On the Nature of God

by Fr. Giuseppe Frassinetti, 1865

(revised and edited by the Oblate Fathers of St. Charles, 1872)

Who is God?

He is a Lord infinitely perfect, the Creator and Preserver of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.

What do those words infinitely perfect, signify?

They mean that in God is all good, and that He is Infinite Goodness.

What does the word infinite signify?

It signifies something that has no end. For example, if there were a sea whose bottom we could never fathom, how deep soever we might dive, whose surface we could never reach, how high soever we might soar, whose shores we could never find, though we might continually pass from side to side; or better still, if there were a bottomless, surfaceless, shoreless sea, and if this sea spread itself on all sides without limit, this would be an, infinite sea. Observe, however, that it is impossible that any material thing, such as the sea is, for example, could be infinite.

But supposing such a sea to exist, would it be a figure of the Goodness of God?

Yes. The Goodness of God is as great spiritually, as this huge sea would be materially, were its existence possible. The Goodness of God has no limit or term; no one can measure it; no one, not even the Angels, can comprehend it; God alone, by His infinite Wisdom, comprehends His own infinite Goodness.

Could we find no creature, either in heaven or on earth, whose goodness might be put in comparison with the Goodness of God?

As there can be no comparison between time and eternity, so there can be no comparison between the goodness of any creature whatsoever, and the Goodness of God. The ineffable goodness of even the Ever Blessed Virgin is not only little, but we might even say, is nothing, compared with the infinite Goodness of God. Hence it is that not even in Paradise, can the Angels, the Saints, or the Most Blessed Virgin herself with all the immense love which they bear to God – approach to loving Him as much as He merits to be loved in Himself. God alone loves Himself, as much as He merits to be loved.

What is meant by this Infinite Goodness?

The aggregate, the union of His infinite Perfections or Attributes; His Omnipotence by which He can make or destroy all things, by an act of His Will; His Wisdom, by which He clearly sees the past, the present, the future, and all possible things; His Justice, with which he rewards the good, and chastises the wicked; His Mercy, with which He pardons the sins of those who with a true heart repent; His Eternity, whereby He has never had any beginning, and whereby likewise He shall have no end; His Immensity, by which He is in Heaven, on earth, and in every place; His Impassibility, by which He Who is a most pure and perfect Spirit, cannot suffer or endure any evil whatsoever; and all His other infinite perfections by which He is truly an Infinite Good.

What do you mean by saying that God is a most pure Spirit?

I mean that God has not a body as we have, therefore we cannot picture Him to ourselves as high or low, or broad or narrow; we cannot touch Him with our hands, nor can we see Him with the material eyes of our body.

Then He is nothing?

On the contrary, you should say that He is all things, because He is infinitely rich in every perfection, and in all good. He is not material, such as are the things we see and touch, and therefore He has not the properties of material things, which are large or small, broad or narrow and which may be seen and touched; but He has all spiritual perfections, by which He is a spirit infinitely good. Our soul is also a spirit which Can neither be seen nor touched, and yet our soul thinks, judges, reasons, gives motion to the whole body, and is a far more noble part of man than his body.

How can you say that God has no body, when Holy Scripture speaks of the eyes of God, the ears of God, the hands of God, and of other members of His body?

When Holy Scripture attributes to God members of the human body, it does so in a figurative sense. If I say that a horse flies rapidly over the plain, I do not mean that the horse has wings and flies like a bird: by the word fly I intend to signify the speed with which he traverses the country, so, when Holy Scripture speaks of the eyes and ears of God, it means to signify His Wisdom, whereby He sees and knows all things; when it speaks of His hands it means to signify His Omnipotence, whereby He performs all His works; and so as to the rest. All Theologians and interpreters resolve such difficulties in this way. In fact when Scripture speaks literally, it says, God is a Spirit (John iv. 24); and this is an article of the Faith.

Why do you say that God is a most simple Spirit?

Because there is no composition of diverse substances in God, nor any real distinction of perfections or attributes. The Omnipotence of God is God Himself. The Wisdom of God is God Himself; and so we may say of His Justice, of His Mercy, and of all His other perfections. In man, power, wisdom, and piety, are things distinct from the man himself, and therefore a man may exist without power, without wisdom, and without piety. But in God every attribute is God Himself, neither more nor less. Thus do all theologians, with St. Bernard, answer those heretics who have imagined that in God there is real distinction between His Attributes.

Why then do you say that God has so many attributes, and so many diverse perfections?

We say so according to our mode of under standing, because the Divine Nature or Substance is omnipotent, wise, just, merciful, etc., although this omnipotence, wisdom, justice, etc., are in reality nothing else than the most simple Divine Substance itself.

Seeing that God is infinitely Good, and the Author of all things that exist, who produced evil in the world?

Evil came into the world, from the abuse of their liberty, in creatures gifted with free will. God has given this liberty to angels, and to men. The abuse which many of the Angels made of their liberty, when they sinned by pride, is the origin of all the evils which the devils suffer, and which they produce by their malice. The abuse which man made of his liberty is the origin of all the evils suffered by men. Observe, however, that the Holy Angels who remained faithful to God, cannot now any longer sin, that is, abuse their liberty.

Still there are so many evils in the world, which have not been produced by the abuse of liberty in the creature. For instance, Hell is a great evil, so are hurtful beasts, pestilence, earthquakes, etc. Is God the author of all these evils?

All those things, and others like them, are not evils in themselves. They are evils only to those who suffer them, inasmuch as they are afflicted by them: in themselves they are benefits necessary to hinder sin, and for the punishment of sin; they manifest the Divine Justice, give occasion for the exercise of virtue, etc. They are benefits, because they are ordained by God against the one only true evil, which is sin — that is, against the abuse of liberty. If there were no sin in the world, there would be no afflictions in it, that is, no punishment for sin; in like manner as if there were no criminals in a kingdom, there would be no need of prisons, or of other punishments.

But if God is infinitely good, why has He permitted His creatures to abuse their liberty and commit sin, the cause of so great miseries?

God has given His creatures liberty, in order that they may merit by making a good use of it, and He gives them, at the same time, the necessary aid that they may use it as He requires; and more we cannot expect from His infinite goodness. Further, He brings forth greater good from the evils that are committed: as, for example, when He has permitted the cruelty of tyrants, in order to exercise the faith and love of innumerable martyrs.

Some have imagined that we ought to recognize two principles, — one of good, who would therefore be the good God, and another of evil, who would therefore be the wicked God. They attributed all the good in the world to the first, and all the evil to the second. Is not this opinion plausible?

This is not an opinion, but a most stupid heresy; for evil is not a reality. Evil is an imperfection, a lack of good, just as darkness is not a reality, but simply lack of light. Hence, a wicked God would be an infinite lack of good, and therefore an infinite nothing. Such an idea is contradictory, and a ridiculous imagination.