If there were Decrees before the foundation of the World, there was a Decreer before the foundation of the World: Before the foundation of the world he loved Christ as a Mediator:* A fore-ordination of him was before the foundation of the world; a Choice of men, and therefore a Chooser before the foundation of the world; a Grace given in Christ before the world began, *and therefore a Donor of that Grace.* From those places saith Crellius, it appears that God was before the foundation of the world, but they do not assert an absolute Eternity;* But to be before all Creatures, is equivalent to his Being from Eternity. Time began with the foundation of the world, but God being before time, could have no beginning in time: Before the beginning of the Creation, and the beginning of Time, there could be nothing but Eternity; nothing but what was uncreated, that is nothing but what was without beginning. To be in time, is, to have a beginning; to be before all time, is never to have a beginning, but always to be: For as between the Creator and Creatures there is no Medium, so between Time and Eternity, there is no Medium. 'Tis as easily deduced, that he that was before all Creatures is Eternal, as he that made all Creatures is God: If he had a beginning, he must have it from another, or from himself; if from another, that from whom he received his Being would be better than he, so more a God than he. He cannot be God, that is not Supreme; he cannot be Supreme that owes his Being to the Power of another: He would not be said only to have Immortality as he is,* if he had it dependent upon another; nor could he have a beginning from himself; if he had given beginning to himself, then he was once nothing, there was a time when he was not; if he was not, how could he be the Cause of himself? 'Tis impossible for any, to give a Beginning and Being to it self: If it acts, it must exist; and so exist, before it existed: A thing would exist as a Cause, before it existed as an Effect. He that is not, cannot be the Cause that he is; If therefore God doth exist, and hath not his Being from another, he must exist from Eternity: Therefore when we say God is of and from himself, we mean not that God gave Being to himself; but it is negatively to to be understood, that he hath no cause of Existence without himself.
If there were Decrees before the foundation of the World, there was a Decreer before the foundation of the World: Before the foundation of the world he lov'd Christ as a Mediator:* A fore-ordination of him was before the foundation of the world; a Choice of men, and therefore a Chooser before the foundation of the world; a Grace given in Christ before the world began, *and therefore a Donor of that Grace.* From those places saith Crellius, it appears that God was before the foundation of the world, but they do not assert an absolute Eternity;* But to be before all Creatures, is equivalent to his Being from Eternity. Time began with the foundation of the world, but God being before time, could have no beginning in time: Before the beginning of the Creation, and the beginning of Time, there could be nothing but Eternity; nothing but what was uncreated, that is nothing but what was without beginning. To be in time, is, to have a beginning; to be before all time, is never to have a beginning, but always to be: For as between the Creator and Creatures there is no Medium, so between Time and Eternity, there is no Medium. 'Tis as easily deduced, that he that was before all Creatures is Eternal, as he that made all Creatures is God: If he had a beginning, he must have it from another, or from himself; if from another, that from whom he received his Being would be better than he, so more a God than he. He cannot be God, that is not Supream; he cannot be Supream that owes his Being to the Power of another: He would not be said only to have Immortality as he is,* if he had it dependent upon another; nor could he have a beginning from himself; if he had given beginning to himself, then he was once nothing, there was a time when he was not; if he was not, how could he be the Cause of himself? 'Tis impossible for any, to give a Beginning and Being to it self: If it acts, it must exist; and so exist, before it existed: A thing would exist as a Cause, before it existed as an Effect. He that is not, cannot be the Cause that he is; If therefore God doth exist, and hath not his Being from another, he must exist from Eternity: Therefore when we say God is of and from himself, we mean not that God gave Being to himself; but it is negatively to to be understood, that he hath no cause of Existence without himself.
- *John 1•.24.
- *Eph. 1.4.
- *2 Tim. 1.9.
- *Coccei Sum. p. 48. Theol. Gerhard Exeges. cap. 86.4. p. 266.
- *1 Tim. 6.16.
