386 Sir ISAAC N E W T O N’s Book IV..

colours, and has no idea of the sensation os those who see, so-we have no notion how the Deity knows and acts.

ii. His existence and his attributes are, in a sensible andsatisfactory manner, displayed to us in his works ; but his es-sence is unfathomable. From our existence, and that of othercontingent beings around us, we conclude that there is a firjlcause , whole existence must be necesiary, and independent ofany other being ; but it is only a poseriori that we thus inferthe necessity of his existence, and not in the same manner thatwe deduce the necessity of an eternal truth in geometry, orthe property of a figure from its essence : nor is it even withthat direct self-evidence which we have for the necessaryexistence of space. We mention this only to do justice to SirIsaac Newton % notion, when he suggests that the necesiaryexistence of space is relative to the necesiary existence of theDeity. ^ Philosophers have had always disputes about- infinitespace and duration ; and probably their contests on these sub-rjects will never have an end*: all we want to represent is onlyythat what is lo briefly and modestly advanced, by this greatman on those subjects, is, at least; as rational and worthy ofthe Deity, and as well sounded in true philosophy, as any oftheir schemes ; tho’ it must be expected that the best'accountwe can form of matters of so arduous a nature, will be liableto difficulties and objections. As for thole who will not allowspace to be any thing real, we observed above that the realityof motion, which is known by experience, argues the realityof absolute space; without admitting- which, we should havenothing but confusion and contradictions in natural philosophy.Many other arguments, particularly those drawn from theaxiom, non entis nulla.sunt attributa> for the reality, of space,whose parts are subject to mensuration and* various relations,have been treated of largely by others.

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12. We