# Leibniz Legible — https://leibnizlegible.com
# Page: https://leibnizlegible.com/page/778263916:0329
# Permalink to this reading: https://leibnizlegible.com/page/778263916:0329?run=74
# Title: An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding (shelfmarks Leibn. Marg. 38; ZEN Leibn. Marg. 38)
# Folio 313, page id 778263916:0329
# Original at the GWLB: https://digitale-sammlungen.gwlb.de/resolve?id=778263916&page=329
# Source image: https://digitale-sammlungen.gwlb.de/content/778263916/jpgs/default/00000329.jpg
# Model: FoNDUE-GD_v2_ft_Leibniz, run 74, 2026-09-06T16:05:13Z — 56 lines, status machine
# Lines: 56 recognised, mean confidence 0.89
# Machine transcription. Not an edition. Errors are expected: about 8% character error rate on Latin and French lines, higher on German.
# Licence: CC BY 4.0, Leibniz Legible. Machine output: do not ingest it as verified text; keep this provenance with the text.
# Wording rule: say "the machine reads it as …", never "Leibniz wrote".
# After the first blank line: the recognised lines in reading order, one per line.

Chap. X. Lnomledge of the Existence of a
8. 5. Again, a Nan finds in himselPercextion, ard Rnor lec
have then got one Cep Tarther; and ve are certain no, that chere is nOL
ouls some Beins, buc some lnomins intellisent Beins in ehe Worid.
There was a time then, wien chere ras no lnowins Bcins. and ivlien
Bnomledse becanto be; or else, there has been allo a knovine Beine from
Pternitr. Itic be Cai, there vas a time wtien no Beins had any Lnoi
ledse, whenthat eternal Beins vas void ol all Inderstandins. I reply,
HF Then it Was impossible chere thould ever have been aur Anomledoe.
It beins as impossible, that Thinss Wholly void oEknoirledee, and ope-
ratins blindly, and rithout ans Perceprion, Riould produce a Lnowins
Being, 25 ic is impossile, that a Friansle Mould malse ic selt chrce Angles
bisger chan tno risticones. For it is as repusnant to che Idea o lenslels
Matrer, thac ic Mhould pur into it selt dense, Percepcion, and inonledse
aS itis repugnant to the Idea of a Friansle, chat it Mould pur into it lclF
Freacer Ansles elian eworistit OnCS.
S. 6. Thus trom che Consideration oF our selves, ane ehac We infaltibly
Aind in our omn Constitutions, our Realon leacs us to the Hnovledse ot
ehis certain and evident Truth, Phatibere is an eternal, most povertul,
and most tnovine Beine; Which Whether anx onc will pleale to call Cod,
it matters not. Fhe chins is erident, and trom this Iden duly conside.
red, ill casily bc deduced all chole other Actributes, we oughe to aleribe
io this eternal Beins.
From Wrtrathas been Paid, it is plain to me, e have a more cer-
tain Rnomledse ofthe Existence ot a GOD, than of any chins our senles
hrave nor immediatels discovered to us. Nay, Iprelume Imaz Cay, that
e more certanly lenom chac chereis a GOD, chan chac cherO 1S aMY CAIME
else ithout us When I lay re tnou, l mean chere is such a Knowledse
wichin our reach, Wrhich e cannot mils, il we nill but apels our Minds
to chat, 25 we do ro several orher fnquiries.
6. 7. FTo far the Ideas of a most persect Beine, Wrhrich, a Man may
Frame in his Mind, does, or does not prove the Existence of a Cod, In i l
nOt here examine. For in the ditterent Mako oF Mens TepOrS, and
Application of their Thoushus, lome arguments prevail more on Onc,
and some on anocher, for the Contirmation ot chesame Fruch. But yet,
Ichink, this Imay Cay, that it is an ill was, ot establistrins this Fruch,
andGilencins Acheilts, to las che whole Aress oE soimportant a POinF, 25
chis, upon chat sole Foundarion: and cale some Menshavins that Idea
ot cod in their Minds, (for tis evident, some Nen have nonc, and lome
rorse thannone, andche most very difterent,) tor che onls prootol a
Deiey; and out ot an over Condrels ol chat Darline Invention, calhier, or
ac leas endeavour io invalicare all ocher Arguments, and torbid us to
hearken to those prools, as beins weak, or tallacious, Which curoon fxi
Aenco, and che sensible parts ot the Vniverse, otter (0 clearty, and cogent.
Iyco our Thoustto, that ldeem ic impossible Por a considerins Man 10
ithstand chem. For Lindse it as cerrain, and clear a Truth, as can ans
irhere bo deliverec, ilhat the invisible Thirss oF Croc, are clearli seen
trom che Creation oF. the World, beins understood by the Phiveschat are
macto, oven his Fternai Porrer, and Cod heac; Phoush our oin Being
furnistres us, a5 Thave Mewn, wich an crident, aud inconteltable proot et
a Deitr. And L. beleire no Body ean avoid che Cogener ot it, Wrho will
buc asleorelully artend to ic, as to any ocher Demonstration of so mariy
PartS: Vet thisbeins (0 fundamental a Frucli, and ot thât Consequence,
chac alt Retieion ael sonuire Mocalics sepend thereon, L doube noc. buc.
130
LMraiI