« Ch.VII. Q.45. Divine Perfection | Main | Ch.VII. Q.47. Divine Simplicity and Spirituality »
August 01, 2005
Ch.VII. Q.46. Divine Unity
BY THE Unity of God is meant (a) the fact that He is but one, unus; (b) His integral unity, or the fact that He is indivisible; (c) His uniqueness, or the fact that He cannot be classed with any other being in genus or species. He is unus et unicus.1
2. That the Lord our God is One Lord (monotheism) is asserted or implied in every part of Holy Scripture; which also bears frequent witness against polytheism or idolatry.2 It is also argued (a) from His simplicity. The individuality and the essence of God are identical, but that which constitutes the individuality of a being can be but one; (b) from the infinity of His perfection and His supremacy. There can be but one most perfect and supreme; (c) from the teleological unity of the world.3 We should not confound monotheism with henotheism, or the acceptance by a people of one tribal or national god, to the exclusion of the gods of other nations — acknowledged also to be real.
3. The integral unity of God does not signify the absence of real distinctions in His nature, but the absence of divisions simply. His tri-personal subsistence is not inconsistent with this.4
4. No other being can be comprehended in the same category with God. This fact does not preclude the existence of other beings, but of other Divine beings. Moreover all other beings are dependent upon, and owe their existence to, the One, with whom nothing can be coordinated.5
5. The doctrine of Divine unity has had a long history, (a) At the beginning it was accepted until sin led to the setting up of other wills against God's will; (b) Polytheism developed rapidly after the fall, but with an undercurrent of recognition of the Supreme — too remote for direct service and worship; (c) The Chosen People were educated slowly and painfully out of polytheism by Divine interventions; (d) Heathen philosophy soared above polytheism, but with pantheistic tendency; (e) Christian revelation enriched the doctrine of unity and extricated it from deistic remoteness; (f) The doctrine has been tested and made clearer since apostolic times by conflict with (1) polytheism; (2) gnostic and Manichaean dualism; (3) Sabellian impoverishment; (4) Arianism; (5) Mariolatry; (6) nominalistic tri-theism; (7) modern Deism; (8) pantheism.
1 St. Thos., Summa, I., xi.; Mason, Faith of the Gospel, i. 10; Strong, Syst. Theol., p. 125; Owen, Dogmatics, ch. iv., § 6; Forbes, Creed, pp. 25-38; Pearson, De Deo, XI. pp. 109-117; Weidner, Theologia, p. 55.
2 Deut, iv. 35; vi. 4; I. Kings viii. 60; Isa. xlii. 8; xliv. 6, 8 et seq.; Mark xii. 29; John xvii. 3; Rom. iii. 29, 30; I. Cor. viii. 4-6; Gal. iii. 20; I. Tim. i. 17; ii. 5; Jas. ii. 19.
3 St. Thos., I. xi. 3; Pearson, pp. 114, 115.
4 Mason; Strong.
5 Dorner, Christian Doctrine, Vol. I., pp. 230-234; Jackson; Wilhelm and Scannell, Manual, pp. 203-204. Cf. Exod. ix. 14; Deut. xxxiii. 26; II. Sam. vii. 22; Isa. xl. 18-25; xlvi. 5-9; Jerem. x. 6; Matt. xix. 17.
Posted by Debra Bullock at August 1, 2005 09:55 PM
Trackback Pings
TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://disseminary.org/mt/mt-tb.cgi/503