11. Therefore, there has been an eternal cogitative Being. If,
therefore, it be evident, that something necessarily must exist from
eternity, it is also as evident, that that something must
necessarily be a cogitative being: for it is as impossible that
incogitative matter should produce a cogitative being, as that
nothing, or the negation of all being, should produce a positive being
or matter.
12. The attributes of the eternal cogitative Being. Though this
discovery of the necessary existence of an eternal Mind does
sufficiently lead us into the knowledge of God; since it will hence
follow, that all other knowing beings that have a beginning must
depend on him, and have no other ways of knowledge or extent of
power than what he gives them; and therefore, if he made those, he
made also the less excellent pieces of this universe,- all inanimate
beings, whereby his omniscience, power, and providence will be
established, and all his other attributes necessarily follow: yet,
to clear up this a little further, we will see what doubts can be
raised against it.
13. Whether the eternal Mind may he also material or no. First,
Perhaps it will be said, that, though it be as clear as
demonstration can make it, that there must be an eternal Being, and
that Being must also be knowing: yet it does not follow but that
thinking Being may also be material.
Pages:
918
919
920
921
922
923
924
925
926
927
928
929
930
931
932
933
934
935
936
937
938
939
940
941
942