_MADAM,_
It seems you are offended at my Opinion, that _Nature_ is Eternal
without beginning, which, you say, is to make her God, or at least
coequal with God; But, if you apprehend my meaning rightly, you will
say, I do not: For first, God is an Immaterial and Spiritual Infinite
Being, which Propriety God cannot give away to any Creature, nor
make another God in Essence like to him, for Gods Attributes are not
communicable to any Creature; Yet this doth not hinder, that God
should not make Infinite and Eternal Matter, for that is as easie to
him, as to make a Finite Creature, Infinite Matter being quite of
another Nature then God is, to wit, Corporeal, when God is Incorporeal,
the difference whereof I have declared in my former Letter. But as for
_Nature_, that it cannot be Eternal without beginning, because God is
the Creator and Cause of it, and that the Creator must be before the
Creature, as the Cause before the Effect, so, that it is impossible
for _Nature_ to be without a beginning; if you will speak naturally,
as human reason guides you, and bring an Argument concluding from the
Priority of the _Cause_ before the _Effect_, give me leave to tell you,
that God is not tied to Natural Rules, but that he can do beyond our
Understanding, and therefore he is neither bound up to time, as to be
before, for if we will do this, we must not allow, that the Eternal Son
of God is Coeternal with the Father, because nature requires a Father
to exist before the Son, but in God is no time, but all Eternity;
and if you allow, that God hath made some Creatures, as Supernatural
Spirits, to live Eternally, why should he not as well have made a
Creature from all Eternity? for Gods making is not our making, he needs
no Priority of Time. But you may say, the Comparison of the Eternal
Generation of the Son of God is Mystical and Divine, and not to be
applied to natural things: I answer, The action by which God created
the World or made Nature, was it natural or supernatural? surely you
will say it was a Supernatural and God-like action, why then will
you apply Natural Rules to a God-like and Supernatural Action? for
what Man knows, how and when God created Nature? You will say, the
Scripture doth teach us that, for it is not Six thousand years, when
God created this World, I answer, the holy Scripture informs us onely
of the Creation of this Visible World, but not of Nature and natural
Matter; for I firmly believe according to the Word of God, that this
World has been Created, as is described by _Moses_, but what is that
to natural Matter? There may have been worlds before, as many are of
the opinion that there have been men before _Adam_, and many amongst
Divines do believe, that after the destruction of this World God will
Create a new World again, as a new Heaven, and a new Earth; and if
this be probable, or at least may be believed without any prejudice
to the holy Scripture, why may it not be probably believed that
there have been other worlds before this visible World? for nothing
is impossible with God; and all this doth derogate nothing from the
Honour and Glory of God, but rather increases his Divine Power. But
as for the Creation of this present World, it is related, that there
was first a rude and indigested Heap, or Chaos, without form, void
and dark; and God said, _Let it be light; Let there be a Firmament
in the midst of the Waters, and let the Waters under the Heaven be
gathered together, and let the dry Land appear; Let the Earth bring
forth Grass, the Herb yielding seed, and the Fruit-tree yielding Fruit
after its own kind; and let there be Lights in the Firmament, the one
to rule the Day, and the other the Night; and let the Waters bring
forth abundantly the moving Creature that hath life; and let the Earth
bring forth living Creatures after its kinde; and at last God said,
Let us make Man, and all what was made, God saw it was good._ Thus
all was made by Gods Command, and who executed his Command but the
Material servant of God, Nature? which ordered her self-moving matter
into such several Figures as God commanded, and God approved of them.
And thus, _Madam_, I verily believe the Creation of the World, and that
God is the Sole and omnipotent Creator of Heaven and Earth, and of all
Creatures therein; nay, although I believe Nature to have been from
Eternity, yet I believe also that God is the God and Author of Nature,
and has made Nature and natural Matter in a way and manner proper to
his Omnipotency and Incomprehensible by us: I will pass by natural
Arguments and Proofs, as not belonging to such an Omnipotent Action; as
for example, how the nature of relative terms requires, that they must
both exist at one point of Time, _viz._ a Master and his Servant, and
a King and his Subjects; for one bearing relation to the other, can in
no ways be considered as different from one another in formiliness or
laterness of Time; but as I said, these being meerly natural things, I
will nor cannot apply them to Supernatural and Divine Actions; But if
you ask me, how it is possible that _Nature_, the Effect and Creature
of God, can be Eternal without beginning? I will desire you to answer
me first, how a Creature can be Eternal without end, as, for example.
Supernatural Spirits are, and then I will answer you, how a Creature
can be Eternal without beginning; For Eternity consists herein, that
it has neither beginning nor end; and if it be easie for God to make a
Being without end, it is not difficult for Him to make a Being without
beginning. One thing more I will add, which is, That if _Nature_ has
not been made by God from all Eternity, then the Title of God, as
being a Creator, which is a Title and action, upon which our Faith is
grounded, (for it is the first Article in our Creed) has been accessory
to God, as I said, not full Six thousand years ago; but there is not
any thing accessory to God; he being the Perfection himself. But,
_Madam_, all what I speak, is under the liberty of Natural Philosophy,
and by the Light of Reason onely, not of Revelation; and my Reason
being not infallible; I will not declare my Opinions for an infallible
Truth: Neither do I think, that they are offensive either to Church or
State, for I submit to the Laws of One, and believe the Doctrine of the
Other, so much, that if it were for the advantage of either, I should
be willing to sacrifice my Life, especially for the Church; yea, had I
millions of Lives, and every Life was either to suffer torment or to
live in ease, I would prefer torment for the benefit of the Church;
and therefore, if I knew that my Opinions should give any offence to
the Church, I should be ready every minute to alter them: And as much
as I am bound in all duty to the obedience of the Church, as much am I
particularly bound to your Ladiship, for your entire love and sincere
affection towards me, for which I shall live and die,
Madam,
_Your most faithful Friend,_
_and humble Servant._