However, with the temporal cause, we may not assume an extra cause, because there will have been no prior time at which this cause may have occurred. As such, this "definition implies that the universe cannot be caused to begin to exist since there is no earlier time at which the cause could occur."
Resuming, in order to reject the argument of efficient causation summarized by Aquinas, we would need to either assume that all objects are contingent (first of Russell's argumentations) or to assume that there was a temporal cause, in the sense that the First Cause simply could not have existed because there was no prior time.
Bibliography
1. Russell, Bertrand. Why I am not a Theist. On the Internet at http://jumper52.cjb.cc/russell.htm
2. Saint Thomas Aquinas. The Existence of God. On the Internet at http://jumper52.cjb.cc/aquinas.htm
3. Smith, Quentin. CAUSATION and the LOGICAL IMPOSSIBILITY of a DIVINE CAUSE (1996). Philosophical Topics, Volume 21, Number 1, Spring 1996, pp. 169-191. On the Internet at http://www.infidels.org/library/modern/quentin_smith/causation.html
Saint Thomas Aquinas. The Existence of God. On the Internet at http://jumper52.cjb.cc/aquinas.htm
Russell, Bertrand. Why I am not a Theist. On the Internet at http://jumper52.cjb.cc/russell.htm
Depoe, John. DOES the COSMOLOGICAL ARGUMENTREALLY ASSUME the ONTOLOGICAL ARGUMENT?. Baylor University. December 2002. Excellent description on Russell's failed refutations. On the Internet at www.johndepoe.com/cosmo_argument.pdf
Russell, Bertrand. Why I am not a Theist. On the Internet at http://jumper52.cjb.cc/russell.htm
Smith, Quentin. CAUSATION and the LOGICAL IMPOSSIBILITY of a DIVINE CAUSE (1996). Philosophical Topics, Volume 21, Number 1, Spring 1996, pp. 169-191. On the Internet at http://www.infidels.org/library/modern/quentin_smith/causation.html
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