summa-contra-gentiles

284 THE SUMMA CONTRA GENTILES
possible in them than in material substances, taking into
account their respective properties and natures. Now in
things everlasting there is no distinction between actual and
possible being} Therefore the multitude of separate substances
surpasses that of material bodies.
Holy Writ bears witness to this. For it is stated
(Dan. vii. lo) : Thousands of thousands ministered to Him,
and ten thousand times a hundred thousand stood before
Him. And Dionysius {CcbI. Hier. xiv.) says that the
number of those substances surpasses all material
multitude.
Hereby we set aside the error of those who said that the
number of the separate substances corresponds to the
number of heavenly movements, or of the heavenly spheres :
as well as the error of Rabbi Moses,
^
who said that the
number ascribed by Scripture to the angels
is not the
number of separate substances, but of forces in this lower
world ;
as if one were to give to the concupiscible power the
name of spirit of concupiscence, and so on.
THAT THERE ARE NOT
CHAPTER XCni
SEVERAL SEPARATE SUBSTANCES OF
ONE SPECIES
From what has been said concerning these substances, it
may be shown that there are not several separate substances
of one species.
For it has been proved above^ that separate substances
are subsistent quiddities. Now, the species of a thing is
signified by its definition, for this is the sign of a thing's
quiddity.* Hence a subsistent quiddity is a subsistent
species. Therefore there cannot be several separate substances
unless they be several species.
Further. Whatever things are the same in species but
1 3 Phys. iv. 9. * Doctor Perplex,
ii.
4 seqq.
' Chs. li., xci.
* I Top.
iii. 2.