Of God and His Creatures
That the Divine Will reaches to the good of Individual Existences
THE excellence of order in the universe appears in two ways, first,
inasmuch as the whole universe is referred to something beyond the
universe, as an army to its leader: secondly, inasmuch as the parts of
the universe are referred to one another, like the parts of an army;
and the second order is for the sake of the first. But God, in willing
Himself as an end, wills other things in their reference to Him as an
end. He wills therefore the excellence of order in the universe in
reference to Himself, and the excellence of order in the universe in
mutual reference of its parts to one another. But the excellence of
order is made up of the good of individual existences.
This is confirmed by the authority of Scripture: God saw the light,
that it was good (Gen. i, 4); and similarly of His other works; and
lastly of them altogether: God saw all things that he had made, and
they were very good (Gen. i, 31).
1.77 : That the Multitude of the Objects of God's Will is not inconsistent with the Simplicity of His Substance
1.79 : That God wills things even that as yet are not