Sect. 115Essential Relation of Creatures to God as the Final Object of Their Being, Activity, and TendenciesEssential Relation of Creatures to God as the Final Object of Their Being, Activity, and Tendencies
I. We may here take it for granted that every creature has, in a way, its end in itself. Creatures are either good already or tend to be good; they possess and enjoy the good which is in them, and find the fulfilment of their tendencies in the union with the good to which they tend.
At the same time, however, dogma and reason alike show that the highest and final object of creatures as such is not in themselves, but in the glorification of the Creator. “If any one shall say that the world was not created for the glory of God, let him be anathema” (Vat. Council, sess. iii., c. I, can. 5). The council, indeed, does not expressly define that the glory of God is the final object; but this is self-evident. For if the “world” purely and simply—that is, with all its component parts and elements—is made for the glory of God, all its particular ends and objects must be subordinate to this one great end. Besides, God cannot be other than the highest and final object.
If we consider in detail the essential relation of creatures to God as their final object, we find, first, that they are ordained to represent, by means of their own goodness and beauty, the supreme goodness and beauty of the Creator; secondly, that they exist for the service of God, Whose property they are, and on Whom they depend; thirdly, that God is the good to which they ultimately tend, and in which they find their rest. In each of these three respects the manifestation of the Divine glory appears in a particular form: the majesty of God’s inner perfection and beauty is reflected in the being of creatures; the majesty of His power and dominion is manifested in their submission to Him; and the majesty and glory which accrue to Him from His being the good of all that is good and the centre of all being, shine forth in the union of creatures with Him as the resting-place of all their tendencies.
This doctrine is abundantly set forth in Holy Scripture. “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, saith the Lord God” (Apoc. 1:8); “Of Him, and by Him, and in (unto) Him, are all things” (Rom. 11:36); “For Whom are all things, and by Whom all things” (διʼ ὁν τὰ πάντα καὶ διʼ οὗ τὰ πάντα, Heb. 2:10). God’s actual destination of everything for His own purpose is expressed in Prov. 16:4: “The Lord hath made all things for Himself.” The accomplishment and fulfilment of His purpose is that all should be most intimately united to Him: “Afterwards the end, … and when all things shall be subdued unto Him, then the Son also Himself shall be subject unto Him that put all things under Him, that God may be all in all” (τὰ πάντα ἐν πᾶσιν, 1 Cor. 15:24–28).
II. What we have said of the relation of creatures generally to God as their Final Object, applies with greater force to rational creatures. These, even more than irrational creatures, have in themselves a final object; they cannot be used as mere means for the benefit of other creatures, but have a dignity of their own, and are, therefore, entitled to everlasting duration. They, as it were, belong to themselves, and they use for their own purposes what they are and possess; the beatitude towards which they tend is a perfection connatural to them. The salient point of their perfection consists in the fact that they cannot be subjected purely and simply to any other creature, so as to be used for its sole benefit. Their final or highest object, however, is in God. Without some relation to Him rational life would necessarily be imperfect, and, besides, the possession of God constitutes the beatitude of rational beings. Their whole being, their life and activity, and even their own beatitude, must be referred to the glory of God. Creatures endowed with reason ought, more than others, to publish, by means of their natural and supernatural likeness to God, the beauty of their Prototype. Their whole life should be spent in the service of their Master, and all their aspirations ought to tend to union with Him. They alone are able to give Him true honour and worship, based upon true knowledge and love.
The supreme felicity of rational creatures consists in the possession of God. This does not, however, imply that the felicity of the creature is the highest object, and that the fruition of God is a means thereto. The beatitude to be attained by the rational creature really consists in a perfect union with God by means of knowledge and love, which union contains at the same time the highest felicity of the creature and the most perfect glorification of the Creator; the highest happiness of the blessed is afforded precisely by the consciousness that their knowledge and love of the internal beauty of God are the means of His external glorification.
This doctrine also is expressed in countless passages of Holy Scripture. “The Lord hath chosen thee … to make thee higher than all nations which He hath created to His own praise, and name, and glory” (Deut. 26:18, 19); “Filled with the fruit of justice, through Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God” (Phil. 1:11); “Who hath predestinated us unto the adoption of children through Jesus Christ unto Himself, according to the purpose of His will, unto the praise of the glory of His grace” (Eph. 1:5, 6); “Thou art worthy, O Lord our God, to receive glory and honour and power, because Thou hast created all things, and for Thy will they were and have been created” (Apoc. 4:11).
Nothing shows better that the felicity of creatures is an object subordinate to the glory of God, than the fact that those who, through their own fault, fail to glorify Him by obtaining eternal felicity for themselves, are compelled to glorify Him by manifesting His justice. The glory of God is, then, the final object of all things, and to this end all others are subservient.
III. Besides glorifying God in their imperfect way, material things have also to serve rational creatures in the attainment of their perfection and final felicity. They belong not only to the kingdom of God, but also to the kingdom of man. “The world is made for man,” that man may use it for the glory of his Creator. The expression “All things in creation are made to reveal or manifest the glory of God,” must not be understood of rational creatures only. Creatures reflect in themselves and represent the Divine perfections just as a work of art itself represents and reveals the ideal of the artist, whether it be taken notice of by men or not. Hence worlds unknown to man and angels would still manifest the glory of their Maker and attain the final object of all things, the glorification of God. “The heavens show forth the glory of God, and the firmament declareth the work of His hands” (Ps. 18:2).
The hierarchy of creation, and of the ends of man in particular, is beautifully expressed by Lactantius. “The world was made,” he says, “that we might be born. We were born that we might know God. We know Him that we may worship Him. We worship Him that we may earn immortality. We are rewarded with immortality that, being made like unto the angels, we may serve our Father and Lord for ever and be the eternal kingdom of God” (Instit. vii. 6).
I. We may here take it for granted that every creature has, in a way, its end in itself. Creatures are either good already or tend to be good; they possess and enjoy the good which is in them, and find the fulfilment of their tendencies in the union with the good to which they tend.
At the same time, however, dogma and reason alike show that the highest and final object of creatures as such is not in themselves, but in the glorification of the Creator. “If any one shall say that the world was not created for the glory of God, let him be anathema” (Vat. Council, sess. iii., c. I, can. 5). The council, indeed, does not expressly define that the glory of God is the final object; but this is self-evident. For if the “world” purely and simply—that is, with all its component parts and elements—is made for the glory of God, all its particular ends and objects must be subordinate to this one great end. Besides, God cannot be other than the highest and final object.
If we consider in detail the essential relation of creatures to God as their final object, we find, first, that they are ordained to represent, by means of their own goodness and beauty, the supreme goodness and beauty of the Creator; secondly, that they exist for the service of God, Whose property they are, and on Whom they depend; thirdly, that God is the good to which they ultimately tend, and in which they find their rest. In each of these three respects the manifestation of the Divine glory appears in a particular form: the majesty of God’s inner perfection and beauty is reflected in the being of creatures; the majesty of His power and dominion is manifested in their submission to Him; and the majesty and glory which accrue to Him from His being the good of all that is good and the centre of all being, shine forth in the union of creatures with Him as the resting-place of all their tendencies.
This doctrine is abundantly set forth in Holy Scripture. “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, saith the Lord God” (Apoc. 1:8); “Of Him, and by Him, and in (unto) Him, are all things” (Rom. 11:36); “For Whom are all things, and by Whom all things” (διʼ ὁν τὰ πάντα καὶ διʼ οὗ τὰ πάντα, Heb. 2:10). God’s actual destination of everything for His own purpose is expressed in Prov. 16:4: “The Lord hath made all things for Himself.” The accomplishment and fulfilment of His purpose is that all should be most intimately united to Him: “Afterwards the end, … and when all things shall be subdued unto Him, then the Son also Himself shall be subject unto Him that put all things under Him, that God may be all in all” (τὰ πάντα ἐν πᾶσιν, 1 Cor. 15:24–28).
II. What we have said of the relation of creatures generally to God as their Final Object, applies with greater force to rational creatures. These, even more than irrational creatures, have in themselves a final object; they cannot be used as mere means for the benefit of other creatures, but have a dignity of their own, and are, therefore, entitled to everlasting duration. They, as it were, belong to themselves, and they use for their own purposes what they are and possess; the beatitude towards which they tend is a perfection connatural to them. The salient point of their perfection consists in the fact that they cannot be subjected purely and simply to any other creature, so as to be used for its sole benefit. Their final or highest object, however, is in God. Without some relation to Him rational life would necessarily be imperfect, and, besides, the possession of God constitutes the beatitude of rational beings. Their whole being, their life and activity, and even their own beatitude, must be referred to the glory of God. Creatures endowed with reason ought, more than others, to publish, by means of their natural and supernatural likeness to God, the beauty of their Prototype. Their whole life should be spent in the service of their Master, and all their aspirations ought to tend to union with Him. They alone are able to give Him true honour and worship, based upon true knowledge and love.
The supreme felicity of rational creatures consists in the possession of God. This does not, however, imply that the felicity of the creature is the highest object, and that the fruition of God is a means thereto. The beatitude to be attained by the rational creature really consists in a perfect union with God by means of knowledge and love, which union contains at the same time the highest felicity of the creature and the most perfect glorification of the Creator; the highest happiness of the blessed is afforded precisely by the consciousness that their knowledge and love of the internal beauty of God are the means of His external glorification.
This doctrine also is expressed in countless passages of Holy Scripture. “The Lord hath chosen thee … to make thee higher than all nations which He hath created to His own praise, and name, and glory” (Deut. 26:18, 19); “Filled with the fruit of justice, through Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God” (Phil. 1:11); “Who hath predestinated us unto the adoption of children through Jesus Christ unto Himself, according to the purpose of His will, unto the praise of the glory of His grace” (Eph. 1:5, 6); “Thou art worthy, O Lord our God, to receive glory and honour and power, because Thou hast created all things, and for Thy will they were and have been created” (Apoc. 4:11).
Nothing shows better that the felicity of creatures is an object subordinate to the glory of God, than the fact that those who, through their own fault, fail to glorify Him by obtaining eternal felicity for themselves, are compelled to glorify Him by manifesting His justice. The glory of God is, then, the final object of all things, and to this end all others are subservient.
III. Besides glorifying God in their imperfect way, material things have also to serve rational creatures in the attainment of their perfection and final felicity. They belong not only to the kingdom of God, but also to the kingdom of man. “The world is made for man,” that man may use it for the glory of his Creator. The expression “All things in creation are made to reveal or manifest the glory of God,” must not be understood of rational creatures only. Creatures reflect in themselves and represent the Divine perfections just as a work of art itself represents and reveals the ideal of the artist, whether it be taken notice of by men or not. Hence worlds unknown to man and angels would still manifest the glory of their Maker and attain the final object of all things, the glorification of God. “The heavens show forth the glory of God, and the firmament declareth the work of His hands” (Ps. 18:2).
The hierarchy of creation, and of the ends of man in particular, is beautifully expressed by Lactantius. “The world was made,” he says, “that we might be born. We were born that we might know God. We know Him that we may worship Him. We worship Him that we may earn immortality. We are rewarded with immortality that, being made like unto the angels, we may serve our Father and Lord for ever and be the eternal kingdom of God” (Instit. vii. 6).
Seção 39% da obra, de A Manual of Catholic Theology (Wilhelm & Scannell, sobre a Dogmatik de Scheeben). Ver o original.