Commentaria in Summam contra Gentiles, Liber II
Francesco Silvestri (1474–1528)
Commentaria in Summam contra Gentiles
First published 1918
In Book II of the Commentaria in Summam contra Gentiles, Francesco Silvestri of Ferrara (Ferrariensis) expounds Aquinas's account of creation, the distinction of creatures, and the human soul. The commentary accompanies the Leonine text in volume XIII (1918). The present digital edition includes the Latin text and an English translation.
Caput I: Continuatio sequentium ad praecedentia
Caput II: Quod consideratio creaturarum utilis est ad fidei instructionem
Caput III: Quod cognoscere naturam creaturarum valet ad destruendum errores qui sunt circa Deum
The second conclusion is 1: To know the natures of creatures, in the manner expounded in the preceding chapter 2, serves to destroy the errors that concern God.
It is proved. Errors that concern the creature sometimes lead away from the truth of faith, insofar as they are repugnant to true knowledge of God. Therefore knowledge of the creature itself is useful for destroying errors concerning God. — The consequence is evident from itself. — The antecedent, however, is proved by an enumeration of the errors arising from ignorance of the nature of creatures.
The first are those who, believing nothing to exist above a corporeal creature, said that some creature is the first cause and God: such as those who posited that any body whatsoever is God. Of these mention is made Wisdom xiii, "But who by fire," etc.
The second is that of those who attribute to creatures things that belong to God alone, such as creating, knowing the future, working miracles, and the like. That this arises from ignorance of the creature is evident: because what the nature of a thing cannot bear is attributed to it only because its nature is unknown; but what belongs to God alone is something the nature of a creature cannot bear. Against this error there is Wisdom xiv: "The incommunicable name," etc.
The third are those who detract something from the divine power operating in creatures: such as those who posit two first principles of things, and those who assert that things proceed from God by the necessity of nature; likewise those who deny divine providence and that God can act beyond the ordinary course of nature. Against them is Job 22, "As if He were nothing," etc.; and Wisdom 12, "Your power," etc.
The fourth are those who, out of ignorance of the degree of their order in the universe, think that man is subject to things to which he is superior: such as those who subject the wills of men to the stars, against whom is Jeremiah 10, "Be not dismayed at the signs of the heavens," etc.; and those who make angels the creators of souls; or who hold the souls themselves to be mortal; and any others who detract from the dignity of man. This error, however, leads one away from God. For since faith leads man to God as to his ultimate end and first cause, this error removes man from that ultimate end itself, as though he could not move himself toward God as toward an end, but were of necessity subject to other causes.
From this the error is refuted of those who say it makes no difference to the truth of faith what one thinks about creatures, provided one's judgment concerning God is correct: as Augustine relates in the book On the Origin of the Soul. For error concerning creatures redounds to a false knowledge of God. Hence Scripture threatens those who err concerning creatures with punishments as it does unbelievers, in the Psalm and Wisdom 2.
A particular consideration of these errors will be given below. Therefore it is not necessary to dwell on them now.