Ad sextum dicendum quod non est de necessitate invisibilis missionis, ut semper manifestetur per aliquod signum visibile exterius, sed, sicut dicitur I Cor. XII, manifestatio spiritus datur alicui ad utilitatem, scilicet Ecclesiae. Quae quidem utilitas est, ut per huiusmodi visibilia signa fides confirmetur et propagetur. Quod quidem principaliter factum est per Christum et per apostolos, secundum illud Hebr. II, cum initium accepisset enarrari per dominum, ab eis qui audierunt in nos confirmata est. Reply Obj. 6: It is not necessary that the invisible mission should always be made manifest by some visible external sign; but, as is said (1 Cor 12:7)—‘the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man unto profit’—that is, of the Church. This utility consists in the confirmation and propagation of the faith by such visible signs. This has been done chiefly by Christ and by the apostles, according to Heb. 2:3, which having begun to be declared by the Lord, was confirmed unto us by them that heard. Et ideo specialiter debuit fieri missio visibilis spiritus sancti ad Christum et ad apostolos, et ad aliquos primitivos sanctos, in quibus quodammodo Ecclesia fundabatur, ita tamen quod visibilis missio facta ad Christum, demonstraret missionem invisibilem non tunc, sed in principio suae conceptionis, ad eum factam. Facta autem est missio visibilis ad Christum, in Baptismo quidem sub specie columbae, quod est animal fecundum, ad ostendendum in Christo auctoritatem donandi gratiam per spiritualem regenerationem, unde vox patris intonuit, hic est filius meus dilectus, ut ad similitudinem unigeniti alii regenerarentur. In transfiguratione vero, sub specie nubis lucidae, ad ostendendam exuberantiam doctrinae, unde dictum est, ipsum audite. Ad apostolos autem, sub specie flatus, ad ostendendam potestatem ministerii in dispensatione sacramentorum, unde dictum est eis, quorum remiseritis peccata, remittuntur eis. Sed sub linguis igneis, ad ostendendum officium doctrinae, unde dicitur quod coeperunt loqui variis linguis. Ad patres autem veteris testamenti, missio visibilis Spiritus Sancti fieri non debuit, quia prius debuit perfici missio visibilis filii quam spiritus sancti, cum Spiritus Sanctus manifestet filium, sicut filius patrem. Fuerunt tamen factae visibiles apparitiones divinarum personarum patribus veteris testamenti. Quae quidem missiones visibiles dici non possunt, quia non fuerunt factae, secundum Augustinum, ad designandum inhabitationem divinae personae per gratiam, sed ad aliquid aliud manifestandum. Thus in a special sense, a mission of the Holy Spirit was directed to Christ, to the apostles, and to some of the early saints on whom the Church was in a way founded; in such a manner, however, that the visible mission made to Christ should show forth the invisible mission made to Him, not at that particular time, but at the first moment of His conception. The visible mission was directed to Christ at the time of His baptism by the figure of a dove, a fruitful animal, to show forth in Christ the authority of the giver of grace by spiritual regeneration; hence the Father’s voice spoke, This is My beloved Son (Matt 3:17), that others might be regenerated to the likeness of the only Begotten. The Transfiguration showed it forth in the appearance of a bright cloud, to show the exuberance of doctrine; and hence it was said, Hear ye Him (Matt 17:5). To the apostles the mission was directed in the form of breathing to show forth the power of their ministry in the dispensation of the sacraments; and hence it was said, Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven (John 20:23): and again under the sign of fiery tongues to show forth the office of teaching; whence it is said that, they began to speak with diverse tongues (Acts 2:4). The visible mission of the Holy Spirit was fittingly not sent to the fathers of the Old Testament, because the visible mission of the Son was to be accomplished before that of the Holy Spirit; since the Holy Spirit manifests the Son, as the Son manifests the Father. Visible apparitions of the divine persons were, however, given to the Fathers of the Old Testament which, indeed, cannot be called visible missions; because, according to Augustine (De Trin. ii, 17), they were not sent to designate the indwelling of the divine person by grace, but for the manifestation of something else. Articulus 8 Article 8 Utrum aliqua persona divina mittatur nisi ab ea a qua procedit aeternaliter Whether a divine person is sent only by the person whence he proceeds eternally? Ad octavum sic proceditur. Videtur quod nulla persona divina mittatur nisi ab ea a qua procedit aeternaliter. Quia, sicut dicit Augustinus, IV de Trin., pater a nullo mittitur, quia a nullo est. Si ergo aliqua persona divina mittitur ab alia, oportet quod sit ab illa. Objection 1: It would seem that a divine person is sent only by the one whence He proceeds eternally. For as Augustine says (De Trin. iv), The Father is sent by no one because He is from no one. Therefore if a divine person is sent by another, He must be from that other. Praeterea, mittens habet auctoritatem respectu missi. Sed respectu divinae personae non potest haberi auctoritas nisi secundum originem. Ergo oportet quod divina persona quae mittitur, sit a persona mittente. Obj. 2: Further, the sender has authority over the one sent. But there can be no authority as regards a divine person except from origin. Therefore the divine person sent must proceed from the one sending. Praeterea, si persona divina potest mitti ab eo a quo non est, nihil prohibebit dicere quod Spiritus Sanctus detur ab homine, quamvis non sit ab eo. Quod est contra Augustinum, XV de Trin. Ergo divina persona non mittitur nisi ab ea a qua est. Obj. 3: Further, if a divine person can be sent by one whence He does not proceed, then the Holy Spirit may be given by a man, although He proceeds not from him; which is contrary to what Augustine says (De Trin. xv). Therefore the divine person is sent only by the one whence He proceeds. Sed contra est quod filius mittitur a spiritu sancto, secundum illud Isaiae XLVIII, et nunc misit me dominus Deus, et spiritus eius. Filius autem non est a spiritu sancto. Ergo persona divina mittitur ab ea a qua non est. On the contrary, The Son is sent by the Holy Spirit, according to Isa. 48:16, Now the Lord God hath sent Me and His Spirit. But the Son is not from the Holy Spirit. Therefore a divine person is sent by one from Whom He does not proceed. Respondeo dicendum quod circa hoc inveniuntur aliqui diversimode locuti esse. Secundum quosdam enim, persona divina non mittitur nisi ab eo a quo est aeternaliter. Et secundum hoc, cum dicitur filius Dei missus a spiritu sancto, referendum est hoc ad humanam naturam, secundum quam missus est ad praedicandum a spiritu sancto. Augustinus autem dicit, II de Trin., quod filius mittitur et a se et a spiritu sancto; et Spiritus Sanctus etiam mittitur et a se et a filio, ut sic mitti in divinis non conveniat cuilibet personae, sed solum personae ab alio existenti; mittere autem conveniat cuilibet personae. I answer that, There are different opinions on this point. Some say that the divine person is sent only by the one whence He proceeds eternally; and so, when it is said that the Son of God is sent by the Holy Spirit, this is to be explained as regards His human nature, by reason of which He was sent to preach by the Holy Spirit. Augustine, however, says (De Trin. ii, 5) that the Son is sent by Himself, and by the Holy Spirit; and the Holy Spirit is sent by Himself, and by the Son; so that to be sent in God does not apply to each person, but only to the person proceeding from another, whereas to send belongs to each person. Utrumque autem habet aliquo modo veritatem. Quia cum dicitur aliqua persona mitti, designatur et ipsa persona ab alio existens, et effectus visibilis aut invisibilis, secundum quem missio divinae personae attenditur. Si igitur mittens designetur ut principium personae quae mittitur, sic non quaelibet persona mittit, sed solum illa cui convenit esse principium illius personae. Et sic filius mittitur tantum a patre, Spiritus Sanctus autem a patre et filio. Si vero persona mittens intelligatur esse principium effectus secundum quem attenditur missio, sic tota Trinitas mittit personam missam. Non autem propter hoc homo dat spiritum sanctum, quia nec effectum gratiae potest causare. There is some truth in both of these opinions; because when a person is described as being sent, the person Himself existing from another is designated, with the visible or invisible effect, applicable to the mission of the divine person. Thus if the sender be designated as the principle of the person sent, in this sense not each person sends, but that person only Who is the principle of that person who is sent; and thus the Son is sent only by the Father; and the Holy Spirit by the Father and the Son. If, however, the person sending is understood as the principle of the effect implied in the mission, in that sense the whole Trinity sends the person sent. This reason does not prove that a man can send the Holy Spirit, forasmuch as man cannot cause the effect of grace. Et per hoc patet solutio ad obiecta. The answers to the objections appear from the above. De processione creaturarum The Procession of Creatures Quaestio 44 Question 44 De processione creaturarum a Deo The Procession of Creatures from God Post considerationem divinarum personarum, considerandum restat de processione creaturarum a Deo. Erit autem haec consideratio tripartita, ut primo consideretur de productione creaturarum; secundo, de earum distinctione; tertio, de conservatione et gubernatione. After treating of the procession of the divine persons, we must consider the procession of creatures from God. This consideration will be threefold: (1) of the production of creatures; (2) of the distinction between them; (3) of their preservation and government. Circa primum tria sunt consideranda, primo quidem, quae sit prima causa entium; secundo, de modo procedendi creaturarum a prima causa; tertio vero, de principio durationis rerum. Concerning the first point there are three things to be considered: (1) the first cause of beings; (2) the mode of procession of creatures from the first cause; (3) the principle of the duration of things. Circa primum quaeruntur quatuor. Under the first head there are four points of inquiry: Primo, utrum Deus sit causa efficiens omnium entium. (1) Whether God is the efficient cause of all beings? Secundo, utrum materia prima sit creata a Deo, vel sit principium ex aequo coordinatum ei. (2) Whether primary matter is created by God, or is an independent coordinate principle with Him? Tertio, utrum Deus sit causa exemplaris rerum, vel sint alia exemplaria praeter ipsum. (3) Whether God is the exemplar cause of beings or whether there are other exemplar causes? Quarto, utrum ipse sit causa finalis rerum. (4) Whether He is the final cause of things? Articulus 1 Article 1 Utrum sit necessarium omne ens esse creatum a Deo Whether it is necessary that every being be created by God? Ad primum sic proceditur. Videtur quod non sit necessarium omne ens esse creatum a Deo. Nihil enim prohibet inveniri rem sine eo quod non est de ratione rei, sicut hominem sine albedine. Sed habitudo causati ad causam non videtur esse de ratione entium, quia sine hac possunt aliqua entia intelligi. Ergo sine hac possunt esse. Ergo nihil prohibet esse aliqua entia non creata a Deo. Objection 1: It would seem that it is not necessary that every being be created by God. For there is nothing to prevent a thing from being without that which does not belong to its essence, as a man can be found without whiteness. But the relation of the thing caused to its cause does not appear to be essential to beings, for some beings can be understood without it; therefore they can exist without it; and therefore it is possible that some beings should not be created by God. Praeterea, ad hoc aliquid indiget causa efficiente, ut sit. Ergo quod non potest non esse, non indiget causa efficiente. Sed nullum necessarium potest non esse, quia quod necesse est esse, non potest non esse. Cum igitur multa sint necessaria in rebus, videtur quod non omnia entia sint a Deo. Obj. 2: Further, a thing requires an efficient cause in order to exist. Therefore whatever cannot but exist does not require an efficient cause. But no necessary thing can not exist, because whatever necessarily exists cannot but exist. Therefore as there are many necessary things in existence, it appears that not all beings are from God. Praeterea, quorumcumque est aliqua causa, in his potest fieri demonstratio per causam illam. Sed in mathematicis non fit demonstratio per causam agentem, ut per Philosophum patet, in III Metaphys. Non igitur omnia entia sunt a Deo sicut a causa agente. Obj. 3: Further, whatever things have a cause, can be demonstrated by that cause. But in mathematics, demonstration is not made by the efficient cause, as appears from the Philosopher (Metaph. iii, 3); therefore not all beings are from God as from their efficient cause. Sed contra est quod dicitur Rom. XI, ex ipso, et per ipsum, et in ipso sunt omnia. On the contrary, It is said (Rom 11:36): Of Him, and by Him, and in Him are all things. Respondeo dicendum quod necesse est dicere omne quod quocumque modo est, a Deo esse. Si enim aliquid invenitur in aliquo per participationem, necesse est quod causetur in ipso ab eo cui essentialiter convenit; sicut ferrum fit ignitum ab igne. Ostensum est autem supra, cum de divina simplicitate ageretur, quod Deus est ipsum esse per se subsistens. Et iterum ostensum est quod esse subsistens non potest esse nisi unum, sicut si albedo esset subsistens, non posset esse nisi una, cum albedines multiplicentur secundum recipientia. Relinquitur ergo quod omnia alia a Deo non sint suum esse, sed participant esse. Necesse est igitur omnia quae diversificantur secundum diversam participationem essendi, ut sint perfectius vel minus perfecte, causari ab uno primo ente, quod perfectissime est. I answer that, It must be said that every being in any way existing is from God. For whatever is found in anything by participation, must be caused in it by that to which it belongs essentially, as iron becomes ignited by fire. Now it has been shown above (Q. 3, A. 4) when treating of the divine simplicity that God is the essentially self-subsisting Being; and also it was shown (Q. 11, AA. 3, 4) that subsisting being must be one; as, if whiteness were self-subsisting, it would be one, since whiteness is multiplied by its recipients. Therefore all beings apart from God are not their own being, but are beings by participation. Therefore it must be that all things which are diversified by the diverse participation of being, so as to be more or less perfect, are caused by one First Being, Who possesses being most perfectly. Unde et Plato dixit quod necesse est ante omnem multitudinem ponere unitatem. Et Aristoteles dicit, in II Metaphys., quod id quod est maxime ens et maxime verum, est causa omnis entis et omnis veri, sicut id quod maxime calidum est, est causa omnis caliditatis. Hence Plato said (Parmen. xxvi) that unity must come before multitude; and Aristotle said (Metaph. ii, 4) that whatever is greatest in being and greatest in truth, is the cause of every being and of every truth; just as whatever is the greatest in heat is the cause of all heat. Ad primum ergo dicendum quod, licet habitudo ad causam non intret definitionem entis quod est causatum, tamen sequitur ad ea qua sunt de eius ratione, quia ex hoc quod aliquid per participationem est ens, sequitur quod sit causatum ab alio. Unde huiusmodi ens non potest esse, quin sit causatum; sicut nec homo, quin sit risibile. Sed quia esse causatum non est de ratione entis simpliciter, propter hoc invenitur aliquod ens non causatum. Reply Obj. 1: Though the relation to its cause is not part of the definition of a thing caused, still it follows, as a consequence, on what belongs to its essence; because from the fact that a thing has being by participation, it follows that it is caused. Hence such a being cannot be without being caused, just as man cannot be without having the faculty of laughing. But, since to be caused does not enter into the essence of being as such, therefore is it possible for us to find a being uncaused. Ad secundum dicendum quod ex hac ratione quidam moti fuerunt ad ponendum quod id quod est necessarium non habeat causam, ut dicitur in VIII Physic. Sed hoc manifeste falsum apparet in scientiis demonstrativis, in quibus principia necessaria sunt causae conclusionum necessariarum. Et ideo dicit Aristoteles, in V Metaphys., quod sunt quaedam necessaria quae habent causam suae necessitatis. Non ergo propter hoc solum requiritur causa agens, quia effectus potest non esse, sed quia effectus non esset, si causa non esset. Haec enim conditionalis est vera, sive antecedens et consequens sint possibilia, sive impossibilia. Reply Obj. 2: This objection has led some to say that what is necessary has no cause (Phys. viii, 46). But this is manifestly false in the demonstrative sciences, where necessary principles are the causes of necessary conclusions. And therefore Aristotle says (Metaph. v, 6), that there are some necessary things which have a cause of their necessity. But the reason why an efficient cause is required is not merely because the effect is not necessary, but because the effect might not be if the cause were not. For this conditional proposition is true, whether the antecedent and consequent be possible or impossible. Ad tertium dicendum quod mathematica accipiuntur ut abstracta secundum rationem, cum tamen non sint abstracta secundum esse. Unicuique autem competit habere causam agentem, secundum quod habet esse. Licet igitur ea quae sunt mathematica habeant causam agentem, non tamen secundum habitudinem quam habent ad causam agentem, cadunt sub consideratione mathematici. Et ideo in scientiis mathematicis non demonstratur aliquid per causam agentem. Reply Obj. 3: The science of mathematics treats its object as though it were something abstracted mentally, whereas it is not abstract in reality. Now, it is becoming that everything should have an efficient cause in proportion to its being. And so, although the object of mathematics has an efficient cause, still, its relation to that cause is not the reason why it is brought under the consideration of the mathematician, who therefore does not demonstrate that object from its efficient cause. Articulus 2 Article 2 Utrum materia prima sit creata a Deo Whether primary matter is created by God? Ad secundum sic proceditur. Videtur quod materia prima non sit creata a Deo. Omne enim quod fit, componitur ex subiecto et ex aliquo alio, ut dicitur in I Physic. Sed materiae primae non est aliquod subiectum. Ergo materia prima non potest esse facta a Deo. Objection 1: It would seem that primary matter is not created by God. For whatever is made is composed of a subject and of something else (Phys. i, 62). But primary matter has no subject. Therefore primary matter cannot have been made by God. Praeterea, actio et passio dividuntur contra se invicem. Sed sicut primum principium activum est Deus, ita primum principium passivum est materia. Ergo Deus et materia prima sunt duo principia contra se invicem divisa, quorum neutrum est ab alio. Obj. 2: Further, action and passion are opposite members of a division. But as the first active principle is God, so the first passive principle is matter. Therefore God and primary matter are two principles divided against each other, neither of which is from the other.