B. New Testament. Rom. xvi. 26. "The Everlasting GOD." See also Rom. i. 20; 1 Tim. i. 17, vi. 16; 2 Pet. iii. 8; 3. Human Testimony. Tertull. adv. Marc. lib. I. c. vii., lib. III. c. v.; Just. Mart. ad PROP. V. The one Living, True, and Everlasting GOD is without body, parts, or passions. 1. HE is without body. A. The Testimony of Reason. Matter is incapable of self movement. Whatever moves matter is spiritual. GOD is the prime mover of all things. The Infinitude of GOD requires that He be without parts. B. Divine Testimony. a. Old Testament. Deut. iv. 12. "The LORD spake unto you out of the midst of the fire: ye heard the voice of the words, but saw no similitude; only ye heard a voice. See also Deut. iv. 15-18; Isa. xl. 18; Job ix. 11. b. New Testament. John iv. 24. "GOD is a Spirit." See also Luke xxiv. 39; John v. 37, vi. 46; Rom. i. 20, 23; 2 Cor. iii. 17; Col. i. 15; 1 Tim. i. 17, vi. 15, 16; Heb. xi. 27; 1 John iv. 12. C. Human Testimony. a. Fathers. Theophilus of Antioch to Autolycus, b. 1. "The form or shape of GOD is ineffable and inexpressible, and cannot be seen with bodily eyes. For He is infinite in glory, incomprehensible in greatness, superexcellent in power, incomparable in wisdom, inimitable in goodness, unspeakable in beneficence." See also Tertull. de Trinitat. p. 1237, B. ed. Pamel. fol. Par. 1598; Orig. in Gen. Hom. 8, p. 9, B. Athanas. Orat. cont. Gent. 28. b. Confessions. 2 Helvetic, c. iii. 2. HE is without parts. A. The Testimony of Reason. Parts belong to bodies, and imply both quantity and locality. If then GOD had parts, as He is immense or infinite, so HE would fill all space to the exclusion of all bodily substances. The Immateriality and Infinitude of GOD. If He have parts, then those parts are either finite or infinite; but finite parts cannot make one infinite, and the notion of many infinite parts is inconsistent with that of the unity of GOD. B. Divine Testimony. a. Old Testament. 1 Kings viii. 27. "But will GOD indeed dwell on the earth? Behold the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain Thee; how much less this house that I have builded? See also 2 Chron. ii. 5, 6, vi. 18; Amos ix. 6. b. New Testament. John iv. 24. C. Human Testimony. "GOD is a Spirit." Just. Mart. Dial. c. Tryph cap. cxxvii. "For the unspeakable FATHER and LORD of all things neither has come to any place, nor walks, nor sleeps, nor rises up, but in His own region, wherever that is, abides, instantaneously seeing and instantaneously hearing, not with eyes nor with ears, but by an indescribable virtue." See also Dial. c. Tryph. cap. iv. et cxiv. August. vol. II. Epist. cxii. ad Paulin. 49; De Civ. Dei, lib. viii. c. v. 3. HE is without passions. A. The Testimony of Reason, Because passion supposes change, and change implies imperfection. B. Divine Testimony. a. Old Testament. Numb. xxiii. 19. "GOD is not a man that He should lie, or the son of man that He should See also 1 Sam. xv. 29; Job xxiii. 13; Isa. xiv. 27; b. New Testament. Rom. xi. 29. "The gifts and calling of GOD are without repentance. See also Acts xiv. 15; Tit. i. 2; James i. 17. C. Human Testimony. Just. Mart. Apol. 1. cap. 25. "To GOD, who is without passions." See also Athenag. Leg. pro Christ. 21; Hil. Enar. in Ps. ii. 13; Aug. vol. VIII. de Trinit. lib. v. cap. i. 2; Athanas. Disput. cont. Arium Laod. hab. vol. II. p. 637, A. PROP. VI. The one Living, True and Everlasting GOD is of infinite power, wisdom, and goodness. 1. He is of infinite power-Omnipotent. A. The Testimony of Reason. From Creation. From Providence. B. Divine Testimony. a. Old Testament. Gen. xxxv. 11. "And GOD said unto him, I am See also Gen. i. 1, xvii. 1, xviii. 14, xxxv. 11; b. New Testament. Luke i. 37. "With GOD nothing shall be impossible." See also Matt. vi. 13, xix. 26; Mark x. 27; Rom. i. 20, iv. 21; 2 Cor. vi. 18; Ephes. i. 11, 19, 20, iii. 20; Col. i. 11; Jude, 24; Rev. xi. 17, xix. 6. C. Human Testimony. Just. Mart. Dial. c. Tryph. cap. lxxxiv. p. 181. "God is able to do all that He wills to do." Clement of Rome, Epist. to the Corinthians, xxvii. "There is nothing impossible with GOD. By the word of His Majesty were all things made, and by a word He can destroy them." Tertull. adv. Prax., vol. II. cap. x.; de Resurr. Carnis. vol. III. cap. xxxviii; Just. Mart. Quæst. et Resp. ad Orthod. Quæst. cxI. App. I. p. 488; Orig. contr. Cels. i. 3, (70); Damasc. Orthod. Fid., lib. I. cap. viii; August. Col. Animæ ad Deum., vol. vI. cap. ix. App. p. 89. 2. HE is of infinite wisdom-Omniscient. A. Testimony of Reason. Omnipotence includes Omniscience. From the creation, preservation, and government of all things. B. Divine Testimony. a. Old Testament. Ps. cxlvii. 5. "His understanding is infinite." See also 1 Sam. ii. 3; 1 Kings viii. 39; 1 Chron. xxviii. 9; Job ix. 4, xii. 12, 13, xxviii. 23, 24, xxxvi. 4, 5; Ps. xliv. 21, xc 8, xciv. 9, 10, civ. 24, cxxxvi. 5, cxxxix. 2, 4; Prov. iii. 19, 20, v. 21, viii. 14, xv. 3, 11; Isa. x. 13, xxviii. 29, xl. 28, xlvi. 10; Jer. x. 12, xvii. Dan. ii. 20. 9, 10; Ezek. xi. 5; b. New Testament. Rom. xvi. 27. "To GoD only Wise, be glory through JESUS CHRIST for ever. Amen. See also Matt. vi. 8; Acts xv. 18; Rom. xi. 33, 34; 1 Tim. i. 17, vi. 16; Heb. iv. 13; Jude, 25. C. Human Testimony. Just. Mart. Dial. c. Tryph. cap. cxxvII. p. 220. "The See also xvi. p. 117, xxiii. p. 122; Apol. 1. xliv. p. 70; 3. HE is of infinite goodness-benevolent. "Contrivance proves design; and the predominant tendency of the contrivance indicates the disposition of the designer. "The Natural world abounds with contrivances, which The Divine goodness is especially made known in B. Divine Testimony. a. Old Testament. Ps. lii. 1. "The goodness of GOD endureth See also Exod. xxxiii. 19, xxxiv. 9; 2 Chron. v. 13, cviii. 32, cxviii. 1, 29, cxix. 64, 68, xxvii. 13, cvii. 1, 8, cxxxv. 3, cxxxvi. 1, cxlv. 9; Jer. xxxiii. 11; Lam. iii. 25; Nah. i. 7; Zech. ix. 17. b. New Testament. Matt. xix. 7. "And He said unto him, Why callest thou ME good? there is none good but One, that is GOD." See also Acts xvii. 25; 1 Cor. iv. 7. |