DISCUSSION 213 



dwelling upon the subject. I must, however, eluci- 

 date one point, viz. the statement that creation 

 admits of no explanation. 



An explanation of the first appearance of matter 

 and of the first appearance of the laws governing it, 

 is not possible, if we understand thereby an explana- 

 tion given by natural science ; for this starts with the 

 assumption that matter and its laws exist. But 

 in the philosophical sense an explanation of creation 

 is possible. Philosophy shows us plainly that 

 matter is finite ; the conception of matter and its 

 properties involves its being essentially limited and 

 finite. It is therefore inherent in its nature that 

 it cannot of itself have existed from all eternity, for 

 this is possible only in the case of a being of infinite 

 perfection, an ens a se, as ancient philosophy and 

 theology worded it. This being we call the personal 

 Creator, the being existing of Himself for all eternity, 

 and having the reason of His existence in Himself. 

 Precisely because He has the reason of His existence 

 in Himself, He was able out of the abundance of 

 His own infinite perfection to evoke the finite out 

 of nothingness, and this is what we call creation. 

 Creation was not necessary it was a free act of God. 1 



1 This can be deduced philosophically from the fact that the things in 

 the world are in their nature finite and limited, therefore they cannot be 

 essentially necessary ; they are, as ancient philosophy expressed it, entia 

 contingentia. Whether an atom more or less exists in the universe is 

 quite indifferent ; but if this is true of atoms singly, it must be true of 

 them collectively. God alone, in virtue of His absolute existence, is the 

 one necessary being, the ens necessarium. If God, by a voluntary exercise 

 of His omnipotence, created the world, this exercise of the divine Will was 



