Sect. 122Theological Doctrines Concerning the Material World GenerallyTheological Doctrines Concerning the Material World Generally
The things of this world come within the domain of Theology only in as far as they are the work of God, and have relations with Him and with man. The general truths bearing on this matter may be found out even by natural reason; but they have also been revealed to us, and have thus become the subject-matter of Theology. But Theology is concerned with the natural truths in question only in as far as they have a religious significance—that is, in as far as they express the relations of natural things to God or to man as their end and object. The general truths revealed, especially in Genesis, refer to the origin, the nature, and the end or final object of the material world.
I. The Material world owes its existence to a creative act of God; the several species of things, their differences, their position and functions in the universe, are, upon the whole, the direct work of God, Who has made them according to a well-defined plan. Neither the angels nor mere natural evolution made the world what it is. Organic beings, which now propagate themselves by means of generation, owe their existence neither to spontaneous generation nor to unconscious evolution of inorganic matter and forces; each species has been created to represent a Divine exemplar, and has received the power to perpetuate itself by producing individuals of the same species. This doctrine is most expressly contained in the narrative of creation in Genesis.
II. The material beings composing the universe are good in substance and nature, and are perfectly adapted to the ends for which they were created. This is the Catholic dogma opposed to Manichæism, which held the things of the material world to be not only imperfect, but even bad. On this point the words of Genesis are plain enough: “God saw all things that He had made, and they were very good” (1:31).
III. The end or object of material beings is the glory of God and the service of man. Man is in no wise the servant of the inferior world; his will is not deprived of freedom and ruled by the laws of nature.
That God created the world, made it good, and made it for the service of man, is contained in the narrative of the origin of the world in the Book of Genesis. But the Church has never defined, and consequently has left open to discussion, how far the Mosaic narrative, besides these three points, is of a doctrinal character, and how far it is simply rhetorical or poetical. The scope of the present work forbids us to enter into a detailed discussion of this subject. In the following section we shall state briefly what appears to us to be the better opinion.
The things of this world come within the domain of Theology only in as far as they are the work of God, and have relations with Him and with man. The general truths bearing on this matter may be found out even by natural reason; but they have also been revealed to us, and have thus become the subject-matter of Theology. But Theology is concerned with the natural truths in question only in as far as they have a religious significance—that is, in as far as they express the relations of natural things to God or to man as their end and object. The general truths revealed, especially in Genesis, refer to the origin, the nature, and the end or final object of the material world.
I. The Material world owes its existence to a creative act of God; the several species of things, their differences, their position and functions in the universe, are, upon the whole, the direct work of God, Who has made them according to a well-defined plan. Neither the angels nor mere natural evolution made the world what it is. Organic beings, which now propagate themselves by means of generation, owe their existence neither to spontaneous generation nor to unconscious evolution of inorganic matter and forces; each species has been created to represent a Divine exemplar, and has received the power to perpetuate itself by producing individuals of the same species. This doctrine is most expressly contained in the narrative of creation in Genesis.
II. The material beings composing the universe are good in substance and nature, and are perfectly adapted to the ends for which they were created. This is the Catholic dogma opposed to Manichæism, which held the things of the material world to be not only imperfect, but even bad. On this point the words of Genesis are plain enough: “God saw all things that He had made, and they were very good” (1:31).
III. The end or object of material beings is the glory of God and the service of man. Man is in no wise the servant of the inferior world; his will is not deprived of freedom and ruled by the laws of nature.
That God created the world, made it good, and made it for the service of man, is contained in the narrative of the origin of the world in the Book of Genesis. But the Church has never defined, and consequently has left open to discussion, how far the Mosaic narrative, besides these three points, is of a doctrinal character, and how far it is simply rhetorical or poetical. The scope of the present work forbids us to enter into a detailed discussion of this subject. In the following section we shall state briefly what appears to us to be the better opinion.
Seção 42% da obra, de A Manual of Catholic Theology (Wilhelm & Scannell, sobre a Dogmatik de Scheeben). Ver o original.