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produce the universe without any material cause.
A.-This answer of yours cannot satisfy any
wise man, because it is totally unsupported by any proof. That which has no material cause can never come into existence, for instance ass' horns. Argument like this is liable to weaken, rather than strengthen your position. If you insist upon the things of your own imagination out of prejudice you can never be considered a critic. Your statement involves a fallacy of mutual dependance. If one pure existence of God not depending upon any material cause before the creation be premised, then only can He be proved Omnipotent, and when He is proved Omnipotent He can be said to have created the universe without any material cause. Until one of these two propositions is established, the other cannot be proved. This is reasoning in a circle. The two propositions are either to prove the creator of the universe or to prove God Omnipotent. When He is
