Wednesday, April 12, 2006

Q13 A7: Whether names which imply relation to creatures are predicated of God temporally?

Yes. The names which import relation to creatures are applied to God temporally because it is manifest that creatures are really related to God Himself (since God is outside the whole order of creation, and all creatures are ordered to Him, and not conversely).

In God, however, there is no real relation to creatures, but a relation only in idea, inasmuch as creatures are referred to Him.

Thus there is nothing to prevent these names which import relation to the creature from being predicated of God temporally, not by reason of any change in Him, but by reason of the change of the creature.

For example, as a column is on the right of an animal, without change in itself, but by change in the animal who is pacing around the column.