The truth of Christian religion in six books / written in Latine by Hugo Grotius ; and now translated into English, with the addition of a seventh book, by Symon Patrick ...

SECT. III. That all Perfection is in GOD.

THat we may know the rest of God's At∣tributes, let it be considered; that what∣soever is wont to be understood by the Name of Perfection (which word we must be con∣tent to use, since our Language furnishes us with no better, to express the Greek 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉) is in God, may be thus proved. What perfection soever there is in things, it either had a beginning; or had no beginning. That which had no beginning, is the perfection of God: and that which had a beginning, of necessity must have something, that gave it such beginning. And since nothing among all the things that have a being, is made of no∣thing; it follows that those perfections which appear to be in any effects, were the reason why the cause thereof could produce any thing accordingly; and consequently are all in the first cause. Neither must it be here imagined, that the first cause can afterward be deprived of its perfection; either by some other thing different from it self, because that which is eternal hath no dependance upon any other thing, neither can be liable and sub∣ject

unto their actions; or of it self, because every Nature desires its own perfection.