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

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

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

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7'he A<strong>the</strong>ljls Conclufon that. Book I.<strong>and</strong> ncceflary •, but it <strong>is</strong> c<strong>all</strong>ed alio by <strong>the</strong> name <strong>of</strong> chance <strong>and</strong> fortune, b:caiifcit <strong>is</strong> <strong>all</strong> unguided by any n^ind, counfel or dcfign.Wherefore infinite atoms <strong>of</strong> different fizes <strong>and</strong> figures, devoid <strong>of</strong> <strong>all</strong> life<strong>and</strong> fenfe, moving fortuitoufly from eternity in infinite fpace, <strong>and</strong> makingfucceffively leveral encounters, <strong>and</strong> confequently various implexions <strong>and</strong> entano-lementsv/ith one ano<strong>the</strong>r, produced firft a confufed chaos <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>fe omnifariousparticles, jumbling toge<strong>the</strong>r with infinite variety <strong>of</strong> motions, whichafterward, by <strong>the</strong> tugging <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir different <strong>and</strong> contrary forces, whereby<strong>the</strong>y <strong>all</strong> hindred <strong>and</strong> abated each o<strong>the</strong>r, came, as it were by joint confpiracy,to be conc'lomerated into a vortex or vortexes ; where after many convolufions<strong>and</strong>evolutions, mohtions <strong>and</strong> elTays (in which <strong>all</strong> manner <strong>of</strong> tricks weretried, <strong>and</strong> <strong>all</strong> forms imaginable experimented; <strong>the</strong>y chanced, in length <strong>of</strong>time, hereto fetde, into th<strong>is</strong> form <strong>and</strong> fyftem <strong>of</strong> things which now <strong>is</strong>, <strong>of</strong>earth, water, air <strong>and</strong> fire-, fun, moon <strong>and</strong> ftars ; plants, animals <strong>and</strong> menfo that fenflefs atoms, fortuitouily moved, <strong>and</strong> material chaos, were <strong>the</strong> firlloriginal <strong>of</strong> <strong>all</strong> things.Th<strong>is</strong> account <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> c<strong>of</strong>mopaia, <strong>and</strong> firft original <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> mundane fyftem, <strong>is</strong>reprefented by Lucrelius ' according to <strong>the</strong> mind oi' Epicurus, though withoutany mention <strong>of</strong> th<strong>of</strong>e vortices, which were yet an eflcntial part <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> old Docritickhypo<strong>the</strong>f<strong>is</strong>.Sedquibus ilk mod<strong>is</strong> conje&us materidiFundarit caelum, ac terram, fcntique pr<strong>of</strong>unda,Sol<strong>is</strong>, lundi curfus, ex ordine ponam.Nam certe neque confiUo primordia reruniOrdine fe qu^sque atque fa^aci mente locarunl :Nee, quos qu.eque darent motus, pepigere pr<strong>of</strong>eclo.Sed quia multa mod<strong>is</strong> miilt<strong>is</strong> primordia reruni.Ex infinite jam tempore percita plag<strong>is</strong>,Ponderibufquefu<strong>is</strong> confuerunt concitaferri,Omni-modifque coire, atque omnia pertentare,^cccunqite inter fe p<strong>of</strong>fait ccngreffa creare :Propterea fit, ut) magnum volgata per ^vum,Omnigenos ccetus, i£ motus experiundo.T<strong>and</strong>em ea conveniant, qucs ut convenere, repentMagnarum rerum fiant exordia f^pe,Terra'i, mar<strong>is</strong>, i^ cceli, gencrifque animantum.But bccaufe fome fecm to think that Epicurus was <strong>the</strong> firft foinder <strong>and</strong> inventor<strong>of</strong> th<strong>is</strong>d<strong>of</strong>trine, we fti<strong>all</strong> here obferve, that th<strong>is</strong> fome a<strong>the</strong>iflick hypo<strong>the</strong>f<strong>is</strong>was long before defcribed by Plato,\v\-\zx\ Epicurus was. as yet unborn; <strong>and</strong><strong>the</strong>refore doubtlcfs according to <strong>the</strong> d<strong>of</strong>trine <strong>of</strong> Leucippus, Democritus <strong>and</strong>Protagoras; though that Phil<strong>of</strong>opher, in a kind <strong>of</strong> difdain (as it feems) refufedto mention ei<strong>the</strong>r <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir names ^: ttJ'j ^ -jS^^ x^ yn ^ a=p,^(pJ

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