Chap. It. ANTIENT METAPHYSICS. 363 



phers exprefTedit ; whereas, ^^r^ is perfectly yielding, and unrefift- 

 ing. 



But, let me make another fuppofitlon, not extravagant or abfurd, 

 that hody^ and all the vifible world, had a beginning, and that once 

 nothing cxifted but that Being which is alone of neceflary as well as 

 eternal exiftence ; [pace would then exift likewife ; but it would then 

 be no niore than what it was upon the other fuppofition, viz. a capa- 

 city of receiving body. But it is faid that, upon this fuppofition, it is 

 eternal, or neceflfarily exiftent, and immoveable, as well as the Deity. 

 And, in this way, certain free-thinkers endeavour to put it upon a 

 footing with Deity. But, as to eternity, it is evident that the capaci- 

 ty, ox potentiality^ as it may be called, of every thing, mufl have been 

 from all eternity. Every thing that now adually exifts, mud, upon 

 the fuppofition I now make, have once exifted in the ideas of the Di- 

 vine Mind, that is, only in capacity. And, for the fame reafon, what 

 was neceifary for receiving and admitting them, after they were crea- 

 ted, muft neceflarily have exifted alfo, otherwife the things them- 

 felves were not capable of exifting. For the fame reafon, it is evi- 

 dent, that fpace muft be of neceflTary as well as eternal exiftence, being 

 the receptacle of things which could not otherways have exifted. 

 And, as to its being immoveable, it has that in common with every 

 thing which is not body ; for every immaterial fubftance, every idea, 

 every form, and every capacity of exiftence, cannot, by its nature, be 

 moved. And, as to what is commonly faid, that God fills infinite 

 fpace^ it is fpeaking very improperly of God, as if he were a material 

 fubftance that could occupy ^flr<r. And, to fay, that fpace is the/^^z- 

 forimn of the Deity, is ftill a more improper expreflijn, as it fup- 

 pofes that the Divinity could not perceive but in the manner 

 we perceive objects of fenfe, that is, by the means of organs of 

 feafe* 



Z Z 2 But, 



