can exist, he must begin by telling me what this being is; in order to
make me believe the existence or the possibility of such a being, he
must tell me things about him which are not contradictory, and which do
not destroy one another; finally, in order to convince me fully of the
existence of this being, he must tell me things about him which I can
comprehend, and prove to me that it is impossible that the being to whom
he attributes these qualities does not exist.




XVIII.--CONTINUATION.

A thing is impossible when it is composed of two ideas so antagonistic,
that we can not think of them at the same time. Evidence can be relied
on only when confirmed by the constant testimony of our senses, which
alone give birth to ideas, and enable us to judge of their conformity or
of their incompatibility. That which exists necessarily, is that of
which the non-existence would imply contradiction. These principles,
universally recognized, are at fault when the question of the existence
of God is considered; what has been said of Him is either unintelligible
or perfectly contradictory; and for this reason must appear impossible
to every man of common sense.




XIX.--THE EXISTENCE OF GOD IS NOT PROVED.

All human intelligences are more or less enlightened and cultivated. By