historicalgeogra00psal

the Authors Con^verfion.
lit
could ever have been ^ for there is no Principle
more certain than this, that nothing can produce
nothing •, but every thing that is produc'd, muft
be produc'd by fomething •, and therefore if there
was a time when there was nothing, nothing
could ever have been produc'd.
idly^ Since 'tis certain that there is now in the
World a thinking Being, which knows and un^
derftands •, from hence it will no lefs evidently
follow, that there was a knowing, underftanding
Being from all Eternity ^ for it is no lefs impoflible
for a Being void of Knowledge to produce
.a knowing Being, than for nothing to produce
fomething •, and if there was a time when
there was no fuch knowing Being, it could never
have begun to be, becaufe there was no caufe to
produce it ^ and therefore fuch a knowing Being
muft be from Eternity. After the fame manner
we may deduce all the perfe£lions of God, for
we find there is Power, Wifdom and Goodnefs
in the World ^ all which muft be derived fronEi
the fame eternal Source ; For if there had been a
time when thefe things were not, they could never
have begun to be, there being then no Caufe
to produce them *, and therefore this eternal Being
muft be alfo moft Knowing, Powerful, Wife
and Good, and be the firft Caufe of all thefe Perfeftions
we find in the World ; for nothing can
ever give to another any Perfeftion that it hath
not in it felf, and therefore the firft eternal Caufe
of all things muft contain in it all the Perfeftiens
that can ever after exift.
Having thus eftablifh'd theExiftence of a God,
I ftiall next proceed to prove, that he is the Ruler
of the World, who direfts and governs all
things by his wife Providence : Which will appear
bv confideringj I. That all things in Nature
do