All is Body and That the First Principles of Body are devoid of Life and Understanding it would follow unavoidably That there is no God Therefore the Stoicks who were Corporeal Theists denied the Latter they supposing an Understanding Fire Eternal and Unmade the Maker of the whole Mundane System Truly Observed by Origen That this Corporeal God of the Stoicks was but by Accident Incorruptible and Happy and onely because Wanting a Destroyer This no Genuine Theism Page 837 838 But an Absolute Impossibility in both these Atheistick Corporealisms not onely because they suppose no Active Principle but also because they bring Life and Understanding that is Something out of Nothing or Make them without a Cause Where the Atomick Atheists of the Two most to be Condemned because so grosly Contradicting themselves From that True Principle That Matter as such is devoid of Life and Understanding an Absolute Necessity of another Substance Incorporeal which is Essentially Vital and Intellectual That All Life cannot possibly be Factitious and Accidental Generable and Corruptible but there must be Substantial Life and also some Eternal Page 838 839 The Truth of this Vnderstood and Acknowledged by the Hylozoists That there must of Necessity be both Substantial and Unmade Life and Understanding who therefore Attribute the same to all Matter as such but without Animality which according to them is all Factitious and Accidental Wherefore this Hylozoick Atheism also brings Conscious Life and Animality out of Nothing or Makes them without a Cause The Argument of the Epicurean Atheists against Stratonism or Hylozoism Unanswerable That upon this Supposition there must be in every Man and Animal a Heap of Innumerable Percipients as many as there are Atoms of Matter and so no One Thinker The Pretence of the Hylozoists That all the Particles of Matter in every Animal do Confederate Ridiculous and Impossible Page 839 840 Thus the Fifth and Sixth Atheistick Argumentations fully Confuted and from that True Supposition in them That Matter as such is Devoid of Life and Understanding Incorporeal Substance plainly Demonstrated Which was our Second Undertaking Page 840 The Third and Last That there being Vndeniably Substance Incorporeal the Two Following Atheistick Argumentations built upon the Supposition of the Contrary altogether Insignificant The Seventh not properly directed against Theism but against a Religious kind of Atheism or Theogonism which supposed a God or Soul of the World Generated out of Sensless Matter and the Offspring of Night and Chaos A Sober and True Sense of the World's Animation That there is a Living Sentient and Understanding Nature Presiding over the whole World But the Sense of Pagan Theists That the Whole Corporeall World Animated is a God Exploded by us This Argument therefore being not against Theism but Theogonism the Confutation thereof might be here well Omitted without any Detriment to our Cause But because the denying of a Living Understanding Nature presiding over the World is Atheisticall the Ground of this Assertion briefly Declared That Life and Understanding are Accidents of Bodies resulting onely from Such a Contexture of Atoms as produce Flesh Bloud and Brains in Bodies Organized and That there is no Reason to be found any-where but onely in Humane Form which also Confuted A Brutish Passage of a Modern Writer That it is Vnconceivable by Men How God can Understand without Brains Page 840 841 The Next which is the Eighth Atheistick Argumentation That there can be no Living Being Immortall nor Perfectly Happy built upon that False Supposition also That all Life and Understanding results from a Contexure of Dead and Sensless Atoms and therefore is Dissolvible and Annihilable But that there is Life Essentiall and Substantiall which Naturally Immortall as also a Necessity of an Eternall Life and Mind Unmade and Unannihilable which Perfectly Happy Page 841 842 SECT IV. THE Epicurean Atheists further Endeavour to Disprove a God from the Phaenomena of Motion and Cogitation in the Three Following Argumentations the Ninth Tenth and Eleventh From Motion thus That from this Principle Nothing can move It Self but Whatsoever is Moved is moved by Another it will follow That there can be no First Cause and Unmoved Mover but One thing Moved Another from Eternity Infinitely Because Nothing could Move Another which was not It Self First Moved by Something else Page 842 843 Answer The meaning of this Axiome Not That Nothing can Act from It Self as the Atheist Supposes he taking it for granted that every Thing is Body and that all Action is Locall Motion but That no Body Resting could ever Locally Move It Self A False Supposition of the Atheists and some Cartesians That were there but once Motion in the Matter this would of it Self continue to all Eternity True that of Aristotle That to make an Infinite Progress in the Causes of Motion and no First Mover is all one as to say That there is No Cause at all thereof or That all the Motion in the World is a Passion without an Agent or Comes from Nothing Clearly Impossible That there should be any Motion at all were there Nothing Self-Moving or Self-Active Page 843 Wherefore from this Principle That no Body can Move It Self it follows Vndeniably That there is Some other Substance in the World besides Body that hath an Active Power of Moving Body Page 843 844 Another Corollary from the same Principle That there is another Species of Action distinct from Locall Motion and which is not Heterokinesy but Autokinesy That the Action by which Local Motion is first Caused could not be it self Local Motion All Local Motion Caused Originally by Cogitation Thus the Ninth Atheistick Argument from Motion Confuted and from hence That no Body can Move it Self Demonstrated That there is Something Incorporeal the First Cause of Local Motion by Cogitation ibid. But the Atheists further Pretend to Prove That Cogitation it self is Heterokinesy the Passion of the Thinker and the Action of some other External Agent upon him Because Nothing taketh Beginning from It Self and No Cogitation can rise of It Self without a Cause That therefore Thinking Beings themselves are Machines and Cogitation Local Motion And No Understanding Being a First Cause nor Perfectly Happy because Dependent upon something else Page 844 845 Answer True That no Substance taketh Beginning from it Self as also That no Action Causeth it Self But False That No Action taketh Beginning from the Immediate Agent or That Nothing can Act otherwise then as Acted upon by Something else Atheists here Affirm onely what they should Prove and so Beg the Question If Nothing Self-Active then all the Motion and Action in the Universe must Come from Nothing or be Made without a Cause Page 845 True also That our Humane Cogitations are frequently occasioned from Externall Objects and that the Concatenations of Thoughts and Phantasms often depend upon Mechanick Causes But False That all Cogitations are Obtruded upon us from without and That no Transition in our Thoughts which was not
assigned but only from Airs and Ethers and Waters and such like Physical and Material things And he seemed to me to deal just as if one having affirmed that Socrates did all by Mind Reason and Vnderstanding afterward undertaking to declare the Causes of all my Actions as particularly of My Sitting here at this time should render it after this manner Because forsooth my Body is compounded of Bones and Nerves which Bones being solid have Joynts in them at certain distances and Nerves of such a nature as that they are capable of being both Intended and Remitted Wherefore my Bones being lifted up in the Joynts and my Nerves some of them intended and some remitted was the cause of the bending of my Body and of my sitting down in this place He in the mean time neglecting the true and proper Cause hereof which was no other than this Because it seemed good to the Athenians to condemn me to die as also to my self most Just rather to submit to their censure and undergo their punishment than by slight to escape it for certainly otherwise these Nerves and Bones of mine would not have been here now in this posture but amongst the Megarensians and Beotians carried thither 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the Opinion of the Best had I not thought it Better to submit to the sentence of the City than to escape the same by flight Which kind of Philosophers saith he do not seem to me to distinguish betwixt the True and Proper Cause of things and the Cause Sine qua non that without which they could not have been effected And such are they who devise many odd Physical Reasons for the firm Settlement of the Earth without any regard to that Power which orders all things for the Best as having 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Divine Force in it but thinking to find out an Atlas far more strong and immortal and which can better hold all things together 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Good and Fit being not able in their Opinions to Hold or Bind any Thing From which passage of Plato's we may conclude that though Anaxagoras were so far convinced of Theism as in Profession to mak One Infinite Mind the Cause of all things Matter only excepted yet he had notwithstanding too great a Tang of that Old Material and Atheistical Philosophy of his Predecessors still hanging about him who resolved all the Phaenomena of Nature into Physical and nothing into Mental or Final Causes And we have the rather told this long story of him because it is so exact a Parallel with the Philosophick Humour of some in this present Age who pretending to assert a God do notwithstanding discard all Mental and Final Causality from having any thing to do with the Fabrick of the World and resolve all into Material Necessity and Mechanism into Vortices Globuli and Striate Particles and the like Of which Christian Philosophers we must needs pronounce that they are not near so good Theists as Anaxagoras himself was though so much condemned by Plato and Aristotle forasmuch as he did not only assert God to be the Cause of Motion but also the Governour Regulator and Methodizer of the same for the production of this Harmonious System of the World and therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Cause of Well and Fit Whereas these utterly reject the Latter and only admitting the Former will needs suppose Heaven and Earth Plants and Animals and all things whatsoever in this orderly Compages of the World to have resulted meerly from a certain Quantity of Motion or Agitation at first impressed upon the Matter and determin'd to Vortex XXXI The Chronology of the old Philosophers having some uncertainty in it we shall not Scrupulously concern our selves therein but in the next place consider Parmenides Xenophanes his Auditor and a Philosophick Poet likewise but who conversing much with two Pythagoreans Amenias and Diochoetes was therefore look'd upon as one that was not a little addicted to the Pythagorick Sect. That this Parmenides acknowledged Many Gods is evident from what hath been already cited out of him notwithstanding which he plainly asserted also One Supreme making him as Simplicius tells us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Cause of all those other Gods of which Love is said to have been first produced Which Supreme Deity Parmenides as well as Xenophanes called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 One that was All or the Vniverse but adding thereunto of his own that it was also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Immovable Now though it be true that Parmenides his Writings being not without obscurity some of the Ancients who were less acquainted with Metaphysical Speculations understood him Physically as if he had asserted the whole Corporeal Vniverse to be all but One Thing and that Immovable thereby destroying together with the Diversity of things all Motion Mutation and Action which was plainly to make Parmenides not to have been a Philosopher but a Mad man Yet Simplicius a man well acquainted with the Opinions of Ancient Philosophers and who had by him a Copy of Parmenides his Poems then scarce but since lost assures us that Parmenides dreamt of no such matter and that he wrote 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not concerning a Physical Element or Principle but concerning the True Ens or the Divine Transcendency Adding that though some of those Ancient Philosophers did not distinguish 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Natural things from Supernatural yet the Pythagoreans and Xenophones and Parmenides and Empedocles and Anaxagoras did all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 handle these Two distinctly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 however by reason of their obscurity it were not perceived by many for which cause they have been most of them misrepresented not only by Pagans but also by Christian Writers For as the same Simplicius informs us Parmenides propounded Two several Doctrines one after another the First concerning Theological and Metaphysical things called by him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Truth the Second concerning Physical and Corporeal things which he called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Opinion The Transition betwixt which was contained in these Verses of his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the Former of which Doctrines Parmenides asserted One Immoveable Principle but in the Latter Two movable ones Fire and Earth He speaking of Souls also as a certain Middle or Vinculum betwixt the Incorporeal and the Coporeal World and affirming that God did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sometimes send and translate Souls from the Visible to the Invisible Regions and sometimes again on the contrary from the Invisible to the Visible From whence it is plain that when Parmenides asserted his One and All Immovable he spake not as a Physiologer but as a Metaphysician and Theologer only Which indeed was a thing so evident that Aristotle himself though he had a mind to obscure Parmenides his sence that he might have a fling at him in his
glomeravit in Orbes In semet reditura meat Mentemque Profundam Circuit simili convertit Imagine Coelum Wherefore as well according to Plato's Hypothesis as Aristotle's it may be affirmed of the Supreme Deity in the same Boetius his Language that Stabilisque manens dat cuncta Moveri Being it self Immovable it causeth all other things to Move The Immediate Efficient Cause of which Motion also no less according to Aristotle than Plato seems to have been a Mundane Soul however Aristotle thought not so fit to make this Soul a Principle in all Probability because he was not so well assured of the Incorporiety of Souls as of Minds or Intellects Nevertheless this is not the only thing which Aristotle imputed to his First and Highest Immovable Principle or the Supreme Deity its turning Round of the Primum Mobile and that no otherwise than as being Loved or as the Final Cause thereof as Proclus supposed but he as well as Anaxagoras asserted it to be also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Cause of Well and Fit or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that without which there could be no such thing as Well that is no no Order Aptitude Proportion and Harmony in the Universe He declaring excellently that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vnless there were something else in the world besides Sensibles there could be neither Beginning nor Order in it but one thing would be the Principle of another infinitly or without end and again in another place already cited 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is not at all likely that either Fire or Earth or any such Body should be the Cause of that Well and Fit that is in the World nor can so Noble an Effect as this be reasonably imputed to Chance or Fortune Wherefore himself agreeably with Anaxagoras concludes that it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Mind which is properly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Cause of Well and Right and accordingly does he frequently call the Supreme Deity by that Name He affirming likewise that the Order Pulchritude and Harmony of the whole World dependeth upon that One Highest and Supreme Being in it after the same manner as the Order of an Army dependeth upon the General or Emperour who is not for the Order but the Order for him Which Highest Being of the Universe is therefore called by him also conformably to Plato 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Separate Good of the World in way of distinction from that Intrinsick or Inherent Good of it which is the Order and Harmony it self 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is to be considered also What is the Good and Best of the Vniverse Whether its own Order only or Something Separate and existing by it self Or rather Both of them together As the Good of an Army consisteth both in its Order and likewise in its General or Emperor but principally in this Latter because the Emperor is not for the Order of the Army but the Order of the Army is for him for all things are coordered together with God and respectively to him Wherefore since Aristotle's Supreme Deity by what name soever called whether Mind or Good is the proper Efficient Cause of all that Well and Fit that is in the Universe of all the Order Pulchritude and Harmony thereof it must needs be granted that besides its being the Final Cause of Motion or its Turning round the Heavens by being Loved it was also the Efficient Cause of the Whole Frame of Nature and System of the World And thus does he plainly declare his Sence where he applauds Anaxagoras for maintaining 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Mind is the Cause not only of all Order but also of the whole World and when himself positively affirms 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that from such a Principle as this depends the Heaven and Nature Where by Heaven is meant the whole World and by Nature that Artificial Nature of his before insisted on which doth nothing in vain but always acteth for Ends Regularly and is the Instrument of the Divine Mind He also somewhere affirmeth that if the Heavens or World were Generated that is Made in Time so as to have had a Beginning then it was certainly Made not by Chance and Fortune but by such an Artificial Nature as is the Instrument of a Perfect Mind And in his Physicks where he contends for the Worlds Ante-Eternity he concludes nevertheless 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That Mind together with Nature must of necessity be the Cause of this Whole Vniverse For though the World were never so much Coeternal with Mind yet was it in order of Nature after it and Juniour to it as the Effect thereof himself thus generously resolving 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that though some that is the Atheists affirm the Elements to have been the First Beings yet it was the most reasonable thing of all to conclude that Mind was the Oldest of All things and Seniour to the World and Elements and that according to Nature it had a Princely and Sovereign Dominion over all Wherefore we think it now sufficiently evident that Aristotle's Supreme Deity does not only move the Heavens as being Loved or is the Final Cause of Motion but also was the Efficient Cause of this Whole Mundane System framed according to the Best Wisdom and after the Best manner Possible For perhaps it may not be amiss here to observe That God was not called Mind by Aristotle and those other ancient Philosophers according to that Vulgar Sence of many in these days of ours as if he were indeed an Vnderstanding or Perceptive Being and that perfectly Omniscient but yet nevertheless such as acted all things Arbitrarilily being not determined by any Rule or Nature of Goodness but only by his own Fortuitous Will For according to those ancient Philosophers that which acts without respect to Good would not so much be accounted Mens as Dementiae Mind as Madness or Folly and to impute the Frame of Nature or System of the World together with the Government of the same to such a Principle as this would have been judg'd by them all one as to impute them to Chance or Fortune But Aristotle and those other Philosophers who called the Supreme God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Mind understood thereby that which of all things in the whole world is most opposite to Chance Fortune and Temerity that which is regulated by the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Well and Fit of every thing if it be not rather the very Rule Measure and Essence of Fitness it self that which acteth all for Ends and Good and doth every thing after the Best manner in order to the Whole Thus Socrates in that place before cited out of Plato's Phaedo interprets the Meaning of that Opinion That Mind made the World and was the Cause of all things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That therefore every thing might be concluded to have been disposed of after the Best Manner possible
themselves Intend and act for Ends that therefore Nature doth the like And they might as well say that Nature Laughs and Cryes Speaks and Walks Syllogizes and Philosophizes because themselves do so But as a Modern Philosopher concludeth The Vniverse as one Aggregate of things Natural hath no Intention belonging to it And accordingly were all Final Causes rightly banished by Democritus out of Physiology as Aristotle recordeth of him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That he reduced all things to Natural and Necessary Causes altogether rejecting Final To all which we briefly reply That there are indeed two Extremes here to be avoided the One of those who derive all things from the Fortuitous Motions of Sensless Matter which is the Extreme of the Atomick Atheists the Other of Bigotical Religionists who will needs have God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to do all things himself immediately as if all in Nature were Miracle But there is a Middle betwixt both these Extremes namely to suppose that besides God and in Subordination to him there is a Nature not Fortuitous but Artificial and Methodical which governing the Motion of Matter and bringing it into Regularity is a Secondary or Inferiour Cause of Generations Now this Natura Artificiosa this Artificial Nature though it self indeed do not understand the Reason of what it doth nor properly Intend the Ends thereof yet may it well be conceived to act Regularly for the sake of Ends Vnderstood and Intended by that Perfect Mind upon which it depends As the Manuary Opificers understand not the Designs of the Architect but only drudgingly perform their several tasks imposed by him and as Types or Forms of Letters composed together Print Coherent Philosophick Sence which themselves understand nothing of upon which Artificial or Spermatick Nature we have largely insisted before in the Appendix to the Third Chapter And thus neither are all things performed Immediately and Miraculously by God himself neither are they all done Fortuitously and Temerariously but Regularly and Methodically for the sake of Ends though not Vnderstood by Nature it self but by that Higher Mind which is the Cause of it and doth as it were continually Inspire it Some indeed have unskilfully attributed their Own Properties or Animal Idiopathies to Inanimate Bodies as when they say that Matter desires Forms as the Female doth the Male and that Heavy Bodies descend down by Appetite toward the Centre that so they may rest therein and that they sometimes again Ascend in Discretion to avoid a Vacuum Of which Fanciful Extravagances if the Advancer of Learning be understood there is nothing to be reprehended in this following passage of his Incredibile est quantum agmen Idolorum Philosophiae immiserit Naturalism Operationum ad Similitudinem Actionum Humanarum Reductio It is incredible how many Errours have been transfused into Philosophy from this One Delusion of Reducing Natural actions to the Mode of Humane or of thinking that Nature acteth as a Man doth But if that of his be extended further to take away all Final Causes from the things of Nature as if nothing were done therein for Ends Intended by a Higher Mind then is it the very Spirit of Atheism and Infidelity It is no Idol of the Cave or Den to use that Affected Language that is no Prejudice or Fallacy imposed upon our selves from the attributing our own Animalish Properties to things without us to think that the Frame and System of this whole World was contrived by a Perfect Vnderstanding Being or Mind now also presiding over the same which hath every where Printed the Signatures of its own Wisdom upon the Matter As also that though Nature it self do not properly Intend yet it acteth according to an Intellectual Platform Prescribed to it as being the Manuary Opificer of the Divine Architectonick Art or this Art it self as it were Transfused into the Matter and Embodied in it Thus Cicero's Balbus long since declared concerning it that it was not Vis quaedam sine Ratione ciens Motus in Corporibus Necessarios sed Vis particeps Ordinis tanquam via progrediens cujus Solertiam nulla Ars nemo Artifex consequi potest imitando Not a force Vnguided by Reason Exciting Necessary Motions in Bodies Temerariously but such a Force as partakes of Order and proceeds as it were Methodically whose Cunning or Ingeniosity no Art or Humane Opificer can possibly reach to by Imitation For it is altogether Unconceivable how we Our Selves should have Mind and Intention in us were there none in the Universe or in that Highest Principle from which all proceeds Moreover it was truly affirmed by Aristotle that there is much more of Art in some of the things of Nature than there is in any thing Artificially made by men and therefore Intention or Final and Mental Causality can no more be secluded from the consideration of Natural than it can from that of Artificial things Now it is plain that Things Artificial as a House or Clock can neither be Understood nor any true Cause of them assigned without Design or Intention for Ends and Good For to say that a House is Stones Timber Mortar Iron Glass Lead c. all put together is not to give a Definition thereof or to tell what indeed it is it being such an Apt Disposition of all these Materials as may make up the whole fit for Habitation and the Vses of men Wherefore this is not sufficiently to assign the Cause of a House neither to declare out of what Quarry the Stones were dugg nor in what Woods or Forests the Timber was felled and the like Nor as Aristotle addeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If any one should go about thus to give an account of a House from Material Necessity as the Atheistick Philosophers then did of the World and the Bodies of Animals That the Heavier things being carried downward of their own accord and the Lighter upward therefore the Stones and Foundation lay at the bottom and the Earth for the Walls being Lighter was Higher and the Timber being yet Lighter Higher than that but above all the Straw or Thatch it being the Lightest of all Nor lastly if as the same Aristotle elsewhere also suggesteth one should further pretend that a House was therefore made such 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. meerly because the Hands of the Labourers and the Axes and Hammers and Trowels and other Instruments Chanced all to be moved so and so We say that none of all these would be to assign the true cause of a House without declaring that the Architect first framed in his Mind a Model or Platform of such a thing to be made out of of those Materials so aptly disposed into a Foundation Walls Roof Doors Rooms Stairs Chimneys Windows c. as might render the whole fit for Habitation and other Humane uses And no more certainly can the Things of Nature in whose very Essence Final Causality is as much included be either rightly Understood or the Causes of
not Made out of Fleshy Particles nor Bone out of Bony as Anaxagoras of old dreamed so may Life as they conceive be as well Made out of Lifeless Principles and Mind out of that which hath no Mind or Vnderstanding at all in it just as Syllables Pronounceable do result from Combinations of Letters some of which are Mutes and cannot by themselves be Pronounced at all others but Semi-Vocal And from hence do these Atheists Infer that there could be no Eternal Vnmade Life or Mind nor any that is Immortal or Incorruptible since upon the Dissolution of that Compages or Contexture of Matter from whence they Result they must needs Vanish into Nothing Wherefore according to them there hath probably sometime heretofore been no Life nor Vnderstanding at all in the Universe and there may Possibly be None again From whence the Conclusion is That Mind and Vnderstanding is no God or Principle in the Vniverse it being Essentially Factitious Native and Corruptible or as they express it in Plato 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mortal from Mortal things as also That the Souls of men cannot subsist Separately after Death and walk up and down in Airy Bodies no more than the Form of a House or Tree after the Dissolution thereof can subsist by it self Separately or appear in some other Body But all this Foolery of Atheists hath been already Confuted we having before shewed that Life and Vnderstanding are Active Powers Vigours and Perfections that could never possibly result from meer Passive Bulk or Dead and Sensless Matter however Modified and Compounded because Nothing can come Effectively from Nothing Neither is there any Consequence at all in this that because Flesh is not made out of Fleshy Principles nor Bone out of Bony Red out of Red things nor Green out of Green therefore Life and Vnderstanding may as well be Compounded out of things Dead and Sensless because these are no Syllables or Complexions as the others are nor can either the Qualities of Heat and Cold Moist and Dry or else Magnitudes Figures Sites and Motions however Combined together as Letters Spell them out and make them up but they are Simple and Primitive things And accordingly it hath been proved that there must of necessity be some Eternal Vnmade Life and Mind For though there be no necessity that there should be any Eternal Vnmade Red or Green because Red and Green may be Made out of things not Red nor Green they and all other Corporeal Qualities so called being but several Contextures of Matter or Combinations of Magnitudes Figures Sites and Motions causing those several Phancies in us and though there be no necessity that there should be Eternal Motion because if there were once no Motion at all in Matter but all Bodies Rested yet might Motion have been Produced by a Self Moving or Self Active Principle And Lastly though there be no necessity that there should be Eternal Vnmade Matter or Body neither because had there been once no Body at all yet might it be Made or Produced by a Perfect Omnipotent Incorporeal Being nevertheless is there an Absolute Necessity that there should be Eternal Vnmade Life and Mind because were there once no Life nor Mind at all these could never have been produced out of Matter altogether Lifeless and Mindless And though the Form of a House cannot possibly Exist Separately from the Matter and Substance thereof it being a Meer Accidental Thing resulting from such a Compages of Stone Timber and Morter yet are Humane Souls and Minds no such Accidental Forms of Compounded Matter but Active Substantial things that may therefore subsist Separately from these Bodies and Enliven other Bodies of a different Contexture And however some that are no Atheists be over prone to conceive Life Sense Cogitation and Consciousness in Brutes to be Generated out of Dead Sensless and Vnthinking Matter they being disposed thereunto by certain Mistaken Principles and ill Methods of Philosophy nevertheless is this unquestionably in it self a Seed of Atheism because if any Life Cogitation and Consciousness may be Produced out of Dead and Sensless Matter then can no Philosophy hinder but that all might have been so But the Democritick Atheists will yet venture further to deny that there is any thing in Nature Self-Moving or Self-Active but that whatsoever Moveth and Acteth was before Moved by something else and Made to Act thereby and again that from some other thing and So backward Infinitely from whence it would follow that there is no First in the Order of Causes but an Endless Retro-Infinity But as this is all one as to Affirm that there is no such thing at all as Life in the World but that the Universe is a Compages of Dead and Stupid Matter so has this Infinity in the Order of Causes been already exploded for an Absolute Impossibility Nevertheless the Atheists will here advance yet an Higber Paradox That all Action whatsoever and therefore Cogitation Phancy and Consciousness it self is Really Nothing else but Local Motion and Consequently not only Brute-Animals but also Men themselves meer Machins Which is an equal either Sottishness or Impudence as to assert a Triangle to be a Square or a Sphere a Cube Number to be Figure or any thing else to be any thing and it is Really all one as to affirm that there is indeed no such thing in our selves as Cogitation there being no other Action in Nature but Local Motion and Mechanism Furthermore the Democritick and Epicurean Atheists Universally agree in this that not only Sensations but also all the Cogitations of the Mind are the meer Passions of the Thinker and the Actions of Bodies Existing without upon him though they do not all declare themselves after the same manner herein For First the Democriticks conclude that Sense is Caused by certain Grosser Corporeal Effluvia streaming from the Surfaces of Bodies Continually and entering through the Nerves But that all other Cogitations of the Mind and mens either sleeping or waking Imaginations proceed from another sort of Simulachra Idols and Images of a more Fine and Subtle Contexture coming into the Brain not through those open Tubes or Channels of the Nerves but immediately through all the smaller Pores of the Body so that as we never have sense of Any thing but by means of those Grosser Corporeal Images obtruding themselves upon the Nerves so have we not the least Cogitation at any Time in our Mind neither which was not Caused by those Finer Corporeal Images and Exuvious Membranes or Effluvia rushing upon the Brain or Contexture of the Soul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Leucippus and Democritus determined that as well Noesis as Aisthesis Mental Cogitation as External Sensation was Caused by certain Corporeal Idols coming from Bodies without since neither Sensation nor Cogitation could otherwise possibly be produced And thus does Laertius also represent the sense of these Atheistick Philosophers that the Effluvia from Bodies called Idols were the only Causes
Before in Sense The Humane Soul a Principle of Actions and therefore also of Cogitations This a Bubbling Fountain of Thoughts But that there is such a Perfect Mind as at once Comprehends all Truth and was Before Sensibles Page 845 846 This a Prodigious Paradox and Falsity of Atheists That Cogitation Local Motion and Thinking Beings Machines Here a Correction of what we wrote before P. 761 and a Change of our Opinion upon further Consideration That not onely a Modern Writer but also the Ancient Atheistick Atomists did conclude Cogitation to be Really nothing else but Local Motion Nevertheless these men troubled with the Phancy of Cogitation which because they cannot make Local Motion they would persuade us to be no Reality or Nothing Atheists aware That if there be any Action besides Locall Motion there must then be some other Substance acknowledged besides Body They who make Cogitation Local Motion and Men Machines no more to be disputed with then Sensless Machines Page 846 847 To Affirm That no Understanding Being can be Happy nor a God because Dependent upon Something without it all one as to Affirm That Sensless Matter is the Most Perfect of all things and That Knowledge as such speaking Imperfection is but a Whiffling and Phantastick thing But of this more afterwards Thus the Tenth Atheistick Argument Confuted Page 847 Another Atheistick Argument From the Nature of Knowledge and Understanding That the World could not be made by an Underding Being Because there was no Knowledge before Things which are the Objects of it and the onely Things are Sensibles which Knowledge a Passion from Therefore all Mind as such a Creature and none a Creatour ibid. This already fully Answered Page 729 and so forwards Where Proved That Singular Bodies are not the Onely Things and Objects of the Mind but that it containeth its Intelligibles within it Self And That Knowledge is Archetypall to the World and the Maker of All. So the Existence of a God Demonstrable from the Nature of Knowledge and Understanding Page 847 848 That the Atheists can no more Salve the Phaenomenon of Cogitation then that of Locall Motion Evident from their Many Hallucinations concerning it whereof a Catalogue subjoyned First That all Life and Understanding a meer Accidentall thing Generable and Corruptible and no Life nor Mind Substantiall or Essentiall This before Confuted Page 848 Again That Life and Mind no Simple and Primitive Natures but Compounded Syllables of things and therefore none Immortall nor Incorruptible Answer That Life and Understanding are Active Powers and could never result from meer Passive Bulk nor can any Composition of Dead and Sensless Matter possibly beget Life and Understanding Though no Necessity That there should be any Eternal Unmade Red or Green because these might be Made out of things not Red nor Green nor That there should be Eternal Motion because Motion might be produced from a Self-Active Principle nor That there should be any Eternall Unmade Matter because were there none it might notwithstanding be Created by a Perfect Incorporeal Being yet an Absolute Necessity of Eternal Unmade Life and Mind because had there been once none there could never have been any Page 848 849 Another Atheistick Hallucination That there is Nothing of Self-Activity in Cogitation nor any thing could Act otherwise then as it is Made to Act by Something else This to bring all Action from Nothing or to suppose it without a Cause Page 849 850 Another Madness of theirs already mentioned That Cogitation Locall Motion and Thinking Beings Machines This Equall Sottishness or Impudence as to affirm Number to be Figure c. Page 850 Another Paradox of the Epicurean and Democritick Atheists That Mentall Cogitation as well as Sensation the meer Passions of the Thinker and the Actions of Bodies Existing without him Some of them supposing Thoughts to be Caused by certain Finer Images then Sensations Others than they are the Remainders of the Motions of Sense formerly made Answer That Sensation it self is not a meer Corporeal Passion but the Perception of a Passion in a way of Phancy much less Mental Cogitations such and least of all Volitions Page 850 851 But Consentaneously hereunto these Atheists Determine all Knowledge and Understanding to be Really the same thing with Sense From whence follow Two Absurdities First That there can be no such thing as Errour because all Passion is True Passion and all Sense True Sense that is True Seeming and Appearance This Absurdity owned by Protagoras Epicurus Endeavoured to avoid this but in vain and contradictiously to his own Principles Page 851 852 A Second Absurdity consequent thereupon That there is no Absolute Truth nor Falsehood but all Knowledge Private and Relative and nothing but Opinion This freely owned likewise by Protagoras Sometimes also by Democritus Who therefore but a Blunderer neither in the Atomick Philosophy which plainly Supposes a Higher Faculty of Reason and Understanding that judges of Sense and discovers the Phantastry thereof it reaching to Absolute Truth Page 852 853 Another Atheistick Errour That Singular Bodies are the onely Objects of Mentall Conception as well as of Sensation This imputed by Aristotle to Democritus and Protagoras But sufficiently before Confuted Page 853 854 The better to maintain this Paradox Added by a Modern Atheistick Writer as his own Invention That Universals are Nothing else but Names by which Many Singular Bodies are called Axiomes or Propositions the Addition and Substraction of Names and Syllogistick Reasoning the reckoning the Consequences of them and that therefore besides the Passions of Sense we know Nothing at all of any thing but onely the Names by which it is Called Whence it would follow That Geometricall Truths not the same in Greek and in Latine c. Page 854 That the Atheists according to these premised Principles endeavour to Depreciate Knowledge and Understanding as that which speaks no Higher Perfection then is in Sensless Matter Thus the Atheists in Plato make it but a Ludicrous Umbratile and Evanid thing the meer Image of Bodies the onely Realities Their Design in this to take away the Scale or Ladder of Entities Page 855 856 All the Grounds of this again briefly Confuted and Particularly that Opinion so much favouring Atheism That there is Nothing in the Understanding which was not Before in Sense out of Boëtius Just and Unjust Greater Realities in Nature then Hard and Soft c. Vnquestionably a Scale or Ladder of Entities and therefore Certain that the Order of Things must be in way of Descent from Higher Perfection to Lower and not of Ascent from Lower to Higher The Steps of this Ladder not Infinite the Foot thereof Inanimate Matter the Head a Perfect Omnipotent Being Comprehending in It self all Possibilities of Things Mind by Nature Lord over all and Sovereign King of Heaven and Earth Page 856 859 The Reason why we so much Insist upon this Because Atheists Pretend not onely to Salve the Phaenomenon of Cogitation without a God
of the Creation of Humane Souls which salves their Immortality without Preexistence is Rational 35. A new Hypothesis to salve the Incorporeity of the Souls of Brutes without their Postexistence and successive Transmigrations 36. That this will not prejudice the Immortality of Humane Souls 37. That the Empedoclean Hypothesis is more Rational than the Opinion of those that would make the Souls of Brutes Corporeal 38. That the Constitution of the Atomical Physiology is such that whosoever entertains it and thoroughly understands it must needs hold Incorporereal Substance in five Particulars 39. Two general Advantages of the Atomical or Mechanical Physiology first that it renders the Corporeal World intelligible 40. The second Advantage of it that it prepares an easie and clear way for the Demonstration of Incorporeal Substance 41. Concluded That th◠ancient Moschical Philosophy consisted of two Parts Atomical Physiology and Theology or Pneumatology 42. That this entire Philosophy was afterwards mangled and dismembred some taking one part of it alone and some the other 43. That Leucippus and Democritus being Atheistically inclined took the Atomical Physiology endeavouring to make it subservient to Atheism and upon what occasion they did it and how unsuccessfully 44. That Plato took the Theology and Pneumatology of the Ancients but rejected their Atomical Physiology and upon what accounts 45. That Aristotle followed Plato herein with a Commendation of Aristotle's Philosophy THEY that hold the Necessity of all humane Actions and Events do it upon one or other of these two Grounds Either because they suppose that Necessity is inwardly essential to all Agents whatsoever and that Contingent Liberty is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Thing Impossible or Contradictious which can have no Existence any where in Nature The sence of which was thus expressed by the Epicurean Poet Quòd res quaeque Necessum Intestinum habeat cunctis in rebus agendis c. That every thing Naturally labours under an Intestine Necessity Or else because though they admit Contingent Liberty not only as a thing Possible but also as that which is actually Existent in the Deity yet they conceive all things to be so determin'd by the Will and Decrees of this Deity as that they are thereby made Necessary to us The former of these two Opinions that Contingent Liberty is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such a Thing as can have no Existence in Nature may be maintained upon two different Grounds Either from such an Hypothesis as this That the Universe is nothing else but Body and Local motion and Nothing moving it self the Action of every Agent is determined by some other Agent without it and therefore that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Material and Mechanical Necessity must needs reign over all things Or else though Cogitative Beings be supposed to have a certain Principle of Activity within themselves yet that there can be no Contingency in their Actions because all Volitions are determined by a Necessary antecedent Understanding Plotinus makes another Distribution of Fatalists which yet in the Conclusion will come to the same with the Former 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A man saith he will not do amiss that will divide all Fatalists first into these two General Heads namely That they derive all things from One Principle or Not The former of which may be called Divine Fatalists the latter Atheistical Which Divine Fatalists he again subdivides into such as First make God by Immediate Influence to do all things in us as in Animals the Members are not determined by themselves but by that which is the Hegemonick in every one And Secondly such as make Fate to be an Implexed Series or Concatenation of Causes all in themselves Necessary whereof God is the chief The Former seems to be a Description of that very Fate that is maintained by some Neoterick Christians the Latter is the Fate of the Stoicks Wherefore Fatalists that hold the Necessity of all Humane Actions and Events may be reduced to these Three Heads First such as asserting the Deity suppose it irrespectively to Decree and Determine all things and thereby make all Actions necessary to us Which kind of Fate though Philosophers and other ancient Writers have not been altogether silent of it yet it has been principally maintained by some Neoterick Christians contrary to the Sence of the Ancient Church Secondly such as suppose a Deity that acting Wisely but Necessarily did contrive the General Frame of things in the World from whence by a Series of Causes doth unavoidably result whatsoever is now done in it Which Fate is a Concatenation of Causes all in themselves Necessary and is that which was asserted by the Ancient Stoicks Zeno and Chrysippus whom the Jewish Essenes seemed to follow And Lastly such as hold the Material Necessity of all things without a Deity which Fate Epicurus calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Fate of the Naturalists that is indeed the Atheists the Assertors whereof may be called also the Democritical Fatalists Which three Opinions concerning Fate are so many several Hypotheses of the Intellectual System of the Universe All which we shall here propose endeavouring to shew the Falseness of them and then substitute the true Mundane System in the Room of them II. The Mathematical or Astrological Fate so much talked of as it is a thing no way considerable for the Grounds of it so whatsoever it be it must needs fall under one or other of those two General Heads in the Plotinical Distribution last mentioned so as either to derive all things from one Principle or Not. It seems to have had its first Emersion amongst the Chaldaeans from a certain kind of blind Polytheism which is but a better sort of disguised Atheism but it was afterwards Adopted and fondly nursed by the Stoicks in a way of subordination to their Divine Fate For Manilius Firmicus and other Masters of that Sect were great Promoters of it And there was too much attributed to Astrology also by those that were no Fatalists both Heathen and Christian Philosophers such as were Plotinus Origen Simplicius and others Who though they did not make the Stars to necessitate all Humane Actions here below yet they supposed that Divine Providence fore-knowing all things had contrived such a strange Coincidence of the Motions and Configurations of the Heavenly Bodies with such Actions here upon Earth as that the former might be Prognosticks of the latter Thus Origen determines that the Stars do not Make but Signifie and that the Heavens are a kind of Divine Volume in whose Characters they that are skilled may read or spell out Humane Events To the same purpose Plotinus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Motion of the Stars was intended for the Physical Good of the whole but they afford also another Vse collaterally in order to Prognostication namely that they who are skilled in the Grammar of the Heavens may be able from the several Configurations of the Stars as it were Letters to spell out future Events
fall down into these Earthly Bodies But the fullest Record of the Empedoclean Philosophy concerning the Soul is contained in this of Hierocles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Man falleth from his Happy State as Empedocles the Pythagorean saith By being a Fugitive Apostate and Wanderer from God acted with a certain Mad and Irrational Strife or Contention But he ascends again and recovers his former State if he decline and avoid these Earthly things and despise this unpleasant and wretched Place where Murder and Wrath and a Troop of all other Mischiefs reign Into which Place they who fall wander up and down through the Field of Ate and Darkness But the desire of him that flees from this Field of Ate carries him on towards the Field of Truth which the Soul at first relinquishing and losing its Wings fell down into this Earthly Body deprived of its Happy Life From whence it appears that Plato's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was derived from Empedocles and the Pythagoreans Now from what hath been already cited it is sufficiently manifest that Empedocles was so far from being either an Atheist or Corporealist that he was indeed a Rank Pythagorist as he is here called And we might adde hereunto what Clemens Alexandrinus observes that according to Empedocles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. If we live holily and justly we shall be happy here and more happy after our departure hence having our Happiness not necessarily confined to time but being able to rest and fix in it to all Eternity Feasting with the other Immortal Beings c. We might also take notice how besides the Immortal Souls of men he acknowledged Daemons or Angels declaring that some of these fell from Heaven and were since prosecuted by a Divine Nemesis or these in Plutarch are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Those Empedoclean Daemons lapsed from Heaven and pursued with Divine Vengeance Whose restless Torment is there described in several Verses of his And we might observe likewise how he acknowledged a Natural and Immutable Justice which was not Topical and confined to Places and Countries and Relative to particular Laws but Catholick and Universal and every where the same through Infinite Light and Space as he expresses it with Poetick Pomp and Bravery 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And the asserting of Natural Morality is no small Argument of a Theist But what then shall we say to those other things which Empedocles is charged with by Aristotle that seem to have so rank a smell of Atheism Certainly those Mongril and Biforme Animals that are said to have sprung up out of the Earth by chance look as if they were more a-kin to Democritus than Empedocles and probably it is the Fault of the Copies that it is read otherwise there being no other Philosopher that I know of that could ever find any such thing in Empedocles his Poems But for the rest if Aristotle do not misrepresent Empedocles as he often doth Plato then it must be granted that he being a Mechanical Physiologer as well as Theologer did something too much indulge to Fortuitous Mechanism which seems to be an Extravagancy that Mechanical Philosophers and Atomists have been always more or less subject to But Aristotle doth not charge Empedocles with resolving all things into Fortuitous Mechanism as some Philosophers have done of late who yet pretend to be Theists and Incorporealists but only that he would explain some things in that way Nay he clearly puts a difference betwixt Empedocles and the Democritick Atheists in those words subjoyned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. which is as if he should have said Empedocles resolved some things in the Fabrick and structure of Animals into Fortuitous Mechanism but there are certain other Philosophers namely Leucippus and Democritus who would have all things whatsoever in the whole World Heaven and Earth and Animals to be made by Chance and the Fortuitous Motion of Atoms without a Deity It seems very plain that Empedocles his Philia and Nichos his Friendship and Discord which he makes to be the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Active Cause and Principle of Motion in the Universe was a certain Plastick Power superiour to Fortuitous Mechanism and Aristotle himself acknowledges somewhere as much And Plutarch tells us that according to Empedocles The Order and System of the World is not the Result of Material Causes and Fortuitous Mechanism but of a Divine Wisdom assigning to every thing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Not such a Place as Nature would give it but such as is most convenient for the Good of the whole Simplicius who had read Empedocles acquaints us that he made two Worlds the one Intellectual the other Sensible and the former of these to be the Exemplar and Archetype of the latter And so the Writer De Placitis Philosophorum observes that Empedocles made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Two Suns the one Archetypal and Intelligible the other Apparent or Sensible But I need take no more pains to purge Empedocles from those two Imputations of Corporealism and Atheism since he hath so fully confuted them himself in those Fragments of his still extant First by expressing such a hearty Resentment of the Excellency of Piety and the Wretchedness and Sottishness of Atheism in these Verses 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To this Sence He is happy who hath his mind richly fraught and stored with the Treasures of Divine Knowledge but he miserable whose mind is Darkened as to the Belief of a God And Secondly by denying God to have any Humane Form or Members 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Or otherwise to be Corporeal 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And then positively affirming what he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Only a Holy and Ineffable Mind that by Swift Thoughts agitates the whole World XXV And now we shall speak something also of Anaxagoras having shewed before that he was a Spurious Atomist For he likewise agreed with the other Atomists in this that he asserted Incorporeal Substance in general as the Active Cause and Principle of Motion in the Universe and Particularly an Incorporeal Deity distinct from the World Affirming that there was besides Atoms 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as it is express'd in Plato An Ordering and Disposing Mind that was the Cause of all things Which Mind as Aristotle tells us he made to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The only Simple Vnmixed and Pure thing in the World And he supposed this to be that which brought the Confused Chaos of Omnisarious Atoms into that Orderly Compages of the World that now is XXVI And by this time we have made it evident that those Atomical Physiologers that
at all Incorruptible but the Substance of Matter it self All Systems and Compages of it all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all Concretions and Coagmentations of Matter divided by Motion together with the Qualities resulting from them are Corruptible and Destroyable Quae est Coagmentatio rerum non dissolubilis Death destroys not the Substance of any Matter For as no Matter came from Nothing but was Self-eternal so none of it can ever vanish into Nothing but it dissolves all the Aggregations of it Non sic interimit Mors res ut Materiaï Corpora conficiat sed coetum dissupat ollis Life is no Substantial thing nor any Primitive or Simple Nature it is only an Accident or Quality arising from the Aggregation and Contexture of Atoms or Corpuscula which when the Compages of them is disunited and dissolved though all the Substance still remain scattered and dispersed yet the Life utterly perishes and vanisheth into Nothing No Life is Immortal there is no Immortal Soul nor Immortal Animal or Deity Though this whole Mundane System were it self an Animal yet being but an Aggregation of Matter it would be both Corruptible and Mortal Wherefore since no living Being can possibly have any security of its future Permanency there is none that can be perfectly Happy And it was rightly determined by our Fellow-Atheists the Hedonicks and Cyrenaicks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Perfect Happiness is a mere Notion a Romantick Fiction a thing which can have no Existence any where This is recorded to have been one of Democritus his chief Arguments against a Deity because there can be no Living Being Immortal and consequently none perfectly Happy Cum Democritus quia nihil semper suo statu maneat neget esse quicquam sempiternum nonne Deum ità tollit omnino ut nullam Opinionem ejus reliquam faciat XIII A Ninth pretended Demonstration of the Democritick Atheists is as followeth By God is understood a First Cause or Mover which being not before acted upon by any thing else but acting Originally from it self was the Beginning of all things Now it is an indubitable Axiom and generally received amongst Philosophers that Nothing can move it self but Quicquid movetur ab alio movetur Whatsoever is moved is moved by something else nothing can act otherwise than it is made to act by something without it acting upon it The necessary Consequence whereof is this That there can be no such thing as any First Mover or First Cause that is no God This Argument is thus urged by a Modern Writer agreeably to the Sence of the Ancient Democriticks Ex eo quòd nihil potest movere seipsum non inferetur id quod inferri solet nempe Aeternum Immobile sed contrà Aeternum Motum siquidem ut verum est nihil moveri à seipso ita etiam verum est nihil moveri nisi à Moto From hence that Nothing can move it self it cannot be rightly inferred as commonly it is that there is an Eternal Immoveable Mover that is a God but only an Eternal Moved Mover or that one thing was moved by another from Eternity without any first Mover Because as it is true that nothing can be Moved but from it self so it is likewise true that nothing can be moved but from that which was it self also moved by something else before and so the progress upwards must needs be infinite without any Beginning or first Mover The plain Drift and Scope of this Ratiocination is no other then this to shew that the Argument commonly taken from Motion to prove a God that is a First Mover or Cause is not only Ineffectual and Inconclusive but also that on the contrary it may be demonstrated from that very Topick of Motion that there can be no Absolutely First Mover No First in the order of Causes that is no God XIV Tenthly because the Theists conceive that though no Body can move it self yet a perfect Cogitative and Thinking Being might be the Beginning of all and the first Cause of Motion the Atheists will endeavour to evince the contrary in this manner No man can conceive how any Cogitation which was not before should rise up at any time but that there was some cause for it without the Thinker For else there can be no reason given why this Thought rather than that and at this time rather than another should start up Wherefore this is universally true of all Motion and Action whatsoever as it was rightly urged by the Stoicks that there can be no 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 no Motion without a Cause i. e. no Motion which has not some Cause without the Subject of it Or as the same thing is expressed by a modern Writer Nothing taketh Beginning from it self but from the Action of some other Immediate Agent without it Wherefore no Thinking Being could be a First Cause any more than an Automaton or Machin could To this it is further argued that these two Notions the one of a Knowing Vnderstanding Being the other of a Perfectly Happy Being are Contradictious because all Knowledge Essentially implies Dependence upon something else as its Cause Scientia Intellectus signum est Potentiae ab alio Dependentis id quod non est Beatissimum They conclude that Cogitation and all Action whatsoever is really nothing else but Local Motion which is Essentially Heterokinesie that which can never rise of it self but is caused by some other Agent without its Subject XV. In the Eleventh place the Democritick Atheists reason thus If the World were made by any Antecedent Mind or Understanding that is by a Deity then there must needs be an Idaea Platform and Exemplar of the whole World before it was made and consequently Actual Knowledge both in order of Time and Nature before Things But all Knowledge is the Information of the things themselves known all Conception of the Mind is a Passion from the things Conceived and their Activity upon it and is therefore Juniour to them Wherefore the World and Things were before Knowledge and the Conception of any Mind and no Knowledge Mind or Deity before the World as its Cause This Argument is thus proposed by the Atheistick Poet Exemplum porro gignundis rebus ipsa Notities hominum Divis unde insita primùm Quid vellent facere ut seirent animoque viderent Quove modo est unquam Vis cognita Principiorum Quidnam inter sese permutato Ordine possent Si non ipsa dedit specimen Natura creandi How could the supposed Deity have a Pattern or Platform in his Mind to frame the World by and whence should he receive it How could he have any Knowledge of Men before they were made as also what himself should will to do when there was nothing How could he understand the Force and Possibility of the Principles what they would produce when variously combined together before Nature and Things themselves by Creating had given a Specimen XVI
That the first Elements Fire water Air and Earth were all made by Nature and Chance without any Art or Method and then that the bodies of the Sun Moon and Stars and the whole Heavens were afterward made out of those Elements as devoid of all manner of Life and only fortuitously moved and mingled together and lastly that the whole Mundane System together with the orderly Seasons of the year as also Plants Animals and Men did arise after the same manner from the mere Fortuitous Motion of sensless and stupid Matter In the very same manner does Plato state this Controversie again betwixt Theists and Atheists in his Philebus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Whether shall we say O Protarchus that this whole Vniverse is dispensed ond ordered by a mere Irrational Temerarious and Fortuitous Principle and so as it happens or contrariwise as our fore-fathers have instructed us that Mind and a certain Wonderful Wisdom did at first frame and does still govern all things Wherefore we conclude that Plato took no notice of any other Form of Atheism as then set on foot than such as derives all things from a mere Fortuitous Principle from Nature and Chance that is the unguided Motion of Matter without any Plastick Artificialness or Methodicalness either in the whole Universe or the parts of it But because this kind of Atheism which derives all things from a mere Fortuitous Nature had been managed two manner of ways by Democritus in the way of Atoms and by Anaximander and others in the way of Forms and Qualities of which we are to speak in the next place therefore the Atheism which Plato opposes was either the Democritick or the Anaximandrian Atheism or else which is most probable both of them together IX It is hardly imaginable that there should be no Philosophick Atheists in the world before Democritus and Leucippus Plato long since concluded that there have been Atheists more or less in every Age when he bespeaks his young Atheist after this manner 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The full sence whereof seems to be this Neither you my Son nor your friends Democritus Leucippus and Protagoras are the first who have entertained this Opinion concerning the Gods but there have been always some more or less sick of this Atheistick Disease Wherefore we shall now make a diligent search and enquiry to see if we can find any other Philosophers who Atheized before Democritus and Leucippus as also what Form of Atheism they entertained Aristotle in his Metaphysicks speaking of the Quaternio of Causes affirms that many of those who first Philosophized assigned only a Material Cause of the whole Mundane System without either Intending or Efficient Cause The reason whereof he intimates to have been this because they asserted Matter to be the only Substance and that whatsoever else was in the World besides the substance or bulk of Matter were all nothing else but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 different Passions and Affections Accidents and Qualities of Matter that were all Generated out of it and Corruptible again into it the Substance of Matter always remaining the same neither Generated nor Corrupted but from Eternity unmade Aristotle's words are these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Most of those who first philosophized took notice of no other Principle of things in the Vniverse than what is to be referred to the Material Cause for that out of which all things are and out of which they are first made and into which they are all at last corrupted and resolved the Substance always remaining the same and being changed only in its Passions and Qualities This they concluded to be the first Original and Principle of all things X. But the meaning of these old Material Philosophers will be better understood by those Exceptions which Aristotle makes against them which are Two First that because they acknowledged no other Substance besides Matter that might be an Active Principle in the Universe it was not possible for them to give any account of the Original of Motion and Action 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Though all Generation be made never so much out of something as the Matter yet the question still is by what means this cometh to pass and what is the Active Cause which produceth it because the Subject-matter cannot change it self As for example neither Timber nor Brass is the cause that either of them are changed for Timber alone does not make a Bed nor Brass a Statue but there must be something else as the Cause of the Change and to enquire after this is to enquire after another Principle besides Matter which we would call that from whence Motion springs In which words Aristotle intimates that these old Material Philosopers shuffled in Motion and Action into the World unaccountably or without a Cause forasmuch as they acknowledged no other Principle of Things besides Passive Matter which could never move change or alter it self XI And Aristotle's second Exception against these old Material Philosophers is this that since there could be no Intending Causality in Sensless and Stupid Matter which they made to be the only Principle of all things they were not able to assign 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 any Cause of Well and Fit and so could give no account of the Regular and Orderly Frame of this Mundane System 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That things partly are so well in the World and partly are made so well cannot be imputed either to Earth or Water or any other sensless Body much less is it reasonable to attribute so noble and Excellent an Effect as this to mere Chance or Fortune Where Aristotle again intimates that as these Material Philosophers shuffled in Motion into the world without a Cause so likewise they must needs suppose this Motion to be altogether Fortuitous and Unguided and thereby in a manner make Fortune which is nothing but the absence or defect of an Intending Cause to supply the room both of the Active and Intending Cause that is Efficient and Final Whereupon Aristotle subjoyns a Commendation of Anaxagoras as the first of the Ionick Philosophers who introduced Mind or Intellect for a Principle in the Universe that in this respect he alone seemed to be sober and in his wits comparatively with those others that went before him who talked so idly and Atheistically For Anaxagoras his Principle was such saith Aristotle as was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at once a cause of Motion and also of Well and Fit of all the Regularity Aptitude Pulchritude and Order that is in the whole Universe And thus it seems Anaxagoras himself had determined 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Anaxagoras saith that Mind is the only Cause of Right and Well this being proper to Mind to aim at Ends and Good and to order one thing Fitly for the sake of another Whence it was that Anaxagoras concluded Good also as well as Mind to have been a Principle of the Universe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
not be the First Principle of all things Wherefore we see no very great reason but that in a Rectified and Qualified sence this may pass for true Theology That Love is the Supreme Deity and Original of all things namely if by it be meant Eternal Self-originated Intellectual Love or Essential and Substantial Goodness that having an Infinite overflowing Fulness and Fecundity dispenses it self Uninvidiously according to the best Wisdom Sweetly Governs all without any Force or Violence all things being Naturally subject to its Autority and readily obeying its Laws and reconciles the whole World into Harmony For the Scripture telling us that God is Love seems to warrant thus much to us that Love in some rightly Qualified sence is God XIX But we are to omit the Fabulous Age and to descend to the Philosophical to enquire there who they were among the professed Philosophers who Atheized in that manner before described It is true indeed that Aristotle in other Places accuses Democritus and Leucippus of the very same thing that is of assigning only a Material Cause of the Universe and giving no account of the Original of Motion but yet it is certain that these were not the Persons intended by him here Those which he speaks of being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 some of the first and most ancient Philosophers of all Moreover it appears by his Description of them that they were such as did not Philosophize in the way of Atoms but resolved all things whatsoever in the Universe into 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Matter and the Passions or Affections Qualities and Forms of Matter so that they were not Atomical but Hylopathian Philosophers These two the old Materialists and the Democriticks did both alike derive all things from Dead and Stupid Matter fortuitously Moved and the Difference between them was only this that the Democriticks manag'd this business in the way of Atoms the other in that more vulgar way of Qualities and Forms So that indeed this is really but one and the same Atheistick Hypothesis in two several Schemes And as one of them is called the Atomick Atheism so the other for Distinctions sake may be called the Hylopathian XX. Now Aristotle tells us plainly that these Hylopathian Atheists of his were all the first Philosophers of the Ionick Order and Succession before Anaxagoras Whereof Thales being the Head he is consentaneously thereunto by Aristotle made to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Prince and Leader of this kind of Atheistical Philosophy he deriving all things whatsoever as Homer had done before him from Water and acknowledging no other Principle but the Fluid Matter Notwithstanding which Accusation of Aristotle's Thales is far otherwise represented by good Authors Cicero telling us that besides Water which he made to be the Original of all Corporeal things he asserted also Mind for another Principle which formed all things out of the Water and Laertius and Plutarch recording that he was thought to be the first of all Philosophers who determined Souls to be Immortal He is said also to have affirmed that God was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the oldest of all things and that the World was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Workmanship of God Clemens likewise tells us that being asked 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Whether any of a mans Actions could be concealed from the Deity he replied not so much as any Thought Moreover Laertius further writes of him that he held 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That the World was animated and full of Daemons Lastly Aristotle himself elsewhere speaks of him as a Theist 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Some think saith he that Soul and Life is mingled with the whole Universe and thence perhaps was that of Thales that all things are full of Gods Wherefore we conceive that there is very good reason why Thales should be acquitted from this Accusation of Atheism Only we shall observe the occasion of his being thus differently represented which seems to have been this Because as Laertius and Themistius intimate he left no Philosophick Writings or Monuments of his own behind him Anaximander being the first of all the Philosophick Writers Whence probably it came to pass that in after times some did interpret his Philosopy one way some another and that he is sometimes represented as a Theist and sometime again as a down-right Atheist But though Thales be thus by good Authority acquitted yet his next Successor Anaximander can by no means be excused from this Imputation and therefore we think it more reasonable to fasten that Title upon him which Aristotle bestows on Thales that he was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Prince and Founder of this Atheistick Philosophy who derived all things from Matter in the way of Forms and Qualities he supposing a certain Infinite Materia Prima which was neither Air nor Water nor Fire but indifferent to every thing or a mixture of all to be the only Principle of the Universe and leading a Train of many other Atheists after him such as Hippo surnamed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by Simplicius and others Anaximines and Diogenes Apolloniates and many more who though they had some petty Differences amongst themselves yet all agreed in this one thing that Matter devoid of Vnderstanding and Life was the first Principle of all things till at length Anaxagoras stopt this Atheistick Current amongst these Ionick Philosophers introducing Mind as a Principle of the Universe XXI But there is a Passage in Aristotle's Physicks which seems at first sight to contradict this again and to make Anaximander also not to have been an Atheist but a Divine Philosopher Where having declared that several of the Ancient Physiologers made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Infinite to be the Principle of all things he subjoyus these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Therefore there seems to be no Principle of this Infinite but this to be the Principle of other things and to Contain all things and Govern all things as they all say who do not make besides Infinite any other Causes such as Mind or Friendship and that this is the only real Numen or God in the World it it being Immortal and Incorruptible as Anaximander affirms and most of the Physiologers From which Place some Late Writers have confidently concluded that Anaximander with those other Physiologers there mentioned did by Infinite understand God according to the True Notion of him or an Infinite Mind the Efficient Cause of the Universe and not Sensless and Stupid Matter since this could not be said to be Immortal and to Govern all things and consequently that Aristotle grosly contradicts himself in making all those Ionick Philosophers before Anaxagoras to have been Mere Materialists or Atheists And it is possible that Clemens Alexandrinus also might from this very Passage of Aristotle's not sufficiently considered have been induced to rank Anaximander amongst the Divine Philosophers as he doth in his Protreptick to the Greeks where after
is not the Deity it self but a Thing very remote from it and far below it so neither is it the Divine Art as it is in it self Pure and Abstract but Concrete and Embodied only for the Divine Art considered in it self is nothing but Knowledge Vnderstanding or Wisdom in the Mind of God Now Knowledge and Understanding in its own Nature is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a certain Separate and Abstract thing and of so Subtil and Refined a Nature as that it is not Capable of being Incorporated with Matter or Mingled and Blended with it as the Soul of it And therefore Aristotle's Second Instance which he propounds as most pertinent to Illustrate this business of Nature by namely of the Physicians Art curing himself is not so adequate thereunto because when the Medicinal Art Cures the Physician in whom it is it doth not there Act as Nature that is as Concrete and Embodied Art but as Knowledge and Vnderstanding only which is Art Naked Abstract and Vnbodied as also it doth its Work Ambagiously by the Physician 's Willing and Prescribing to himself the use of such Medicaments as do but conduce by removing of Impediments to help that which is Nature indeed or the Inward Archeus to effect the Cure Art is defined by Aristotle to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Reason of the thing without Matter and so the Divine Art or Knowledge in the Mind of God is Vnbodied Reason but Nature is Ratio Mersa Confusa Reason Immersed and Plunged into Matter and as it were Fuddled in it and Confounded with it Nature is not the Divine Art Archetypal but only Ectypal it is a living Stamp or Signature of the Divine Wisdom which though it act exactly according to its Arthetype yet it doth not at all Comprehend nor Understand the Reason of what it self doth And the Difference between these two may be resembled to that between the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Reason of the Mind and Conception called Verbum Mentis and the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Reason of External Speech the Latter of which though it bear a certain Stamp and Impress of the Former upon it yet it self is nothing but Articulate Sound devoid of all Vnderstanding and Sense Or else we may Illustrate this business by another Similitude comparing the Divine Art and Wisdom to an Architect but Nature to a Manuary Opificer the Difference betwixt which two is thus set forth by Aristotle pertinently to our purpose 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We account the Architects in every thing more honourable than the Manuary Opificers because they understand the Reason of the things done whereas the other as some Inanimate things only Do not knowing what they Do the Difference between them being only this that Inanimate Things Act by a certain Nature in them but the Manuary Opificer by Habit. Thus Nature may be called the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Manuary Opificer that Acts subserviently under the Architectonical Art and Wisdom of the Divine Understanding 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which does Do without Knowing the Reason of what â—t Doth 12. Wherefore as we did before observe the Preeminences of Nature above Humane Art so we must here take Notice also of the Imperfections and Defects of it in which respect it falls short of Humane Art which are likewise Two and the First of them is this That though it Act Artificially for the sake of Ends yet it self doth neither Intend those Ends nor Vnderstand the Reason of that it doth Nature is not Master of that Consummate Art and Wisdom according to which it acts but only a Servant to it and a Drudging Executioner of the Dictates of it This Difference betwixt Nature and Abstract Art or Wisdom is expressed by Plotinus in these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 How doth Wisdom differ from that which is called Nature Verily in this Manner That Wisdom is the First Thing but Nature the Last and Lowest for Nature is but an Image or Imitation of Wisdom the Last thing of the Soul which hath the lowest Impress of Reason shining upon it as when a thick piece of Wax is thoroughly impressed upon by a Seal that Impress which is clear and distinct in the superiour Superficies of it will in the lower side be weak and obscure and such is the Stamp and Signature of Nature compared with that of Wisdom and Vnderstanding Nature being a thing which doth only Do but not Know. And elsewhere the same Writer declares the Difference between the Spermatick 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Reasons and Knowledges or Conceptions of the Mind in this manner 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Whether are these Plastick Reasons or Forms in the Soul Knowledges But how shall it then Act according to those Knowledges For the Plastick Reason or Form Acts or Works in Matter and that which acts Naturally is not Intellection nor Vision but a certain Power of moving Matter which doth not Know but only Do and makes as it were a Stamp or Figure in Water And with this Doctrine of the Ancients a Modern Judicious Writer and Sagacious Inquirer into Nature seems fully to agree that Nature is such a Thing as doth not Know but only Do For after he had admired that Wisdom and Art by which the Bodies of Animals are framed he concludes that one or other of these two things must needs be acknowledged that either the Vegetative or Plastick Power of the Soul by which it Fabricates and Organizes its own body is more Excellent and Divine than the Rational Or else In Naturae Operibus neque Prudentiam nec Intellectum inesse sedita solùm videri Conceptui nostro qui secundùm Artes nostras Facultates seu Exemplaria à nobismetipsis mutuata de rebus Naturae divinis judicamus Quasi Principia Naturae Activa effectus suos eo modo producerent quo nos opera nostra Artificialia solemus That in the Works of Nature there is neither Prudence nor Vnderstanding but only it seems so to our Apprehensions who judge of these Divine things of Nature according to our own Arts and Faculties and Patterns borrowed from our selves as if the Active Principles of Nature did produce their Effects in the same manner as we do our Artificial Works Wherefore we conclude agreeably to the Sence of the best Philosophers both Ancient and Modern That Nature is such a Thing as though it act Artificially and for the sake of Ends yet it doth but Ape and Mimick the Divine Art and Wisdom it self not Understanding those Ends which it Acts for nor the Reason of what it doth in order to them for which Cause also it is not Capable of Consultation or Deliberation nor can it Act Electively or with Discretion 13. But because this may seem strange at the first sight that Nature should be said to Act 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the sake of Ends and Regularly or Artificially and yet be
determines the Motion of it Vitally must needs do it by some other Energy of its own as it is Reasonable also to conceive that it self hath some Vital Sympathy with that Matter which it Acts upon But we apprehend that Both these may be without Clear and Express Consciousness Thus the Philosopher 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Every Life is Energie even the worst of Lives and therefore that of Nature Whose Energie is not like that of Fire but such an Energie as though there be no Sense belonging to it yet is it not Temerarious or Fortuitous but Orderly Regular Wherefore this Controversie whether the Energy of the Plastick Nature be Cogitation or no seems to be but a Logomachy or Contention about Words For if Clear and Express Consciousness be supposed to be included in Cogitation then it must needs be granted that Cogitation doth not belong to the Plastick Life of Nature but if the Notion of that Word be enlarged so as to comprehend all Action distinct from Local Motion and to be of equal Extent with Life then the Energie of Nature is Cogitation Nevertheless if any one think fit to attribute some Obscure and Imperfect Sense or Perception different from that of Animals to the Energie of Nature and will therefore call it a kind of Drowsie Vnawakened or Astonish'd Cogitation the Philosopher before mentioned will not very much gainsay it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If any will needs attribute some kind of Apprehension or Sense to Nature then it must not be such a Sense or Apprehension as is in Animals but something that differs as much from it as the Sense or Cogitation of one in a profound sleep differs from that of one who is awake And since it cannot be denied but that the Plastick Nature hath a certain Dull and Obscure Idea of that which it Stamps and Prints upon Matter the same Philosopher himself sticks not to call this Idea of Nature 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Spectacle and Contemplamen as likewise the Energy of Nature towards it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Silent Contemplation nay he allows that Nature may be said to be in some Sence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Lover of Spectacles or Contemplation 17. However that there may be some Vital Energy without Clear and Express 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Con-sense and Consciousness Animadversion Attention or Self-perception seems reasonable upon several accompts For first those Philosophers themselves who make the Essence of the Soul to consist in Cogitation and again the Essence of Cogitation in Clear and Express Consciousness cannot render it any way probable that the Souls of Men in all profound Sleeps Lethargies and Apoplexies as also of Embryo's in the Womb from their very first arrival thither are never so much as one moment without Expresly Conscious Cogitations which if they were according to the Principles of their Philosophy they must ipso facto cease to have any Being Now if the Souls of Men and Animals be at any time without Consciousness and Self-perception then it must needs be granted that Clear and Express Consciousness is not Essential to Life There is some appearance of Life and Vital Sympathy in certain Vegetables and Plants which however called Sensitive Plants and Plant-animals cannot well be supposed to have Animal Sense and Fancy or Express Consciousness in them although we are not ignorant in the mean time how some endeavour to salve all those Phaenomena Mechanically It is certain that our Humane Souls themselves are not always Conscious of whatever they have in them for even the Sleeping Geometrician hath at that time all his Geometrical Theorems and Knowledges some way in him as also the Sleeping Musician all his Musical Skill and Songs and therefore why may it not be possible for the Soul to have likewise some Actual Energie in it which it is not Expresly Conscious of We have all Experience of our doing many Animal Actions Non-attendingly which we reflect upon afterwards as also that we often continue a long Series of Bodily Motions by a mere Virtual Intention of our Minds and as it were by Half a Cogitation That Vital Sympathy by which our Soul is united and tied fast as it were with a Knot to the Body is a thing that we have no direct Consciousness of but only in its Effects Nor can we tell how we come to be so differently affected in our Souls from the many different Motions made upon our Bodies As likewise we are not Conscious to our selves of that Energy whereby we impress Variety of Motions and Figurations upon the Animal Spirits of our Brain in our Phantastick Thoughts For though the Geometrician perceive himself to make Lines Triangles and Circles in the Dust with his Finger yet he is not aware how he makes all those same Figures first upon the Corporeal Spirits of his Brain from whence notwithstanding as from a Glass they are reflected to him Fancy being rightly concluded by Aristotle to be a Weak and Obscure Sense There is also another more Interiour kind of Plastick Power in the Soul if we may so call it whereby it is Formative of its own Cogitations which it self is not always Conscious of as when in Sleep or Dreams it frames Interlocutory Discourses betwixt it self and other Persons in a long Series with Coherent Sence and Apt Connexions in which oftentimes it seems to be surprized with unexpected Answers and Reparties though it self were all the while the Poet and Inventor of the whole Fable Not only our Nictations for the most part when we are awake but also our Nocturnal Volutations in Sleep are performed with very little or no Consciousness Respiration or that Motion of the Diaphragmae and other Muscles which causes it there being no sufficient Mechanical accompt given of it may well be concluded to be always a Vital Motion though it be not always Animal since no man can affirm that he is perpetually Conscious to himself of that Energy of his Soul which does produce it when he is awake much less when asleep And Lastly the Cartesian Attempts to salve the Motion of the Heart Mechanically seem to be abundantly confuted by Autopsy and Experiment evincing the Systole of the Heart to be a Muscular Constriction caused by some Vital Principle to make which nothing but a Pulsifick Corporeal Quality in the Substance of the Heart it self is very Unphilosophical and Absurd Now as we have no voluntary Imperium at all upon the Systole and Diastole of the Heart so are we not conscious to our selves of any Energy of our own Soul that causes them and therefore we may reasonably conclude from hence also that there is some Vital Energy without Animal Fancy or Synaesthesis express Consciousness and Self-perception 18. Wherefore the Plastick Nature acting neither by Knowledge nor by Animal Fancy neither Electively nor Hormetically must be concluded to act Fatally Magically and Sympathetically And thus that Curious
is the Cause of those other things that are Made something 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that was Self-originated and Self-existing and which is as well 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Incorruptible and Vndestroyable as Ingenerable whose Existence therefore must needs be Necessary because if it were supposed to have happened by Chance to exist from Eternity then it might as well happen again to Cease to Be. Wherefore all the Question now is what is this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this Ingenerable and Incorruptible Self-originated and Self-existent Thing which is the Cause of all other things that are Made IV. Now there are Two Grand Opinions Opposite to one another concerning it For first some contend that the only Self-existent Vnmade and Incorruptible Thing and First Principle of all things is Sensless Matter that is Matter either perfectly Dead and Stupid or at least devoid of all Animalish and Conscious Life But because this is really the Lowest and most Imperfect of all Beings Others on the contrary judge it reasonable that the First Principle and Original of all things should be that which is Most Perfect as Aristotle observes of Pherecydes and his Followers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That they made the First Cause and Principle of Generation to be the Best and then apprehending that to be endewed with Conscious Life and Vnderstanding is much a Greater Perfection than to be devoid of both as Balbus in Cicero declares upon this very occasion Nec dubium quin quod Animans sit habeátque Mentem Rationem Sensum id sit melius quà m id quod his careat they therefore conclude That the only Vnmade thing which was the Principle Cause and Original of all other things was not Sensless Matter but a Perfect Conscious Vnderstanding Nature or Mind And these are they who are strictly and properly called Theists who affirm that a Perfectly Conscious Vnderstanding Being or Mind existing of it self from Eternity was the Cause of all other things and they on the contrary who derive all things from Sensless Matter as the First Original and deny that there is any Conscious Vnderstanding Being Self-existent or Vnmade are those that are properly called Atheists Wherefore the true and genuine Idea of God in general is this A Perfect Conscious Vnderstanding Being or Mind Existing of it self from Eternity and the Cause of all other things V. But it is here observable that those Atheists who deny a God according to this True and Genuine Notion of him which we have declared do often Abuse the Word calling Sensless Matter by that Name Partly perhaps as indeavouring thereby to decline that odious and ignominious name of Atheists and partly as conceiving that whatsoever is the First Principle of things Ingenerable and Incorruptible and the Cause of all other things besides it self must therefore needs be the Divinest Thing of all Wherefore by the word God these mean nothing else but that which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vnmade or Self-existent and the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or First Principle of things Thus it was before observed that Anaximander called Infinite Matter devoid of all manner of Life the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or God and Pliny the Corporeal World endewed with nothing but a Plastick Vnknowing Nature Numen as also others in Aristotle upon the same account called the Inanimate Elements Gods as Supposed First Principles of things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for these are also Gods And indeed Aristotle himself seems to be guilty of this miscarriage of Abusing the word God after this manner when speaking of Love and Chaos as the two first Principles of things he must according to the Laws of Grammar be understood to call them both Gods 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Concerning these two Gods how they ought to be ranked and which of them is to be placed first whether Love or Chaos is afterwards to be resolved Which Passage of Aristotle's seems to agree with that of Epicharmus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But Chaos is said to have been made the first of the Gods unless we should rather understand him thus That Chaos was said to have been made before the Gods And this Abuse of the Word God is a thing which the learned Origen took notice of in his Book against Celsus where he speaks of that Religious Care which ought to be had about the use of Words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He therefore that hath but the least consideration of these things will take a Religious care that he give not improper names to things left he should fall into a like miscarriage with those who attribute the name of God to Inanimate and Sensless matter Now according to this false and spurious Notion of the word God when it is taken for any Supposed First Principle or Self-existent Unmade Thing whatsoever that be there neither is nor can be any such things as an Atheist since whosoever hath but the least dram of Reason must needs acknowledge that Something or other Existed from Eternity Vnmade and was the Cause of those other things that are Made But that Notion or Idea of God according to which some are Atheists and some Theists is in the strictest sence of it what we have already declared A Perfect Mind or Consciously Vnderstanding Nature Self-existent from Eternity and the Cause of all other things The genuine Theists being those who make the First Original of all things Universally to be a Consciously Vnderstanding Nature or Perfect Mind but the Atheists properly such as derive all things from Matter either perfectly Dead and Stupid or else devoid of all Conscious and Animalish Life VI. But that we may more fully and punctually declare the true Idea of God we must here take notice of a certain Opinion of some Philosophers who went as it were in a middle betwixt both the Former and neither made Matter alone nor God the Sole Principle of all things but joyned them both together and held Two First Principles or Self-existent Vnmade Beings independent upon one another God and the Matter Amongst whom the Stoicks are to be reckoned who notwithstanding because they held that there was no other Substance besides Body strangely confounded themselves being by that means necessitated to make their Two First Principles the Active and the Passive to be both of them really but One and the self-same Substance their Doctrine to this purpose being thus declared by Cicero Naturam dividebant in Res Duas ut Altera esset Efficiens Altera autem quasi huic se praebens ex qua Efficeretur aliquid In eo quod Efficeret Vim esse censebant in eo quod Efficeretur Materiam quandam in Vtroque tamen Vtrumque Neque enim Materiam ipsam ohaerere potuisse si nullâ Vi contineretur neque Vim sine aliqua Materia
always the Soul of this World but at first a certain Self-moving Substance endowed with a Phantastick Power Irrational and Disorderly Existing such of it self from Eternity which God by Harmonizing and introducing into it fitting Numbers and Proportions Made to be the Soul and Prince of this Generated World According to which Doctrine of Plutarch's in the supposed Soul of the World though it had a Temporary beginning yet was it never Created out of Nothing but only that which preexisted disorderly being acted by the Deity was brought into a Regular Frame And therefore he concludes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Soul partaking of Mind Reason and Harmony is not only the Work of God but also a Part of him nor is it a thing so much made by him as from him and existing out of him And the same must he likewise affirm concerning all other Souls as those of Men and Demons that they are either all of them the Substance of God himself together with that of the Evil Demon or else certain Delibations from both if any one could understand it blended and confounded together He not allowing any new Substance at all to be created by God out of nothing preexistent It was observed in the beginning of this Chapter that Plutarch was an Assertor of two 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Self-existent Principles in the Universe God and Matter but now we understand that he was an Earnest Propugnor of another Third Principle as himself calls it besides them both viz. a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Mad Irrational and Maleficent Soul or Daemon So that Plutarch was both a Triarchist and a Ditheist an Assertor of Three Principles but of Two Gods according to that forementioned Notion of a God as it is taken for an Animalish or Perceptive Being Self-existent We are not ignorant that Plutarch endeavours with all his might to perswade this to have been the constant Belief of all the Pagan Nations and of all the Wisest men and Philosophers that ever were amongst them For this saith he in his Book De Iside Osiride is a most ancient Opinion that hath been delivered down from Theologers and Law-makers all along to Poets and Philosophers and though the first Author thereof be Vnknown yet hath it been so firmly believed every where that the Footsteps of it have been imprinted upon the Sacrifices and Mysteries or Religious Rites both of Barbarians and Greeks Namely That the World is neither wholly Vngoverned by any Mind or Reasan as if all things floated in the streams of Chance and Fortune nor yet that there is any one Principle steering and guiding all without Resistance or Control because there is a Confused Mixture of Good and Evil in every thing and nothing is Produced by Nature sincere Wherefore it is not one only Dispenser of things who as it were out of several Vessels distributeth those several Liquors of Good and Evil mingling them together and dashing them as he pleaseth But there are two Distinct and Contrary Powers or Principles in the World One of them always leading as it were to the Right hand but the other tugging a Contrary way Insomuch that our whole Life and the whole World is a certain Mixture and Confusion of these Two at least this Terrestrial World below the Moon is such all being every where full of Irregularity and Disorder For if nothing can be Made without a Cause and that which is Good cannot be the Cause of Evil there must needs be a distinct Principle in Nature for the Production of Evil as well as Good And this hath been the Opinion of the Most and Wisest Men some of them affirming 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that there are Two Gods as it were of Contrary Crafts and Trades one whereof is the Maker of all Good and the other of all Evil but others calling the Good Principle only a God and the Evil Principle a Daemon as Zoroaster the Magician Besides which Zoroaster and the Persian Magi Plutarch pretends that the Footsteps of this Opinion were to be found also in the Astrology of the Chaldeans and in the Mysteries and Religious Rites not only of the Egyptians but also of the Grecians themselves and lastly he particularly imputes the same to all the most famous of the Greek Philosophers as Pythagoras Empedocles Heraclitus Anaxagoras Plato and Aristotle though his chiefest endeavour of all be to prove that Plato was an Undoubted Champion for it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But Plato was not guilty of that Miscarriage of Later Philosophers in overlooking the Third Power which is between the Matter and God and thereby falling into the Grossest of all Absurdities That the Nature of Evils was but an Accidental Appendix to the World and came into it merely by chance no body knows how So that those very Philosophers who will by no means allow to Epicurus the Smallest Declension of his Atoms from the Perpendicular alledging that this would be to introduce a Motion without a Cause and to bring something out of Nothing themselves do notwithstanding suppose all that Vice and Misery which is in the World besides innumerable other Absurdities and Inconveniences about Body to have come into it merely by Accidental Consequence and without having any Cause in the First Principles But Plato did not so but devesting Matter of all Qualities and Differences by means whereof it could not possibly be made the Cause of Evils and then placing God at the greatest distance from being the Cause thereof he consequently resolved it into a Third Vnmade Principle between God and the Matter an Irrational Soul or Demon moving the Matter disorderly Now because Plutarch's Authority passeth so uncontrolled and his Testimony in this particular seems to be of late generally received as an Oracle and consequently the thing taken for an Unquestionable Truth that the Ditheistick Doctrine of a Good and Evil Principle was the Catholick or Universal Doctrine of the Pagan Theists and particularly that Plato above all the rest was a Professed Champion for the same we shall therefore make bold to examine Plutarch's Grounds for this so confident Assertion of his and principally concerning Plato And his Grounds for imputing this Opinion to Plato are only these Three which follow First because that Philosopher in his Politicus speaks of a Necessary and Innate Appetite that may sometimes turn the Heavens a contrary way and by that means cause Disorder and Confusion Secondly because in his Tenth De Legibus he speaks of Two kinds of Souls whereof One is Beneficent but the other Contrary And Lastly because in his Timaeus he supposeth the Matter to have been Moved disorderly before the World was made which implies that there was a Disorderly and Irrational Soul consisting with it as the Mover of it Matter being unable â—o move it self But as to the First of these Allegations out of Plato's Politicus we shall only observe that that Philosopher as if it had been purposely to prevent such an
of Darkness Another God makes a World out of it c. And again afterwards he writes further to the same purpose Discat ergò Faustus Monarchiae Opinionem non ex Gentibus nos habere sed Gentes non usque adeò ad Falsos Deos esse dilapsas ut Opinionem amitterent Vnius Veri Dei ex quo est Omnis qualiscunque Natura Let Faustus therefore know that We Christians have not derived the Opinion of Monarchy from the Pagans but that the Pagans have not so far degenerated sinking down into the Worship of false Gods as to have lost the Opinion of One True God from whom is all Whatsoever Nature XIV It follows from what we have declared that the Pagan Polytheism or Multiplicity of Gods is not to be understood in the sence before expressed of Many 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Many Vnproduced and Self-existent Deities but according to some other Notion or Equivocation of the word Gods For God is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one of those words that hath been used in many different sences the Atheists themselves acknowledging a God and Gods according to some Private Sences of their own which yet they do not all agree in neither and Theists not always having the same Notion of that Word Forasmuch as Angels in Scripture are called Gods in one sence that is as Vnderstanding Beings Superiour to men Immortal Holy and Happy and the word is again sometimes carried down lower to Princes and Magistrates and not only so but also to Good men as such when they are said to be Made Partakers of the Divine Nature And thus that learned Philosopher and Christian Boethius Omnis Beatus Deus sed Natura quidem Vnus Participatione verò nihil prohibet esse quamplurimos every Good and Happy man is a God and though there be only One God by Nature yet nothing hinders but that there may be Many by Participation But then again all Men and Angels are alike denied to be Gods in other Respects and particularly as to Religious Worship Thou shalt Worship the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou Serve Now this is that which seems to be Essentially included in the Pagan Notion of the word God or Gods when taken in general namely a Respect to Religious Worship Wherefore a God in general according to the sence of the Pagan Theists may be thus defined An Vnderstanding Being superiour to Men not originally derived from Sensless Matter and look'd upon as an Object for mens Religious Worship But this general Notion of the word God is again restrained and limited by Differences in the Division of it For such a God as this may be either 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ingenerate or Vnproduced and consequently Self-existent or else 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Generated or Produced and Dependent on some Higher Being as its Cause In the former sence the Intelligent Pagans as we have declared acknowledged only One God who was therefore called by them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to that of Thales in Laertius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God is the oldest of all things because he is Vnmade or Vnproduced and the only thing that is so but in the latter they admitted of Many Gods Many Vnderstanding Beings which though Generated or Produced yet were Superiour to Men and look'd upon as Objects for their Religious Worship And thus the Pagan Theists were both Polytheists and Monotheists in different Sences they acknowledged both Many Gods and One God that is Many Inferiour Deities subordinate to One Supreme Thus Onatus the Pythagorean in Stobaeus declares himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It seemeth to me that there is not only One God but that there is One the Greatest and Highest God that governeth the whole World and that there are Many other Gods besides him differing as to power that One God reigning over them all who surmounts them all in Power Greatness and Vertue This is that God who conteins and comprehends the whole World but the other Gods are those who together with the Revolution of the Vniverse orderly follow that First and Intelligible God Where it is evident that Onatus his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Many Gods were only the Heavenly Bodies or Animated Stars And partly from those words cited but chiefly others which follow after in the same place that will be produced elsewhere it plainly appears that in Onatus his time there were some who acknowledged One Only God denying all those other Gods then commonly Worshipped And indeed Anaxagoras seems to have been such a one forasmuch as asserting One Perfect Mind Ruling over all which is the True Deity he effectually degraded all those other Pagan Gods the Sun Moon and Stars from their Godships by making the Sun nothing but a Globe of Fire and the Moon Earth and Stones and the like of the other Stars and Planets And some such there were also amongst the Ancient Egyptians as shall be declared in due place Moreover Proclus upon Plato's Timaeus tells us that there hath been always less doubt and controversie in the World concerning the One God than concerning the Many Gods Wherefore Onatus here declares his own sence as to this particular viz. that besides the One Supreme God there were also Many other Inferiour Deities that is Vnderstanding Beings that ought to be Religiously Worshipped But because it is not impossible but that there might be imagin'd One Supreme Deity though there were many other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vnmade made and Self-existent Gods besides as Plutarch supposed before One Supreme God together with a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Irrational Soul or Daemon Vnmade Inferiour in power to it therefore we add in the next place that the more Intelligent Pagans did not only assert One God that was Supreme and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the most Powerful of all the Gods but also who being Omnipotent was the Principle and Cause of all the rest and therefore the only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the only Vnproduced and Self-existent Deity Maximus Tyrius affirms this to have been the general sence of all the Pagans that there was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 One God the King and Father of all and many Gods the Sons of God reigning together with God Neither did the Poets imply any thing less when 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was so often called by the Greeks and Jupiter by the Latins 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Hominum Pater atque Deorum or Hominum Satórque Deorum and the like And indeed the Theogonia of the ancient Pagans before mention'd was commonly thus declared by them universally 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that the Gods were Generated or as Herodotus expresseth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that every one of the Gods was Generated or Produced which yet is not so to be understood as if they had therefore supposed no God at all Vnmade or Self-exâ—stent which is Absolute Atheism but that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the
as also that there was no Theogonia nor Temporary Production of the Inferiour Gods from these Verses of his according to Grotius his Correction 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nempe Dî semper fuerunt atque nunquam intercident Haec quae dico semper nobis rebus in iisdem se exhibent Extitisse sed Deorum Primum perhibetur Chaos Quînam verò nam de nihilo nîl pote primum existere Ergo nec Primum profecto quicquam nec fuit Alterum Sed quae nunc sic appellantur alia fient postmodum Where though he acknowledges this to have been the General Tradition of the ancient Theists That Chaos was before the Gods and that the Inferior Mundane Gods had a Temporary Generation or Production with the World yet notwithstanding does he conclude against it from this Ground of Reason because Nothing could procede from Nothing and therefore both the Gods and indeed whatsoever else is Substantial in the World was from Eternity Unmade only the Fashion of things having been altered Moreover Diodorus Siculus affirms the Chaldeans likewise to have asserted this Dogma of the Worlds Eternity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Chaldeans affirm the Nature of the World to be Eternal and that it was neither Generated from any Beginning nor will ever admit Corruption Who that they were not Atheists for all that no more than Aristotle appears from those following words of that Historiographer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They believe also that the Order and Disposition of the World is by a certain Divine Providence and that every One of those things which come to pass in the Heavens happens not by chance but by a certain determinate and firmly ratified Judgment of the Gods However it is a thing known to all that the Generality of the later Platonists stiffly adhered to Aristotle in this neither did they onely assert the Corporeal World with all the Inferior Mundane Gods in it to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Ingenerate and to have existed from Eternity but also maintained the same concerning the Souls of Men and all other Animals They concluding that no Souls were Younger than Body or the World and because they would not seem to depart from their Master Plato therefore did they endeavour violently to force this same sence upon Plato's words also Notwithstanding which concerning these Latter Platonists it is here observable that though they thus asserted the World and all Inferior Gods and Souls to have been 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to that stricter sence of the Word declared that is to have had no Temporary Generation or Beginning but to have Existed from Eternity yet by no means did they therefore conceive them to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Self-originated and Self-existing but concluded them to have been all derived from one sole Self-existent Deity as their Cause which therefore though not in order of Time yet of Nature was before them To this purpose Plotinus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mind or God was before the World not as if it existed before it in Time but because the World proceeded from it and that was in order of Nature First as the cause thereof and its Archetype or Paradigm the World also always subsisting by it and from it And again elsewhere to the same purpose 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The things which are said to have been made or Generated were not so Made as that they ever had a Beginning of their Existence but yet they were Made and will be always Made in another sence nor will they ever be destroyed otherwise than as being dissolved into those Simple Principles out of which some of them were compounded Where though the World be said never to have been Made as to a Temporary beginning yet in another sence is it said to be always Made as depending upon God perpetually as the Emanative Cause thereof Agreeably whereunto the Manner of the Worlds Production from God is thus declared by that Philosopher 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They do not rightly who Corrupt and Generate the World for they will not understand what Manner of Making or Production the World had to wit by way of Effulgency or Eradiation from the Deity From whence it follows that the World must needs have been so long as there was a God as the Light was coeve with the Sun So likewise Proclus concludes that the World was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 always Generated or Eradiated from God and therefore must needs be Eternal God being so Wherefore these Latter Platonists supposed the same thing concerning the Corporeal World and the Lower Mundane Gods which their Master Plato did concerning his Higher Eternal Gods that though they had no Temporary Production yet they all depended no less upon one Supreme Deity than if they had been made out of Nothing by Him From whence it is manifest that none of these Philosophers apprehended any Repugnancy at all betwixt these Two Things Existence from Eternity and Being Caused or produced by Another Nor can we make any great Doubt but that if the Latter Platonists had been fully convinced of any Contradictious Inconsistency here they would readily have disclaimed that their so beloved Hypothesis of the Worlds Eternity it being so far from Truth what some have supposed that the Assertors of the Worlds Eternity were all Atheists that these Latter Platonists were led into this Opinion no otherwise than from the sole Consideration of the Deity to wit its 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 its Essential Goodness and Generative Power or Emanative Fecundity as Proclus plainly declares upon the Timaeus Now though Aristotle were not Acted with any such Divine Enthusiasm as these Platonists seem to have been yet did he notwithstanding after his sober Manner really maintain the same thing That though the World and Inferior Mundane Gods had no Temporary Generation yet were they nevertheless all Produced from One Supreme Deity as their Cause Thus Simplicius represents that Philosopher's Sence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aristotle would not have the World to have been made so as to have had a Beginning but yet nevertheless to have been produced from God after some other manner And again afterward 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aristotle though making God the Cause of the Heaven and its Eternal Motion yet concludes it notwithstanding to have been Ingenerate or Vnmade that is without Beginning However we think sit here to observe that though Aristotle do for the most part express a great deal of Zeal and Confidence for that Opinion of the Worlds Eternity yet doth he sometimes for all that seem to flag a little and speak more Languidly and Sceptically about it as for Example in his Book De Partibus Animalium where he treats concerning an Artificial Nature 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is more likely that the Heaven was
made by such a Cause as this if it were Made and that it is maintained by such a Cause than that Mortal Animals should be so which yet is a thing more generally acknowledged Now it was before declared that Aristotle's Artificial Nature was nothing but the mere Executioner or Opificer of a Perfect Mind that is of the Deity which Two therefore he sometimes joyns together in the Cosmopoeia affirming that Mind and Nature that is God and Nature were the Cause of this Universe And now we see plainly that though there was a Real Controversie amongst the Pagan Theologers especially from Aristotle's time downward concerning the Cosmogonia and Theogonia according to the Stricter notion of those words the Temporary Generation or Production of the World and Inferior Gods or whether they had any Beginning or no yet was there no Controversie at all concerning the Self-existency of them but it was Universally agreed upon amongst them That the World and the Inferior Gods however supposed by some to have existed from Eternity yet were nevertheless all derived from one Sole Self-existent Deity as their Cause 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being either Eradiated or Produced from God Wherefore it is observable that these Pagan Theists who asserted the Worlds Eternity did themselves distinguish concerning the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Orium Natum Factum as that which was Equivocal and though in one sence of it they denied that the World and Inferior Gods were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet notwithstanding did they in another sence clearly affirm the same For the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 say they strictly and properly taken is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that which in respect of time passed out of Non-existence into Being or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that which being not before afterwards was Nevertheless they acknowledge that in a larger sence this Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may be taken also for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that which doth any way depend upon a Superior Being as its Cause And there must needs be the same Equivocation in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so that this in like manner may be taken also either 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for that which is Ingenerate in respect of Time as having no Temporary Beginning or else for that which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ingenerate or Vnproduced from any Cause in which latter sence that word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Vnmade is of equal force and extent with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that which is Self-subsistent or Selforiginated and accordingly it was used by those Pagan Theists who concluded 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. That Matter was Vnmade that is not only existed from Eternity without Beginning but also was Self-existent and Independent upon any Superior Cause Now as to the Former of these two sences of those words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Generality of the ancient Pagans and together with them Plato affirmed the World and all the Inferior Gods to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to have been Made in Time or to have had a Beginning for whatever the Latter Platonists pretend this was undoubtedly Plato's Notion of that word and no other when he concluded the World to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 forasmuch as himself expresly opposes it to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that which is Eternal But on the contrary Aristotle and the Later Platonists determined the World and all the Inferior Gods to be in this sence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such as had no Temporary Beginning but were from Eternity However according to the later Sence of those words all the Pagan Theologers agreed together that the World and all the Inferior Gods whether having a Beginning or Existing from Eternity were notwithstanding 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 produced or derived from a Superior Cause and that thus there was only One 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 One Vnproduced and Self-existent Deity who is said by them to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Superior to a Cause and Older than any Cause he being the Cause of all things besides himself Thus Crantor and his Followers in Proclus zealous Assertors of the Worlds Eternity determined 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that the World with all the Inferior Mundane Gods in it notwithstanding their Being from Eternity might be said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is orti or made as being produced from another Cause and not Self-originated or Self-existing In like manner Proclus himself that grand Champion for the Worlds Eternity plainly acknowledged notwithstanding the Generation of the Gods and World in this sence as being produced from a Superior Cause 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We call it the Generations of the Gods meaning thereby not any Temporary Production of them but their Ineffable Procession from a Superior First Cause Thus also Salustius in his Book de Diis Mundo where he contends the World to have been from Eternity or without Beginning yet concludes both it and the other Inferiour Gods to have been made by One Supreme Deity who is called by him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the First God For saith he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God or the First Cause having the greatest power or being Omnipotent ought therefore to make not only Men and other Animals but also Gods and Demons And accordingly this is the Title of his 13. Chapter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 How Eternal things may be said to be Made or Generated It is true indeed as we have often declared that some of the Pagan Theists asserted God not to be the only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the only Vnmade and Self-existent Being but that Matter also was such nevertheless this Opinion was not so generally received amongst them as is commonly supposed and though some of the ancient Fathers confidently impute it to Plato yet there seems to be no sufficient ground for their so doing and Porphyrius Jamblychus Proclus and other Platonists do not only professedly oppose the same as false but also as that which was dissonant from Plato's Principles Wherefore according to that larger Notion of the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as taken synonymously with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there were Very many of the Pagan Theologers who agreed with Christians in this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That God is the only Ingenerate or Vnmade Being and that his very Essence is Ingenerability or Innascibility all other things even Matter it self being made by him But all the rest of them only a few Ditheists excepted though they supposed Matter to be Self-existent yet did they conclude that there was only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 onely One Vnmade or Vnproduced God and that all their other Gods were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in One sence or other if not as Made in Time yet at least as Produced from a Superiour Cause Nothing now remaineth but onely that we shew how
into Hades that is does not utterly perish but only disappears to our sight it being either translated into some other Place or changed into another Form And accordingly it is said of Animals in the Twelfth Book 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That they are dissolved by Death not that they might be destroyed but made again anew As it is also there affirmed of the World that it doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 make all things out of it self and again unmake them into it self 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that dissolving all things it doth perpetually renew them For that nothing in the whole World utterly perisheth as it is often declared elsewhere in these Trismegistick Writings so particularly in this Twelfth Book of Ficinus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The whole World is unchangeable only the parts of it being alterable and this so as that none of these neither utterly perisheth or is absolutely destroyed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For how can any part of that be Corrupted which is Incorruptible or any thing of God perish or go to nothing All which by Casaubon's lieve we take to have been originally Egyptian Doctrine and thence in part afterwards transplanted into Greece Moreover when in the Poemander God is styled more than once 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Light and Life this seems to have been Egyptian also because it was Orphical In like manner the Appendix to the Sermon in the Mount called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the Occult Cantion hath some strains of the Egyptian Theology in it which will be afterwards mentioned The result of our present Discourse is this that though some of the Trismegistick Books were either wholly counterfeited or else had certain supposititious Passages inserted into them by some Christian hand yet there being others of them originally Egyptian or which as to the substance of them do contain Hermaical or Egyptian Doctrines in all which One Supreme Deity is every where asserted we may well conclude from hence that the Egyptians had an acknowledgment amongst them of One Supreme Deity And herein several of the Ancient Fathers have gone before us as first of all Justin Martyr 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ammon in his Books calleth God Most Hidden and Hermes plainly declareth That it is hard to conceive God but impossible to express him Neither doth it follow that this latter Passage is counterfeit as Casaubon concludes because there is something like it in Plato's Timaeus there being doubtless a very great agreement betwixt Platonism and the Ancient Egyptian Doctrine Thus again St. Cyprian Hermes quoque Trismegistus Vnum Deum loquitur eumque ineffabilem inaestimabilem confitetur Hermes Trismegist also acknowledgeth One God confessing him to be ineffable and inestimable which Passage is also cited by St. Austin Lactantius likewise Thoth antiquissimus instructissimus omni genere Doctrinae adeò ut ei multarum rerum artium scientia Trismegisti cognomen imponeret Hic scripsit Libros quidem multos ad cognitionem Divinarum rerum pertinentes in quibus Majestatem Summi Singularis Dei asserit iisdemque nominibus appellat quibus nos Deum Patrem Ac nè quis nomen ejus requireret 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 esse dixit Thoth that is Hermes the most ancient and most instructed in all kind of Learning for which he was called Trismegist wrote Books and those many belonging to the Knowledge of Divine things wherein he asserts the Majesty of One Supreme Deity calling him by the same names that we do God and Father but lest any one should require a Proper name of him affirming him to be Anonymous Lastly St. Cyril hath much more to the same purpose also And we must confess that we have the rather here insisted so much upon these Hermaick or Trismegistick Writings that in this particular we might vindicate these Ancient Fathers from the Imputation either of Fraud and Imposture or of Simplicity and Folly But that the Egyptians acknowledged besides their Many Gods One Supreme and All-comprehending Deity needs not be proved from these Trismegistick Writings concerning which we leave others to judge as they find Cause it otherwise appearing not only because Orpheus who was an undoubted Asserter of Monarchy or One First Principle of All things is generally affirmed to have derived his Doctrine from the Egyptians but also from plain and express Testimonies For besides Apollonius Tyanaeus his Affirmation concerning both Indians and Egyptians before cited Plutarch throughout his whole Book De Iside Osiride supposes the Egyptians thus to have asserted One Supreme Deity they commonly calling him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the First God Thus in the beginning of that Book he tells us that the End of all the Religious Rites and Mysteries of that Egyptian Goddess Isis was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Knowledge of that First God who is the Lord of all things and only intelligible by the Mind whom this Goddess exhorteth men to seek in her Communion After which he declareth that this First God of the Egyptians was accounted by them an Obscure and Hidden Deity and accordingly he gives the reason why they made the Crocodile to be a Symbol of him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Because they say the Crocodile is the only Animal which living in the water hath his Eyes covered by a thin transparent membrane falling down over them by reason whereof it sees and is not seen which is a thing that belongs to the First God To see all things himself being not seen Though Plutarch in that place gives also another reason why the Egyptians made the Crocodile a Symbol of the Deity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Neither were the Egyptians without a plausible reason for worshipping God Symbolically in the Crocodile that being said to be an Imitation of God in that it is the only Animal without a Tongue For the Divine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Reason standing not in need of Speech and going on through a silent path of Justice in the World does without noise righteously govern and dispense all humane affairs In like manner Horus-Apollo in his Hieroglyphicks tells us that the Egyptians acknowledging a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Omnipotent Being that was the Governour of the whole World did Symbolically represent him by a Serpent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they picturing also a great House or Palace within its circumference because the World is the Royal palace of the Deity Which Writer also gives us another reason why the Serpent was made to be the Hieroglyphick of the Deity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Because the Serpent feeding as it were upon its own Body doth aptly signifie that all things generated in the World by Divine Providence are again resolved into him And Philo Byblius from Sanchuniathon gives the same reason why the Serpent was Deified by Tant or the Egyptian Hermes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because it is immortal and resolved into it self
majorum summus Summorum Maximus Maximorum Regnator Osiris That God who is the chiefest of the Greater Gods and the Greatest of the Chiefest and which Reigneth over the Greatest Wherefore the same Apuleius also tells us that Isis and Osiris were really one and the same Supreme Numen though considered under different Notions and Worshipped with different Rites in these words Quanquam connexa imo vero unica ratio Numinis Religionisque esset tamen Teletae discrimen esse maximum though Isis and Osiris be really One and the same Divine Power yet are their Rites and Ceremonies very different The proper notion of Osiris being thus declared by Plutarch 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that First and Highest of all Beings which is the same with Good Agreeably whereunto Jamblichus affirmeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that God as the Cause of all Good is call'd Osiris by the Egyptians Lastly as for Sarapis though Origen tells us that this was a new upstart Deity set up by Ptolemy in Alexandria yet this God in his Oracle to Nicocrion the King of Cyprus declares himself also to be a Universal Numen comprehending the whole World in these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. to this Sence The Starry Heaven is my Head the Sea my Belly my Ears are in the Ether and the bright Light of the Sun is my clear piercing Eye And doubtless he was worshipped by many under this Notion For as Philarchus wrote thus concerning him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That Sarapis was the Name of that God which orders and governs tbe whole World so doth Plutarch himself conclude that Osiris and Sarapis were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 both of them Names of One God and the same Divine Power Accordingly whereunto Diodorus Siculus determines that these Three Hammon Osiris and Sarapis were but different names for one and the same Deity or Supreme God Notwithstanding which Porphyrius it seems had a very ill conceit of that Power which manifested it self in the Temple of this God Sarapis above all the other Pagan Gods he suspecting it to be no other than the very Prince of evil Demons or Devils 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. We do not vainly or without ground suspect and conjecture that the evil Demons are under Sarapis as their Prince and Head this appearing saith he not only from those Rites of Appeasment used in the Worship of this God but also from the Symbol of him which was a Three-headed Dog signifying that Evil Demon which ruleth in those Three Elements Water Earth and Air. Neither indeed can it be doubted but that it was an Evil Demon or Devil that delivered Oracles in this Temple of Sarapis as well as elsewhere among the Pagans however he affected to be worshipped as the Supreme God Besides all this Eusebius himself from Porphyrius informs us that the Egyptians acknowledged One Intellectual Demiurgus or Maker of the World under the name of Cneph whom they worshipped in a Statue of Humane Form and a blackish Sky-coloured Complexion holding in his hand a Girdle and a Scepter and wearing upon his Head a Princely Plume and thrusting forth an Egg out of his Mouth The reason of which Hieroglyphick is thus given 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Because that Wisdom and Reason by which the World was made is not easie to be found out but hidden and obscure And because this is the Fountain of Life and King of all things and because it is Intellectually moved signified by the Feathers upon his head Moreover by the Egg thrust out of the Mouth of this God was meant the World created by the Eternal 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and from this Cneph was said to be Generated or Produced Another God whom the Egyptians call Phtha and the Greeks Vulcan of which Phtha more afterwards That the Egyptians were the most eminent Asserters of the Cosmogonia or Temporary Beginning of the World hath been already declared for which cause the Scholiast upon Ptolemy thus perstringeth them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Egyptians were wont to talk perpetually of the Genesis or Generation of the World And Asclepius an ancient Egyptian Writer in his Myriogenesis affirms that according to the Egyptian Tradition the Sun was made in Libra But that the Egyptians did not suppose the world to have been made by Chance as Epicurus and other Atheistical Philosophers did but by an Intellectual Demiurgus called by them Cneph is evident from this Testimony of Porphyrius Which Cneph was look'd upon by them as an Vnmade and Eternal Deity and for this very cause the Inhabitants of Thebais refused to worship any other God besides him as Plutarch informs us in these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Whilest the other Egyptians paid their proportion of Tax imposed upon them for the nourishment of those sacred Animals worshipped by them the Inhabitants of Thebais only refused because they would acknowledge no Mortal God and worshipped him only whom they call Cneph an Vnmade and Eternal Deity Having now made it undeniably manifest that the Egyptians had an acknowledgement amongst them of One Supreme Vniversal and Vnmade Deity we shall conclude this whole Discourse with the Two following Observations First that a great part of the Egyptian Polytheism was really nothing else but the Worshipping of One and the same Supreme God under many different Names and Notions as of Hammon Neith Isis Osiris Sarapis Kneph to which may be added Phtha and those other names in Jamblichus of Eicton and Emeph And that the Pagans universally over the whole world did the like was affirmed also by Apuleius in that fore-cited Passage of his Numen Vnicum multiformi specie ritu vario nomine multijugo totus veneratur orbis the Whole World worshippeth one only Supreme Numen in a multiform manner under different names and with different Rites Which different names for one and the same Supreme God might therefore be mistaken by some of the sottish Vulgar amongst the Pagans as well as they have been by learned men of these later times for so many distinct Vnmade and Self-existent Deities Nevertheless here may well be a Question started whether amongst those several Egyptian Names of God some might not signifie distinct Divine Hypostases Subordinate and particularly whether there were not some Footsteps of a Trinity to be found in the old Egyptian Theology For since Orpheus Pythagoras and Plato who all of them asserted a Trinity of Divine Hypostases unquestionably derived much of their Doctrine from the Egyptians it may reasonably be suspected that these Egyptians did the like before them And indeed Athanasius Kircherus makes no doubt at all hereof but tells us that in the Pamphylian Obelisk that First Hieroglyphick of a Winged Globe with a Serpent coming out of it was the Egyptian Hieroglyphick of a Triform Deity or Trinity of Divine Hypostases he confirming the same from the Testimony of Abenephius an Arabian Writer and a Chaldaick Fragment imputed
Independent upon the Deity since according to the best and most ancient Writers his Dyad was no Primary but a Secondary Thing only and derived from his Monad the sole Original of all things Thus Diogenes Laertius tells us that Alexander who wrote the Successions of Philosophers affirmed he had found in the Pythagorick Commentaries 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That a Monade was the Principle of all things but that from this Monade was derived infinite Duality as Matter for the Monade to work upon as the Active Cause With which agreeth Hermias affirming this to be one of the greatest of all the Pythagorick Mysteries that a Monade was the sole Principle of all things Accordingly whereunto Clomens Alexandrinus cites this Passage out of Thearidas an ancient Pythagorean in his Book concerning Nature 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The true Principle of all things was only One for this was in the beginning One and Alone Which words also seem to imply the World to have had a Novity of Existence or beginning of Duration And indeed however Ocellus Lucanus write yet that Pythagoras himself did not hold the Eternity of the World may be concluded from what Porphyrius records of him where he gives an Account of that his superstitious abstinence from Beans 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That at the beginning things being confounded and mingled together the Generation and Secretion of them afterwards proceeded by degrees Animals and Plants appearing at which time also from the same putrified Matter sprung up both Men and Beans Pythagoras is generally reported to have held a Trinity of Divine Hypostases and therefore when St. Cyril affirmeth Pythagoras to have called God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Animation of the whole Heavens and the Motion of all things adding that God was not as some supposed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without the Fabrick of the World but whole in the whole this seems properly to be understood of that Third Divine Hypostasis of the Pythagorick Trinity namely the Eternal Psyche Again when God is called in Plutarch according to Pythagoras 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mind it self this seems to be meant properly of his Second Hypostasis the Supreme Deity according to him being something above Mind or Intellect In like manner when in Cicero Pythagoras his Opinion concerning the Deity is thus represented Deum esse animum per naturam rerum omnium intentum commeantem ex quo Animi nostri carperentur That God was a Mind passing through the whole Nature of things from whom our Souls were as it were decerped or cut out And again Ex universa mente Divina delibatos esse animos nostros this in all probability was to be understood also either of the Third or Second Divine Hypostasis and not of the First which was properly called by him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Vnity and Monade and also as Plutarch tells us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Goodness it self Aristotle plainly affirmeth that some of the ancient Theologers amongst the Pagans made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Love to be the First Principle of all things that is the Supreme Deity and we have already shewed that Orpheus was one oft hese For when 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Delightful Love and that which is not blind but full of Wisdom and Counsel is made by him to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Self-perfect and the Oldest of all Things it is plain that he supposed it to be nothing less than the Supreme Deity Wherefore since Pythagoras is generally affirmed to have followed the Orphick Principles we may from hence presume that he did it in this also Though it be very true that Plato who called the Supreme Deity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as well as Pythagoras did dissent from the Orphick Theology in this and would not acknowledge Love for a name of the Supreme Deity as when in his Symposion in the person of Agatho he speaks thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Though I should readily grant to Phaedrus many other things yet I cannot consent to him in this that Love was Older than Saturn and Japet but on the contrary I do affirm him to be the Youngest of the Gods as he is always youthful They who made Love Older than Saturn as well as Japhet supposed it to be the Supreme Deity wherefore Plato here on the contrary affirms Love not to be the Supreme Deity or Creator of all but a Creature a Certain Junior God or indeed as he afterwards adds not so much a God as a Daemon it being a thing which plainly implies Imperfection in it Love saith he is a Philosopher whereas 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 no God philosophizeth nor dâ—sires to be made wise because he is so already Agreably with which Doctrine of his Plotinus determines that Love is peculiar to that middle rank of Beings called Souls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Every Soul is a Venus which is also intimated by Venus her Nativity and Loves being begotten with her wherefore the Soul being in its right natural state Loves God desiring to be united with him which is a pure heavenly and virgin Love but when it descends to Generation being courted with these Amorous allurements here below and deceived by them it changeth that its Divine and Heavenly Love for another Mortal one but if it again shake off these lascivious and wanton Loves and keep it self chast from them returning back to its own Father and Original it will be rightly affected as it ought But the reason of this difference betwixt the Orpheists and Plato that the former made Love to be the Oldest of all the Gods but the latter to be a Junior God or Daemon proceeded only from an Equivocation in the word Love For Plato's Love was the Daughter of Penia that is Poverty and Indigency together with a mixture of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Riches and being so as it were compounded of Plenty and Poverty was in plain language no other than the Love of Desire which as Aristotle affirmeth is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 accompanied with Grief and Pain But that Orphick and Pythagorick Love was nothing else but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Infinite Riches and Plenty a Love of Redundancy and Overflowing Fulness delighting to communicate it self which was therefore said to be the Oldest of all things and most Perfect that is the Supreme Deity according to which notion also in the Scripture it self God seems to be called Love though the word be not there 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But to say the Truth Parmenides his Love however made a Principle somewhere by Aristotle seems to be neither exactly the same with the Orphick nor yet with the Platonick Love it being not the Supreme Deity and yet the First of the Created Gods which appears from Simplicius his connecting these Two
shall no further pursue it in this place Thus afterwards again in the same Book 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It follows from Empedocles his Principles that God must needs be the Most Vnwise of all he alone being ignorant of that out of which all other things are compounded 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Contention because himself is nothing but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vnity and Friendship whereas Mortal Animals may know or conceive all things they being compounded of all Which same Passage we have again also in his Metaphysicks from whence it was before cited to another purpose To these might be added another place out of his Book of Generation and Corruption 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God hath filled up the Whole or Vniverse and constantly supplies the same having made a Continual Successive Generation Lastly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is sometimes plainly used by Aristotle also not for The Divinity in general or Any thing that is Divine but for that One Supreme Deity the Governour of the whole World Thus in that Passage of his Rhetorick to Alexander 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This is that wherein we Men differ from other Animals having recieved the greatest honour from God that though they be endued with Appetite and Anger and other Passions as well as we yet we alone are furnished with Speech and Reason Over and besides which Aristotle in his Metaphysicks as hath been already observed professedly opposeth that Imaginary Opinion of Many Independent Principles of the Universe that is of Many Vnmade Self-existent Deities he confuting the same from the Phaenomena because 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All things are plainly Coordered to One the whole world conspiring into One agreeing Harmony whereas if there were many Principles or Independent Deities the System of the World must needs have been 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Incoherent and Inconspiring like an Ill-agreeing Drama botch'd up of Many Impertinent Intersertions Whereupon Aristotle concludes after this manner 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But Things will not be ill administred which was then it seems a kind of Proverbial Speech and according to Homer the Government of Many is not Good nor could the affairs of the World be evenly carried on under it wherefore there is One Prince or Monarch over all From which Passage of Aristotle's it is evident that though he asserted 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Multiplicity of Gods in the Vulgar Sence as hath been already declared yet he absolutely denied 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Polyarchy or Mundane Aristocracy that is a Multiplicity of First Principles and Independent Deities Wherefore though Aristotle doted much upon that Whimsey of his of as many Intelligibles or Eternal and Immovable Minds now commonly called Intelligences as there are Movable Spheres of all kinds in the Heavens which he sticks not also sometimes to call Principles yet must he of necessity be interpreted to have derived all these from One Supreme Universal Deity which as Simplicius expresseth it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Principle of Principles and which comprehends and contains those Inferiour Deities under it after the same manner as the Primum Mobile or Highest Sphere contains all the Lesser Spheres within it Because otherwise there would not be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 One Prince or Monarch over the whole but the Government of the World would be a Polychoerany or Aristocracy of Gods concluded to be an Ill Government Moreover as Plotinus represents Aristotle's sence it is not conceivable that so many Independent Principles should thus constantly Conspire 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into one Work that Agreeable Symphony and Harmony of the Whole Heaven As there could not be any reason neither why there should be just so many of these Intelligences as there are Spheres and no more and it is absurd to suppose 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that the First Principles of the Vniverse happened by Chance Now this Highest Principle as it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 An Immovable Essence is by Aristotle in the First place supposed to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Principle of Motion in the Vniverse or at least of that Chiefest Motion of the Primum Mobile or Highest Sphere which according to the Astronomy of those times seems to have been the Sphere of Fixed Stars by whose Rapid Circumgyration all the other Spheres and Heavens were imagined to be carried round from East to West And accordingly the Supreme Deity is by Aristotle called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The First Immovable Mover or the Mover of the Primum Mobile and whole Heaven Which First Mover being concluded by him to be but One he doth from thence infer the Singularity of the Heaven or World 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There is One Numerically First Immovable Mover and no more and therefore there is but One Movable neither that is but One Heaven or World In which Doctrine of Aristotles there seems to be a Great Difference betwixt his Philosophy and that of Plato's in that Plato makes the Principle of Motion in the Heavens and Whole World to be a Self-moving Soul but Aristotle supposeth it to be an Immovable Mind or Intellect Nevertheless according to Aristotle's Explication of himself the Difference betwixt them is not great if any at all Aristotle's Immovable Mover being understood by him not to move the Heavens Efficiently but only Objectively and Finally 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as being Loved Which Conceit of his Proclus upon Plato's Timaeus perstringeth after this manner 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Some of the ancients converting the World to Mind or Intellect and making it move only by Love of that first Desirable acknowledged nothing at all to descend down from Mind or God upon the World but equalized the same with other Amiable things amongst Sensibles that have nothing Generative in their Nature Where Proclus seems to suppose Aristotle to have attributed to God no Efficiency at all upon the World the Contrary whereunto shall be evidently proved afterwards In the mean time it is certain that Aristotle besides his Immovable Mover of the Heavens which moveth only Finally or as Being Loved must needs suppose another Immediate Mover of them or Efficient Cause of that Motion which could be nothing but A Soul that enamoured with this Supreme Mind did as it were in Imitation of it continually Turn round the Heavens Which seems to be nothing but Plato's Doctrine disguised that Philosopher affirming likewise the Circular Motions of the Heavens caused Efficiently by a Soul of the World in his Timaeus to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Motion that is most agreeable to that of Mind or Wisdom And again in his Laws 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that which of all Corporeal Motions only resembles the Circuit of Intellect Which Platonick Conceit found entertainment with Boetius who writing of the Soul of the World represents it thus Quae cum Secta Duos motum
and being devoted to him and the observance of his Commandments And he affirmeth of Hercules that this great piece of Piety was so long since observed by him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that as he called Jupiter or the Supreme God his Father so did he whatsoever he did looking at him Thus M. Antoninus speaketh of a Double Relation that we all have One 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to those that live with us and another 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to that Divine Cause from which all things happen to all As likewise he affirmeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That no Humane thing is well done without a Reference to God And he excellently exhorteth men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To be delighted and satisfied with this one thing in doing one action after another tending to a Common Good or the good of Humane Society together with the Remembrance of God Lastly he declareth his own Confidence in the Supreme Deity in these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I trust and rely upon the Governour of the whole World This may be concluded also from their Thanking the One Supreme God for all as the Authour of all good and delightfully Celebrating his Praises Epictetus declares it to be the Duty of a Good man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To thank God for all things And elsewhere he speaketh thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Had we understanding what should we do else but both publickly and privately praise God bless him and return thanks to him Ought not they who dig plow and eat continually sing such a Hymn to God as this Great is that God who gave us these Organs to cultivate the earth withal Great is that God who gave us hands c. who enabled us to grow undiscernibly to breath in our sleep But the Greatest and Divinest Hymn of all is this to praise God for the Faculty of Vnderstanding all these things What then if for the most part men be blinded ought there not to be some One who should perform this office and sing a Hymn to God for all If I were a Nightingale I would perform the office of a Nightingale or a Swan that of a Swan but now being a Reasonable Creature I ought to celebrate and sing aloud the praises of God that is of the Supreme Deity Lastly the same is evident from their Invoking the Supreme God as such addressing their Devotions to him alone without the Conjunction of any other Gods and particularly imploring his Assistance against the Assaults of Temptations called by them Phancies To this purpose is that of Epictetus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This is a great Conflict or Contention a Divine Enterprize it is for Liberty and for a Kingdom Now remember the Supreme God call upon him as thy Helper and Assistant as the Mariners do upon Castor and Pollux in a Tempest He commends also this Form of Devotional Address or Divine Ejaculation which was part of Cleanthes his Litany to be used frequently upon occasion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lead me O Jupiter and Thou Fate whithersoever I am by you destin'd and I will readily and chearfully follow who though I were never so reluctant yet must needs follow Where Jupiter and Fate are really but one and the same Supreme Deity under two several Names And therefore the Sence of this Devotional Ejaculation was no less truly and faithfully than Elegantly thus rendered by Seneca Duc me Parens Celsique Dominator Poli Quocunque placuit nulla parendi est mora Assum impiger fac nolle comitabor Gemens Malusque patiar quod pati licuit bono But because many are so extremely unwilling to believe that the Pagans ever made any Religious Address to the Supreme God as such we shall here set down an Excellent and Devout Hymn of the same Cleanthes to him the rather because it hath been but little taken notice of And the more to gratifie the Reader we shall subjoyn an Elegant Translation thereof into Latin Verse which he must owe to the Muse of my Learned Friend Dr. Duport 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Magne Pater Divûm cui Nomina Multa sed Vna Omnipotens semper Virtus Tu Jupiter Autor Naturae certâ qui singula lege gubernas Rex salve Te nempe licet Mortalibus aegris Cunctis compellare omnes tua namque propago Nos sumus aeternae quasi Imago vocis Echo Tantum quotquot humi spirantes repimus Ergo Te cantabo tuum robur sine fine celebrans Quippe tuo hic totus terram qui circuit orbis Paret quoquo agis imperio ac obtemperat ultrò Invictis Telum manibus tibi tale ministrum Anceps ignitum haud moriturum denique fulmen Ictu etenim illius tota natura tremiscit Illo Communem Rationem dirigis quae Mundi agitat Molem magno se corpore miscens Tantus Tu rerum Dominus Rectorque Supremus Nec sine Te factum in terris Deus aut opus ullum Aethere nec dio fit nec per caerula ponti Errore acta suo nisi quae gen impia patrat Confusa in sese Tu dirigis ordine certo Auspice Te ingratis inest sua gratia rebus Foelice harmonia Tu scilicet omnia in Vnum Sic Bona mixta Malis compingis ut una resurgat Cunctorum Ratio communis usque perennans Quam refugit spernitque hominum mens laeva malorum Heu Miseri bona qui quaerunt sibi semper optant Divinam tamen hanc Communem denique Legem Nec spectare oculis nec fando attendere curant Cui si parerent poterant traducere vitam Cum ratione mente bonam nunc sponte feruntur In mala praecipites trahit sua quemque voluptas Hunc agit ambitio laudisque immensa cupido Illum avarities amor vesanus habendi Blanda libido alium Venerisque licentia dulcis Sic aliò tendunt alii in diversa ruentes At
calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Cause which Containeth all things and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Best and Most excellent part of the World he beginning after this manner 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is an ancient Opinion or Tradition that hath been conveyed down to all men from their Progenitors that all things are from God and consist by him and that no Nature is sufficient to preserve it self if left alone and devoid of the Divine assistance and influence Where we may observe that the Apuleian Latin Version altering the sence renders the words thus Vetus opinio est atque in cogitationes omnium hominum penitus incidit Deum esse Originis non habere auctorem Deumque esse salutem perseverantiam Earum quas essecerit rerum So that whereas in the Original Greek This is said to be the general Opinion of all mankind That all things are from God and subsist by him and that nothing at all can conserve it self in being without him Apuleius correcting the words makes the general sence of mankind to run no higher than this That there is a God who hath no author of his original and who is the safety and preservation of all those things that were made by himself From whence it may be probably concluded that Apuleius who is said to have been of Plutarch's Progeny was infected also with those Paradoxical Opinions of Plutarch's and consequently did suppose All things not to have been made by God nor to have depended on him as the Writer De Mundo affirmeth but that there was something besides God as namely the Matter and an Evil Principle Uâ—created and Self-existent Afterwards the same Writer De Mundo elegantly illustrates by Similitudes how God by One Simple Motion and Energy of his own without any labour or toil doth produce and govern all the Variety of Motions in the Universe and how he doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 contein the Harmony and Safety of the Whole And lastly he concludes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That what a Pilot is to a ship a Charioteer to a Chariot the Coryphaeus to a Quire Law to a City and a General to an Army the same is God to the World There being only this difference that whereas the Government of some of them is toilsom and sollicitous the Divine Government and Steerage of the World is most easie and facil for as this Writer adds God being himself Immovable Moveth all things in the same manner as Law in it self Immovable by Moving the minds of the Citizens orders and disposes all things Plutarchus Chaeronensis as hath been already declared was Unluckily engaged in Two False Opinions The First of Matters being Ingenit or Vncreated upon this Pretence Because Nothing could be made out of Nothing the Second of a Positive Substantial Evil Principle or an Irrational Soul and Demon Self-existent upon this Ground because 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There is no greater Absurdity imaginable than that Evil should proceed from the Providence of God as a Bad Epigramm from the will of the Poet. In which respect he was before called by us a Ditheist Plutarch was also a Worshipper of the Many Pagan Gods himself being a Priest of the Pythian Apollo Notwithstanding which he unquestionably asserted One Sole Principle of All Good the Cause of all things Evil and Matter only excepted the Framer of the Whole World and Maker of all the Gods in it who is therefore often called by him God in way of Eminency as when he affirmeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that God doth always act the Geometrician that is do all things in Measure and Proportion and again 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That all things are made by God according to Harmony and that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God is called a Harmonist and Musician And he hath these Epithets given him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Great God and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Highest or Vppermost God and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The First God and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Vnmade Self-existent God all the other Pagan Gods according to him having been made in Time together with the World He is likewise stiled by Plutarch 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Sea of Pulchritude and his Standing and Permanent Duration without any Flux of Time is excellently descibed by the same Writer in his Book concerning the Delphick Inscription Lastly Plutarch affirmeth that men generally pray to this Supreme God for whatsoever is not in their own power 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dio Chrysostomus a Sophist Plutarch's Equal though an acknowledger of Many Gods yet nevertheless asserteth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that the whole World is under a Kingly Power or Monarchy he calling the Supreme God sometime 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the common King of Gods and Men their Governour and Father 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the God that rules over all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The First and Greatest God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. The chief President over all things who orders and guides the whole Heaven and World as a wise Pilot doth a Ship 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Ruler of the whole Heaven and Lord of the Whole Essence and the like And he affirming that there is a Natural Prolepsis in the Minds of men concerning him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Concerning the nature of the Gods in general but especially of that Supreme Ruler over all there is an opinion in all humane kind as well Barbarians as Greeks that is naturally implanted in them as rational Beings and not derived from any mortal Teacher The meaning whereof is this that men are naturally possessed with a Perswasion that there is One God the Supreme Governour of the whole World and that there are also below him but above men Many other Intellectual Beings which these Pagans called Gods That Galen was no Atheist and what his Religion was may plainly appear from this one passage out of his third Book De Vsu Partium to omit many others 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Should I any longer insist upon such Brutish Persons as those the wise and sober might justly condemn me as defiling this Holy Oration which I compose as a True Hymn to the praise of him that made us I conceiving true Piety and Religion towards God to consist in this not that I should sacrifice many Hecatombs or burn much Incense to him but that I should my self first acknowledge and then declare to others how great his Wisdom is how great his Power and how great his Goodness For that he would adorn the whole world after this manner envying to nothing that good which it was capable of I conclude to be a demonstration of most absolute Goodness and thus let him be praised by us as Good And that he was able to find out how all things might be adorned after the best manner is a Sign of the
look'd upon as Barbarians and yet did they not only acknowledge One Supreme Deity but also such as was distinct from the world and therefore Invisible he writing thus concerning them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They believe that there is One Immortal God and this the Cause of all things and another Mortal one anonymous but for the most part they account their Benefactors and Kings Gods also And though Caesar affirm of the ancient Germans Deorum numero eoâ— solos ducunt quos cernunt quorum opibus apertè juvantur Solâ—m Vulcanum Lunam yet is he contradicted by Tacitus who coming after him had better information and others have recorded that they acknowledged One Supreme God under the name of Thau first and then of Thautes and Theutates Lastly the Generality of the Pagans at this very day as the Indians Chineses Siamenses and Guineans the Inhabitants of Peru Mexico Virginia and New England some of which are sufficiently Barbarous acknowledge One Supreme or Greatest God they having their several Proper Names for him as Parmiscer Fetisso Wiracocha Pachacamac Vitziliputzti c. though worshipping withal other Gods and Idols And we shall conclude this with the Testimony of Josephus Acosta Hoc commune apud omnes penè Barbaros est ut Deum quidem Omnium rerum Supremum summè Bonum fateantur Spirituum vero quorundam perversorum non obscura opinio sit qui à nostris Barbaris Zupay vocari solent Igitur quis ille Summus idemque Sempiternus rerum omnium Opifex quem illi ignorantes colunt per omnia doceri debent mox quantum ab illo illiusque fidelibus Ministris Angelis absint gens pessima Cacodaemonum This is common almost to all the Barbarians to confess one Supreme God over all who is perfectly Good as also they have a Perswasion amongst them of certain Evil Spirits which are called by our Barbarians Zupay Wherefore they ought to be first well instructed what that Supreme and Eternal Maker of all things is whom they ignorantly worship and then how great a difference there is betwixt those wicked Daemons and his faithful Ministers the Angels XXVIII It hath been already declared that according to Themistius and Symmachus two zealous Pagans One and the same Supreme God was worshipped in all the several Pagan Religions throughout the world though after different manners Which Diversity of Religions as in their opinion it was no way inconvenient in it self so neither was it Ungrateful nor Unacceptable to Almighty God it being more for his Honour State and Grandeur to be worshipped with this Variety than after one only Manner Now that this was also the opinion of other ancienter Pagans before them may appear from this remarkable Testimony of Plutarch's in his Book De Iside where defending the Egyptian Worship which was indeed the main design of that whole Book but withal declaring that no Inanimate thing ought to be look'd upon or worshipped as a God he writeth thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 No Inanimate thing ought to be esteemed for a God but they who bestow these things upon us and afford us a continual supply thereof for our use have been therefore accounted by us Gods Which Gods are not different to different Nations as if the Barbarians and the Greeks the Southern and the Northern Inhabitants of the Globe had not any the same but all other different Gods But as the Sun and the Moon and the Heaven and the Earth and the Sea are common to all though called by several names in several Countries so ONE REASON ordering these things and ONE PROVIDENCE dispensing all and the Inferiour subservient Ministers thereof having had several Names and Honours bestowed upon them by the Laws of several Countreys have been every where worshipped throughout the whole world And there have been also different Symbols consecrated to them the better to conduct and lead on mens undeâ—stâ—ndings to Divine things though this hath not been without some hazard or danger of casting men upon one or other of these Two Inconveniences either Superstition or Atheism Where Plutarch plainly affirms that the Several Religions of the Pagan Nations whether Greeks or Barbarians and among these the Egyptians also as well as others consisted in nothing else but the worshipping of One and the Same Supreme Mind Reason and Providence that orders all things in the world and of its 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 its Subservient Powers or Ministers appointed by it over all the several parts of the World though under different Names Rites and Ceremonies and with different Symbols Moreover that Titus Livius was of the very same opinion that the Pagan Gods of several Countreys though called by several Names and worshipped with so great Diversity of Rites and Ceremonies yet were not for all that Different but the same common to all may be concluded from this passage of his where he writeth of Hannibal Nescio an Mirabilior fuerit in adversis quà m secundis rebus Quippe qui mistos ex colluvione omnium gentium quibus alius Ritus alia sacra alii PROPE Dii essent ita uno vinculo copulaverit ut nulla seditio extiterit I know not whether Hannibal were more admirable in his adversity or Prosperity who having a mixt colluvies of all Nations under him which had different Rites different Ceremonies and Almost different Gods from one another did notwithstanding so unite them all together in one common bond that there hapned no sedition at all amongst them Where Livy plainly intimates that though there was as great diversity of Religious Rites and Ceremonies among the Pagans as if they had worshipped several Gods yet the Godâ— of them all were really the same Namely One Supreme God and his Ministers under him And the same Livy elsewhere declares this to have been the General opinion of the Romans and Italians likewise at that time where he tells us how they quarrel'd with Q. Fulvius Flaccus for that when being Censor and building a new Temple in Spain he uncovered another Temple dedicated to Juno Lacinia amongst the Brutii and taking off the Marble-Tyles thereof sent them into Spain to adorn his new erected Temple withal and how they accused him thereupon publickly in the Senate-house in this manner Quod ruinis Templorum Templa aedificaret tanquam non Iidem ubique Dii immortales essent sed spoliis aliorum alii colendi exornandique That with the ruines of Temples he built up Temples as if there were not every where the Same Immortal Gods but that some of them might be worshipped and adorned with the spoils of others The Egyptians were doubtless the most singular of all the Pagans and the most odly discrepant from the rest in their manner of worship yet nevertheless that these also agreed with the rest in those Fundamentals of worshipping one Supreme and Vniversal Numen together with his Inferiour Ministers as Plutarch sets himself industriously to
it was perpetually to Personate Things and Natures But the Philosophick Theology properly so called which according to Varro was that de qua multos libros Philosophi reliquerunt as it admitted none but Animal Gods and such as really existed in Nature which therefore were called Natural namely one Supreme Universal Numen a Perfect Soul or Mind comprehending all and his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 other Inferiour Understanding Beings his Ministers Created by him such as Stars and Demons so were all those Personated Gods or Natures of Things Deified in the Arcane Theology interpreted agreeably thereunto St. Austin often takes notice of the Pagans thus Mingling and as it were Incorporating Physiology with their Theology he justly condemning the same As in his 49. Epistle Neque illinc excusant impii sua Sacrilega Sacra Simulachra quòd eleganter interpretantur quid quaeque significent Omnis quippe illa Interpretatio ad Creaturam refertur non ad Creatorem cui uni debetur Servitus Religionis illa quae uno nomine Latria Graecè appellatur Neither do the Pagans sufficiently excuse their Sacrilegious Rites and Images from hence because they elegantly and ingeniously interpret what each of those things signifieth For this Interpretation is referred to the Creature and not to the Creator to whom alone belongeth Religious Worship that which by the Greeks is called Latria And again in his Book De Civ D. L. 6. c. 8. Atenim habent ista Physiologicas quasdam sicut aiunt id est Naturalium Rationum Interpretationes Quasi verò nos in hac Disputatione Physiologiam quaeramus non Theologiam id est Rationem Naturae non Dei. Quamvis enim qui verus Deus est non Opinione sed Natura sit Deus non tamen omnis Natura Deus est But the Pagans pretend that these things have certain Physiological Interpretations or according to Natural Reasons as if in this Disputation we sought for Physiology and not Theology or the Reason of Nature and not of God For although the True God be not in Opinion only but in Nature God yet is not every Nature God But certainly the First and Chief Ground of this Practice of theirs thus to Theologize Physiology and Deifie in one sence or other all the Things of Nature was no other than what has been already intimated their supposing God to be not only Diffused thorough the whole World and In all things but also in a manner All things and that therefore he ought to be worshipped in All the Things of Nature and Parts of the World Wherefore these personated Gods of the Pagans or those Things of Nature Deified by them and called Gods and Goddesses were for all that by no means accounted by the Intelligent amongst them True and Proper Gods Thus Cotta in Cicero Cum Fruges Cererem Vinum Liberum dicimus genere nos quidem sermonis utimur usitato sed ecquem tam amentem esse putas qui illud quo vescatur Deum esse credat Though it be very common and familiar language amongst us to call Corn Ceres and Wine Bacchus yet who can think any one to be so mad as to take that to be really a God which he feeds upon The Pagans really accounted that only for a God by the worshipping and invoking whereof they might reasonably expect benefit to themselves and therefore nothing was Truely and Properly a God to them but what was both Substantial and also Animant and Intellectual For Plato writes that the Atheistick Wits of his time therefore concluded the Sun and Moon and Stars not to be Gods because they were nothing but Earth and Stones or a certain Fiery Matter devoid of all Understanding and Sense and for this cause 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unable to take notice of any Humane Affairs And Aristotle affirmeth concerning the Gods in general 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. That all men conceived them to Live and consequently to Act since they cannot be supposed to sleep perpetually as Endymion did The Pagans Universally conceived the Gods to be Happy Animals and Aristotle there concludes the happiness of them all to consist in Contemplation Lucretius himself would not debar men of that Language then vulgarly received amongst the Pagans of calling the Sea Neptune Corn Ceres Wine Bacchus and the Earth the Mother of the Gods too provided that they did not think any of these for all that to be Truly and Really Gods Hîc siquis Mare Neptunum Cereremque vocare Constituit fruges Bacchi nomine abuti Mavolt quam Laticis proprium proferre vocamen Concedamus ut hic Terrarum dictitet Orbem Esse Deum Matrem dum non sit re tamen apse And the reason why the Earth was not really a Goddess is thus given by him Terra quidem vero caret omni tempore Sensu. Because it is constantly devoid of all manner of sense Thus Balbus in Cicero tells us that the first thing included in the notion or Idea of a God is this Vt sit Animans That it be Animant or endued with Life Sense and Vnderstanding And he conceiving the Stars to be undoubtedly such therefore concludes them to be Gods Quoniam tenuissimus est Aether semper agitatur viget necesse est quod Animal in eo gignatur idem quoque Sensu acerrimo esse Quare â—um in Aethere Astra gignantur consentaneum est in iis Sensum inesse Intelligentiam Ex quo efficitur in Deorum numero Astra esse ducenda Because the Aether is most subtil and in continual agitation that Animal which is begotten in it must needs be endued with the quickest and sharpest sense Wherefore since the Stars are begotten in the Aether it is reasonable to think them to have Sense and Vnderstanding from whence it follows that they ought to be reckoned in the number of Gods And Cotta in the Third Book affirms that all men were so far from thinking the Stars to be Gods that Multi ne Animantes quidem esse concedant many would not so much as admit them to be Animals plainly intimating that unless they were Animated they could not possibly by Gods Lastly Plutarch for this very reason absolutely condemns that whole practice of giving the names of Gods and Goddesses to Inanimate things as Absurd Impious and Atheistical 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They who give the names of Gods to Sensless and Inanimate Natures and Things and such as are destroyed by men in the use of them beget most wicked and Atheistical opinions in the minds of men since it cannot be conceived how these things should be Gods for nothing that is Inanimate is a God And now we have very good reason to conclude that the Distinction or Division of Pagan Gods used by some into Animal and Natural by Natural being meant Inanimate is utterly to be rejected if we speak of their True and Proper Gods since nothing was such to the
to the First God and to the Second Cause and to the Third the Soul of the World they calling this also the Third God Wherefore we think there is good reason to conclude that those Eternal or Vncreated Gods of Plato in his Timaeus whose Image or Statue this whole Generated or Created World is said by him to be were no other than his Trinity of Divine Hypostases the Makers or Creators thereof And it was before as we conceive rightly guessed that Cicero also was to be understood of the same Eternal Gods as Platonizing when he affirmed A Diis omnia à Principio facta That all things were at first made by the Gods and à Providentiâ Deorum Mundum omnes Mundi partes constitutas esse That the World and all its Parts were constituted by the Providence of the Gods But that the Second Hypostasis in Plato's Trinity viz. Mind or Intellect though said to have been Generated or to have Proceeded by way of Emanation from the First called Tagathon The Good was notwithstanding unquestionably acknowledged to have been Eternal or without Beginning might be proved by many express Testimonies of the most Genuine Platonists but we shall here content our selves only with Two one of Plotinus writing thus concerning it Enn. 5. L. 1. c. 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Let all Temporal Generation here be quite banished from our thoughts whilst we treat of things Eternal or such as alwayes are we attributing Generation to them only in respect of Causality and Order but not of Time And though Plotinus there speak particularly of the Second Hypostasis or Nous yet does he afterwards extend the same also to the Third Hypostasis of that Trinity called Psyche or the Mundane Soul which is there said by him likewise to be the Word of the Second as that Second was the Word of the First 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That which is Generated from what is better than Mind can be no other than Mind because Mind is the Best of all things and every thing else is after it and Junior to it as Psyche or Soul which is in like manner the Word of Mind and a certain Energy thereof as Mind is the Word and Energy of the First Good The other Testimony is of Porphyrius cited by S. Cyril out of the Fourth Book of his Philosophick History where he sets down the Doctrine of Plato after this manner 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Wherefore we ought not to entertain any other Principles but having placed First the Simple Good to set Mind or the Supreme Intellect next after it and then the Vniversal Soul in the third place For this is the right order according to Nature neither to make More Intelligibles or Universal Principles nor yet Fewer than these three For he that will contract the number and make fewer of them must of necessity either suppose Soul and Mind to be the same or else Mind and the First Good But that all these three are divers from one another hath been often demonstrated by us It remains now to consider that if there be more than these three Principles what Natures they should be c. Thirdly as all these three Platonick Hypostases are Eternal and Necessarily Existent so are they plainly supposed by them not to be Particular but Vniversal Beings that is such as do 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 contain and comprehend the whole World under them and preside over all things which is all one as to say that they are each of them Infinite and Omnipotent For which reason are they also called by Platonick Writers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Principles and Causes and Opificers of the whole World First as for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mind or Vnderstanding Whereas the Old Philosophers before Plato as Anaxagoras Archelaus c. and Aristotle after him supposed Mind and Vnderstanding to be the very First and Highest Principle of all which also the Magick or Caldee Oracles take notice of as the most Common opinion of mankind 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That Mind is generally by all men look'd upon as the First and Highest God Plato considering that Vnity was in order of Nature before Number and Multiplicity and that there must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 before 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Intelligible before Intellect so that Knowledge could not be the First and Lastly that there is a Good transcending that of Knowledge made One most Simple Good the Fountain and Original of all things and the First Divine Hypostatis and Mind or Intellect only the Second next to it but Inseparable from it and most nearly Cognate with it For which cause in his Philebus though he agree thus far with those other Ancient Philosophers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Mind alwayes rules over the whole Vniverse yet does he add afterwards 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Mind is not absolutely the First Principle but Cognate with the Cause of all things and that therefore it rules over all things with and in a kind of subordination to that First Principle which is Tagathon or the Highest Good Where when Plato affirms that Mind or his Second Divine Hypostasis is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with the First it is all one as if he should have said that it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with it all which words are used by Athanasius as Synonymous with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Co-Essential or Con-Substantial So that Plato here plainly and expresly agrees or Symbolizes not with the Doctrine of Arius but with that of the Nicene Council and Athanasius that the Second Hypostasis of the Trinity whether called Mind or Word or Son is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Co-Essential or Con-Substantial with the First and therefore not a Creature And then as for the Third Hypostasis called Psyche or the Superiour Mundane Soul Plato in his Cratylus bestowing the name of Zeus that is of the Supreme God upon it and etymologizing the same from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 adds these words concerning it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There is nothing which is more the Cause of Life to us and all other Animals than this Prince and King of all things And that therefore God was called by the Greeks Zeus because it is by him that all Animals live And yet that all this was properly meant by him of the Third Hypostasis of his Trinity called Psyche is manifest from those words of his that follow where he expounds the Poetick Mythology before mentioned making Zeus to be the Son of Chronos 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is agreeable to reason that Zeus should be the Progeny or Off-spring of a certain great Mind Now 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are equivalent Terms
it though seemingly repugnant and clashing with one another yet in their opinion fairly Reconciled and Salved by this Trinity of Divine Hypostases Subordinate Lastly they pretend also that according to this Hypothesis of theirs there may be some Reasonable Satisfaction given to the Mind of Man both why there are so many Divine Hypostases and why there could be no more whereas according to other ways it would seem to have been a meer Arbitrary Business and that there might have been either but One Solitary Divine Hypostasis or but a Duality of them or else they might have been beyond a Trinity Numberless The Second Thing which we shall observe concerning the most Genuine Platonical and Parmenidian Trinity is this That though these Philosophers sometimes called their Three Divine Hypostases not only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Three Natures and Three Principles and Three Causes and Three Opificers but also Three Gods and a First and Second and Third God yet did they often for all that suppose all these Three to be Really One 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 One Divinity or Numen It hath been already proved from Origen and others that the Platonists most commonly called the Animated World the Second God though some of them as for example Numenius styled it the Third God Now those of them who called the World the Second God attributed indeed not more but less Divinity to it than those who would have it to be the Third God Because these Latter supposed that Soul of the World to be the Third Hypostasis of their Trinity but the other taking all these Three Divine Hypostases together for One Supreme and First God called the World the Second God they supposing the Soul thereof to be another Soul Inferiour to that First Psyche which was properly their Third Hypostasis Wherefore this was really all one as if they should have called the Animated World the Fourth God only by that other way of reckoning when they called it a Second God they intimated that though those Three Divine Hypostases were frequently called Three Gods yet were they notwithstanding Really all but One 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Divinity or Numen or as Plotinus speaks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Divinity which is in the whole World Thus when God is so often spoken of in Plato Singularly the word is not always to be understood of the First Hypostasis only or the Tagathon but many times plainly of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the First and Second and Third all together or that whole Divinity which consisteth or is made up of these Three Hypostases And this will further appear from hence because when the whole World is said in Plato to be the Image of the Eternal Gods as also by Plotinus of the First Second and Third by whom it is always produced anew as the Image in a Glass is this is not to be understood as if the World being Tripartite each Third part thereof was severally produced or Created by one of those Three nor yet can it be conceived how there could be Three Really distinct Creations of One and the same thing Wherefore the World having but one Creation and being Created by those Three Divine Hypostases it follows that they are all Three Really but One Creator and One God Thus when both in Plato and Plotinus the Lives and Souls of all Animals as Stars Demons and Men are attributed to the Third Hypostasis the First and great Psyche as their Fountain and Cause after a Special Manner accordingly as in our Creed the Holy Ghost is styled the Lord and Giver of Life this is not so to be understood as if therefore the First and Second Hypastases were to be excluded from having any Causality therein For the First is styled by Plato also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Cause of all Good things and therefore doubtless chiefly of Souls and the Second is called by him and others too 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Cause and Artificer of the whole World We conclude therefore that Souls being Created by the Joynt Concurrence and Influence of these Three Hypostases Subordinate they are all Really but One and the same God And thus it is expresly affirmed by Porphyrius in St. Cyril 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That the Essence of the Divinity proceeds or propagates it self by way of descent downwards unto Three Hypostases or Subsistences The Highest God is the Tagathon or Supreme Good the Second next after him is the Demiurgus so called the Architect or Artificer of the World and the Soul of the World that is the Third for the Divinity extendeth so far as to this Soul Here we plainly see that though Porphyrius calls the Three Divine Hypostases Three Gods yet does he at the very same time declare that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Essence of the Godhead and the Divinity extends it self to all these Three Hypostases including the Third and last also which they call the Mundane Soul within the compass of it And therefore that even according to the Porphyrian Theology it self which could not be suspected to affect any compliance with Christianity the Three Hypostases in the Platonick Trinity are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Co-Essential both as being each of them God and as being all One God St Cyril himself also acknowledging as much where he writeth thus of the Platonists 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That supposing Three Hypostases which have the Nature of Principles in the Vniverse they extend the Essence of God to all these three Hypostases Indeed many conceive that the Platonists making the Three Hypostases of Their Trinity to be thus Gradually Subordinate one to another could not for that very Reason acknowledge them to be One Divinity but the Platonists themselves do upon this very account and no other declare all these Three to be One Divinity because they have an Essential Dependence and Gradual Subordination in them the Second being but the Image of the First and the Third the Image both of the First and Second Whereas were these Three supposed to be Perfectly Co-Equal and to have no Essential Dependence one upon another they could not by these Platonists be concluded to be any other than Three Coordinate Gods having only a Generical or Specifical Identity and so no more One than Three men are One man a thing which the Platonick Theology is utterly abhorrent from as that which is inconsistent with the Perfect Monarchy of the Universe and highly Derogatory from the honour of the Supreme God First Cause For example should Three Suns appear in the Heaven all at once with Co-equal Splendor and not only so but also be concluded that though at First derived or Lighted and Kindled from one yet they were now all alike Absolute and Independent these Three could not so well be thought to be one Sun as Three that should
Trinity was doubtless Anti-Arian or else the Arian Trinity Anti-Platonick the Second and Third Hypostases in the Platonick Trinity being both Eternal Infinite and Immutable And as for those Platonick 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Gradations so much spoken of these by St. Cyril's leave were of a different Kind from the Arian there being not the Inequality of Creatures in them to the Creator Wherefore Socrates the Ecclesiastick Historian not without Cause wonders how those Two Presbyters Georgius and Timotheus should adhere to the Arian Faction since they were accounted such great Readers of Plato and Origen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It seems to me wonderful how those Two Persons should persist in the Arian Perswasion one of them having always Plato in his hands and the other continually breathing Origen Since Plato no where affirmeth his First and Second Cause as he was wont to call them to have had any beginning of their Existence and Origen every where confesseth the Son to be Coeternal with the Father Besides which Another Reason for this Apology of the Christian Platonist was because as the Platonick Pagans after Christianity did approve of the Christian Doctrine concerning the Logos as that which was exactly agreeable with their own so did the Generality of the Christian Fathers before and after the Nicene Council represent the Genuine Platonick Trinity as really the same thing with the Christian or as approaching so near to it that they differed chiefly in Circumstances or the manner of Expression The Former of these is Evident from that famous Passage of Amelius Contemporary with Plotinus recorded by Eusebius St. Cyril and Theodoret 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And this was the Logos or Word by whom Existing from Eternity according to Heraclitus all things were made and whom that Barbarian also placeth in the rank and dignity of a Principle affirming him to have been with God and to be God and that all things were made by him and that whatsoever was made was Life and Being in him As also that he descended into a Body and being cloathed in Flesh appeared as a Man though not without demonstration of the Divinity of his Nature But that afterwards being Loosed or Separated from the same he was Deified and became God again such as he was before he came down into a Mortal Body In which words Amelius speaks favourably also of the Incarnation of that Eternal Logos And the same is further manifest from what St. Austin writeth concerning a Platonist in his time Initium Sancti Evangelii cui nomen est secundum Johannem quidam Platonicus sicut à sancto Sene Simpliciano qui posteà Mediolanensi Ecclesiae praesedit Episcopus solebamus audire aureis Literis conscribendum per omnes Ecclesias in locis eminentissimis proponendum esse dicebat We have often heard from that holy man Simplicianus afterward Bishop of Millain that a certain Platonist affirmed the beginning of St. John 's Gospel deserved to be writ in Letters of Gold and to be set up in all the most Eminent places throughout the Christian Churches And the latter will sufficiently appear from these following Testimonies Justin Martyr in his Apology affirmeth of Plato 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. That he gave the Second place to the Word of God and the Third to that Spirit which is said to have moved upon the waters Clemens Alexandrinus speaking of that Passage in Plato's Second Epistle to Dionysius concerning the First Second and Third writeth thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I understand this no otherwise than that the Holy Trinity is signified thereby the Third being the Holy Ghost and the Second the Son by whom all things were made according to the Will of the Father Origen also affirmeth the Son of God to have been plainly spoken of by Plato in his Epistle to Hermias and Coriscus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Celsus who pretendeth to know all things and who citeth so many other passages out of Plato doth purposely as I suppose dissemble and conceal that which he wrote concerning the Son of God in his Epistle to Hermias and Coriscus where he calls him the God of the whole Vniverse and the Prince of all things both present and future afterwards speaking of the Father of this Prince and Cause And again elsewhere in that Book he writeth to the same purpose 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Neither would Celsus here speaking of Chistians making Christ the Son of God take any notice of that passage in Plato 's Epistle before mentioned concerning the Framer and Governour of the whole world as being the Son of God lest he should be compelled by the Authority of Plato whom he so often magnifieth to agree with this Doctrine of ours that the Demiurgus of the whole World is the Son of God but the First and Supreme Deity his Father Moreover St. Cyprian or who ever were the Author of the Book inscribed De Spiritu Sancto affirmeth the Platonists First and Vniversal Psyche to be the same with the Holy Ghost in the Christian Theology in these words Hujus Sempiterna Virtus Divinitas cum in propria natura ab Inquisitoribus Mundi antiquis Philosophis propriè investigari non posset Subtilissimis tamen intuiti conjecturis Compositionem Mundi distinctis Elementorum affectibus praesentem omnibus Animam adfuisse dixerunt quibus secundum genus ordinem singulorum vitam praeberet motum intransgressibiles figeret Metas Stabilitatem assignaret Vniversam hanc Vitam hunc motum hanc rerum Essentiam Animam Mundi vocaverunt In the next place Eusebius Caesariensis gives a full and clear Testimony of the Concordance and Agreement of the Platonick at least as to the main with the Christian Trinity which he will have to have been the Cabala of the ancient Hebrews thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. The Oracles of the Hebrews placing the Holy Ghost after the Father and the Son in the Third Rank and acknowledging a Holy and Blessed Trinity after this manner so as that this Third Power does also transcend all Created Nature and is the First of those Intellectual Substances which proceed from the Son and the Third from the First Cause see how Plato Enigmatically declareth the same things in his Epistle to Dionysius in these words c. These things the Interpreters of Plato refer to a First God and to a Second Cause and to a Third the Soul of the World which they call also The Third God And the Divine Scriptures in like manner rank the Holy Trinity of Father Son and Holy Ghost in the place or degree of a Principle But it is most observable what Athanasius himself affirmeth of the Platonists that though they derived the Second Hypostasis of their Trinity from the First and the Third from the Second yet they supposed both their Second and Third Hypostases to be Vncreated and therefore does he send the Arians to
For as every one that hath a Conception of a Plain Triangle in general doth not therefore know that it includes this Property in it to have Three Angles Equal to Two Right ones nor doth every one who hath an Idea of a Rectangular Triangle presently understand that the Square of the Substense is Equal to the Squares of both the Sides so neither doth every one who hath a Conception of a Perfect Being therefore presently know all that is included in that Idea Moreover men may easily mistake things for Absolute Perfections which are not such as hath been partly already shewed And now whereas the Atheists pretend in the next place to give an Account of that Supposed Contradictiousness in the Idea and Attributes of God namely that it proceeded principally from Fear or the Confounded Nonsence of mens Astonished Minds huddling up together all Imaginable Attributes of Honour Courtship and Complement without any Philosophick Truth Sence or Signification as also in part from the Fiction and Imposture of Politicians all this hath been already prevented and the Foundation thereof quite taken away by our shewing that there is nothing in the Genuine Idea of God and his Attributes but what is Demostrable of a Perfect Being and that there cannot be the least either Added to that Idea or Detracted from it any more than there can be any thing Added to or Detracted from the Idea of a Triangle or of a Square From whence it follows unavoidably that there cannot possibly be any thing either Contradictious or Arbitrarious in the Divine Idea and that the Genuine Attributes thereof are Attributes of Necessary Philosophick Truth namely such as do not only speak the Piety Devotion and Reverence of mens own Minds but declare the Real Nature of the thing it self Wherefore when a Modern Atheistick Writer affirmeth of all those who Reason and conclude concerning God's Nature from his Attributes That Losing their Vnderstanding in the very first attempt they fall from one Inconvenience or Absurdity to another without end after the same manner as when one ignorant of Court-ceremonies coming into the presence of a greater person than he was wont to speak to and stumbling at his entrance to save himself from falling lets slip his Cloak to recover his Cloak le ts fall his Hat and so with one disorder after another discovers his Rusticity and Astonishment We say that though there be something of Wit and Phancy in this yet as it is applied to Theology and the Genuine Attributes of the Deity there is not the least of Philosophick Truth However we deny not but that some either out of Superstition or else out of Flattery for thus are they stiled by St. Jerome Stulti Adulatores Dei Foolish Flatterers of God Almighty have sometimes attributed such things to him as are Incongruous to his Nature and under a pretence of Honouring him by Magnifying his Power and Sovereignty do indeed most highly Dishonour him they representing him to be such a Being as is no way Amiable or Desirable But the Atheists are most of all concerned to give an Account of that Vnquestionable Phenomenon the General Perswasion of the Existence of a God in the Minds of men and their Propâ—nsity to Religion in all ages and places of the world whence this should come if there be really no such thing in Nature And this they think to do in the Last place also Partly from mens Own Fear together with their Ignorance of Causes and Partly from the Fiction of Lawmakers and Politicians they endeavouring thereby to keep men to Civil Subjection under them Where we shall First plainly and Nakedly dâ—clare the Atheists meaning and then manifest the Invalidity and Foolery of these their Pretences to salve the forementioned Phenomenon First therefore these Atheists affirm That mankind by reason of their Natural Imbecillity are in perpetual Solicitude Anxiety and Fear concerning Future Events or their Good and Evil Fortune to come and this Passion of Fear inclining men to Imagine things Formidable and Fearful and to Suspect or Believe the Existence of what really is not I say that this Distrustful Fear and Jealousie in the Minds of men concerning their Future Condition raises up to them the Phantasm of a most Affrightful Spectre an Invisible Vnderstanding Being Arbitrarily Governing and Swaying the affairs of the whole World and at pleasure Tyrannizing over Mankind And when mens Exorbitant Fear and Fancy has thus raised up to it self such a Mormo or Bugbear such an Affrightful Spectre as this a thing that is really no Inhabitant of the World or of Heaven but only of mens Brains they afterward stand in awe of this their Own Imagination and Tremblingly worship this Creature and Figment of their own Fear and Phancy as a thing Really Existing without them or a God devising all manner of expressions of Honour and Reverence towards it and anxiously endeavouring by all ways conceivable to Propitiate and Atone the same And thus have they brought upon themselves a most heavie Yoke of Bondage and filled their Lives with all manner of Bitterness and Misery Again to this Fear of Future Events the Atheists add also Ignorance of Causes as a further Account of this Phenomenon of Religion so generally entertained in the world For Mankind say they are Naturally Inquisitive into the Causes of things and that not only of the Events of their Own Good and Evil Fortune but also of the Phaenomena of the World and the Effects of Nature And such is their Curiosity that wheresoever they can discover no Visible and Natural Causes there are they prone to Feign and Imagine other Causes Invisible and Supernatural As it was observed of the Tragick Dramatists that whenever they could not well extricate themselves they were wont to bring in a God upon the Stage and as Aristotle recordeth of Anaxagoras that he never betook himself to Mind or Vnderstanding that is to God for a Cause but only then when he was at a loss for other Natural and Necessary Causes From whence these Atheists would infer that nothing but Ignorance of Causes made Anaxagoras to assert a Deity Wherefore it is no wonder say they if the Generality of Mankind being Ignorant of the Causes almost of all Events and Effects of Nature have by reason of their Natural Curiosity and Fear Feigned or Introduced one Invisible Power or Agent Omnipotent as the Supreme Cause of all things they betaking themselves thereto as to a kind of Refuge Asylum or Sanctuary for their Ignorance These two Accounts of the Phenomenon of Religion from mens Fear and Solicitude about Future Events and from their Ignorance of Causes together with their Curiosity are thus joyned together by a Modern Writer Perpetual fear of Future Evils always accompanying mankind in the Ignorance of Causes as it were in the Dark must needs have for Object Something And therefore when there is nothing to be seen there is nothing to accuse for their Evil Fortune but some
they plunge themselves into Fear for they who are without Hope can never be free from Fear Endless of necessity must the Fears and Anxieties of those men be who shake off that One Fear of God that would only preserve them from Evil and have no Faith nor Hope in him Wherefore we might conclude upon better grounds than the Atheists do of Theism that Atheism which hath no foundation at all in Nature nor in Reason springs first from the Imposture of Fear For the Faith of Religion being the Substance or Confidence of such things not seen as are to be Hoped for Atheistick Insidelity must needs on the contrary be a certain heavy Diffidence Despondence and Misgiving of Mind or a Timorous Distrust and Disbelief of Good to be Hoped for beyond the reach of Sense namely of an Invisible Being Omnipotent that exerciseth a Just Kind and Gracious Povidence over all those who commit their ways to him with an endeavour to please him both here in this Life and after Death But Vice or the Love of Lawless Liberty prevailing over such Disbelieving persons makes them by degrees more and more desirous that there should be no God that is no such Hinderer of their Liberty and to count it a happiness to be freed from the Fear of him whose Justice if he were they must needs be obnoxious to And now have we made it Evident that these Atheists who make Religion and the Belief of a God to proceed from the Imposture of Fear do first of all disguise the Deity and put a Monstrous Horrid and Affrightful Vizard upon it transforming it into such a thing as can only be Feared and Hated and then do they conclude concerning it as well indeed they may that there is no such thing as this really Existing in Nature but that it is only a Mormo or Bugbear raised up by mens Fear and Phansie Of the Two it might better be said that the Opinion of a God sprung from mens Hope of Good than from their Fear of Evil but really it springs neither from Hope nor Fear however in different Circumstances it raises both those Passions in our Minds nor is it the Imposture of any Passion but that whose Belief is supported and Sustained by the strongest and clearest Reason as shall be declared in due place But the Sense of a Deity often Preventing Ratiocination in us and urging it self more Immediately upon us it is certain that there is also besides a Rational Belief thereof a Natural Prolepsis or Anticipation in the Minds of men concerning it which by Aristotle is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A Vaticination Thus have we sufficiently confuted the First Atheistick Pretence to salve the Phaenomenon of Religion and the Belief of a God so generally entertained from the Imposture of Fear we come now to the Second That it proceeded from the Ignorance of Causes also or Mens want of Philosophy they being prone by reason of their Innate Curiosity where they find no Causes to make or feign them and from their Fear in the Absence of Natural and Necessary Causes to imagine Super-natural and Divine this also affording them a handsom Cover and Pretext for their Ignorance For which cause these Atheists stick not to affirm of God Almighty what some Philosophers do of Occult Qualities that he is but Persugium Asylum Ignorantiae a Refuge and Shelter for mens Ignorance that is in plain and downright Languâ—ge The meer Sanctuary of Fools And these two things are here commonly joyned together by these Atheists both Fear and Ignorance of Causes as which joyntly concurr in the Production of Theism Because as the Fear of Children raises up Bugbears especially in the Dark so do they suppose in like manner the Fear of men in the Darkness of their Ignorance of Causes especially to raise up the Mormo Spectre or Phantasm of a God which is thus intimated by the Epicurean Poet Omnia Caecis In tenebris Metuunt And accordingly Democritus gave this account of the Original of Theism or Religion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That when in old times men observed strange and affrightful things in the Meteors and the Heaven as Thunder Lightning Thunderbolts Eclipses they not knowing the Causes thereof being terrified thereby presently imputed them to the Gods And Epicurus declares this to have been the reason why he took such great pains in the study of Physiology that by finding out the Natural and Necessary Causes of things he might be able to free both himself and others from the Terrour of a God which would otherwise Invade and Assault them the Importunity of mens minds when-ever they are at a loss for Natural Causes urging them so much with the Fear Suspicion and Jealousie of a Deity Wherefore the Atheists thus dabling in Physiology and finding out as they conceive Material and Mechanical Causâ—s for some of the Phaenomâ—na of Nature and especially for such of them as the unskilful Vulgar some times impute to God himâ—elf when they can prove Eclipses for example to be no Miracles and render it probable that Thunder is not the Voice of God Almighty himself as it were roaring above in the Heavens meerly to affright and amaze poor Mortals and make them quake and tremble and that Thunderbolts are not there flung by his own hands as the direful messengers of his wrath and displeasure they presently conclude triumphantly thereupon concerning Nature or Matter that it doth Ipsa suâ per se sponte omnia Diis agere expers Do all things alone of it self without a God But we shall here make it appear in a few Instances as briefly as we may that Philosophy and the True Knowledge of Causes leads to God and that Atheism is nothing but Ignorance of Causes and of Philosophy For first no Atheist who derives all from sensless Atoms or Matter is able to assign any Cause at all of Himself or give any true account of the Original of his own Soul or Mind it being utterly Unconceivable and Impossible that Soul and Mind Sense Reason and Vnderstanding should ever arise from Irrational and Sensless Matter however modified or result from Atoms devoid of all manner of Qualities that is from meer Magnitude Figure Site and Motion of Parts For though it be indeed absurd to say as these Atheists alledge that Laughing and Crying Things are made out of Laughing and Crying Principles Et Ridere potest non ex Ridentibu ' factus Yet does it not therefore follow that Sensitive and Rational Beings might result from a Composition of Irrational and Sensless Atoms which according to the Democritick Hypothesis have nothing in them but Magnitude Figure Site and Motion or Rest. Because Laughing and Crying are Motions which result from the Mechanism of Humane Bodies in such a manner Organized but Sense and Vnderstanding are neither Local Motion nor Mechanism And the Case will be the very same both in the Anaximandrian or Hylopathian and in the
Stratonick or Hylozoick Atheism because Sense and Conscious Vnderstanding could no more result either from those Qualities of Heat and Cold Moist and Dry contempered together or from the meer Organization of Inanimate and Sensless Matter than it could from the Concursus Motus Ordo Positura Figurae of Atoms devoid of all manner of Qualities Had there been once nothing but Sensless Matter Fortuitously Moved there could never have emerged into Being any Soul or Mind Sense and Vnderstanding because no Effect can possibly transcend the Perfection of its Cause Wherefore Atheists supposing Themselves and all Souls and Minds to have sprung from Stupid and Sensless Matter and all that Wisdom which is any where in the World both Political and Philosophical to be the Result of meer Fortune and Chance must needs be concluded to be Grosly Ignorant of Causes which had they not been they could never have been Atheists So that Ignorance of Causes is the Seed not of Theism but of Atheism true Philosophy and the Knowledge of the Cause of our Selves leading necessarily to a Deity Again Atheists are Ignorant of the Cause of Motion in Bodies also by which notwithstanding they suppose all things to be done that is they are never able to Salve this Phaenomenon so long as they are Atheists and acknowledge no other Substance besides Matter or Body For First it is undeniably certain that Motion is not Essential to all Body as such because then no Particles of Matter could ever Rest and consequently there could have been no Generation nor no such Mundane System produced as this is which requires a certain Proportionate Commixture of Motion and Rest no Sun nor Moon nor Earth nor Bodies of Animals since there could be no Coherent Consistency of any thing when all things flutter'd and were in continual Separation and Divulsion from one another Again it is certain likewise that Matter or Body as such hath no Power of Moving it self Freely or Spontaneously neither by Will or Appetite both because the same Inconvenience would from hence ensue likewise and because the Phaenomena or Appearances do plainly evince the contrary And as for that Prodigiously Absurd Paradox of some few Hylozoick Atheists that all Matter as such and therefore every Smallest Particle thereof hath not only Life Essentially belonging to it but also Perfect Wisdom and Knowledge together with Appetite and Self-moving Power though without Animal Sense or Consciousness this I say will be elsewhere in due place further confuted But the Generality of the ancient Atheists that is the Anaximandrians and Democriticks attributed no manner of Life to Matter as such and therefore could ascribe no Voluntary or Spontaneous Motion to the same but Fortuitous only according to that of the Epicurean Poet already cited Nam certè neque Consilio Primordia rerum Ordine se quaeque atque sagaci mente locarunt Nec quos quaeque darent Motus pepigere profectó Wherefore these Democriticks as Aristotle somewhere intimates were able to assign no other Cause of Motion than only this That One Body moved another from Eternity Infinitely so that there was no 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 no First Vnmoved Mover ever to be found because there is no Beginning nor First in Eternity From whence probably that Doctrine of some Atheistick Stoicks in Alex. Aphrodisius was derived That there is no First in the rank and order of Causes In the footsteps of which Philosophers a Modern Writer seemeth to have trodden when declaring himself after this manner Si quis ab Effectu quocunque ad Causam ejus Immediatam atque inde and Remotiorem ac sic perpetuò ratiocinatione ascenderit non tamen in aeternum procedere poterit sed defatigatus aliquando deficiet If any one will from whatsoever Effect ascend upward to its Immediate Cause and from thence to a Remoter and so onwards perpetually in his Ratiocination yet shall he never be able to hold on thorough all Eternity but at length being quite tyred out with his Journey be forced to desist or give over Which seems to be all one as if he should have said One thing Moved or Caused another Infinitely from Eternity in which there being no Beginning there is consequently no First Mover or Cause to be reach'd unto But this Infinite Progress of these Democriticks in the Order of Causes and their shifting off the Cause of Motion from one thing to another without end or beginning was rightly understood by Aristotle to be indeed the Assigning of No Cause of Motion at all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They acknowledging saith he no First Mover according to Nature must needs make an idle Progress Infinitely that is in the Language of this Philosopher assign no Cause at all of Motion Epicurus therefore to mend the matter though according to the Principles of the Atomick Physiology he discarded all other Qualities yet did he notwithstanding admit this One Quality of Gravity or Ponderosity in Atoms pressing them continually downwards in Infinite Space In which as nothing could be more Absurd nor Vnphilosophical than to make Vpwards and Downwards in Infinite Space or a Gravity tending to no Centre nor Place of Rest so did he not assign any Cause of Motion neither but only in effect affirm the Atoms therefore to tend Downwards because they did so a Quality of Gravity signifying only an Endeavour to tend Downwards but Why or Wherefore no body knows And it is all one as if Epicurus should have said that Atoms moved Downwards by an Occult Quality he either betaking himself to this as an Asylum a Sanctuary or Refuge for his Ignorance or else indeed more absurdly making his very Ignorance it self disguized under that name of a Quality to be the Cause of Motion Thus the Atheists universally either assigned no Cause at all for Motion as the Anaximandrians and Democriticks or else no True one as the Hylozoists when to avoid Incorporeal Substance they would venture to attribute Perfect Vnderstanding Appetite or Will and Self-moving Power to all Sensless Matter whatsoever But since it appears plainly that Matter or Body cannot Move it self either the Motion of all Bodies must have no manner of Cause or else must there of necessity be some other Substance besides Body such as is Self-active and Hylarchical or hath a Natural Power of Ruling over Matter Upon which latter account Plato rightly determin'd that Cogitation which is Self-activity or Autochinesie was in order of Nature before the Local Motion of Body which is Heterochinesie Though Motion considered Passively in Bodies or taken for their Translation or Change of Distance and Place be indeed a Corporeal thing or a Mode of those Bodies themselves moving yet as it is considered Actively for the Vis Movens that Active Force which causes this Translation or Change of Place so is it an Incorporeal thing the Energy of a Self-Active Substance upon that sluggish Matter or Body which cannot at all move it self Wherefore in the Bodies of
Animals the True and Proper Cause of Motion or the Determination thereof at least is not the Matter it self Organized but the Soul either as Cogitative or Plastickly-Self Active Vitally united thereunto and Naturally Ruling over it But in the whole World it is either God himsel◠Originally impressing a certain Quantity of Motion upon the Matter of the Universe and constantly conserving the same according to that of the Sripture In him we Live Move which seems to have been the Sence also of that Noble Agrigentine Poet and Philosopher when he described God to be only A Pure or Holy Mind that with swift thoughts agitates the whole World or else it is Instrumentally an Inferiour Created Spirit Soul or Life of Nature that is a Subordinate Hylarchical Principle which hath a Power of Moving Matter Regularly according to the Direction of a Superiour Perfect Mind And thus do we see again that Ignorance of Causes is the Seed of Atheism and not of Theism no Atheists being able to assign a true Cause of Motion the Knowledge whereof plainly leadeth to a God Furthermore those Atheists who acknowledge no other Principle of things but Sensless Matter Fortuitously moved must needs be Ignorant also of the Cause of that Grand Phaenomenon called by Aristotle the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Well and Fit in Nature that is of the most Artificial Frame of the whole Mundane System in General and of the Bodies of Animals in Particular together with the Conspiring Harmony of all For they who boasted themselves able to give Natural Causes of all things whatsoever without a God can give no other Cause at all of this Phaenomenon but only that the World Happened by Chance to be thus made as it is Now they who make Fortune and Chance to be the only Cause of this so Admirable Phaenomenon the most Regular and Artificial Frame and Harmony of the Vniverse they either make the meer Absence and Want of a Cause to be a Cause Fortune and Chance being nothing else but the Absence or want of an Intending Cause Or else do they make their own Ignorance of a Cause and They know not How to be a Cause as the Author of the Leviathan interprets the meaning hereof Many times saith he men put for Cause of Natural Events their own Ignorance but disguised in other words as when they say that Fortune is the Cause of things Contingent that is of things whereof they know no Cause Or they affirm against all Reason one Contrary to be the Cause of another as Confusion to be the Cause of Order Pulchritude and Harmony Chance and Fortune to be the Cause of Art and Skill Folly and Nonsence the Cause of the most Wise and Regular Contrivance Or Lastly they deny it to have any Cause at all since they deny an Intending Cause and there cannot Possibly be any other Cause of Artificialness and Conspiring Harmony than Mind and Wisdom Councel and Contrivance But because the Atheists here make some Pretences for this their Ignorance we shall not conceal any of them but bring them all to light to the end that we may discover their Weakness and Foolery First therefore they Pretend that the World is not so Artificially and Well made but that it might have been made much Better and that there are many Faults and Flaws to be found therein from whence they would infer that it was not made by a God he being supposed by Theists to be no Bungler but a Perfect Mind or a Being Infinitely Good and Wise who therefore should have made all things for the Best But this being already set down by it self as a Twelfth Atheistick Objection against a Deity we must reserve the Confutation thereof for its proper place Only we shall observe thus much here by the way That those Theists of Later times who either because they Fancy a meer Arbitary Deity or because their Faith in the Divine Goodness is but weak or because they Judge of things according to their own Private Appetites and Selfish Passions and not with a Free Uncaptivated Vniversality of Mind and an Impartial Regard to the Good of the Whole or because they look only upon the Present Scene of things and take not in the Future into consideration nor have a Comprehensive View of the whole Plot of Divine Providence together or lastly because we Mortals do all stand upon too Low a Ground to take a commanding view and Prospect upon the whole Frame of things and our shallow Understandings are not able to fathom the Depths of the Divine Wisdom nor trace all the Methods and Designs of Providence grant That the World might have been made much Better than now it is which indeed is all one as to say that it is Not Well made these Neoterick Christians I say seem hereby to give a much greater advantage to the Atheists than the Pagan Theists themselves heretofore did who stood their Ground and generously maintained against them that Mind being the Maker of all things and not Fortune or Chance nor Arbitary Self-will and Irational Humour Omnipotent the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that which is Absolutely the Best in every case so far as the Necessity of things would admit and in compliance with the Good of the Whole was the Measure and Rule both of Nature and Providence Again the Atomick Atheists further alledge that though there be many things in the world which serve well for Vses yet it does not at all follow that therefore they were made Intentionally and Designedly for those Vses because though things Happen by Chance to be so or so Made yet may they serve for something or other afterward and have their several Vses Consequent Wherefore all the things of Nature Happened say they by Chance to be so made as they are and their several Uses notwithstanding were Consequent or Following thereupon Thus the Epicurean Poet Nil ideo natum est in Corpore ut Vti Possemus sed quod Natum est id procreat Vsum. Nothing in mans Body was made out of design for any Vse but all the several Parts thereof happening to be so made as they are their Vses were Consequent thereupon In like manner the Old Atheistick Philosophers in Aristotle concluded 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That the Former Teeth were made by Material or Mechanical Necessity Thin and Sharp by means whereof they became fit for Cutting but the Jaw-Teeth Thick and Broad whereby they became Vseful for the Grinding of Food But neither of them were Intended to be such for the sake of these Vses but Happened by Chance only And the like concerning all the other Parts of the Body which seem to be made for Ends. Accordingly the same Aristotle represents the sence of those ancient Atheists concerning the other Parts of the Universe or Things of Nature that they were all likewise made such by the Necessity of Material or Mechanical Motions Vndirected and yet had nevertheless their several
from Eternity and without Beginning did so Exist Naturally and Necessarily or by the Necessity of its own Nature Now nothing could Exist of It self from Eternity Naturally and Necessarily but that which containeth Necessary and Eternal Self Existence in its own Nature But there is nothing which containeth Necessary Eternal Existence in its own Nature or Essence but only an Absolutely Perfect Being all other Imperfect things being in their Nature Contingently Possible either to Be or Not be Wherefore since something or other must and doth Exist of it self Naturally and Necessarily from Eternity Vnmade and nothing could do this but what included Necessary Self Existence in its Nature or Essence it is certain that it was a Perfect Being or God who did Exist of Himself from Eternity and nothing else all other Imperfect things which have no Necessary Self-Existence in their Nature deriving their Being from Him Here therefore are the Atheists Infinitely Absurd and Vnreasonable when they will not acknowledge that which containeth Independent Self-Existence or Necessity of Existence which indeed is the same with an Impossibility of Non-Existence in its Nature and Essence that is a Perfect Being so much as to Exist at all and yet in the mean time assert that which hath no Necessity of Existence in its Nature the most Imperfect of all Beings Inanimate Body and Matter to have Existed of It self Necessarily from all Eternity We might here add as a farther Confirmation of this Argument what hath been already proved that no Temporary Successive Being whose Duration is in a Continual Flux as if it were every moment Generated a new and therefore neither our Own Souls nor the World nor Matter Moving could possibly have Existed from Eternity and Independently upon any other thing but must have had a Beginning and been Caused by something else namely by an Absolutely Perfect Being whose Duration therefore is Permanent and without any Successive Generation or Flux But besides all these Arguments we may otherwise from the Idea of God already declared be able both exactly to state the Controversie betwixt Theists and Atheists and satisfactorily to decide the same In order whereunto there is yet something again to be Premised namely this that as it is certain Every thing was not Made but Something Existed of it Self from Eternity Vnmade so is it likewise certain That Every thing was not Vnmade neither nor Existed of It self from Eternity but something was Made and had a Beginning Where there is a full Agreement betwixt Theists and Atheists as to this one Point no Atheist asserting every thing to have been Vnmade but they all acknowledging themselves to have been Generated and to have had a Beginning that is their own Souls and Personalities as likewise the Lives and Souls of all other Men and Animals Wherefore since Something certainly Existed of It self from Eternity but other things were Made and had a Beginning which therefore must needs derive their being from that which Existed of It self Vnmade here is the State of the Controversie betwixt Theists and Atheists Whether that which Existed of It self from all Eternity and was the Cause of all other things were a Perfect Being and God or the most Imperfect of all things whatsoever Inanimate and Sensless matter The Former is the Doctrine of Theists as Aristotle affirmeth of those Ancients who did not write Fabulously Concerning the First Principles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As namely Pherecydes and the Magi and Empedocles and Anaxagoras and many others that they agreed in this That the first Original of all things was the Best and Most Perfect Where by the way we may observe also that according to Aristotle the Ancient Magi did not acknowledge a Substantial Evil Principle they making that which is the Best and Most Perfect Being alone by it self to be the First Begetter of all This I say is the Hypothesis of Theists that there is One Absolutely Perfect Being Existing of It self from all Eternity from whence all other lesser Perfections or Imperfect Beings did gradually Descend till at last they end in Sensless Matter or Inanimate Body But the Atheistick Hypothesis on the contrary makes Sensless Matter the most Imperfect thing to be the First Principle or the only Self-Existent Being and the Cause of all other things and Consequently all Higher Degrees of Perfections that are in the world to have Clombe up or Emerged by way of Ascent from thence as Life Sense Vnderstanding and Reason from that which is altogether Dead and Sensless Nay as it was before observed there hath been amongst the ancient Pagans a certain kind of Religious Atheists such as acknowledging Verbally a God or Soul of the world presiding over the whole supposed this notwithstanding to have first Emerged also out of Sensless Matter Night and Chaos and therefore doubtless to be likewise Dissolvable again into the same And of these is that place in Aristotle to be understood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They suppose not the First things as Night and the Heaven and Chaos and the Ocean but Jupiter or God to Rule and Govern all Where it is intimated that the Heaven Night Chaos and the Ocean according to these were Seniors to Jupiter or in Order of Nature before him they apprehending that things did Ascend upward from that which was most Imperfect as Night and Chaos to the more Perfect and at length to Jupiter himself the Mundane Soul who governeth the whole world as our Soul doth our Body Which same Opinion is afterwards again taken notice of and reprehended by Aristotle in these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nor would he think rightly who should resemble the Principles of the Vniverse to that of Animals and Plants wherefrom Indeterminate and Imperfect things as Seeds do always arise the more Perfect For even here also is the case otherwise then they suppose For it is a man that generates a man nor is the Seed the First The Controversie being thus clearly Stated betwixt Theists and Atheists it may now with great ease and to the full Conviction of all Minds Unprejudiced and Unprepossessed with false Principles be determined It being on the one hand undenyably evident that Lesser Perfections may Naturally Descend from Greater or at least from that which is Absolutely Perfect and which Vertually containeth all but on the other hand utterly Impossible that Greater Perfections and Higher Degrees of Being should Rise and Ascend out of Lesser and Lower so as that which is the most Absolutely Imperfect of all things should be the First Fountain and Original of All. Since no Effect can possibly transcend the Power of its Cause Wherefore it is certain that in the Universe things did not thus Ascend and Mount or Climb up from Lower Perfection to Higher but on the contrary Descend and Slide down from Higher to Lower so that the first Original of all things was not the most Imperfect but the most Perfect Being But
Efficiently by any thing which had not at least Equal Perfection in it and â— Sufficient Active or Productive Power and Consequently that no New Substance can be Made but by a Perfect Being which only is Substantially Emanative Thirdly and Lastly that when things are Made out of Pre-Existing Matter as in Artificial Productions and Natural Generations there can be no new Real Entity Produced but only different Modifications of what before Substantially was the Material Cause as such Efficiently Producing Nothing And thus was this Axiom Understood by Cicero That Nothing could be Made out of Nothing viz. Causally in his Book De Fato where he reprehendeth Epicurus for endeavouring to avoid Fate and to Establish Liberty of Will by that Absurd Figment of Atoms Declining Vncertainly from the Perpendicular Nec cum haec ita sint est causa cur Epicurus Fatum extimescat ab Atomis petat praesidium easque De Via deducat uno tempore suscipiat res duas inenodabiles Vnam ut sine Causâ fiat aliquid ex quo existet ut De Nihilo quippiam fiat quod nec ipsi nec cuiquam Physico placet Nor is there for all that any Reason why Epicurus should be so much afraid of Fate and seek Refuge in Atoms he supposing them in their Infinite Descents to Decline Vncertainly from the Perpendicular and laying this as a Foundation for Liberty of Will whereby he plunged himself at once into Two inextricable difficulties the First whereof was the supposing of Something to be made without a Cause or which is all one out of Nothing a thing that will neither be allowed be any Physiologer nor could Epicurus himself be Pleased or Satisfied therewith The reason whereof is because it was a Fundamental Principle of the Atomick Philosophy That Nothing in this Sense could be Made out of Nothing Moreover we have in the next place declared in what other Sense this Proposition that Nothing can be Made out of Nothing is False namely when this Out of Nothing is not taken Causally but so as to signifie the Terminus From which that Nothing can be Made out of an Antecedent Non-Existence that no Real Entity or Substance which before was not could by any Power whatsoever be afterwards brought into being Or That Nothing can possibly be Made but out of Something Pre-Existing by the new Modification thereof And it appears from that of Cicero that the True and Genuine Sense of this Proposition De Nihilo nihil fit according to the Mind of those Ancient Physiologers who laid so great stress thereupon was not that Nothing could by any Power whatsoever be brought out of Non-Existence into Being but only that Nothing could be made without a Cause Nor did they here by Cause mean the Material only in this sense as if Nothing could Possibly be Made but out of Prae-Existing Matter Epicurus being taxed by Cicero for introducing that his Third Motion of Atoms or Clinamen Principiorum out of Nothing or Without an Efficient Cause as indeed all Motion also was to those Atomick Atheists in this Sense from Nothing Nevertheless we have also shewed That if this Proposiâ—ion Nothing out of Nothing in that Atheistick Sense as level'd against a Deity were True yet would it of the Two more impugn Atheism it self than it does Theism the Atheists Generating and Corrupting All Things the Substance of Matter only excepted all Life Sense and Vnderstanding Humane Souls Minds and Personalities they Producing these and consequently Themselves out of Nothing and resolving them all to Nothing again We shall now in the Third and Last place make it manifest that the Atheists do not only bring Real Entities and Substantial things out of Nothing in the Second sense that is out of an Antecedent Non Existence which yet is a thing Possible only to God or a Perfect Being but also that they bring them out of Nothing in the Absolutely Impossible Sense that is suppose them to be Made without a Cause or Nothing to be the Cause of Something But we must prepare the way hereunto by setting down First a Brief and Compendious Sum of the whole Atheistick Hypothesis The Atheists therefore who contend that Nothing can be Made but only New Accidents or Modifications of Pre-Existing Substance Taking it for granted that there is no other Substance besides Body or Matter do conclude accordingly that Nothing can be Made but out of Pre-Existing Matter or Body And then they add hereunto That Matter being the only Substance the only Vnmade Self-Existent thing whatsoever else is in the world besides the bare Substance of this Matter was Made out of it or Produced by it So that there are these Three Things contained in the Atheistick Hypothesis First that No Substance can be Made or Caused by any thing else but only new Modifications Secondly that Matter or Body is the Only Substance and therefore whatsoever is made is Made out of Pre Existing Matter Thirdly and Lastly That whatsoever there is else in the whole world besides the Substance of Matter it is Made or Generated out of Matter And now we shall demonstrate the Absolute Impossibility of this Atheistick Hypothesis from that very Principle of the Ancient Physiologers that Nothing can be Made out of Nothing in the True Sense thereof it not only bringing Real Entities and Substantial Things out of an Antecedent Non-Existence though nothing but an Infinitly Perfect Being neither can thus Create but also Producing them without A Cause First therefore when they affirm Matter to be the Only Substance and all things else whatsoever to be Made out of that alone they hereby plainly Suppose all things to be Made without an Efficient Cause which is to bring them out of Nothing in an Impossible Sense For though it be not True that Nothing can be Made but out of Pre-Existing Matter and consequently that God himself supposed to Exist could in this respect do no more than a Carpenter or Taylor doth I say though it be not Universally True That every thing that is Made must have a Material Cause so that the Quaternio of Causes in Logick is not to be Extended to all things Caused whatsoever yet is it certain that Nothing which once was not could Possibly be Made without an Efficient Cause Wherefore if there be any thing Made which was not before there must of Necessity besides Matter be some other Substance Existing as the Efficient Cause thereof for as much as Matter alone Could not Make any thing as Marble cannot make a Statue nor Timber and Stones a House nor Cloth a Garment This is our First Demonstration of the Impossibility of the Atheistick Hypothesis it supposing all things besides the bare Substance of Matter to be Made out of Matter alone without any other Active Principle or Deity or to be Made without an Efficient Cause which is to bring them from Nothing in an Impossible Sense To which may be added by way of Appendix
that whereas the Democritick and Epicurean Atheists admit of no other Efficient Causality in Nature then only Local Motion and allow to Matter or Body their only Substance no Self-Moving Power they hereby make all the Motion that is in the whole world to be without a Cause and from Nothing Action without any Subject or Agent and the Efficiency of all things without an Efficient In the next place should we be so liberal as to grant to the Atomick Atheists Motion without a Cause or permit Strato and the Hylozoick Atheists to attribute to Matter a Self-Moving Power yet do we affirm that this Matter and Motion both together could not Possibly Produce any new Real Entity which was not before Matter as such Efficiently Causing Nothing and Motion only changing the Modifications of Matter as Figure Place Site and Disposition of Parts Wherefore if Matter as such have no Animal Sense and Conscious Vnderstanding Essentially belonging to it which no Atheists as yet have had the Impudence to assert then can no Motion or Modification of Matter no Contexture of Atoms Possibly beget Sense and Vnderstanding Soul and Mind because this would be to bring Something out of Nothing in the Impossible Sense or to suppose Something to be Made by It self without a Cause Which may Serve also for a Confutation of those Imperfect and Spurious Theists who will not allow to God Almighty whether supposed by them to be Corporeal or Incorporeal a Power of Making any thing but only out of Pre-Existent Matter by the new Modifying thereof as a Carpenter makes a House out of Pre-Existing Timber and Stone and a Taylor a Garment out of Pre-Existing Cloth For since Animal Life and Vnderstanding are not by them supposed to belong at all to Matter as such and since they cannot result from any Modifications or Contextures thereof it would plainly follow from hence that God could not Possibly make Animals or Produce Sense and Vnderstanding Souls and Minds which nevertheless these Theists suppose him to have done and therefore ought in reason to acknowledge him not only to be the Maker of New Modifications of Matter and one who Built the world only as a Carpenter doth a House but also of Real Entities distinct from the same And this was the very Doctrine as we have already declared of the most Ancient Atomick Physiologers not That every thing whatsoever might be Made out of Pre-Existing Matter but on the contrary that in all Natural Generations there is no Real Entity Produced out of the Matter which was not before in it but only New Modifications and Consequently that Souls and Minds being not meer Modifications of Matter in respect of Magnitude Figure Site and Motion could never be Produced out of it because they must then of necessity Come from Nothing that is be Made either by Themselves without a Cause or without a Sufficient Cause It hath also been before noted out of Aristotle how the Old Atheistick Materialists being assaulted by those Italick Philosophers after that manner that Nothing which was not before in Matter besides its Modifications could Possibly be Produced out of it because Nothing can Come out of Nothing and consequently that in all Natural Generations and Corruptions there is no Real Entity Made or Destroyed endeavoured without denying the words of that Proposition to Evade after this manner 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. That there is indeed Nothing Generated or Corrupted in some Sense for as much as the same Substance of Matter always remains it being never Made nor Destroyed For as men do not say that Socrates is Made when he is Made Musical or Handsome nor Destroyed when he looseth these Dispositions because the subject Socrates was before and still remaineth so neither is any Substantial thing or Real Entity in the world Made or Destroyed in this sense because Matter which is the Substance of all perpetually remains and all other things whatsoever are but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Passions and Affections and Dispositions thereof as Musicalness and Unmusicalness in respect of Socrates Which is all one as if they should say that all things whatsoever besides Matter being but Accidents thereof are Generated out of it and Corruptible into it without the Production of any Real Entity out of Nothing or the Reduction of any into Nothing so long as the Substance of Matter which is the only Real Entity remains always the same Wherefore though Life Sense and Vnderstanding all Souls and Minds be Generated out of Matter yet does it not follow from thence that therefore there is any Real Entity Made or Produced because these are Nothing but Accidents and Modifications of Matter This was the Subterfuge of the Old Hylopathian Atheists Now it is true indeed that whatsoever is in the Universe is either Substance or Accidents and that the Accidents of any Substance may be Generated and Corrupted without the Producing of any Real Entity out of Nothing and Reducing of any into Nothing for as much as the Substance still remains entirely the same But the Atheists taking it for granted that there is no other Substance besides Body or Matter do therefore falsly suppose that which is really Incorporeal Substance or else the Attributes Properties and Modes thereof to be the meer Accidents of Matter and Consequently conclude these to be Generable out of it without the Production of any Real Entity out of Nothing We say therefore that it does not at all follow because the same Numerical Matter as for example a Piece of Wax may be Successively made Spherical Cubical Cylindrical Pyramidal or of any other Figure and the same man may Successively Stand Sit Kneel and Walk both without the Production of Anything out of Nothing or because a heap of Stones Bricks Morter and Timber lying altogether disorderly and confusedly may be made into a Stately Palace and that without the Miraculous Creation of any Real Entity out of Nothing that therefore the same may be affirmed likewise of every thing else besides the bare Substance of Matter as namely Life and Vnderstanding Soul and Mind that though there be No such thing in Matter it self yet the Production of them out of Matter would be no Production of Something out of Nothing One Ground of which mistake hath been from mens not rightly considering what the Accidents of a Substance are and that they are indeed Nothing but the Modes thereof Now a Mode is such a thing as cannot Possibly be conceived without that whereof it is a Mode as Standing Sitting Kneeling and Walking cannot be conceived without a Body Organized and therefore are but Modes thereof but Life and Cogitation may be clearly apprehended without Body or any thing of Extension nor indeed can a Thought Be conceived to be of such a Length Breadth and Thickness or to be Hewed and Sliced out into many Pieces all which laid together as so many Small Chips thereof would make up again the entireness of that whole
them that is no Contingent Vncertainty in their Motion without bringing of Something out of Nothing which was contrary to the Fundamental Principles of the Atomick Philosophy though this were intolerably absurd in him thus to suppose Contingency and a Kind of Free Will in the Motions of Sensless Atoms so that indeed he brought his Liberty of Will out of Nothing certainly Sense and Vnderstanding Soul and Mind in Animals and Men could not Possibly be Generated out of Atoms or Matter devoid of all Sense and Vnderstanding For the very same Reason Quoniam De Nihilo Nil fit Because Nothing can be Made out of Nothing For unquestionably were all Life and Vnderstanding all Souls and Minds Generated out of Dead and Sensless Matter and were there no Substantial or Essential Life and Vnderstanding in the whole Universe then must it of Necessity be all Made out of Nothing or without a Cause and consequently Real Entities and Substantial things be Made out of Nothing which is absolutely Impossible For though we do not say that Life and Cogitation Sense and Vnderstanding abstractly considered are Substances yet do we affirm them to be Entities Really distinct from Matter and no Modifications or Accidents thereof but either Accidents and Modifications or rather Essential Attributes of Substance Incorporeal as also that Souls and Minds which are the Subjects of them are indeed Substantial Things Wherefore We cannot but here again condemn the Darkness of that Philosophy which Educes not only species Visible and Audible Entities Perfectly Unintelligible and Real Qualities distinct from all the Modes of Body and even Substantial Forms too as they call them but also Sensitive Souls themselves both in men and brutes Ex Potentia Materiae Out of the Power of the Matter that is indeed Out of Nothing For as much as this prepares a direct way to Atheism because if Life and Sense Cogitation and Consciousness may be Generated out of Dead and Sensless Matter then might this well be supposed the first Original of All things nor could there Reasonably be any Stop made at Rational Souls especially by these men who also conclude them to be Rasae Tabulae meer White Sheets of Paper that have nothing at all in them but what is Scribbled upon them by Corporeal Objects from without there being nothing in the Vnderstanding or Mind of Man which was not before in Sense so that Sense is the First Original Knowledge and Vnderstanding but a Secondary and Derivative thing from it more Vmbratile and Evanide Hitherto have we Demonstrated that all things whatsoever could not possibly be Made out of Matter and particularly that Life and Sense Mind and Vnderstanding being no Accidents or Modes of Matter could not by Motion be Generated out of it without the Production of Real Entities out of Nothing But because some may Possibly Imagine that Matter might otherwise than thus by Motion by a Miraculous Efficiency Produce Souls and Minds we shall add in the last place that Nothing can Efficiently Produce any Real Entity or Substantial thing that was not before unless it have at least equal Perfection to it and a Substantially Emanative or Creative Power But scarcely any man can be so sottish as to Imagine that every Atom of Dust hath Equal Perfection in it to that of the Rational Soul in man or to Attribute a Creative Power to all Matter which is but a Passive thing whilst this is in the mean time denied by him to a Perfect Being both these Assertions also in like manner as the Former Producing Real Entities out of Nothing Causally And thus have we Demonstrated the Impossibility and Non-sense of all Atheism from this very Principle by which the Atheists would assault Theism in the true Sense thereof that No thing can be Made without a Cause or that Nothing cannot be the Cause of Any thing Now if there be no Middle betwixt Atheism and Theism and all things must of Necessity either spring from Sensless Matter or else from a Perfect Vnderstanding Being then is this Demonstration of the Impossibility of Atheism a Sufficient Establishment of the Truth of Theism it being such a Demonstration of a God as the Geometricians call a Deduction Ad Impossibile which they allow of for good and frequently make use of Thus Either there is a God or else Matter must needs be acknowledged to be the only Self-Existent thing and all things else whatsoever to be Made out of it But it is Impossible that all things should be made out of Sensless Matter Therefore is there a God Nevertheless we shall here for further satisfaction show how the Existence of a God may be Directly Demonstrated also from this very Principle which the Atheists endeavour to take Sanctuary in and from thence to impugne Theism De Nihilo Nihil that Nothing can be Made out of Nothing Causally or That Nothing cannot be the Cause of Any thing In the first place therefore we shall fetch our Beginning from what hath been already often declared That it is Mathematically Certain that Something or other did Exist Of It Self from all Eternity or without beginning and Vnmade by any thing else The Certainty of which Proposition dependeth upon this very Principle as its Foundation That Nothing can come from Nothing or be Made out of Nothing or That Nothing which once was not can of it self come into Being without a Cause it following unavoidably from thence That if there had been once Nothing there could never have been Any thing And having thus laid the Foundation we shall in the next place make this further Superstructure that because Something did certainly Exist of it Self from Eternity Vnmade therefore is there also Actually a Necessarily Existent Being For to suppose that any thing did Exist Of It Self from Eternity by its own Free Will and Choice and therefore not Necessarily but Contingently since it might have Willed otherwise this is to suppose it to have Existed before it Was and so Positively to have been the Cause of it self which is Impossible as hath been already declared When a thing therefore is said to be Of It Self or the Cause of It self this is to be understood no otherwise than either in a Negative Sense as having Nothing else for its Cause or because its Necessary Eternal Existence is Essential to the Perfection of its own Nature That therefore which Existed Of It self from Eternity Independently upon any thing else did not so Exist Contingently but Necessarily so that there is undoubtedly something Actually in Being whose Existence is and always was Necessary In the next place it is certain also that Nothing could Exist Necessarily Of it Self but what included Nâ—cessity of Existence in its own Nature For to suppose any thing to Exist Of it self Necessarily which hath no Necessity of Existence in its own Nature is plainly to suppose that Necessary Existence of it to Come from Nothing since it could neither proceed from that Thing
of that Earthy Body into its Elements Certainly it can be no other than this Pneumatical or Spirituous Body which we now speak of For in this are Seated as their Subject the Irascible and Concupiscible Passions and they are inseparable from the same nor could they be in the Soul disunited from all Body And that Soul which is freed from these would be forthwith freed from Generation nor would it be concerned in those Subterraneous Judicatories and Prisons but be carried up aloft to the higher Celestial Regions c. After which he endeavours further to confirm this Opinion from the Vulgar Phaenomena 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Furthermore that there is such a Pneumatical Spirituous Vaporous or Airy Body which accompanieth Souls Vnpurged after Death is evident also from the Phaenomena themselves For what account can otherwise be given of those Spectres or Phantasms which appear Shadow-like about Graves or Sepulchres since the Soul it self is neither of any Figure nor yet at all Visible Wherefore these Ancients say that Impure Souls after their departure out of this Body wander here up and down for a certain space in their Spirituous Vaporous and Airy Body appearing about Sepulchres and haunting their former Habitations For which cause there is great reason that we should take care of Living Well as also of abstaining from a Fouler and Grosser diet these Ancients telling us likewise that this Spirituous Body of ours being fouled and incrassated by Evil Diet is apt to render the Soul in this Life also more Obnoxious to the Disturbances of Passions And here Philoponus goes on to gratifie us with a further Account of some other of the Opinions of these Ancients concerning this Spirituous or Airy Body accompanying the Soul after Death 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They further add that there is Something of the Plantal and Plastick Life also Exercised by the Soul in those Spirituous or Airy Bodies after Death they being Nourished too though not after the same manner as these Gross Earthy Bodies of ours are here but by Vapours and that not by Parts or Organs but throughout the Whole of them as Sponges they imbibing every where those Vapours For which cause they who are wise will in this Life also take care of using a Thinner and Dryer Diet that so that Spirituous Body which we have also at this present time within our Grosser Body may not be Clogged and Incrassed but Attenuated Over and above which those Ancients made use of Catharms or Purgations to the same end and purpose also For as this Earthy Body is washed by Water so is that Spirituous Body Cleansed by Cathartick Vapours some of these Vapours being Nutritive others Purgative Moreover these Ancients further declared concerning this Spirituous Body that it was not Organized but did the Whole of it in every Part throughout exercise all Functions of Sense the Soul Hearing and Seeing and Perceiving all Sensibles by it every where For which Cause Aristotle himself affirmeth in his Metaphysicks That there is properly but One Sense and but One Sensory He by this One Sensory meaning the Spirit or Subtle Airy Body in which the Sensitive Power doth all of it through the Whole immediately apprehend all Variety of Sensibles And if it be demanded How it comes then to pass that this Spirit appears Organized in Sepulchres and most commonly of Humane Form but sometimes in the Form of some other Animals to this those Ancients Replied That their appearing so frequently in Humane Form proceedeth from their being Incrassated with Evil Diet and then as it were stamped upon with the Form of this Exteriour Ambient Body in which they are as Crystal is Formed and Coloured like to those things which it is fastned in or Reflects the Image of them And that their having sometimes other different Forms proceedeth from the Phantastick Power of the Soul it self which can at pleasure transform this Spirituous Body into any shape For being Airy when it is Condensed and Fixed it becometh Visible and again Invisible and Vanishing out of Sight when it is Expanded and Rarefied Now from these Passages cited out of Philoponus it further appeareth that the Ancient Asserters of the Souls Immortality did not suppose Humane Souls after Death to be quite strip'd Stark Naked from all Body but that the Generality of Souls had then a certain Spirituous Vaporous or Airy Body accompanying them though in different Degrees of Purity or Impurity Respectively to themselves As also that they conceived this Spirituous Body or at least something of it to hang about the Soul also here in this Life before Death as its Interiour Indument or Vestment which also then sticks to it when that other Gross Earthly Part of the Body is by Death put off as an Outer Garment And some have been inclinable to think by reason of certain Historick Phaenomena these Two to be things so distinct that it is not Impossible for this Spirituous Body together with the Soul to be Locally separated from the other Grosser Body for some time before Death and without it And indeed thus much canâ—ot be denied that our Soul Acteth not Immediatly only upon Bones Flesh and Brains and other such like Gross Parts of this Body but first and chiefly upon the Animal Spirits as the Immediate Instruments of Sense and Phancy and that by whose Vigour and Activity the other Heavy and Unwieldy Bulk of the Body is so nimbly Moved And therefore we know no reason but we may assent here to that of Porphyrius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That the Blood is the Food and Nourishment of the Spirit that is that Subtle Body called the Animal Spirits and that this Spirit is the Vehicle of the Soul or the more Immediate Seat of Life Nevertheless the same Philoponus there addeth that according to these Ancients besides the Terrestial Body and this Spirituous and Airy Body too there is yet a Third kind of Body of a Higher Rank then either of the Former peculiarly belonging to such Souls after Death as are Purged and Cleansed from Corporeal Affections Lusts and Passions called by them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. A Luciform and Celestial and Ethereal Body The Soul saith he continueth either in the Terrestrial or the Aereal Body so long 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vntil that having Purged it self it be carried aloft and freed from Generation And then doth it put off both the Irascible and Concupisciple Passions at once together with this Second Vehicle or Body which we call Spirituous Wherefore these Ancients say that there is another Heavenly Body always conjoyned with the Soul and Eternal which they call Luciform and Star-like For it being a Mundane thing must of necessity have some Part of the World as a Province allotted to it which it may administer And since it is always Moveable and ought always to Act it must have a
Body Eternally conjoyned with it which it may always Enliven And for these Causes do they affirm the Soul always to have a Luciform Body Which Lucid and Etherial Body of the Soul is a thing often mentioned by other Writers also as Proclus in his Commentary upon the Timaeus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Humane Soul hath also saith he such an Ethereal Vehicle belonging to it as Plato himself intimâ—tâ—s when he affirmeth the Demiurgus at first to have placed it in a Chariot For of necâ—ssity every Soul before this Mortal Body must have an Eternal and easily Moveable Body it being Essential to it to move And elsewhere the same Proclus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Whilst we remain above we have no need of these Divided Organs which now we have descending into Generation but the Vniform Lucid or Splendid Vehicle is sufficient this having all Senses Vnited together in it Which Doctrine of the Vnorganized Luciform and Spirituous Vehicles seems to have been derived from Plato he in his Epinomis writing thus concerning a Good and Wise man after Death 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Of whom whether I be in Jest or Earnest I constantly affirm that when dying he shall yield to Fate he shall no longer have this Variety of Senses which now we have but One Vniform Body and live a happy Life Moreover Hiâ—rocles much insisteth upon this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this Luciform and Ethereal Body 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which also saith he the Oracles call the Thin and Subtle Vehicle or Chariot of the Soul he meaning doubtless by these Oracles the Magical or Chaldaick Oracles before mentioned And amongst those now Extant under that Title there seems to be a clear acknowledgment of these Two Vehicula of the Soul or Interiour Induments thereof the Spirituous and the Luciform Body the latter of which is there Enigmatically called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or a Plain Superficies in these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Take care not to Defile or Contaminate the Spirit nor to make the Plain Superficies Deep For thus Psellus glosseth upon that Oracle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Chaldaick Philosophers bestow upon the Soul Two Interiour Tunicles or Vestments the one of which they called Pneumatical or the Spirituous Body which is weaved out as it were to it and compounded of the Gross Sensible Body it being the more Thin and Subtle part thereof the other the Luciform Vestment of the Soul Pure and Pellucide and this is that which is here called the Plain Superficies Which saith Pletho is not so to be understood as if it had not Three Dimensions for as much as it is a Body also but only to denote the Subtlety and Tenuity thereof Wherefore when the aforesaid Hierocles also calls this Luciform and Etherial Body 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Spiritual Vehicle of the Rational Soul he takes not the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in that Sense wherein it is used by Philoponus and Others as if he intended to confound this Etherial Body with that other Spirituous or Airy Body and to make but one of them but rather styles it Spiritual in a higher Sense and which cometh near to that of the Scripture as being a Body more Suitable and Cognate with that Highest and Divinest Part of the Soul Mind or Reason then the other Terrestial Body is which upon that account is called also by the same Hierocles as well as it is by St. Paul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Animal or Natural Body So that this Spiritual Body of Hierocles is not the Airy but the Etherial Body and the same with Synesius his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 His Divine Body And that this Distinction of two Interior Vehicles or Tunicles of the Soul besides that Outer Vestment of the Terrestial Body styled in Plato 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Crustaceous or Ostrâ—aceous Body is not a meer Figment of the latter Platonists since Christianity but a Tradition derived down from Antiquity appeareth plainly from Virgil in his Sixth Aenead where though not commonly understood he writeth first of the Spirituous or Airy Body in which Unpurged Souls receive Punishment after Death thus Quin Supremo cum Lumine Vita reliquit Non tamen omne Malum miseris nec funditus omnes Corporeae excedunt pestes penitusque necesse est Multa diu concreta modis inolescere miris Ergo exercentur poenis veterumque malorum Supplicia expendunt aliae panduntur inanes Suspensae ad Ventos aliis sub gurgite Vasto Infectum eluitur Scelus aut exuritur Igni And then again of the other Pure Ethereal and Fiery Body in this manner Donec Longa dies perfecto temporis Orbe Concretam exemit labem Purumque reliquit Aethereum Sensum atque Aurai Simplicis Ignem Now as it was before observed that the Ancient Asserters of the Souls Immortality supposing it to have besides this Terrestial Body another Spirituous or Airy Body conceived this not only to accompany the Soul after Death but also to hang about it here in this Life as its Interiour Vest or Tunicle they probably meaning hereby the same with that which is commonly called the Animal Spirits diffused from the Brain by the Nerves throughout this whole Body in like manner is it certain that Many of them supposing the Soul besides those Two forementioned to have yet a Third Luciform or Etherial Body conceived this in like manner to adhere to it even in this Mortal Life too as its Inmost Clothing or Tunicle yet so as that they acknowledged the Force thereof to be very much weakned and abâ—ted and its Splendour altogether obscured by the Heavy Weight and Gross Steams or Vapours of the Terrestial Body Thus Suidas â—poâ— the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tells us out of Isidore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That according to some Philosophers the Soul hath a certain Luciform Vehicle called also Star or Sun-like and Eternal which Luciform Body is now shut up within this Terrestrial Body as a Light in a dark Lanthorn it being supposed by some of them to be included within the Head c. With which agreeth Hierocles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Splendid or Luciform Body lieth in this Mortal Body of ours continually Inspiring it with Life and containing the Harmony thereof The ground of which opinion was because these Philosophers generally conceived the Humane Soul to have Pre-Existed before it came into this Earthly Body and that either from Eternity or else from the First beginning of the World's Creation and being never without a Body and then in a Perfect State to have had a Lucid and Etherial Body either Co-Eternal or Co-Eve with it though in order of Nature Junior to it as its Chariot or Vehicle which being Incorruptible did always inseparably adhere to the Soul in its After Lapses and Descents into an Aerial first and then a Terrestrial Body this being as it were the Vinculum of Union betwixt the Soul
and no further but the Latter into Terrestial also Now Hierocles positively affirmeth this to have been the True Cabala and Genuine Doctrine of the Ancient Pythagoreans entertained afterwards by Plato 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And This was the Doctrine of the Pythagoreans which Plato afterwards declared he resembling Every both Humane and Divine Soul that is in our Modern Language Every Created Rational Being to a Winged Chariot and a Driver or Charioteer both together meaning by the Chariot an Enlivened Body and by the Charioteer the Incorporeal Soul it self Acting it And now have we given a full Account in what manner the Ancient Asserters of Incorporeal Substance as Vnextended Answered that Objection against the Illocality and Immobility of Particular Finite Spirits Demons or Angels and Humane Souls that these being all Naturally Incorporate however in Themselves and Directly Immoveable yet were capable of being in some sense Moved by Accident together with those Bodies respectively which they are Vitally United to But as for that Pretence That these Finite Spirits or Substances Incorporeal being Vnextended and so having in themselves no Relation to any Place might therefore Actuate and Inform the Whole Corporeal World at once and take Cognizance of all things therein their Reply hereunto was That these being Essentially but Parts of the Vniverse and therefore not Comprehensive of the Whole Finite or Particular and not Universal Beings as the Three Hypostases of the Platonick Trinity are the Sphere of their Activity could not possibly Extend any further than to the Quickning and Enlivening of some certain Parts of Matter and the World allotted to them and thereby of becoming Particular Animals it being Peculiar to the Deity or that Incorporeal Substance which is Infinite to Quicken and Actuate All things But it would be no Impertinent Digression here as to the main Scope of our Present Vndertaking should we briefly compare the forementioned Doctrine and Cabbala of the Ancient Incorporealists the Pythagoreans and Platonists with that of Christianity and consider the Agreement or Disagreement that is betwixt them First therefore here is a plain Agreement of these Best and most Religious Philosophers with Christianity in this That the most Consummate Happiness and Highest Perfection that Humane Nature is capable of consisteth not in a Separate State of Souls strip'd Naked from all Body and having no manner of Commerce with Matter as some High-flown Persons in all Ages have been apt to Conceit For such amongst the Philosophers and Platonists too was Plotinus Vnevennes and Vnsafeness of whose Temper may sufficiently appear from hence That as he conceived Humane Souls might possibly ascend to so high a Pitch as quite to shake off Commerce with all Body so did he in the other hand again Imagine that they might also Descend and Sink down so low as to Animate not only the Bodies of Bruits but even of Trees and Plants too Two Inconsistent Paradoxes the Latter whereof is a most Prodigious Extravagancy which yet Empedocles though otherwise a Great Wit seems to have been guilty of also from those Verses of his in Athenaeus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And amongst the Jews the famous Maymonides was also of this Perswasion it being a Known Aphorism of his in his Great Work 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That in the World to Come or State of Consummate Happiness there shall be nothing at all of Body but Pure Incorporeity Upon which Account being accused as a Denyer of the Resurrection an Article as well of the Jewish as of the Christian Faith he wrote that Book intituled Iggereth Teman purposely to purge himself and to reconcile those Two Assertions together which he doth after such a manner as that there should be indeed a Resurrection at the First Coming of the Jewish Messias of some certain Persons to live here a while upon the Earth Eat and Drink Marry and be given in Marriage and then dy again after which in the World to come they should for ever continue Pure Souls Ununited to any Body In which it may be well suspected that the Design Maymonides drove at was against Christianity which notwithstanding as to this Particular hath the Concurrent Suffrages of the best Philosophers That the most Genuine and Perfect state of the Humane Soul which in its own Nature is immortal is to continue for ever not without but with a Body And yet our High-flown Enthusiasts generally however calling themselves Christians are such great Spiritualists and so much for the Inward Resurrection which we deny not to be a Scripture-Notion also As in that of S. Paul If ye be Risen with Christ c. And again If by any means I might attain to the Resurrection of the Dead as that they quite Allegorize away together with other Parts of Christianity the Outward Resurrection of the Body and indeed will scarcely acknowledge any Future Immortality or Life to come after Death their Spirituality thus ending in Sadducism and Infidelity if not at length in Down-right Atheism and Sensuality But besides this there is yet a further Correspondence of Christianity with the forementioned Philosopbick Cabbala in that the Former also supposes the Highest Perfection of our Humane Souls not to consist in being Eternally Conjoyned with such Gross Bodies as these we now have Unchanged and Unaltered For as the Pythagoreans and Platonists have always Complained of these Terrestrial Bodies as Prisons or Living Sepulchres of the Soul so does Christianity seem to run much upon the same strain in these Scripture-Expressions In this We Groan Earnestly desiring to be Clothed upon with our House which is from Heaven and again We that are in this Tabernacle do Groan being burdened not for that we would be Vncloathed that is strip'd quite Naked of all Body but so cloathed upon that Mortality might be swallowed up of Life and lastly Our selves also which have the First Fruits of the Spirit Groan within our selves waiting for the Adoption Sonship or Inheritance namely the Redemption of our Bodies That is the Freedom of them from all those Evils and Maladies of theirs which we herely oppressed under Wherefore we cannot think that the same Heavy Load and Luggage which the Souls of good men being here burdened with do so much groan to be delivered from shall at the General Resurrection be laid upon them again and bound fast to them to all Eternity For of such a Resurrection as this Plotinus though perhaps mistaking it for the True Christian Resurrection might have some cause to affirm that it would be but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A Resurrection to another Sleep the Soul seeming not to be Thoroughly Awake here but as it were Soporated with the Dull Steams and Opiatick Vapours of this gross Body For thus the Authour of the Book of Wisdom The Corruptible Body presseth down the Soul and the Earthly Tabernacle weigheth down the Mind that museth upon many things But the same will further appear from that
Know Man according to this Rule That he is such a thing as hath Nothing to do with Absolute Truth and again 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We know nothing Absolutely concerning any thing and all our Knowledge is Opinion Agreeably to which he determined that mens Knowledge was diversified by the Temper of their Bodies and the Things without them And Aristotle Judiciously observing both these Doctrines That there is no Errour or False Judgment but every Opinion True and again That Nothing is Absolutely True but Relatively only to be Really and Fundamentally One and the same imputeth them both together to Democritus in these words of his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Democritus held that there was Nothing Absolutely True but because he thought Knowledge or Vnderstanding to be Sense therefore did he conclude that whatsoever Seemed according to Sense must of necessity be True not Absolutely but Relatively to whom it so Seemed These Gross Absurdities did the Atheistick Atomists plunge themselves into whilst they endeavoured to Salve the Phaenomenon of Cogitation Mind or Vnderstanding agreeably to their own Hypothesis And it is certain that all of them Democritus himself not excepted were but meer Blunderers in that Atomick Physiology which they so much pretended to and never rightly Understood the Same For as much as that with Equal Clearness teaches these Two things at once That Sense indeed is Phantastical and Relative to the Sentient But that there is a Higher Faculty of Vnderstanding and Reason in us which thus discovers the Phantastry of Sense and reaches to the Absoluteness of Truth or is the Criterion thereof But the Democritick and Epicurean Atheists will further Conclude that the only Things or Objects of the Mind are Singular Sensibles or Bodies Existing without it which therefore must needs be in Order of Nature before all Knowledge Mind and Vnderstanding whatsoever this being but a Phantastick Image or Representation of them From whence they Infer that the Corporeal World and these Sensible things could not possibly be Made by any Mind or Vnderstanding because Essentially Junior to them and the very Image and Creature of them Thus does Aristotle Observe concerning both Democritus and Protagoras that they did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Suppose the only Things or Objects of the Mind to be Sensibles and that this was the Reason why they made Knowledge to be Sense and therefore Relative and Phantastical But we have already Proved that Mind and Vnderstanding is not the Phantastick Image of Sensibles or Bodies and that it is in its own Nature not Ectypal but Archetypal and Architectonical of all That it is Senior to the World and all Sensible Things it not looking abroad for its Objects any where without but containing them within it self The first Original Mind being an Absolutely perfect Being Comprehending it self and the Extent of its own Omnipotence or all Possibilities of things together with the Best Platform of the whole and poducing the same accordingly But it being plain that there are besides Singulars other Objects of the Mind Vniversal from whence it seems to follow that Sensibles are not the only Things some Modern Atheistick Wits have therefore invented this further device to maintain the Cause and carry the Business on That Vniversals are nothing else but Names or Words by which Singular Bodies are called and Consequently that in all Axioms and Propositions Sententious Affirmations and Negations in which the Predicate at least is Vniversal we do but Add or Substract Affirm or Deny Names of Singular Bodies and that Reason or Syllogism is Nothing but the Reckoning or Computing the Consequences of these Names or Words Neither do they want the Impudence to Affirm that besides those Passions or Phansies which we have from things by Sense we know Nâ—â—hing at all oâ— any thing but only the Names by which it is calâ—â—d Then which there cannot be a greater Sottishness or Madness For if Geometry were nothing but the Knowledge of Names by which Singular Bodies are called as it self could not deserve that Name of a Science so neither could its Truths be the same in Greek and in Latine and Geometricians in all the several distant Ages and Places of the World must be supposed to have had the same Singular Bodies before them of which they Affirmed and Denied those Vniversal Names In the Last place the Epicurean and Anaximandrian Atheists agreeably to the Premised Principles and the Tenor of their Hypothesis do both of them endeavour to Depreciate and Undervalue Knowledge or Vnderstanding as a thing which hath not any Higher Degree of Perfection or Entity in it than is in Dead and Sensless Matter It being according to them but a Passion from Singular Bodies Existing without and therefore both Junior and Inferior to them a Tumult raised in the Brain by Motions made upon it from the Objects of Sense That which Essentially includeth in it Dependence upon Something else at best but a Thin and Evanid Image of Sensibles or rather an Image of those Images of Sense a meer Whifling and Phantastick thing upon which account they conclude it not fit to be attributed to that which is the First Root and Sourse of all things which therefore is to them no other than Grave and Solid Sensless Matter the only Substantial Self-Existent Independent thing and Consequently the most Perfect and Divine Life and Vnderstanding Soul and Mind are to them no Simple and Primitive Natures but Secondary and Derivative or Syllables and Complexions of things which Sprung up afterwards from certain Combinations of Magnitudes Figures Sites and Motions or Contemperations of Qualities Contextures either of Similar or Dissimilar Atoms And as themselves are Juniors to Sensless Matter and Motion and to those Inanimate Elements Fire Water Air and Earth the First and most Real Productions of Nature and Chance so are their Effects and the Things that belong to them comparatively with those other Real Things of Nature but Slight Ludicrous and Vmbratil as Landskip in Picture compared with the Real Prospect of High Mountains and Low Valleys Winding or Meandrous Rivers Towering Steeples and the Shady Tops of Trees and Groves as they are accordingly commonly disparaged under those Names of Notional and Artificial And thus was the Sence of the Ancient Atheists represented by Plato 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They say that the Greatest and most Excellent Things of all were made by Sensless Nature and Chance but all the Smaller and more Inconsiderable by Art Mind and Vnderstanding which taking from Nature those First and Greater Things as its Ground-work to Act upon doth Frame and Fabricate all the other Lesser Things which are therefore Commonly called Artificial And the Mind of these Atheists is there also further declared by that Philosopher after this manner The First most Real Solid and Substantial things in the whole World are those Elements Fire Water Air and Earth made by Senslâ—ss Nature and Chance without
the Divine Art or Wisedom as the Manuary Opificer from the Architect Page 155 12. Two Imperfections of Nature in respect whereof it falls short of Humane Art First That though it act for Ends Artificially yet it self neither Intends those Ends nor Understands the Reason of what it doeth for which cause it cannot act Electively The Difference betwixt Spermatick Reasons and Knowledge That Nature doth but Ape or Mimick the Divine Art or Wisedom being it self not Master of that Reason according to which it acts but onely a Servant to it and Drudging Executioner thereof Page 156 13. Proved that there may be such a thing as acteth Artificially though it self do not comprehend that Art and Reason by which its Motions are Governed First from Musical Habits the Dancer resembles the Artificial Life of Nature Page 157 14. The same further Evinced from the Instincts of Brute Animals Directing them to act Rationally and Artificially in order to their own Good and the Good of the Vniverse without any Reason of their own These Instincts in Brutes but Passive Impresses of the Divine Wisedom and a kind of Fate upon them Page 158 15. The Second Imperfection of Nature that it Acteth without Animal Phancy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Con-sense or Consciousness and hath no express Self-Perception and Self-Enjoyment ibid. 16. Whether this Energy of the Plastick Nature be to be called Cogitation or no Nothing but a Logomachy or Contention about Words Granted that what moves Matter Vitally must needs do it by some Energy of its own distinct from Local Motion but that there may be a Simple Vital Energy without that Duplicity which is in Synaesthesis or clear and express Consciousness Nevertheless that the Energy of Nature may be called a certain Drousie Unawakened or Astonished Cogitation Page 159 17. Severall Instances which render it probable that there may be a Vital Energy without Synaesthesis clear and express Con-sense or Consciousness Page 160 18. Wherefore the Plastick Nature acting neither Knowingly nor Phantastically must needs act Fatally Magically and Sympathetically The Divine Laws and Fate as to Matter not meer Cogitation in the Mind of God but an Energetick and Effectual Principle in it And this Plastick Nature the True and Proper Fate of Matter or of the Corporeal World What Magick is and that Nature which acteth Fatally acteth also Magically and Sympathetically P. 161 19. That Nature though it be the Divine Art or Fate yet for all that is neither a God nor Goddess but a Low and Imperfect Creature it acting Artificially and Rationally no otherwise than Compounded Forms of Letters when Printing Coherent Philosophick Sense nor for Ends than a Saw or Hatchet in the hands of a skillfull Mechanick The Plastick and Vegetative Life of Nature the Lowest of all Lives and Inferiour to the Sensitive A Higher Providence than that of the Plastick Nature governing the Corporeal World it self ibid. 20. Notwithstanding which forasmuch as the Plastick Nature is a Life it must needs be Incorporeal One and the self same thing having in it an entire Model and Platform of the Whole and acting upon several Distant parts of Matter cannot be a Body And though Aristotle himself do no where declare this Nature to be either Corporeal or Incorporeal which he neither clearly doth concerning the Rational Soul and his Followers commonly take it to be Corporeal yet according to the Genuine Principles of that Philosophy must it needs be otherwise Page 165 21. The Plastick Nature being Incorporeal must either be a Lower Power lodged in Souls which are also Conscious Sensitive or Rational or else a distinct Substantial Life by it Self and Inferiour Soul That the Platonists affirm Both with Aristotle's agreeable Determination That Nature is either Part of a Soul or not without Soul ibid. 22. The Plastick Nature as to the Bodies of Animals a Part or Lower Power of their respective Souls That the Phaenomena prove a Plastick Nature or Archeus in Animals to make which a distinct thing from the Soul would be to Multiply Entities without Necessity The Soul endued with a Plastick Nature the Chief Formatrix of its own Body the contribution of other Causes not excluded Page 166 23. That besides the Plastick in Particular Animals Forming them as so many Little Worlds there is a General Plastick or Artificial Nature in the Whole Corporeal Vniverse which likewise according to Aristotle is either a Part and Lower Power of a Conscious Mundane Soul or else something depending thereon Page 167 24. That no less according to Aristotle than Plato and Socrates Our selves partake of Life from the Life of the Universe as well as we do of Heat and Cold from the Heat and Cold of the Vniverse From whence it appears that Aristotle also held the World's Animation which is further Vndeniably proved An Answer to Two the most considerable Places in that Philosopher objected to the contrary That Aristotle's First Immoveable Mover was no Soul but a Perfect Intellect abstract from Matter which he supposed to move onely as a Final Cause or as Being Loved and besides this a Mundane Soul and Plastick Nature to move the Heavens Efficiently Neither Aristotle's Nature nor Mundane Soul the Supreme Deity However though there be no such Mundane Soul as both Plato and Aristotle conceived yet may there be notwithstanding a Plastick or Artificial Nature depending upon a Higher Intellectual Principle Page 168 25. No Impossibility of other Particular Plasticks and though it be not reasonable to think every Plant Herb and Pile of Grass to have a Plastick or Vegetative Soul of its own nor the Earth to be an Animal yet may there possibly be one Plastick Artificial Nature presiding over the Whole Terraqueous Globe by which Vegetables may be severally organized and framed and all things performed which transcend the Power of Fortuitous Mechanism Page 171 26. Our Second Undertaking which was to Show How grosly those Atheists who acknowledge this Artificial Plastick Nature without Animality Misunderstand it and Abuse the Notion to make a Counterfeit God Almighty or Numen of it to the exclusion of the True Deity First In their Supposing That to be the First and Highest Principle of the Vniverse which is the Last and Lowest of all Lives a thing as Essentially Derivative from and Dependent upon a Higher Intellectual Principle as the Echo on the Original Voice Secondly In their making Sense and Reason in Animals to emerge out of a Sensless Life of Nature by the meer Modification and Organization of Matter That no Duplication of Corporeal Organs can ever make One Single Inconscious Life to advance into Redoubled Consciousness and Self-Enjoyment Thirdly In attributing some of them Perfect Knowledge and Understanding to this Life of Nature which yet themselves suppose to be devoid of all Animal Sense and Consciousness Lastly In making this Plastick Life of Nature to be meerly Corporeal The Hylozoïsts contending That it is but an Inadequate Conception of Body as the onely
also said by him to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Above Essence Page 407 Xenophon though with other Pagans he acknowledged a Plurality of Gods yet a plain Asserter also of One Supreme and Universal Numen Page 408 XXIV Aristotle a frequent Acknowledger of Many Gods And whether he believed any Demons or no which he sometimes mentions though sparingly and insinuates them to be a kind of Aerial Animals more Immortal than Men yet did he unquestionably look upon the Starrs or their Intelligences as Gods Page 408 c. Notwithstanding which Aristotle doth not onely often speak of God Singularly and of the Divinity Emphatically but also professedly opposes that Imaginary Opinion of Many Independent Principles or Unmade Deities He confuting the same from the Phenomena or the Compages of the World which is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but all Uniform and agreeably Conspiring into one Harmony Page 410 411 Aristotle's Supreme Deity the First Immoveable Mover The difference here betwixt Plato and Aristotle Plato's Original of Motion a Self-moving Soul Aristotle's an Immoveable Mind But this Difference not so great as at first sight it seems because Aristotle's Immoveable Mind doth not Move the Heavens Efficiently but onely Finally or As being Loved Besides which he must needs suppose another immediate Mover which could be nothing but a Soul of them Page 412 Aristotle's Immoveable Mind not onely the Cause of Motion but also of Well and Fit all the Order Pulchritude and Harmony that is in the world Called therefore by Aristotle the Separate Good thereof This together with Nature its Subordinate Instrument the Efficient Cause of the whole Mundane System which however Co-eternal with it yet is in Order of Nature Junior to it Page 413 414 Aristotle and other Ancients when they affirm Mind to have been the Cause of all things Vnderstood it thus That all things were made by an Absolute Wisedom and after the Best Manner The Divine Will according to them not a meer Arbitrary Humoursome and Fortuitous thing but Decency and Fitness it self Page 415 From this passage of Aristotle's That the Divinity is either God or the Work of God Evident that he supposed All the Gods to have been derived from One and therefore his Intelligences of the Sphears Page 415 That according to Aristotle this Speculation of the Deity constitutes a Particular Science by it self distinct from Physiology and Geometry the Former whereof Physiology is Conversant about what was Inseparable and Movable the Second Geometry about things Immovable but not Really Separable but the Third and Last which is Theology about that which is both Immovable and Separable an Incorporeal Deity Page 416 Four Chief Points of Aristotle's Theology or Metaphysicks concerning God First that though all things are not Eternal and Unmade yet something must needs be such as likewise Incorruptible or otherwise all might come to Nothing Secondly that God is an Incorporeal Substance separate from Sensibles Indivisible and devoid of Parts and Magnitude Thirdly that the Divine Intellect is the same with its Intelligibles or conteineth them all within it self because the Divine Mind being Senior to all things and Architectonical of the World could not then look abroad for its Objects without it self The contrary to which supposed by Atheists Lastly that God being an Immovable Substance his Act and Energy is his Essence from whence Aristotle would infer the Eternity of the World Page 416 417 Aristotle's Creed and Religion contained in these Two Articles first That there is a Divinity which comprehends the whole Nature or Universe And Secondly that besides this There are other Particular Inferiour Gods But that all other things in the Religion of the Pagans were Fabulously superadded hereunto for Political Ends. Page 417 Speusippus Xenocrates and Theophrastus Monarchists Page 418 XXV The Stoicks no better Metaphysicians than Heraclitus in whose footsteps they trode admitting of no Incorporeal Substance The Qualities of the Mind also to these Stoicks Bodies Page 419 420 But the Stoicks not therefore Atheists they supposing an Eternal Unmade Mind though lodged in Matter the Maker of the whole Mundane System Page 420 The Stoical Argumentations for a God not Inconsiderable and what they were Page 421 422 The Stoical God not a meer Plastick and Methodical but an Intellectual Fire The World according to them not a Plant but Animal and Jupiter the Soul thereof From the supposed Oneliness of which Jupiter they would sometimes inferre the Singularity of the World Plutarch on the Contrary affirming that though there were Fifty or an Hundred Worlds yet would there be for all that but one Zeus or Jupiter Page 423 Nevertheless the Stoicks as Polytheistical as any Sect. But so as that they supposed all their Gods save One to be not Onely Native but also Mortal made out of that One and resolved into that One again these Gods being all Melted into Jupiter in the Conflagration Page 424 425 Wherefore during the Intervals of Successive Worlds the Stoicks acknowledged but one Solitary Deity and no more Jupiter being then left all alone and the other Gods Swallowed up into him Who therefore not onely the Creatour of all the other Gods but also the Decreatour of them Page 425 426 The Stoicks notwithstanding this Religious Worshippers of their Many Gods and thereby sometime derogated from the Honour of the Supreme by sharing his Sovereignty amongst them Page 426 427 Nevertheless the Supreme God praised and extolled by them far above all the other Gods and acknowledged to be the Sole Maker of the World Page 427 c. Their Professing Subjection to his Laws as their greatest Liberty Page 430 And to submit their Wills to his Will in every thing so as to know no other Will but the Will of Jupiter ibid. Their Pretending to Look to God and to doe nothing without a Reference to him as also to Trust in him and Rely upon him Page 431 Their Praising him as the Authour of all Good ibid. Their Addressing their Devotions to him Alone without the conjunction of any other God and particularly imploring his Assistence against Temptations Page 432 Cleanthes his Excellent and Devout Hymn to the Supreme God Page 433 XXVI Cicero though affecting to write in the way of the New Academy yet no Sceptick as to Theism Nor was he an Asserter of Many Independent Deities Cicero's Gods the Makers of the World the same with Plato's Eternal Gods or Trinity of Divine Hypostases Subordinate This Language the Pagans in S. Cyrill would Justifie from that of the Scripture Let us make Man Page 434 435 c. Varro's Threefold Theology The Fabulous the Natural and the Civil or Popular agreeably to Scaevola the Pontifex his Three Sorts of Gods Poetical Pholosophical and Political The Former condemned by him as False the Second though True said to be above the Capacity of the Vulgar and therefore a Necessity of a Third or Middle betwixt both Because many things True in
Aeolus in Arrianus seems to be taken for the Demons appointed by God Almighty to preside over the Winds Page 524 525 Lactantius his Reason why the Consentes and Select Gods vulgarly worshipped by the Romans could not be Single Demons or Angels Page 525 And from Aristotle's Observation against Zeno That according to Law or Civil Theology One God was chief for one thing and another for another Concluded that these Political Gods were not properly the Subservient Ministers of the Supreme and therefore could be nothing but several Names and Notions of One Natural God according to his Various Powers and Effects Page 525 526 And thus does Vossius himself afterwards confess That according to the Natural Theology all the Pagan Gods were but Several Denominations of one God Where notwithstanding this Learned and Industrious Philologer seems to take the Natural and Philosophick Theology for the Physiological he making the God thereof the Nature of things Whereas the Natural Theology was the True and Real and Philosophical opposed both to the Fictions of the Poets and the Institutes of Law-makers and Politicians As Varro affirmeth that in Cities those things were Worshipped and believed according to False Opinions which had no Nature nor Real Subsistence neither in the World nor without it The God of the Pagans not the Nature of things which could be the Numen of none but of Atheists but an Understanding Being the Great Mind or Soul of the whole World pervading all things Thus unquestionably true that the Many Poetical and Political Gods were but several Names or Notions of One Natural Real and True God Besides which there were other Inferiour Ministers of this Supreme God acknowledged to be the Instruments of his Providence and Religiously worshipped also A brief but full accompt of the Pagans Natural Theology set down by Prudentius Page 526 527 And when the more high-flown Pagans referred these Poetical and Political Gods to the Divine Idea's or Patterns of things in the Archetypal World which besides the Platonists the Egyptians in Celsus are said to have done making the Brute Animals worshipped by them but Symbols of the Eternal Idea's They hereby made these Gods to be but so many Partiall Considerations of One God neither as being All things or Containing in himself the Causes of all things as Julian himself declareth in his Sixth Oration Page 527 528 An Anacephalaeosis That much of the Pagan Polytheism was but the Polyonymy of One God he being worshipped under several Names First according to several General Notions of him as of Janus Genius Saturn Minerva Urania or the Heavenly Venus or Love and others before declared So also of Summanus according to S. Austin and Themis afterwards to be mentioned Page 528 529 And Secondly according to other more Particular Notions of him in their Special Gods as Acting in some Parts of the world onely or exercising some Particular Powers Page 529 530 And Lastly as Pervading All things and Being All things or the Cause of All things he was thereupon called by the Name of Every thing or Every thing by his Name The Pagans in S. Austin That their Ancestors were not so sottish as not to understand that those Things of Nature were but Divine Gifts and not Themselves Gods And the Pagans in Eusebius That the Invisible God the Cause of All things ought to be worshipped in his Visible Effects wherein he hath displayed himself Page 530 Though the Two former Kinds of these Gods onely called by Athanasius Poetical and Fictitious he opposing them to those of the Third sort that were Natural and Real things yet may these also be well called Poetical Fictitious and Phantastical Gods too because though themselves were Real things Existing in Nature yet was their Personation and Deification meer Fiction Fancy and Poetry And accordingly were they before called by Origen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 meer Figments of the Greeks Page 530 531 XXXIV Of those Pagans who supposed the Supreme God to be the Whole Animated World Hitherto shewed that even the most Refined of the Pagans agreed in these Two things First in Breaking and Crumbling the One Simple Deity and multiplying it into Many Gods or Parcelling it out into several Particular Notions according to its several Powers and Virtues 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being to these Pagans the same thing with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And then in Theologizing the whole World Personating and Deifying the Natures of Things Accidents and Inanimate Bodies They supposing God to Pervade all things and Himself to be in a manner All things Therefore every thing to the Religious Sacred and Divine and God to be Worshipped in All. Page 531 532 We shall now add that both those forementioned Principles of God's Pervading all things and his Being all things were carried on farther by those Pagan Theologers who had no higher Notion of the Supreme Deity then as the Soul of the World For First Whereas the more Refined Pagans supposed God to Pervade all things Unmixedly These Mingled and Confounded him with the whole World Some of them supposing him also to be a Subtile Body Page 532 533 Again Whereas the other more Sublimated Pagans affirmed God so to be All as nevertheless to be something also Above all These concluded him to be nothing Higher then the Animated World Page 533 And though they supposed that as well in this Mundane Animal as in other Animals there was something Principal and Hegemonical whether the Sun or Aether or Fire which therefore was Emphatically called God yet did they conceive the whole Matter thereof to be Animated and so to be All God Not barely as Matter but by reason of the Soul thereof Page 534 535 Now if the Whole World Animated be the Supreme God then must all the Parts and Members of the World be the Parts and Members of One God but not themselves therefore properly so Many Gods This affirmed by Origen as the True Sense of these Pagans against that unwary Assertion of Celsus That If the Whole were God then must the several Parts thereof needs be Gods Page 535 Wherefore though these Pagans Deified the Parts of the World and Natures of Things as well as the Powers of the Mundane Soul yet did not the Intelligent amongst them Worship them severally as so many True and Proper Gods but onely as the Parts and Members of one Great Animal or God or rather Worship the great Mundane Soul the Life of the whole World in them all This proved from S. Austin Page 536 537 The same plainly declared also by the Pagans in Athanasius That not the Divided Parts of the World were by them accounted so many several Gods but the Whole made up of them All One God which yet might be worshipped in its several Parts Page 537 The Pagans being thus divided as to their Opinions concerning the Natural and True Theology some of them Worshipped the World as the Body of God but others only as his Image or
that Arius was a German True and Genuine Platonist Whereas it is most certain from hence that Arius was no Platonist at all and that Petavius himself did not well understand the Platonick Doctrine Had Plato denied the Eternity of his Second Hypostasis called Nous he must have denied the Eternity of Wisedom and Vnderstanding it self this being to him that Wisedom by which God himself is Wise and whereby he made the World With which agreeth also Athanasius Our Lord is Wisedom and not Second to any other Wisedom and The Father of the Word is not himself Word and That was not Word and Wisedom which produced Word and Wisedom This in opposition to Arius who maintained Another Word and Wisedom Senior to that Word and Wisedom in Christ. These Platonists so far from denying the Eternity of the Word that they rather attributed too much to it in making it Self-begotten Wherefore Plato asserting the Eternity of his Second Hypostasis Nous or Logos and not of the World did thereby according to Athanasius his own Doctrine make it to be no Creature Page 575 Nor is there any force at all in that Testimony of Macrobius cited by Petavius to the contrary wherein the First Hypostasis is said to have Created Mind from it self and the Second to have Created Soul because these Ancient Pagans did not confine the word Creare to such a narrow sense as Christians commonly do but used it generally for all manner of Production Petavius his mistake chiefly from that Spurious Trinity of the latter Platonists whose Third God is by themselves called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Creature But this not the Doctrine of the Ancients Page 576 Nevertheless some more Reason to doubt whether Plato's Third Hypostasis were Eternal because in his Timaeus he Generates the Mundane Soul This Controversy decided by supposing a Double Psyche 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Mundane and Supra-Mundane Soul the first of these called by Plotinus a Heavenly Venus and a Separate Soul Wherefore though the Lower Venus or Mundane Soul according to Plato made in Time together with the World yet the Higher Divine Soul or Heavenly Venus the Son of Chronus without a Mother his Third Hypostasis Eternal and without Beginning Page 576 577 This further Evident from hence Because Plato in his Epistle to Dionysius affirmeth as well of the Second and Third as of the First that in all those things that are Cognate to our Humane Soul or Creaturely there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nothing like thereunto Page 577 Secondly The Three Hypostases of Plato's Trinity not onely all Eternall but also Necessarily Existent and Absolutely Unannihilable Nor could the First any more Exist without the Second and Third then the Sun without its Primary Light and Secundary Splendor These according to Plotinus the Three Principles of the Universe so that there could be neither More nor Fewer They also who called the Second Autopator signified thereby the Necessity of its Existence Page 577 578 Thirdly These Three Platonick Hypostases as Eternall and Necessary so likewise Universal or Comprehensive of the Whole World that is Infinite and Omnipotent Therefore called Principles and Causes and Opificers Though Nous or Mind vulgarly lookt upon as the Highest Principle of all things yet Plato set before it One Most Simple Good When Nous said by Plato to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Same Kind with the First Cause of all things this all one as if he had affirmed it to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Co-Essential or Consubstantial with it Pag. 578 579 Plato's Third Hypostasis Psyche or the Superiour Mundane Soul called by him Zeus from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as also the Cause and Fountain of Life and the Prince and King of all things And when said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Offspring of the Highest Mind thereby made Consubstantiall with it also So that Plato's whole Trinity Homoousian Page 579 Though by the Demiurgus or Opificer Plato commonly meant the Second Hypostasis Mind or Intellect yet Atticus Amelius Plotinus and others called the Third or the Higher Psyche also by that Name Wherefore according to the Genuine Platonick and Parmenidian Trinity all the Three Hypostases Joynt-Creatours of the whole World Thus Ficinus often and Proclus Porphyrius his Affirmation that the Deity according to Plato Extends to Three Hypostases Ibid. Certain therefore that Arius did not Platonize but rather Athanasius and the Nicene Fathers who notwithstanding made not Plato but the Scriptures their Foundation The Genuine Trinity of Plato and Parmenides a Middle betwixt that of Sabellius and that of Arius it being neither a Trinity of Words and Names as the Former nor an Heteroousious Trinity a Confused Jumble of God and Creature together but Homoousious and Homogeneall all Eternall Necessarily Existent Infinite or Omnipotent and Creatour Page 579 580 But that it may yet more fully appear how far the most refined Platonick and Parmenidian Trinity does either Agree or Disagree with the Scripture and Christian Doctrine Two things further to be Observed concerning it First that the Platonists Universally asserted an Essentiall Dependence of their Second and Third Hypostases upon the First as also a Graduall Subordination in them Thus Plotinus Chronos or the Second Hypostasis is in a Middle State betwixt his Father who is Greater and his Son who is Inferiour And that in this Eternal Generation or Emanation no Progress Vpward but all Downward and a Graduall Descent Page 580 581 More of the Dependence and Graduall Subordination of the Second and Third Hypostases of the Platonick Trinity to the First Each following Hypostasis called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of that before it Philo's Offensive Expression That the Logos or Word is the Shadow of God This Gradation commonly Illustrated by the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Effulgency or Out-shining Splendor of the Sun Page 581 582 The same further manifested from the severall Distinctive Characters given to each Hypostasis in the True Platonick or Parmenidian Trinity The First 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 One before all things The Second 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 One All things as to their Distinct Idea's The Third 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 One Really producing All things The First Unity and Goodness Essentiall the Second Understanding and Wisedom the Third Self-Active Love and Power The First or Father 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Above Action The Second or Son the Demiurgus The Maker or contriving Architect of the World but an Immovable Nature The Third a Movable Deity and the Immediate Governour of the whole World Amelius his Distinction of them into 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Page 582 583 The greatest Difficulty in the distinctive Characters of these Three Platonick Hypostases That Understanding Reason and Wisedom should be made
by perfect Art and Wisedome This Atheistick Fanaticism Page 675 676 No more Possible That Dead and Sensless Matter Fortuitously Moved should at length be Taught and Necessitated by it self to produce this Artificial System of the World then that a dozen or more Persons unskilled in Musick and striking the Strings as it Happened should at length be Taught and Necessitated to fall into Exquisite Harmony Or that the Letters in the Writings of Plato and Aristotle though having so much Philosophick Sense should have been all Scribbled at randome More Philosophy in the Great Volume of the World then in all Aristotle's and Plato's Works and more of Harmony then in any Artificial Composition of Vocall Musick That the Divine Art and Wisedom hath printed such a Signature of it self upon the Matter of the Whole World as Fortune and Chance could never Counterfeit Page 676 677 But in the next place the Atheists will for all this undertake to Demonstrate That things could not Possibly be made by any Intending Cause for Ends and Uses as Eyes for Seeing Ears for Hearing from hence Because things were all in Order of Time as well as Nature before their Uses This Argument seriously propounded by Lucretius in this manner If Eyes were made for the Use of Seeing then of necessity must Seeing have been before Eyes But there was no Seeing before Eyes Therefore could not Eyes be made for the sake of Seeing Page 677 678 Evident that the Logick of these Atheists differs from that of all other Mortalls according to which the End for which any thing is designedly made is onely in Intention First but in Execution Last True that Men are Commonly excited from Experience of things and Sense of their Wants to Excogitate Means and Remedies but it doth not therefore follow that the Maker of the World could not have a Preventive Knowledge of whatsoever would be Usefull for Animals and so make them Bodies Intentionally for those Vses That Argument ought to be thus framed Whatsoever is made Intentionally for any End as the Eye for that of Seeing that End must needs be in the Knowledge and Intention of the Maker before the Actual Existence of that which is made for it But there could be no Knowledge of Seeing before there were Eyes Therefore Eyes could not be made Intentionally for the sake of Seeing Page 678 This the True Scope of the Premised Atheistick Argument however disguised by them in the first Propounding The Ground thereof Because they take it for granted That all Knowledge is derived from Sense or from the Things Known Pre-Existing without the Knower And here does Lucretius Triumph The Controversy therefore at last resolved into this Whether all Knowledge be in its own Nature Junior to Things for if so it must be Granted that the World could not be Made by any Antecedent Knowledge But this afterwards fully Confuted and Proved That Knowledge is not in its own Nature Ectypall but Archetypall and that Knowledge was Older then the World and the Maker thereof Page 679 But Atheists will Except against the Proving of a God from the Regular and Artificiall frame of things That it is unreasonable to think there should be no Cause in Nature for the Common Phaenomena thereof but a God thus Introduced to salve them Which also to suppose the world Bungled and Botcht up That Nature is the Cause of Naturall things Which Nature doth not Intend nor Act for Ends. Wherefore the Opinion of Finall Causality for things in Nature but an Idolum Specûs Therefore rightly banished by Democritus out of Physiology Page 679 680 The Answer Two Extreams here to be avoided One of the Atomick Atheists who derive all things from the Fortuitous Motion of Sensless Matter Another of Bigoticall Religionists who will have God to doe all things Himself Immediately without any Nature The Middle betwixt both That there is not onely a Mechanicall and Fortuitous but also an Artificiall Nature Subservient to the Deity as the Manuary Opificer and Drudging Executioner thereof True that some Philosophers have absurdly attributed their own Properties or Animal Idiopathies to Inanimate Bodies Nevertheless this no Idol of the Cave or Den to suppose the System of the World to have been framed by an Understanding Being according to whose Direction Nature though not it self Intending Acteth Balbus his Description of this Artificiall Nature in Cicero That there could be no Mind in us were there none in the Universe That of Aristotle True That there is more of Art in some things of Nature then in any thing Made by Men. Now the Causes of Artificiall things as a House or Clock cannot be declared without Intention for Ends. This Excellently pursued by Aristotle No more can the Things of Nature be rightly Vnderstood or the Causes of them fully Assigned meerly from Matter and Motion without Intention or Mind They who banish Finall or Mentall Causality from Philosophy look upon the Things of Nature with no other Eyes then Oxen and Horses Some pitifull Attempts of the Ancient Atheists to salve the Phaenomena of Animals without Mentall Causality Democritus and Epicurus so cautious as never to pretend to give an Account of the Formation of the Foetus Aristotle's Judgement here to be Preferred before that of Democritus Page 680 683 But nothing more Strange then that these Atheists should be justified in this their Ignorance by Professed Theists and Christians who Atomizing likewise in their Physiology contend that this whole Mundane System resulted onely from the Necessary and Unguided Motion of Matter either Turned Round in a Vortex or Jumbled in a Chaos without the Direction of any Mind These Mechanick Theists more Immodest then the Atomick Atheists themselves they supposing these their Atoms though Fortuitously moved yet never to have produced any Inept System or Incongruous Forms but from the very first all along to have Ranged themselves so Orderly as that they could not have done it better had they been directed by a Perfect Mind They quite take away that Argument for a God from the Phaenomena and that Artificiall Frame of things leaving onely some Metaphysicall Arguments which though never so good yet by reason of their Subtlety cannot doe so much Execution The Atheists Gratified to see the Cause of Theism thus betrayed by its professed Friends and the Grand Argument for the same totally Slurred by them Page 683 684 As this Great Insensibility of Mind to look upon the Things of Nature with no other Eyes then Brute Animals do so are there Sundry Phaenomena partly Above the Mechanick Powers and partly Contrary to the same which therefore can never be Salved without Mentall and Finall Causality As in Animals the Motion of the Diaphragma in Respiration the Systole and Diastole of the Heart Being a Muscular Constriction and Relaxation To which might be added others in the Macrocosm as the Intersection of the Planes of the Equator and Ecliptick or the Earth's Diurnall Motion upon an Axis not
be a Modification of Sensless Matter or Result from Figures Sites Motions and Magnitudes Humane Souls Substantiall and therefore according to this Doctrine must have been Never Made whereas Atheists stifly deny both their Prae and Post-Existence Those Pagan Theists who held the Eternity of Humane Minds supposed them notwithstanding to have Depended upon the Deity as their Cause Before Proved That there can be but One Understanding Being Self-Existent If Humane Souls Depend upon the Deity as their Cause then Doubtless Matter also Page 749 750 A Common but Great Mistake That no Pagan Theist ever acknowledged any Creative Power out of Nothing or else That God was the Cause of any Substance Plato's Definition of Effective Power in General and his Affirmation That the Divine Efficiency is that whereby things are Made after they had Not been Certain That he did not understand this of the Production of Souls out of Matter he supposing them to be Before Matter and therefore Made by God out of Nothing Prae-Existing All Philosophers who held the Immortality and Incorporeity of the Soul asserted it to have been Caused by God either in Time or from Eternity Plutarch's Singularity here Vnquestionable That the Platonists supposed One Substance to receive its whole Being from Another in that they derive their Second Hypostasis or Substance though Eternal from the First and their Third from Both and all Inferiour Ranks of Beings from all Three Plotinus Porphyrius Iamblichus Hierocles Proclus and Others derived Matter from the Deity Thus the Chaldee Oracles and the old Egyptian or Hermaick Theology also according to Iamblichus Those Platonists who supposed the World and Souls Eternal conceived them to have received their Being as much from the Deity as if Made in Time Page 750 752 Having now Disproved this Proposition Nothing out of Nothing in the Atheistick Sense viz. That no Substance was Caused or Derived its Being from Another but whatsoever is Substantial did Exist Of It self from Eternity Independently we are in the next place to make it appear also That were it True it would no more oppose Theism then it doth Atheism Falshoods though not Truths may Disagree Plutarch the Stoicks and Others who made God the Creatour of no Substance though not Genuine yet Zealous Theists But the Ancient Atheists both in Plato and Aristotle Generated and Corrupted All things that is Produced All things out of Nothing or Non-Existence and Reduced them into Nothing again the bare Substance of Matter onely Excepted The same done by the Democritick and Epicurean Atheists themselves the Makers of this Objection though according to the Principles of their own Atomick Physiology it is Impossible that Life and Unerstanding Soul and Mind should be meer Modifications of Matter As Theists give a Creative Power of All out of Nothing to the Deity so do Atheists to Passive and Dead Mattâ—r Wherefore this can be no Argument against Theism it Equally opposing Atheism Page 752 756 An Anacephalaeosis wherein Observable That Cicero makes De Nihilo fieri and Sine Causa To be made out of Nothing and to be made without a Cause One and the Self-same thing as also that he doth not Confine this to the Material Cause onely Our Third and Last Undertaking To Prove that Atheists Produce Real Entities out of Nothing in the First Impossible Sense that is Without a Cause Page 756 757 A Brief Synopsis of Atheism That Matter being the onely Substance is therefore the onely Un-made Thing and That whatsoever else is in the World besides the Bare Substance thereof was Made out of Matter or Produced from that alone Page 757 The First Argument When Atheists affirm Matter to be the onely Substance and all things to be Made out of that they Suppose all to be Made without an Efficient Cause which is to bring them from Nothing in an Impossible Sense Though Something may be Made without a Material Cause Prae-Existing yet cannot any thing Possibly be Made without an Efficient Cause Wherefore if there be any thing Made which was Not before there must of Necessity be besides Matter some other Substance as the Active Efficient Cause thereof The Atheistick Hypothesis supposes Things to be Made without any Active or Effective Principle Whereas the Epicurean Atheists Attribute the Efficiency of all to Local Motion and yet deny Matter or Body their onely Substance a Self-moving Power They hereby make all the Motion that is in the World to have been Without a Cause or to Come from Nothing all Action without an Agent all Efficiency without an Efficient Page 758 Again Should we grant these Atheists Motion without a Cause yet could not Dead and Sensless Matter together with Motion ever beget Life Sense and Understanding because this would be Something out of Nothing in way of Causality Local Motion onely Châ—nging the Modifications of Matter as Figure Place Site and Disposition of Parts Hence also those Spurious Theists Confuted who Conclude God to have done no more in the Making of the World then a Carpenter doth in the Building of a House upon this Pretence That Nothing can be made out of Nothing and yet suppose him to Make Souls out of Dead and Sensless Matter which is to bring them from Nothing in way of Causality Page 758 759 Declared before That the Ancient Italicks and Pythagoricks Proved in this manner That Souls could not possibly be Generated out of Matter because Nothing can come from Nothing in way of Causality The Subterfuge of the Atheistick Ionicks out of Aristotle That Matter being the onely Substance and Life Sense and Unâ—erstanding Nothing but the Passions Affections and Dispositions thereof the Production of them out of Matter no Production of any new Reall Entity Page 759 Answer Atheists taking it for granted That there is no other Substance besides Body or Matter therefore falsly conclude Life Sense and Understanding to be Accidents or Modes of Matter they being indeed the Modes or Attributes of Substance Incorporeal and Self-Active A Mode That which cannot be Conceived without the Thing whereof it is a Mode but Life and Cogitation may be Conceived without Corporeal Extension and indeed cannot be Conceived with it Page 759 760 The chief Occasion of this Errour from Qualities and Forms as Because the Quality of Heat and Form of Fire may be Generated out of Matter therefore Life Cogitation and Understanding also But the Atomick Atheists themselves Explode Qualities as things Really distinct from the Figure Site and Motion of Parts for this very reason Because Nothing can be made out of Nothing Causally The Vulgar Opinion of such Real Qualities in Bodies onely from mens mistaking their own Phancies Apparitions Passions Affections and Seemings for things Really Existing without them That in these Qualities which is distinct from the Figure Site and Motion of Parts not the Accidents and Modifications of Matter but of Our own Souls The Atomick Atheists infinitely Absurd when exploding Qualities because Nothing can come out
which Mind is the same with God Thus Themistius speaking of Anaxagoras 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He was the first that is amongst the Ionick Philosophers who brought in Mind and God to the Cosmopoeia and did not derive all things from Sensless Bodies And to the same purpose Plutarch in the Life of Pericles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The other Ionick Philosophers before Anaxagoras made Fortune and blind Necessity that is the Fortuitous and Necessary Motions of the Matter to be the only Original of the World but Anaxagoras was the first who affirmed a pure and sincere Mind to preside over all Anaxagoras therefore supposed Two Substantial Self-existent Principles of the Universe one an Infinite Mind or God the other an Infinite Homoiomery of Matter or Infinite Atoms not Unqualified such as those of Empedocles and Democritus which was the most Ancient and Genuine Atomology but Similar such as were severally endued with all manner of Qualities and Forms which Physiology of his therefore was a spurious kind of Atomism Anaxagoras indeed did not suppose God to have created Matter out of nothing but that he was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Principle of its Motion and also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Regulator of this motion for Good and consequently the Cause of all the Order Pulchritude and Harmony of the World for which reason this Divine Principle was called also by him not only Mind but Good it being that which act the Sake of Good Wherefore according to Anaxagoras First the World was not Eternal but had a Beginning in time and before the World was made there was from Eternity an Infinite Congeries of Similar and Qualified Atoms Self-existent without either Order or Motion Secondly The World was not afterwards made by Chance but by Mind or God first moving the Matter and then directing the Motion of it so as to bring it into this orderly System and Compages So that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mind the first Maker of the World and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mind that which still governs the same the King and Sovereign Monarch of Heaven and Earth Thirdly Anaxagoras his Mind and God was purely Incorporeal to which purpose his words recorded by Simplicius are very remarkable 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mind is mingled with nothing but is alone by it self and separate for if it were not by it self secrete from Matter but mingled therewith it would then partake of all things because there is something of all in every thing which things mingled together with it would hinder it so that it could not master or conquer any thing as if alone by it self for Mind is the most Subtil of all things and the most Pure and has the knowledge of all things together with an absolute Power over all Lastly Anaxagoras did not suppose a Multitude of Unmade Minds coexistent from Eternity as so many partial Causes and Governours of the World but only One Infinite Mind or God ruling over All. Indeed it may well be made a Question whether or no besides this Supreme and Universal Deity Anaxagoras did acknowledge any of those other Inferiour Gods then Worshipped by the Pagans because it is certain that though he asserted Infinite Mind to be the Maker and Governour of the whole World yet he was accused by the Athenians for Atheism and besides a Mulct impos'd upon him Banished for the same the true ground whereof was no other than this because he affirmed the Sun to be nothing but a Mass of Fire and the Moon and Earth having Mountains and Valleys Cities and Houses in it and probably concluded the same of all the other Stars and Planets that they were either Fires as the Sun or Habitable Earths as the Moon wherein supposing them not to be Animated he did consequently deny them to be Gods Which his Ungodding of the Sun Moon and Stars was then look'd upon by the Vulgar as nothing less than absolute Atheism they being very prone to think that if there were not Many Understanding Beings Superiour to Men and if the Sun Moon and Stars were not such and therefore in their Language Gods there was no God at all Neither was it the Vulgar only who condemned Anaxagoras for this but even those Two grave Philosophers Socrates and Plato did the like the First in his Apology made to the Athenians where he calls this opinion of Anaxagoras Absurd the Second in his Book of Laws where he complains of this Doctrine as a great In-let into Atheism in this manner 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 When You and I endeavouring by Arguments to prove that there are Gods speak of the Sun and Moon Stars and Earth as Gods and Divine Things our young men presently being principled by these new Philosophers will reply that these are nothing but Earth and Stones Sensless and Inanimate Bodies which therefore cannot mind nor take notice of any Humane affairs Where we may observe these Two things First that nothing was accounted truly and properly a God amongst the Pagans but only what was endued with Life and Vnderstanding Secondly that the taking away of those Inferiour Gods of the Pagans the Sun Moon and Stars by denying them to be Animated or to have Life and Understanding in them was according to Plato's Judgment then the most ready and effectual way to introduce Absolute Atheism Moreover it is true that though this Anaxagoras were a professed Theist he asserting an Infinite Self-existent Mind to be the Maker of the whole World yet he was severely taxed also by Aristotle and Plato as one not thorough-paced in Theism and who did not so fully as he ought adhere to his own Principles For whereas to assert Mind to be the Maker of the World is really all one as to assert Final Causality for things in Nature as also that they were made after the Best manner Anaxagoras when he was to give his particular account of the Phaenomena did commonly betake himself to Material Causes only and hardly ever make use of the Mental or Final Cause but when he was to seek and at a loss then only bringing in God upon the Stage Socrates his discourse concerning this in Plato's Pâ—aedo is very well worth our taking notice of Hearing one sometime read saith he out of a Book of Anaxagoras 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Mind was the Orderer and Cause of all things I was exceedingly pleased herewith concluding that it must needs follow from thence that All things were ordered and disposed of as they should and after the best manner possible and therefore the Causes even of the things in Nature or at least the grand Strokes of them ought to be fetched from the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That which is Absolutely the Best But when afterwards I took Anaxagoras his Book into my hand greedily reading it over I was exceedingly disappointed of my expectation finding therein no other Causes
and Contingency non necesse fuisse Cypselum regnare Corinthi quanquam id Millesimo antè anno Apollinis Oraculo editum esset that is was not Necessary Cypselus the Tyrant should reign at Corinth though that were a thing Predicted by Apollo 's Oracle a thousand years before As also this recorded by Varro of Vectius Valens an Augur in the Time of Romulus who when Rome was a building from the flying of Twelve Vultures presaged that the continuance of that City would be for Twelve Hundred years which seems to have been accordingly fulfilled in the year of our Lord Four hundred fifty and five immediatly after the death of the Third Valentinian whom some make to be the last Real Emperour of the West or Rome when Gensericus the Vandal took the City the second time and fired it But above all that of the Sibyls of whose Prophecies such things are recorded by Pagan Writers as makes it very suspicious that they did foretel the coming of our Saviour Christ and the times of Christianity but were these and the like Pagan Prophecies Real then must they needs have had some higher Original than the Natural Presaging Faculty of their Demons especially those of the Sibyls who for ought we know might be as well assisted Super-Naturally to predict our Saviour Christ amongst the Pagans in the West as Balaam was in the East But here the Scripture triumpheth over Paganism and all its Oracles and Divinations there being contained in it so many unquestionable Predictions of Events to follow a long time after and such as can be imputed to nothing but the Supernatural Foreknowledge and Omniscience of God Almighty As for example those concerning the Messiah or our Saviour Christ delivered by Jacob Moses David Isaias Jeremy Daniel and most of the Prophets foretelling sundry particular circumstances of his coming and that grand Event which followed after of the Gentiles or Pagans so general Reception and Entertainment of Christianity that is the Belief of the Messiah promised to the Jews together with the shaking off of their Gods and Idols Amongst which Scripture Prophecies concerning our Saviour Christ we must needs reckon for one and none of the least considerable neither that of Daniel's Weeks or of Four hundred and ninety years to commence from the Going forth of the Word or the Decree made by Artaxerxes the Son of Xerxes in the seventh year of his Reign for the return of the People of Israel Priests and Levites to Jerusalem and to terminate in the Death of the Messiah and the Preaching of the Gospel to the Jews only though we are not ignorant how some learned men both of former and latter times have stretched their wits they sometimes using no small violence to divert this Prophecy another way For that these Prophecies concerning our Saviour Christ could have no other Original than the immediate Supernatural Revelation of God Almighty is Evident from the thing it self it being such as depended on no Natural Causes much less upon those Constellations of the Astrological Atheists but only upon his own Secret Will and Counsel But besides these Prophecies concerning our Saviour Christ there are others contained in the Scripture concerning the Fates and Successions of the chief Kingdoms Empires and Polities of the World as of the Rise of the Persian Monarchy of its Fall and Conquest by the Macedonean Alexander of the Quadripartite Division of this Greekish Empire after Alexander's death of the Succession of the Seleucidae and Lagidae a Prophetick History so agreeable with the Events that it was by Porphyrius pretended to have been written after them and lastly of the Rise and Continuance of the Roman Empire For notwithstanding the endeavours of some to pervert all those Scripture Prophecies that extend to the present times it is clearly demonstrable that this was Daniel's Fourth Ten horned Beast or the Legs and Toes of Nebuchadnezar's Statue that Fourth Empire strong as Iron which came at length to be broken or divided into Ten or many Principalities called in the Prophetick Language and according to the Eichon Hornes amongst whom was to start up another Horn with Eyes speaking great words against the most High and making War with the Saints and prevailing against them for a Time Times and Half a Time Which Prophecy of Daniels is the Ground-work of St. John's Apocalypse it being there further insisted upon filled up and enlarged with the addition of several particulars so that both Daniel and John have each of them from their respective ages set down a Prophetick Calendar of Times in a continued Series the former more Compendiously and Generally the latter more Copiously and Particularly to the very end of the World And thus do we see plainly that the Scripture-Prophecies Evince a Deity neither can these possibly be imputed by Atheists as other things to mens Fear and Fancy nor yet to the Fiction of Politicians Nor do they only Evince a Deity but confirm Christianity also partly as predicted by them in its several circumstances a grand one whereof was the Gentiles Reception of it and partly as it self predicting Future Events this Spirit of Prophecy being the Testimony of Jesus Both which Scripture-Prophecies Of Christ in the Old Testament and From him in the New are of equal if not greater force to us in this present Age for the Confirmation of our Faith than the Miracles themselves recorded in the Scripture we having now certain knowledge our selves of many of those Events and being no way able to suspect but that the Prophecies were written long before To conclude all these Extraordinary Phaenomena of Apparitions Witchcraft Possessions Miracles and Prophecies do Evince that Spirits Angels or Demons though Invisible to us are no Phancies but Real and Substantial Inhabitants of the World which favours not the Atheistick Hypothesis but some of them as the Higher kind of Miracles and Predictions do also immediatly enforce the acknowledgment of a Deity a Being superiour to Nature which therefore can check and controul it and which comprehending the whole fore-knows the most Remotely distant and Contingent Events And now have we not only fully Answered and Confuted all the Atheistick Pretences against the Idea of God tending to disprove his Existence but also occasionally proposed several Solid and Substantial Arguments for a Deity as That all Successive things the World Motion and Time are in their own Nature absolutely uncapable of an Ante-Eternity and therefore there must of necessity be something else of a Permanent Duration that was Eternal without Beginning That no Atheist according to his Principles can possibly give any account of the Original of his own Soul or Mind That the Phaenomenon of Motion cannot be Salved without an Incorporeal Principle presiding over the whole That the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Artificial Regular and Orderly Frame of things together with the Harmony of the whole Demonstrate an Vnderstanding and Intending Cause of the World that Ordered things for Ends and Good
Besides that there are several other Phaenomena both Ordinary and Extraordinary which Atheists being no way able to Salve are forced to deny True indeed some of the ancient Theists have themselves affirmed that there could be no Demonstration of a God which Assertion of theirs hath been by others misunderstood into this sense as if there were therefore no Certainty at all to be had of God's Existence but only a Conjectural Probability no Knowledge or Science but only Faith and Opinion Whereas the true meaning of those ancient Theists who denied that there could be any Demonstration of a God was only this that the Existence of a God could not be Demonstrated A Priore himself being the First Cause of all things Thus doth Alexander Aphrodisius in his Physical Doubts and Solutions after he had propounded an Argument for a God according to Aristotelick Principles from Motion declare himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That this Argument or Proof of his was in way of Analysis only it being not Possible that there should be a Demonstration of the First Principle of all Wherefore saith he we must here fetch our Beginning from things that are After it and manifest and thence by way of Analysis Ascend to the Proof of that First Nature which was Before them And to the same purpose Clemens Alexandrinus having first affirmed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That God is the most difficult thing of all to be discoursed of Because since the Principle of every thing is hard to find out the First and most antÃent Principle of all which was the Cause to all other things of their being made must needs be the hardest of all to be declared or manifested he afterwards subjoyns 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But neither can God be apprehended by any Demonstrative Science For such Science is from things Before in order of Nature and More Knowable whereas nothing can exist Before that which is altogether Vnmade And certain it is that it implies a Contradiction that God or a Perfect Being should be thus Demonstrated by any thing before him as his Cause Nevertheless it doth not therefore follow that there can be no Certainty at all had of the Existence of a God but only a Conjectural Probability no Knowledge but Faith and Opinion only For we may have a Certain Knowledge of things the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereof cannot be Demonstrated A Priore or from Antecedent Necessary Causes As for example That there was something Eternal of it Self without Beginning is not at all Demonstrable by any Antecedent Cause it being Contradictious to such a thing to have a Cause Nevertheless upon supposition only that something doth Exist which no man can possibly make any doubt of we may not only have an Opinion but also certain Knowledge from the Necessity of Irrefragable Reason That there was never Nothing but something or other did Always Exist from Eternity and without Beginning In like manner though the Existence of a God or Perfect Being cannot be Demonstrated A Priore yet may we notwithstanding from Our very Selves whose Existence we cannot doubt of and from what is contained in our own Minds or otherwise consequent from him by undeniable Principles of Reason Necessarily inferr His Existence And whensoever any thing is thus necessarily inferred from what is undeniable and indubitable this is a Demonstration though not of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of it That the thing is though not Why it is And many of the Geometrical Demonstrations are no other It hath been asserted by a late Eminent Philosopher that there is no possible Certainty to be had of any thing before we be Certain of the Existence of a God Essentially Good because we can never otherwise free our minds from the Importunity of that Suspicion which with irresistable force may assault them That our selves might possibly be so made either by Chance or Fate or by the pleasure of some Evil Demon or at least of an Arbitrary Omnipotent Deity as that we should be Deceived in all our most Clear and Evident Perceptions and therefore in Geometrical Theorems themselves and even in our Common Notions But when we are once assured of the Existence of such a God as is Essentially Good who therefore neither will nor can Deceive then and not before will this Suspicion utterly vanish and Our selves become Certain that our Faculties of Reason and Vnderstanding are not False and Imposturous but Rightly Made From which Hypothesis it plainly follows that all those Theists who suppose God to be a meer Arbitrary Being whose Will is not determined by any Nature of Goodness or Rule of Justice but it self is the first Rule of both they thinking this to be the Highest Perfection Liberty and Power can never be reasonably Certain of the Truth of any thing not so much as that Two and Two are Four because so long as they adhere to that perswasion they can never be assured but that such an Arbitrary Omnipotent Deity might designedly make them such as should be deceived in all their Clearest Perceptions Now though there be a Plausibility of Piety in this Doctrine as making the knowledge of a God Essentially Good so necessary a Precognitum to all other Science that there can be no Certainty of Truth at all without it yet does that very Supposition that our Vnderstanding Faculties might possibly be so made as to deceive us in all our Clearest Perceptions where soever it is admitted render it utterly Impossible ever to arrive to any Certainty concerning the Existence of a God Essentially Good for as much as this cannot be any otherwise proved then by the use of our Faculties of Vnderstanding Reason and Discourse For to say that the Truth of our Vnderstanding Faculties is put out of all Doubt and Question as soon as ever we are assured of the Existence of a God Essentially Good who therefore cannot deceive whilst this Existence of a God is in the mean time it self no otherwise proved than by by our Vnderstanding Faculties that is at once to prove the Truth of God's Existence from our Faculties of Reason and Vnderstanding and again to prove the Truth of those Faculties from the Existence of a God Essentially Good this I say is plainly to move round in a Circle and to prove nothing at all a gross oversight which the forementioned Philosopher seems plainly guilty of Wherefore according to this Hypothesis we are of necessity condemned to Eternal Scepticism both concerning the Existence of a God when after all our Arguments and Demonstrations for the same we must at length gratifie the Atheists with this Confession in the Conclusion That it is Possible notwithstanding there may be None but also concerning all other things the Certainty whereof is supposed to depend upon the Certainty of the Existence of such a God as cannot Deceive So that if we will pretend to any Certainty at all concerning the