to have modified this being, so as to make him incapable of having that attribute in any other than an imperfect degree. But no cause can be admitted in this case, because this is the first of all beings, and the cause of all things. Further, an imperfect attribute, or any one, that is not in its highest degree, must be capable of improvement, by exercise and experience; which would imply that the unoriginated being must have been originally imperfect; and that he is deriving further degrees of perfection, from the exercise of his own powers, and acquaintance with his own works, which is absurd, and would make the Divine Being indebted to his own works for his unlimited perfections. Fourth. The unoriginated being must exist everywhere, in the same manner he does any where; for if he did not, it would suppose some cause, by which his presence was limited, but there can be no cause to limit that presence, as before said. Fifth. This unoriginated being, must be a simple uncompounded being, identically the same everywhere; not consisting of parts, for these must be distinct and independent; nor of whole, for this is the aggregrate of parts; nor of magnitude, or quantity, for these signify a composition of parts. This being must be as truly one, and omnipresent, as the present moment of time is indivisibly one, in all places at once; and can no more be limited or measured by time, than the present moment can be measured by duration. Hence, this being cannot be matter, because to this belongs extension, divisibility, figurability and nobility, which imply limitation: God and matter have essentially contrary properties, as God is not material but immaterial. It has already been shown, that there necessarily must exist, one infinite, unoriginated, and eternal being. Now this being must be a thinking being; for it is as impossible to conceive, that unthinking matter could produce a thinking intelligent being, as it is to conceive that nothing could produce something. God therefore is not indebted to matter for his being. Let us suppose any parcel of matter to be eternal, we shall find it in itself, unable to produce anything. Let us suppose its parts firmly at rest together; if there were no other being, must it not eternally remain so, a dead inactive lump? is it possible to conceive that it can add motion to itself, or produce it, in other portions of matter? Matter, therefore, by its own strength, cannot produce in itself, so much as motion. The motion it has, must also be from eternity, or else added to matter by some other being more powerful than itself. But let us suppose motion eternal too; yet inatter, unthinking matter and motion, could never produce thought. Knowledge will still be as far beyond the power of motion and matter to produce, as matter is beyond the power of nothing to produce. Divide matter into as minute parts as you will, vary the figure and motion of it, as much as you please, it

will operate no other ways upon other bodies of proportionate bulk, than it did before this division. The minutest particles of matter strike, impel and resist one another, just as the greater do; and that is all that they can do. So that if we will suppose nothing eternal, matter can never begin to be. If we suppose bare matter, without motion, eternal, then motion can never begin to be. If we suppose only matter and motion eternal, then thought can never begin to be. For it is impossible to conceive, that matter, either with or without motion, could have originally, in and from itself, sense, perception, and knowledge; as is evident from hence, that sense, perception, and knowledge, must be properties eternally separate from matter, and every particle of it. It necessarily follows, therefore, that the Eternal Being cannot be matter, but a being of infinite and eternal perception. Sixth. This being must possess intelligence, and power unlimited, and all other attributes, that are in themselves absolute perfections. Attributes are divided into natural and moral, or primary and secondary. The first, are those which essentially belong to the nature of a being considered in itself; the second, in its manner of acting towards others. All the attributes of God being uncontingent, must be unlimited; and, therefore, his knowledge must" extend to all that does or can exist, or that cannot and never will exist; "and his power to do every thing that can be done," and there is nothing which is consistent with truth, harmony, and reason, and God the judge of that truth, harmony, and reason, that is impossible for God to do. Seventh.-There cannot be in the universe more than one unoriginated being for as this being is possessed of infinite attributes, let us suppose a second unoriginated being. He must possess the same; for both these beings are eternal, and necessarily the same, everywhere alike present, without any possible difference or distinction, and therefore one and the same. Two such cannot subsist: and the supposition of a second such being," is as absurd as twenty would be, and would therefore be "only a mental repetition of the being and attributes of the first. EighthAbsolute power, as an attribute of God, does not act of necessity, but freely," and as directed by his will; "the power may exist without being exerted; if it cannot, then it acts by necessity; and if so, then necessity is the agent, and not the free" will "of the independent God; he can do what he will; but he will do only what is right," as he cannot will what is wrong, any more than he can cease to be.

Matter, therefore, as above argued, we perceive, whether connected with spirit or otherwise, cannot be from eternity. The doctrine of the eternity of matter, accordingly, is unfounded in reason, as some philosophers affect to believe; setting up a god which they call nature, while they deny the author of nature, which is nothing but a system of spirit and matter, produced by

his will and power. Matter as matter, whether animate or inanimate, whether existing in the four great elelements, earth, air, fire and water, or as amalgamated in the forms of animals or men, is not endowed with the power of thought; and more than this-it has not, as matter, even one sensation, as the moment a certain principle called life, ceases to animate a body, it ceases to have the sensation of feeling, although there is not a particle less of matter, than a moment before this principle left it. Matter as matter, is not capable of hearing, seeing, smelling, tasting, nor feeling; as the instant that mysterious principle called life, passes away, these powers go with it, and who can say that they do not in some unknown manner continue, and attach themselves to the spirits of men, in a disembodied condition, and thus are held in reserve against the hour of the resurrection, to become in another state constituent parts of the mode of being which shall then be entered into; when the soul, which is the five senses with the passions; and spirit, which is the mind, and the body, which is the companion of both, shall again be eternally united, either for good or ill, as character will decide. But some have strangely imagined, that the organization of matter produces mind, a species of being wholly distinct from the nature of matter. Were this so, we should have one instance, at least, of an effect's rising above its cause, which sentiment, in philosophy, is held by all classes of reasoners, as wholly absurd; because mind is superior to matter, however it may be organized. Rational mind is not, therefore, the result of organization; it is a result of the wisdom and power of God, and was an endowment superadded to the formation and organization of the human body, by which that body of organized matter was to be governed. If then it is superior to the body, and is the effect of the power and wisdom of God, in a sense superior to the creation of matter, it is then immortal of necessity, on account of its origin and parentage, who is the God, of whom it is said, that he is the Father of the spirits of all flesh; namely, of all human flesh, in a different and more exalted way than he is of the spirits of dumb beasts. As to atheistical opinion that matter is eternal; and that out of organized matter, mind, or spirit arises; it is refuted, when we recollect that mind is superior to matter, and therefore could never have been produced in that way, as an effect can never exceed in excellence its cause. But this conclusion is met as Atheists suppose: when they contend, but do not maintain, that mind, spirit, or thought, is but mere matter after all, though of a very refined and delicate description; yet, is nothing more nor less than pure matter, the product of organization, as in the case of man and all other animals. But this conclusion is still refuted, by another view of the subject as follows: If mind, spirit and thought, is matter, an accumulation of this kind of matter, must at last, where a sufficient amount of these delicate particles are

collected together, become tangible; as it is impossible to have any other conception of the subject than this, on the principle that like begets like, through all the ranks of being of a terestial character. If mind is matter, then thoughts, which are the offspring of mind, are but the finer particles of such matter; and may therefore be supposed as being capable of an accumulation, so as to become tangible. Now can this be shown to ever have happened, during all the past ages of the earth? It cannot be shown; notwithstanding their incessant production and accumulation above every other production of organized matter, as to numbers and multitudes. Were all the human race now living, with all that may yet come into being, not only on this globe, but on all globes of the universe, during unending ages, to fix their thoughts on one located point, however small, there would not appear the least particle of matter; neither would there be any disorder in their condition, on account of that focal point, no more than if such accumulation of thought had never existed. This conclusion, arises out of the fact that no such accumulation, or appearance of matter, has ever taken place, as arising out of such a cause. The products of organized matter, in all other instances, as of animal or vegetable existencies, can be, and are made tangible, to some one or more of the senses, by accumulation, however refined, in odors, gasses, or otherwise; yet this product of matter, called mind, spirit, or thought, has never been thus collected and made tangible: and until it can be done we claim the argument, which denies that mind or spirit is the product of matter; but the exact contrary; matter must have mind for its origin, and that mind is God the creator of all. That mind is not matter, is further shown, from the fact (though hinted at above) that real matter of any and all kinds, however gross or rarified, is perceiveable by some one or all the senses; as manifested by smelling, tasting, feeling, hearing and seeing. But mind is not thus ascertained; mind cannot be seen, heard, smelt, felt nor tasted; yet we know it exists; and therefore is not matter nor the product of matter, or it could be tested by some one or all of the senses.

All the organizations which are called animal organizations, we ascertain is produced by this creator; who, in the creation of each species, not only made them male and female, but gave them the desire and the power to propagate; by which, we perceive designs, of which mere matter is not capable. Were the earth of itself, anciently capable of producing animal organization, as we find now existing; what is the reason it does not now produce them; and why has it not done so in all past ages, as far back as the annals of man extend? No Atheist can answer this. All the operations of chance, as the falling of trees, the casting their leaves, the tumbling of buildings, when thrown down by the winds, or by convulsions, the drift-wood of a head

long stream; are all demonstrative of the want of order; confu-` sion every where stamps the mass with disarrangement. But the exertions of the creative mind is seen in the order of the great universe; the arrangements of the worlds in orbits; their velocity; attraction and repulsion of each other; their various products; arising out of first and implanted principles, for definite and certain ends, are all proofs of the exertion of mind; for we repeat it, that chance is nothing but confusion, and never was capable of order and mechanical arrangement, of which every Atheist, educated in Christian countries is obliged to acknowledge. It is therefore, much easier to conceive of the eternal existence of such a mind; having mechanical powers in an unlimited sense; than to believe in the eternal existence of mere matter, which has no such power, and therefore could never have arranged itself, as seen in the great universe of existencies. If, then, the works of God, whether they consist of mind or matter, are not from eternity, as himself is, it follows of necessity that there was a time when there was nothing in being but God; and at whatever period it was that the first creative act took place, it also follows, that as much of boundless eternity had already been, as shall ever be, from that time or period-as it is impossible, even in thought, to make any progress toward the boundaries of that which is boundless, or of that which has no beginning. But does it follow from this fact, that God, who has shown himself to the intellectual part of his works, as an active and ever-producing being, was for so great a period as from unbeginning eternity or duration, in a state of torpor, or inactivity? Or, could he have begun his creative works any sooner than he did?

As to the first query, we imagine it is answered, when we recollect that the Supreme Being is the ever-living God, and is pure intellect or spirit, pervading boundless, shoreless and measureless space; and therefore, as he is life, and the author of all life, whether of sensation, or of spirit, could not, therefore, previous to his acts of creation, have been inactive, or in a torpor. All created beings, whether spirit or corporeal, are local, however swiftly they may have it in their power to pass from one place to another; they are, nevertheless, still local, as they are. every moment in a definite place, are not anywhere else at the same time; while the Divine Being is every where present, and is not, therefore local; unless it be said that boundless eternity and space is this location. But on the subject of the activity of the Deity before his first act of creation, we are capable of forming no ideas, except by comparison, and as arising out of this state of things, in which we now are; where we see a multitude of operations going forward in the earth, the waters, and the heavens. But whether the Deity can be, and always was acfive, without bringing into being tangible or spiritual objects,