This Power cannot but be eternal; it must be before the world; the Founder must be before the Foundation; *and his Existence must be from Eternity, or we must say nothing did exist from Eternity: And if there were no being from Eternity, there could not now be any being in time: What we see, and what we are, must arise ⟨p. 190⟩from it self or some other; it cannot from it self: If any thing made it self, it had a power to make it self; it then had an active power before it had a being; It was something in regard of Power, and was nothing in regard of Existence at the same time: Suppose it had a Power to produce it self, this power must be conferred upon it by another; and so the power of producing it self, was not from it self, but from another; But if the power of being was from it self, why did it not produce it self before? Why was it one moment out of being?* If there be any existence of things, 'tis necessary that that which was the first Cause, should exist from Eternity. Whatsoever was the immediate Cause of the world, yet the first and chief Cause wherein we must rest, must have nothing before it; if it had any thing before it, it were not the first; He therefore that is the first Cause must be without beginning, nothing must be before him; If he had a beginning from some other, he could not be the first Principle and Author of all things; If he be the first Cause of all things, he must give himself a beginning, or be from Eternity: He could not give himself a beginning; whatsoever begins in time was nothing before, and when it was nothing it could do nothing; it could not give it self any thing, for then it gave what it had not, and did what it could not: If he made himself in time, why did he not make himself before? What hindered him? It was either because he could not, or because he would not; if he could not, he always wanted power, and always would, unless it were bestowed upon him, and then he could not be said to be from himself? If he would not make himself before, then he might have made himself when he would: How had he the power of willing and nilling without a Being? Nothing cannot will or nill; Nothing hath no faculties: So that it is necessary to grant some eternal Being, or run into inextricable Labyrinths and Mazes. If we deny some eternal being, we must deny all being; our own being, the being of every thing about us;
This Power cannot but be eternal; it must be before the world; the Founder must be before the Foundation; *and his Existence must be from Eternity, or we must say nothing did exist from Eternity: And if there were no being from Eternity, there could not now be any being in time: What we see, and what we are, must arise ⟨p. 190⟩from it self or some other; it cannot from it self: If any thing made it self, it had a power to make it self; it then had an active power before it had a being; It was something in regard of Power, and was nothing in regard of Existence at the same time: Suppose it had a Power to produce it self, this power must be conferred upon it by another; and so the power of producing it self, was not from it self, but from another; But if the power of being was from it self, why did it not produce it self before? Why was it one moment out of being?* If there be any existence of things, 'tis necessary that that which was the first Cause, should exist from Eternity. Whatsoever was the immediate Cause of the world, yet the first and chief Cause wherein we must rest, must have nothing before it; if it had any thing before it, it were not the first; He therefore that is the first Cause must be without beginning, nothing must be before him; If he had a beginning from some other, he could not be the first Principle and Author of all things; If he be the first Cause of all things, he must give himself a beginning, or be from Eternity: He could not give himself a beginning; whatsoever begins in time was nothing before, and when it was nothing it could do nothing; it could not give it self any thing, for then it gave what it had not, and did what it could not: If he made himself in time, why did he not make himself before? What hindred him? It was either because he could not, or because he would not; if he could not, he always wanted power, and always would, unless it were bestowed upon him, and then he could not be said to be from himself? If he would not make himself before, then he might have made himself when he would: How had he the power of willing and nilling without a Being? Nothing cannot will or nill; Nothing hath no faculties: So that it is necessary to grant some eternal Being, or run into inextricable Labyrinths and Mazes. If we deny some eternal being, we must deny all being; our own being, the being of every thing about us;
- *Crellins de Deo cap. 18. p. 43.
- *Petav. Theol. Dogmat. Tom. 1. l. 1. c. 10.11.
