Ch. 28 "The Intelligence of God" from "The Compendium of Theology" by St. Thomas Aquinas

CHAPTER 28 THE INTELLIGENCE OF GOD

Ulterius autem ostendendum est, quod Deus est intelligens. Ostensum est enim, quod in ipso praeexistunt omnes perfectiones quorumlibet entium superabundanter. Inter omnes autem perfectiones entium ipsum intelligere praecellere videtur, cum res intellectuales sint omnibus aliis potiores. Igitur oportet Deum esse intelligentem.

We must go on to demonstrate that God is intelligent. We have already proved that all perfections of all beings whatsoever pre-exist in God superabundantly. Among all the perfections found in beings, intelligence is deemed to possess a special pre-eminence, for the reason that intellectual beings are more powerful than all others. Therefore God must be intelligent.

Item. Ostensum est supra, quod Deus est actus purus absque potentialitatis permixtione. Materia autem est ens in potentia. Oportet igitur Deum esse omnino immunem a materia. Immunitas autem a materia est causa intellectualitatis: cuius signum est quod formae materiales efficiuntur intelligibiles actu per hoc quod abstrahuntur a materia et a materialibus conditionibus. Est igitur Deus intelligens.

Moreover, we pointed out above that God is pure act without any admixture of potentiality. On the other hand, matter is being in potency. Consequently God must be utterly free from matter. But freedom from matter ii the cause of intellectuality. An indication of this is that material forms are rendered intelligible in act by being abstracted from matter and from material conditions. Therefore God is intelligent.

Item. Ostensum est, Deum esse primum movens. Hoc autem videtur esse proprium intellectus, nam intellectus omnibus aliis videtur uti quasi instrumentis ad motum: unde et homo suo intellectu utitur quasi instrumentis et animalibus et plantis et rebus inanimatis. Oportet igitur Deum, qui est primum movens, esse intelligentem.

We proved, further, that God is the first mover. This very perfection appears to be a property of intellect, for the intellect, we observe, uses all other things as instruments, so to speak, in producing movement. Thus man, through his intellect, uses animals and plants and inanimate objects as instruments, of a sort, to cause motion. Consequently God, the first mover, must be intelligent.