A Demonstration of the Being and Attributes of God; More Particularly in Answer to Mr. Hobbs, Spinoza and Their Followers

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1705 edition. Excerpt: ... VIII. The Self-Exijient and Ori- That the qinal Cause of all things DEGREES mufi beSelfex J t //- * r? - 1 ur> fa*Be an Intelligent Being. In this Pro- -L mua position lies the main Question be- be Intellitween us and the Atheists. foi&ent' that Something must be SeIExistent 5 and that That which is Self-Existent, must neceslarily be Eternal and Infinite and the Original Cause of all things; will not bear much dispute. But all Atheists, whether they hold the World to be of itself Eternal both as to the Matter and Form, or whether they hold the Matter on- '; ly to be Necessary and the Form Contingent, or whatever Hypothesis they frame; have always a ferted and must maintain, either directjy or indirectly, that the Self-Existent Being is npt an Intelligent Being, but either pure unactive Matter, or (which in o H 2 ther . ther Words is the very fame thing) a mere Necessary Agent. For a mere Necessary Agent must of necessity either be plainly and directly in the grossest Sense Unintelligent j which was the antient Atheists Notion of the Self-Existent Being*, or else its Intelligence .("whichis the assertion oSpinoza and some Moderns., J) must be wholly separate from any Power of Will and Choice; which in Respect of any Excellency and Perfection DEGREES or indeed to any common Sense at all., is the very fame thing. Now that the Self-Existent Beings is not such a Blind and Unintelligent Necessity., but in the most proper Sense an Understanding and really Active Being j cannot indeed be Demonstrated strictly and' properly *a priori j because we know not wherein Intelligence con fife; fists, nor can see the immediate and necessary Connection of it with Self-Existence, as we can that of Eternity, Infinity., Unity, &C. But a...