Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Q103 A4: Whether the effect of government is one?

No. There are two effects of government, the preservation of things in their goodness, and the moving of things to good, because the end of the government of the world is the essential good, to the participation and similarity of which all things tend.

Duo sunt effectus gubernationis, scilicet conservatio rerum in bono, et motio earum ad bonum, quia finis gubernationis mundi est bonum essentiale, ad cuius participationem et assimilationem omnia tendunt.

For the creature is assimilated to God in two things: first, with regard to this, that God is good, and so the creature becomes like Him by being good; and secondly, with regard to this, that God is the cause of goodness in others, and so the creature becomes like God by moving others to be good.

Creatura enim assimilatur Deo quantum ad duo: scilicet quantum ad id, quod Deus bonus est, inquantum creatura est bona; et quantum ad hoc, quod Deus est aliis causa bonitatis, inquantum una creatura movet aliam ad bonitatem.