Strictures on ‘ the Non-Eternity of the World.” 
How, by possibility, can the argu- 
ments of the paper in’ question make so 
pletely changeable a Deity with such 
a complete 1 mutation of attributes, as the 
assertion | that matter is that eternally 
sélf-existent Being, the constant revolu- 
tions, , ‘disorganizations, and renovations 
of'which we have the most. direct eyi- 
dence ‘of’ our senses for believing, and 
which, indéed, is repeatedly put ‘forth 
by the dbjector himself. To deny the 
oe lity of matter, upon the supposition 
‘it @manated from the Deity, it is 
saindets mvolves much of the same ab- 
surdity that attends a denial of a self- 
existent being; but from the induction 
f above, it does not appear necessary to 
admit’ this. I hold it to be idle to in- 
quire what occupied the attention of 
Deity prior to his creation of matter. 
This can be of no importance to us, so 
long as the neglect of it involves no 
difficulty. 
“We are told by the Commentator 
that the various modifications of the 
earth have laws of growth, solution, con- 
cretion, and production of their own. I 
ask, then, has matter Jaws? If so, by 
whom were they imposed ? Is matter and 
the laws which regulate its motions iden- 
tical or distinct ? They cannot be the for- 
mer, any more than the simple capacity of 
a body for motion is identical with that 
motion, It may have a capacity for 
moving, and yet be quiescent, i. e. not 
locomotive ; and if these are distinct, 
whence come the laws? They could 
not give existence to themselves, for a 
law is purely passive as a rule of action, 
not active as an agent; and if matter or 
its inherent activity established these 
Jaws, we have an eternally self-existent 
being framing and imposing in itself laws 
for its own guidance! Again, it is to 
be remembered, that the laws exert 
their influence in the activity of matter 
as well as in the matter itself, in allot- 
ting to certain modifications of the lat- 
ter more of the former than other mo- 
difications, and it is of great importance 
to this in view. 
“And that there are laws by which the 
_ actions’ of matter are regulated, is thus 
a wn ;—that if there is a destitution of 
anand of action in the material world, 
‘must its operations be left to 
ce and uncertainty, which is flatly 
conttadicted, not only by the most pro- 
found | hilosophical research, but by 
every ex perience, | Now, if it is ab- 
sil suppose. a a “self-existent 
finind sd 
LwoH 
N 
539 
being should appoint, laws. for \its own 
regulation, it. follows, that these laws 
must have been imposed by. some 
other being,. who. must have existed 
prior to, and independent;of, matter,-in 
order to have established. laws pespaite 
ing it. 
A ppdencatinn of the above. arg 
ments I shall briefly give thus ;—,. . 
1, Something must be eternally exist- 
ent. 
2, Whatever eternally exists, must 
necessarily exist ; as whatever neces- 
sarily exists, must “eternally exist. 
3. Whatever eternally and necessarily 
exists, must be self-existent. and inde- 
pendent of all other existence, 
4, Whatever is self-existent, is, ‘illis 
mitable or infinite, and omnipotent, or 
possessing all power that CRISIS: or.can. 
exist. 
5. What is illimitable is indivisible, 
as division implies limitation... . . 
6, What is omnipotent is indivisible, 
as there can neither be two omnipotents 
nor half an omnipotent. 
7. Whatever is self-existent, omni- 
potent, illimitable, and indivisible, must 
be immaterial ; as whatever is material 
is not self-existent, omnipotent, illimi- 
table, nor indivisible. 
8. Whatever is infinite cannot be. con- 
ceived of as finite; but matter may be. 
conceived of as finite— therefore it is not 
infinite, 
9. Whatever is self-existent cannot 
be conceived as destructible, as such de- 
struction would imply the existence of a 
superior power, either within or without 
itself. It is impossible there can be any 
power superior to that possessed by the 
self-existent without itself, and it is 
equally impossible that one part of the 
self-existent can be superior to another. 
10. But matter may be conca@tved as 
destructible, as well as its particular 
modifications. 
11. Matter may exist in the universe, 
yee unorganized or organized. 
- No organization of matter can be 
aban existent, as all organization is 
an effect. ! 
13. Neither can unorganized matter 
be eternally existent, because its com- 
binations may be dissolved and its parts 
detached from each other; because it is 
extended and susceptible of limitation, 
and annihilation, properties which, when 
applied to an eternally self-existent, 
being, involve positive contradictions, ai 
wed vine “binved 
3 Z 2 
