Chapter 21 — That every sort of perfection found in things is more eminently in God

The further inference clearly follows that all perfections found in anything at all must originally and superabundantly be present in God. For whatever moves something toward perfection must first possess in itself the perfection it confers on others, as a teacher has in his own mind the knowledge he hands on to others. Therefore, since God is the first mover, and moves all other beings toward their perfections, all perfections found in things must preexist in him superabundantly.

Again, whatever has a particular perfection but lacks another perfection is contained under some genus or species. For each thing is classed under a genus or a species by its form, which is the thing’s perfection. But what is placed under species and genus cannot be infinite in essence; for the ultimate difference whereby it is placed in a species is necessarily the boundary of its essence. Hence the account that makes a species known is called its definition or end. (This argument rests upon the etymological likeness of the Latin words infinitus, definitio, and finis.) Therefore, if the divine essence is infinite, it cannot possess merely the perfection of some genus or species and be lacking in other perfections; but the perfections of all genera or species must exist in God.