wherein all the reason and philosophy of atheism is confuted, and

TheC H A P. II. Fir ft^ that there is no Idea of Cod. 63Which indeed we have been fo far from, that we muft confefs we were notaltogether iinwiiiing this bufinefs of theirs (hould look a little like fomething,that might dcferve a confutation. And whether the Atheifts ought not ratherto give us thanks for mending and improving their arguments, thancomplain that we have any way impaired them, we flialJ leave it to the cenfureof impartial judgments.IV. Plato ' tells us, that even amongft thofe Pagans in his time therewas generally fuch a religious humour, that Travis? oVot xxjii (^p^xy a-u^poa-'M-zi^Whofoever had but the leafi of ferioufnefs and fobriety in them, ivhenfoever theytook in hand any enterprize, -whether great or fmall, they would always invokethe Deity for ajfftance and direHion. Adding moreover, that himfeif fhouldbe very faulty, if in his Tim^us, when he was to treat about fo grand a point,concerning the whole world, t\ yiycuv * >c, xynri; eo, whether it were made orunmade, he fhould not make his entrance thereinto by a religious invocationof the Deity. Wherefore certainly it could not be lefs than a piece of impietyin aChriftian, being to treat concerning the Deity itfelf, and to produceall that profane and unhallov/ed (luff of Atheifts out of their dark corners,in order to a confutation, and the better confirmation of our faith in the truthof his exiftence, not to implore his diredion and affiftance. And I knowno reafor, but that we may well do it in that fame litany of PlatQ^r» In Timaso, p. 25 5, » Hobbes,falfe, nor any opinion of our brain, but the reverence and dtvotion of ourhearts -, and therefore they ere net fufficient premiffes to infer truth, or convincefaljhood. And the fame thing again is further fct out, with no fmall pretence