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

Chap. IV. 183THE TRUEINTELLECTUAL SYSTEMO FT H EUNIVERSE.BOOK I.CHAP.IV.The idea of God declared^ in way of anfwer to the firfi atheijlick argument.The grand prejudice againji the naturality of this idea, as ejentially fncludiugttnity or onelinefs in it, from the Pagan folytheifm, removed. Provedthat the intelligent Pagans generally acknou:ledged one fupreme Deity. Whattheir polytheifm and idolatry was ; with fome account of Chriflianity. i . Theeither Jlupid infenfibility, or grofs impudence of Atheijis, in denying the wordGOD to have any Jignification, or that there is any other idea anfweringto it befides the mere phantafm of the found. The difeafe called by the philofopheraVoAi'dcco-i? t? vor)T»x», the petrification (or dead infenfibility) of themind. 2 . That the Atheijis themfehes niiiji needs have an idea of God intheir minds, or otherivife when they deny his exijie?ice, they fhould deny theexiftence of nothing. And that they have alfo the fame idea of him withTheijls, they denying the very fame thing which the others affirm. 3. Alemma, or preparatory propofttion to the idea of God, that though fome thingsbe made or generated, yet it is not poffible, that all things fljould be made,but fomething nmjl of neceffity exijl of itfelf from eternity unmade, and bethe canfe of thofe other things that are made. 4. The two moft oppofite opinions,concerning that which was felf-exijlent from eternity, or unmade,and the caufe of all other things made : one, that it was nothing but fenfiefsmatter, the mofi imperfect of all things \ the other, that it was fomethingmojl ierfe£i, and therefore confcioufly intelle£lual. The ajferters of thisB blatter