Sacred and Truly Christian Philosophy, or Cosmic Meteorology

[Page number 9]

On the Primary Principles of Meteors.

In this context, "meteors" refers to the "Meteorologica," the study of all things that happen in the air, including rain, wind, lightning, and clouds.

is immediately derived. Both heterogeneous and homogeneous things are also gathered together by cold, restrained, and condensed; and things of the same nature are rendered obscure and dark, to a greater or lesser degree, through a process of binding together—or agglutination—just as it is clearly and abundantly explained in the place cited above.

We say, therefore, that since two active qualities are identified by both Holy Scripture and the teachings of the Philosophers, and an equal number of passive qualities In traditional natural philosophy, the active qualities are Heat and Cold, while the passive qualities are Moisture and Dryness. result from the intermediate actions of those active ones, it is for us to understand that just as heat is the immediate offspring of created light—and is nothing other than the motion of light itself, or the effect of the luminous or fiery air—so too cold appears to be the immediate descendant of darkness. This cold is stirred up and brought from a state of potentiality into a nearly involuntary and forced action by the power of heat gushing forth from its luminous source. Thus, the very "life" or activity of cold exists within the activity of heat; its action is, in a sense, incidental original: "adventitia" and not inherent to its own nature. Indeed, it is produced and brought forth by "creation"—that is, through the act of resistance. For just as the proper life of darkness is rest (as one can see in the dark nature of the earth), so also col...