summa-contra-gentiles

22 THE SUMMA CONTRA GENTILES
with a form in any way belongs to an agent that aims at
some particular species. Now a like agent is a particular
agent, since causes are proportionate to their effects.^
Therefore an agent that requires of necessity prejacent
matter out of which to work its effect, is a particular agent.
But God is an agent as being the universal cause of being,
as was proved above.^ Therefore He needs no prejacent
matter in His action.
universal than to
Again. The more universal an effect, the higher its
proper cause because the : higher the cause, to so many
more things does its virtue extend. Now to be is more
be moved: since some beings are immovable,
as also philosophers teach, for instance stones and the
like. It follows therefore that above the cause which acts
only by causing movement and change, there is that cause
which is the first principle of being and we have : proved^
that this is God. Therefore God does not act merely by
causing movement and change. Now everything that cannot
bring things into being save from prejacent matter, acts
only by causing movement and change, since to make
aught out of matter is the result of movement or change of
some kind. Consequently it is not impossible to bring
things into being without prejacent matter. Therefore
God brings things into being without prejacent matter.
Again. That which acts only by movement and change
is inconsistent with the universal cause of being since by
;
movement and change a being is not made from absolute
non-being, but this being from this non-being.
is the universal cause of being, as we have proved.*
Now God
There-
is not becoming to Him to act only by movement or
fore it
change. Neither then is it
becoming to Him to need preexisting
matter, in order to make something.
Moreover. Every agent produces something
like itself
as it is
in some way. Now every agent acts according
actually. Consequently to produce an effect by causing in
some way a form inherent to matter, will belong to that
^
2 Phys.
iii. 12.
* Ch. xv.
» Ibid. * Ch. XV.