Page:A Collection of Several Philosophical Writings of Dr. Henry More.djvu/66

24 may be Self-essentiated besides God, why may not a Spirit of just six times less power then God exist of it self? and then six such will equalize him, a seventh will over-power him.

9. But such a rabble of Self-essentiated and divided Deities does not onely hazzard the pulling the world in pieces, but plainly takes away the Existence of the true God. For if there be any Power or Perfection whatsoever which has its original from any other then God, it manifestly demonstrates that God is not God, that is, is not a Being absolutely and fully Perfect because we see some Power in the world that is not his, that is, that is not from him. But what is fully and wholly from him is very truly and properly his, as the thought of my mind is rather my mind's then my thought's.

10. And this is the onely way that I know to demonstrate that it is impossible that there should be any more then One true God in the world: For is we did admit another beside him, this other must be also Self-originated; and so neither of them would be God. For the Idea of God swallows up into it self all Power and Perfection conceivable, and therefore necessarily implies that whatever hath any Being derives it from him.

11. But if you say the Matter does only exist, and not God, then this Matter does necessarily exist of it self, and so we give that Attribute unto the Matter which our Natural Light taught us to be contain'd in the Essential conception of no other thing besides God. Wherefore to deny that of God which is so necessarily comprehended in the true Idea of him, and to acknowledge it in that in whose Idea it is not at all contain'd, (for necessary Existence is not contain'd in the Idea of any thing but of a Being absolutely Perfect) is to pronounce contrary to our Natural Light, and to doe manifest violence to our Faculties.

12. Nor can this be excused by saying that the Corporeal Matter is palpable and sensible unto us, but God is not, and therefore we pronounce confidently that it is, though God be not; and also that it is necessary of it self, sith that which is without the help of another, must necessarily be, and eternally.

For I demand of you then, sith you professe your selves to believe nothing but Sense, how could Sense ever help you to that Truth you acknowledged last, viz. That that which exists without the help of another is necessary and eternall? For Necessity and Eternity are no sensible Qualities, and therefore are not the Objects of any Sense; and I have already very plentifully proved, that there is other Knowledge and perception in the Soul besides that of Sense. Wherefore it is very unreasonable, whenas we have other Faculties of Knowledge besides the Senses, that we should consult with the Senses alone about matters of Knowledge, and exclude those Faculties that penetrate beyond Sense. A thing that the profess'd Atheists themselves will not doe when they are in the humor of Philosophising; for their Principle of Atomes is a business that does not fall under Sense, as Lucretius at large confesses.

13. But now seeing it is so manifest that the Soul of man has other Cognoscitive Faculties besides that of Sense, (which I have clearly above