what causes (1) events to occur. At the same time, it is impossible (2) to assert that anything in the world is eternal. For if it were eternal, its Originator (3) would necessarily produce by His very essence, so that there would necessarily accompany Him (4) the effect He necessitates and entails. If the Creator acts through an act of His own, by His will and choice, He cannot be one who, by His essence alone, necessarily produces anything. It therefore follows that nothing in the world can be eternal.

If it is impossible for a freely choosing agent to bring about something separate [from Him] (5) yet coexistent with Him, even on the assumption that no voluntary act subsists in Him, then this is all the more necessarily impossible when a voluntary act does subsist in Him. For, on this supposition, (* the effect does not exist until the voluntary act produced by His power and will exists; whereas on *) (6) the first supposition, will, power, and voluntary action themselves suffice (7).

[It is known that whatever depends upon will and power] (8), as well as upon the voluntary act subsisting in Him, must, with even greater reason, be originated and subsequent than that which depends (9) upon only some of these.

The discussion of these matters is given at length elsewhere, and most people