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Show 3 r z, KnoJvledge of the Exiftence of a GOV. Book. IV. nal infallible Perception that weare. In every Ael of Senf.1tion, Reafoning or Thinking, we are confcious to our felve' of our own Being; anJ in this Matter, come not fhort of the lughefi degree of Certatnty. CHAP. X. Of our l\!to11Jledge of t!Je Exiflence of a GO D. ~. 1 . THough G.od has giv.eri us no innate Ideas ofhir,nfelf; though he . has framped no oflgtnal Characters m our Mmds, wherein we may reod his Being: :ret having fil.rni01ed ~s with .thofe Faculties, our Minds are endowe-d Wtth, he hath not left htmfelf Wtthout witncfs: Iince \ve have Senfe, Perception, and Reafon, and cannot want a clear proof of him, as long as we ~arry.our felvesabout us. Nor can we jufily cornplain of our Ignorance m tlus ~;:reat Pomt, Iince he has fo plentifully prO' vided us with the means to dt!cover, and know htm, fo far as is neceiTary to the end of our Being, and the great concernment of our Happincfs. But though this be the mo~ obvious Truth that Reafon difcovers; and though its Evtdence be (tfi mtfiake not) equal to mathemattcal Certainty: yet it requires Thought and AttentiOn ; and the Mmd mufi apply its felf ro a regular deduCtion of it from fome unquefiionable parts of our Knowledge, or elfe we fhall be as uncertain, and ignoraf\t of this, as of other Propolitions, which are in themfelves capable of clear Demonfiration. To lhew therefore, that UJe are capable of knowing, certainly knowing that there is a God, and how we come by it, I think we need look no farth~r than our felves, and that ut)douuted Knowledge weliave of 0111 own Exifience. ~. 2. l think it is beyond·Qgefiion, that M.<n b~s a clear Percepti~n of bis own Being; he knows certainly, that ne exifis, and·rhat he ls' forrlething. He thaf can doubt, whether he be any thing, or no, I fj>eak not to, no more than I would argue with pure nothing; or endeavour to convince Non-entity, that it were fomething. If any boe pretend to be fo fceptical, as to deny his own Exifrence, (for really to doubt of it, is manifefily impoilible,) let him for me enjoy Iris beloved Happi11efs of being nothing, until Hunger, or fome other Pain co11vince him of the contrary. This then, I think, I may take for a Truth, which every ones certain !(now ledge alfures him of, l:leyond the liberty of doubting 'Viz. thot he is fomething that actually exifis. ' ' §. J· In the next place, Man knows by an intuitive Certainty, that bare rothi11g &an no more produce any real Being, tbfin it c_a11 be erpMi to two r~j/Jt Angles. If a Man knows not that Non'entity,or theAbfence of all Being cannot be equal to two rtght Angles, it is impoilible he fl10uld know any demonfrration in Euclid. If therefore we know there is fome reo\ Being, and that .Non-entity cannot r:oduce any 'real Being, it is an evident domonfiratiOn, that from Eterntty.th~re has been fomething. Since what was not from Etermty,had a Bcgmmng; and what hod a Beginning, mufr be produced by fomething elfe. 9. 4· Ne.r, it is evident, that what had its Being and Beginning from another, mufr alfo have all that which is in, and belongs to its Being from another too. All the Powers tt has, mull be owing to, and receiyed from the fame Source. Tlus eternal Source then of all beincr mufi alfo be the Source and Original of all Power; and fo tbis <tern4t Beinj; mNj/ ~. •lfo tbe moj/ powerful. ' §. )-. Chap. X. Knowledge of the Exiftel)ce oj a GOV. ~. 5. Again, a Man finds in himfelfPerception, and Kno'!'ledge. We have then got one fiep farther; a~d \~e are.certaiq now, that there is not only fome Being, but fame knowmg tntelltgent Bet.ng tn the World. There was a time then, when there was no know111g Bemg, and when Knowledge, began to be; or elfe, ther~ has been alfo akno••ing Being from Eternity. If it be fatd,. there was a tun~ when np Bemg had any l\now) ofge, when that etemal Being was void of all Underfianding. I reply, that then it was impoiTible there fhould ever have been any Knowledge, It beingasjmpeflible, that Tl1ings whblly void ofKnowleJge, and operating blindly, and without any Perceptton, flloulcl produ~c a knowtng J3cing, as it is iml'oflile, that a Tnangle fll_ould make It felt three Angles bigger than twb nght <;~nes. Fortt tsa~ repugnant to the Jde,z of fenllefs Matter, that it fhould put tnto tt fclfSenfe, Perccptton, and l(nowledge, as it is repup;tJant to the Idea of a Tnang!c, that tt fl10uld put mro tt felf greater Angles th<m t\VQ right ones. §.6. Thus ftom the Coofi!lctation of our felves, and what we inf.11libly. lind in our own Confritutions, our Reafon leads us to the !~now ledge ot fhjs certain and evident TrY.r_h, That t!JCre is an eternal, moj/ powerful, 4nd moil knowing B~ing; w!uch whether any one Wtll pleafe to call God, 'it matters rtot. The thipg is evident, and fro!" thts !de. duly confidered, will ea[lly b.e deduc,~d all thofe other Attnbures, we ought to afcnbe to this eternal Being. . From whut has been. faid, )tis plain to me, we have. a more ccr- · rain Knowledge of the Ex.ifrence of a GOD, tl1an of any tlungour Senfes have oot immediatelydifcovered to us, Nay, I prefume I may; lay, t~1at we more cert:tnly I< now that there is a GOD,than that there ts any thlng elfe without !!S Whef\~fay we k:no••, I mean there ts fuch a Knowledge within our reach, which we cannot mif~ •. if we will but apply our Mmds to that, as we do to fe~.er!'l,other Enqumes. . . ~. 7· .Ha~p far tl,. Ideas of a mofl perfe{J, &mg,. wluch a Man m~y frame in his Min.d, does, or does not prow tfte Exif/enc~ of a God, I \1 1ll not here exal];line. For , in•the different Make of Mens Tempers, and Application of their Thoughts, fome Arguments prevatl more on one, end fomc on another, fqr.the. Confirmation of the fame Truth .. But yet, ) think, this I may fay, t)1~ tt IS an til way of efi:abhllung tlus !ruth, and filencinp; l)theifls, t<> lay the whole frrcfs of fo tm,por·ta~t a Pomt,. ;"s this, upot1 that tole Foundation: and take fame Mens havmg that !a eo Qf God in their Minds ~lor 'tiS cvtdent, fome Men have none, and fame worfe than none, and 'the' mofl very different,). for the o~ly pro9f of a Deity ; and out,of an over fondnefs of tha:t Darhng lnvent1on, cafbtcr,or at leafi endeavour to invalidate oil other Arguments, and forbtd us t? hearlten to thofc proofs, as being weak,. or fallaetous, winch our own Extflence and the fcnlible parts of the Umverfe, offer fo clearly, and cogently to ~ur Thou~hts that I deem it impoilible for a conlidenng Man to withfiand them~ For !judge it as certain and clear a Truth, as can any where be delivered, That the invtfible Tlungs of God, are dearly feen from the Crea;,iqn of the World, being undedtood by theThmgsthat.are made, even l;is Etenial Power, and God-head. Though our 6wn Bemg furnilhes us, as,lliave fbewn, with an evtdcnt, and mconrefia~le proof 1f a Deity. Ani 1 beleivc no Body can a~•md the Cogenc~ of tt, who Wt but as carefully attend to it as to any other Demonfiratton of fo many parts . yet this being fo fuddamental a Truth, and of rhat Confequence, that ail Religion and genuine Morality ~"fend thereon, I doubt. 00: ~~ll |