Let us consider this in an Example. Suppose that five Thousand seven Hundred and sixty Years ago, there was no other Being but the divine Being; and then this World, or some particular Body or Spirit, all at once starts out of Nothing into Being, and takes on it self a particular Nature and Form; all in absolute Contingence, without any Concern of God, or any other Cause, in the Matter; without any Manner of Ground or Reason of it's Existence; or any Dependence upon, or Connection at all with any Thing foregoing: I say, that if this be supposed, there was no Evidence of that Event beforehand. There was no Evidence of it to be seen in the Thing it self; for the Thing it self, as yet, was not. And there was no Evidence of it to be seen in any Thing else; for Evidence in something else, is Connection with something else: But such Connection is contrary to the Supposition. There was no Evidence before, that this Thing would happen; for by the Supposition, there was no Reason why it should happen, rather than something else, or rather than Nothing. And if so, then all Things before were exactly equal, and the same, with Respect to that and other possible Things; there was no Preponderation, no superior Weight or Value; and therefore Nothing that could be of any Weight or Value to determine any Understanding. The Thing was absolutely without Evidence, and absolutely unknowable. An Increase of Understanding, or of the Capacity of Discerning, has no Tendency, and makes no Advance, to a discerning any Signs or Evidences of it, let it be increased never so much; yea, if it be increased infinitely. The increase of the Strength of Sight may have a Tendency to enable to discern the Evidence which is ⟨p. 121⟩far off, and very much hid, and deeply involved in Clouds and Darkness; but it has no Tendency to enable to discern Evidence where there is none. If the Sight be infinitely strong, and the Capacity of Discerning infinitely great, it will enable to see all that there is, and to see it perfectly, and with Ease; yet it has no Tendency at all to enable a Being to discern that Evidence which is not; But on the contrary, it has a Tendency to enable to discern with great Certainty that there is none.
Let us consider this in an Example. Suppose that five Thousand seven Hundred and sixty Years ago, there was no other Being but the divine Being; and then this World, or some particular Body or Spirit, all at once starts out of Nothing into Being, and takes on it self a particular Nature and Form; all in absolute Contingence, without any Concern of God, or any other Cause, in the Matter; without any Manner of Ground or Reason of it's Existence; or any Dependence upon, or Connection at all with any Thing foregoing: I say, that if this be supposed, there was no Evidence of that Event beforehand. There was no Evidence of it to be seen in the Thing it self; for the Thing it self, as yet, was not. And there was no Evidence of it to be seen in any Thing else; for Evidence in something else, is Connection with something else: But such Connection is contrary to the Supposition. There was no Evidence before, that this Thing would happen; for by the Supposition, there was no Reason why it should happen, rather than something else, or rather than Nothing. And if so, then all Things before were exactly equal, and the same, with Respect to that and other possible Things; there was no Preponderation, no superiour Weight or Value; and therefore Nothing that could be of any Weight or Value to determine any Understanding. The Thing was absolutely without Evidence, and absolutely unknowable. An Increase of Understanding, or of the Capacity of Discerning, has no Tendency, and makes no Advance, to a discerning any Signs or Evidences of it, let it be increased never so much; yea, if it be increased infinitely. The increase of the Strength of Sight may have a Tendency to enable to discern the Evidence which is ⟨p. 121⟩far off, and very much hid, and deeply involved in Clouds and Darkness; but it has no Tendency to enable to discern Evidence where there is none. If the Sight be infinitely strong, and the Capacity of Discerning infinitely great, it will enable to see all that there is, and to see it perfectly, and with Ease; yet it has no Tendency at all to enable a Being to discern that Evidence which is not; But on the contrary, it has a Tendency to enable to discern with great Certainty that there is none.
