The Literal Meaning of Genesis (continued)
316 NOTES
28/1.479,17-18 Zycha; ML 34.232), says: "In the realm of bodies there is nothing more excellent than a heavenly body." Arist., De caelo 268b-269a, arguing from the circular motion of the heavenly bodies, says that the heavens consist of a fifth substance more divine than the four elements. Cic., De republica 6.17, says that above the moon all things are eternal. Cf. Plato, Tim. 41a, a passage quoted by Aug. (in Cicero's translation), De civ. Dei 13.16.1. Sen., Nat. quaest. 7.1.6-7, notes two opinions: one that the stars are all fire, and the other that they have bodies of an earthly substance.
1547 uce quadam incorporali ac sua. Cuthbert Butler, Western Mysticism (London 1922) 52, remarks: '""This evidently is mere makeshift, and I do not know any other place where Augustine attempts to define the light wherein are seen the objects of spiritual or imaginary vision." It may be, however, that Aug. postulates this light only in the case of the supernatural manifestations that are mentioned in what immediately follows.
155m the preceding chapter a close parallel was shown to exist between the relative value of the objects of ocular vision and the relative value of the objects of spiritual vision. Now a similar scale of values is found in the objects of intellectual vision. Thus we have:
1. in ocular vision:
terrestria and caelestia;
2. in spiritual vision: naturaliter visa and demonstrata ab angelts;
3. in intellectual vision: intellectualia in ipsa anima and Deus tlluminans. But all comparisons limp, and Aug. was not unaware of the fact that in intellectual vision there is an infinite gulf that separates the two objects, whereas in the other two kinds of vision the two classes of objects have merely a different degree of excellence in the same order.
'S6These are mentioned simply as examples of the objects of intellectual vision. For a longer list, see 12.24.50 supra.
15S7Bither in itself or in the light" (vel in se vel in illo): these words designate the two ways in which the intellect, illumined by God, who is the Light of the soul, can see the intelligible re-