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THE "SUMMA THEOLOGICA"

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QUESTION XlV.<br />

OF GOD'S KNOWLEDGE.<br />

(In Sixtee_ Articles.)<br />

HAVING considered what belongs to the divine substance,<br />

we have now to treat of God's operation. And since one<br />

kind of operation is immanent, and another kind of operation<br />

proceeds to the exterior effect, we treat first of knowledge<br />

and of will (for understanding abides in the intelligent<br />

agent, and will is in the one who wills); and afterwards of<br />

the power of God, the principle of the divine operation as<br />

proceeding to the exterior effect. Now because to understand<br />

is a kind of life, after treating of the divine knowledge,<br />

we consider the divine life. And as knowledge concerns<br />

truth, we consider truth and falsehood. Further, as everything<br />

known is in the knower, and the types of things<br />

as existing in the knowledge of God are called ideas, to the<br />

consideration of knowledge will be added the treatment<br />

of ideas.<br />

Concerning knowledge, there are sixteen points for inquiry:<br />

(1) Whether there is knowledge in God ? (2) Whether<br />

GOd understands Himself ? (3) Whether He comprehends<br />

Himself ? (4) Whether His understanding is His substance<br />

? (5) Whether He understands other things besides<br />

Himself ? (6) Whether He has a proper knowledge of<br />

them ? (7) Whether the knowledge of God is discursive ?<br />

(8) Whether the knowledge of God is the cause of things ?<br />

(9) Whether God has knowledge of non-existing things ?<br />

(IO) Whether He has knowledge of evil ? (II) Whether<br />

He has knowledge of individual things ? (12) Whether<br />

He knows the infinite ? (13) Whether He knows future<br />

contingent things ? (14) Whether He knows enunciable<br />

i8o

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