errore deceptus, adores ea. He says, the works of your hands, and not simply, you made the heavens, for four reasons: first, to exclude the error of those who say that God is the soul of the world and, consequently, that the whole earth and its parts should be worshipped as God, as idolaters did. But he excludes this when he says, the works of your hands are the heavens. As if to say: they are not proportioned to you as the body is to the soul, but they are subject and proportioned to your power and will: lest perhaps, lifting up your eyes to heaven, you see the sun and the moon and all the stars of heaven, and being deceived by error, you adore them (Deut 4:19). Secundo ut designet caelorum dignitatem et pulchritudinem, quia illud dicimus manibus facere, quod diligenter facimus; ut ergo ostendat caelos excellentiori modo quam alias creaturas corporales divina sapientia conditos esse, dicit opera manuum tuarum sunt caeli. Et hoc patet; quia diversitas in istis inferioribus potest reduci ad dispositionem materiae, sed diversitas corporum caelestium nullo modo potest reduci nisi ad sapientiam divinam. Et inde est, quod quandocumque fit mentio de creatione caeli, additur ibi, prudenter, vel intellectus vel aliquid huiusmodi, secundum illud Ier. IV: stabilivit caelos prudenter, et secundum illud Ps. CXXXV, 5: qui fecit caelos intellectu. Second, to designate the dignity and beauty of the heavens, because we say that we make that with our hands which we make carefully. Therefore, to show that the heavens were made by divine wisdom in a more excellent way than the other bodily creatures, he says, the works of your hands are the heavens, and this is clear; because the diversity in those lower things can be reduced to the disposition of the matter, but the diversity of heavenly bodies can be reduced only to divine wisdom. That is why, whenever mention is made of the creation of the heavens, prudence and understanding or something of that sort are also mentioned: the Lord has established the heavens by prudence (Prov 3:19); who made the heavens in understanding (Ps 136:5). Tertio ut ostendat, quod in caelis magis refulget virtus divina Creatoris, secundum Glossam; nihil enim est in creaturis, in cuius conditione appareat tantum virtutis Dei, et hoc propter magnitudinem ipsorum et ordinem. Sap. XIII, 5: a magnitudine enim speciei et creaturae, cognoscibiliter poterit horum Creator videri. Third, to show that in the heavens the divine power of the Creator is more striking; for there is nothing in creatures in whose condition so much of God’s power appears; and this is because of their magnitude and order: for by the greatness of the beauty and of the creature, the Creator of them may be seen (Wis 13:5). Quarto ad ostendendum, quod inter omnia corpora, corpus caeleste immediatius recipit influentiam a Deo, et per ista derivatur in ista inferiora. Iob XXXVIII, 33: numquid nosti ordinem caeli, et pones rationem eius in terra? Quasi dicat: si bene consideras dispositionem caeli, non potes attribuere causam dispositionis eius alicui rei terrenae, sed Deo. Fourth, to show that of all bodies the heavenly body receives God’s influence more directly: do you know the order of heaven, and can you set down the reason thereof on the earth? (Job 38:33). As if to say: if you consider carefully the disposition of the heavens, you cannot attribute the cause of its order to any earthly thing, but to God. Alio modo potest exponi, ut per terram accipiatur tota materia corporalis, per caelos vero spirituales substantiae. Et sic est sensus: in principio temporis terram, id est, materiam corporalem, fundasti, id est, quasi fundamentum formarum stabilisti; et sic intelligitur illud Ps. CXLVIII, 7: laudate Dominum de terra, et cetera. Sed caeli, id est substantiae spirituales, Ps. CXLVIII, 4: laudent illum caeli, etc., sunt opera manuum tuarum, quia scilicet fecisti eos ad imaginem et similitudinem tuam. It can be explained in another way, so that by earth is meant all bodily matter, and by heavens, spiritual substances. Then the sense is this: in the beginning of time, the earth, i.e., corporeal matter, you founded, i.e., you have established it as the foundation of forms. This is the way to understand the statement: praise the Lord from the earth (Ps 148:7). But the heavens, i.e., spiritual substances: praise him, you heavens of heavens (Ps 148:4) are the works of your hands, because you made them to your image and likeness. Tertio modo potest exponi, ut per terram intelligantur infimi in Ecclesia, per caelos vero supremi, et sic est sensus in principio, id est per Filium, terram fundasti, id est activos et infimos in Ecclesia; et dicuntur fundati, quia sunt quasi fundamentum aliorum, nam nisi essent activi in Ecclesia, viri contemplativi non sustentarentur. Sed caeli, id est contemplativi et perfectiores, sunt opera manuum tuarum, id est, excellentiori praeeminentia praediti. Ps. XVIII, 2: caeli enarrant gloriam Dei; et Is. I, 2: audite, caeli, id est, maiores; auribus percipe, terra, id est, minores. It can be explained a third way, so that by earth is understood the lowly ones in the Church, and by the heavens is understood the great ones, and thus the sense is that in the beginning, that is, through the Son, you founded the earth, that is, the active and lowly ones in the Church; and they are said to be founded because they are, as it were, the foundation of the others: for unless there were actives in the Church, the contemplatives would have no subsistence; but the heavens, the contemplatives and more perfect, are the works of your hands, i.e., endowed with a more outstanding excellence: the heavens published the glory of God (Ps 19:2); hear, O you heavens, i.e., the great ones, and give ear, O earth, i.e., the lowly ones (Isa 1:2). 71. Consequenter cum dicit ipsi peribunt, ostendit differentiam inter Creatorem et creaturam, et hoc quantum ad duo, quae sunt propria Creatori; 71. Then when he says they shall perish, he shows the difference between Creator and creature, and this in regard to two things which are proper to the Creator; primum est aeternitas; the first is eternity; secundum est immutabilitas, de qua ibi et omnes ut vestimentum veterascent, et cetera. the second is immutability, at and they shall all grow old. Circa primum duo facit, quia In regard to the first, he does two things: primo ponit terminationem creaturae; first, he puts a limitation on the creature; secundo interminationem Dei, ibi tu autem permanebis. second, no limitation on God, at but you will continue. 72. Dicit ergo primo: ipsi, scilicet caeli, peribunt. 72. He says, therefore: they, i.e., the heavens, shall perish.