Summa contra Gentiles1.78 Chapter LXXVIII. That the divine will extends to particular goods

It is also evident from the foregoing that in order to safeguard the divine simplicity it is not necessary for us to say that God wills other goods in a kind of universal way, in so far as He wills Himself to be the source of the goods which can flow from Him, and that He does not will them in particular.

For the act of willing is according to a comparison of the wilier to the thing willed. Now the divine simplicity does not forbid God's being compared to many things, even to particulars: for He is said to be best or first even in comparison with singulars. Therefore His simplicity is not inconsistent with His willing things other than Himself even in special or particular.

Again. God's will is compared to other things in as much as they partake of His goodness through being ordered to the divine goodness which is to God the reason of His willing. Now not only the universe of good things, but also each one of them derives its goodness as also its being from the goodness of God. Therefore God's will extends to each single good.

Moreover. According to the Philosopher (11 Metaph.) there is a twofold good of order in the universe: one consisting in the whole universe being directed to that which is outside the universe, just as the army is directed to the 1 D. 5. iv. 1. 2 Ch. lxxv. 3 x. 1.

commander-in-chief: while the other consists in the parts of the universe being directed to each other, as the parts of an army: and the second order is for the sake of the first. Now God, through willing Himself as end, wills other things that are directed to Him as their end, as we have proved. Therefore He wills the good of the order of the whole universe in relation to Himself, and the order of the universe as regards the mutual relation of its parts. Now the good of order arises from each single good. Therefore He wills also singular goods.

Further. If God wills not the singular goods of which the universe consists, it follows that the good of order is in the universe by chance: for it is not possible that some one part of the universe arranges all the particular goods so as to produce the order of the universe; and only the universal cause of the whole universe can do this, which cause is God Who acts by His will, as we shall prove further on. But it is impossible for the order of the universe to result from chance: since it would follow a fortiori that other things which come afterwards are the result of chance. Therefore it follows that God wills even each particular good.

Again. The good understood as such is the object of the will. But God understands also particular goods, as we have proved. Therefore He also wills particular goods.

This is confirmed by the authority of Scripture which sets forth (Gen. i.) the pleasure of the divine will in each work, in the words: God saw the light that it was good, and in like manner as to each work, and afterwards in reference to all the works: God saw all that He had made, and they were very good.