Page:Ferrier's Works Volume 1 - Institutes of Metaphysic (1875 ed.).djvu/599

Rh to the Divine existence." There is not one word in my work which, by any refinement of sophistry, can be twisted into even the remotest insinuation that I regard the proof of revelation or the argument from effect to cause as defective. But it certainly seemed to me that the basis of belief would be strengthened, if the theistic conclusion could be shown to be forced out, even when not sought for, by the inevitable necessities of thinking.

It is quite true that, according to my system, the Deity is not independent of His own creative power, wisdom, or goodness, or of any of His other attributes; these and His works, when He chooses to execute them, coexist along with Him. That is my doctrine. I have stated everywhere throughout the Institutes, that by the variable element in the Divine mind, I mean the thoughts of the Deity, whatever these may be, for this I do not presume to determine.

There are, it is said, certain counter-propositions respecting space or time, neither of which we can construe positively to our minds. Thus, we must affirm that time either had an infinite non-commencement, or that it had an absolute commencement. But neither of these can we conceive; we cannot conceive time infinitely non-commencing, nor can we conceive it absolutely commencing. So of Space. We cannot conceive space as infinitely unlimited, nor can we