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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.
Objection 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.
Objection 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" (James 4:8). Therefore God is mutable.
On the contrary, It is written, "I am the Lord, and I change
not" (Malachi 3:6).
I answer that, From what precedes, it is shown that God is
altogether immutable. 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.
Secondly, 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 (Question 3, Article 7) that in God there is no
composition, for He is altogether simple. Hence it is manifest that
God cannot be moved. Thirdly, 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.
Reply to Objection 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.
Reply to Objection 2: Wisdom is called mobile by way of
similitude, according as it diffuses its likeness even to the outermost
of things; for nothing can exist which does not proceed from the divine
wisdom by way of some kind of imitation, as from the first effective
and formal principle; as also works of art proceed from the wisdom of
the artist. And so in the same way, inasmuch as the similitude of the
divine wisdom proceeds in degrees from the highest things, which
participate more fully of its likeness, to the lowest things which
participate of it in a lesser degree, there is said to be a kind of
procession and movement of the divine wisdom to things; as when we say
that the sun proceeds to the earth, inasmuch as the ray of light
touches the earth. In this way Dionysius (Coel. Hier. i)
expounds the matter, that every procession of the divine manifestation
comes to us from the movement of the Father of light.
Reply to Objection 3: These things are said of God in Scripture
metaphorically. For as the sun is said to enter a house, or to go
out, according as its rays reach the house, so God is said to
approach to us, or to recede from us, when we receive the influx of
His goodness, or decline from Him.
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