Chapter 73 — That God’s will is his essence

It is evident from the foregoing that his will is not distinct from his essence.

For it belongs to God to have a will insofar as he has an intellect, as proved above. (Ch. 72.) Now he is intelligent by his essence, as we have already shown, (Cc. 45–46.) and consequently will also is in him by his essence. Therefore, God’s will is his very essence.

Again. Even as to understand is the perfection of one who is intelligent, so to will is the perfection of one who wills, for each is an action abiding in the agent, and not passing into something passive, as heating. Now God’s act of intelligence is his being, as we proved above, (Ch. 45.) because, since God’s being is by itself supremely perfect, it admits of no additional perfection, as we have shown above. (Cc. 23, 28.) Therefore, the divine willing is also his being. Consequently, God’s will is his essence.

Moreover. Since every agent acts insofar as it is actual, it follows that God, who is pure act, acts by his essence. Now willing is an operation of God. Therefore, it follows that God wills by his essence. Therefore, his will is his essence.

Again. If will were something added to the divine substance, since the divine substance is complete in being it would follow that will would come to him like an accident to its subject; that the divine substance would be compared thereto as potency to act; and that there is composition in God. All of which have been disproved above. (Cc. 16, 18, 23.) It is, therefore, impossible for the divine will to be something in addition to the divine essence.