Philosophical Letters: or, modest Reflections upon some Opinions in Natural PhilosophyNewcastle, Margaret Cavendish, Duchess of
Philosophy
Philosophical Letters: or, modest Reflections upon some Opinions in Natural Philosophy
Newcastle, Margaret Cavendish, Duchess of
Newcastle, William Cavendish, Duke of, 1592-1676; Philosophy
belongs to a Body, and therefore when I call Nature Infinite, I mean
an Infinite extension of Body, containing an Infinite number of Parts;
but what doth an Infinite extension of Body hinder the Infiniteness of
God, as an Immaterial Spiritual being? Next, when I do attribute an
Infinite Power, Wisdom, Knowledg, &c. to Nature, I do not understand
a Divine, but a Natural Infinite Wisdom and Power, that is, such as
properly belongs to Nature, and not a supernatural, as is in God;
For Nature having Infinite parts of Infinite degrees, must also have
an Infinite natural wisdom to order her natural Infinite parts and
actions, and consequently an Infinite natural power to put her wisdom
into act; and so of the rest of her attributes, which are all natural:
But Gods Attributes being supernatural, transcend much these natural
infinite attributes; for God, being the God of Nature, has not onely
Natures Infinite Wisdom and Power, but besides, a Supernatural and
Incomprehensible Infinite Wisdom and Power; which in no wayes do hinder
each other, but may very well subsist together. Neither doth Gods
Infinite Justice and his Infinite Mercy hinder each other; for Gods
Attributes, though they be all several Infinites, yet they make but one
Infinite.
But you will say, If Nature's Wisdom and Power extends no further then
to natural things, it is not Infinite, but limited and restrained.
I answer, That doth not take away the Infiniteness of Nature; for
there may be several kinds of Infinites, as I related before, and one
may be as perfect an Infinite as the other in its kind. For example:
Suppose a Line to be extended infinitely in length, you will call
this Line Infinite, although it have not an Infinite breadth; Also,
if an infinite length and breadth joyn together, you will call it, an
infinite Superficies, although it wants an infinite depth; and yet
every Infinite, in its kinde, is a Perfect Infinite, if I may call it
so: Why then shall not Nature also be said to have an Infinite Natural
Wisdom and Power, although she has not a Divine Wisdom and Power? Can
we say, Man hath not a free Will, because he hath not an absolute free
Will, as God hath? Wherefore, a Natural Infinite, and the Infinite
God, may well stand together, without any opposition or hinderance, or
without any detracting or derogating from the Omnipotency and Glory
of God; for God remains still the God of Nature, and is an Infinite
Immaterial Purity, when as Nature is an Infinite Corporeal Substance;
and Immaterial and Material cannot obstruct each other. And though an
Infinite Corporeal cannot make an Infinite Immaterial, yet an Infinite
Immaterial can make an Infinite Corporeal, by reason there is as much
difference in the Power as in the Purity: And the disparity between the
Natural and Divine Infinite is such, as they cannot joyn, mix, and work
together, unless you do believe that Divine Actions can have allay.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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