Attributes of God

Ashbel Green (1762-1848)

The divine perfections have been divided, or classed, in a variety of ways, which I shall not even specify. Indeed, some of these divisions appear to me not only useless, but rather improper. There are two methods of classification, however, which I think it may be useful to mention, and very briefly explain. The first is the division of the perfections of God into natural and moral–the second, into communicable and incommunicable.

The natural attributes of the Deity are spirituality, immensity, wisdom, and power. They are called natural, because they do not necessarily, or in themselves, imply any moral quality. It would indeed be impious to suppose that these attributes could possibly exist in the Supreme Being, unconnected with others which are moral. Yet in these, taken separately, the moral character of any being does not consist: and in inferior beings we often see great intellectual energy without correspondent goodness, and high moral excellence, without an equal degree of powerful intellect.

The moral attributes of the Deity are holiness, justice, goodness, and truth.

The communicable attributes of God are being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth. They are called communicable, because some resemblance of them is found among the creatures, especially in angels and men. Yet in the creatures, when compared with the Creator, they are but as twinkling rays in comparison with the sun.

Of incommunicable attributes, some divines reckon five–Independence or self-existence, simplicity or unity of essence, immutability, eternity and unchangeableness. Others reckon only three–infinity, eternity and unchangeableness. This difference is scarcely more than nominal; as those who specify the latter number, include some of the former in those which they mention. These are called incommunicable attributes, because no resemblance of them whatever is found among creatures; nor does it belong to the nature of a creature to possess any one of them. They belong, and can belong, only to God, the infinite fountain of all being and excellence.

(From: “Lectures on the Shorter Catechism of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America addressed to youth”)

Alexander S. Paterson (1805-1828)

The attributes of God or perfections of God are commonly distinguished into communicable and incommunicable, or imitable and inimitable.

1. The incommunicable attributes of God are, his infinity, eternity, and unchangeableness; and they are so called, because no trace of them is to be found in the creatures.

2. The communicable attributes of God are, his being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth; and they are so called, because some faint but imperfect resemblance of them is to be found among the creature.

Although we, on account of our weakness and imperfection, must speak and think of the divine attributes or perfections separately, yet we must ever remember, that they are neither distinct from God himself, or the divine essence, nor separable from one another; but that they are altogether the one infinite perfection of the divine nature.

(From: “A Concise System of Theology on the Basis of the Shorter Catechism”)

William G.T. Shedd (1820-1894)

The Divine attributes are of two classes, according as they denote a passive relation of the essence, or an active operation of it. 1. The essence considered as passively related to itself, is self-existent and simple; as passively related to duration, is eternal; to space, is immense; to number, is one. Self-existence, simplicity, eternity, immensity, and unity are not active operations of the Divine essence, but inactive relationships of it. Eternity, immensity, unity, and simplicity, and the like, are not modes of energizing but of existing. 2. The essence considered as in action yields attributes of a second class. When, for example, the Divine essence is contemplated as simply energizing, this is omnipotence; as cognizing, this is omniscience; as adapting means to ends, this is wisdom; as energizing benevolently or kindly, this is goodness. These attributes are the Divine essence, whole and entire, contemplated in a particular mode of external operation.

(From: “Dogmatic Theology”)

George Swinnock (1627-1673)

God incomparable in his attributes, as they are from him, as they are his essence, as they are all one in him, as they are in him in an infinite manner.

2. I shall shew more specially the difference between God and his creatures in reference to these communicable attributes.

1. These attributes are all essential to God. They are from God, as well as in God. He is their author as well as their subject. But in men and angels they are all derivative: though truth and justice and holiness may be in them, yet they are not from them, but from God. God is not obliged to any but himself for them, he can thank only himself that he hath them; but angels and men are not obliged to themselves, but to him for them. When the high God would lay Job low, by manifesting the vast difference between himself and Job, he bids Job be obliged to himself for his excellency: Job xl. 10, ‘Deck thyself with majesty and excellency; array thyself with glory and beauty.’ To be decked and arrayed with majesty and excellency, notes, 1. The extent and abundance of it–the whole man is covered with raiment. To be clothed with shame, is to be extremely reproached, Ps. xxxv. 26. To be arrayed with humility, is to be very humble, lowly in an extraordinary degree, 1 Pet. v. 5. 2. The publicness of it. Our deckings and raiments are visible; we cannot go abroad but all see our clothes. God speaks to Job to this purpose: Job, thou hast talked very presumptuously, and carried thyself as if there were no great distance or difference between me any thyself, as if thou wert like me, and equal to me. If thou art, let me see it; deck thyself with majesty and excellency, array thyself with glory and beauty. I can deck myself, and array myself with all these in the highest degree, and will not be beholden to any others for their help; I am clothed with majesty, but no creature lent a hand for the making up or putting on those clothes; Ps. civ. 1. ‘I have covered myself with light as with a garment,’ Ps. civ. 2. But neither man nor angel afforded me the least assistance therein. Do thou as much for thyself as I have done for myself, and then indeed thou mayest compare with me. God might make the same offer to angels which he doth to Job, and none of them would or could accept it. Dependence is of their essence, as they are creatures; and they can no more be separated from it than from themselves.

2. These attributes are the very essence of God, not qualities or properties, as in men and angels. The holiness of God is the holy God; ‘Once have I sworn by my holiness,’ Ps. lxxxix. 36; i.e., by myself, ‘that I will not lie unto David;’ for Heb. vi. 13, ‘God having no greater to swear by, swore by himself.’ The power of God is the powerful God, the truth of God is the true God, the wisdom of God is the wise God. All his attributes are himself, his essence; in men and angels, their wisdom, and power, and justice, and truth, are accidents, and differ from their substances; and this is apparent, because angels and men may be, and are, without these attributes, as devils and wicked men. In them these properties are one thing and their essence is another thing, so that they may be separated. An angel may be an angel, and not holy, nor wise, nor merciful; and the reason is, because these properties are really distinct from the essences of men or angels; but in God they are his very being and essence; they are himself, and can no way be separated from him, no more then he can be separated from himself: God could not be God if he were not most wise, most holy, most just, most patient, &c. God’s attributes are one most pure essence diversely apprehended of us, as it is diversely manifested to us. God’s punishing the wicked is his justice; God’s performing his promises is his faithfulness; his relieving the miserable is his mercy; his bearing with the guilty is his patience; so are all his essence, himself.

3. Those attributes are all one in God. His justice is his mercy, and his wisdom is his patience, and his knowledge is his faithfulness, and his mercy is his justice, &c. Though they are distinguished in regard of their objects, and in regard of our apprehensions of them, and in regard of their effects, yet they are all one in themselves; and this floweth from the former head, because they are the essence of God, and his essence is a pure undivided being. In men and angels, these attributes or perfections are different and several, for they may have one without the other. Their righteousness is one thing, and their power another thing, and their truth a third thing; for we see in angels some that are strong and powerful that are not righteous or faithful, and among men some have one of these perfections who have not another; yea, though in good men all these perfections are in some degree, yet all are not in any one in the same degree. There is scarce any saint who is not more eminent for some spiritual excellency than for others; but in God they are all one and the same; as when the sunbeams shine through a yellow glass they are yellow, a green glass they are green, a red glass they are red, and yet all the while the beams are the same; or as, when the sun shines on clay it hardens it, on wax it softens it, on sweet flowers it draweth out their fragrancy, on dunghills and ditches it draweth out their ill savours, yet still it is the same sun and the same influences; the difference lieth in the objects and the effects. So the great God, who is always working in the world, when he worketh towards the wicked in punishing he is righteous, towards the godly in saving them he is merciful; yet still the same immutable God.

4. All these attributes are in God to the highest degree, yea, beyond all degree. These communicable attributes which are in angels and men in degrees, and limited, for a finite substance will not admit of an infinite property, are in God infinitely. Immensity, like a golden thread, runs through all his communicable properties: his understanding is infinite, Ps. cxlvii. 5. So his justice is infinite, his mercy is infinite, and all the rest. They have no bounds, no limits, but his own will and pleasure. He never acted to the utmost in any of them; he never put forth so much power, but he could put forth more if he pleased; he never exercised so much patience, but he could exercise more if he would.

Hence it is that in Scripture they are affirmed of God not only in the concrete, but also in the abstract. He is not only loving, but love: ‘God is love,’ 1 John iv. 7. He is not only wise, but wisdom: ‘Prov. ix. 1, ‘Wisdom hath built her house.’ He is not only good, but goodness: ‘I will make all my goodness,’ i.e., myself, ‘pass before thee,’ Exod. xxxiii. 19. He is not only holy, but holiness: ‘Look down from heaven, the habitation where thy holiness dwelleth,’ Isa. lxiii. 15. Therefore these attributes of God must be boundless, because they are his being, himself.

(From: “Works”)