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
there have been other worlds before this visible World? for nothing
is impossible with God; and all this doth derogate nothing from the
Honour and Glory of God, but rather increases his Divine Power. But
as for the Creation of this present World, it is related, that there
was first a rude and indigested Heap, or Chaos, without form, void
and dark; and God said, _Let it be light; Let there be a Firmament
in the midst of the Waters, and let the Waters under the Heaven be
gathered together, and let the dry Land appear; Let the Earth bring
forth Grass, the Herb yielding seed, and the Fruit-tree yielding Fruit
after its own kind; and let there be Lights in the Firmament, the one
to rule the Day, and the other the Night; and let the Waters bring
forth abundantly the moving Creature that hath life; and let the Earth
bring forth living Creatures after its kinde; and at last God said,
Let us make Man, and all what was made, God saw it was good._ Thus
all was made by Gods Command, and who executed his Command but the
Material servant of God, Nature? which ordered her self-moving matter
into such several Figures as God commanded, and God approved of them.
And thus, _Madam_, I verily believe the Creation of the World, and that
God is the Sole and omnipotent Creator of Heaven and Earth, and of all
Creatures therein; nay, although I believe Nature to have been from
Eternity, yet I believe also that God is the God and Author of Nature,
and has made Nature and natural Matter in a way and manner proper to
his Omnipotency and Incomprehensible by us: I will pass by natural
Arguments and Proofs, as not belonging to such an Omnipotent Action; as
for example, how the nature of relative terms requires, that they must
both exist at one point of Time, _viz._ a Master and his Servant, and
a King and his Subjects; for one bearing relation to the other, can in
no ways be considered as different from one another in formiliness or
laterness of Time; but as I said, these being meerly natural things, I
will nor cannot apply them to Supernatural and Divine Actions; But if
you ask me, how it is possible that _Nature_, the Effect and Creature
of God, can be Eternal without beginning? I will desire you to answer
me first, how a Creature can be Eternal without end, as, for example.
Supernatural Spirits are, and then I will answer you, how a Creature
can be Eternal without beginning; For Eternity consists herein, that
it has neither beginning nor end; and if it be easie for God to make a
Being without end, it is not difficult for Him to make a Being without
beginning. One thing more I will add, which is, That if _Nature_ has
not been made by God from all Eternity, then the Title of God, as
being a Creator, which is a Title and action, upon which our Faith is
grounded, (for it is the first Article in our Creed) has been accessory
to God, as I said, not full Six thousand years ago; but there is not
any thing accessory to God; he being the Perfection himself. But,
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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