Articulus 2 Article 2 Utrum Deus dicatur beatus secundum intellectum Whether God is called blessed in respect of his intellect? Ad secundum sic proceditur. Videtur quod Deus non dicatur beatus secundum intellectum. Beatitudo enim est summum bonum. Sed bonum dicitur in Deo secundum essentiam, quia bonum respicit esse, quod est secundum essentiam, secundum Boetium, in libro de Hebdomad. Ergo et beatitudo dicitur in Deo secundum essentiam, et non secundum intellectum. Objection 1: It seems that God is not called blessed in respect to His intellect. For beatitude is the highest good. But good is said to be in God in regard to His essence, because good has reference to being which is according to essence, according to Boethius (De Hebdom.). Therefore beatitude also is said to be in God in regard to His essence, and not to His intellect. Praeterea, beatitudo habet rationem finis. Finis autem est obiectum voluntatis, sicut et bonum. Ergo beatitudo dicitur in Deo secundum voluntatem, et non secundum intellectum. Obj. 2: Further, Beatitude implies the notion of end. Now the end is the object of the will, as also is the good. Therefore beatitude is said to be in God with reference to His will, and not with reference to His intellect. Sed contra est quod Gregorius dicit, XXXII Moralium, ipse gloriosus est, qui, dum seipso perfruitur, accedentis laudis indigens non est. Esse autem gloriosum significat esse beatum. Cum igitur Deo fruamur secundum intellectum, quia visio est tota merces, ut dicit Augustinus, videtur quod beatitudo dicatur in Deo secundum intellectum. On the contrary, Gregory says (Moral. xxxii, 7): He is in glory, Who whilst He rejoices in Himself, needs not further praise. To be in glory, however, is the same as to be blessed. Therefore, since we enjoy God in respect to our intellect, because vision is the whole of the reward, as Augustine says (De Civ. Dei xxii), it would seem that beatitude is said to be in God in respect of His intellect. Respondeo dicendum quod beatitudo, sicut dictum est, significat bonum perfectum intellectualis naturae. Et inde est quod, sicut unaquaeque res appetit suam perfectionem, ita et intellectualis natura naturaliter appetit esse beata. Id autem quod est perfectissimum in qualibet intellectuali natura, est intellectualis operatio, secundum quam capit quodammodo omnia. Unde cuiuslibet intellectualis naturae creatae beatitudo consistit in intelligendo. In Deo autem non est aliud esse et intelligere secundum rem, sed tantum secundum intelligentiae rationem. Attribuenda ergo est Deo beatitudo secundum intellectum, sicut et aliis beatis, qui per assimilationem ad beatitudinem ipsius, beati dicuntur. I answer that, Beatitude, as stated above (A. 1), is the perfect good of an intellectual nature. Thus it is that, as everything desires the perfection of its nature, intellectual nature desires naturally to be happy. Now that which is most perfect in any intellectual nature is the intellectual operation, by which in some sense it grasps everything. Whence the beatitude of every intellectual nature consists in understanding. Now in God, to be and to understand are one and the same thing; differing only in the manner of our understanding them. Beatitude must therefore be assigned to God in respect of His intellect; as also to the blessed, who are called blessed by reason of the assimilation to His beatitude. Ad primum ergo dicendum quod ex illa ratione probatur quod Deus sit beatus secundum suam essentiam, non autem quod beatitudo ei conveniat secundum rationem essentiae, sed magis secundum rationem intellectus. Reply Obj. 1: This argument proves that beatitude belongs to God; not that beatitude pertains essentially to Him under the aspect of His essence; but rather under the aspect of His intellect. Ad secundum dicendum quod beatitudo, cum sit bonum, est obiectum voluntatis. Obiectum autem praeintelligitur actui potentiae. Unde, secundum modum intelligendi, prius est beatitudo divina, quam actus voluntatis in ea requiescentis. Et hoc non potest esse nisi actus intellectus. Unde in actu intellectus attenditur beatitudo. Reply Obj. 2: Since beatitude is a good, it is the object of the will; now the object is understood as prior to the act of a power. Whence in our manner of understanding, divine beatitude precedes the act of the will at rest in it. This cannot be other than the act of the intellect; and thus beatitude is to be found in an act of the intellect. Articulus 3 Article 3 Utrum Deus sit beatitudo cuiuslibet beati Whether God is the beatitude of each of the blessed? Ad tertium sic proceditur. Videtur quod Deus sit beatitudo cuiuslibet beati. Deus enim est summum bonum, ut supra ostensum est. Impossibile est autem esse plura summa bona, ut etiam ex superioribus patet. Cum igitur de ratione beatitudinis sit, quod sit summum bonum, videtur quod beatitudo non sit aliud quam Deus. Objection 1: It seems that God is the beatitude of each of the blessed. For God is the supreme good, as was said above (Q. 6, AA. 2, 4). But it is quite impossible that there should be many supreme goods, as also is clear from what has been said above (Q. 11, A. 3). Therefore, since it is of the essence of beatitude that it should be the supreme good, it seems that beatitude is nothing else but God Himself. Praeterea, beatitudo est finis rationalis naturae ultimus. Sed esse ultimum finem rationalis naturae, soli Deo convenit. Ergo beatitudo cuiuslibet beati est solus Deus. Obj. 2: Further, beatitude is the last end of the rational nature. But to be the last end of the rational nature belongs only to God. Therefore the beatitude of every blessed is God alone. Sed contra, beatitudo unius est maior beatitudine alterius, secundum illud I Cor. XV, stella differt a stella in claritate. Sed Deo nihil est maius. Ergo beatitudo est aliquid aliud quam Deus. On the contrary, The beatitude of one is greater than that of another, according to 1 Cor. 15:41: Star differeth from star in glory. But nothing is greater than God. Therefore beatitude is something different from God. Respondeo dicendum quod beatitudo intellectualis naturae consistit in actu intellectus. In quo duo possunt considerari, scilicet obiectum actus, quod est intelligibile; et ipse actus, qui est intelligere. Si igitur beatitudo consideretur ex parte ipsius obiecti, sic solus Deus est beatitudo, quia ex hoc solo est aliquis beatus, quod Deum intelligit; secundum illud Augustini, in V libro Confess., beatus est qui te novit, etiam si alia ignoret. Sed ex parte actus intelligentis, beatitudo est quid creatum in creaturis beatis, in Deo autem est etiam secundum hoc, aliquid increatum. I answer that, The beatitude of an intellectual nature consists in an act of the intellect. In this we may consider two things, namely, the object of the act, which is the thing understood; and the act itself which is to understand. If, then, beatitude be considered on the side of the object, God is the only beatitude; for everyone is blessed from this sole fact, that he understands God, in accordance with the saying of Augustine (Confess. v, 4): Blessed is he who knoweth Thee, though he know naught else. But as regards the act of understanding, beatitude is a created thing in beatified creatures; but in God, even in this way, it is an uncreated thing. Ad primum ergo dicendum quod beatitudo, quantum ad obiectum, est summum bonum simpliciter, sed quantum ad actum, in creaturis beatis, est summum bonum, non simpliciter, sed in genere bonorum participabilium a creatura. Reply Obj. 1: Beatitude, as regards its object, is the supreme good absolutely, but as regards its act, in beatified creatures it is their supreme good, not absolutely, but in that kind of goods in which a creature can participate. Ad secundum dicendum quod finis est duplex, scilicet cuius et quo, ut Philosophus dicit, scilicet ipsa res, et usus rei, sicut avaro est finis pecunia, et acquisitio pecuniae. Creaturae igitur rationalis est quidem Deus finis ultimus ut res; beatitudo autem creata ut usus, vel magis fruitio, rei. Reply Obj. 2: End is twofold, namely, objective and subjective, as the Philosopher says (Greater Ethics i, 3), namely, the thing itself and its use. Thus to a miser the end is money, and its acquisition. Accordingly God is indeed the last end of a rational creature, as the thing itself; but created beatitude is the end, as the use, or rather fruition, of the thing. Articulus 4 Article 4 Utrum beatitudo divina complectatur omnes beatitudines Whether all other beatitude is included in the beatitude of God? Ad quartum sic proceditur. Videtur quod beatitudo divina non complectatur omnes beatitudines. Sunt enim quaedam beatitudines falsae. Sed in Deo nihil potest esse falsum. Ergo divina beatitudo non complectitur omnem beatitudinem. Objection 1: It seems that the divine beatitude does not embrace all other beatitudes. For there are some false beatitudes. But nothing false can be in God. Therefore the divine beatitude does not embrace all other beatitudes. Praeterea, quaedam beatitudo, secundum quosdam, consistit in rebus corporalibus, sicut in voluptatibus, divitiis, et huiusmodi, quae quidem Deo convenire non possunt, cum sit incorporeus. Ergo beatitudo eius non complectitur omnem beatitudinem. Obj. 2: Further, a certain beatitude, according to some, consists in things corporeal; as in pleasure, riches, and such like. Now none of these have to do with God, since He is incorporeal. Therefore His beatitude does not embrace all other beatitudes. Sed contra est quod beatitudo est perfectio quaedam. Divina autem perfectio complectitur omnem perfectionem, ut supra ostensum est. Ergo divina beatitudo complectitur omnem beatitudinem. On the contrary, Beatitude is a certain perfection. But the divine perfection embraces all other perfection, as was shown above (Q. 4, A. 2). Therefore the divine beatitude embraces all other beatitudes. Respondeo dicendum quod quidquid est desiderabile in quacumque beatitudine, vel vera vel falsa, totum eminentius in divina beatitudine praeexistit. De contemplativa enim felicitate, habet continuam et certissimam contemplationem sui et omnium aliorum, de activa vero, gubernationem totius universi. De terrena vero felicitate, quae consistit in voluptate, divitiis, potestate, dignitate et fama, secundum Boetium, in III de Consol., habet gaudium de se et de omnibus aliis, pro delectatione, pro divitiis, habet omnimodam sufficientiam, quam divitiae promittunt, pro potestate, omnipotentiam, pro dignitate, omnium regimen, pro fama vero, admirationem totius creaturae. I answer that, Whatever is desirable in whatsoever beatitude, whether true or false, pre-exists wholly and in a more eminent degree in the divine beatitude. As to contemplative happiness, God possesses a continual and most certain contemplation of Himself and of all things else; and as to that which is active, He has the governance of the whole universe. As to earthly happiness, which consists in delight, riches, power, dignity, and fame, according to Boethius (De Consol. iii, 10), He possesses joy in Himself and all things else for His delight; instead of riches He has that complete self-sufficiency, which is promised by riches; in place of power, He has omnipotence; for dignities, the government of all things; and in place of fame, He possesses the admiration of all creatures. Ad primum ergo dicendum quod beatitudo aliqua secundum hoc est falsa, secundum quod deficit a ratione verae beatitudinis, et sic non est in Deo. Sed quidquid habet de similitudine, quantumcumque tenui, beatitudinis, totum praeexistit in divina beatitudine. Reply Obj. 1: A particular kind of beatitude is false according as it falls short of the idea of true beatitude; and thus it is not in God. But whatever semblance it has, howsoever slight, of beatitude, the whole of it pre-exists in the divine beatitude. Ad secundum dicendum quod bona quae sunt in corporalibus corporaliter, in Deo sunt spiritualiter, secundum modum suum. Reply Obj. 2: The good that exists in things corporeal in a corporeal manner, is also in God, but in a spiritual manner. Et haec dicta sufficiant de his quae pertinent ad divinae essentiae unitatem. We have now spoken enough concerning what pertains to the unity of the divine essence. De Trinitate personarum The Trinity of Persons Quaestio 27 Question 27 De processione divinarum Personarum The Procession of the Divine Persons Consideratis autem his quae ad divinae essentiae unitatem pertinent, restat considerare de his quae pertinent ad Trinitatem personarum in divinis. Having considered what belongs to the unity of the divine essence, it remains to treat of what belongs to the Trinity of the persons in God. Et quia personae divinae secundum relationes originis distinguuntur, secundum ordinem doctrinae prius considerandum est de origine, sive de processione, secundo, de relationibus originis; tertio, de personis. And because the divine Persons are distinguished from each other according to the relations of origin, the order of the doctrine leads us to consider first, the question of origin or procession; second, the relations of origin; third, the persons. Circa processionem quaeruntur quinque. Concerning procession there are five points of inquiry: Primo, utrum processio sit in divinis. (1) Whether there is procession in God? Secundo, utrum aliqua processio in divinis generatio dici possit. (2) Whether any procession in God can be called generation? Tertio, utrum praeter generationem aliqua alia processio possit esse in divinis. (3) Whether there can be any other procession in God besides generation? Quarto, utrum illa alia processio possit dici generatio. (4) Whether that other procession can be called generation? Quinto, utrum in divinis sint plures processiones quam duae. (5) Whether there are more than two processions in God?