Dist. 15, Art. 2, Q. 3
Book II: On the Creation of Things · Distinction 15
Quaestio III. Qui sit ordo productionis animalium respectu quietis.
Tertio quaeritur de ordine productionis animalium ad quietem. Et quaeritur, utrum Deus, postquam animalia produxit, ab omni opere quieverit. Et quod sic, videtur:
Fundamenta. 1. Per Scripturam Genesis secundo2: Requievit Deus die septimo ab omni opere, quod patrarat; sed animalia producta sunt quinto et sexto die: ergo post eorum productionem sequitur quietatio.
2. Item, omnis operatio, quae pervenit ad completionem, habet quietem subsequentem; sed productio creaturarum completur in productione animalium, et maxime hominis: ergo videtur, quod postquam Deus die sexto animalia produxit, quod deinceps requievit.
3. Item, distinctio dierum est ad nostram instructionem3; sed sex diebus permisit Deus homines operari, septimo praecepit quiescere et cessare ab omni opere: si ergo illud mandatum rationem habet ex primaria rerum conditione, videtur, quod ad animalium productionem subsecuta fuerit quies.
4. Item, omnis creaturae productio finem habet et terminum, ergo similiter dies omnis, in qua aliquid producitur, habet vesperam; sed septimae diei secundum Scripturam4 non assignantur vesperae: ergo post sextam diem nulla sunt producta; et in sexto die producta sunt animalia: ergo etc.
Ad oppositum. 1. Ioannis quinto5: Pater meus operatur usque modo, et ego operor: ergo si usque modo operatus est, videtur, quod septimo die non cessaverit ab opere.
2. Item, septimus dies aut est novus dies praeter praecedentes, aut non. Si non: ergo non debet aliis connumerari; si sic, et illum fecit Deus: constat ergo, quod non requievit ab omni opere, postquam produxit animalia6. Si tu dicas, quod dies ille non differt a praecedentibus nisi secundum numerum; sed sic differt octavus et decimus, et sic deinceps: ergo si septimus numeratur, eadem ratione et octavus deberet numerari.
3. Item, requies aut connotat aliquem effectum, aut nullum. Si nullum effectum connotat: ergo ab aeterno requievit: ergo ante requievit, quam aliquid produceret: ergo penes requietionem non debet accipi aliquis dies. Si connotat aliquem effectum; et iste effectus non fuit in diebus praecedentibus: ergo aliquid novum produxit in die septimo: non ergo requievit ab omni opere suo, postquam produxit animalia die sexto.
4. Item, Deus creat quotidie novas animas et infundit corporibus; creare autem est opus soli Deo proprium: ergo non videtur, quod ab operatione quieverit post diem sextum.
5. Item, animalia quaedam producuntur per putrefactionem; sed constat, quod illa non sunt producta in sex diebus, sicut dicit Augustinus tertio7 super Genesim ad litteram, et huiusmodi habent species proprias et naturas: ergo videtur, quod post sextum diem non cessaverit a productione novarum specierum in genere animalium.
6. Item, quaedam animalia generantur per commixtionem, sicut mulus ex equa et asino8; haec autem in sex diebus non fuerunt facta, nec in esse individuali nec in sua specie: ergo post sextum diem non cessavit a rerum productione, non solum quantum ad individua, sed etiam quantum ad species et genera.
Conclusio.
Post animalium productionem secuta est quies die septimo, non quasi facta sit laboris cessatio, sed operis inchoati completio.
Respondeo: Praenotandum. Ad praedictorum intelligentiam est notandum, quod omnis artifex perfectus opus inchoat, ut ad perfectionem perducat; et sicut intendit, ita facit, si per omnia sufficientia virtutis agentis sibi suppetit; cum autem ad perfectionem deduxerit, habet quod intendit. Omne autem operans propter aliquid, obtento eo, propter quod agit, quiescit. Omnis ergo agens perfectus sic operatur, ut aliquando quiescat.
Duplex genus. Cum igitur Deus sit agens perfectissimus in producendo ipsum universum, necesse est, ipsum aliquando quiescere. Sed cum duplex sit agens, quoddam, quod movetur et laborat in sua operatione, quoddam vero, quod nec mutatur nec variatur; illud quod primo modo agit, quiescit per quietationem, quae quidem est privatio motus et laboris, sicut est agens creatum; illud vero, quod secundo modo agit, quiescit quietatione, non quae sit laboris vel fatigationis privatio, sed quae est cessatio ab opere propter ipsius perfectionem; et sic dicitur Deus ab omni opere quievisse, cum universum produxit ad perfectum esse, et sic quievit, sicut9 ad perfectum esse deduxit.
Duplex perfectio universi. Propter quod nota, quod duplex est perfectio universi: una et praecipua secundum esse permanens, alia est secundum ipsius esse decurrens. Prima attenditur in completa existentia principiorum et completo numero specierum, quae quidem species naturam generis participant secundum rectam et ordinatam intentionem naturae. Secunda vero perfectio consistit in productione eorum quae per tempora decurrunt et sibi consequenter succedunt, ex cuius successionis ordinatione resultat quaedam unitatis pulcritudo et perfectio10. Quoniam igitur secundum primam perfectionem Deus universum in sex diebus ad esse produxit, scilicet quantum ad completam existentiam principiorum et quantum ad completum numerum specierum; ideo dicitur Corollarium. quievisse ab omni opere, quod patrarat. Quia vero continue operatur ad rerum successionem per propagationem et individuorum multiplicationem; ideo dicitur operari usque modo. Et ex his patet responsio ad quaestionem propositam.
Conclusio. Concedendum est enim, quod ad productionem animalium, maxime hominis, secuta est quies in die septimo, non quia facta sit laboris terminatio, sed quia facta11 est operis inchoati completio; et concedendae sunt rationes hoc probantes.
Solutio oppositorum. 1. Ad illud quod obiicitur in contrarium de Ioannis quinto12: Pater meus operatur etc.; iam patet responsio. Obiicit enim de illa operatione, quae spectat ad perfectionem universi secundum esse decurrens, non secundum esse permanens.
2. Ad illud quod obiicitur, quod fecit diem septimum; dicendum, quod dies septimus non fuit alius specie a praecedentibus diebus, immo quodam modo iam erat in aliis productus; et ideo ad primum complementum universi nihil addebat ratione sui; et ideo eius productio non repugnabat quieti, secundum quod quies dicit cessationem a productione eorum quae sunt de principali universi constitutione. Enumeratur tamen cum praedictis diebus magis quam dies octavus vel decimus propter cessationem ab opere constituendi universum, secundum quam non attenditur numeratio dierum, quia non habent terminum; et ideo septimus dies non dicitur habere vesperam, nec post illum enumeratur dies novus, sed fit regressus ad principium13.
3. Quiescere secundum August. Ad illud quod obiicitur, quod requiescere ab opere, aut connotat effectum aliquem aut nullum; dicendum, quod secundum Augustinum14 requiescere dicitur in Deo causaliter, quia facit creaturam spiritualem per completam contemplationem sibi inhaerendo quiescere, vel quiescendo sibi inhaerere. Sec. alios Sanctos. Secundum autem alios Sanctos et viam communem quiescere dicit effectum, non qui sit in die sabbati, sed qui praecessit: unde Deus dicitur requiescere ab opere, quia prius fecit, et deinde nova non facit. Et propter hoc dicitur complesse omne opus suum in die septimo, non quia tunc aliquid fecerit, quod fuerit ad completionem, sed quia tunc quiescendo consummatum ostendit.
4. Ad illud quod obiicitur, de creatione animarum, dicendum, quod cum creantur nunc animae rationales, non creatur nova species, sed novum individuum; hoc autem individuum non est de constitutione universi primaria; et ideo per quietationem in sabbato non excludebatur animarum creatio.
5. 6. Ad illud quod obiicitur de productione eorum, quae sunt per putrefactionem et commixtionem, quod sunt novae species; dicendum, quod tam illa quae generantur per putrefactionem, quam illa quae generantur per diversarum specierum commixtionem, Notandum. producta sunt in suis principiis et rationibus seminalibus, quamvis non sint producta in simili secundum formam. Principia enim eorum sunt de primaria constitutione universi, utpote species completae et rationes seminales; sed illarum specierum actualis existentia ad primariam constitutionem universi non spectat, quia species illae quodam modo sunt degenerantes et quasi per quandam degenerationem produci habent, sicut vermes producuntur ex humano corpore per corruptionem aliquam, quae quidem facit corpus humanum a propria forma degenerare. Et ideo non oportuit, haec produci in se nec in suo simili ad primariam constitutionem universi; nec tamen sunt superflua, quia universum, quantum ad bene esse, aliquo modo decorant.
Tria rerum genera producta. Unde breviter nota, quod eorum quae successione producuntur, quaedam fuerunt in prima dierum distinctione producta in simili, sed non in ratione seminali, utpote animae rationales, quae scilicet producuntur per creationem et ideo non habent rationem seminalem; in simili tamen productae sunt, quando producta fuit anima Adae, post cuius productionem non producitur nova species, quamvis Genus 1. producantur nova individua. — Genus 2. Quaedam sunt, quae productae sunt in primis diebus quantum ad rationem seminalem, sed non in simili, sicut ea quae generantur per putrefactionem et per diversarum specierum commixtionem. — Genus 3. Quaedam sunt, quae producta sunt et in ratione seminali et in simili, sicut plantae et bruta animalia, quae producuntur per propagationem. — Et ad haec tria rerum genera possunt reduci omnia quae fiunt; et propterea non dicitur Deus producere aliqua de novo, secundum quod dicitur in Ecclesiastis primo15, quod nihil novum sub sole; sed dicitur ab omni opere requievisse, quia nihil producit, quod prius non fuerit vel in simili specie, vel in ratione seminali, quae tunc erant de primaria constitutione universi. — Et sic patet, qualiter ad animalium productionem in die sexto sequitur requies ab omni opere in die septimo.
I. Distinctio duplicis perfectionis universi, scil. secundum ipsius esse permanens et esse decurrens, eadem est cum ea quae vocatur ab Alex. Hal. (S. p. II. q. 56. m. 1.) completio secundum materiam et formam, et completio in fine. Similiter loquitur B. Albertus. Haec distinctio fere coincidit cum ea quae a S. Thoma in Sum. (I. q. 73. a. 1.) dicitur rei perfectio prima et secunda; in Comment. autem (hic q. 3. a. 1.) idem praeter eandem distinctionem distinguit etiam perfectionem totalitatis, et eam quae est ex ratione finis. — De sententia Augustini, quae tangitur in solutione ad 3, cfr. supra d. 13. a. 1. q. 1. — De generatione aequivoca, quae commemoratur in solut. ad 5. 6, cfr. supra d. 8. p. I. a. 2. q. 1, scholion. — In fine eiusdem solutionis S. Doctor breviter repetit principales quasdam suas doctrinas de productione rerum, distinguens tria rerum genera producenda.
II. Alex. Hal., loc. cit. — S. Thom., hic q. 3. a. 1. 2; S. I. q. 73. a. 1. 2. — B. Albert., S. p. II. tr. II. q. 66. et 67. — Petr. a Tar., hic q. 3. a. 1. 2. — Richard. a Med., hic a. 5. q. 1. — Aegid. R., hic q. 2. a. 1. 2. — Dionys. Carth., hic q. 4.
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Question III. What is the order of the production of animals in relation to rest.
Thirdly, it is asked concerning the order of the production of animals in relation to rest. And it is asked whether God, after he produced the animals, rested from every work. And that he did so, it seems:
Fundamenta. 1. By Scripture, Genesis 22: God rested on the seventh day from every work which he had wrought; but the animals were produced on the fifth and sixth day: therefore after their production a resting follows.
2. Likewise, every operation that arrives at completion has a rest that follows; but the production of creatures is completed in the production of animals, and especially of man: therefore it seems that after God produced the animals on the sixth day, he thereafter rested.
3. Likewise, the distinction of days is for our instruction3; but God permitted men to work for six days, and on the seventh he commanded that they rest and cease from every work: if therefore that commandment has its ground from the primary condition of things, it seems that upon the production of animals a rest followed.
4. Likewise, every production of a creature has an end and a term; therefore likewise every day on which something is produced has its evening; but to the seventh day according to Scripture4 no evening is assigned: therefore after the sixth day nothing was produced; and on the sixth day the animals were produced: therefore etc.
On the contrary. 1. John 55: My Father is working until now, and I am working: therefore if until now he is working, it seems that on the seventh day he did not cease from his work.
2. Likewise, the seventh day is either a new day beside the preceding ones, or not. If not: therefore it should not be numbered with the others; if so, and God made it: it is then certain that he did not rest from every work after he produced the animals6. If you say that that day differs from the preceding ones only in number, then so the eighth and the tenth differ, and so on; therefore if the seventh is numbered, by the same reasoning the eighth ought to be numbered.
3. Likewise, rest either connotes some effect or none. If it connotes no effect: therefore he rested from eternity: therefore he rested before he produced anything: therefore in respect of the resting no day ought to be reckoned. If it connotes some effect; and that effect was not in the preceding days: therefore he produced something new on the seventh day: therefore he did not rest from every work of his after he had produced the animals on the sixth day.
4. Likewise, God daily creates new souls and infuses them into bodies; but to create is a work proper to God alone: therefore it does not seem that he rested from operation after the sixth day.
5. Likewise, certain animals are produced through putrefaction; but it is established that these were not produced in the six days, as Augustine says in book three7 of On Genesis according to the Letter, and such have their own species and natures: therefore it seems that after the sixth day he did not cease from the production of new species in the kind of animals.
6. Likewise, certain animals are generated through commixture, as the mule from the mare and the ass8; but these were not made in the six days, neither in individual being nor in their species: therefore after the sixth day he did not cease from the production of things, not only as to individuals, but even as to species and genera.
Conclusio.
After the production of animals a rest followed on the seventh day, not as if there were a cessation from labor, but as the completion of a work begun.
I respond: To be noted beforehand. For the understanding of the foregoing it must be noted that every perfect artisan begins his work in order to bring it to perfection; and just as he intends, so he does, if the sufficiency of the agent's power in all things is at hand for him; and when he has brought it to perfection, he has what he intends. But every agent acting for the sake of something, once the thing for which he acts is obtained, rests. Therefore every perfect agent so operates that at some time he rests.
Twofold kind. Since therefore God is the most perfect agent in producing the universe itself, it is necessary that he at some time rest. But since there is a twofold agent — one that is moved and labors in its operation, and one that neither is changed nor varies — that which acts in the first mode rests through a resting that is the privation of motion and labor, as is a created agent; but that which acts in the second mode rests with a resting that is not the privation of labor or fatigue, but is the cessation from work on account of its own perfection; and thus God is said to have rested from every work, when he produced the universe to a perfect being, and so he rested, just as9 he led it to perfect being.
Twofold perfection of the universe. On account of which note that the perfection of the universe is twofold: one and the principal one according to its permanent being, the other according to its unfolding being. The first is attended to in the complete existence of the principles and the complete number of species, which species partake of the nature of the genus according to a right and ordered intention of nature. The second perfection consists in the production of those things which run through times and successively follow upon one another, from the ordering of which succession there results a certain beauty and perfection of unity10. Since therefore according to the first perfection God produced the universe into being in six days, that is, as to the complete existence of the principles and as to the complete number of species; therefore he is said to have Corollary. rested from every work which he had wrought. But because he continually works for the succession of things through propagation and the multiplication of individuals, therefore he is said to be working until now. And from these things the response to the question proposed is plain.
Conclusion. For it must be conceded that upon the production of animals, especially of man, a rest followed on the seventh day, not because there was a termination of labor, but because there was made11 the completion of a work begun; and the reasons proving this are to be conceded.
Solution of the opposing arguments. 1. To that which is objected on the contrary from John 512: My Father is working etc.; the response is already plain. For he objects from that operation which pertains to the perfection of the universe according to unfolding being, not according to permanent being.
2. To that which is objected, that he made the seventh day; it must be said that the seventh day was not different in species from the preceding days, but rather was in a certain way already produced in the others; and therefore it added nothing to the first completion of the universe by reason of itself; and therefore its production was not repugnant to rest, according as rest means cessation from the production of those things which belong to the principal constitution of the universe. Yet it is enumerated with the aforesaid days rather than the eighth or tenth day, on account of the cessation from the work of constituting the universe, in respect of which no numbering of days is attended to, because they have no term; and therefore the seventh day is not said to have an evening, nor after it is a new day enumerated, but a return is made to the beginning13.
3. Resting according to Augustine. To that which is objected, that to rest from work either connotes some effect or none; it must be said that according to Augustine14 to rest is said of God causally, because he makes the spiritual creature rest by cleaving to him through complete contemplation, or by resting to cleave to him. According to other Saints. But according to other Saints and the common way, to rest signifies an effect, not one that is in the day of the sabbath, but one that preceded it: whence God is said to rest from work, because he first made, and thereafter does not make new things. And on this account he is said to have completed all his work on the seventh day, not because then he made something which was for completion, but because then by resting he showed it consummated.
4. To that which is objected concerning the creation of souls, it must be said that when rational souls are now created, no new species is created, but a new individual; and this individual does not belong to the primary constitution of the universe; and therefore by the resting on the sabbath the creation of souls was not excluded.
5. 6. To that which is objected concerning the production of those which are by putrefaction and commixture, that they are new species; it must be said that both those which are generated by putrefaction and those which are generated by the commixture of diverse species are, Note. produced in their principles and seminal reasons, although they are not produced in the like according to form. For their principles are of the primary constitution of the universe, as complete species and seminal reasons; but the actual existence of those species does not pertain to the primary constitution of the universe, because those species are in a certain way degenerate and as it were have to be produced through a certain degeneration, just as worms are produced from the human body through a corruption that makes the human body degenerate from its proper form. And therefore it was not necessary that these be produced in themselves or in their like at the primary constitution of the universe; nor yet are they superfluous, because in some way they adorn the universe as to its well-being.
Three kinds of things produced. Hence note briefly that of those things which are produced by succession, some were produced at the first distinction of the days in the like, but not in seminal reason, as rational souls, which, namely, are produced by creation and therefore have no seminal reason; in the like, however, they were produced, when the soul of Adam was produced, after whose production no new species is produced, although Kind 1. new individuals are produced. — Kind 2. Some are those which were produced in the first days as to seminal reason, but not in the like, as those which are generated by putrefaction and by the commixture of diverse species. — Kind 3. Some are those which were produced both in seminal reason and in the like, as plants and brute animals, which are produced by propagation. — And to these three kinds of things all things that come to be can be reduced; and on this account God is not said to produce anything anew, according to what is said in Ecclesiastes 115, that nothing is new under the sun; but he is said to have rested from every work, because he produces nothing which was not previously either in a like species or in seminal reason, which then belonged to the primary constitution of the universe. — And thus it is plain how upon the production of animals on the sixth day there follows a rest from every work on the seventh day.
I. The distinction of the twofold perfection of the universe, namely according to its permanent being and unfolding being, is the same as that which is called by Alex. Hal. (S. p. II. q. 56. m. 1.) completion according to matter and form, and completion in the end. B. Albertus speaks similarly. This distinction almost coincides with that which by S. Thomas in the Summa (I. q. 73. a. 1.) is called the first and second perfection of a thing; but in the Commentary (here q. 3. a. 1.) the same author, besides this same distinction, also distinguishes the perfection of totality, and that which is from the ground of the end. — On the opinion of Augustine, which is touched on in the solution to 3, cf. above d. 13. a. 1. q. 1. — On equivocal generation, which is mentioned in the solution to 5 and 6, cf. above d. 8. p. I. a. 2. q. 1, scholion. — At the end of the same solution the Holy Doctor briefly repeats certain principal of his teachings on the production of things, distinguishing three kinds of things to be produced.
II. Alex. Hal., loc. cit. — S. Thom., here q. 3. a. 1. 2; S. I. q. 73. a. 1. 2. — B. Albert., S. p. II. tr. II. q. 66 and 67. — Petr. a Tar., here q. 3. a. 1. 2. — Richard. a Med., here a. 5. q. 1. — Aegid. R., here q. 2. a. 1. 2. — Dionys. Carth., here q. 4.
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- Vers. 2.Gen. 2:2.
- Sicut supra d. 12. a. 1. q. 2. monstratum est. — De minori cfr. Exod. 20, 9. seq.; Deut. 5, 13. seq.As was shown above at d. 12. a. 1. q. 2. — On the lesser point cf. Exodus 20:9 ff.; Deuteronomy 5:13 ff.
- Vide Gen. 2, 2. — Explicationem huius vide apud August., IV. de Gen. ad lit. c. 18. n. 31. seqq. — Plures codd. cum Vat. ergo post septimum pro ergo post sextam.See Gen. 2:2. — For the explanation of this see Augustine, On Genesis according to the Letter IV, c. 18, n. 31 ff. — Many codices with the Vatican edition read therefore after the seventh in place of therefore after the sixth.
- Vers. 17.Verse 17.
- Hoc arg. insinuat August., IV. de Gen. ad lit. c. 20. n. 37. et ut refert B. Albert., S. p. II. tr. II. q. 67, hoc modo « quaerunt Iudaei ».Augustine intimates this argument, On Genesis according to the Letter IV, c. 20, n. 37, and as B. Albertus reports, Summa part II, tr. II, q. 67, in this manner: "the Jews ask."
- Cap. 14. n. 23. — Vat. post septimum diem pro post sextum diem.Chapter 14, n. 23. — The Vatican edition reads after the seventh day in place of after the sixth day.
- Aristot., VII. Metaph. text. 28. (VI. c. 8.), hanc obiectionem aliquatenus tangit.Aristotle, Metaphysics VII, text 28 (VI, c. 8), touches on this objection to some extent.
- Cod. T a secunda manu bene cum.Codex T, by a second hand, well reads cum.
- Cfr. q. 1. huius art. ad ult.Cf. q. 1 of this article, at the last reply.
- Ed. 1 cum cod. cc perfecta.Edition 1 with codex cc reads perfecta.
- Vers. 17. — Paulo inferius auctoritate cod. aa posuimus ad perfectionem universi, dum alii codd. et edd. perperam habent ad operationem universi. Vide hic in corp.Verse 17. — Slightly below, on the authority of codex aa, we have set to the perfection of the universe, while other codices and editions wrongly have to the operation of the universe. See here in the body.
- Cod. cc et ed. 1 primum; Vat. addit vel primum. Paulo ante aliqui codd. cum ed. 1 novus pro novus.Codex cc and edition 1 read primum; the Vatican adds vel primum. A little before, some codices with edition 1 read nonus in place of novus.
- Libr. IV. de Gen. ad lit. c. 9. n. 16. et c. 16. n. 27. seqq. — Dialog. Qq. 65. cum Orosio (inter opera Augustini) q. 42. haec et seq. opinio habetur. Cfr. hic lit. Magistri, c. 7. seq.Augustine, On Genesis according to the Letter, book IV, c. 9, n. 16, and c. 16, n. 27 ff. — In the Dialogue of Questions 65 with Orosius (among the works of Augustine), q. 42, this and the following opinion is held. Cf. here the Littera of the Master, c. 7 ff.
- Vers. 10. — Ultima solutionis verba in die septimo desiderantur in Vat.Verse 10. — The last words of the solution on the seventh day are lacking in the Vatican edition.