viously
it did not exist, is locally moved by being sent; hence it is
necessarily separated locally from the sender. This, however, has no
place in the mission of a divine person; for the divine person sent
neither begins to exist where he did not previously exist, nor ceases
to exist where He was. Hence such a mission takes place without a
separation, having only distinction of origin.

Reply Obj. 3: This objection rests on the idea of mission according
to local motion, which is not in God.
_______________________

SECOND ARTICLE [I, Q. 43, Art. 2]

Whether Mission Is Eternal, or Only Temporal?

Objection 1: It would seem that mission can be eternal. For Gregory
says (Hom. xxvi, in Ev.), "The Son is sent as He is begotten." But
the Son's generation is eternal. Therefore mission is eternal.

Obj. 2: Further, a thing is changed if it becomes something
temporally. But a divine person is not changed. Therefore the
mission of a divine person is not temporal, but eternal.

Obj. 3: Further, mission implies procession. But the procession of
the divine persons is eternal. Therefore mission is also eternal.

_On the contrary,_ It is said (Gal. 4:4): "When the fullness of the
time was come, God sent His Son."

_I answer that,_ A certain difference is to be observed in all the
words that express the origin of the divine persons. For some express
only relation to the principle, as "procession" and "going forth."
Others express the term of procession together with the relation to
the principle. Of these some express the eternal term, as
"generation" and "spiration"; for generation is the procession of the
divine person into the divine nature, and passive spiration is the
procession of the subsisting love. Others express the temporal term
with the relation to the principle, as "mission" and "giving." For a
thing is sent that it may be in something else, and is given that it
may be possessed; but that a divine person be possessed by any
creature, or exist in it in a new mode, is temporal.

Hence "mission" and "giving" have only a temporal significance in
God; but "generation" and "spiration" are exclusively eternal;
whereas "procession" and "giving," in God, have both an eternal and a
temporal signification: for the Son may proceed eternally as God; but
temporally, by becoming man, according to His visible mission, or
likewise by dwelling in man according to His invisible mission.

Reply Obj. 1: Gregory speaks of the temp