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 fecond thing propofed as a principal part of Natural Religion, namely, Due apprehenfions of the Divine Excellency and Perfections. Without which, the meer belief of his Being, will contribute but little to a true ftate 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 Lord Ba- fuch a one, as he may frame. "It would con's Eflays." be better (faith a great Author) to have "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 faying cited out of Plutarch's book of Superftition, where he profeffeth it much more defirable to him, that posterity should say, that there never was any fuch man as Plutarch, rather

than

than that he was a fierce, unconftant, revengeful man, one who upon the leaft omiffion of any fmall circumftance towards him, by men otherways virtuous and worthy, would tear out their hearts, destroy 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 such a notion, that if the Giants 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 fuppofed to be the first and fupreme Good, therefore the Idea of all abfolute perfection must be essential to the notion of him. And though it be very difficult for us to raise our minds to any due apprehenfions of this; yet we maft endeavour in our thoughts of him, fo far as our finite understandings are capable, to remove and feparate from him whatever is in any kind evil or unworthy, and to afcribe unto him the utmost degree of all Goodness and Perfection. H 3

The

The most general Notion that men have of God, is that He is the first cause, and a Being of all poffible perfection.

Some of his principal Excellencies difcoverable by the light of Nature, may be reduced to thefe Heads; namely, fuch as are

Incommunicable 3
Abfolute Simplicity.
Effential Unity.
Immutability.

Infiniteness, both in respect of Place
and Time.
ŞImmenfity.
Eternity.

Communicable; belonging either to the

Divine

Each of these Attributes are upon this account of very great confequence to be believed and confidered, because they are the foundations of thofe duties of Religion which we owe to him. According as a man apprehends God to be, fo muft his esteem be of him, and his demeanour towards him.'

And whereas these great and neceffary points, of fo much influence to Religion, have been usually 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 less intelligible, or intermixing the discourses about them, with fuch niceties as are neither very eafie to be folved, nor material for men to know: I shall therefore in this place endeavour to avoid both these inconveniencies, by treating concerning each of them with all imaginable brevity and plainnefs: Obferving this method.

First, I fhall endeavour to explain and defcribe, what is meant by each Attribute; and then prove, that these Attributes fo explained, muft belong to the natural notion of God. Which I fhall make out, both, by the confent of the wifest Heathen, expreffed by their declared

H 4 opinions,

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.

Those are called Incommunicable Attributes, which are proper to God alone, and not communicated to any Creature.

The first of thefe I have propofed 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 Philofophers, who do generally acknowledge him to be the First Caufe and the most Simple Being, and do frequently ftile bim mens pura & fincera fegregata ab omni concretione mortali, &c. And not only Scripture, but the very Heathen likewife do express this Attribute by the fimilitude of Light, amongst all visible things the most 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