4204. About those who think there is a beginning of all things, therefore that God is not eternal
About these it was told earlier that they are at the end of the universe who had thought in this way [3476-3484], and it was observed that whenever a mental image of this recurs, evil spirits puff up, and good spirits who picture the matter temporally are distressed, for those thinking temporally cannot do otherwise than think in terms of time, and that eternity is nothing but time, when yet with the Lord all and the very least things are eternal, and that the idea of time cannot accord with the idea of eternity. Those spirits therefore became anxious and oppressed by that idea, thus turning over in their minds an origin even of the Lord, because of their temporal mental image.
The moment they are lifted up from that temporal idea, their anxiety and such thinking passes away, which shows how much of time there is in their ideas. They were then asked, and it was slipped into their mental imagery, to reflect on where the origin of all things was, or where was the origin of nature, whether nature existed before the world was created, and thus whether nature was eternal, or whether God was eternal, or nature - if nature, where was its origin? That which is the lowest cannot be the origin of that which is higher. It must come forth and be maintained from within or from what is higher. What is lower would otherwise be nothing. The cause of all things must be the cause prior to what is caused. There must be a purpose for every cause, the purpose must be prior to the cause, thus from the end Itself, the first and the last, which is the eternal, thus from God, or from the Lord. When this idea was impressed upon them, that either nature was eternal, and the origin, or was without an origin, or the Lord was, their anxiety began to abate. 1749, 9 April. 1
Footnotes:
1. Astrological symbol of the sun, meaning Sunday.
4204. CONCERNING THOSE WHO THINK THAT ALL THINGS HAD AN ORIGIN AND THUS GOD IS NOT ETERNAL.
Concerning those who entertain this opinion I have already remarked that they are in the extreme limits of the universe, and it was observed that whenever this idea recurs evil spirits pant in breathing and good spirits who are in the idea of time are distressed; those who are in the idea of time cannot think otherwise than by time [per tempus], viz., that eternity itself is nothing different from time, when yet with the Lord all and single things are eternal, and the idea of time cannot accord with the idea of eternity. Those spirits therefore were rendered anxious and oppressed by that idea, pondering as they did upon the origin of the Lord because in the idea of time. As soon, however, as they are elevated above the idea of time all such anxious cogitation vanishes; from which it appears how much of time inheres in the ideas. It was then said and insinuated into their ideas that they should think whence was the origin of all things, or whence was the origin of nature - whether nature was before the world was created, and thus whether nature was eternal - whether God was eternal or whether nature was - if nature, whence His origin, since the lower cannot be the origin of the superior, but on the contrary exists and subsists from the interior or superior, as otherwise the lower world would not be at all. There must be a cause of all things, a cause prior to the thing caused; of every cause there must be an end, the end must be prior to the cause, and thus everything must be from Him who is End itself, the first and the last, thus eternal; that is to say, everything must be from God or the Lord. By this idea the impression was conveyed that whether nature was eternal, that is, without origin, or whether the Lord was, anxiety ought at any rate to be put to rest. - 1749, April 9.
4204. De iis qui cogitant ortum omnium esse, ita Deum non aeternum
De iis prius dictum, quod in fine universi sint, qui ita cogitarunt [3476-3484] : et observatum quod quoties idea de hoc redit, spiritus mali sufflant, et spiritus boni anguntur, qui in temporis idea sunt, nam non possunt aliter qui in temporis idea sunt, quin cogitent per tempus, quod aeternum sit nihil nisi tempus, cum tamen apud Dominum omnia et singula aeternum sunt, et quod idea temporis cum idea aeterni non concordare possit: anxii facti spiritus et gravati idea illa, sic originem etiam Domini volvendo, quia in temporis idea; ut primum a temporis idea elevantur, perit anxietas et cogitatio talis, inde constat quantum temporis insit ideis; dictum denique et insinuatum ideis, ut cogitent, unde origo omnium, seu unde origo naturae, num natura fuit ante creatum mundum, et sic num natura aeterna, sive Deus esset aeternus sive natura, si natura, unde ejus origo? quod infimum est non origo potest esse superioris, existet et subsistet ab interiori seu superiori, quod inferius est nihil alioquin foret, omnium causa erit, causa prior causato, omnis causae finis erit, finis erit prior causa, inde ab Ipso fine, primo et ultimo, quod est aeternum, hoc est a Deo seu a Domino: hac idea impressa, quod sive natura esset aeterna, et origo, aut absque origine, sive Dominus, quiescere 291 coepit anxietas. 1749, 9 April.