Serin..XCIX. The Power of Gods 743 to make a thing to be, fo ৠit lhould not be while it is, fignifies nothing ; be- caufe fuch a Being as is not, is nothing and to make fuch a Being, would be to do nothing, and confequently fuch a power would lignifie nothing. So likewife we cannot fay, that the Divine Power tan caufe, that the fame thing Ihould bè made and not be made, that that which hath been, fhould not have been ; for the Power which makes a thing fo as that it was not made, and caufeth a thing to have been, fo as that it hath not been, does nothing ; and confequently is no Power. Nor can we fay, that the-Divine Power can effe& that any thing Ihould be made by it felf, that is, be the caule of its own Being ; for that would be tá taufe that a thing fhould be before it is, that is, be when it is not, which fignifies nothing. We cannot fay that the Divine Powercan effe&, that twice twothould not make four ; for that wouldbe to taufe that things fhould not be what they are, if they be at all, which is to caufe that things fhould be and not be at all, when they are, which amounts to nothing. We cannot fay, that the Divine Power can make a found tobe feen, and colour to be heard ; for that would be to make colour and found all one, that is, things that differ, to be the fame while they differ, which is to make colour and found not to be colour and found while they are fo, which is to do nothing, and con- fequently argues no Power. We cannot fay, the Divine Power can make that which is intrinfecallyand ef- fentially good to be evil; and on the contrary : Or that which is neceffarily true to be falle ; and on the contrary. For to make that which is intrinfecally and effentially good to be evil, is to make that which is always good to be fometimes evil, that is., tobe evil whiff' it is good, that is, to make good and evil all one ; which is to bring two things together, which fo foon as they do exift, deftroy one another, which is to no purpofe, becaufe it -is to do juft nothing ; and there is the fame reafon of trueand falfe. We cannotfay, that the Power of God can caufe that the fame thing fhould be hot and cold, dead and alive at the fame time ; becaufe thefe deftroy one ano- ther, and if they were both, neither of themwould be, and fo the effeét we at- tribute to this Power would be nothing. We cannot fay, that the Divine Power can effe&, that the fame impreffion fhould give a thing two contrary motions, upward and downward at the fame time ; that the fame Body Ihould be in two contrarypoftures, inmotion and at refit, and in feveral places, which are the contraditiions of Tranfuhllantiation; for, for the fame Body to be at the fame time in two feveral places, is to be limited and circumfcribed by each of thefe, that is, fo to be in eachof them, as not to be in the other, or in any other; fo that if it be in this place, it is not in that, nor in any other befides this ; if it be in that place, it is not in this, nor any other befides that; but if it be in two, it is both in this and in that, and therefore in neither of them, nor any where elfe ; fo that a Power to make a Body to be in two placesat once, is a Power to make it to be no where, that is, not to be at all, which is no Power ; and there's the fame realms of the fame Body's being in contrary motion, or in motion and at cell, or in two contrary poftures at the fame time. Sothat by all thefe Inflames it appears, that a Power to do any thing which implies a contradi &ion, and is repugnant to the nature ofthings, fignifies nothing, and the fuppofed Effe& of it is only to bring terms together, which if they could be brought together, fo foon as they meet, will mutually take away and deftroy one another, which would be vain and to no purpofe. I have the more explicitly laid open there contradi&ions, with relation to the grofs Do&rive of TranfubJiantiation, in which all, or molt of the contradiétions which I have mentioned are involved. I know they ftifly deny, that thefe con- tradi&ions follow from that Do&rine, and ufe pitiful fhifts to avoid them; but being not able to fatisfie themfelves that way, if the worft. fhould come to the worft, they can grant thefe contradi &ions, but then they flie to thePower ofGod which can do things which we call contradi&ions ; or.etfe they fay, there are as many contradidtions in the Dodtrine of the Trinity, which all Chriftians believe. And
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=