Pars 2, Cap. 1
by St. Bonaventure
Source text: Public Domain Mark 1.0. English translation/apparatus/encoding: CC BY-NC 4.0, Wroot Press.
https://bonaventure.wrootpress.com/browse/5/d/2/q/bon-brev-p2-c1
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### PART TWO.

### *On the creature of the world.*

### Chapter I. *On the production of the world as a whole.*

These things concerning the Trinity of God having been understood beforehand in summary, some things must now be said concerning the creature of the world. Concerning which these things are to be held in summary: namely, that the whole frame of the world's machinery was produced into *being* in time and out of nothing by one principle, first, sole and supreme; whose power, although it be immeasurable, nevertheless disposed *all things in a certain weight, number and measure*. — These things are to be understood generally concerning the production of things, and from them the truth is gathered and error is repudiated. For by this, that it is said *in time*, the error of those positing an eternal world is excluded. By this, that it is said *out of nothing*, the error of those positing an eternity as regards a material principle is excluded. By this, that it is said *by one principle*, the error of the Manichees positing a plurality of principles is excluded. By this, that it is said *sole and supreme*, the error of those positing that God produced the lower creatures through the ministry of intelligences is excluded. But by this, that there is added *in a certain weight, number and measure*, it is shown that the creature is the effect of the creating Trinity under a threefold kind of causality: *efficient*, from which there is in the creature *unity, mode* and *measure*; *exemplary*, from which there is in the creature *truth, species* and *number*; *final*, from which there is in the creature *goodness, order* and *weight*. And these indeed are found in all creatures as a vestige of the Creator, whether corporeal, or spiritual, or composed of both.

Now the reason for the understanding of the foresaid is this: since, for there to be a perfect order and a stable term among things, it is necessary that all things be led back to one principle, which indeed is *first*, that it may give to the rest their *stable term*; and *most perfect*, that it may give to all the rest their *completion*. Since therefore the first principle, in which the *stable term* is, cannot be except *one* alone; if it produces the world, seeing that it cannot produce it out of its very self, it is necessary that it produce it *out of nothing*. And because production out of nothing posits *being* after *non-being* on the side of the *thing produced*, and an immeasurableness in the producing power on the side of the *principle*, since this belongs to God alone; it is necessary that the creature of the world be produced *in time* by that very *immeasurable power*, acting of itself and immediately.

Again, since the most perfect principle, from which the perfection of all things flows, must necessarily act *of itself* and *according to itself* and *for the sake of itself* — because it needs nothing outside itself in acting — it is necessary that it have, in respect of any creature whatever, the intention of a threefold cause, namely of the *efficient, the exemplary* and the *final*; it is necessary also that every creature be related to the first cause according to this threefold disposition. For every creature is constituted in *being* by the efficient [cause], is conformed to the exemplar, and is ordered to the end; and through this it is *one, true, good; measured out, comely, ordered; measured, distinct* and *weighted*; for *weight* is an ordering inclination. — And these things indeed have been said generally concerning every creature, whether corporeal, or incorporeal, or composed of both, such as is human nature.