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

Chap. IV. CONTENTS. 191Cod and men. y^. That this 5tiiv9pu7ro;, or God-man^ was fo far from intendingto require menfacrifices of his worfhippers^ as the Pagan daemonsdid, that he devoted himfelf to he a catharma and expiatory facrifice for thefins of the whole world •, and thereby alfo aboUflied all facrifices or oblationsby fire whatfoever, according to the divine prediction. 76. That the Chriftiantrinity, though a myjlery, is more agreeable to reafon than the Platonick; and that there is no abfurdity at ail in fuppoftng the pure foul andbody of the Meffiah to be made a living temple or Shechinah, image orjiatueof the Deity. That this religion of one God and one Mediator, or -^eauSpuTrof,God-man, preached to the Pagan world, and confirmed by miracles, did effectuallydefray all the Pagan inferior deities, middle gods and mediators, demonsand heroes, together with their ft atues and images, "jy. That it is noway incongruous to fuppofe, that the divine Majefty, in preferibing a form ofreligion to the world, fhould gracioufly condefcend to comply with human infirmity,in order to the removing of tvoo fuch grand evils as polytheifm andidolatry, and the bringing of men to worfhip God in fpirit and in truth.78. That demons and angels, heroes and faints, are but different names forthe fame things, which are made gods by being wcrfhipped. And that theintroducing of angel and faint-worfjip, together with image-worfhip, intoChriftianity, feems to be a defeating of one grand deftgn of God Almighty init, and the paganizing of that, which was intended for the unpaganizing ofthe world. 79. Another key for Chriftianity in the Scripture, not difagreeingwith the former, that Jince the way of wifdom and knowledge provedineffe^ual as to the generality of mankind, men might, by the contrivanceof the gofpel, be brought to God and a holy life (without profoundknowledge) in the way of believing. 80. That according to the Scripture,there is a higher, more precious and diviner lights than that oftheory and fpeculation. 81. That in Chriftianity, all the great, goodly,end moft glorious things of this world, are furred and difgraced, comparativelywith the life of Chrift. 82. And that there are all poffibleengines in it to bring men up to God, and engage them in a holy life. 83,Two errors here to be taken notice of ; the firft, of thofe, who make Chriftianitynothing but an Antinomian plot againft real righteoufnefs, andas it were a fecret confederacy with the devil. The fecond^ of thofe, whoturn that into matter of mere notion and opinion, difpute and controverfy,which was dcfigned by God only as a contrivance, machine or engine, tobring men effectually to a holy and godly life. 84. That Chriftianity maybe yet further illuflrated, from the confukration of the adverfary or Satanicalpower, which is in the world. This no Manichean fubftantial evilprinciple, but a polity of lapfed angels, with which the fouls of wickedmen are alfo incorporated, and may therefore be called the kingdom of darkr.efs.85. The hi ft ory of the fallen angels in Scripture briefly explained.86. The concurrent agreement of the Pagans concerning evil damons or devils,and their aHivity in the world. 87. That there is a perpetual warbetwixt two polities or kingdoms in the world, the one of light, the other ofdarknefs ; and that our Saviour Chrift, or the Meffiah, is appointed the heador chieftain over the heavenly militia, or the forces of the kingdom of light.C c 88.