Sect. 60Fundamental Conception of God’s Essence and NatureFundamental Conception of God’s Essence and Nature

We have now to inquire whether, among our conceptions of God, there is some one which may be considered as the foundation of all the others.

I. A direct and intuitive representation of the Divine Substance as It is in Itself, is manifestly impossible. Our knowledge of God is restricted to His attributes which we see reflected in creatures, and which we refer to the Divine Substance; but the Substance itself we have no power to apprehend. Whatever God is or has in Himself, He is or has of Himself without external cause, and it is all one and the same with His Substance. There are, however, certain elements in our conception of God which, when compared with the others, may be considered as fundamental and as the root from which the latter spring. The fundamental conception of a substance may be formed either from the consideration of its being, or from the consideration of its activity, notably its vital activity. In the former case, the substance is termed “essence,” to signify what it really is; in the latter case, it is called “nature”—that is, the source or principle of activity. The nature of a thing is sometimes styled its “physical essence,” an expression also used to signify all that belongs essentially to a substance. The essence itself, considered as the root of the essential properties, is called the “metaphysical essence.” Among modern theologians the question of the fundamental conception of God is spoken of as the question concerning the metaphysical essence of God, or the essence which distinguishes Him from all other beings, and accounts for all His essential properties.

II. When we wish to distinguish God from all other beings we think of Him as a substance existing of itself—a substance which owes its existence to no external principle, but possesses existence essentially and absolutely. In other words: Aseity (aseitas, αὐτουσία) is the first distinguishing attribute which we conceive of the Divine Substance, and from which we infer the other Divine attributes. “I am Who am:” that is to say, “I am of Myself and absolutely, in contradistinction to all other beings which have a derivative and precarious existence.” Aseity excludes not only all external principles, but also the notion that God is constantly giving Himself existence (“das absolute Werden” or the “Selbstverwirklichung,” Self-realization, of Günther). God cannot produce Himself any more than any other being can. When He is said to be His own cause, or Self-caused, this only means that He does not require or admit of any cause.

III. There is a still deeper and more exhaustive conception of the Divine Substance contained in the expressions, “God is His own existence;” “God’s essence is existence;” “God is Being;” ὁ ὤν, He Who is, Jehovah. The Schoolmen express this by saying, “God is a pure act (actus purus);” that is, pure actuality without any admixture of potentiality. Every perfection possible in any being is actually possessed by God, and is only possible in others because it actually exists in Him. The name Jehovah, understood in this sense, is really the essential name of God. This Divine Actuality is the foundation of God’s Simplicity and Infinity. His Simplicity consists in the identity of possibility and reality, and His Infinity means that every possible perfection is actually possessed by Him.

We must bear in mind throughout that the conceptions of essence and substance as applied to God are only analogous, because the essences which we know are not identical with existence. Hence the expressions: “God is αὐτοούσιος, ὑπερούσιος, and ἀνούσιος,” that is, God is His own Essence, is above all essences, and is without essence.

IV. Just as the Divine Substance exists of Itself, so does It act of Itself. It is the sole, adequate principle of Its whole Life; It cannot be conceived as animated or vivified, but must be considered as Absolute Life. The Divine Substance is Its own Life, Life pure and simple, Life in its absolute fulness and perfection. Moreover, the Divine Nature must be conceived as absolutely and in the highest degree Spiritual. When we speak of created nature, we distinguish the life-giving principle from the lifeless matter. We term the former “Spirit” when we consider it, not so much as animating matter, but as active and self-subsistent. Hence immaterial and intellectual substances are said to have a spiritual nature and to be spirits. Much more, then, is the Divine Life, which is absolutely independent and immanent, a spiritual Life.

The above description contains the generic difference between the Divine Nature and created nature—viz. the manner in which God possesses His Life; and also contains the fundamental characters which make the Divine Life most eminent and sublime—viz. the absolute immateriality and consequent intellectuality of the Divine Substance. When we designate the Divine Nature as a spirit (John 4:24), we express Its immateriality and intellectuality, the former being the source of the latter. The word “Spirit,” in its eminent signification, is applicable to God’s exalted nature purely and simply, because God is not only the uncreated and highest possessor of a spiritual nature, but also the noblest form of spiritual nature.