|
Objection 1: It would seem that among the divine persons there does
not exist an order of nature. For whatever exists in God is the
essence, or a person, or a notion. But the order of nature does not
signify the essence, nor any of the persons, or notions. Therefore
there is no order of nature in God.
Objection 2: Further, wherever order of nature exists, there one
comes before another, at least, according to nature and intellect.
But in the divine persons there exists neither priority nor
posteriority, as declared by Athanasius. Therefore, in the divine
persons there is no order of nature.
Objection 3: Further, wherever order exists, distinction also
exists. But there is no distinction in the divine nature. Therefore
it is not subject to order; and order of nature does not exist in it.
Objection 4: Further, the divine nature is the divine essence.
But there is no order of essence in God. Therefore neither is there
of nature.
On the contrary, Where plurality exists without order, confusion
exists. But in the divine persons there is no confusion, as
Athanasius says. Therefore in God order exists.
I answer that, Order always has reference to some principle.
Wherefore since there are many kinds of principle---namely,
according to site, as a point; according to intellect, as the
principle of demonstration; and according to each individual
cause---so are there many kinds of order. Now principle, according
to origin, without priority, exists in God as we have stated
(Question 33, Article 1): so there must likewise be order
according to origin, without priority; and this is called 'the order
of nature': in the words of Augustine (Contra Maxim. iv):
"Not whereby one is prior to another, but whereby one is from
another."
Reply to Objection 1: The order of nature signifies the notion of
origin in general, not a special kind of origin.
Reply to Objection 2: In things created, even when what is derived
from a principle is co-equal in duration with its principle, the
principle still comes first in the order of nature and reason, if
formally considered as principle. If, however, we consider the
relations of cause and effect, or of the principle and the thing
proceeding therefrom, it is clear that the things so related are
simultaneous in the order of nature and reason, inasmuch as the one
enters the definition of the other. But in God the relations
themselves are the persons subsisting in one nature. So, neither on
the part of the nature, nor on the part the relations, can one person
be prior to another, not even in the order of nature and reason.
Reply to Objection 3: The order of nature means not the ordering of
nature itself, but the existence of order in the divine Persons
according to natural origin.
Reply to Objection 4: Nature in a certain way implies the idea of a
principle, but essence does not; and so the order of origin is more
correctly called the order of nature than the order of essence.
|
|