we can imagine befides this; because Vol. VII. we cannot imagine any other Power, that is not derived from this, and does not depend upon it.

4. A perfect active Principle, which can do all things in a moft perfect manner, and can do all things at once and in an instant, and that with ease. We can but do one thing at once, and the greater and more confiderable it is, the more time it will ask us to do it, and we find it the harder and more difficult to be done; but God, to whofe knowledge all things are prefent at once, and together; and the acts of whofe Will are as quick and perfect as of his Understanding, hath a Power anfwerable to the Perfection of both, and therefore 'tis as easie to him to do all things, as one thing, at once, as fucceffively, and in time; for this is the priviledge of an Infinite Spirit, that it does not only act with out Hands and material Engines or Inftruments, as every Spirit doth, but without motion from one place to another, because he is every where and fills all places; he acts per modum voluntatis, as if his actings were nothing else but a willing that fuch a

་

thing be done, and ipfo facto every thing is fo, as he wills it fhould be, Vol. VII. and when he wills it fhould be ; as if things did start up into Being, or vanish out of Being, as if they did break forth into Being, and fculk again into nothing, and undergo fuch and fuch changes, ad nutum voluntatis, at the beck of his will. And this is the moft perfect way of acting that can be imagined, which the Scripture feems to exprefs to us, when it reprefents God as making things by his word, upholding all things by the word of his power; as if he did but Speak the word, and fay, Let fuch a thing be, and it was fo; as if there were nothing more required to the doing of any thing, but an expreß act of the Divine Will, which is all we can understand by God's Speaking, by his word, and voice, and Saying, Let things be; but the leaft that it can fignifie, is the quick and speedy manner of working, whereby God is able to do things in an inftant, as foon as a word can be fpoken.

And as he can do all things at once, and in an inftant; fo with eafe, with out any pain or laborious endeavour T

for

we can imagine befides this; because Vol. Vil. we cannot imagine any other Power, that is not derived from this, and does not depend upon it.

4. A perfect active Principle, which can do all things in a moft perfect manner, and can do all things at once and in an inftant, and that with ease. We can but do one thing at once, and the greater and more confiderable it is, the more time it will ask us to do it, and we find it the harder and more difficult to be done; but God, to whose knowledge all things are prefent at once, and together; and the acts of whofe Will are as quick and perfect as of his Understanding, hath a Power anfwerable to the Perfection of both, and therefore 'tis as eafie to him to do all things, as one thing, at once, as fucceffively, and in time; for this is the priviledge of an Infinite Spirit, that it does not only act without Hands and material Engines or Inftruments, as every Spirit doth, but without motion from one place to another, because he is every where and fills all places; he acts per modum voluntatis, as if his actings were nothing else but a willing that fuch a

thing be done, and ipfo facto every m thing is fo, as he wills it fhould be, Vol. VII. and when he wills it fhould be; as if things did ftart up into Being, or vanifh out of Being, as if they did break forth into Being, and fculk again into nothing, and undergo fuch and fuch changes, ad nutum voluntatis, at the beck of his will. And this is the moft perfect way of acting that can be imagined, which the Scripture feems to exprefs to us, when it reprefents God as making things by his word, upholding all things by the word of his power; as if he did but fpeak the word, and fay, Let fuch a thing be, and it was fo; as if there were nothing more required to the doing of any thing, but an expreß act of the Divine Will, which is all we can understand by God's Speaking, by his word, and voice, and faying, Let things be; but the leaft that it can fignifie, is the quick and speedy manner of working, whereby God is able to do things in an inftant, as foon as a word can be fpoken.

And as he can do all things at once, and in an instant; fo with ease, with out any pain or laborious endeavour

T

for

Vol. VII.

the terms whereof speak a repug nancy to one another, and mutually deftroy one another, and the doing whereof is contrary to the nature of the thing which is fuppofed to be done, that is, is nonfenfe, and cannot be imagined to be. For Example, That a thing fhould be, and not be at the fame time. For a Power to make a thing to be, fo as it fhould not be while it is, fignifies nothing; be cause such a Being as is not, is nothing; and to make fuch a Being, would be to do nothing, and confequently fuch a Power would fignifie nothing. So likewife we cannot fay, that the Divine Power can cause that the fame thing fhould be 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 lay, that the Divine Power can effect that any thing fhould be made by it felf, that is, be the cause of its own Being; for that would be to cause that a thing fhould be before it is, that is,

be,