The Jonathan Edwards Center at Yale University

It is certain without dispute that an offense, injury or affront to God is greater than an offense, injury or affront in other respects equal, against any finite being that is or can be, however great. Now it is evident that an offense or injury, in other respects equal to the sin of man, committed against a finite being, may be of any unite degree of badness; because what is wanting in badness in other respects may be made up by the greatness of the person injured. Wherefore it follows, that the same injury against an infinite being is greater than an injury of any finite degree of badness; that is, is an injury of [an] infinite degree of badness, that is, of infinite demerit. By greatness we mean excellency, power, wisdom, loveliness, goodness, holiness, etc., which in God are infinite.

Again, 'tis evident that the injury increases in some proportion or other to the greatness of [its object]; that is, if you add greatness to the person injured, you add badness to the injury in some proportion or other. Now let this proportion be what it will—supposing it be but one degree of badness to ten degrees of greatness, or less if you please—an

infinite degree [of greatness] will have an infinite degree of badness. (Let this be examined by the nicest mathematicians.)