THE "SUMMA THEOLOGICA"

Q. x4. AaT. x5 THE " SUMMA THEOLOGICA " aI2
we must reduce to one by way of composition or division,
by forming an enunciation. Now the species of the divine
intellect, which is God's essence, suffices to represent all
things. Hence by understanding His essence, God knows
the essences of all things, and also whatever can be accidental
to them.
Reply Obj. I. This objection would avail if God knew
enunciable things after the manner of enunciable things.
Reply Obj. 2. Enunciatory composition signifies some
existence of a thing; and thus God by His existence, which
is His essence, is the similitude of all those things which are
signified by enunciation.
FIFTEENTH ARTICLE.
WHETHER THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD IS VARIABLE ?
We proceed thus to the Fifteenth Article:--
Objection I. It seems that the knowledge of God is
variable. For knowledge is related to what is knowable.
But whatever imports relation to the creature is applied to
God from time, and varies according to the variation of
creatures. Therefore the knowledge of GOd is variable
according to the variation of creatures.
Obj. 2. Further, whatever God can make, He can know.
But God can make more than He does. Therefore He can
know more than He knows. Thus His knowledge can vary
according to increase and diminution.
Obj. 3. Further. God knew that Christ would be born.
But He does not know _j0w that Christ will be born; because
Christ is not to be borfi in the future. Therefore God does
not know everything He once knew; and thus the know-
]edge of God is variable.
On the contrary, It is said, that in God there is no chang_
nor shadow of alteration (James. i. 17).
I answer that, Since the knowledge of God is His substance,
as is clear from the foregoing (A. 4), just as His substance
is altogether immutable, as shown above (Q. IX., A. I), so
His knowledge likewise must be altogether invariable.