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README.md
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license: mit
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---
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license: mit
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---
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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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_______________________
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