An antidote against atheisme, or, An appeal to the natural faculties of the minde of man, whether there be not a God by Henry More ...

CHAP. III.

An attempt towards the finding out the true Notion or Defi∣nition of God, and a cleare Conviction that there is an in∣delible Idea of a Being absolutely perfect in the mind of Man.

ANd now having premised thus much, I shall come on nearer to my present designe. In prosecution whereof it will bee requisite for mee, first to define what God is, before I proceed to demonstration that he is. For it is obvious for Mans reason to find arguments for the im∣p••ssibility, possibility, probability, or necessity of the Exi∣stence of a thing, from the explication of the Essence thereof.

And now I am come hither, I demand of any Atheist that denies there is a God, or of any that doubts whether there be one or no, what Idea or Notion they frame of that they deny or doubt of. If they will prove nice & squeamish, and professe they can frame no notion of any such thing, I would gladly aske them, why they will then deny or doubt of they know not what. For it is necessary that he that would rationally doubt or deny a thing, should have some settled Notion of the thing hee doubts of or denies. But if they pro∣fesse that this is the very ground of their denying or doubt∣ing whether there be a God, because they can frame no No∣tion of him, I shall forthwith take away that Allegation by

offering them such a Notion as is as proper to God as any Notion is proper to any thing else in the world.

I define God therefore thus, An Essence or Being fully and absolutely perfect. I say fully and absolutely perfect, in counterdistinction to such perfection as is not full and ab∣solute, but the perfection of this or that Species or Kind of finite Beings, suppose of a Lyon, Horse or Tree. But to be fully and absolutely perfect is to bee at least as perfect as the apprehension of a Man can conceive, without a Contradi∣ction. But what is inconceivable or contradictious is no∣thing at all to us, for wee are not now to wagg one Atome beyond our facultyes. But what I have propounded is so farre from being beyond our facultyes, that I dare appeale to any Atheist that hath yet any command of Sense and Reason left in him, if it bee not very easie and intelligible at the first sight, and that if there bee a God, he is to be dee∣med of us, such as this Idea or Notion sets forth.

But if hee will sullingly deny that this is the proper No∣tion of God, let him enjoy his own humour; this yet re∣mains undenyable that there is in Man, an Idea of a Being absolutely and fully perfect, which wee frame out by attri∣buting all conceivable perfection to it whatsoever, that im∣plyes no Contradiction. And this Notion is Naturall and Essentiall to the Soul of Man, and can not bee wash'd out, nor conveigh'd away by any force or trick of wit what••oever, so long as the Mind of man is not craz'd, but hath the ordi∣nary use of her own facultyes.

Nor will that prove any thing to the purpose, when as it shall be alledg'd that this Notion is not so connaturall and Essentiall to the Soul, because she framed it from some oc∣casions from without. For all those undenyable conclusions in Geometry which might be help'd and occasion'd from some thing without, are so Naturall notwithstanding and Essentiall to the Soul, that you may as soon un-soul the Soul, as divide her from perpetuall assent to those Mathe∣maticall

truths, supposing no distemper nor violence offered to her Facultyes. As for example, shee cannot but acknow∣ledge in her self the Several distinct Ideas of the five Regular Bodies, as also, that it is impossible that there should bee any more then five. And this Idea of a Being absolutely perfect is as distinct and indelible an Idea in the Soul, as the Idea of the five Regular Bodyes, or any other Idea whatsoever.

It remaines therefore undenyable, that there is an insepa∣rable Idea of a Being absolutely perfect ever residing, though not alwayes acting, in the Soul of Man.