14. Here is still another point of view from which the subject under
discussion may be regarded. Each one of the beings that are said to
be existent, is either identical with its essence, or differs from
it. Thus, some particular man differs from the Man-essence, only
participating therein. On the contrary, the soul is identical with
the Soul-essence, when she is simple, and when she is not predicated
of anything else. Likewise, the Man-in-himself is identical with the
Man-essence. The man who is other than the Man-essence is contingent;
but the Man-essence is not contingent; the Man-in-himself exists in
himself. If then the essence of man exist by itself, if it be neither
fortuitous nor contingent, how could contingency be predicated of Him
who is superior to Man in himself, and who begat him, from whom all
beings are derived, since His is a nature simpler than the Man-essence,
and even of essence in general? If, in ascending towards greater
simplicity, contingency decreases, so much the more impossible is
it that contingency could extend to the Nature that is the simplest
(namely, the Good).