Articulus 3 Article 3 Utrum esse bonum per essentiam sit proprium Dei Whether to be essentially good belongs to God alone? Ad tertium sic proceditur. Videtur quod esse bonum per essentiam non sit proprium Dei. Sicut enim unum convertitur cum ente, ita et bonum, ut supra habitum est. Sed omne ens est unum per suam essentiam, ut patet per Philosophum in IV Metaphys. Ergo omne ens est bonum per suam essentiam. Objection 1: It seems that to be essentially good does not belong to God alone. For as one is convertible with being, so is good; as we said above (Q. 5, A. 1). But every being is one essentially, as appears from the Philosopher (Metaph. iv); therefore every being is good essentially. Praeterea, si bonum est quod omnia appetunt, cum ipsum esse sit desideratum ab omnibus, ipsum esse cuiuslibet rei est eius bonum. Sed quaelibet res est ens per suam essentiam. Ergo quaelibet res est bona per suam essentiam. Obj. 2: Further, if good is what all things desire, since being itself is desired by all, then the being of each thing is its good. But everything is a being essentially; therefore every being is good essentially. Praeterea, omnis res per suam bonitatem est bona. Si igitur aliqua res est quae non sit bona per suam essentiam, oportebit quod eius bonitas non sit sua essentia. Illa ergo bonitas, cum sit ens quoddam, oportet quod sit bona, et si quidem alia bonitate, iterum de illa bonitate quaeretur. Aut ergo erit procedere in infinitum, aut venire ad aliquam bonitatem quae non erit bona per aliam bonitatem. Eadem ergo ratione standum est in primo. Res igitur quaelibet est bona per suam essentiam. Obj. 3: Further, everything is good by its own goodness. Therefore if there is anything which is not good essentially, it is necessary to say that its goodness is not its own essence. Therefore its goodness, since it is a being, must be good; and if it is good by some other goodness, the same question applies to that goodness also; therefore we must either proceed to infinity, or come to some goodness which is not good by any other goodness. Therefore the first supposition holds good. Therefore everything is good essentially. Sed contra est quod dicit Boetius, in libro de Hebdomad., quod alia omnia a Deo sunt bona per participationem. Non igitur per essentiam. On the contrary, Boethius says (De Hebdom.) that all things but God are good by participation. Therefore they are not good essentially. Respondeo dicendum quod solus Deus est bonus per suam essentiam. Unumquodque enim dicitur bonum, secundum quod est perfectum. Perfectio autem alicuius rei triplex est. Prima quidem, secundum quod in suo esse constituitur. Secunda vero, prout ei aliqua accidentia superadduntur, ad suam perfectam operationem necessaria. Tertia vero perfectio alicuius est per hoc, quod aliquid aliud attingit sicut finem. Utpote prima perfectio ignis consistit in esse, quod habet per suam formam substantialem, secunda vero eius perfectio consistit in caliditate, levitate et siccitate, et huiusmodi, tertia vero perfectio eius est secundum quod in loco suo quiescit. I answer that, God alone is good essentially. For everything is called good according to its perfection. Now perfection of a thing is threefold: first, according to the constitution of its own being; second, in respect of any accidents being added as necessary for its perfect operation; third, perfection consists in the attaining to something else as the end. Thus, for instance, the first perfection of fire consists in its existence, which it has through its own substantial form; its secondary perfection consists in heat, lightness and dryness, and the like; its third perfection is to rest in its own place. Haec autem triplex perfectio nulli creato competit secundum suam essentiam, sed soli Deo, cuius solius essentia est suum esse; et cui non adveniunt aliqua accidentia; sed quae de aliis dicuntur accidentaliter, sibi conveniunt essentialiter, ut esse potentem, sapientem, et huiusmodi, sicut ex dictis patet. Ipse etiam ad nihil aliud ordinatur sicut ad finem, sed ipse est ultimus finis omnium rerum. Unde manifestum est quod solus Deus habet omnimodam perfectionem secundum suam essentiam. Et ideo ipse solus est bonus per suam essentiam. This triple perfection belongs to no creature by its own essence; it belongs to God only, in Whom alone essence is existence; in Whom there are no accidents; since whatever belongs to others accidentally belongs to Him essentially; as, to be powerful, wise and the like, as appears from what is stated above (Q. 3, A. 6); and He is not directed to anything else as to an end, but is Himself the last end of all things. Hence it is manifest that God alone has every kind of perfection by His own essence; therefore He Himself alone is good essentially. Ad primum ergo dicendum quod unum non importat rationem perfectionis, sed indivisionis tantum, quae unicuique rei competit secundum suam essentiam. Simplicium autem essentiae sunt indivisae et actu et potentia, compositorum vero essentiae sunt indivisae secundum actum tantum. Et ideo oportet quod quaelibet res sit una per suam essentiam, non autem bona, ut ostensum est. Reply Obj. 1: One does not include the idea of perfection, but only of indivision, which belongs to everything according to its own essence. Now the essences of simple things are undivided both actually and potentially, but the essences of compounds are undivided only actually; and therefore everything must be one essentially, but not good essentially, as was shown above. Ad secundum dicendum quod, licet unumquodque sit bonum inquantum habet esse, tamen essentia rei creatae non est ipsum esse, et ideo non sequitur quod res creata sit bona per suam essentiam. Reply Obj. 2: Although everything is good in that it has being, yet the essence of a creature is not its very being; and therefore it does not follow that a creature is good essentially. Ad tertium dicendum quod bonitas rei creatae non est ipsa eius essentia, sed aliquid superadditum; vel ipsum esse eius, vel aliqua perfectio superaddita, vel ordo ad finem. Ipsa tamen bonitas sic superaddita dicitur bona sicut et ens, hac autem ratione dicitur ens, quia ea est aliquid, non quia ipsa aliquo alio sit. Unde hac ratione dicitur bona, quia ea est aliquid bonum, non quia ipsa habeat aliquam aliam bonitatem, qua sit bona. Reply Obj. 3: The goodness of a creature is not its very essence, but something superadded; it is either its existence, or some added perfection, or the order to its end. Still, the goodness itself thus added is good, just as it is being. But for this reason is it called being because by it something has being, not because it itself has being through something else: hence for this reason is it called good because by it something is good, and not because it itself has some other goodness whereby it is good. Articulus 4 Article 4 Utrum omnia sint bona bonitate divina Whether all things are good by the divine goodness? Ad quartum sic proceditur. Videtur quod omnia sint bona bonitate divina. Dicit enim Augustinus, VIII de Trin., bonum hoc et bonum illud, tolle hoc et tolle illud, et vide ipsum bonum, si potes, ita Deum videbis, non alio bono bonum, sed bonum omnis boni. Sed unumquodque est bonum suo bono. Ergo unumquodque est bonum ipso bono quod est Deus. Objection 1: It seems that all things are good by the divine goodness. For Augustine says (De Trin. viii), This and that are good; take away this and that, and see good itself if thou canst; and so thou shalt see God, good not by any other good, but the good of every good. But everything is good by its own good; therefore everything is good by that very good which is God. Praeterea, sicut dicit Boetius, in libro de Hebdomad., omnia dicuntur bona inquantum ordinantur ad Deum, et hoc ratione bonitatis divinae. Ergo omnia sunt bona bonitate divina. Obj. 2: Further, as Boethius says (De Hebdom.), all things are called good, accordingly as they are directed to God, and this is by reason of the divine goodness; therefore all things are good by the divine goodness. Sed contra est quod omnia sunt bona inquantum sunt. Sed non dicuntur omnia entia per esse divinum, sed per esse proprium. Ergo non omnia sunt bona bonitate divina, sed bonitate propria. On the contrary, All things are good, inasmuch as they have being. But they are not called beings through the divine being, but through their own being; therefore all things are not good by the divine goodness, but by their own goodness. Respondeo dicendum quod nihil prohibet in his quae relationem important, aliquid ab extrinseco denominari; sicut aliquid denominatur locatum a loco, et mensuratum a mensura. I answer that, As regards relative things, we must admit extrinsic denomination; as, a thing is denominated placed from place, and measured from measure. Circa vero ea quae absolute dicuntur, diversa fuit opinio. Plato enim posuit omnium rerum species separatas; et quod ab eis individua denominantur, quasi species separatas participando; ut puta quod Socrates dicitur homo secundum ideam hominis separatam. Et sicut ponebat ideam hominis et equi separatam, quam vocabat per se hominem et per se equum, ita ponebat ideam entis et ideam unius separatam, quam dicebat per se ens et per se unum, et eius participatione unumquodque dicitur ens vel unum. Hoc autem quod est per se bonum et per se unum, ponebat esse summum bonum. Et quia bonum convertitur cum ente, sicut et unum, ipsum per se bonum dicebat esse Deum, a quo omnia dicuntur bona per modum participationis. But as regards absolute things opinions differ. Plato held the existence of separate ideas (Q. 84, A. 4) of all things, and that individuals were denominated by them as participating in the separate ideas; for instance, that Socrates is called man according to the separate idea of man. Now just as he laid down separate ideas of man and horse which he called absolute man and absolute horse, so likewise he laid down separate ideas of being and of one, and these he called absolute being and absolute oneness; and by participation of these, everything was called being or one; and what was thus absolute being and absolute one, he said was the supreme good. And because good is convertible with being, as one is also; he called God the absolute good, from whom all things are called good by way of participation. Et quamvis haec opinio irrationabilis videatur quantum ad hoc, quod ponebat species rerum naturalium separatas per se subsistentes, ut Aristoteles multipliciter probat; tamen hoc absolute verum est, quod est aliquod unum per essentiam suam bonum, quod dicimus Deum, ut ex superioribus patet. Huic etiam sententiae concordat Aristoteles. A primo igitur per suam essentiam ente et bono, unumquodque potest dici bonum et ens, inquantum participat ipsum per modum cuiusdam assimilationis, licet remote et deficienter, ut ex superioribus patet. Although this opinion appears to be unreasonable in affirming separate ideas of natural things as subsisting of themselves—as Aristotle argues in many ways—still, it is absolutely true that there is first something which is essentially being and essentially good, which we call God, as appears from what is shown above (Q. 2, A. 3), and Aristotle agrees with this. Hence from the first being, essentially such, and good, everything can be called good and a being, inasmuch as it participates in it by way of a certain assimilation which is far removed and defective; as appears from the above (Q. 4, A. 3). Sic ergo unumquodque dicitur bonum bonitate divina, sicut primo principio exemplari, effectivo et finali totius bonitatis. Nihilominus tamen unumquodque dicitur bonum similitudine divinae bonitatis sibi inhaerente, quae est formaliter sua bonitas denominans ipsum. Et sic est bonitas una omnium; et etiam multae bonitates. Everything is therefore called good from the divine goodness, as from the first exemplary effective and final principle of all goodness. Nevertheless, everything is called good by reason of the similitude of the divine goodness belonging to it, which is formally its own goodness, whereby it is denominated good. And so of all things there is one goodness, and yet many goodnesses. Et per hoc patet responsio ad obiecta. This is a sufficient Reply to the Objections. Quaestio 7 Question 7 De infinitate Dei The Infinity of God Post considerationem divinae perfectionis, considerandum est de eius infinitate, et de existentia eius in rebus, attribuitur enim Deo quod sit ubique et in omnibus rebus, inquantum est incircumscriptibilis et infinitus. After considering the divine perfection we must consider the divine infinity, and God’s existence in things: for God is everywhere, and in all things, inasmuch as He is boundless and infinite. Circa primum quaeruntur quatuor. Concerning the first, there are four points of inquiry: Primo, utrum Deus sit infinitus. (1) Whether God is infinite? Secundo, utrum aliquid praeter ipsum sit infinitum secundum essentiam. (2) Whether anything besides Him is infinite in essence? Tertio, utrum aliquid possit esse infinitum secundum magnitudinem. (3) Whether anything can be infinitude in magnitude? Quarto, utrum possit esse infinitum in rebus secundum multitudinem. (4) Whether an infinite multitude can exist? Articulus 1 Article 1 Utrum Deus sit infinitus Whether God is infinite? Ad primum sic proceditur. Videtur quod Deus non sit infinitus. Omne enim infinitum est imperfectum, quia habet rationem partis et materiae, ut dicitur in III Physic. Sed Deus est perfectissimus. Ergo non est infinitus. Objection 1: It seems that God is not infinite. For everything infinite is imperfect, as the Philosopher says; because it has parts and matter, as is said in Phys. iii. But God is most perfect; therefore He is not infinite. Praeterea, secundum Philosophum in I Physic., finitum et infinitum conveniunt quantitati. Sed in Deo non est quantitas, cum non sit corpus, ut supra ostensum est. Ergo non competit sibi esse infinitum. Obj. 2: Further, according to the Philosopher (Phys. i), finite and infinite belong to quantity. But there is no quantity in God, for He is not a body, as was shown above (Q. 3, A. 1). Therefore it does not belong to Him to be infinite. Praeterea, quod ita est hic quod non alibi, est finitum secundum locum, ergo quod ita est hoc quod non est aliud, est finitum secundum substantiam. Sed Deus est hoc, et non est aliud, non enim est lapis nec lignum. Ergo Deus non est infinitus secundum substantiam. Obj. 3: Further, what is here in such a way as not to be elsewhere, is finite according to place. Therefore that which is a thing in such a way as not to be another thing, is finite according to substance. But God is this, and not another; for He is not a stone or wood. Therefore God is not infinite in substance. Sed contra est quod dicit Damascenus, quod Deus est infinitus et aeternus et incircumscriptibilis. On the contrary, Damascene says (De Fide Orth. i, 4) that God is infinite and eternal, and boundless. Respondeo dicendum quod omnes antiqui philosophi attribuunt infinitum primo principio, ut dicitur in III Physic., et hoc rationabiliter, considerantes res effluere a primo principio in infinitum. Sed quia quidam erraverunt circa naturam primi principii, consequens fuit ut errarent circa infinitatem ipsius. Quia enim ponebant primum principium materiam, consequenter attribuerunt primo principio infinitatem materialem, dicentes aliquod corpus infinitum esse primum principium rerum. I answer that, All the ancient philosophers attribute infinitude to the first principle, as is said (Phys. iii), and with reason; for they considered that things flow forth infinitely from the first principle. But because some erred concerning the nature of the first principle, as a consequence they erred also concerning its infinity; forasmuch as they asserted that matter was the first principle; consequently they attributed to the first principle a material infinity to the effect that some infinite body was the first principle of things.