Page:A Collection of Several Philosophical Writings of Dr. Henry More.djvu/70

28 6. But if we cannot yet for all this give free assent to this Position, That God does Exist, let us at least have the Patience a while to suppose it. I demand therefore, supposing God did Exist, What can the Mind of Man imagine that this God should doe better or more effectuall for the making himself known to such a Creature as Man, indued with such and such Faculties, then we finde really already done? For God being a Spirit and Infinite, cannot ever make himself known Necessarily & Adequately by any appearance to our outward Senses. For if he should manifest himself in any outward figures or shapes, portending either love or wrath, terror or protection, our Faculties could not assure us that this were God, but some particular Genius, good or bad: and besides, such dazling and affrightfull externall forces are neither becoming the Divine Nature, nor suteable with the Condition of the Soul of Man, whose better Faculties and more free God meddles with, does not force nor amaze us by a more course and oppressing power upon our weak and brutish Senses. What remains therefore but that he should manifest himself to our Inward Man? And what way imaginable is more fit then the indeleble Impression of the Idea, of himself, which is (not Divine life and sense, for that's an higher prize laid up for them that can win it, but) a naturall representation of the Godhead, and a Notion of his Essence, whereby the Soul of Man could no otherwise conceive of him then as an Eternall Spirit, Infinite in Goodnesse, Omnipotent, Omniscient, and Necessarily of himself Existent? But this, as I have fully proved, we finde de facto done in us. Wherefore we being every way dealt with as if there were a God Existing, and no Faculty discovering any thing to the contrary, what should hinder us from the concluding that he does really Exist?





1. Several other Affections or Properties in the Soul of Man that argue the Being of God. 2. As Natural Conscience. 3. A pious Hope or Confidence of success in affairs upon dealing righteously with the World. 4. An Answer to an objection, That some men are quite devoid of these Divine senses. 5. That the Universality of Religious Worship argues the Knowledge of the Existence of God to be from the Light of Nature. 6. An Answer to an objection, viz. That this general acknowledgment of a God amongst the Nations may be but an Universal Tradition. 7. Another objection answered, viz. That what is universally received by all Nations may notwithstanding be false. 8. ''An objection taken from the general falsness and perversness of the Religions of the Nations. The first Answer thereto by way of Apologie.'' 9. The second Answer, supposing the Religions of the Nations as depraved as you please. 10. A further objection from the long continuance of those false Religions, and the hopelesness of ever getting out of them, with a brief Answer thereto.

Itherto we have argued for the Existency of the Godhead from the natural Idea of God, inseparably and immutably residing in the Soul of Man. There are also other Arguments may be drawn from 