Chapter 14 — That to acquire knowledge of God one must use the way of remotion

Accordingly, having proved that there is a first being which we call God, we must inquire into his nature.

Now in treating of the divine essence the principal method to be followed is that of remotion. For the divine essence by its immensity surpasses every form to which our intellect reaches; and thus we cannot apprehend it by knowing what it is. But we have some knowledge of it by knowing what it is not, and we come closer to the knowledge of it insofar as we can remove a greater number of things from it by our intellect. For the more completely we see how a thing differs from others, the more perfectly we know it, since each thing has in itself its own being distinct from all other things. Thus, when we know the definition of a thing, first we place it in a genus, by which we know in general what it is, and afterwards we add differences to mark its distinction from other things, and thus we arrive at the complete knowledge of a thing’s essence.

Since, however, we are unable in treating of the divine essence to take “what” as a genus, nor can we express its distinction from other things by affirmative differences, we must express it by negative differences. Now, just as in affirmative differences one restricts another, and brings us the nearer to a complete description of the thing according as it makes it differ from more things, so one negative difference is restricted by another that marks a distinction from more things. Thus, if we say that God is not an accident, we thereby distinguish him from all accidents; then if we add that he is not a body, we shall distinguish him also from certain substances, and thus in gradation he will be differentiated by suchlike negations from all beside himself. And then, when he is known as distinct from all things, we shall arrive at a proper consideration of him. It will not, however, be perfect, because we shall not know what he is in himself.

Therefore, in order to proceed by the way of remotion about the knowledge of God, let us take as principle that which is already made manifest by what we have said above, (Ch. 13.) namely, that God is altogether unchangeable. This is also confirmed by the authority of Sacred Scripture. For it is said: I am God (Vulg.: the Lord.) and I do not change (Mal 3:6); with whom there is no change (Jas 1:17); and: God is not as a man that he should be changed (Num 23:19).

The divine nature