Commentaria in Summam contra Gentiles, Liber IV

It remains in the third place that the perverse dogma of Arius be excluded ¹. Concerning this, however, St. Thomas does three things: first, he recounts his opinion; second, he refutes it, in the following chapter; third, he responds to his objections, in chapter VIII.

Concerning the first, he does two things: first, he sets forth the opinion of Arius with its foundations; second, he shows whence it took its origin ².

I. As to the first, he says that there were certain others, deviating from the aforesaid, who said that the Son of God existed before the mystery of the Incarnation, and even before the creation of the world, but they judged him to be so other than the Father that he was not of the same nature with him. Hence they believed that the nature of the Son did not exist from eternity, although the Son existed before other creatures; and consequently they said that the Son of God was made out of nothing, and is a creature. But they added that he is one with God the Father, not by nature, but by a union of consent, and by participation in the divine likeness above the rest of creatures; and that beyond the other supreme creatures as well, whom we call angels, who are called gods and sons of God in Job XXXVIII, and in the Psalms, God stood, etc., it was fitting for him to be called both God and the Son of God. Likewise, that through him God the Father established every other creature.

II. Moreover, they strove to confirm this position: first, because in John XVII the Father alone is called God. — Second, because in I Tim. the last chapter, the Father alone is called the mighty King of kings, and alone to have immortality, and inaccessible light. — Third, because in John XIV the Father is said to be greater than the Son, and in I Cor. XV the Son is said to be subject to the Father: which would not be the case if the nature of the Father and of the Son were one. — Fourth, because the nature of the Father suffers no need, but rather the nature of the Son does, who receives from the Father, as is clear from Matt. XI and John III. — Fifth, because he is taught and helped by the Father, as is clear from John V and John XV: which belongs to one who is in need. — Sixth, because to receive a command, to obey, to pray, and to be sent seem to belong to an inferior. But these things are read of the Son: as is clear from John XIV, As the Father gave me commandment, etc.; Phil. II, He was made obedient, etc.; John XIV, I will ask, etc.; Gal. IV, When the fullness of time was come, etc. — Seventh, because Christ was glorified by the Father, John XII, Father, glorify, etc.; and raised up by him, Rom. VIII; and exalted, Acts II; from which it seems that he is inferior to the Father. — Eighth, because in the Father there is no defect. But in the Son there is found a defect of power, Matt. XX, To sit, etc.; and a defect of knowledge, Matt. XXIV ³, But of that day, etc.; and a defect of undisturbed affection, since Scripture asserts that there was sadness and anger and the like in him. — Ninth, because it is found in the Scriptures that the Son of God is a creature: as is clear from Sirach XXIV, The Creator said to me, etc.; and, From the beginning, etc. — Tenth, because he is numbered together with creatures: Sirach XXIV, I came out of the mouth, etc.; and in Coloss. I it is said that he is the firstborn of creature. — Eleventh, because Christ willed that his disciples should be one just as the Father and the Son are one, John XVII. But he did not will that the disciples should be one by essence.

III. As to the second ⁴, St. Thomas says that this was the opinion of Arius and Eunomius; and that it arose from the sayings of the Platonists, who posited the supreme God as the father and creator of all things, from whom they said a certain mind flowed forth, in which were the forms of all things, superior to all other things, which they named the paternal intellect; and after this the soul of the world; and then the other creatures.

With this also agrees the position of Avicenna, who posited above the soul of heaven an intelligence moving the first heaven, above which he placed God at the summit.