Tuesday, September 26, 2006

Q45 A5: Whether it belongs to God alone to create?

Yes. It is impossible for any creature to create, either by its own power or instrumentally (that is, ministerially) because the proper effect of God creating is what is presupposed to all other effects (and that is absolute being).

Hence nothing else can act dispositively and instrumentally to this effect, since creation is not from anything presupposed, which can be disposed by the action of the instrumental agent.

And above all it is absurd to suppose that a body can create, for no body acts except by touching or moving; and thus it requires in its action some pre-existing thing, which can be touched or moved, which is contrary to the very idea of creation.

Hence it is manifest that creation is the proper act of God alone.