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

fedChap. III. Aftother Dtjlributlon of Atheifms. 139motion and mechanifm : but the Stoical and Stratonical Atheifta affert a'plaftical and hypothetical necefTity of things only.Now one grand difference betwixt thefe two forts of Atheifms and theirrecefllties lies in this, that the former, though they make all things necelfary,yet they fuppofe them alfo to be fortuitous -, there being no inconfiftencybetween thefe two. And the fenfe of both the Anaximandrian and'Democritick Atheifms feems to be thus defcribed by Plato, -ravla k^t*rix^ £^ avafx*!,- (ruvfxfpaSji, /111 things were mingled together by neceffity accordingto fortune. For that nature, from whence thefe Atheifts derived a!lthings, is at once both neceffiry and fortuitous. But the Plaftick Atheifmsfuppofe fuch a neceffary nature for the firft principle of things, as is notmerely fortuitous, but regular, orderly and methodical ; the Stoical excludingall chance and fortune univerfally, becaufe they fubjeft all things to onePlaftick nature ruling over the whole univerfe, but the Stratonical doing itin part only, becaufe they derive things from a mixture of chance andPlaftick nature both together.And thus we fee, that there is a double notion of nature amongft Atheifls,as well as Theifts ; which we cannot better exprefs than in the words ofBafbKS the Scoick, perfonared by Cicero : Alii naturam cenfent ejfe vim quan- De Nat. De.dam fine ratione, cientem motiis in corporibus necejfarios -, alii autem vim par- • ^'ticipem ordinis, tanquam via progredientem. Cujiis folertiam, nulla ars, »till^n.%ocj.ntaniis, nemo opifex, confeqiii foteft imitando ; feminis enim vim ejje tantam, tit Tom. IX.id quanquam perexiguum, naSlianque fit jnateriam, qud alt augerique pcjfit, ita Oper.]fingat i^ efficiat, in fuo quidque genere, partitn ut per Jlirpes alanttir fttastpartim ut movere etiam pojfint^ i£ ex fe Jimilia fui generare. Some by naturemean a certain force without reafon and order., exciting neceffary motions inbodies ; but others underjland by it fuch a force., as participating of order proceedsas it "were methodically. JVhofe exquifitenefs, no art., no hand, no opificercan reach to by imitation. For the force offeed is fuch, that though the bulk ofit be very fmall, yet if it get convenient matter for its nouri/hment and increafe.^it fo forms and fratnes things in their feveral kinds, as that they can partlythrough their flocks and trunks be nourifloed, and partly move themfelves alfo.,-and generate their like. And again ; Sunt qui omnia nature nomine appellent^ut Epicurus -, nos, cum dicimus nattird covflare adminifirarique mttndum,non ita dicimus, ut glebam, aut fragment urn lapidis, aiit aliquid ejufmodi, nullacohitrendi natiira •, fed ut arbcrem, ut animalia, in quibus nulla temeritas^ fedcrdo apparet id artis qucsdam fimilitudo. There are fome, ivho call all things by(he name of nature, as Epicurus •, but ive, zvhen we fay that the world is adminiftredby Nature, do not mean fuch a nature, as is in clods of earth and piecesofftone, hut fuch as is in a tree or animal, in whofe conflitution there is na temerity,but order and ftmilitude of art. Now, according to thefe two differentnotions of nature, the four forementioned forms oF Atheifm may be a-.gain dichotomized after this manner ; into fuch as derive all things from aiiiere fortuitous and temerarious nature, devoid of all order and methodicaJ-T 2nefs J» De Leglbus, Lib. X. p. 666. Oper,