2. How many ways and differences Scripture has set down in the operation of creatures.

D. In how many ways has Scripture indicated the generation of the world? M. In three. For it is written either (1) that something was made by God's will alone, e.g., "In the beginning God made heaven and earth" (Gn 1:1). Or (2) by will and word together--either of command, e.g., "Let light be made" (Gn 1:3), and, "Let a firmament be made" (Gn 1:6), or of deliberation, e.g., "Let us make man in our image and likeness" (Gn 1:26). Or (3) by will, word, and decree, e.g., "Grow and multiply, and fill the earth" (Gn 1:28). And again, "Let the earth bring forth vegetation bearing seed according to its own kind, and the fruit- bearing tree producing fruit, whose seed <is>in it in its likeness on earth" (Gn 1:11), and the rest of the things which after the seventh day, even to the end of the world, he is accomplishing in stages. For from that decree they come forth.

is>[2] D. Is there any difference in these three? M. There is, because those things which were made by will alone or also by word were made for the first time, but those things which <were made="">by decree are by now similar to those things which we said were made for the first time. And again, the former indeed <were made="">in the first six days; but the latter <are being="" made="">as long as the world endures.

are>were>were>[3] D. Give the order of the things made during the six days. M. Indeed in the very beginning of creation there were made heaven, earth, the angels, air, and water. D. Prove that the angels, and water, and air were made. M. Indeed that they were made is shown from different passages of Scripture, for example, "who makes the winds his angels" (Ps 103[104]:4), and, "Praise him, all you his angels" (Ps 148:2), and, "Let the waters which are above the heavens praise the name of the Lord, because he spoke, and they were made" (Ps 148:4,5). And air is shown in Scriptures by the term 'sky,' for instance, "the birds of the sky" (Ps 8:9), since it is certain that birds fly in air. Heaven, moreover, we have shown was made. But that those things preceded the rest of the creatures even Scripture demonstrates in the angels, inasmuch as in praises and blessings they are preferred to the remaining creatures, and reason does also; for it had to be that heavenly creation preceded the earthly ones. But concerning the waters Scripture itself says that "The spirit of God moved over the waters" (Gn 1:2).

[4] D. Go through the order of creation. M. In the beginning, on the first day, light was made, but on the second the firmament, on the third the sea and the produce of the earth, on the fourth the lamps of heaven, on the fifth the fish and the birds, on the sixth the remaining animals and the human being.

[5] D. What difference is there in the operation of the creatures themselves? M. The fact that certain ones were made from nothing, such as heaven, earth, and the other things which right until the completion of the first day we said were made, but certain things were made from the things already made on the first day. D. Give proofs of these. M. That as often as Scripture desires to show that things were made from something, either it openly indicates it, for example, "Let the earth bring forth" (Gn 1:11), and, "Let the waters bring forth" (Gn 1:20), and the like, or at least from the subtle meaning of words, as when it says, "Let there be a firmament" (Gn 1:6), it certainly indicates that there was something fluid and liquid, i.e., the waters, and in order that they might be shown to have been solidified, that which was being made was called the 'firmament.' [5b] And again, it called those things which were made on the fourth day 'lamps' [luminaria], in a derivative fashion, in order that it might show that they were made from light [lumen], which was made on the first day. But among these things which were made on the first day, neither openly nor by subtle word is it declared that anything was made from another. D. Then is nothing after the first day shown to have been made from non-existent things? M. Only the soul of the human being, in the case of whom even this should be marked: that, although other things were made either from nothing or from the things already made, the human being alone is compounded of both.

[6] D. What other differences do we ascribe to creatures? M. That those things which were made within the first six days came forth not naturally nor from likeness; but the rest, which are made naturally, originate from divine decree, except of course for miracles.

[7] D. Give the third difference. M. That some of the creatures, i.e., the rational ones, were made for the sake of themselves, such as angels and human beings. But the rest are acknowledged to have been made not for the sake of themselves, but for the sake of the aforementioned angels or human beings. But the human being should be understood to have been made principally, in view of his soul, for his own sake; for in view of his body, consequentially. D. But what? beyond human beings and angels, were not other creatures in need of themselves in turn? M. Certainly they were in need, not for utility, but for adornment, for they are beneficial, not to themselves, but to angels or humans, for whom they are acknowledged indeed to have been made. [7b] But they also, in their turn, afford adornment; to be sure, even heaven was unadorned, without celestial lamps, and the lamps themselves, lest they might become superfluous, needed the eyes of beholders; and the sea was unadorned until it either received its own place or was filled with living beings; and the earth was unadorned, except for the use of its inhabitants, i.e., native beings; and irrational animals were lacking in judgment without the guidance of the human being; and grass, since the animals' use of it was nonexistent, was superfluous. Thus all things in turn were in need either of these that were made during the six days or these that daily are made. But, as we have already said, it is possible for one thing to be unadorned, another thing beneficial: for it is declared that anything unadorned in itself is beneficial to another. [7c] D. In adornment itself is there any difference? M. There is. For some things were adorned in six days, like heaven with its lamps, and earth with grass, and with fish the sea. Certain things are being adorned so long as the universe is alive, like the sea with ships, and the earth with buildings, and the other things that are built by human ingenuity, and the human being himself with knowledge. But certain things will in the future acquire their own embellishment, as the body its incorruptibility, and mortal things immortality, and the heavenly kingdom its habitation by the saints. But in the matter of the adornments it should be noted that of those things which are made by genius or arts the cause is in the human being, but of the rest, in God.

[8] D. Give the fourth difference. M. That certain things emerged created at the same time and as it were suddenly, such as those things that we said were made within the first days, i.e., the grass, lamps, fish and birds, and also the animals and quadrupeds of the earth. But certain things were made not at the same time, but as it were with a certain delay, as the sea, the earth, the human being; for even he is written to have been made gradually, just as even the rest.

[9] D. Give the fifth difference of creatures. M. That certain of them surpass the rest in reason, such as the rational beings; but certain things are considered for use, as the heavenly lamps; certain things are subservient by necessity of nature, as the birds and quadrupeds, and the like.

[10] D. Give the sixth difference. M. That those which surpass the rest, i.e., the rational beings, are moved by will and reason, but those which are subservient by use or necessity are moved by nature. D. Those things which have been made from something--how many materials have they had? M. Six: earth, waters, air, fire, light, rib. D. Give their origins in each case. M. From the earth: greenery, plants, and animals; from the waters: firmament, sea, fish, and birds; but together from earth, water, fire, and air: all things that are renewed through successive generations; from light, the lamps; from rib, Eve. D. How is fire proved to have been made, or from where, or when? [10b] M. Indeed that it was made we can prove even from general Scripture, when it is said about God, "who made heaven and earth, the sea, and everything which is in them" (Ps 145[146]:6), because certainly fire, too, is in them, and from a specific declaration: "Praise the Lord from the earth, you sea-monsters, and all you depths, fire, hail, snow, ice, storm winds" (Ps 148:7,8), about which it had previously said, "because he spoke, and they were made" (Ps 148:5). And again: "Bless the Lord, all you works of the Lord" (Dn 3:57), and he added, "Bless the Lord, you fire and heat" (Dn 3:66). But whether fire was made from nothing (just as even other things were) or from something is unresolved. For many people maintain that it is a particle of the heavenly lamps, for to be sure now frequently we have seen that human beings by a certain method borrow fire from the rays of the sun; if this is so, then it was made on the first day. But Scripture more wisely called this 'light' rather than 'fire,' in order that it might receive a name from a better use.

[11] D. Give the seventh difference of creatures. M. That all things which were made from something, or from which some things were made, are corporeal. But some things are incorporeal, neither themselves made from another nor from themselves. But these should be taken as incorporeal not as God is said to be incorporeal, for in comparison with him nothing is incorporeal, just as it is neither immortal nor invisible. For there is one way in which these words suit divinity alone, another way in which it speaks about creatures, such as souls or angels.

[12] D. How is God said to have worked in six days, and rested on the seventh day, if he neither works when he does something so that rest may be thought to be necessary for him, nor at any time does he cease, the Lord saying in the Gospel, "My father works until now, and I work" (Jn 5:17)? M. On the seventh day God is said to have rested, not from creating, inasmuch as daily from his dispensation and providence all creation is renewed or maintained, but this has been indicated: that after those six days he created no kind of substance unknown to the world, or nature new and untried. D. Can we ask in what way God made the world? M. This is asked more foolishly than prudently. For it is not permitted to a human being to perceive the method of any divine creation; for if someone knew in what way any things were made from nothing, surely he would have been equal to the Creator in knowledge and power.