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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ofX7» The Plaflkk Nature of the Wof'Id Book!.ffjL^-jytt, Cvo ^\)X^i K'jpiij; y.ivfn-ai, J'la psVy,; rrf (pjifac. TZ"^ whole WOrM Ofheaven^ bebig as well a valural, as an animalijh body, is moved properlyby foul'y but yet by means of nature alfo, as an infirument, fo that the motionef it is not violent. Bjt whereas Ariftotle there infinuates, as if Tlato hadheld the heavens to be moved by a foul violently, contrary to their nature} Simplieius, though fufBciently addided to Jrijlotle, ingenuoufly acknowledgeshis error herein, and, vindicating Plato from that imputation,Ihews how he likewife held a plaftick nature, as well as a mundane foul ;• De Leg. /.and that amongft his ten inftances of motion *, the ninth is that of nature ;.'"

Chap. III. depends on a perfeSi hitelleSi. 171fouls, which moved their feveral refpeftive bodies or orbs, circularly anduniformly, in a kind of imitation of them. For this plainly appears fromhence, in that he affirms of thefe his inferior intelligences likewife, as wellas of the fupreme mover, that they do wit^y> u'r te'^oj, move only as the end.Where it is evident, that though /frijiofle did plainly fuppofe a mundaneintelledual foul, fuch as alfo conrained, cither in it, or under it, a plafticknature, yet he did not make either of thefe to be the fupreme Deity ; butrefolved the firft principle of things to be one abfolutely perfeft mind orintelleft, feparate from matter, which was dxivnl'^ o'jatx ', an immoveable nature,whofe eflence was his operation, and which moved only as beingloved, or as the final caufe : of which he pronounces in this manner, en ixMet.l. 14. ciToia-jTrf ioyri; r\^rr)\xi o g'^avoV x) r'fpuVif, That Upon fuch a principle as this heaven 7-and nature depends ; that is, the animated heaven, or mundane foul, toge- fp *2" i^^therwith the plaftick nature of the univerfe, muft of neceffity depend uponoper ]*fuch an abfolutely perfedl and immoveable mind or intelledl.Having now declared the Ariftotelick dodlrine concerning the plafticknature of the univerfe, with which the Platonick alfo agrees, that it is,^ |UEfo,- ^'j-^r,^., * /*>) xjk 4'JX'?-'5 cither part of a mundane intelle£lual foul, (thatis, a lower power and f.iculty of it) or elfe not without it, but fame inferiorthing defending on if, we think fit to add in this place, that though therewere no fuch mundane foul, as both Plato znd Ariflotie fuppofed, diftinftfrom the fupreme Deity, yet there might notwithftanding be a plaftick natureof the univerfe depending immediately upon the Deity itfclf. For theplaftick nature eflentially depends upon mind or intelleft, and could notpofTibly be without it; according to thofe words before cited, ex Toix!nr,id^yj.i v^ttHm 17 (pvVic-, Nature depends upon fuch an inteiletJual principle ; andfor this caufe that philofophcr docs elfewhere join i-ij and iSiVi,-, mind andnature both together.25. B^fides this general plaftick nature of the univerfe, and thofe particularplaftick powers in the fouls of animals, it is not impofTihle but thatthere may brother plaftick natures alfo (as certain lower lives, or vegetativefouls) in fome greater parts of the univerfe ; all of them depending, if notupon fome higher confcious ioul, yet at leaft upon a perfed; intelle(5l prefidingover the whole. As for example ; though it be not reafonable tothink, that every plant, herb and pile of grafs, hath a particular plafticklife, or vegetative foul of its own, dillindt from the mechanifra of the body,nor that the whole earth is an animal endued with a confcioas foul 5 yet theremay poftibly be, for aught we know, one plaftick nature or life belongingto the whole terreftrial (or terr-aqucous) globe, by v/hich all plants andvegetables, continuous with ir, may be difr'crently formed, according totheir different keds, as alfo minerals and other bodies framed, and whatfoeverelfe is above the power of fortuitous mechanifm tffeded, as by theimmediate caufe, though always fubordinate to other caufes -, the chiefwhereof; Arillot. Metafhyfitor. Lib. XIV» Cap. VI. p. 477.

<strong>of</strong>X7» The Plaflkk Nature <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> W<strong>of</strong>'Id Book!.ffjL^-jytt, Cvo ^\)X^i K'jpiij; y.ivfn-ai, J'la psVy,; rrf (pjifac. TZ"^ whole WOrM Ofheaven^ bebig as well a valural, as an animalijh body, <strong>is</strong> moved properlyby foul'y but yet by means <strong>of</strong> nature alfo, as an infirument, fo that <strong>the</strong> motionef it <strong>is</strong> not violent. Bjt whereas Ariftotle <strong>the</strong>re infinuates, as if Tlato hadheld <strong>the</strong> heavens to be moved by a foul violently, contrary to <strong>the</strong>ir nature} Simplieius, though fufBciently addided to Jrijlotle, ingenuoufly acknowledgesh<strong>is</strong> error herein, <strong>and</strong>, vindicating Plato from that imputation,Ihews how he likewife held a plaftick nature, as well as a mundane foul ;• De Leg. /.<strong>and</strong> that amongft h<strong>is</strong> ten inftances <strong>of</strong> motion *, <strong>the</strong> ninth <strong>is</strong> that <strong>of</strong> nature ;.'"

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