Is the work of the sixth day fittingly described?
Dixit quoque Deus: “Producat terra animam viventem in genere suo, iumenta et reptilia et bestias terrae secundum species suas”. Factumque est ita.
Et fecit Deus bestias terrae iuxta species suas et iumenta secundum species suas et omne reptile terrae in genere suo. Et vidit Deus quod esset bonum.
Et ait Deus: “Faciamus hominem ad imaginem et similitudinem nostram; et praesint piscibus maris et volatilibus caeli et bestiis universaeque terrae omnique reptili, quod movetur in terra”.
Et creavit Deus hominem ad imaginem suam;
ad imaginem Dei creavit illum;
masculum et feminam creavit eos.
Benedixitque illis Deus et ait illis Deus: “Crescite et multiplicamini et replete terram et subicite eam et dominamini piscibus maris et volatilibus caeli et universis animantibus, quae moventur super terram”.
Dixitque Deus: “Ecce dedi vobis omnem herbam afferentem semen super terram et universa ligna, quae habent in semetipsis fructum ligni portantem sementem, ut sint vobis in escam
et cunctis animantibus terrae omnique volucri caeli et universis, quae moventur in terra et in quibus est anima vivens, omnem herbam virentem ad vescendum”. Et factum est ita.
Viditque Deus cuncta, quae fecit, et ecce erant valde bona. Et factum est vespere et mane, dies sextus.
(Gen 1:24-31)
Yes. Therefore the words, "Let the earth bring forth the living creature," should not rather have been, "Let the earth bring forth the living four-footed creatures," because Scripture does not call fishes "living creatures," but "creeping creatures having life"; whereas it does call land animals "living creatures" on account of their more perfect life, and seems to imply that fishes are merely bodies having in them something of a soul, whilst land animals, from the higher perfection of their life, are, as it were, living souls with bodies subject to them.
Convenienter dicitur, "producat terra animam viventem"; sed non debuit dici, "producat terra quadrupedia animae viventis".
Et ideo pisces vocat, non animam viventem, sed reptile animae viventis, sed terrena animalia vocat animam viventem, propter perfectionem vitae in eis, ac si pisces sint corpora habentia aliquid animae, terrestria vero animalia, propter perfectionem vitae, sint quasi animae dominantes corporibus.
But the life of man, as being the most perfect grade, is not said to be produced, like the life of other animals, by earth or water, but immediately by God.
Perfectissimus autem gradus vitae est in homine. Et ideo vitam hominis non dicit produci a terra vel aqua, sicut ceterorum animalium, sed a Deo.
Again, animals and plants may be said to be produced according to their kinds, to signify their remoteness from the Divine image and likeness, whereas man is said to be made "to the image and likeness of God."
Vel quia animalia et plantae producuntur secundum genus et speciem suam, quasi longe a similitudine divina remota, homo autem dicitur formatus ad imaginem et similitudinem Dei.
In the words of Augustine (Super. Gen. contr. Manich. i): "If an unskilled person enters the workshop of an artificer he sees in it many appliances of which he does not understand the use, and which, if he is a foolish fellow, he considers unnecessary. Moreover, should he carelessly fall into the fire, or wound himself with a sharp-edged tool, he is under the impression that many of the things there are hurtful; whereas the craftsman, knowing their use, laughs at his folly. And thus some people presume to find fault with many things in this world, through not seeing the reasons for their existence. For though not required for the furnishing of our house, these things are necessary for the perfection of the universe."
Augustinus dicit in I super Gen. contra Manichaeos, "si in alicuius opificis officinam imperitus intraverit, videt ibi multa instrumenta quorum causas ignorat, et si multum est insipiens, superflua putat. Iam vero si in fornacem incautus ceciderit, aut ferramento aliquo acuto se vulneraverit, noxia existimat ibi esse multa, quorum usum quia novit artifex, insipientiam eius irridet. Sic in hoc mundo quidam audent multa reprehendere, quorum causas non vident, multa enim, etsi domui nostrae non sunt necessaria, eis tamen completur universitatis integritas."