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CATHOLICENCYCLOPEDIA:RelationofGodtotheUniverse

RelationofGodtotheUniverse
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IndevelopingtheargumentoftheFirstCausewehaveseenthattheworldisessentially
dependentonGod,andthisdependenceimpliesinthefirstplacethatGodistheCreatorof
theworldtheproducerofitswholebeingorsubstanceandinthenextplace,
supposingitsproduction,thatitscontinuanceinbeingateverymomentisduetoHis
sustainingpower.Creationmeansthetotalproductionofabeingoutofnothing,i.e.the
bringingofabeingintoexistencetoreplaceabsolutenonexistence,andtherelationof
CreatoristheonlyconceivablerelationinwhichtheInfinitecanstandtothefinite.
Pantheistictheories,whichwouldrepresentthevarietiesofbeingintheuniverseasso
manydeterminationsoremanationsorphasesofoneandtheselfsameeternalreality
SubstanceaccordingtoSpinoza,PureEgoaccordingtoFichte,theAbsoluteaccordingto
Schelling,thePureIdeaorLogicalConceptaccordingtoHegelsimplybristlewith
contradictions,andinvolve,ashasbeenstatedalready,adenialofthedistinctionbetween
thefiniteandtheinfinite.AndtherelationofCreatortocreatedremainsthesameeven
thoughthepossibilityofeternalcreationbeadmittedtheInfinitemustbetheproducerof
thefiniteeventhoughitbeimpossibletofixatimeatwhichproductionmaynotalready
havetakenplace.Forcertainknowledgeofthefactthatcreatedbeing,andtimeitself,had
adefinitebeginninginthepastwecanaffordtorelyonrevelation,although,asalready
stated,sciencesuggeststhesamefact.
ItisalsoclearthatiftheuniversedependsonGodforitsproduction,itmustalsodepend
onHimforitsconservationorcontinuanceinbeingandthistruthwillperhapsbebest
presentedbyexplainingthemuchtalkedofprincipleofDivineimmanenceascorrected
andcounterbalancedbytheequallyimportantprincipleofDivinetranscendence.

Divineimmanenceandtranscendence
ToDeistsisattributedthevieworatleastatendencytowardstheviewthatGod,
havingcreatedtheuniverse,leavesittopursueitsowncourseaccordingtofixedlawsand
ceases,sotospeak,totakeanyfurtherinterestin,orresponsibilityforwhatmayhappen
andDivineimmanenceisurged,sometimestoostrongly,inoppositiontothisview.God
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isimmanent,orintimatelypresent,intheuniversebecauseHispowerisrequiredatevery
momenttosustaincreaturesinbeingandtoconcurwiththemintheiractivities.
Conservationandconcursusaresotospeak,continuationsofcreativeactivity,andimply
anequallyintimaterelationofGodtowardscreatures,orratheranequallyintimateand
unceasingdependenceofcreaturesonGod.Whatevercreaturesare,theyarebyvirtueof
God'sconservingpowerwhatevertheydo,theydobyvirtueofGod'sconcursus.Itisnot,
ofcourse,deniedthatcreaturesaretruecausesandproducerealeffectsbuttheyareonly
secondarycauses,theirefficiencyisalwaysdependentandderivedGodastheFirst
Causeisaneveractivecooperatorintheiractions.Thisistrueevenofthefreeactsofan
intelligentcreaturelikemanonlyitshouldbeaddedinthiscasethatDivineresponsibility
ceasesatthepointwheresinormoralevilentersin.Sincesinassuch,however,isan
imperfection,nolimitationisthusimposedonGod'ssupremacy.
ButlestinsistenceonDivineimmanenceshoulddegenerateintoPantheismandthereis
atendencyinthisdirectiononthepartofmanymodernwritersitisimportantatthe
sametimetoemphasizethetruthofGod'stranscendence,torecall,inotherwords,what
hasbeenstatedseveraltimesalready,thatGodisonesimpleandinfinitelyperfect
personalBeingwhosenatureandactionintheirpropercharacterasDivineinfinitely
transcendallpossiblemodesofthefinite,andcannot,withoutcontradiction,beformally
identifiedwiththese.

Possibilityofthesupernatural
FromastudyofnaturewehaveinferredtheexistenceofGodanddeducedcertain
fundamentaltruthsregardingHisnatureandattributes,andHisrelationtothecreated
universe.Andfromtheseitiseasytodeduceafurtherimportanttruth,withabrief
mentionofwhichwemayfittinglyconcludethissection.Howeverwonderfulwemay
considertheuniversetobe,werecognizethatneitherinitssubstancenorinthelawsby
whichitsorderismaintained,insofarasunaidedreasoncancometoknowthem,doesit
exhaustGod'sinfinitepowerorperfectlyrevealHisnature.Ifthenitbesuggestedthat,to
supplementwhatphilosophyteachesofHimselfandHispurposes,Godmaybewillingto
favourrationalcreatureswithanimmediatepersonalrevelation,inwhichHeaidsthe
naturalpowersofreasonbyconfirmingwhattheyalreadyknow,andbyimpartingtothem
muchthattheycouldnototherwiseknow,itwillbeseenatoncethatthissuggestion
containsnoimpossibility.AllthatisrequiredtorealizeitisthatGodshouldbeableto
communicatedirectlywiththecreatedmind,andthatmenshouldbeabletorecognize
withsufficientcertaintythatthecommunicationisreallyDivineandthatbothofthese
conditionsarecapableofbeingfulfillednoTheistcanlogicallydeny(seeREVELATION
MIRACLES).Thisbeingsoitwillfollowfurtherthatknowledgesoobtained,being
guaranteedbytheauthorityofHimwhoisinfiniteTruth,isthemostcertainandreliable
knowledgewecanpossess.

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Aboutthispage
APAcitation.Toner,P.(1909).RelationofGodtotheUniverse.InTheCatholic
Encyclopedia.NewYork:RobertAppletonCompany.RetrievedJune6,2015fromNew
Advent:http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06614a.htm
MLAcitation.Toner,Patrick."RelationofGodtotheUniverse."TheCatholic
Encyclopedia.Vol.6.NewYork:RobertAppletonCompany,1909.6Jun.2015
<http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06614a.htm>.
Transcription.ThisarticlewastranscribedforNewAdventbyTomasHancil.
Ecclesiasticalapprobation.NihilObstat.September1,1909.RemyLafort,Censor.
Imprimatur.+JohnM.Farley,ArchbishopofNewYork.
Contactinformation.TheeditorofNewAdventisKevinKnight.Myemailaddressis
webmasteratnewadvent.org.Regrettably,Ican'treplytoeveryletter,butIgreatly
appreciateyourfeedbackespeciallynotificationsabouttypographicalerrorsand
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