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Objection 1: It would seem that not all the members of the human
body will rise again. For if the end be done away it is useless to
repair the means. Now the end of each member is its act. Since then
nothing useless is done in the Divine works, and since the use of
certain members is not fitting to man after the resurrection,
especially the use of the genital members, for then they "shall
neither marry, nor be married" (Mt. 22:30), it would seem
that not all the members shall rise again.
Objection 2: Further, the entrails are members: and yet they will
not rise again. For they can neither rise full, since thus they
contain impurities, nor empty, since nothing is empty in nature.
Therefore the members shall not all rise again.
Objection 3: Further, the body shall rise again that it may be
rewarded for the works which the soul did through it. Now the member
of which a thief has been deprived for theft, and who has afterwards
done penance and is saved, cannot be rewarded at the resurrection,
neither for any good deed, since it has not co-operated in any, nor
for evil deeds, since the punishment of the member would redound to the
punishment of man. Therefore the members will not all rise again.
On the contrary, The other members belong more to the truth of human
nature than hair and nails. Yet these will be restored to man at the
resurrection according to the text (Sent. iv, D, 4). Much more
therefore does this apply to the other members.
Further, "The works of God are perfect" (Dt. 32:4). But
the resurrection will be the work of God. Therefore man will be
remade perfect in all his members.
I answer that, As stated in De Anima ii, 4, "the soul stands in
relation to the body not only as its form and end, but also as
efficient cause." For the soul is compared to the body as art to the
thing made by art, as the Philosopher says (De Anim. Gener. ii,
4), and whatever is shown forth explicitly in the product of art is
all contained implicitly and originally in the art. In like manner
whatever appears in the parts of the body is all contained originally
and, in a way, implicitly in the soul. Thus just as the work of an
art would not be perfect, if its product lacked any of the things
contained in the art, so neither could man be perfect, unless the
whole that is contained enfolded in the soul be outwardly unfolded in
the body, nor would the body correspond in full proportion to the
soul. Since then at the resurrection it behooves man's body to
correspond entirely to the soul, for it will not rise again except
according to the relation it bears to the rational soul, it follows
that man also must rise again perfect, seeing that he is thereby
repaired in order that he may obtain his ultimate perfection.
Consequently all the members that are now in man's body must needs be
restored at the resurrection.
Reply to Objection 1: The members may be considered in two ways in
relation to the soul: either according to the relation of matter to
form, or according to the relation of instrument to agent, since "the
whole body is compared to the whole soul in the same way as one part is
to another" (De Anima ii, 1). If then the members be considered
in the light of the first relationship, their end is not operation,
but rather the perfect being of the species, and this is also required
after the resurrection: but if they be considered in the light of the
second relationship, then their end is operation. And yet it does not
follow that when the operation fails the instrument is useless, because
an instrument serves not only to accomplish the operation of the agent,
but also to show its virtue. Hence it will be necessary for the virtue
of the soul's powers to be shown in their bodily instruments, even
though they never proceed to action, so that the wisdom of God be
thereby glorified.
Reply to Objection 2: The entrails will rise again in the body even
as the other members: and they will be filled not with vile
superfluities but with goodly humors.
Reply to Objection 3: The acts whereby we merit are not the acts,
properly speaking, of hand or foot but of the whole man; even as the
work of art is ascribed not to the instrument but to the craftsman.
Therefore though the member which was cut off before a man's
repentance did not co-operate with him in the state wherein he merits
glory, yet man himself merits that the whole man may be rewarded, who
with his whole being serves God.
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