Scriptum Super Sententiis II Commentary on Sentences II Prooemium Prologue Job 26:13 Job 26:13 Spiritus ejus ornavit caelos, et obstetricante manu ejus, eductus est coluber tortuosus. His spirit has adorned the heavens, and his obstetric hand brought forth the winding serpent. Creaturarum consideratio pertinet ad theologos et ad philosophos, sed diversimode. Philosophi enim creaturas considerant, secundum quod in propria natura consistunt: unde proprias causas et passiones rerum inquirunt; sed theologus considerat creaturas, secundum quod a primo principio exierunt, et in finem ultimum ordinantur qui Deus est: unde recte divina sapientia nominatur, quia altissimam causam considerat, quae Deus est. Unde dicitur Eccli. 42, 17: nonne Deus fecit sanctos suos enarrare omnia mirabilia sua? The consideration of created things pertains to theologians and philosophers but in different ways. For philosophers consider created things as constituted in their proper nature, hence they inquire about the proper causes and properties of things. But the theologian considers created things as having proceeded from the first principle and as ordered to their last end, which is God. For this reason theology is rightly given the name divine wisdom, since it considers the highest cause, which is God. This is why it says in Sirach 42:17, has not the Lord enabled his holy ones to recount all his marvelous works? Per modum istum in hoc secundo libro de creaturis agitur; unde materia ejus ex verbis praemissis accipi potest, ex quibus tria elicere possumus, scilicet rerum principium, principii ipsius actum et actus effectum. It is in this manner that created things are treated of in this Second Book. Hence we can understand its subject matter from the preceding words, from which we can draw forth three things: the principle of things, the act of this principle, and the effect of the act. Ex parte principii duo tanguntur, scilicet spiritus et manus: spiritus bonitatis vel voluntatis suae; sed manus potestatis. De hoc spiritu dicitur in Psalm. 103, 30: emitte Spiritum tuum et creabuntur. Quia secundum Dionysium, 4 De divin. nomin., sicut sol radios suos emittit ad corporum illuminationem, ita divina bonitas radios suos, id est participationes sui, diffundit ad rerum creationem. Et ideo Augustinus, 1 De doct. Christ., cap 32, dicit quod, inquantum bonus est, sumus. Istum spiritum negaverunt qui posuerunt Deum produxisse res ex necessitate naturae, et non ex liberalitate voluntatis; contra quos dicit Dionysius, 4 De div. nom., quod divinus amor non permisit eum sine germine esse. In regard to the principle, two things are touched on, namely, the spirit and the hand. The spirit belongs to its goodness or will, the hand to its power. Concerning this spirit it is said: send forth thy Spirit, and they shall be created (Ps 104 [103]:30). For, according to Dionysius, just as the sun sends forth its rays to illuminate bodies, so also the divine goodness diffuses its rays, that is, participations in itself, in order to create things. Thus, Augustine says that inasmuch as he is good, we exist. Those who have held that God produced things from a necessity of nature and not from liberality, have denied this spirit. Against them Dionysius says that divine love has not allowed him to be without fruit. Sed de manu potestatis ejus in Psalm. 103, 28: aperiente te manum tuam, omnia implebuntur bonitate. In manu siquidem ejus erant omnes fines terrae, quia ab aeterno non nisi ejus potestate erant. Aperta enim manu clave amoris, creaturae prodierunt. Haec est manus de qua dicit Isa. 59, 1: ecce non est abbreviata manus ejus: quia infinita sua virtute rerum substantiam in esse producit. Hanc manum abbreviare voluerunt qui a Deo nihil fieri posse ex nihilo astruxerunt. But concerning the hand of his power it is said, when thou openest thy hand, they are all filled with good things (Ps 104 [103]:28). In his hand, then, were all the ends of the earth, since they did not exist from all eternity except in his power. For when his hand was opened by the key of love, created things proceeded forth. This is the hand about which Isaiah says, behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened (Isa 59:1), since by his infinite power he brings the substance of things into being. Those who have alleged that God can make nothing from nothing have wished to shorten this hand. Et sic apparet in productione creaturarum, Trinitas personarum. In spiritu ipse Spiritus Sanctus, de quo dicitur Sap. 1, 7: Spiritus Domini replevit omnem terram. In manu Filius, qui etiam brachium Patris dicitur Job 40, 9: si habes brachium sicut Deus, et si voce simili tonas? eo quod ipse est virtus et sapientia Dei, 1 Corinth. 1, 24; et: omnia per ipsum facta sunt, Joan. 1, 3. Sed in pronomine ejus persona Patris exprimitur cujus est et Filius et Spiritus Sanctus de quo dicitur Gen. 1, 1: in principio creavit Deus caelum et terram. And this is how the Trinity of persons appears in the production of created things. In spirit the Holy Spirit himself is made apparent, of whom it is said, the Spirit of the Lord has filled the world (Wis 1:7). In hand the Son is manifested, who is also called the arm of the Father: have you an arm like God, and can you thunder with a voice like his? (Job 40:9), due to the fact that he is the power and wisdom of God (1 Cor 1:24) and all things were made through him (John 1:3). But by the pronoun his the person of the Father is expressed, of whom are both the Son and the Holy Spirit, about whom it is said, in the beginning God created the heaven and the earth (Gen 1:1). Sed ex parte actus tangit etiam duo, scilicet ornatum, et obstetricationis officium. Ornatus pertinet ad dispositionem rerum, quia eas varia pulchritudine decoravit, ut dicitur Eccli. 42, 21: magnalia sapientiae suae decoravit. De hac etiam pulchritudine Boetius, 3 De consol., dicit: . . . pulchrum pulcherrimus ipso mundum mente gerens. Sed obstetricatio pertinet ad providentiae gubernationem, qua creaturas per se subsistere non valentes, ad modum obstetricis in esse conservat, necessaria in finem ministrat, et impedimenta repellit, etiam mala in bonum ordinando; unde dicitur Job 38, 8, secundum similem metaphoram: quis conclusit ostiis mare, quando erumpebat quasi de vulva procedens? On the part of the act, it touches on two things, namely, adornment and the office of obstetrics. Adornment pertains to the arrangement of things, since he has ornamented various things with beauty, as is said: he hath beautified the glorious works of his wisdom (Sir 42:21). Concerning this beauty, Boethius also says, most beautiful are you, bearing a world of beauty in your mind. But obstetrics pertains to the governance of providence whereby created things, which are not able to subsist by themselves, are, in the manner of a midwife, preserved by him in existence, being provided with the things necessary to their end, and being freed from obstacles by his ordering even evils to the good. Hence, following a similar metaphor, it is said, who shut in the sea with doors, when it burst forth from the womb? (Job 38:8). Ex parte effectus duo tangit; scilicet caelum, et colubrum tortuosum. In caelo duo considerare possumus: scilicet stabilitatem, Proverb. 3, 19: stabilivit caelos prudentia; et indeficientem claritatem, de qua Eccli. 24, 6: ego feci in caelis ut oriretur lumen indeficiens. Unde per caelos intelligere possumus creaturas quae in decore suo firmiter perstiterunt. Similiter in colubro tortuoso duo considerare possumus, scilicet obscuritatem, et obliquitatem. Primum in nomine colubri, quia coluber dicitur quasi colens umbram, quae sonat in privationem lucis. Obliquitatem in hoc quod dicitur tortuosum; distortum enim est quod rectitudine obliquatur. Et ideo per hunc colubrum tortuosum creaturae illae intelligi possunt quarum pulchritudo est per peccatum obscurata et rectitudo obliquata, et praecipue diabolum, cujus invidia mors intravit in orbem terrarum, Sap. 2, 24, et de umbrositate ejus dicitur Job 40, 16: sub umbra dormit in secreto calami; et de ejus tortuositate dicitur Isa. 27, 1: visitabit Dominus in gladio duo duro, et grandi, et forti super Leviathan serpentem vectem, et super Leviathan serpentem tortuosum, et occidet eum. On the part of the effect, it touches on two things, namely, heaven and the winding serpent. In heaven we can consider two things, namely, stability: the Lord . . . hath made stable the heavens by prudence (Prov 3:19), and unfailing clarity: I brought it about that in the heavens there should rise light that never faileth (Sir 24:6). Hence, through heavens we can understand the created things that have stood firm in their grandeur. Likewise, in winding serpent we can consider two things, namely, obscurity and obliqueness. First, by the name "serpent" we understand obscurity, since a "serpent" is named as though "fostering darkness," which expresses the privation of light. We can understand obliqueness by the fact that it is called winding, for what is distorted is what has been twisted away from rectitude. Thus, by this winding serpent those creatures are understood whose beauty has been obscured through sin and whose rectitude twisted, and especially the devil, by whose envy death entered into the world (Wis 2:24), and concerning whose darkness it is said, under the shadow he sleepeth, in the covert of the reed and in the marsh. (Job 40:16), and concerning whose twistedness it is said, the Lord with his hard and great and strong sword will punish Leviathan the fleeing serpent, Leviathan the twisting serpent, and he will slay the dragon that is in the sea (Isa 27:1). Recte ergo caelos spiritus ornasse dicitur: quia in creaturis quae suum ordinem servaverunt, et divina bonitas clarius resplendet, et decoris ornatus immutatus non est. Recte etiam dicitur coluber tortuosus manu obstetricante eductus: quia in malis relucet etiam divina potentia per hoc quod cohibentur, et divina providentia per hoc quod eorum mala ordinantur in bonum. Rightly, then, is the spirit said to have adorned the heavens, since, in creatures that have preserved their order, the divine goodness shines more brightly and the adornment of dignity has not been changed. Rightly, too, is the winding serpent said to have been brought forth by his obstetric hand, since even in evil things the divine power also shines forth by virtue of the fact that they are kept in check, while divine providence shines forth by virtue of the fact that their evils are ordered to good. Et sic patet materia hujus secundi libri, in quo de institutione creaturarum agitur, et lapsu per peccatum angeli et hominis. And so the subject matter of this Second Book is clear: it discusses the establishment of created things, and the fall of the angels and men through sin. Distinctio 1 Distinction 1 Processio creaturarum The procession of created things Divisio primae partis textus Division of the first part of the text Dividitur ergo liber iste in partes duas: This book is divided into two parts: in prima determinat de creaturis in communi; in the first, he considers created things in general; in secunda determinat de eis in speciali, quantum ad considerationem theologi pertinet. Secunda, dist. 2, ibi: de angelica itaque natura haec primo consideranda sunt. in the second, he considers specific creatures insofar as this pertains to the consideration of a theologian, at Distinction 2: concerning the angelic nature, these things are to be considered first. Prima in duas: The first is divided into two parts: in prima determinat de creaturis secundum exitum earum a principio; in the first, he considers created things with respect to their procession from their principle; in secunda determinat de eis secundum ordinem earum in ultimum finem, ibi: credamus ergo rerum creatarum . . . causam non esse nisi bonitatem Creatoris. in the second, he considers them with respect to their ordering to their last end, at and so let us believe 'that the cause of created things . . . is nothing but the goodness of the Creator.' Prima dividitur in tres: The first is divided into three parts: prima inducit auctoritatem, quae, ostensa veritate omnium, errorem excludit; in the first, he cites an authority that, having showed the truth concerning everything, rules out error; secundo prosequitur errores, qui per auctoritates confirmantur, ibi: Plato namque tria initia existimavit; second, he pursues the errors that are attested by authorities, at for Plato held that there were three first principles [or beginnings]; tertio concludit veritatem, ibi: horum ergo et similium errorem Spiritus Sanctus evacuans, veritatisque disciplinam tradens, Deum in principio temporum mundum creasse, et ante tempora aeternaliter extitisse significat. third, he concludes with the truth, at 'the Holy Spirit, to purge the errors of these men and others like them and teach the discipline of truth, signifies that God created the world at the beginning of the ages, and that he existed eternally before all ages.' Circa primum duo facit: Concerning the first, he does two things: primo tangit errorem Platonis; first, he touches on the error of Plato; secundo errorem Aristotelis, ibi: Aristoteles vero duo principia dixit. second, on the error of Aristotle, at but Aristotle asserted two principles. Circa primum facit duo: Concerning the first, he does two things: primo ostendit quomodo per auctoritatem Scripturae refellitur error Platonis, tum propter multitudinem principiorum, tum propter negationem creationis; first, he shows how the error of Plato is refuted by the authority of Scripture, both as regards the multitude of principles and as regards the denial of creation; secundo removet quamdam dubitationem ex dictis, ubi: verumtamen sciendum est, haec verba, scilicet creare, facere, agere, et alia hujusmodi, de Deo non posse dici secundum eam rationem qua dicuntur de creaturis. second, he allays a certain doubt that might arise from what was said, at and yet it is to be known that these verbs, namely, to make, to create, to do, and suchlike, cannot be said of God for the same reason as they are said of creatures. Quaestio 1 Question 1 On creation Ad evidentiam hujus partis quaeruntur hic sex: To expound on this part, here six questions are asked: primo utrum sit tantum unum primum principium; first, whether there is only one first principle;