A09977:361
Life eternalLife eternall
Life eternal or, A treatise of the knowledge of the divine essence and attributes Delivered in XVIII. sermons. By the late faithful and worthy minister of Jesus Christ, John Preston, D. in Divinity, chaplain in ordinary to his Majesty, master of Emmanuel College in Cambridge, and sometimes preacher of Lincolns Inn.Life eternall or, A treatise of the knowledge of the divine essence and attributes Delivered in XVIII. sermons. By the late faithfull and worthy minister of Iesus Christ, Iohn Preston, D. in Divinity, chaplaine in ordinary to his Majestie, master of Emmanuel Colledge in Cambridge, and sometimes preacher of Lincolns Inne.
London: printed by Richard, 1631
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Now to apply this, look upon all the creatures, and you shall find that they have all but part of being; the Angels have one part, men another, and other creatures another part, &c. which is an argument that there is a whole, which is GOD blessed for ever.
Now to apply this, looke upon all the creatures, and you shal find that they have all but part of being; the Angels have one part, men another, and other creatures another part, &c. which is an argument that there is a whole, which is GOD blessed for ever.
Besides, it argues that he hath that wholeness of being from himself; for he that hath but part of a thing, doth borrow it, and therefore must come to the original; for nothing is borrowed but it is from another, and not from it self; therefore, seeing the creatures have but a part of being, it presupposeth that there is a whole, that there is an immense being, that is of himself, and from himself, and hath it not from any creature.
Besides, it argues that he hath that wholenesse of being from himselfe; for he that hath but part of a thing, doth borrow it, and therefore must come to the originall; for nothing is borrowed but it is from another, and not from it selfe; therfore, seeing the creatures have but a part of being, it presupposeth that there is a whole, that there is an immense being, that is of himselfe, and from himselfe, and hath it not from any creature.
1Lastly, there is nothing that the eye hath seen, or that the ear hath heard, but it is possible not to be; there is almost nothing but is subject to corruption; but if it be not so, yet they have a possibility not to be; as the heavens, though they are not corrupted, yet they may be: now whatsoever hath a possibility not to be, it is certain that it was not, & that which was not, is brought to a being by him that is; so that you must come to something which is, that is the cause, that is the beginning and ending, that is without cause,