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031 - Xxxi That The Divine Perfection And The Plurality Of Divine Names Are Not Inconsistent With The Divi · Summa Contra Gentiles, First Book (On God)

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  Speaker 1: Chapter thirty one of Suma Contragentilees, First Book on God
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  Speaker 1: by Saint Thomas aquinas translated by the Fathers of the
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  Speaker 1: English Dominican Province. This LibriVox recording is in the public domain.
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  Speaker 1: Chapter thirty one that the divine perfection and the plurality
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  Speaker 1: of divine names are not inconsistent with the divine simplicity.
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  Speaker 1: From what has been said, we are also able to
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  Speaker 1: see that the divine perfection and the various names applied
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  Speaker 1: to God are not inconsistent with his simplicity. For we
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  Speaker 1: assert it that all the perfections to be found in
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  Speaker 1: other things are to be ascribed to God in the
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  Speaker 1: same way as effects are found in their equivocal causes,
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  Speaker 1: which causes are in their effects virtually as heat is
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  Speaker 1: in the sun. Now this virtue, unless it were in
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  Speaker 1: some way of the genus of heat, the Sun acting thereby,
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  Speaker 1: would not generate its like. Wherefore, by reason of this virtue,
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  Speaker 1: the sun is said to be hot, not only because
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  Speaker 1: it causes heat, but because the virtue whereby it does
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  Speaker 1: this is something in conformity with heat. Now, by the
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  Speaker 1: same virtue by which the Sun causes heat, it causes
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  Speaker 1: also many other effects in lower bodies, such as dryness,
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  Speaker 1: and so heat and dryness, which are distinct qualities in fire,
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  Speaker 1: are ascribed to the Sun in respect of the one virtue.
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  Speaker 1: And so too the perfections of all things, which are
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  Speaker 1: becoming to other things in respect of various forms, must
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  Speaker 1: needs be ascribed to God in respect of his one virtue,
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  Speaker 1: And this virtue is not distinct from his essence, since
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  Speaker 1: nothing can be accidental to him, as we have proved. Accordingly,
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  Speaker 1: God is said to be wise, not only because he
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  Speaker 1: causes wisdom, but because, in so far as we are wise,
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  Speaker 1: we imitate somewhat the virtue, whereby He makes us wise.
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  Speaker 1: He is not, however, called a stone, although he made
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  Speaker 1: the stones, because by the term stone we understand a
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  Speaker 1: definite mode of being, in respect of which a stone
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  Speaker 1: differs from God. But a stone imitates God as its cause,
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  Speaker 1: in respect of being, goodness and so forth, even as
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  Speaker 1: other creatures do. The like of this may be found
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  Speaker 1: in human cognitive powers and operative virtues, For the intellect,
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  Speaker 1: by its one virtue, knows all that the sensitive faculty
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  Speaker 1: apprehends by various powers and many other things. Besides, again,
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  Speaker 1: the intellect, the higher it is, the more things it
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  Speaker 1: is able to know by means of one, while an
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  Speaker 1: inferior intellect can arrive at the knowledge of those things
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  Speaker 1: only by means of many. Again, the royal power extends
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  Speaker 1: to all those things to which the various subordinate powers
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  Speaker 1: are directed. And so too, God, by his one simple being,
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  Speaker 1: possesses all manner of perfections, which, in a much lower
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  Speaker 1: degree other things attained by certain various means. Whence it
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  Speaker 1: is clear how it is necessary to give several names
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  Speaker 1: to God. For since we cannot know him naturally except
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  Speaker 1: by reaching him from his effects, it follows that the
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  Speaker 1: terms by which we denote his perfection must be diverse,
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  Speaker 1: as also are the perfections which we find in things. If, however,
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  Speaker 1: we were able to understand his very essence as it is,
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  Speaker 1: and to give him a proper name, we should express
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  Speaker 1: him by one name only. And this is promised in
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  Speaker 1: the last chapter of Zacharias to those who will see
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  Speaker 1: him in his essence in that day there shall be
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  Speaker 1: one Lord, and his name shall be one. End of
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  Speaker 1: chapter thirty one, read by Michael Shane, Craig, Lambert L. S.