Far from being a ‘supreme being’, a nameless deity beyond the world who is ultimately in charge of everything, God is maxime ens, who enjoys being in the highest possible degree. Such a reality must be thought to be utterly simple, but simple in the ‘concrete’ sense of perfection, including, in its simple being, the perfection of all things. And, as implied by his universal perfection, God is self-diffusive goodness, the abundant source of all the good gifts which creatures receive from him, among which the gift of ‘being’ occupies the first place. Consequent upon its simplicity, the reality of God must be thought to be infinite, but infinite in the sense of being most intimately present in each thing, causing it to be from within. And also, as implied by its simplicity, it must be thought to be absolutely unchangeable, but in the sense of being enduringly…
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