Part I (Prima Pars) Part 155 (1/2)
_On the contrary,_ Dionysius says (Div. Nom. xii): ”G.o.d contains all and fills all by His providence and perfect goodness.” But government belongs to providence. Therefore there are certain definite effects of the Divine government.
_I answer that,_ The effect of any action may be judged from its end; because it is by action that the attainment of the end is effected.
Now the end of the government of the world is the essential good, to the partic.i.p.ation and similarity of which all things tend.
Consequently the effect of the government of the world may be taken in three ways. First, on the part of the end itself; and in this way there is but one effect, that is, a.s.similation to the supreme good.
Secondly, the effect of the government of the world may be considered on the part of those things by means of which the creature is made like to G.o.d. Thus there are, in general, two effects of the government. For the creature is a.s.similated to G.o.d in two things; first, with regard to this, that G.o.d is good; and so the creature becomes like Him by being good; and secondly, with regard to this, that G.o.d is the cause of goodness in others; and so the creature becomes like G.o.d by moving others to be good. Wherefore there are two effects of government, the preservation of things in their goodness, and the moving of things to good. Thirdly, we may consider in the individual the effects of the government of the world; and in this way they are without number.
Reply Obj. 1: The order of the universe includes both the preservation of things created by G.o.d and their movement. As regards these two things we find order among them, inasmuch as one is better than another; and one is moved by another.
From what has been said above, we can gather the replies to the other two objections.
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FIFTH ARTICLE [I, Q. 103, Art. 5]
Whether All Things Are Subject to the Divine Government?
Objection 1: It would seem that not all things are subject to the Divine government. For it is written (Eccles. 9:11): ”I saw that under the sun the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to the learned, nor favor to the skillful, but time and chance in all.” But things subject to the Divine government are not ruled by chance. Therefore those things which are under the sun are not subject to the Divine government.
Obj. 2: Further, the Apostle says (1 Cor. 9:9): ”G.o.d hath no care for oxen.” But he that governs has care for the things he governs.
Therefore all things are not subject to the Divine government.
Obj. 3: Further, what can govern itself needs not to be governed by another. But the rational creature can govern itself; since it is master of its own act, and acts of itself; and is not made to act by another, which seems proper to things which are governed. Therefore all things are not subject to the Divine government.
_On the contrary,_ Augustine says (De Civ. Dei v, 11): ”Not only heaven and earth, not only man and angel, even the bowels of the lowest animal, even the wing of the bird, the flower of the plant, the leaf of the tree, hath G.o.d endowed with every fitting detail of their nature.” Therefore all things are subject to His government.
_I answer that,_ For the same reason is G.o.d the ruler of things as He is their cause, because the same gives existence as gives perfection; and this belongs to government. Now G.o.d is the cause not indeed only of some particular kind of being, but of the whole universal being, as proved above (Q. 44, AA. 1, 2). Wherefore, as there can be nothing which is not created by G.o.d, so there can be nothing which is not subject to His government. This can also be proved from the nature of the end of government. For a man's government extends over all those things which come under the end of his government. Now the end of the Divine government is the Divine goodness; as we have shown (A. 2).
Wherefore, as there can be nothing that is not ordered to the Divine goodness as its end, as is clear from what we have said above (Q. 44, A. 4; Q. 65, A. 2), so it is impossible for anything to escape from the Divine government.
Foolish therefore was the opinion of those who said that the corruptible lower world, or individual things, or that even human affairs, were not subject to the Divine government. These are represented as saying, ”G.o.d hath abandoned the earth” (Ezech. 9:9).
Reply Obj. 1: These things are said to be under the sun which are generated and corrupted according to the sun's movement. In all such things we find chance: not that everything is casual which occurs in such things; but that in each one there is an element of chance. And the very fact that an element of chance is found in those things proves that they are subject to government of some kind. For unless corruptible things were governed by a higher being, they would tend to nothing definite, especially those which possess no kind of knowledge. So nothing would happen unintentionally; which const.i.tutes the nature of chance. Wherefore to show how things happen by chance and yet according to the ordering of a higher cause, he does not say absolutely that he observes chance in all things, but ”time and chance,” that is to say, that defects may be found in these things according to some order of time.
Reply Obj. 2: Government implies a certain change effected by the governor in the things governed. Now every movement is the act of a movable thing, caused by the moving principle, as is laid down _Phys._ iii, 3. And every act is proportionate to that of which it is an act. Consequently, various movable things must be moved variously, even as regards movement by one and the same mover. Thus by the one art of the Divine governor, various things are variously governed according to their variety. Some, according to their nature, act of themselves, having dominion over their actions; and these are governed by G.o.d, not only in this, that they are moved by G.o.d Himself, Who works in them interiorly; but also in this, that they are induced by Him to do good and to fly from evil, by precepts and prohibitions, rewards and punishments. But irrational creatures which do not act but are acted upon, are not thus governed by G.o.d. Hence, when the Apostle says that ”G.o.d hath no care for oxen,” he does not wholly withdraw them from the Divine government, but only as regards the way in which rational creatures are governed.
Reply Obj. 3: The rational creature governs itself by its intellect and will, both of which require to be governed and perfected by the Divine intellect and will. Therefore above the government whereby the rational creature governs itself as master of its own act, it requires to be governed by G.o.d.
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SIXTH ARTICLE [I, Q. 103, Art. 6]
Whether all things are immediately governed by G.o.d?
Objection 1: It would seem that all things are governed by G.o.d immediately. For Gregory of Nyssa (Nemesius, De Nat. Hom.) reproves the opinion of Plato who divides providence into three parts. The first he ascribes to the supreme G.o.d, who watches over heavenly things and all universals; the second providence he attributes to the secondary deities, who go the round of the heavens to watch over generation and corruption; while he ascribes a third providence to certain spirits who are guardians on earth of human actions.
Therefore it seems that all things are immediately governed by G.o.d.
Obj. 2: Further, it is better that a thing be done by one, if possible, than by many, as the Philosopher says (Phys. viii, 6). But G.o.d can by Himself govern all things without any intermediary cause.
Therefore it seems that He governs all things immediately.
Obj. 3: Further, in G.o.d nothing is defective or imperfect. But it seems to be imperfect in a ruler to govern by means of others; thus an earthly king, by reason of his not being able to do everything himself, and because he cannot be everywhere at the same time, requires to govern by means of ministers. Therefore G.o.d governs all things immediately.
_On the contrary,_ Augustine says (De Trin. iii, 4): ”As the lower and grosser bodies are ruled in a certain orderly way by bodies of greater subtlety and power; so all bodies are ruled by the rational spirit of life; and the sinful and unfaithful spirit is ruled by the good and just spirit of life; and this spirit by G.o.d Himself.”