Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Q103 A5: Whether all things are subject to the Divine government?

Yes. According to the same formal aspect is God the ruler of things as He is their cause, because the same gives existence as gives perfection; and this belongs to government.

Secundum eandem rationem competit Deo esse gubernatorem rerum, et causam earum, quia eiusdem est rem producere, et ei perfectionem dare, quod ad gubernantem pertinet.

As there can be nothing which is not created by God, so there can be nothing which is not subject to His government.

Sicut nihil potest esse quod non sit a Deo creatum, ita nihil potest esse quod eius gubernationi non subdatur.

As there can be nothing that is not ordered to the Divine goodness as its end, so it is impossible for anything to escape from the Divine government.

Cum nihil esse possit quod non ordinetur in divinam bonitatem sicut in finem, impossibile est quod aliquod entium subtrahatur gubernationi divinae.

The very fact that an element of chance is found in those things proves that they are subject to government of some kind. For unless corruptible things were governed by a higher being, they would tend to nothing definite, especially those which possess no kind of knowledge. So nothing would happen unintentionally; which constitutes the formal aspect of chance.

Et hoc ipsum quod aliquid casuale invenitur in huiusmodi rebus, demonstrat ea alicuius gubernationi esse subiecta. Nisi enim huiusmodi corruptibilia ab aliquo superiori gubernarentur, nihil intenderent, maxime quae non cognoscunt, et sic non eveniret in eis aliquid praeter intentionem, quod facit rationem casus.

The rational creature governs itself by its intellect and will, both of which require to be governed and perfected by the Divine intellect and will. Therefore above the government whereby the rational creature governs itself as master of its own act, it requires to be governed by God.

Creatura rationalis gubernat seipsam per intellectum et voluntatem, quorum utrumque indiget regi et perfici ab intellectu et voluntate Dei. Et ideo supra gubernationem qua creatura rationalis gubernat seipsam tanquam domina sui actus, indiget gubernari a Deo.