Articulus 4 Article 4 Utrum esse ubique sit proprium Dei Whether to be everywhere belongs to God alone? Ad quartum sic proceditur. Videtur quod esse ubique non sit proprium Dei. Universale enim, secundum Philosophum, est ubique et semper, materia etiam prima, cum sit in omnibus corporibus, est ubique. Neutrum autem horum est Deus, ut ex praemissis patet. Ergo esse ubique non est proprium Dei. Objection 1: It seems that to be everywhere does not belong to God alone. For the universal, according to the Philosopher (Poster. i), is everywhere, and always; primary matter also, since it is in all bodies, is everywhere. But neither of these is God, as appears from what is said above (Q. 3). Therefore to be everywhere does not belong to God alone. Praeterea, numerus est in numeratis. Sed totum universum est constitutum in numero, ut patet Sap. XI. Ergo aliquis numerus est, qui est in toto universo, et ita ubique. Obj. 2: Further, number is in things numbered. But the whole universe is constituted in number, as appears from the Book of Wisdom (Wis 11:21). Therefore there is some number which is in the whole universe, and is thus everywhere. Praeterea, totum universum est quoddam totum corpus perfectum, ut dicitur in I caeli et mundi. Sed totum universum est ubique, quia extra ipsum nullus locus est. Non ergo solus Deus est ubique. Obj. 3: Further, the universe is a kind of whole perfect body (Coel. et Mund. i). But the whole universe is everywhere, because there is no place outside it. Therefore to be everywhere does not belong to God alone. Praeterea, si aliquod corpus esset infinitum, nullus locus esset extra ipsum. Ergo esset ubique. Et sic, esse ubique non videtur proprium Dei. Obj. 4: Further, if any body were infinite, no place would exist outside of it, and so it would be everywhere. Therefore to be everywhere does not appear to belong to God alone. Praeterea, anima, ut dicit Augustinus, in VI de Trin., est tota in toto corpore, et tota in qualibet eius parte. Si ergo non esset in mundo nisi unum solum animal, anima eius esset ubique. Et sic, esse ubique non est proprium Dei. Obj. 5: Further, the soul, as Augustine says (De Trin. vi, 6), is whole in the whole body, and whole in every one of its parts. Therefore if there was only one animal in the world, its soul would be everywhere; and thus to be everywhere does not belong to God alone. Praeterea, ut Augustinus dicit in epistola ad Volusianum, anima ubi videt, ibi sentit; et ubi sentit, ibi vivit; et ubi vivit, ibi est. Sed anima videt quasi ubique, quia successive videt etiam totum caelum. Ergo anima est ubique. Obj. 6: Further, as Augustine says (Ep. 137), The soul feels where it sees, and lives where it feels, and is where it lives. But the soul sees as it were everywhere: for in a succession of glances it comprehends the entire space of the heavens in its sight. Therefore the soul is everywhere. Sed contra est quod Ambrosius dicit, in libro de spiritu sancto, quis audeat creaturam dicere spiritum sanctum, qui in omnibus et ubique et semper est; quod utique divinitatis est proprium? On the contrary, Ambrose says (De Spir. Sanct. i, 7): Who dares to call the Holy Spirit a creature, Who in all things, and everywhere, and always is, which assuredly belongs to the divinity alone? Respondeo dicendum quod esse ubique primo et per se, est proprium Dei. I answer that, To be everywhere primarily and absolutely, is proper to God. Dico autem esse ubique primo, quod secundum se totum est ubique. Si quid enim esset ubique, secundum diversas partes in diversis locis existens, non esset primo ubique, quia quod convenit alicui ratione partis suae, non convenit ei primo; sicut si homo est albus dente, albedo non convenit primo homini, sed denti. Now to be everywhere primarily is said of that which in its whole self is everywhere; for if a thing were everywhere according to its parts in different places, it would not be primarily everywhere, forasmuch as what belongs to anything according to part does not belong to it primarily; thus if a man has white teeth, whiteness belongs primarily not to the man but to his teeth. Esse autem ubique per se dico id cui non convenit esse ubique per accidens, propter aliquam suppositionem factam, quia sic granum milii esset ubique, supposito quod nullum aliud corpus esset. Per se igitur convenit esse ubique alicui, quando tale est quod, qualibet positione facta, sequitur illud esse ubique. But a thing is everywhere absolutely when it does not belong to it to be everywhere accidentally, that is, merely on some supposition; as a grain of millet would be everywhere, supposing that no other body existed. It belongs therefore to a thing to be everywhere absolutely when, on any supposition, it must be everywhere. Et hoc proprie convenit Deo. Quia quotcumque loca ponantur, etiam si ponerentur infinita praeter ista quae sunt, oporteret in omnibus esse Deum, quia nihil potest esse nisi per ipsum. Sic igitur esse ubique primo et per se convenit Deo, et est proprium eius, quia quotcumque loca ponantur, oportet quod in quolibet sit Deus, non secundum partem, sed secundum seipsum. And this properly belongs to God alone. For whatever number of places be supposed, even if an infinite number be supposed besides what already exist, it would be necessary that God should be in all of them; for nothing can exist except by Him. Therefore to be everywhere primarily and absolutely belongs to God and is proper to Him: because whatever number of places be supposed to exist, God must be in all of them, not as to a part of Him, but as to His very self. Ad primum ergo dicendum quod universale et materia prima sunt quidem ubique, sed non secundum idem esse. Reply Obj. 1: The universal, and also primary matter are indeed everywhere; but not according to the same mode of existence. Ad secundum dicendum quod numerus, cum sit accidens, non est per se sed per accidens, in loco. Nec est totus in quolibet numeratorum, sed secundum partem. Et sic non sequitur quod sit primo et per se ubique. Reply Obj. 2: Number, since it is an accident, does not, of itself, exist in place, but accidentally; neither is the whole but only part of it in each of the things numbered; hence it does not follow that it is primarily and absolutely everywhere. Ad tertium dicendum quod totum corpus universi est ubique, sed non primo, quia non totum est in quolibet loco, sed secundum suas partes. Nec iterum per se, quia si ponerentur aliqua alia loca, non esset in eis. Reply Obj. 3: The whole body of the universe is everywhere, but not primarily; forasmuch as it is not wholly in each place, but according to its parts; nor again is it everywhere absolutely, because, supposing that other places existed besides itself, it would not be in them. Ad quartum dicendum quod, si esset corpus infinitum, esset ubique; sed secundum suas partes. Reply Obj. 4: If an infinite body existed, it would be everywhere; but according to its parts. Ad quintum dicendum quod, si esset unum solum animal, anima eius esset ubique primo quidem, sed per accidens. Reply Obj. 5: Were there one animal only, its soul would be everywhere primarily indeed, but only accidentally. Ad sextum dicendum quod, cum dicitur anima alicubi videre, potest intelligi dupliciter. Uno modo, secundum quod hoc adverbium alicubi determinat actum videndi ex parte obiecti. Et sic verum est quod, dum caelum videt, in caelo videt, et eadem ratione in caelo sentit. Non tamen sequitur quod in caelo vivat vel sit, quia vivere et esse non important actum transeuntem in exterius obiectum. Alio modo potest intelligi secundum quod adverbium determinat actum videntis, secundum quod exit a vidente. Et sic verum est quod anima ubi sentit et videt, ibi est et vivit, secundum istum modum loquendi. Et ita non sequitur quod sit ubique. Reply Obj. 6: When it is said that the soul sees anywhere, this can be taken in two senses. In one sense the adverb anywhere determines the act of seeing on the part of the object; and in this sense it is true that while it sees the heavens, it sees in the heavens; and in the same way it feels in the heavens; but it does not follow that it lives or exists in the heavens, because to live and to exist do not import an act passing to an exterior object. In another sense it can be understood according as the adverb determines the act of the seer, as proceeding from the seer; and thus it is true that where the soul feels and sees, there it is, and there it lives according to this mode of speaking; and thus it does not follow that it is everywhere. Quaestio 9 Question 9 De immutabilitate divina The Immutability of God Consequenter considerandum est de immutabilitate et aeternitate divina, quae immutabilitatem consequitur. We next consider God’s immutability, and His eternity following on His immutability. Circa immutabilitatem vero quaeruntur duo. On the immutability of God there are two points of inquiry: Primo, utrum Deus sit omnino immutabilis. (1) Whether God is altogether immutable? Secundo, utrum esse immutabile sit proprium Dei. (2) Whether to be immutable belongs to God alone? Articulus 1 Article 1 Utrum Deus sit omnino immutabilis Whether God is altogether immutable? Ad primum sic proceditur. Videtur quod Deus non sit omnino immutabilis. Quidquid enim movet seipsum, est aliquo modo mutabile. Sed, sicut dicit Augustinus, VIII super Genesim ad litteram, spiritus creator movet se nec per tempus nec per locum. Ergo Deus est aliquo modo mutabilis. Objection 1: It seems that God is not altogether immutable. For whatever moves itself is in some way mutable. But, as Augustine says (Gen ad lit, viii, 20), The Creator Spirit moves Himself neither by time, nor by place. Therefore God is in some way mutable. Praeterea, Sap. VII dicitur de sapientia quod est mobilior omnibus mobilibus. Sed Deus est ipsa sapientia. Ergo Deus est mobilis. Obj. 2: Further, it is said of Wisdom, that it is more mobile than all things active (Wis 7:24). But God is wisdom itself; therefore God is movable. Praeterea, appropinquari et elongari motum significant. Huiusmodi autem dicuntur de Deo in Scriptura, Iac. IV, appropinquate Deo, et appropinquabit vobis. Ergo Deus est mutabilis. Obj. 3: Further, to approach and to recede signify movement. But these are said of God in Scripture, Draw nigh to God and He will draw nigh to you (Jas 4:8). Therefore God is mutable. Sed contra est quod dicitur Malach. III, ego Deus, et non mutor. On the contrary, It is written, I am the Lord, and I change not (Mal 3:6). Respondeo dicendum quod ex praemissis ostenditur Deum esse omnino immutabilem. I answer that, From what precedes, it is shown that God is altogether immutable. Primo quidem, quia supra ostensum est esse aliquod primum ens, quod Deum dicimus, et quod huiusmodi primum ens oportet esse purum actum absque permixtione alicuius potentiae, eo quod potentia simpliciter est posterior actu. Omne autem quod quocumque modo mutatur, est aliquo modo in potentia. Ex quo patet quod impossibile est Deum aliquo modo mutari. First, because it was shown above that there is some first being, whom we call God; and that this first being must be pure act, without the admixture of any potentiality, for the reason that, absolutely, potentiality is posterior to act. Now everything which is in any way changed, is in some way in potentiality. Hence it is evident that it is impossible for God to be in any way changeable. Secundo, quia omne quod movetur, quantum ad aliquid manet, et quantum ad aliquid transit, sicut quod movetur de albedine in nigredinem, manet secundum substantiam. Et sic in omni eo quod movetur, attenditur aliqua compositio. Ostensum est autem supra quod in Deo nulla est compositio, sed est omnino simplex. Unde manifestum est quod Deus moveri non potest. Second, because everything which is moved, remains as it was in part, and passes away in part; as what is moved from whiteness to blackness, remains the same as to substance; thus in everything which is moved, there is some kind of composition to be found. But it has been shown above (Q. 3, A. 7) that in God there is no composition, for He is altogether simple. Hence it is manifest that God cannot be moved. Tertio, quia omne quod movetur, motu suo aliquid acquirit, et pertingit ad illud ad quod prius non pertingebat. Deus autem, cum sit infinitus, comprehendens in se omnem plenitudinem perfectionis totius esse, non potest aliquid acquirere, nec extendere se in aliquid ad quod prius non pertingebat. Unde nullo modo sibi competit motus. Et inde est quod quidam antiquorum, quasi ab ipsa veritate coacti, posuerunt primum principium esse immobile. Third, because everything which is moved acquires something by its movement, and attains to what it had not attained previously. But since God is infinite, comprehending in Himself all the plenitude of perfection of all being, He cannot acquire anything new, nor extend Himself to anything whereto He was not extended previously. Hence movement in no way belongs to Him. So, some of the ancients, constrained, as it were, by the truth, decided that the first principle was immovable. Ad primum ergo dicendum quod Augustinus ibi loquitur secundum modum quo Plato dicebat primum movens movere seipsum, omnem operationem nominans motum; secundum quod etiam ipsum intelligere et velle et amare motus quidam dicuntur. Quia ergo Deus intelligit et amat seipsum, secundum hoc dixerunt quod Deus movet seipsum, non autem secundum quod motus et mutatio est existentis in potentia, ut nunc loquimur de mutatione et motu. Reply Obj. 1: Augustine there speaks in a similar way to Plato, who said that the first mover moves Himself; calling every operation a movement, even as the acts of understanding, and willing, and loving, are called movements. Therefore because God understands and loves Himself, in that respect they said that God moves Himself, not, however, as movement and change belong to a thing existing in potentiality, as we now speak of change and movement.