The divine names are ratios and additions that go back to a single essence, since it is not true that there is a multiplicity of entities in it, as some of the theorists who have no knowledge of God have claimed. If the attributes were additional entities and there is no god without them, then divinity would be caused by them, so it is not impossible that they are the essence of God. A thing is not a cause of itself or does not exist, for God cannot be an effect due to a cause that is not itself, because the cause is prior to the effect in rank, so it follows from this that God lacks being an effect of these additional entities that are his cause, and it is impossible. Then the thing that is the effect cannot have two causes. These are many and there is no god without them, so it is invalid for the names and attributes to be specific things in addition to His essence. God is exalted above what the wrongdoers say.