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Objection 1: It would seem that God is the first object known by
the human mind. For that object in which all others are known, and by
which we judge others, is the first thing known to us; as light is to
the eye, and first principles to the intellect. But we know all
things in the light of the first truth, and thereby judge of all
things, as Augustine says (De Trin. xii, 2; De Vera Relig.
xxxi; Confess. xii, 25). Therefore God is the first object
known to us.
Objection 2: Further, whatever causes a thing to be such is more
so. But God is the cause of all our knowledge; for He is "the true
light which enlighteneth every man that cometh into this world" (Jn.
1:9). Therefore God is our first and most known object.
Objection 3: Further, what is first known in the image is the
exemplar to which it is made. But in our mind is the image of God,
as Augustine says (De Trin. xii, 4,7). Therefore God is the
first object known to our mind.
On the contrary, "No man hath seen God at any time" (Jn.
1:18).
I answer that, Since the human intellect in the present state of life
cannot understand even immaterial created substances (Article 1),
much less can it understand the essence of the uncreated substance.
Hence it must be said simply that God is not the first object of our
knowledge. Rather do we know God through creatures, according to the
Apostle (Rm. 1:20), "the invisible things of God are clearly
seen, being understood by the things that are made": while the first
object of our knowledge in this life is the "quiddity of a material
thing," which is the proper object of our intellect, as appears above
in many passages (Question 84, Article 7; Question 85,
Article 8; Question 87, Article 2, ad 2)
Reply to Objection 1: We see and judge of all things in the light
of the first truth, forasmuch as the light itself of our mind, whether
natural or gratuitous, is nothing else than the impression of the first
truth upon it, as stated above (Question 12, Article 2).
Hence, as the light itself of our intellect is not the object it
understands, much less can it be said that God is the first object
known by our intellect.
Reply to Objection 2: The axiom, "Whatever causes a thing to be
such is more so," must be understood of things belonging to one and
the same order, as explained above (Question 81, Article 2, ad
3). Other things than God are known because of God; not as if He
were the first known object, but because He is the first cause of our
faculty of knowledge.
Reply to Objection 3: If there existed in our souls a perfect image
of God, as the Son is the perfect image of the Father, our mind
would know God at once. But the image in our mind is imperfect;
hence the argument does not prove.
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