Chapter 6.—How God is a Substance Both Simple and Manifold.

8. But if it is asked how that substance is both simple and manifold: consider, first, why the creature is manifold, but in no way really simple. And first, all that is body is composed certainly of parts; so that therein one part is greater, another less, and the whole is greater than any part whatever or how great soever. For the heaven and the earth are parts of the whole bulk of the world; and the earth alone, and the heaven alone, is composed of innumerable parts; and its third part is less than the remainder, and the half of it is less than the whole; and the whole body of the world, which is usually called by its two parts, viz. the heaven and the earth, is certainly greater than the heaven alone or the earth alone. And in each several body, size is one thing, color another, shape another; for the same color and the same shape may remain with diminished size; and the same shape and the same size may remain with the color changed; and the same shape not remaining, yet the thing may be just as great, and of the same color. And whatever other things are predicated together of body can be changed either all together, or the larger part of them without the rest. And hence the nature of body is conclusively proved to be manifold, and in no respect simple. The spiritual creature also, that is, the soul, is indeed the more simple of the two if compared with the body; but if we omit the comparison with the body, it is manifold, and itself also not simple. For it is on this account more simple than the body, because it is not diffused in bulk through extension of place, but in each body, it is both whole in the whole, and whole in each several part of it; and, therefore, when anything takes place in any small particle whatever of the body, such as the soul can feel, although it does not take place in the whole body, yet the whole soul feels it, since the whole soul is not unconscious of it. But, nevertheless, since in the soul also it is one thing to be skillful, another to be indolent, another to be intelligent, another to be of retentive memory; since cupidity is one thing, fear another, joy another, sadness another; and since things innumerable, and in innumerable ways, are to be found in the nature of the soul, some without others, and some more, some less; it is manifest that its nature is not simple, but manifold. For nothing simple is changeable, but every creature is changeable.

CAPUT VI.

8. Quomodo Deus substantia simplex et multiplex. Si autem quaeritur quomodo simplex et multiplex sit illa substantia; animadvertenda est primo creatura quare sit multiplex, nullo autem modo vere simplex. Et prius corpus universum utique partibus constat; ita ut sit ibi alia pars major, alia minor, et majus sit universum quam pars quaelibet aut quantalibet. Nam et coelum et terra partes sunt universae mundanae molis: et sola terra, et solum coelum innumerabilibus partibus constat, et in tertia sui parte minor est quam in caetera, et in dimidia minor quam in tota; et totum mundi corpus quod duabus plerumque partibus appellari solet, id est, coelum et terra, utique majus est quam solum coelum aut sola terra. Et in unoquoque corpore aliud est magnitudo, aliud color, aliud figura. Potest enim et diminuta magnitudine manere idem color et eadem figura, et colore mutato manere eadem figura et eadem magnitudo, et figura eadem non manente tam magnum esse et eodem modo coloratum: et quaecumque alia simul 0929 dicuntur de corpore, possunt et simul et plura sine caeteris commutari. Ac per hoc multiplex esse convincitur natura corporis, simplex autem nullo modo. Creatura quoque spiritualis, sicut est anima, est quidem in corporis comparatione simplicior: sine comparatione autem corporis multiplex est, etiam ipsa non simplex. Nam ideo simplicior est corpore, quia non mole diffunditur per spatium loci, sed in unoquoque corpore, et in toto tota est, et in qualibet ejus parte tota est; et ideo cum fit aliquid in quavis exigua particula corporis quod sentiat anima, quamvis non fiat in toto corpore, illa tamen tota sentit, quia totam non latet: sed tamen etiam in anima cum aliud sit artificiosum esse, aliud inertem, aliud acutum, aliud memorem, aliud cupiditas, aliud timor, aliud laetitia, aliud tristitia, possintque et alia sine aliis, et alia magis, alia minus, innumerabilia et innumerabiliter in animae natura inveniri; manifestum est non simplicem, sed multiplicem esse naturam. Nihil enim simplex mutabile est; omnis autem creatura mutabilis.