Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae

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."

Articulus 1

Argumentum 1

Ad primum sic proceditur. Videtur quod completio divinorum operum non debeat septimo diei adscribi.

Omnia enim quae in hoc saeculo aguntur, ad divina opera pertinent.

Sed consummatio saeculi erit in fine mundi, ut habetur Matth. XIII.

Tempus etiam incarnationis christi est cuiusdam completionis tempus, unde dicitur tempus plenitudinis, Gal. IV.

Et ipse christus moriens dixit, consummatum est, ut dicitur Ioan. XIX.

Non ergo completio divinorum operum competit diei septimo.

Argumentum 2

Praeterea, quicumque complet opus suum, aliquid facit.

Sed deus non legitur septimo die aliquid fecisse, quinimmo ab omni opere quievisse.

Ergo completio operum non competit septimo diei.

Argumentum 3

Praeterea, non dicitur aliquid esse completum, cui multa superadduntur, nisi forte sint illa superflua, quia perfectum dicitur cui nihil deest eorum quae debet habere. Sed post septimum diem multa sunt facta, et productio multorum individuorum; et etiam quarumdam novarum specierum, quae frequenter apparent, praecipue in animalibus ex putrefactione generatis. Quotidie etiam deus novas animas creat. Novum etiam fuit incarnationis opus, de quo dicitur Ierem. XXXI, novum faciet dominus super terram.

Nova etiam sunt miraculosa opera, de quibus dicitur Eccli. XXXVI, innova signa, et immuta mirabilia.

Innovabuntur etiam omnia in glorificatione sanctorum, secundum illud Apoc. XXI, et dixit qui sedebat in throno, ecce nova facio omnia.

Completio ergo divinorum operum non debet attribui septimo diei.

Sed Contra

Sed contra est quod dicitur Gen. II, complevit deus die septimo opus suum quod fecerat.

Corpus

Respondeo dicendum quod duplex est rei perfectio, prima, et secunda. Prima quidem perfectio est, secundum quod res in sua substantia est perfecta. Quae quidem perfectio est forma totius, quae ex integritate partium consurgit. Perfectio autem secunda est finis. Finis autem vel est operatio, sicut finis citharistae est citharizare, vel est aliquid ad quod per operationem pervenitur, sicut finis aedificatoris est domus, quam aedificando facit. Prima autem perfectio est causa secundae, quia forma est principium operationis. Ultima autem perfectio, quae est finis totius universi, est perfecta beatitudo sanctorum; quae erit in ultima consummatione saeculi.

Prima autem perfectio, quae est in integritate universi, fuit in prima rerum institutione. Et haec deputatur septimo diei.

Ad 1

Ad primum ergo dicendum quod, sicut dictum est, perfectio prima est causa secundae. Ad beatitudinem autem consequendam duo requiruntur, natura et gratia.

Ipsa ergo beatitudinis perfectio erit in fine mundi, ut dictum est.

Sed ista consummatio praecessit causaliter, quantum ad naturam quidem, in prima rerum institutione, quantum ad gratiam vero, in incarnatione christi, quia gratia et veritas per iesum christum facta est, ut dicitur Ioan. I.

Sic igitur in septima die fuit consummatio naturae; in incarnatione christi, consummatio gratiae; in fine mundi, consummatio gloriae.

Ad 2

Ad secundum dicendum quod septima die deus aliquid operatus est, non novam creaturam condendo, sed creaturam administrando, et ad propriam operationem eam movendo, quod iam aliqualiter pertinet ad inchoationem quandam secundae perfectionis.

Et ideo consummatio operum, secundum nostram translationem, attribuitur diei septimae.

Sed secundum aliam translationem, attribuitur diei sextae. Et utrumque potest stare. Quia consummatio quae est secundum integritatem partium universi, competit sextae diei, consummatio quae est secundum operationem partium, competit septimae.

Vel potest dici quod in motu continuo, quandiu aliquid potest moveri ulterius, non dicitur motus perfectus ante quietem, quies enim demonstrat motum consummatum. Deus autem poterat plures creaturas facere, praeter illas quas fecerat sex diebus. Unde hoc ipso quod cessavit novas creaturas condere in septima die, dicitur opus suum consummasse.

Ad 3

Ad tertium dicendum quod nihil postmodum a deo factum est totaliter novum, quin aliqualiter in operibus sex dierum praecesserit. Quaedam enim praeextiterunt materialiter, sicut quod deus de costa Adae formavit mulierem. Quaedam vero praeextiterunt in operibus sex dierum, non solum materialiter, sed etiam causaliter, sicut individua quae nunc generantur, praecesserunt in primis individuis suarum specierum. Species etiam novae, si quae apparent, praeextiterunt in quibusdam activis virtutibus, sicut et animalia ex putrefactione generata producuntur ex virtutibus stellarum et elementorum quas a principio acceperunt, etiam si novae species talium animalium producantur.

Animalia etiam quaedam secundum novam speciem aliquando oriuntur ex commixtione animalium diversorum secundum speciem, sicut cum ex asino et equa generatur mulus, et haec etiam praecesserunt causaliter in operibus sex dierum. Quaedam vero praecesserunt secundum similitudinem; sicut animae quae nunc creantur. Et similiter incarnationis opus, quia, ut dicitur philipp. II, filius dei est in similitudinem hominum factus.

Gloria etiam spiritualis secundum similitudinem praecessit in Angelis, corporalis vero in caelo, praecipue empyreo.

Unde dicitur Eccle. I, nihil sub sole novum; iam enim praecessit in saeculis quae fuerunt ante nos.