1 Objection 1: It would seem that creation is mingled in works of nature and art. For in every operation of nature and art some form is produced. But it is not produced from anything, since matter has no part in it. Therefore it is produced from nothing; and thus in every operation of nature and art there is creation.
1 Ad octavum sic proceditur. Videtur quod creatio admisceatur in operibus naturae et artis. In qualibet enim operatione naturae et artis producitur aliqua forma. Sed non producitur ex aliquo, cum non habeat materiam partem sui. Ergo producitur ex nihilo. Et sic in qualibet operatione naturae et artis est creatio.
2 Objection 2: Further, the effect is not more powerful than its cause. But in natural things the only agent is the accidental form, which is an active or a passive form. Therefore the substantial form is not produced by the operation of nature; and therefore it must be produced by creation.
2 Praeterea, effectus non est potior sua causa. Sed in rebus naturalibus non invenitur aliquid agens nisi forma accidentalis, quae est forma activa vel passiva. Non ergo per operationem naturae producitur forma substantialis. Relinquitur igitur quod sit per creationem.
3 Objection 3: Further, in nature like begets like. But some things are found generated in nature by a thing unlike to them; as is evident in animals generated through putrefaction. Therefore the form of these is not from nature, but by creation; and the same reason applies to other things.
3 Praeterea, natura facit sibi simile. Sed quaedam inveniuntur generata in natura non ab aliquo sibi simili, sicut patet in animalibus generatis per putrefactionem. Ergo eorum forma non est a natura, sed a creatione. Et eadem ratio est de aliis.
4 Objection 4: Further, what is not created, is not a creature. If therefore in nature's productions there were not creation, it would follow that nature's productions are not creatures; which is heretical.
4 Praeterea, quod non creatur, non est creatura. Si igitur in his quae sunt a natura non adiungatur creatio, sequitur quod ea quae sunt a natura, non sunt creaturae. Quod est haereticum.
5 On the contrary, Augustine Super Gen. v, 6, 14, 15) distinguishes the work of propagation, which is a work of nature, from the work of creation.
5 Sed contra est quod Augustinus, super Gen. ad Lit., distinguit opus propagationis, quod est opus naturae, ab opere creationis.
6 I answer that, The doubt on this subject arises from the forms which, some said, do not come into existence by the action of nature, but previously exist in matter; for they asserted that forms are latent. This arose from ignorance concerning matter, and from not knowing how to distinguish between potentiality and act. For because forms pre-exist in matter, in potentiality, they asserted that they pre-exist simply. Others, however, said that the forms were given or caused by a separate agent by way of creation; and accordingly, that to each operation of nature is joined creation. But this opinion arose from ignorance concerning form. For they failed to consider that the form of the natural body is not subsisting, but is that by which a thing is. And therefore, since to be made and to be created belong properly to a subsisting thing alone, as shown above Article 4), it does not belong to forms to be made or to be created, but to be concreated. What, indeed, is properly made by the natural agent is the composite, which is made from matter. Hence in the works of nature creation does not enter, but is presupposed to the work of nature.
6 Respondeo dicendum quod haec dubitatio inducitur propter formas. Quas quidam posuerunt non incipere per actionem naturae, sed prius in materia extitisse, ponentes latitationem formarum. Et hoc accidit eis ex ignorantia materiae, quia nesciebant distinguere inter potentiam et actum, quia enim formae praeexistunt in materia in potentia, posuerunt eas simpliciter praeexistere. Alii vero posuerunt formas dari vel causari ab agente separato, per modum creationis. Et secundum hoc cuilibet operationi naturae adiungitur creatio. Sed hoc accidit eis ex ignorantia formae. Non enim considerabant quod forma naturalis corporis non est subsistens, sed quo aliquid est, et ideo, cum fieri et creari non conveniat proprie nisi rei subsistenti, sicut supra dictum est, formarum non est fieri neque creari, sed concreata esse. Quod autem proprie fit ab agente naturali, est compositum, quod fit ex materia. Unde in operibus naturae non admiscetur creatio, sed praesupponitur ad operationem naturae.
7 Reply to Objection 1: Forms begin to be actual when the composite things are made, not as though they were made directly, but only indirectly.
7 Ad primum ergo dicendum quod formae incipiunt esse in actu, compositis factis, non quod ipsae fiant per se, sed per accidens tantum.
8 Reply to Objection 2: The active qualities in nature act by virtue of substantial forms: and therefore the natural agent not only produces its like according to quality, but according to species.
8 Ad secundum dicendum quod qualitates activae in natura agunt in virtute formarum substantialium. Et ideo agens naturale non solum producit sibi simile secundum qualitatem, sed secundum speciem.
9 Reply to Objection 3: For the generation of imperfect animals, a universal agent suffices, and this is to be found in the celestial power to which they are assimilated, not in species, but according to a kind of analogy. Nor is it necessary to say that their forms are created by a separate agent. However, for the generation of perfect animals the universal agent does not suffice, but a proper agent is required, in the shape of a univocal generator.
9 Ad tertium dicendum quod ad generationem animalium imperfectorum sufficit agens universale, quod est virtus caelestis, cui assimilantur non secundum speciem, sed secundum analogiam quandam, neque oportet dicere quod eorum formae creantur ab agente separato. Ad generationem vero animalium perfectorum non sufficit agens universale, sed requiritur agens proprium, quod est generans univocum.
10 Reply to Objection 4: The operation of nature takes place only on the presupposition of created principles; and thus the products of nature are called creatures.
10 Ad quartum dicendum quod operatio naturae non est nisi ex praesuppositione principiorum creatorum, et sic ea quae per naturam fiunt, creaturae dicuntur.