Ch. VI, §18: What instance can be mentioned, from any history, of any one nation under the sun, that emerged from atheism or idolatry, into the knowledge or adoration of the one true God, without the assistance of revelation? The Americans, the Africans, the Tartars, and the ingeniuous Chinese, have had time enough, one would think, to find out the true and right idea of God and yet, after above five thousand years' improvements, and the full exercise of reason, they have, at this day, got no further in their progress towards the true religion, than to the worship of stocks and stones and devils. How many thousand years must be allowed to these nations, to reason themselves into the true religion? What light of nature and reason could do to investigate the knowledge of God, is best seen by what they have already done. We cannot argue more convincingly on any foundations, than that of known and incontestable facts. [Bold added.]

Edwards, Jonathan. The Works of President Edwards, Vol VII, pp 251. G. & C. & H. Carvill , New York, 1830