Archibald Alexander · 2 of 38

Chapter II. Personality and Perfection of God

It is admitted by all who believe that God exists, that he possesses all conceivable perfection; and right reason would lead us to the opinion, that as he is infinite he must possess attributes of which, at present, we can form no conception.

Our ideas of excellence cannot exceed the manifestations of perfection in the creation; but it would be absurd to suppose that any excellence could be in the creatures, which did not exist in a higher degree in the Creator.

As all men who acknowledge a God agree, that all possible perfection belongs to his character, it is unnecessary to adduce any arguments for its proof. Indeed, it seems to be an intuitive truth, that all perfection must reside in the first cause. The very idea of God is that of a being infinitely perfect. Whatever doctrine, therefore, derogates from the perfection of the Supreme Being must be false. It is, therefore, the dictate of reason, that we should remove from our idea of God, every thing which argues any weakness or imperfection. And as our ideas of natural and moral excellence are derived from contemplating the creatures, we must rise to just conceptions of the Deity by ascribing these excellencies to him, in an infinite degree.

Upon this principle, we ascribe to God unity, spirituality, power, knowledge, immensity, eternity, immutability, sovereignty, holiness, justice, goodness and truth. Upon this principle, God must be independent, and perfectly free to act according to his own pleasure.

God is a person, distinct from the universe. Every being who possesses intellect and will, is a person. The execution of any work of design, in which there is an adaptation of means to ends, and a harmonious operation of parts to produce a desirable effect, necessarily involves the exercise both of intellect and will. The idea that the universe is God, or that God is the soul of the world, but not a person distinct from it, is nothing more than a disguised system of atheism. God is distinct from, and independent of all creatures.