Divine Eternity

We must now consider the eternity of God, concerning which arise six points of inquiry: (1) What is eternity? (2) Whether God is eternal? (3) Whether to be eternal belongs to God alone? (4) Whethe

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I answer that, The idea of eternity follows immutability, as the idea of time follows movement, as appears from the preceding article. Hence, as God is supremely immutable, it supremely belongs to Him

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Chapter XI.—They Who Ask This Have Not as Yet Known the Eternity of God, Which is Exempt from the Relation of Time. 13. Those who say these things do not as yet understand Thee, O Thou Wisdom of God,

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Objection 2: Further, according to the Philosopher (Phys. iv), the "now" of time remains the same in the whole of time. But the nature of eternity seems to be that it is the same indivisible thing in

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But if he disowns this view, and does not admit a double being in the Deity, one represented by the godhead, the other by the ungeneracy, let our friend, who is himself neither ‘rash’ nor ‘malignant,’

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27. Let not therefore heretics flatter themselves against me, because I said, “the shortness of my days,” as if they would not last down to the end of the world. For what hath he added? “O my God, tak

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It is without beginning and without end. FROM what time, then, has this so simple Nature which creates and animates all things existed, or until what time is it to exist? Or rather, let us ask neithe

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How it is better understood to exist always than at every time. IT is also evident that this supreme Substance is without beginning and without end; that it has neither all time more properly underst

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How he alone is uncircumscribed and eternal, although other spirits are uncircumscribed and eternal.—No place and time contain God. But he is himself everywhere and always. He alone not only does not

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He does not exist in place or time, but all things exist in him. BUT if through thine eternity thou hast been, and art, and wilt be; and to have been is not to be destined to be; and to be is not to

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He exists before all things and transcends all things, even the eternal things.—The eternity of God is present as a whole with him; while other things have not yet that part of their eternity which is

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Is this the age of the age, or ages of ages?—The eternity of God contains the ages of time themselves, and can be called the age of the age or ages of ages. Is this, then, the age of the age, or ages

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Chapter XXIX.—Although It is Said Eight Times that “God Saw that It Was Good,” Yet Time Has No Relation to God and His Word. 44. And I looked attentively to find whether seven or eight times Thou saw

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I answer that, Aeviternity differs from time, and from eternity, as the mean between them both. This difference is explained by some to consist in the fact that eternity has neither beginning nor end,

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On the contrary, Aeviternity is a more simple thing than time, and is nearer to eternity. But time is one only. Therefore much more is aeviternity one only. I answer that, A twofold opinion exists on

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I answer that, The truth of enunciations is no other than the truth of the intellect. For an enunciation resides in the intellect, and in speech. Now according as it is in the intellect it has truth o

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How it exists in every place and time, and in none. HOW, then, shall these prepositions, that are so necessary according to our exposition, and so necessary according to our proof, be reconciled? Per

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Chapter XIII.—Before the Times Created by God, Times Were Not. 15. But if the roving thought of any one should wander through the images of bygone time, and wonder that Thou, the God Almighty, and Al

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I answer that, We must say that the Son is co-eternal with the Father. In proof of which we must consider that for a thing which proceeds from a principle to be posterior to its principle may be due t

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Chapter 6.—That the World and Time Had Both One Beginning, and the One Did Not Anticipate the Other. For if eternity and time are rightly distinguished by this, that time does not exist without some

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