A27004:100
The reasons of the Christian religion the first part, of godliness, proving by natural…
The reasons of the Christian religion the first part, of godliness, proving by natural evidence the being of God ... : the second part, of Christianity, proving by evidence supernatural and natural, the certain truth of the Christian belief ... / by Richard Baxter ... ; also an appendix defending the soul's immortality against the Somatists or Epicureans and other pseudo-philosophers.
London: printed by R. White for Fran. Titon, 1667
Part 1 › Chapter 2: Of Man as Related to the things below him.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
My understanding by the help of all my senses, telleth me, that there are Beasts and Birds, Trees and Herbs, and that I live among a multitude of Beings, inferior to Man. Though I may be ignorant of their Principles, and many things in their Natures, yet can I no more doubt of their being than of mine own, nor of the inferiority of their natures, when I see their inferior operations.
My understanding by the help of all my senses, telleth me, that there are Beasts and Birds, Trees and Herbs, and that I live among a multitude of Beings, inferiour to Man. Though I may be ignorant of their Principles, and many things in their Natures, yet can I no more doubt of their being than of mine own, nor of the inferiority of their natures, when I see their inferiour operations.
§. 2. Man hath a certain sub-propriety in them for his use.
They that deny this, will not say their Lands, their Fruits,1 their Money, their Goods, and Cattle are their own: nor question any one for stealing them, or depriving them of the Propriety: Nor may they possess and use them as their own.
- 1Bestiis homines uti ad utilitatem suam possint sine injuriâ.