Discourses upon the Existence and Attributes of God

^*3. God were not the most simple Being, if he were not immutable. There is in every thing that is mutable, a Composition, either essential or accidental; and in all changes, something of the thing changed remains, and something of it ceaseth and is done away; as for example, in an accidental change, If a white Wall be made black, it loses its white Colour; but the Wall it self which was the Subject of that Colour, remains and loses nothing of its substance: Likewise in a substantial change, as when ⟨p. 219⟩Wood is burnt, the substantial part of Wood is lost, the earthy part is changed into Ashes, the airy part ascends in Smoke, the watery part is changed into Air by the Fire: There is not an annihilation of it, but a resolution of it into those parts whereof it was compounded; and this change doth evidence, that it was compounded of several parts distinct from one another. If there were any change in God, 'tis by separating something from him or adding something to him; if by separating something from him, then he was compounded of something distinct from himself; for if it were not distinct from himself, it could not be separated from him without loss of his Being; if by adding any thing to him, then it is a compounding of him, either substantially or accidentally.

1. *Gamach. in prim. part. Aquin. quest. 9. cap. 1. part. 72.

Mutability is absolutely inconsistent with Simplicity, whether the change come from an internal or external Principle. If a change be wrought by something without, it supposeth either contrary or various parts in the thing so changed, whereof it doth consist; If it be wrought by any thing within, it supposeth that the thing so changed doth consist of one part that doth change it, and another part that is changed, and so it would not be a simple Being. If God could be changed by any thing within himself, all in God would not be God; his Essence would depend upon some parts, whereof some would be superior to others: If one part were able to change or destroy another, that which doth change would be God, that which is changed would not be God; so God would be made up of a Deity and a non-Deity, and part of God would depend upon God; part would be dependent, and part would be independent; part would be mutable part, immutable: So that Mutability is against the notion of Gods Independency as well as his Simplicity.