Chapter 007 - The Infinity of God

God is Infinite because His Immensity is not bounded by matter. The Divine Being is not contained in anything, but He is His own Self-Existence, and hence He is Infinite and Perfect. There is nothing absolutely infinite but God, although relatively it may be so. With regard to infinity as applied to matter, it is evident that everything in existence must have some form; thus its matter is determined by form and cannot be infinite, properly speaking; but In so far as matter remains In potentiality to an infinitude of forms, it is accounted relatively infinite. If we speak of infinity as applied to form, it is evident that those forms which are actually united to matter are finite; but the created forms independent of matter, as the opinion Is regarding the angels, these would be relatively infinite, as not limited by matter; but, however, because they are not self-existent and their existence is limited by a determinate nature, they cannot be, properly speaking, Infinite; and, therefore, God alone is absolutely Infinite.

No natural body can be infinite in magnitude, because every natural body has a determinate substantial form to which belong fixed accidents; hence a body has a determinate quantity of more or less, which makes it impossible for it to be infinite. The same is evident if we consider motion. Every body has some movement, whereas an infinite body could have none; neither straight, for nothing can so move except outside its own place, which could not exist at all were it infinite; nor circular, because such a movement requires that one part be transferred to the place hitherto occupied by another part, and this could not be in an infinite circular body, for the lines radiating from the centre become more distant from each other as they are more and more drawn out; if, therefore, a body were infinite, such lines would become infinitely distant from each other, and one could never get near the other. The same is evident with regard to a mathematical body, the actual existence of which must be imagined under some form; and because the form of quantity, as such, is shape, it must have some shape and be therefore finite, for shape is that which is within limits.

It is likewise impossible for an infinite multitude to exist. A multitude exists according to some kind of multitude, and kind exists according to the species of numbers; and no species of number is infinite, for number is multitude measured by one. Hence an infinite multitude cannot be, either directly or accidentally. There can be, however, an infinite multitude in potentiality, because increase of multitude follows upon division of multitude, and the more a thing is divided the greater will be the result in number. The infinity of being is thus found in potentiality, by the division of that which is continuous; and a like idea of infinity is also found in the addition of multitude.