Reply Obj. 2:  Irrational creatures neither partake of nor are obedient to human reason:  whereas they do partake of the Divine Reason by obeying it; because the power of Divine Reason extends over more things than human reason does.  And as the members of the human body are moved at the command of reason, and yet do not partake of reason, since they have no apprehension subordinate to reason; so too irrational creatures are moved by God, without, on that account, being rational.

Reply Obj. 3:  Although the defects which occur in natural things are outside the order of particular causes, they are not outside the order of universal causes, especially of the First Cause, i.e.  God, from Whose providence nothing can escape, as stated in the First Part (Q. 22, A. 2).  And since the eternal law is the type of Divine providence, as stated above (A. 1), hence the defects of natural things are subject to the eternal law. ________________________

SIXTH ARTICLE [I-II, Q. 93, Art. 6]

Whether All Human Affairs Are Subject to the Eternal Law?

Objection 1:  It would seem that not all human affairs are subject to the eternal law.  For the Apostle says (Gal. 5:18):  “If you are led by the spirit you are not under the law.”  But the righteous who are the sons of God by adoption, are led by the spirit of God, according to Rom. 8:14:  “Whosoever are led by the spirit of God, they are the sons of God.”  Therefore not all men are under the eternal law.

Obj. 2:  Further, the Apostle says (Rom. 8:7):  “The prudence [Vulg.:  ‘wisdom’] of the flesh is an enemy to God:  for it is not subject to the law of God.”  But many are those in whom the prudence of the flesh dominates.  Therefore all men are not subject to the eternal law which is the law of God.

Obj. 3:  Further, Augustine says (De Lib.  Arb. i, 6) that “the eternal law is that by which the wicked deserve misery, the good, a life of blessedness.”  But those who are already blessed, and those who are already lost, are not in the state of merit.  Therefore they are not under the eternal law.

On the contrary, Augustine says (De Civ.  Dei xix, 12):  “Nothing evades the laws of the most high Creator and Governor, for by Him the peace of the universe is administered.”

I answer that, There are two ways in which a thing is subject to the eternal law, as explained above (A. 5):  first, by partaking of the eternal law by way of knowledge; secondly, by way of action and passion, i.e. by partaking of the eternal law by way of an inward motive principle:  and in this second way, irrational creatures are subject to the eternal law, as stated above (A. 5).  But since the rational nature, together with that which it has in common with all creatures, has something proper to itself inasmuch as it is rational, consequently it is subject to the eternal law in both ways; because while each rational creature has some knowledge of the eternal law, as stated above (A. 2), it also has a natural inclination to that which is in harmony with the eternal law; for “we are naturally adapted to the recipients of virtue” (Ethic. ii, 1).