John Locke

“ Men that have senses cannot choose but receive some ideas by them ; and if they have memory, they cannot but retain some of them ; and if they have memory, they cannot but retain some of them ; and if they have any distinguishing faculty, cannot but perceive the agreement or disagreement of some of them one with another ; as he that has eyes, if he will open them by day, cannot but see some objects and perceive a difference in them. But though a man with his eyes open in the light, cannot but see, yet there be certain objects which he may choose whether he will turn his eyes to ”

“ The application of our faculties voluntary ; but, they being employed, we know as things are, not as we please. There is also another thing in a man’s power, and that is, though he turns his eyes sometimes towards an object, yet he may choose whether he will curiously survey it, and with an intent application endeavour to observe accurately all that is visible in it. ”

“ For if he hath but the ideas of two such beings in his mind, and will turn his thoughts that way, and consider them, he will as certainly find that the inferior, finite, and dependent is under an obligation to obey the supreme and infinite, as he is certain to find that three, four, and seven are less than fifteen ”