summa-contra-gentiles

CHAPTER XLIV 105
Further. Since the spiritual creature does not merit to
be degraded except sin,— for yet it is degraded from its
height, wherein it is invisible, through being united to
visible bodies,— it would seem to follow that visible bodies
are joined to spiritual creatures on account of sin. And
this would seem to approach to the error of the Manichees
who said that these visible things proceeded from the evil
principle.^
The authority of Holy Writ is in evident contradiction
with this error. For in each making of visible creatures
Moses speaks in terms such as these :^ God saw that it ivas
good, etc., and afterwards in reference to all, he adds : God
sail- all the things that He had made, and they were very
good. Hence we are clearly given to understand that the
corporeal and visible creatures were made because it is
good
for them to be, and this is in keeping with the divine goodness,
and not on account of any merits or sins of rational
creatures.
Origen seems not to have taken into consideration that,
when we give a thing not as a due, but as a free gift,
it is
not contrary to justice if we give unequal things, without
weighing the difference of merits, since payment
is due to
those who merit. Now God, as stated above,' brought
things into being, not as though it were due to them, but
out of mere bounty. Therefore the diversity of creatures
does not presuppose diversity of merits.
Again, since the good of the whole is better than the
good of each part,
it does not befit the best maker to lessen
the good of the whole in order to increase the good of some
of the parts
: thus a builder does not give to the foundation
the goodness which he gives to the roof, lest he should
make a crazy house. Therefore God the maker of all would
not make the whole universe the best of its kind,
if He
made all the parts equal, because many degrees of goodness
would be wanting to the universe, and thus it would
be imperfect.
» C/. ch. xli.
« Gen. i. « Ch. xxviii.