210 APPENDIX. [No. XII. 



matter, which solely derives its properties through the exertion of His 

 power. In fact, nothing is more erroneous than the comparison of per- 

 fections in God with natural qualities in man. Out of this have arisen 

 incalculable mistakes. 



If we review the properties of matter, we find that its first property 

 is number; that the juxtaposition of units forms addition and multipli- 

 cation, and the mass of matter so formed is susceptible of diminution and 

 division. The material character of number forbids us to attach that 

 property to the attributes of the Almighty, for His attributes are clearly 

 immaterial, having no connection with the properties which His mighty 

 power caused matter to evince. Natural philosophy, therefore, teaches us 

 that the Almighty has no relation to number ; that, consequently, He is 

 indivisible and incapable of addition. For ages the greatest disputes have 

 arisen, and schisms and heresies sprung up throughout Christian com- 

 munities, by attributing the properties of number to the Deity, and con- 

 ferring material virtues on the Almighty. It is equally incorrect to attach 

 unity as plurality to His indivisibility, for unity infers a possibility of 

 plurality, and. therefore, a possibility of being amenable to number, which 

 property matter solely derives from the will of the Creator. 



As we must discard the very idea of number as being an attribute of 

 God, so must we also deny the possibility of any attribute arising from 

 attracted number. We cannot, therefore, give to His majesty form or 

 size, for these are properties of His created matter. His presence, more- 

 over, cannot be limited to one spot, for position is a material effect. He 

 must extend over space, and consequently omnipresence must be a charac- 

 teristic attribute of His greatness. 



His omnipresence cannot be interfered with by the presence, in certain 

 positions, of created matter. Impenetrability is a property of matter, 

 perhaps by virtue of attraction, and therefore cannot interfere with the 

 Immaterial. The omnipresence of the Deity will not be prevented by 

 attracted matter: but He must be present in the structure of the 

 hardest stones, the most massy rocks; in fact, throughout the matter 

 of this great globe, and even throughout the matter existing over the 

 universe. 



The phenomena of electricity, of galvanism, of motion, are in similar 

 manner material actions, which alone have their existence by virtue of 

 attraction. The immaterial character of the Almighty forbids these 

 phenomena to be attached to His attributes ; indeed, we scarcely imagine 

 how the Deity, whose attribute is omnipresence, can have the property 

 of motion. 



As the material character of the preceding properties forbids their 

 assumption as an attribute of the Creator, so are we compelled to deny the 

 possibility of time, with its dependencies, to be a phenomenon to which the 

 Author of that time should be amenable. The Almighty consequently 

 could have no beginning, no end. Eternity is His distinguishing attribute ; 

 and time can have none, no, not even the feeblest quality of eternity. 

 Time, however exaggeratedly it may be increased, never becomes eternity ; 

 for time is made up of a series of events, each having a beginning and an 

 end. Eternity is not made up of events, and has therefore no beginning, 

 no end. 



The actions called heat, light, and sound, are similarly material, 



