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Objection 1: It seems that those who see the essence of God do not
see all they see in Him at one and the same time. For according to
the Philosopher (Topic. ii): "It may happen that many things are
known, but only one is understood." But what is seen in God, is
understood; for God is seen by the intellect. Therefore those who
see God do not see all in Him at the same time.
Objection 2: Further, Augustine says (Gen. ad lit. viii,
22,23), "God moves the spiritual creature according to
time"---i.e. by intelligence and affection. But the spiritual
creature is the angel who sees God. Therefore those who see God
understand and are affected successively; for time means succession.
On the contrary, Augustine says (De Trin. xvi): "Our thoughts
will not be unstable, going to and fro from one thing to another; but
we shall see all we know at one glance."
I answer that, What is seen in the Word is seen not successively,
but at the same time. In proof whereof, we ourselves cannot know many
things all at once, forasmuch as understand many things by means of
many ideas. But our intellect cannot be actually informed by many
diverse ideas at the same time, so as to understand by them; as one
body cannot bear different shapes simultaneously. Hence, when many
things can be understood by one idea, they are understood at the same
time; as the parts of a whole are understood successively, and not all
at the same time, if each one is understood by its own idea; whereas
if all are understood under the one idea of the whole, they are
understood simultaneously. Now it was shown above that things seen in
God, are not seen singly by their own similitude; but all are seen by
the one essence of God. Hence they are seen simultaneously, and not
successively.
Reply to Objection 1: We understand one thing only when we
understand by one idea; but many things understood by one idea are
understood simultaneously, as in the idea of a man we understand
"animal" and "rational"; and in the idea of a house we understand
the wall and the roof.
Reply to Objection 2: As regards their natural knowledge, whereby
they know things by diverse ideas given them, the angels do not know
all things simultaneously, and thus they are moved in the act of
understanding according to time; but as regards what they see in God,
they see all at the same time.
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