therefore naturally immortal. 225

it is not allowed is the end of being, morethan the change of figure or position in mat-ter is the annihilation of matter. In thepresent case, by supposition, no cause co-ope-rates besides the power of the being itself;and there is no tendency to annihilation inthe nature of any being without the efficiencyof some other cause, by what was said justnow, N° 2. but chiefly, by what is saidthere, it is God who preserves all things inbeing and existence : therefore no being canannihilate either itself, or any other being ,without it were supposed able to resist infinityof power, which constantly preserves them.

IV. It will be said, since finite Beingshave no tendency to annihilation, there willhe need of no power to preserve them in theirnatural state. But to this it is answered first,that any being (this stone for instance) asexisting this minute, hath no necessary con-nexion with itself, as existing the next. Thisis of the nature of all contingent beings ;every minute of their existence is indepen-dent of all the rest, and therefore mujl dependupon something else : for their existence bythe terms, is not absolutely independent ofVol. I. qJ all