Dist. 2, Part 1, Dubia
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/2/d/2/q/bon-sent-II-d2-p1-dubia
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### Doubts on the text of the Master.

### Doubt I.

In this part there are doubts concerning the text, and it is asked first concerning that which he says: *And you in the beginning, Lord, founded the earth.* For it seems false, first from this, that he says the earth was *founded*, because it does not seem to be *founded*, but rather *suspended*, according to what is said in Isaiah, chapter forty: *Who weighs the mass of the earth with three fingers*; and Proverbs, chapter eight: *When he was suspending the foundations of the earth.* Likewise it seems false to say, when he says: *In the beginning you founded the earth*, because the earth was made on the third day: therefore it was not founded in the beginning.

Next to this it is asked, upon what the earth is founded; and it seems [it is] upon the waters, on account of that [text] of the Psalm: *Who founded the earth upon the waters.* But the contrary seems [true] through Scripture, which says: *Who founded the earth upon its own stability*, and through reason, which dictates that water is less heavy than earth, and so according to the order of nature [it is] not earth upon water, but conversely.

**I respond:** It must be said that by the name *earth* in Scripture is understood the *matter* of corporeal things, and also is understood the *element earth*; and in both ways it can be taken in the aforesaid authority, and truly. For if *earth* is taken for unformed matter, then it is rightly said: *In the beginning, you Lord founded the earth*, that is, in the beginning you made unformed matter, as it were the foundation of all forms. Which is therefore said to be *founded*, because all forms are sustained by matter, and it itself is not sustained by anything else except by God. And it is said to be founded *in the beginning*, because nothing was created before it. — But if by the name *earth* is understood the *element earth*, the aforesaid statement is still true. For the earth is said [to be] *founded* on account of its stability, according to that [text] of Ecclesiastes, chapter one: *A generation passes away, and a generation comes; but the earth stands forever.* — And this element, namely of earth, is both said [to be] *founded* and said [to be] *suspended*, and founded upon *its own stability* and founded also upon *the waters*. It is said [to be] founded because, just as the foundation is the lowest among all the parts of a house, so the earth is the lowest among all the bodies of the world, and existing in the center it holds the place of a foundation. — And since by a proper power divinely given to it it seeks the center and rests in the center, it is said [to be] founded upon *its own stability*. And this is to be understood as said according to the *truth*. But according to our *imagination* and the common *opinion*, since the waters cover the lower surface of the earth with respect to us, and beyond the water there is air, and beyond the air there is fire, the earth is said [to be] founded upon *the waters*. For we estimate the earth to be upon water, while we consider the water beneath our feet. — It is also said [to be] *suspended by three fingers*, for the reason that by three intermediate elements it stands away from the circumference of the heaven, and through their mediation it seems [to be] as it were suspended. — And through this the response to all the objections is clear.

Note, however, that *beginning* is taken in one way according as by the name of earth is understood *matter*, in another way according as is understood the *element earth*. For according as by the name of earth is understood matter, then it is said to be founded *in the beginning*, that is, in the first origin of the production of things; according as the earth is called an element, then it is said to be founded *in the beginning*, that is, in the first works of the six days.

### Doubt II.

Likewise it is asked concerning that which is said, *that time did not begin to be in time.* For everything that began to be either began to be in time or in eternity; if therefore time began to be, and did not begin to be in eternity: therefore it began to be in time. — Likewise, he says *that God did not begin to be Lord from time.* And it seems to be false, because he was not Lord before he had a servant; but he did not have a servant except from time: therefore he began to be Lord from time.

Next to this it is asked whether he began to be Lord. And that [he did] not, it seems, because lordship is the power of coercing subjects, and this was always in God. But the contrary seems [true], because «relatives are by nature simultaneous»; and the servant was not from eternity: therefore neither [was] the Lord.

**I respond:** It must be said that it makes a difference to say, according to Augustine, that something comes to be *from* time, and *in* time, and *with* time.

For *from* implies order, *in* implies containment, *with* implies simultaneity; and therefore nothing is made *in* time, nor *from* time, except what is exceeded by time. Since therefore time and the things which were created in the first origin of time are not exceeded by time, therefore he says that they were created *with* time, not *in* time, nor *from* time. — And therefore since God is called lord with respect to every created thing, God could not begin to be lord *from* time, nor *in* time, taking properly the relation of that which is *from* and *in*; but we in common speech take [it] broadly.

But as to what is asked, whether God began to be lord; it must be said that *lord* in one way implies the *power* of coercing subjects; and so it states a presidency according to a habit, and belongs to God from eternity. In another way it implies *actual presidency* with respect to a servant; and so he began to be lord, not by reason of a change made in himself, but by reason of a change made in his correlative.

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