An entire body of philosophy according to the principles of the famous Renate Des Cartes in three books, (I) the institution ... (II) the history of nature ... (III) a dissertation of the want of sense and knowledge in brute animals ... / written originally in Latin by the learned Anthony Le Grand ; now carefully translated from the last corrections, alterations, and large additions of the author, never yet published ... by Richard Blome.

CHAP. VIII. That GOD is Eternal, or without Beginning and End.

I. The Error of some, who say, that God was the Efficient Cause of himself. THo' almost all Philosophers agree in this, that there is a GOD, and that he governs the World; yet don't all of them conceive his Exi∣stence after one and the same manner. Some of them are of Opinion, that GOD had some kind of Beginning, and tho' the same were before all Ages; yet that he was born or produced as all other Things. But forasmuch as it was unbecoming the Divine Majesty to proceed from any other, and that he who is the Author of all Good, should derive his Being from another, they asserted himto be his own Efficient Cause, and that he so proceeded from himself.

II. This Opi∣nion de∣stroys the Nature of God. But this Opinion does not so much oppose Rea∣son, as it destroys the very Nature of God: For how could God produce himself, since this supposeth that before his Production he was not, because he was then to be produced, and yet was at the same time, forasmuch as he did then influence his own Production, which are absolute Contradictions. And whatever may be said in this case, we must allow some Principle of the Divine Production, which is absolutely repugnant to the Nature of God. For we no sooner consider the Nature of GOD, but we find him to be the Most perfect Being, which excludes all Imperfections, that is, any bounds or limitation of his Perfections, and includes all Per∣fections, and consequently also Existence, by which he is distinguish'd from all other things.

III. Necessary Existence is contain'd in the Na∣ture of God. For tho' whatsoever we conceive be apprehended by us as Existing; yet we find that Existence doth not belong to God and the Creatures in the same manner. For in the Conception of Crea∣tures, whose Perfections are finite, only Contingent and Possible Existence is contained; whereas in the Notion of God, Necessary Existence is included, as being an Eternal Perfection; insomuch that it is as obvious to our knowledge that GOD exists, as it is to a Mathematician, that a Triangle hath three Angles equal to two right ones. For as it is the Nature of a Triangle to have three Angles equal to two right ones; so likewise it is the Nature of God, to be necessarily Existent, and therefore as he exists now, it must be acknowledg'd that he hath existed from all Eternity.

IV. They who distinguish God's Es∣sence from his Exi∣stence, takes away his Eternity. They who do not mind this, are very liable to Error, and to ascribe to God simple Duration instead of Eternity: For by distinguishing Exi∣stence from Essence in God▪ as in other Created Beings, they imagine Succession of Time to have place in him, and by this means divide that which is Infinite, into Parts, and assign differences of Duration to it. Hence it is that some demand, Whether God hath not existed longer now, than when he first Created the VVorld; or whether he did not exist longer before the Creation of the VVorld, than the Time that has run from the Beginning of the VVorld till now. Which Que∣stions are occasion'd by their separating the Essence of God from his Existence, and supposing that the Eternity of God may be understood, without the contemplation of his Essence; or because they have not distinguish'd Duration from Eternity, but have concluded them to be confounded together. For Duration is an Attribute of the Existence of things, not of their Essence. Who will not say that the Propositions, Twice three make six; Nothing is made out of Nothing; which are only said to be true according to their Essence, that they have con∣tinued longer now than at any other time? Where∣fore Duration is only an Affection of Existence; whereas Eternity cannot be conceived without the Divine Essence; and forasmuch as the Existence of God is contain'd in the Conception of his Es∣sence, we are also to attribute Eternity to him, and not Duration.

V. The Nature of God in∣cludes no Conception of Futurity. Therefore we say, that all Creatures Enjoy Existence, forasmuch as it doth not belong to their Essences, but is in a manner foreign to them. But this cannot be affirmed of God, because his Exi∣stence is not distinct from his Essence, and is GOD himself. Besides, all Creatures, whilst they enjoy the present Time and Existence, may be said to have it to come, forasmuch as their Existence is without them, and only successively bestowed upon them: Whereas we cannot say of the Divine Ex∣istence, that it will be, or is to come, because he has now the same Existence he will have for ever; Actual Existence in him being like all his other Attributes, which denote no difference of Time in Him.

VI. Whether the Mind of Man hath a per∣manent Existence, as God hath. It may be Objected, That some Philosophers and Divines hold, that the Duration of the Mind of Man is Permament, and as they express it, All at once, and ye none of them attribute Eternity to it: So that accordingly, tho' the Existence of God have no Parts whereof some are before the other; yet for all that Duration may be attributed to him.

VII. An Answer to this Doubt. I answer, That Permanent Duration can only improperly be attributed to the Mind of Man, be∣cause we find a manifest Succession in our Thoughts, whereof nothing is to be found in the Divine Per∣ception. But to explain my Mind more fully, I think that Permanency is very improperly attri∣buted to Creatures, forasmuch as the most Perfect of them, cannot all at once admit all the Attributes and Modes it is capable of. For as it implies a Contradiction for a Body at one and the same time to admit several Figures, as to be Square and Round, to Move and Rest, so neither can a Created Spirit affirm and deny the same thing, or comprehend all those things with one Thought, which it is capable of knowing. But GOD pos∣sesseth all Perfections, and all Attributes, at one and the same time, neither is any of them before or after the other. And therefore Permanence apper∣tains only to GOD, and Duration to all other Beings. Besides, since all Creatures are Created by God with equal dependency, and have their Preservation no longer than he pleaseth to con∣tinue it; it follows, that their Duration is not per∣manent, but successive, and can indeed be nothing else but a continual Reproduction, by which they persevere in their Beings.