

DOGMATISM OF THE STATIONARY PERIOD. 335 



tion, and cannot be taken as a specimen of the 

 work ; but I may observe, that in speaking of the 

 division of the waters above the firmament, from 

 the waters under the firmament, he gives one opinion, 

 that of Bede, that the former waters are the solid 

 crystalline heavens in which the stars are fixed 12 , 

 "for crystal, which is so hard and transparent, is 

 made of water." But he mentions also the opi- 

 nion of St. Augustine, that the waters above the 

 heavens are there in a state of vapour (vapora- 

 liter) and in minute drops; "if, then, water can, 

 as we see in clouds, be so minutely divided that 

 it may be thus supported as vapour on air, which is 

 naturally lighter than water; why may we not 

 believe that it floats above that lighter celestial 

 element in still minuter drops and still lighter 

 vapours ? But in whatever manner the waters are 

 there, we do not doubt that they are there." 



The celebrated Summa Theologice of Thomas 

 Aquinas is a work of the same kind ; and anything 

 which has a physical bearing forms an equally small 

 part of it. Thus, of the 512 Questions of the 

 Summa, there is only one (Part I., Quest. 115) "on 

 Corporeal Action," or on any part of the material 

 world; though there are several concerning the 

 celestial Hierarchies, as "on the Act of Angels," 

 "on the Speaking of Angels," "on the Subordi- 

 nation of Angels," " on Guardian Angels," and the 

 like. This, of course, would not be remarkable in a 



12 Lib. ii. Distinct, xiv. De opere secundce diei. 



