1.

AN EXPOSITION OF

ART. ment is alfo managed by other methods, to give us a demonstration of the being of a God. I am unwilling to say any thing to derogate from any argument that is brought to prove this conclufion; but when he, who infifts on this, lays all other arguments afide, or at least flights them as not strong enough to prove the point, this naturally gives jealoufy, when all thofe reafons, that had for fo many ages been confidered as folid proofs, are neglected, as if this only could amount to a demonftration. But, befides, this is an argument that cannot be offered by any to another perfon, for his conviction; fince if he denies that he has any fuch idea, he is without the reach of the argument. And if a man will fay that any such idea, which he may raise in himself, is only an aggregate that he makes of all thofe perfections, of which he can form a thought, which he lays together, feparating from them every imperfection that he observes to be often mixed with fome of those perfections if, I fay, a man will affirm this, I do not fee that the inference from any such thought that he has formed within himself, can have any great force to perfuade him that there is any fuch Being. Upon the whole, it seems to be fully proved, that there is a Being that is fuperior to matter, and that gave both being and order to it, and to all other things. This may serve to prove the being of a God: it is fit in the next place to confider, with all humble modefty, what thoughts we can, or ought to have of the Deity.

That Supreme Being must have its effence of itself neceffarily and eternally; for it is impoffible that any thing can give itself being; fo it must be eternal. And though eternity in a fucceffion of determinate durations was proved to be impoffible, yet it is certain that fomething must be eternal; either matter, or a Being fuperior to it, that has not a duration defined by fucceffion, but is a fimple effence, and eternally was, is, and fhall be the fame. There is nothing contradictory to itself in this notion it is indeed above our capacity to form a clear thought of it; but it is plain it must be fo, and that this is only a defect in our nature and capacity, that we cannot diftinctly apprehend that which is fo far above us. Such a Being must have alfo neceffary exiftence in its notion; for whatsoever is infinitely perfect, muft neceflarily exift; fince we plainly perceive, that neceffary existence is a perfection, and that contingent existence is an imperfection, which supposes a being that is produced by another, and that depends upon it and as this fuperior Being did exift from all eternity, fo it is impoffible it fhould ceafe to be; fince nothing that once has actually a being, can ever cease to be, but by an act of a fuperior Being annihilating it. But there being nothing fuperior to the Deity, it is impoffible that it should ever ceafe to be: what was felf-exiftent from

all

all eternity, muft alfo be fo to all eternity; and it is as impoffi- ART. ble that a fimple effence can annihilate itself, as that it can make

itself.

So much concerning the first and capital article of all religion, the existence and being of a God; which ought not to be proved by any authorities from Scripture, unless from the recitals that are given in it concerning miracles, as was already hinted at. But as to the authority of fuch paffages in Scripture, which affirm, that there is a God, it is to be confidered, that before we can be bound to fubmit to them, we must believe three propofitions antecedent to that; 1. That there is a God. 2. That all his words are true. 3. That these are his words. What therefore must be believed before we acknowledge the Scriptures, cannot be proved out of them. It is then a strange affertion, to say, that the being of a God cannot be proved by the light of nature, but must be proved by the Scriptures; fince our being affured, that there is a God, is the firft principle upon which the authority of the Scriptures depends.

1.

The second propofition in the Article is, That there is but one God. As to this, the common argument by which it is proved, is the order of the world; from whence it is inferred, that there cannot be more Gods than one, fince where there are more than one, there must happen diverfity and confufion. This is by fome thought to be no good reafon; for if there are more Gods, that is, more beings infinitely perfect, they will always think the fame thing, and be knit together with an entire love. It is true, in things of a moral nature this must so happen: for beings infinitely perfect must ever agree. But in phyfical things, capable of no morality, as in creating the world fooner or later, and the different fyftems of beings, with a thousand other things that have no moral goodness in them, different beings infinitely perfect might have different thoughts. So this argument feems ftill of great force to prove the unity of the Deity. The other argument from reason to prove the unity of God, is from the notion of a Being infinitely perfect. For a fuperiority over all other beings comes so naturally into the idea of infinite perfection, that we cannot separate it from it. A Being therefore, that has not all other beings inferior and fubordinate to it, cannot be infinitely perfect; whence it is evident, that there is but one God. But befides all this, the unity of God feems to be fo frequently and fo plainly afferted in the Scripture, that we fee it was the chief defign of the whole Old Teftament, both of Mofes and the prophets, to establish it, in oppofition to the falfe opinions of the heathen, concerning a diverfity of Gods. This is often repeated in the moft folemn words, as, Hear O Ifrael, the Lord our God is one Deut. vi.4. God. It is the first of the Ten Commandments, Thou shalt have

Ifa. xliv. 6,

8.

ART. no other Gods but me. And all things in heaven and earth are often faid to be made by this one God. Negative words are alfo often ufed, There is none other God but one: befides me there is none elfe, and I know no other; the going after other Gods is reckoned the higheft, and the moft unpardonable act of idolatry. The New Teftament goes on in the fame ftrain. Chrift speaks John xvii.3.of the only true God, and that he alone ought to be worshipped Mat. iv. 10.and ferved; all the Apoftles do frequently affirm the fame thing: 1 Cor. viii. they make the believing of one God in oppofition to the many Gods of the Heathens, the chief article of the Chriftian religion; and they lay down this as the chief ground of our obliEph. iv. 4, gation to mutual love and union among ourselves, That there is one God, one Lord, one Faith, one Baptifm. Now fince we are sure that there is but one Meffias, and one doctrine delivered by him, it will clearly follow, that there must be but one God.

5, 6.

5, 6.

So the unity of the divine effence is clearly proved both from the order and government of the world, from the idea of infinite perfection, and from those express declarations that are made concerning it in the Scriptures; which laft is a full proof to all fuch as own and submit to them.

The third head in this Article is that which is negatively expreffed, That God is without Body, Parts, or Paffions. In general, all these are so plainly contrary to the ideas of infinite perfection, and they appear fo evidently to be imperfections, that this part of the Article will need little explanation. We do plainly perceive that our bodies are clogs to our minds and all the ufe that even the pureft fort of body in an eftate conceived to be glorified, can be of to a mind, is to be an inftrument of local motion, or to be a repofitory of ideas for memory and imagination but God, who is every where, and is one pure and fimple act, can have no fuch ufe for a body. A mind dwelling in a body is in many respects superior to it; yet in fome refpects is under it. We who feel how an act of our mind can fo direct the motions of our body, that a thought fets our limbs and joints a going, can from therice conceive, how that the whole extent of matter fhould receive fuch moti ons as the acts of the Supreme Mind give it: but yet not as a body united to it, or that the Deity either needs fuch a body, or can receive any trouble from it. Thus far the apprehenfion of the thing is very plainly made out to us. Our thoughts put fome parts of our body in a prefent motion, when the organization. is regular, and all the parts are exact; and when there is no obftruction in thofe veffels or paffages through which that heat and thofe fpirits do pass, that caufe the motion. We do in this perceive, that a thought does command matter; but our minds are limited to our bodies, and thefe do not obey them,

but

I.

but as they are in an exact difpofition and a fitnefs to be fo ART. moved. Now thefe are plain imperfections, but removing them. from God, we can from hence apprehend that all the matter in the univerfe may be fo entirely fubject to the divine Mind, that it fhall move and be whatsoever and wherefoever he will have it to be. This is that which all men do agree in.

But many of the philofophers thought that matter, though it was moved and moulded by God at his pleasure, yet was not made by him, but was felf-exiftent, and was a paffive principle, but co-exiftent to the Deity, which they thought was the active principle: from whence fome have thought, that the belief of two Gods, one good and another bad, did spring: though others imagine that the belief of a bad God did arife from the corruption of that tradition concerning fallen angels, as was before fuggefted. The philofophers could not apprehend that things could be made out of nothing, and therefore they believed that matter was co-eternal with God. But it is as hard to apprehend how a mind by its thought should give motion to matter, as how it fhould give it be ing. A being not made by God is not fo eafily conceivable to be under the acts of his mind, as that which is made by him. This conceit plainly deftroys infinite perfection, which cannot be in God, if all beings are not from him, and under his authority; befides that fucceffive duration has been already proved inconfiftent with eternity. This opinion of the world's being a body to God, as the mind that dwells in it, and actuates it, is the foundation of atheism: for if it be once thought that God can do nothing without fuch a body, then as this destroys the idea of infinite perfection, fo it makes way to this conceit, that fince matter is vifible, and God invifible, there is no other God, but the vast extent of the universe. It is true, God has often fhewed himself in visible appearances; but that was only his putting a fpecial quantity of matter into fuch motions, as fhould give a great and aftonishing idea of his nature, from that appearance: which was both the effect of his power, and the symbol of his prefence. And thus what glorious reprefentations foever were made either on mount Sinai, or in the pillar of the cloud, and cloud of glory, those were no indications of God's having a body; but were only manifeftations, fuited to beget fuch thoughts in the minds of men, that dwelt in bodies, as might lay the principles and foundations of religion deep in them. The language of the Scriptures fpeaks to the capacities of men, and even of rude men in dark times, in which most of the Scriptures were writ but though God is fpoke of as having a face, eyes, ears, a fmelling, hands and feet, and as coming down to view things on earth, all this is expreffed after the manner of men,

and

I.

ART. and is to be understood in a way suitable to a pure Spirit. For the great care that was used, even under the most imperfect state of Revelation, to keep men from framing any image or fimilitude of the Deity, fhewed that it was far from the meaning of thofe expreffions, that God had an organized body. These do therefore fignify only the feveral varieties of Providence. When God was pleased with a nation, his face was faid to shine upon it; for fo a man looks towards those whom he loves. The particular care he takes of them, and the answering their prayers, is expreffed by figures borrowed from eyes and ears: the peculiar difpenfations of rewards and punishments are expreffed by his hands; and the exactnefs of his juftice and wisdom is expreffed by coming down to view the ftate of human affairs. Thus it is clear that God has no body: nor has he parts, for we can apprehend no parts but of a body: fo fince it is certain that God has no body, he can have no parts: fomething like parts does indeed belong to fpirits, which are their thoughts diftinct from their being, and they have a fucceffion of them, and do oft change them. But infinite perfection excludes this from the idea of God; fucceffive thoughts, as well as fucceffive duration, seem inconfiftent both with eternity, and with infinite perfection. Therefore the effence of God is one perfect thought, in which he both views and wills all things: and though his tranfient acts that pafs out of the divine effence, fuch as creation, providence, and miracles, are done in a fucceffion of time; yet his immanent acts, his knowledge and his decrees, are one with his effence. Diftinct thoughts are plainly an imperfection, and argue a progress in knowledge, and a deliberation in council, which carry defect and infirmity in them. To conceive how this is in God, is far above our capacity: who, though we feel our imperfection in fucceffive acts, yet cannot apprehend how all things can be both feen and determined by one fingle thought. But the divine Effence being fo infinitely above us, it is no wonder if we can frame no inftinct act concerning its knowledge or will.

There is indeed a vaft difficulty that arifes here; for those acts of God are fuppofed free; fo that they might have been otherwise than we fee they are: and then it is not easy to imagine how they should be one with the divine Effence; to which neceffary existence does certainly belong. It cannot be said that those acts are neceffary, and could not be otherwife: for fince all God's tranfient acts are the certain effects of his immanent ones, if the immanent ones are neceffary, then the tranfient must be so likewise, and fo every thing must be neceffary: a chain of neceffary fate muft run through the whole order of things: and God himself then is no free being, but acts by a neceifity of nature. This fome have thought was no abfur