A Summary of The Summa Theologiae, I, qq. 6-9, By Thomas Aquinas

A Summary of The Summa Theologiae, I, qq. 6-9, By Thomas Aquinas

QQ 6 focuses on the Goodness of God. Thomas answered that: To be good belongs pre-eminently to God. For a thing is good according to its desirableness. For the very thing which is desirable in it is the participation of its likeness. Therefore, since God is the first effective cause of all things, it is manifest that the aspect of good and of desirableness belong to Him (p. 36). God is the supreme good simply, and not only as existing in any genus or order of things. Therefore as good is in God as in the first, but not the univocal, cause of all things, it must be in Him in a most excellent way; and therefore He is called the supreme good (p.37). God alone is good essentially. For everything is called good according to its perfection. It is manifest that God alone has every kind of perfection by His own essence; He Himself alone is good essentially (p. 38). Finally, everything is called good by reason of the similitude of the divine goodness belonging to it, which is formally its own goodness, whereby it is denominated good. And so of all things there is one goodness, and yet many goodnesses (p. 39)

QQ7 focuses on the Infinity of God. Now matter is in a way made finite by form, and the form by matter. form is not made perfect by matter, but rather is contracted by matter; and hence the infinite, regarded on the part of the form not determined by matter, has the nature of something perfect. Now being is the most formal of all things. Since therefore the divine being is not a being received in anything, but He is His own subsistent being, it is clear that God Himself is infinite and perfect (p. 40). Things other than God can be relatively infinite, but not absolutely infinite. For with regard to infinite as applied to matter, it is manifest that everything actually existing possesses a form; and thus its matter is determined by form.

QQ 8 focuses on the Existence of God in Things. Thomas answers: God is in all things; not, indeed, as part of their essence, nor as an accident, but as an agent is present to that upon which it works. Therefore as long as a thing has being, God must be present to it, according to its mode of being. Hence it must be that God is in all things, and innermostly (p. 45). God is in every place; and this is to be everywhere. First, as He is in all things giving them being, power and operation. He gives being to the things that fill every place, He Himself fills every place (p. 46). To be everywhere primarily and absolutely, is proper to God (p.46). Because whatever number of places be supposed to exist, God must be in all of them, not as to a part of Him, but as to His very self (p.47).

            QQ9 focuses on the immutability of God. God is altogether immutable. First, because

it was shown from the previous questions 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. Secondly, because everything which is moved, remains as it was in part, and passes away in part; but as discussed above, in God there is no composition, for He is altogether simple. Hence it is manifest that God cannot be moved. 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 (p.50). God alone is altogether immutable, for universally all creatures generally are mutable by the power of the Creator, in Whose power is their existence and non-existence. Hence since God is in none of these ways mutable, it belongs to Him alone to be altogether immutable.