Natural Knowledge of God in the Philosophy of Saint Thomas Aquina

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essentially ~ and so forth. Goodness does not mean wisdomJ wh.n ••
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predicate both of God we mean that His perfection comprises both •••• ntial
goodness and essential wisdom.
..
!he various names predicated of God express conoepts which the tntel­
,
!ect formed, considering God as the Souroe or ultimate Cause ot •• rtain
oreated perfections. !hese oonoepts are primarily signifioat~~.t things
.!!. known by the mind. !he name used denote', not the oono.p1:.:.i~t the
thing known.
It is by reasoning trom perfections as tound ~~;~atur.s
i'i: I ( ,
to those same perfections in their necessary Cause, that o~~t. ot God
are formed. Different names ot God signify really differ.~~I;~.ePts, a1-
';)t~':..
though the manifold pertections represented by those oonc ... are 1~ent1-
fied in the absolute unity of God. 44 'I;.' ,I
"'II. J
!he infinity of God's perfection oould never be expr.'~ in a .ingle
y:'~
ooncept or word unless that word were divine. We see th •• '~;_at
',,"
it is be-
",,'}":i
cause God so tar surpasses the human intellect that name,."".4icated ot ""'"
.'" '!' .
God are many although God is One.
It matters not wheth.~~"'''7 that it
',1, •
is on aocount of God' s infinite perfection or on acoountot,the 11m! tations
44 ,"
st. Thomas, Summa 111eologioa. I a, q. 13, art •• ,I~ I tal
'lbe perfect unity ot God requires that what are'.'~~Old and divided
in others should exist in Him simply and unitedly, ""'~'\l~\;.om •• about
that He is one in real! ty and yet mul tipl. in itlea ~.' eur intellect
apprehends Hi. in a manitold manner, as things repr ..... '·.1a.
, ,.~:. '
Ibid. q. 13, art. 5, ad 2 um: ,
~many aspects ot these names are not empty?~,fttn,
corresponds to all of them one simple reality repre.,,". b7 them in a
manifold and impertect manner.' .
for there