The Existence and Attributes of God, Volumes 1 and 2Charnock, Stephen
Religion
The Existence and Attributes of God, Volumes 1 and 2
Charnock, Stephen
God (Christianity) -- Attributes; Providence and government of God -- Christianity
perfect and eminent being than can possibly be beheld under a bodily
shape. Can a corporeal substance put “wisdom in the inward parts, and
give understanding to the heart?”[352]
2. If God were not a pure Spirit, he could not be one. If God had a
body, consisting of distinct members, as ours; or all of one nature,
as the water and air are, yet he were then capable of division, and
therefore could not be entirely one. Either those parts would be
finite or infinite: if finite, they are not parts of God; for to be
God and finite is a contradiction; if infinite, then there are as many
infinite as distinct members, and therefore as many Deities. Suppose
this body had all parts of the same nature, as air and water hath,
every little part of air is as much air as the greatest, and every
little part of water is as much water as the ocean; so every little
part of God would be as much God as the whole; as many particular
Deities to make up God, as little atoms to compose a body. What can be
more absurd? If God had a body like a human body, and were compounded
of body and soul, of substance and quality, he could not be the most
perfect unity; he would be made up of distinct parts, and those of
a distinct nature, as the members of a human body are. Where there
is the greatest unity, there must be the greatest simplicity; but God
is one. As he is free from any change, so he is void of any multitude
(Deut. vi. 4): “The Lord our God is one Lord.”
3. If God had a body as we have, he would not be invisible. Every
material thing is not visible: the air is a body yet invisible, but
it is sensible; the cooling quality of it is felt by us at every
breath, and we know it by our touch, which is the most material sense.
Everybody that hath members like to bodies, is visible; but God is
invisible.[353] The apostle reckons it amongst his other perfections
(1 Tim. i. 17): “Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible.”
He is invisible to our sense, which beholds nothing but material
and colored things; and incomprehensible to our understanding, that
conceives nothing but what is finite. God is therefore a Spirit
incapable of being seen, and infinitely incapable of being understood.
{a185} If he be invisible, he is also spiritual. If he had a body, and
hid it from our eyes, he might be said not to be seen, but could not
be said to be invisible. When we say a thing is visible, we understand
that it hath such qualities which are the objects of sense, though we
may never see that which is in its own nature to be seen. God hath no
such qualities as fall under the perception of our sense. His works
are visible to us, but not his Godhead.[354] The nature of a human
body is to be seen and handled; Christ gives us such a description of
it (Luke xxiv. 39): “Handle me and see, for a spirit hath not flesh
and bones as you see me have;” but man hath been so far from seeing
God, “that it is impossible he can see him” (1 Tim. vi. 16). There
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