Omnipresence of God

 ATHAN. says, Decr. § 11, "Men being incapable of self-existence, are inclosed in place, and consist in the Word of God; but God is self-existent, inclosing all things, and inclosed by none, within all according to His own goodness and power, yet outside all in His own nature." Vid. also Incarn. § 17. This contrast is not commonly found in ecclesiastical writers, who are used to say that God is present everywhere, in substance as well as by energy or power. Clement, however, expresses himself still more strongly in the same way: "In substance far off (for how can the generate come close to the Ingenerate?), but most close in power, in which the universe is embosomed." Strom. ii. 2, but the parenthesis explains his meaning. Vid. Cyril. Thesaur. 6, p. 44. The common doctrine of the Fathers is, that God is present everywhere in substance . Vid. Petav. de Deo, iii. 8 and 9. It may be remarked that S. Clement continues, " neither inclosing nor inclosed."

 Athan., however, explains himself in Orat. iii. 22, saying that when our Lord, in comparing the Son and creatures, "uses the word 'as,' He signifies those who become from afar as He is in the Father; ... for in place nothing is far from God, but only in nature all things are far from Him." When, then, he says "outside all in His nature," he must mean as here "far from all things considered in His nature." He says here distinctly, "in place nothing is far from God." S. Clement, loc. cit., gives the same explanation, as above noticed. It is observable that the Tract Sab. Greg. (which the Benedictines consider not Athan.'s) speaks as Athan. does supr., "not by being co-extensive with all things, does God fill all; for this belongs to bodies, as air; but He comprehends all as a power, for He is an incorporeal, invisible power, not encircling, not encircled." 10. Eusebius says the same thing, "Deum circumdat nihil, circumdat Deus omnia non corporaliter; virtute enim incorporali adest omnibus," etc. De Incorpor. i. init. ap. Sirm. Op. t. i. p. 68. Vid. S. Ambros. "Quomodo creatura in Deo esse potest," etc. de Fid. i. 16.