1 Objection 1: It seems that power is not in God. For as primary matter is to power, so God, who is the first agent, is to act. But primary matter, considered in itself, is devoid of all act. Therefore, the first agent, namely, God, is devoid of power.
1 Ad primum sic proceditur. Videtur quod in Deo non sit potentia. Sicut enim prima materia se habet ad potentiam, ita Deus, qui est agens primum, se habet ad actum. Sed prima materia, secundum se considerata, est absque omni actu. Ergo agens primum, quod est Deus, est absque potentia.
2 Objection 2: Further, according to the Philosopher Metaph. vi, 19), better than every power is its act. For form is better than matter; and action than active power, since it is its end. But nothing is better than what is in God; because whatsoever is in God, is God, as was shown above Question 3, Article 3). Therefore, there is no power in God.
2 Praeterea, secundum philosophum, in IX Metaphys., qualibet potentia melior est eius actus, nam forma est melior quam materia, et actio quam potentia activa; est enim finis eius. Sed nihil est melius eo quod est in Deo, quia quidquid est in Deo, est Deus, ut supra ostensum est. Ergo nulla potentia est in Deo.
3 Objection 3: Further, Power is the principle of operation. But the divine power is God's essence, since there is nothing accidental in God: and of the essence of God there is no principle. Therefore there is no power in God.
3 Praeterea, potentia est principium operationis. Sed operatio divina est eius essentia, cum in Deo nullum sit accidens. Essentiae autem divinae non est aliquod principium. Ergo ratio potentiae Deo non convenit.
4 Objection 4: Further, it was shown above Question 14, Article 8; Question 19, Article 4) that God's knowledge and will are the cause of things. But the cause and principle of a thing are identical. We ought not, therefore, to assign power to God; but only knowledge and will.
4 Praeterea, supra ostensum est quod scientia Dei et voluntas eius sunt causa rerum. Causa autem et principium idem sunt. Ergo non oportet in Deo assignare potentiam, sed solum scientiam et voluntatem.
5 On the contrary, It is said: Thou art mighty, O Lord, and Thy truth is round about Thee Ps. 88, 9).
5 Sed contra est quod dicitur in Psalmo LXXXVIII, potens es, domine, et veritas tua in circuitu tuo.
6 I answer that, Power is twofold, namely, passive, which exists not at all in God; and active, which we must assign to Him in the highest degree. For it is manifest that everything, according as it is in act and is perfect, is the active principle of something: whereas everything is passive according as it is deficient and imperfect. Now it was shown above Question 3, Article 2; Question 4, Articles 1, 2), that God is pure act, simply and in all ways perfect, nor in Him does any imperfection find place. Whence it most fittingly belongs to Him to be an active principle, and in no way whatsoever to be passive. On the other hand, the notion of active principle is consistent with active power. For active power is the principle of acting upon something else; whereas passive power is the principle of being acted upon by something else, as the Philosopher says Metaph. v, 17). It remains, therefore, that in God there is active power in the highest degree.
6 Respondeo dicendum quod duplex est potentia, scilicet passiva, quae nullo modo est in Deo; et activa, quam oportet in Deo summe ponere. Manifestum est enim quod unumquodque, secundum quod est actu et perfectum, secundum hoc est principium activum alicuius, patitur autem unumquodque, secundum quod est deficiens et imperfectum. Ostensum est autem supra quod Deus est purus actus, et simpliciter et universaliter perfectus; neque in eo aliqua imperfectio locum habet. Unde sibi maxime competit esse principium activum, et nullo modo pati. Ratio autem activi principii convenit potentiae activae. Nam potentia activa est principium agendi in aliud, potentia vero passiva est principium patiendi ab alio, ut philosophus dicit, V Metaphys. Relinquitur ergo quod in Deo maxime sit potentia activa.
7 Reply to Objection 1: Active power is not contrary to act, but is founded upon it, for everything acts according as it is actual: but passive power is contrary to act; for a thing is passive according as it is potential. Whence this potentiality is not in God, but only active power.
7 Ad primum ergo dicendum quod potentia activa non dividitur contra actum, sed fundatur in eo, nam unumquodque agit secundum quod est actu. Potentia vero passiva dividitur contra actum, nam unumquodque patitur secundum quod est in potentia. Unde haec potentia excluditur a Deo, non autem activa.
8 Reply to Objection 2: Whenever act is distinct from power, act must be nobler than power. But God's action is not distinct from His power, for both are His divine essence; neither is His existence distinct from His essence. Hence it does not follow that there should be anything in God nobler than His power.
8 Ad secundum dicendum quod, quandocumque actus est aliud a potentia, oportet quod actus sit nobilior potentia. Sed actio Dei non est aliud ab eius potentia, sed utrumque est essentia divina, quia nec esse eius est aliud ab eius essentia. Unde non oportet quod aliquid sit nobilius quam potentia Dei.
9 Reply to Objection 3: In creatures, power is the principle not only of action, but likewise of effect. Thus in God the idea of power is retained, inasmuch as it is the principle of an effect; not, however, as it is a principle of action, for this is the divine essence itself; except, perchance, after our manner of understanding, inasmuch as the divine essence, which pre-contains in itself all perfection that exists in created things, can be understood either under the notion of action, or under that of power; as also it is understood under the notion of suppositum possessing nature, and under that of nature. Accordingly the notion of power is retained in God in so far as it is the principle of an effect.
9 Ad tertium dicendum quod potentia in rebus creatis non solum est principium actionis, sed etiam effectus. Sic igitur in Deo salvatur ratio potentiae quantum ad hoc, quod est principium effectus, non autem quantum ad hoc, quod est principium actionis, quae est divina essentia. Nisi forte secundum modum intelligendi, prout divina essentia, quae in se simpliciter praehabet quidquid perfectionis est in rebus creatis, potest intelligi et sub ratione actionis, et sub ratione potentiae; sicut etiam intelligitur et sub ratione suppositi habentis naturam, et sub ratione naturae.
10 Reply to Objection 4: Power is predicated of God not as something really distinct from His knowledge and will, but as differing from them logically; inasmuch as power implies a notion of a principle putting into execution what the will commands, and what knowledge directs, which three things in God are identified. Or we may say, that the knowledge or will of God, according as it is the effective principle, has the notion of power contained in it. Hence the consideration of the knowledge and will of God precedes the consideration of His power, as the cause precedes the operation and effect.
10 Ad quartum dicendum quod potentia non ponitur in Deo ut aliquid differens a scientia et voluntate secundum rem, sed solum secundum rationem; inquantum scilicet potentia importat rationem principii exequentis id quod voluntas imperat, et ad quod scientia dirigit; quae tria Deo secundum idem conveniunt. Vel dicendum quod ipsa scientia vel voluntas divina, secundum quod est principium effectivum, habet rationem potentiae. Unde consideratio scientiae et voluntatis praecedit in Deo considerationem potentiae, sicut causa praecedit operationem et effectum.