Dist. 47, Art. 2, Q. 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/4/d/47/q/bon-sent-IV-d47-a2-q1
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### Article II. *On the fire of the conflagration.*

Next, as regards the second part of the distinction, inquiry is made concerning the fire which will precede the face of the Judge, through which the conflagration will come about. And concerning this four things are asked.

*First*, inquiry is made concerning its quiddity.

*Second*, concerning its power.

*Third*, concerning its extension.

*Fourth*, concerning the order of that fire to the things which will be done in the judgement.

### Question I. *On the quiddity of the fire of the conflagration.*

As regards the first, then, one proceeds thus, and it is shown that that fire is the *element*:

1. Because it is said in *Genesis* the second: *God rested on the seventh day from every work*; and the Gloss and the Saints say there that this is understood « as regards the production of new creatures »: therefore it seems that He does not then produce a new fire.

2. Likewise, it seems so *by reason*: because « nature does not do through many things what it can do through fewer », therefore much more neither does God; but the whole can come about through this one: therefore etc.

3. Likewise, it is shown *by reason* through a similitude: because the purgation of the world was made through water; and that water was not created anew, nor of another nature than the water which is called the *element*: therefore etc.

4. Likewise, Augustine in the twentieth book *of the City* says: « The figure of this world will perish by the conflagration of mundane fires, just as the deluge came about by the inundation of waters »: therefore, if the mundane fire is the fire which belongs to the constitution of the world, then this is also the fire that is the *element*; it is plain, etc.

**Contra:**
1. Nothing purges itself; but the fire that is the *element* will be purged by that fire and consumed, as the Gloss on *the second of Peter*, the third chapter, says, that « that greatest fire will consume the four elements »: therefore etc.

2. Likewise, this fire will encircle the whole compass of the elements; but that fire which is the *element* has a particular situation: therefore it will not be the fire that is the *element*.

3. Likewise, it will belong to that fire *to ascend*, as the Gloss of Bede says, that « it will ascend as far as the water of the deluge did »; but if it were the fire that is the *element*, since its sphere is above, it would belong to it *to descend*: therefore etc.

4. Furthermore, granted that it descends, either something will enter into its place, or nothing. If something, I ask: what? There is nothing to assign. If nothing: then there will be a vacuum, therefore etc.

5. Likewise, since the final purgation is a perfect one, it seems that it ought to be made not only through one *element*, but through all those which have the nature of purging: therefore, if water has the nature of purging, it seems etc.

Alongside this it is asked: why was the first purgation through water, and the second will be through fire?

### Conclusion

> *This conflagration will come about from elemental fire, not newly created, but multiplied by the power of God and gathered together from every side.*

**I respond:** It must be said that some have wished to say that that fire will be the fire that is the *element*; nor is this surprising. For a small fire, when combustible material is placed near it, is increased infinitely by multiplying itself; so also would that fire do even now, were it not impeded; but if its force were invigorated, as will happen at the judgement, it would be able to consume and purge the whole, and there is no need to create a new fire.

But because the Saints seem to say that that fire will not only *descend*, as the Lord rained upon Sodom, but rather that it will *ascend*; therefore others say that it will be another fire, not created, but generated in lower things by the power of the supercelestial bodies. For from the breaking and the multiplication of rays at a concave mirror fire is generated on account of the rarefaction of the surrounding air; likewise at a urinal flask full of water. And although, for fire to be generated in this way, an aggregation of rays must come about, it is not necessary that the world be filled with concave mirrors, but in another way, at concave clouds — as divine providence knows how to dispose — fire will be able to be generated in all these lower things. — That this is not possible, or even the first opinion, I do not say; but it is foolish to feign anything here, and one must rather rely on the authorities of the Saints.

And they themselves do not openly determine which fire it is; yet the excellent doctor Augustine says that « it will come about by the conflagration of mundane fires, just as the deluge came about by the inundation of waters ». Therefore, relying on this authority, I say that, just as in the deluge no new waters were created, but those same waters were multiplied — and this by the working aid of the higher bodies, through which the raising of vapours was made — so also I believe that not only the fire which is in its own sphere, but all fires, both those which are in the earth and upon the earth and under the earth, will concur in that conflagration, as Augustine seems to hold. And I readily concede that the power of the higher bodies will concur in the multiplication and the action of the fire. — The arguments proving that a new fire will not be created are therefore to be conceded; but from them it is not had that it comes about only through the fire which is in its own sphere.

**To the arguments:**
*To 1.* To that which is objected on the contrary, that nothing purges itself; it must be said that there is an instance to the contrary in fire; and this also has an instance in two bodies, of which the latter is purged through conflagration and breaking.

*To 2.* To that which is objected, that it will encircle the whole compass; it must be said that then the fire will be diffused and multiplied both from above and from below.

*To 3.* To that which is objected, that it will then descend; it must be said that it will *ascend* with respect to the fire which is in the earth, and will *descend* with respect to the fire which is above the earth.

*To 4.* As to the objection that there will be a vacuum; it must be said that it will not descend by changing place, but by acting and by altering according to power.

*To 5.* To that which is asked: why does it then come about through fire alone? it must be said that the reason is on the side of the purgation of *men* from sin and on the side of the purgation of the *world*. On the side of the purgation of *men*, because, just as in the beginning the ardour of concupiscence reigned, so in the old age of the world the coldness of avarice does; for *the charity of many shall grow cold*; and therefore, since purgation ought to be made through the contrary, just as the purgation of the ardour of concupiscence was made through water, so the purgation of the coldness of malice and avarice will be made through fire. — The other reason is on the side of the purgation of the *world*, because that one was for destroying the old man and for procreating new men; but this one will be for bettering the whole and for changing it into a better appearance; and because fire burns and rarefies, whereas water does not, therefore this one will be in fire, whereas the deluge was not in fire, but in water.