CHAP. VIII.

Concerning the Excellencies and Perfections of the Divine Nature: And First, of those which are commonly called Incommunicable, namely, Simplicity, Unity, Immutability, Infiniteness,

Immenfity,
Eternity.

Proceed to the Second Thing propofed as a principal part of Natural Religion, namely, Due Apprehenfions of the Divine Excellency and Perfections, Without which the mere belief of his Being, will contribute but little to a true ftate of Religion. A Man may have fuch unworthy Notions of a Deity, that it would in some respects be as good, nay much better, to be without a God, than to Lord Ba- have fuch a one, as he may frame. " It

con's Ef

Lays,

"would be better (faith a great Author) to

have no Opinion of God, than fuch a one "as is unworthy of him; the one is but « mere Unbelief, the other is Contumely. 'Tis a common Saying cited out of Plutarch's Book of Superftition, where he profeffeth it much more defirable to him, that Pofterity fhould fay, that there never was any fuch Man as Plutarch, rather than that he was a fierce, unconftant, revengeful Man, one who upon the least omiffion of any small Circum

ftance

ftance towards him, by Men otherways virtuous and worthy, would tear out their Hearts, deftroy their Families and Children, blast their Fields, fpoil their Cattel with Lightning and Thunder. This would be fuch 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 fome Opinions which do thus reproach the Deity, and render him under fuch a Notion, that if the Giants had prevailed in their Attempt againft Heaven, that place had not been worfe fupply'd. This therefore ought to be moft carefully avoided.

Whereas the Divine Nature is fupposed to be the first and supreme Good, therefore the Idea of all abfolute Perfection must be essential to the Notion of him. And tho' it be very difficult for us to raise our Minds to any due apprehenfions of this; yet we must endeavour in our Thoughts of him, fo far as our Finite Underftandings are capable, to remove and separate from him whatever is in any kind evil and unworthy, and to afcribe 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 poffible Perfection.

Some

Some of his principal Excellencies disco verable by the Light of Nature, may be reduc'd to thefe Heads; namely, such as arc,

Incommunicable;

Abfolute Simplicity.
Effential Unity.
Immutability.

Infiniteness, both in refpect of Place
and Time.

Each of thefe Attributes are upon this account of very great confequence to be believed and confidered, because they are the

Foun

Foundations of thofe Duties of Religion which we owe to him. According as a Man apprehends God to be, fo muft his Efteem be of him, and his Demeanor towards him.

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And whereas thefe great and neceffary Points, of fo much influence to Religion, have been ufually treated of by others either too largely, by the inferting of feveral things lefs pertinent; or too obfcurely, by offering fuch Proofs concerning them as are lefs intelligible, or intermixing the Difcourfes about them with fuch Niceties, as are neither very easy to be folved, nor material for Men to know: Ifhall therefore in this place endeavour to avoid both thefe luconveniencies, by treating concerning each of them with all imaginable brevity and plainnefs: Obferving

this Method.

First, Ifhall endeavour to explain and describe what is meant by each Attribute; and then prove, that thefe Attributes, fo explained, muft belong to the Natural Notion of God. Which I fhall make out, both by the confent of the wifeft Heathen, express'd by their declar'd Opinions, and by their general Practice fuitable thereunto: And from the Nature of the Things themselves; their Congruity to the Principles of Reason, and the Abfurdities that will follow upon the denial of them,

Thofe

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 Abfolute Simplicity. By which I mean his freedom from all kind of compofition or mixture, either of Principles or of Parts: And that this doth belong to the Natural Notion of the Deity, may be evident,

1. From Teftimony of the Heathen PhiloSophers, who do generally acknowledge him to be the First Caufe, and the moft Simple Be-. ing, and do frequently ftile him mens pura & fincera fegregata ab omni concretione mortali, &c. And not only Scripture, but the very Heathen likewife do exprefs this Attribute by the Similitude of Light, amongst all visible things the moft pure and fimple.

2. From Natural Reafon, by which it will appear, that God cannot be compounded of any Principles, because the Principles and Ingredients, which concur to the making of any thing, must be antecedent to that thing. And if the Divine Nature were compounded, it would follow that there must be something in Nature before him. Which is inconfiftent' with his being the firft Cause.

And here I fhall take occafion to speak fomewhat concerning the Spirituality of the Divine Nature, as having fome Affinity with this, though it be none of the incommunica ble Attributes.