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Of the Being of God evict∣ed by way of demonstrati∣on from the Creatures.
THe Question is, Whether or no there be a God?
And here first I must entreat that it may be remembred what that party is which defends the negative, and what is the designe that we are upon, that so the following discourse be not thought uselesse or industriously set out of our ordinary road. Our enemies are Atheists: and that which is to be con∣vinced
is the Atheisticall pronenesse of men; so that in the controverted que∣stions it will not be a sufficient way of answering, to say that the Scriptures and the Spirit of God make it evident that there is a God; and again that the Scriptures are evinced to be the Word of God by the Spirit of God bearing witnesse with the heart of man. It is true, that the Scriptures clearly deliver that there is a God, and as true it is that God by his grace doth work the heart of man to a beleeving of the Scri∣ptures: these things they are really true to those who already are beleevers, and each of them conduceth to a con∣firmation of each other: but to a man that doubts of the Godhead, and de∣nies the Scriptures, to use those argu∣ments for satisfaction, were to minister a scandall to him, and by circular way of reasoning and assuming gratis the matter of the question (for they doe no otherwise who only say, We must beleeve the Scriptures to be the Word of God, because God saies so, and a God we must beleeve because the Scri∣ptures say so) to make them think we
have no more to say but this, it is so be∣cause it is so: and so confirm them in their Atheism and irreligion. It was a certain observation of Aristotle, that 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 in every acquisition of knowledge, the understanding doth proceed from pre∣mises which were known, to the infe∣rence of a new conclusion, which was before unknown: and so was that o∣ther Aphorism of his, that there is no disputation unlesse upon principles, which are confessed on both sides, and such only are the common principles of intelligence, and the plain discoveries of the senses there where the mysteries of faith are questioned; it will not be sufficient therefore in the present case, to alledge that saying of the Apostle, Rom. 1. 20. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternall power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: but we must clear, and demonstrate the truth of that al∣legation, by reasons taken from things visible: however, it may be lawfull for us to make use of the direction of this
place, as a canon for our enquiry, al∣though not of the authority of it, as a sufficient argument to enforce a belief from the gainsayer. I say therefore that an eternall power may beevinced from the creation of the world, and that the creation of the world may be demon∣strated from the consideration of things visible, so that by Reason as well as Faith (though not so readily) we may be brought to understand that the world was made of things which dis∣appear. I say, that the world was not eternall but created, is demonstrable from things that are visible; our argu∣ment shall be from generation: What∣soever is begotten was begotten of some other, for nothing can possibly beget, or make it self, otherwise it will follow that the same thing is and is not both at one instant, seeing it is both the produ∣cer and the thing to be produced: it is to be produced, and so it is not yet, it is likewise a producer, and that supposeth that it is in being: It is therfore in being, and it is not in being, that's a manifest contradiction: Wherefore nothing can generate, or make, or produce it self:
Wherefore every thing that is begotten, is begotten of some other, and then the other which begat it either was it self in the same manner begotten, or it was not, if it was not, we are already come to the first principle which was unbe∣gotten, and so have discovered a God∣head: If it was begotten, either we must follow up the course of successive gene∣ration to some first production from a cause eternal, or else we must necessarily say that the course of generations had no beginning, and consequently that in∣finite successions are already past, which is as much as to acknowledge that an infinite number of successions are past, and if past, then they are at an end; so we have found an infinite which hath had an end, that is another contradi∣ction. Again, if any shall affirm that the course of generation had no begin∣ning, but that the number of them hath been infinite, let us put a case and reason with him: we will imagine the generations of Abraham for example, and of Joseph, the sonne of Jacob, the son of Isaack, the sonne of Abraham. I demand therefore whether before the
birth of Abraham, there had past an in∣finite series of generations or not? if the series was finite, the work of gene∣ration had beginning, which is the con∣clusion I contend for, if the series past was infinite, then at the birth of Ioseph 'tis evident that more generations were past, so we have found a number grea∣ter then that which was supposed to be infinite, and consequently that was not infinite, so it was both infinite and not infinite, a manifest contradiction: but if we say that Abrahams series was infinite, and that so was Iosephs also, then it will follow that the number of Abrahams was equall to the number of Iosephs, but Abrahams was but a part of Iosephs, wherefore the part is equall to the whole. Else admit that Abrahams was finite, but when it came to Ioseph, that then the number was infinite, it fol∣lows then that a finite number added to a finite shall make an infinite, which likewise is against the common light of reason. We see therefore that supposing the eternity of the world, or the infi∣nity of generations doth force the minde to contradictions, and conse∣quently
the fiction is vain, and utterly impossible; and as we have argued in the way of generation, so we may like∣wise in every thing where there is mo∣tion or mutation, that is in all the parts of the visible world, the creation therefore of the world from the visible things thereof, is manifest, which was to be demonstrated, and from the cre∣ation of the world we may infer those invisible Attributes of the Eternity and Power, and wisedome, and Providence of God, that which rests yet to be de∣monstrated.