summa-contra-gentiles

CHAPTERS XIII AND XIV 17
somewhere, and from time somewhen: and a thing may
be denominated from that which is in it,
as a person is
denominated ivhite from whiteness. On the other hand a
thing
is not found to be denominated from a relation as
extraneous, but as inherent : for a man is not denominated
a father except from fatherhood which is in him. Therefore
it is impossible for the relations whereby God is referred
are ascribed to Him according only to our way
to creatures to be realities outside Him.
Since then it has been proved^ that they are not really in
Him, and yet are predicated of Him,^ it remains that they
of understanding,
from the fact that other things are referred to
Him. For our intellect, in understanding one thing to be
referred to another, understands at the same time that the
latter is related to the former ; although sometimes it is not
really related at all.
Wherefore it is also evident that the aforesaid relations
are not said of God in the same way as other things
predicated of God. For all other things, as wisdom, will,
predicate His essence, whereas the aforesaid relations do
not by any means, but solely according to our way of
understanding. And yet our understanding
is not false.
Because from the very fact that our intellect understands
that the relations of the divine effects terminate in God
Himself, it predicates certain things of Him relatively :
even so we understand and express the knowable relatively
from the fact that our knowledge is referred to it.
^ It is also clear from the foregoing that it is not prejudicial
to God's simplicity
if
many relations are predicated of Him,
His essence because :
although they do not signify they are
consequent upon our way of understanding. For nothing
hinders our intellect understanding many things, and being
referred in many ways to that which is in itself simple, so
as thus to consider the simple thing
under a manifold
relationship. And the more simple a thing is, the greater
its virtue, and of so many more things is it a principle, and
consequently it is understood as related in so many more
1 Ch. xii.
* Ch. xi.
» Ch. xiv.
2