The Temporal and Spatial Properties of God

Proposition 16: God is incorporeal

Proof 1: Body is the immediate subject of local motion (Def. 7).

If God were corporeal, he would be divided into parts. This involves imperfection, and is therefore absurd (Def. 8).

Proof 2: If God were corporeal, he could be divided into parts (Def. 7).

Either each single part could subsist of itself, or it could not.

If the latter, it would be like the other things created by God, and thus, like every created thing, it would be continuously created by the same force by God (Prop. 10 and Ax. I I ).

It would not pertain to God’s nature any more than other created things, which is absurd (Prop. 5).

But if each single part exists through itself, each single part must also involve necessary existence (Lemma 2 Prop. 7).

Consequently, each part would be a supremely perfect being (Cor. Lemma 2 Prop. 7). But this, too, is absurd (Prop. 2).

Therefore God is incorporeal. Q.E.D.

Proposition 17: God is a completely simple being.

Proof: If God were composed of parts, the parts would have to be at least prior in nature to God, which is absurd (Cor. 4 Prop. 12).

Therefore, he is a completely simple being. Q.E.D.

Corollary: It follows that God’s intelligence, his will or decree, and his power are not distinguished from his essence, except by abstract reasoning.

Proposition 18: God is immutable.

Proof: If God were mutable, he could not change in part, but would have to change with respect to his whole essence (Prop. 1 7).

But the essence of God exists necessarily (Props. 5, 6, and 7). Therefore God is immutable. Q.E.D.

Proposition 19: God is eternal.

Proof: God is a supremely perfect being (Def. 8), from which it follows that he exists necessarily (Prop. 5).

If he has a limited existence, the limits of his existence must necessarily be understood by us or by God himself.

Therefore God will understand himself (i.e. [Def. 8], a supremely perfect being) as not existing beyond these limits, which is absurd (Prop. 5).

Therefore, God has an infinite existence, which we call eternity.

See Chapter I Part 2 of our Appendix. Therefore God is eternal. Q.E.D.

Proposition 20: God has preordained all things from eternity.

Proof: Because God is eternal (Prop. 19), his understanding is eternal, because it pertains to his eternal essence (Cor. Prop. 1 7). But his intellect is not different in reality from his will or decree (Cor. Prop. 1 7).

Therefore when we say that God has understood things from eternity, we are also saying that he has willed or decreed things thus from eternity. Q.E.D.

Corollary: It follows that God is in the highest degree constant in his works.

Proposition 21: The aether exists with length, width, and height. We are united to one part of it.

Proof: Whatever is extended can be clearly and distinctly perceived by us. This extension is created by God (Cor. Prop. 7 and Prop. 8) and is not part of God’s nature (Prop. 1 6).

Point 1: The aether, extended in length, width, and height, exists.

The metaphysical aether produces in us pleasure, pain, and similar ideas or sensations, which are continually produced in us even against our will.

But if there were some other cause, such as God or an angel, for our sensations aside from the metaphysical aether, then we immediately destroy the clear and distinct concept that we have.

Therefore, as long as we correctly attend to our perceptions so as to allow nothing but what we clearly and distinctly perceive, we accept that the metaphysical aether is the only cause of our sensations.

Therefore, we are inclined to affirm that the metaphysical thing exists, created by God. And in this we surely cannot be deceived (Prop. 14 with Schol.).

Point 2: The metaphysical aether produces sensations in us.

These sensations have a considerable difference.

For example, seeing a tree is a different sensation from being thirsty, or being in pain, etc.

I can only clearly see this difference if I first understand that I am closely united to one part of matter, and not so to other parts.

Because I clearly and distinctly understand this, and I cannot perceive it in any other way, it is true (Prop. 14 with Schol.) that I am united to one part of matter.

Note: The reader will not understand this proof unless he here considers himself only as an abstract mind.

End of Part 1