Chap. IV. ANTIENT METAPHYSICS. -^25 



CHAP. IV 



Only One Supreme Being conceivable : — His Ptrfe&ions demonjirated 

 from the PerfcSlion of the Univerfe : — Explanation of his Omni- 

 prefence. — The Contemplation of the Works of Creation^ the greatefl 

 happincfs the human mind can enjoy. — The Author s reafon for 

 colleBing fo many Fa&s, and infilling fo much on thein^ in a Theo- 

 logical work. — Science founded on the Nature of Things and their 

 Conne&ian of Whole and Fart, not on the conceptions of our minds. 



THE only other thing that remains to be proved concerning the 

 Divine Nature, is that there is but one God ; tliat is but one 

 Being, all wife, all good, and all powerful. And upon this fubjecl 

 I fhall be very (hort ; for in the firft place, to have many, or even 

 feveral fuch beings, would be altogether unneceflary and fuperfluous, 

 lince one being of that kind is fuflicient. Now, as there is every 

 thing in Nature that is fufficieut and proper for anfwering all the 

 purpofes of Nature, fo there is nothing unneceflary or redundant ; 

 for otherwife the fyftcm of the Univerfe would not be fo perfedl a 

 fyftem as I think I have fliown it to be. But, 2dly, I do not think 

 that we can conceive any more than one Suprenie Being : For, if 

 there were two or more, I do not think that any of them could be 

 called Supreme, fuprcme implying a fuperioriry or excellence, fuch 

 as there is nothing that can be compared to it. But the Supreme 

 Deity mufl: have very many minifters under him, by whom all the 

 various bufinefs of nature is performed. And it is in this way that I 



S s 2 underftand 



