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are different ideas as regards the diverse things denied of God, or as regards diverse effects connoted. |
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But even according to what was said above (ST I.13.2), that these names signify the divine substance, although in an imperfect manner, it is also clear from what has been said (ST I.13.1,2) that they have diverse meanings. For the idea signified by the name is the conception in the intellect of the thing signified by the name. But our intellect, since it knows God from creatures, in order to understand God, forms conceptions proportional to the perfections flowing from God to creatures, which perfections pre-exist in God unitedly and simply, whereas in creatures they are received, divided and multiplied. |
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As, therefore, to the different perfections of creatures there corresponds one simple principle represented by different perfections of creatures in a various and manifold manner, so also to the various and multiplied conceptions of our intellect there corresponds one altogether simple principle, according to these conceptions, imperfectly understood. Therefore, although the names applied to God signify one thing, still, because they signify that [one thing] under many and different aspects, they are not synonymous.
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Our namings of God are many, and each is justified because all perfections properly pertain to God. Yet they are significant only as mediated by our understanding of finite realities, and so none is in itself adequately expressive; hence we learn better by using more and not fewer of them. |
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Thus far the two texts. Rather than the proposal of a theory of theological language which would then be exemplified with reference to the texts, the practice of comparative theology is first of all a patient and prolonged reading and rereading of the texts together. Indeed, it would be ideal for the studious reader to memorize both passages before proceeding further with analysis; one would then more accurately replicate the sequence of proper memorization and study to which we referred in the preceding chapter.6 |
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