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State of the question. Besides paternity, filiation,
active and passive spiration, why do we not admit the real
relations of equality and similitude? Scotus admitted
these other relations. It appears, however, that there
are only three real relations just as there are only three
divine persons, for the persons are constituted by
subsisting relations.
Reply. St. Thomas replied that there are four real
relations in God, and this is the common opinion of
theologians in opposition to Scotus and the Scotists.
The proof in the body of the article is the following.
Real relations are founded either on quantity, which is
not found in God, or on action and passion, and in God
there are only two actions ad intra, intellection and
love, from which the two processions derive.[272]
But each procession is the basis for two relations, one
of which is that of the proceeding from the principle and
the other the principle itself. Therefore there are in
God only four real relations: paternity, filiation, and
the two relations founded on the procession of love,
called active spiration and the passive procession or
spiration, which is rather quasi-passive.
St. Thomas says below: "Although there are four
relations in God, one of these, active spiration, is
not separate or distinct from the persons of the Father
and the Son because it is not opposed to
them."[273]
There are therefore not four persons but only three. The
reason is always the same: in God all things are one and
the same except where there is opposition of relation.
But there are only three relations opposed to each other,
since active spiration is not opposed to paternity and
filiation. Moreover, because of the identity of the
principle, active spiration is numerically one and the
same in the Father and the Son.[274] We must
always return to this principle as to the center of the
circle from which all the radii proceed. The repetition
of this principle in these articles is not a mere routine
repetition but it is frequent recourse to the source of
that light which illuminates this entire treatise.
It should be noted that the relations of equality and
similitude are not real relations; they are only mental
relations. St. Thomas explains this below and the
reason he gives is valid against Scotus, who held the
opposite opinion.[275] Equality is predicated after
the manner of quantity, and similitude after the manner of
quality. But in God there is no quantity of the mass but
only of virtue, which like quality is reduced to the
divine essence and with which it is numerically one and the
same. One thing cannot have a real reference or relation
to itself. Nor is there in God a real relation of
equality because of the relations, since one relation is
not referred by another relation, otherwise there would be
an infinite process.
Objection. The divine persons are truly and really
equal; therefore the equality between them is a real
relation.
Reply. I deny the consequence and the consequent. For
a real relation it is not required that the equality be
taken formally; equality taken fundamentally suffices,
such as the unity of an infinite magnitude, which by
reason of the divine essence is numerically one. Thus
God is really the lord of all creatures without any real
relation to them; we have here only the creative action
upon which creatures really depend. In God therefore
there are only four relations, and these are relations of
origin based on the two processions.
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