11. Therefore, there has been an Eternal Wisdom.

If, therefore, it be evident, that something necessarily must exist from
eternity, it is also as evident, that that something must necessarily
be a cogitative being: for it is as impossible that incogitative matter
should produce a cogitative being, as that nothing, or the negation of
all being, should produce a positive being or matter.


12. The Attributes of the Eternal Cogitative Being.

Though this discovery of the NECESSARY EXISTANCE OF A ETERNAL MIND does
sufficiently lead us into the knowledge of God; since it will hence
follow, that all other knowing beings that have a beginning must depend
on him, and have in other ways of knowledge or extent of power than what
He gives them; and therefore, if he made those, he made all the less
excellent pieces of this universe,--all inanimate beings whereby his
omniscience, power, and providence will be established, and all his
other attributes necessarily follow yet, to clear up this a little
further, we will see what doubt can be raised against it.


13. Whether the Eternal Mind may be also material or no.

FIRST, Perhaps it will be said, that, though it be as clear as
demonstration can make it, that there must be an eternal Being, and that
Being must also be knowing: yet it does not follow but that thinking
Being may also be MATERIAL. Let it be so, it equally still follows that
there is a God. For there be an eternal, omniscient, omnipotent Being,
it is certain that there is a God, whether you imagine that Being to be