Chapter 018 - The Life of God

Those things only are properly said to live which move themselves by some kind of motion, whether that known as imperfect action, that is, of a body existing in potentiality, or that known as motion generally or perfect actuality. In this latter sense understanding and feeling are called motion, for the difference between the living and the not living is taken from things manifestly living, such as animals, in which we say life begins, and define it as self-movement; while such as have no power of motion or action can only be called living metaphorically. Hence the term "life" is taken from something outwardly apparent, which is self-movement; but this is only a sign of the substance of the thing, to the nature of which belongs the power of self-movement or self-exertion. Thus to live is neither more nor less than to be of such nature, and life means only this; but the term is sometimes applied less strictly to signify those vital operations from which it is derived; hence, in the ethics of Aristotle, to live means principally to feel and understand.

Life is to be attributed to God in the highest degree; for what is possessed by Him is not determined to Him by anything else; for He is His own very existing Mind, and therefore life pre-eminently belongs to Him. For beings live in proportion as they act of themselves, and are less moved by others; but the Being of God is His Understanding and His Life; whence it follows that He so lives as having no beginning of life. And because His Intellect, and its object, and the Act of Intelligence, are one and the same, all that can be Intellect and can be understood in God is His Divine Life. All things, indeed, are Life in God, because subject to and preserved by His power; as those things are said to be in us which are in our power; also because they exist in Him as ideas, which are not other than His Essence.