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Whether God Is Composed of Matter and Form? |
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Objection 1: It seems that God is composed of matter and form. For |
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whatever has a soul is composed of matter and form; since the soul is |
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the form of the body. But Scripture attributes a soul to God; for it |
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is mentioned in Hebrews (Heb. 10:38), where God says: "But My just man |
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liveth by faith; but if he withdraw himself, he shall not please My |
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soul." Therefore God is composed of matter and form. |
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Objection 2: Further, anger, joy and the like are passions of the |
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composite. But these are attributed to God in Scripture: "The Lord was |
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exceeding angry with His people" (Ps. 105:40). Therefore God is |
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composed of matter and form. |
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Objection 3: Further, matter is the principle of individualization. |
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But God seems to be individual, for He cannot be predicated of many. |
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Therefore He is composed of matter and form. |
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Contrary: Whatever is composed of matter and form is a body; |
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for dimensive quantity is the first property of matter. But God is not |
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a body as proved in the preceding Article; therefore He is not |
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composed of matter and form. |
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Response: It is impossible that matter should exist in God. |
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First, because matter is in potentiality. But we have shown (Q. 2, A. 3) |
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that God is pure act, without any potentiality. Hence it is |
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impossible that God should be composed of matter and form. Secondly, |
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because everything composed of matter and form owes its perfection and |
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goodness to its form; therefore its goodness is participated, inasmuch |
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as matter participates the form. Now the first good and the |
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best--viz. God--is not a participated good, because the essential |
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good is prior to the participated good. Hence it is impossible that |
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God should be composed of matter and form. Thirdly, because every |
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agent acts by its form; hence the manner in which it has its form is |
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the manner in which it is an agent. Therefore whatever is primarily |
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and essentially an agent must be primarily and essentially form. Now |
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God is the first agent, since He is the first efficient cause. He is |
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therefore of His essence a form; and not composed of matter and form. |
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Reply Objection 1: A soul is attributed to God because His acts |
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resemble the acts of a soul; for, that we will anything, is due to our |
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soul. Hence what is pleasing to His will is said to be pleasing to His |
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soul. |
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Reply Objection 2: Anger and the like are attributed to God on |
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account of a similitude of effect. Thus, because to punish is properly |
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the act of an angry man, God's punishment is metaphorically spoken of |
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as His anger. |
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Reply Objection 3: Forms which can be received in matter are |
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individualized by matter, which cannot be in another as in a subject |
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since it is the first underlying subject; although form of itself, |
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unless something else prevents it, can be received by many. But that |
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form which cannot be received in matter, but is self-subsisting, is |
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individualized precisely because it cannot be received in a subject; |
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and such a form is God. Hence it does not follow that matter exists in |
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God. |
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