Chapter II.
On corporeal nature with respect to its coming-to-be.
Corporeal nature must be considered by us with respect to its coming-to-be, with respect to its being, and with respect to its operation.
Concerning corporeal nature with respect to its coming-to-be, these things are especially to be held: that it was brought into being in six days, such that in the beginning, before every day, "God created heaven and earth."
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; on the fourth day the heaven was adorned with luminaries; on the fifth, the air and water with birds and fish; on the sixth day, the earth with animals and human beings; on the seventh day God rested, "not from labor nor from work, since he works even until now, but from the establishment of new species": because he had made all things either in likeness, as those things which are propagated, or in seminal reason, as those things which are brought into being by other modes.
The reason for understanding the aforesaid is this. For since things flow from the first and most perfect principle, and such a principle is most omnipotent, most wise, and most benevolent: therefore it was necessary that they be brought into being in such a way that in their production the aforesaid threefold nobility and excellence would shine forth. And therefore the divine operation for producing the world-machine was threefold, namely creation, which is appropriately attributed to omnipotence; distinction, which corresponds to wisdom, and adornment, which corresponds to the most generous goodness.
And since creation is from nothing, therefore it was in the beginning, before every day, as the foundation of all things and all times.
Again, since the distinction of the bodies of the world is considered according to a threefold mode, therefore it was accomplished over three days. For there is the distinction of luminous nature from transparent and opaque, and this was made on the first day in the division of light from darkness; and there is the distinction of transparent nature from transparent, and this was made on the second day in the division of waters from waters; and there is the distinction of transparent nature from opaque, and this was made on the third day in the division of waters from the earth. In these, moreover, the distinction of celestial and elemental things is implicitly given to be understood, as will be declared afterward. Thus therefore the distinction had to be accomplished over three days.
And since adornment corresponds to distinction, therefore it likewise had to be completed in three days. For there is the adornment of luminous nature, and this was accomplished on the fourth day in the formation of the stars, the sun, and the moon; and there is the adornment of transparent nature, and this was accomplished on the fifth day, on which fish and birds were made from the waters for the adornment of water and air; and there is the adornment of opaque nature, namely the earth, and this was accomplished on the sixth day, on which beasts were made, and creeping things were made, and also for the consummation of all things human nature was made.
All these things, although God could have made them in an instant, He nevertheless preferred to make them through a succession of times: partly for the sake of a distinct and clear representation of power, wisdom, and goodness; partly for the sake of a fitting correspondence of days or times and works; and partly also so that, just as in the first creation of the world there were to be made the seminal principles of works yet to be done, so also there would be made prefigurations of future times. — Whence in those seven days there preceded, as it were seminally, the distinction of all times which are unfolded through the course of the seven ages. And hence it is that to the six days of works there is added a seventh of rest, which day is not written as having an evening — not because that day did not have a succeeding night, but to prefigure the rest of souls, which shall never have an end.
If, however, it were said in another manner, that all things were made simultaneously, then all these seven days are referred to angelic contemplation. Nevertheless, the first manner of speaking is more consonant with Scripture and with the authorities of the Saints, both those who preceded and also those who followed the blessed Augustine.
Ch. III.
On corporeal nature with respect to its being.
Concerning corporeal nature with respect to being, these things are to be held: that the whole machine of the corporeal world consists in celestial and elemental nature, such that celestial nature is distinguished into three principal heavens, namely the empyrean, the crystalline, and the firmament. Within the firmament, which is the starry heaven, are contained seven orbs of seven planets, which are: Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, the Sun, Venus, Mercury, and the Moon.
Elemental nature, however, is distinguished into four spheres, namely of fire, air, water, and earth; and thus proceeding from the highest summit of heaven down to the center of the earth, ten celestial orbs and four elemental spheres are encountered, from which the whole machine of the sensible world is integrated and constituted in a distinct, perfect, and orderly manner.
The reason for understanding the aforesaid is this: since corporeal nature, for its own perfection and for the expression of the multiform wisdom of the First Principle, requires a multiformity of forms, as is apparent in minerals, plants, and animals, it was necessary to posit certain simple bodies that could be mixed in manifold ways for the introduction of multiform forms; and such is the nature subject to contrariety, and this is elemental nature. It was also necessary that a nature be made through which these contraries could be reconciled in a mixture; and such is a nature far removed from contrariety, of which kind is the nature of light and of the supercelestial body.
And since mixture cannot occur except through contraries that act and are acted upon, it was therefore necessary that a twofold contrariety be established in the elements: namely, with respect to active qualities, which are hot and cold, and with respect to passive qualities, which are moist and dry. And because each 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 aforesaid qualities, combined in fourfold manner.
Celestial nature, however, 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 starry, which is the crystalline heaven. The fourth member, however—namely, that it be multiform and immobile—cannot stand, because multiformity disposes toward variety of motion, not toward uniform rest.
There are therefore three heavens, of which the first is luminous throughout, namely the empyrean: the second is throughout transparent, namely the crystalline: the third is conjoined from both, namely the firmament. Since therefore there are three incorruptible heavens and four changeable elements, in order that there might be a fitting connection, concord, and correspondence, God disposed seven planetary spheres, which by their variety of motions and incorruptibility of forms would be, as it were, a certain bond and juncture of the lower elemental spheres and the upper celestial ones, for perfecting and adorning the universe: which is said to be ordered and connected according to numerical proportions by the ten celestial spheres and the four elements, rendering it proportionally as beautiful as it is perfect and ordered, so that in its own way it might represent its Principle.