Serm. XCIX. The Power ofGod. 745. Bufirefs of 7ranfubjlantiatien, without any evidence of Revelation, and confe- quently without neceffity. z. But if this were revealed in Scripture, that the fame thing may be and not be at the fame time, I could have no reafon to believe that, becaufe I could have no affurance, if that were true; that the Scriptures were a Divine Revelation, or that it were to be believed if it were ; for if it were true, that the fame thingmay be and not be, then a Divine Revelation may be no Divine Revelation, and when I am bound to believe a thing, I may be boundat the fame time not to believe it, and fo all things would fall into uncertainty, and the foundation of all affe- rance, and of all duty and obedience, both of Faith and Pratice, would be ta- ken away. The II. Objeélion is from the power of Creation, which is generally acknow- ledged to be a making of fomething out of nothing ; now fay the Objedorst this feems.as palpable a Contradiálion as any thing elfe. Anfw. To us indeed, who converfe with material things, and never law any thing made, but out of pre-exiflent matter, it is veryhard to conceive how ány thing fhould be created, that is, produced out of nothing : but every thing that is ftrange is not a contradiction. It is flrange to us, and hard to conceive, that there fhould be fuch á thing as a Spirit, who never law, nor can fee any thing but matter ; and yet wd'grant there are Spirits. It is hard to us to conceive how any thing should be made, but out of matter ; and yet Spirit, if it were made of any thing pro-exiftent,, cannot be made of matter : but if we will attend to thofe common didates of Reafon, which every Man, whether he will or no, mutt af- fent,to, we may eafily underfland Creation to be pofíible, and free from contra- diélion. For the clearing of this, I will proceed by thefe fleps. r. The true Notion of Creation, is the bringing of fomething into Being, which before had no Being at all ; for the Phrafe of making fomething out of no- thing, or out of no pre-exiflent matter, does miflead our Understanding into odd Conceits, as if nothing could be the material caufeof fomething, or as ifnothing could be what is material. 2.. Every one muff grant, that fomething is; for we fee that things are, how- ever they came to be. 3. Every one mutt grant, that fomething is of it felf, whether matter, or that Being which we call God. 4. Every one mull grant, that that which was ofit felf was always ; for no- thing can begin of it felf. S. It is much more eafie to conceive how a thing that once was not, might fometime be brought into Being by another, than how a thing fhould be always of it felf ; for that which once was not, is fuppofed to have fomething before it, by which it might be made, though not out of which it was made ; but that which was always, neither had nor could have any thing by which, or out of which it cóuld be made. And why cannot a thing come into a Being, when there was nothing before it, out of which it was made, as well as a thing be always, when there could not be any thing before it, out of which it fhould be ? Secondly, I exempt thole things from the extent of Omnipotence, whichimply Imperfeáion, which are contrary to the Nature and Perfee`tion of God, both natural and moral Imperfe ions ; for thefe alfo deftroy Power, becaufe they are not arguments of Power, but of Impotence. Natural Imperfe&ions; as to dye,/ to be tick, to be in want, to eat, to deep, to forget, &c. Moral Imperfeáions, thole which contradiI the holinefs of God, as fin and vice, or to compel any to. fin ; which contradid his Goodnefs, as to be cruel ; which contradiét hisTruth, as to lie, to deceive, to break his promife, to deny himfelf; Tit. t. a. a rim. 2.33: am. s. t ;. He is faid to be ethos ovs rgxwv. Contrary to the conflancy and im- mutability of his Nature, as to change his decree, to repent ; Contrary to Ju- flice and Equity, as for ever to fpare and to pardon obftinateSinners, eternally to punifh innocent and good Men ; for thefe are Moral Imperfeélions, and contradiöt the Holinefs, and Truth, and Goodnefs, and Juflice, and Immutability of the Di- vine Nature ; and that diftinEtion between God's abfolute and ordinate Power, that Cocce is,
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=