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

138 Th& Canting Ajlrohgical Atheijls. Book Jand felf-exiftent from eternity, as a fenficive and rational matter. Andtherefore fuch an hypothefis as this can never ferve the turn of Acheifts.But all thofe, that are mafters of the craft of Atheifm, and thorowly catechizedor initiated in the dark myfteries thereof, (as hath been already inculcated)do perfeftly agree in this, that all animal, fentient and confciouslife, all fouls and minds, and confequently all human perfonalities, arc generatedout of matter, and corrupted again into it, or rather educed out of.nothing and reduced into nothing again.We underhand alfo, that there are certain canting aftrological Atheifts^who would deduce all things from the occult qualities and influences of theftars, according to their different conjundlions, oppofitions and afpeds, ina certain blind and unaccountable manner. But thele being perfons devoidof all manner of fenfe, who neither fo much as pretend to give an accountof thefe ftars, whether they be animals or not, as alfo whence theyderive their original, (which if they did undertake to do atheiftically, theymuft needs refolve themfelves at length into one or other of thofe hypothefesalready propofed) therefore, as we conceive, they deferve not the Jeaft confideration.But we think fit here to obferve, that fuch devotos to the hcavenlybodies, as look upon all the other ftars as petty deities, but the funas the fupreme deity and monarch of the univerfe, in the mean time conceivingit alfo to be perfeftly intellcflual, fwhich is in a manner th&famewith the Cleanthean hypothefis) are not fo much to be accounted Atheifts,as fpurious, paganical and idolatrous Theifts. And upon all thefe confixderationswe conclude again, that there is no other philofophick form ofAtheifm, that can eafily be devifed, befides thefe four mentioned, theAnaximandrian, the Democritical, the Stoical, and the Stratonica!.XXXIII. Amongft which forms of Atheifm, there is yet another difFc^renceto be obferved, and accordingly another diftribution to be made ofthem. It being firft premifed, that all thefe forementioned forts of Atheifts(if they will fpeak confiftently and agreeably to their own principles) muftneeds fuppofe all things to be one way or other neceftary. For thoughEpicurus introduced contingent liberty, yet it is well known, that he thereinplainly contradiiSbed his own principles. And this indeed was the firftand principal thing intended by us, in this whole undertaking, to confutethat falfe hypothefis of the mundane fyftem, which makes all actions andevents necelTary upon atheiftick grounds, but efpecially in the mechanickway. Wherefore in the next place we muft obferve, that though the principlesof all Atheifts introduce necefiity, yet the neceffity of thefe Atheiftsis not one and the fame, but of two diftcrent kinds; fome of them fuppofinga necefiuy. of dead and ftupid matter, which is that, which is- commonlymeant by uAinri avafx^, or material neceflity, and is alfo calfed byjirijiotle, an abfolute neceflity of things: others, the necefiity of a plaftickJife, which the fame Ariftolk calls an hypothetical neceflity. For the Anaximandrianand Dcmocritick Atheifts do both of them afiTert a material andabfolute neceflity of all things , one in the way of qualities, and the other ofmotion