Matter not eternal and uncaused. 373

they might get matter some way or other al-lowed to be eternal, which made some Plato-nt fis contrive such evasions, contrary to Plato's°^n sentiments. He himself said, " GodMade the world visible and invisible , outof no pre-existing subject; and that his will' alone was sufficient for the existence of‘ things (r)." Where, by the way, it is very°Wious, that what is made out of nothing can-n °t be eternal: for it did not exist, or was^°t effected, when as yet it was nothing, soto express it, or as long as it was nothing,^kd there is no medium between having beennothing , and eternally something: thatls » We cannot join these two together, and^ake a compounded , or third nature out ofJhem; s uc h a thing, to wit, as should havebee n once nothing , as being effected, and yeteter nal- and every one must perceive that the

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