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Objection 1: It would seem that the completion of the Divine works
ought not to be ascribed to the seventh day. For all things that are
done in this world belong to the Divine works. But the consummation
of the world will be at the end of the world (Mt.
13:39,40). Moreover, the time of Christ's Incarnation is
a time of completion, wherefore it is called "the time of fulness "
(Gal. 4:4). And Christ Himself, at the moment of His
death, cried out, "It is consummated" (Jn. 19:30). Hence
the completion of the Divine works does not belong to the seventh day.
Objection 2: Further, the completion of a work is an act in
itself. But we do not read that God acted at all on the seventh day,
but rather that He rested from all His work. Therefore the
completion of the works does not belong to the seventh day.
Objection 3: Further, nothing is said to be complete to which many
things are added, unless they are merely superfluous, for a thing is
called perfect to which nothing is wanting that it ought to possess.
But many things were made after the seventh day, as the production of
many individual beings, and even of certain new species that are
frequently appearing, especially in the case of animals generated from
putrefaction. Also, God creates daily new souls. Again, the work
of the Incarnation was a new work, of which it is said (Jer.
31:22): "The Lord hath created a new thing upon the earth."
Miracles also are new works, of which it is said (Eccles.
36:6): "Renew thy signs, and work new miracles." Moreover,
all things will be made new when the Saints are glorified, according
to Apoc. 21:5: "And He that sat on the throne said: Behold
I make all things new." Therefore the completion of the Divine
works ought not to be attributed to the seventh day.
On the contrary, It is said (Gn. 2:2): "On the seventh day
God ended His work which He had made."
I answer that, The perfection of a thing is twofold, the first
perfection and the second perfection. The 'first' perfection is that
according to which a thing is substantially perfect, and this
perfection is the form of the whole; which form results from the whole
having its parts complete. But the 'second' perfection is the end,
which is either an operation, as the end of the harpist is to play the
harp; or something that is attained by an operation, as the end of the
builder is the house that he makes by building. But the first
perfection is the cause of the second, because the form is the
principle of operation. Now the final perfection, which is the end of
the whole universe, is the perfect beatitude of the Saints at the
consummation of the world; and the first perfection is the completeness
of the universe at its first founding, and this is what is ascribed to
the seventh day.
Reply to Objection 1: The first perfection is the cause of the
second, as above said. Now for the attaining of beatitude two things
are required, nature and grace. Therefore, as said above, the
perfection of beatitude will be at the end of the world. But this
consummation existed previously in its causes, as to nature, at the
first founding of the world, as to grace, in the Incarnation of
Christ. For, "Grace and truth came by Jesus Christ" (Jn.
1:17). So, then, on the seventh day was the consummation of
nature, in Christ's Incarnation the consummation of grace, and at
the end of the world will be the consummation of glory.
Reply to Objection 2: God did act on the seventh day, not by
creating new creatures, but by directing and moving His creatures to
the work proper to them, and thus He made some beginning of the
"second" perfection. So that, according to our version of the
Scripture, the completion of the works is attributed to the seventh
day, though according to another it is assigned to the sixth. Either
version, however, may stand, since the completion of the universe as
to the completeness of its parts belongs to the sixth day, but its
completion as regards their operation, to the seventh. It may also be
added that in continuous movement, so long as any movement further is
possible, movement cannot be called completed till it comes to rest,
for rest denotes consummation of movement. Now God might have made
many other creatures besides those which He made in the six days, and
hence, by the fact that He ceased making them on the seventh day, He
is said on that day to have consummated His work.
Reply to Objection 3: Nothing entirely new was afterwards made by
God, but all things subsequently made had in a sense been made before
in the work of the six days. Some things, indeed, had a previous
experience materially, as the rib from the side of Adam out of which
God formed Eve; whilst others existed not only in matter but also in
their causes, as those individual creatures that are now generated
existed in the first of their kind. Species, also, that are new, if
any such appear, existed beforehand in various active powers; so that
animals, and perhaps even new species of animals, are produced by
putrefaction by the power which the stars and elements received at the
beginning. Again, animals of new kinds arise occasionally from the
connection of individuals belonging to different species, as the mule
is the offspring of an ass and a mare; but even these existed
previously in their causes, in the works of the six days. Some also
existed beforehand by way of similitude, as the souls now created.
And the work of the Incarnation itself was thus foreshadowed, for as
we read (Phil. 2:7), The Son of God "was made in the
likeness of men." And again, the glory that is spiritual was
anticipated in the angels by way of similitude; and that of the body in
the heaven, especially the empyrean. Hence it is written (Eccles.
1:10), "Nothing under the sun is new, for it hath already gone
before, in the ages that were before us."
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