Let  me  beg  leave  to  remark,  to  those  who
have  been  accustomed  to  argue,  that  I  do  not
mean  here  an  imaginary  notion  of  God,  like
that  which   some  divines  and  some  philoso
phers  have  laid  down  as  the  ground  of  their
arguments.     They  begin  by  supposing  a  per
fect  being:    then  they  examine  what  agrees
with  a  perfect  being:  and  that  they  attribute
to  God.     This  is  their  argument:  "  Holiness
is  an  attribute  of  a  perfect  being:   God  is  a
perfect  being;   therefore  holiness  is  an  attri
bute  of  God."     We  do  not  at  present  use  this
method.     I  suppose  myself  suddenly  placed  in
this  world,  surrounded  with  a  variety  of  crea
tures.     I  do  not  suppose  that  there  is  a  holy
Supreme  Being:  but  I  inquire  whether  there
be  one;  and  in  this  manner  I  obtain  a  full  de
monstration.  My  knowledge  of  creatures  pro
duces   the   notion  of  a  Creator.     My  notion
of  a  Creator  is  complex,  and  includes  in  it  the
ideas  of  a  grand,  infinite,  almighty   Being.
