Immutability, Infiniteness, Immensity, Eternity.
I Proceed to the second thing proposed as a principal part of Natural Religion, namely, Due apprehensions of the Divine Excellency and Perfections. Without which, the meer belief of his Being, will contribute but little to a true state of Religion. A man may have such unworthy notions of a Deity, that it would in some respects be as good, nay much better, to be without a God, than to have such a one, as he may frame. It would be better (saith a great Author) to have1 no opinion of God, than such a one as is unworthy of him; the one is but meer unbelief, the other is contumely. ‘Tis a common saying cited out of Plutarch’s book of Superstition, where he professeth it much more desirable to him, that posterity should say, that there never was any such man as Plutarch, rather than that he was a fierce, unconstant, revengeful man, one who upon the least omission of any small circumstance towards him, by men otherways virtuous and worthy, would tear out their hearts, destroy their families and children, blast their fields, spoil their cattel with lightning and thunder. This would be such a representation as would make the notion and remembrance of him hateful; And it were better to be forgotten, than to be remembred with infamy. Now there are some opinions which do thus reproach the Deity, and render him under such a notion, that if the Gyants had prevailed in their attempt against heaven, that place had not been worse supplied. This therefore ought to be most carefully avoided.
Whereas the Divine nature is supposed to be the first and supreme Good, therefore the Idea of all absolute perfection must be essential to the notion of him. And though it be very difficult for us to raise our minds to any due apprehensions of this; yet we must endeavour in our thoughts of him, so far as our finite understandings are capable, to remove and separate from him whatever is in any kind evil or unworthy, and to ascribe unto him the utmost degree of all Goodness and Perfection.
The most general Notion that men have of God, is that He is the first cause, and a Being of all possible Perfection.
Some of his principal Excellencies discoverable by the light of Nature, may be reduced to these Heads; namely, such as are Incommunicable; Absolute Simplicity. Essential Unity. Immutability. Infiniteness, both in respect of Place and Time. Immensity. Eternity. Communicable; belonging either to the Divine Understanding, Knowledg. Wisdom. Particular Providence. Will, namely, his Goodness. Justice. Faithfulness. Faculties of Acting, his Power. Dominion over us in this life. Distributing of future Rewards and Punishments.
Each of these Attributes are upon this account of very great consequence to be believed and considered, because they are the foundations of those duties of Religion which we owe to him. According as a man apprehends God to be, so must his esteem be of him, and his demeanour towards him.
And whereas these great and necessary points, of so much influence to Religion, have been usually treated of by others either too largely, by the inserting of several things less pertinent; or too obscurely, by offering such proofs concerning them as are less intelligible, or intermixing the discourses about them, with such niceties as are neither very easie to be solved, nor material for men to know: I shall therefore in this place endeavour to avoid both these inconveniences, by treating concerning each of them with all imaginable brevity and plainness: Observing this method.
First, I shall endeavour to explain and describe, what is meant by each Attribute; And then prove, that these Attributes so explained, must belong to the natural notion of God. Which I shall make out, both by the consent of the wisest Heathen, expressed by their declared opinions, and by their general practice suitable thereunto: And from the nature of the things themselves; their congruity to the principles of Reason, and the absurdities that will follow upon the denial of them.
Those are called Incommunicable Attributes, which are proper to God alone, and not communicated to any Creature.
The first of these I have proposed to treat of, is his Absolute Simplicity. By which I mean his freedom from all kind of composition or mixture, either of Principles or of Parts: And that this doth belong to the natural notion of the Deity, may be evident,