344 Matter not eternaland uncaufi^

but insome manner , an external cause was absolutely necessary to make it exist at first> 0to give it any manner of existence.

VI. Here again it hath been urged, "

" indifference as to the manner of exist?

may not be inconsistent with a Being ®

“ isting neceffarily in some manner; if jt .£c allowed that a Being which owes its ^e t stence to no other Being, may be ast?? ^“ by other Beings as to the manner of i ts ^f£ istence, which does not appear soabfu s ^“ to be easily confuted,” Whether by th elast words it be meant that God Almighty®^be affected by his ereatures as to the lval^^of his existence, or that matter which 0its existence to nothing else (which by thewould be a begging the question) is (off c&ed as to have the manner of its eXJst echanged, I know not; only it had hceo k. jzper to have said something in proofsupposition , or to have assigned thesince it is made the ground of an obje?However, the absurdity of it may app e f* ^general thus. If a necest'ary Being might * ■ ythe manner of its existence changed hy fother Being , it must depend on that typg