NATURAL THEOLOGY. 81 



It is one of the advantages of the revelations 

 vs^hich we acknowledge, that, whilst they reject 

 idolatry with its many pernicious accompaniments, 

 they introduce the Deity to human apprehension, 

 under an idea more personal, more determinate, 

 more within its compass, than the theology of na- 

 ture can do. And this they do by representing 

 him exclusively under the relation in which he 

 stands to ourselves ; and, for the most part, under 

 some precise character, resulting from that rela- 

 tion, or from the history of his providences : which 

 method suits the span of our intellects much better 

 than the universality which enters into the idea of 

 God, as deduced from the views of nature. When, 

 therefore, these representations are well founded 

 in point of authority, (for all depends upon that,) 

 they afford a condescension to the state of our fa- 

 culties, of which they, who have most reflected on 

 the subject, will be the first to acknowledge the 

 want and the value. 



Nevertheless, if we be careful to imitate the do- 

 cuments of our religion, by confining our explana- 

 tions to what concerns ourselves, and do not affect 

 more precision in our ideas than the subject allows 

 of, the several terms which are employed to de- 

 note the attributes of the Deity may be made, even 

 in natural religion, to bear a sense consistent with 

 truth and reason, and not surpassing our com- 

 prehension. 



These terms are, — Omnipotence, omniscience, 

 omnipresence, eternity, self-existence, necessary 

 existence, spirituality. 



