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The reply is in the affirmative. St. Thomas'
demonstration may be summed up as follows: That higher
free cause upon which the application of hypothetically
necessary laws depends and which is not bound by such laws
is able to act without regard to these laws. But God is
the omnipotent free cause upon whom the application of all
hypothetically necessary laws depends (these laws
constitute the order of action of all created nature),
and the divine liberty is not bound by this order of
action. Therefore God can act without regard to the
order of action established in created nature, or in other
words, God can work a miracle.
The following is an example of a hypothetically necessary
law: when only natural causes are active in natural
conditions, the resurrection of a body is impossible.
But in the miracle of resurrection a supernatural free
cause intervenes, namely, God. On the other hand,
God cannot act without regard to metaphysical and
mathematical principles (for example, make a square
circle), because these principles are not hypothetically
but absolutely necessary.
Just as a man can act without regard to his usual custom,
so God is free to act without regard to the laws of
nature, which are His customs in moving creatures.
We delay no longer in this argument, which we have
defended and explained at length in another
place.[981]
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