The Nature of God

21. Our lifetime alone is enough to demonstrate the existence of God.

The truth of this demonstration will clearly appear, provided we consider the nature of time, or the duration of things.

The parts of timespan are not mutually dependent and never co-existent. Accordingly, our ’now’ is different from the next moment. This is unless some cause, i.e. our Creator, shall continually reproduce us by conserving us.

For we easily understand that there is no power in us by which we can conserve ourselves, and that the being who has so much power as to conserve us out of himself, must also by so much the greater reason conserve himself, or rather stand in need of being conserved by no one whatever, and, in fine, be God.

22. In knowing the existence of God, we likewise know all his attributes, as far as they can be known by the natural light alone.

There is the great advantage in proving God’s existence in this way i.e. by his idea. This lets us know what he is.

We have born with us the idea that God:

• is eternal
• is omniscient
• is omnipotent
• is the source of all goodness and truth
• is the creator of all things
• has in himself all infinite perfection or good

23. God is not corporeal

He does not perceive by means of senses, or will the evil of sin.

There are many things in the world that are imperfect or limited, though possessing also some perfection.

Accordingly, it is impossible that any such error can be in God.

Divisibility is included in local metaphysical space. This divisibility indicates imperfection. Therefore, God is not body.

In men, it is somewhat a perfection to be able to perceive through the senses.

But in every sense, there is passivity which indicates dependency. This is why God cannot be perceived by the senses.

He only understands and wills. But not in the way that we do by distinct acts.

Instead, he always does so by an act that is one, identical, and the simplest possible.

He understands, wills, and operates all things that exist in reality.

He does not will the evil of sin. This is because sin is just the negation of being.

24. Our understanding is finite. The power of God infinite.

God alone is the true cause of all that is or that can be.

The best way of philosophizing, from our knowledge of God, is to pass to the explanation of the things which he has created and then essay to deduce it from our natural notions of God.

In this way, we will thus obtain the most perfect science – the knowledge of effects through their causes.

To make this secure from error, we must remember that God, the author of things, is infinite, while we are finite.

25. We must believe all that God has revealed, although it may surpass the reach of our faculties.

God might reveal his properties to us or others. Those properties surpass the natural powers of our mind, such as the mysteries of the incarnation and of the trinity.

We will not refuse to believe them even if we do not clearly understand them.

The immensity of his nature and his creations exceed our comprehension.