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

and192 7)5^ Infenfibility i or Book L88. that there will he at length a palpable and Jignal overthrow of theSatanical power, and whole kingdom of darknefs, by 3^co\- «Tro ;u>j;i(^v??.Cod appearing in an extraordinary and miraculous manner ; and thatthis great affair is to be managed by our Saviour Chrift, as God's vicegerent,and a vijible judge both of quick and dead. 89. That our SaviourChrijl dejigned not to fet up himfelf fa£lioufly againjl God-almighty,nor to be accounted v.d^i'^ S£», fuperior to God, but that Kben he hathdone his tvork, and put d.own all &dverfary power^ himfelf will then befubjeSi to God, even the father, that fo God may be all in all. 90.Lajlly, having fpoken of three forms of religions, the Jewip, Chrijlian,and the Pagan, and there remaining only a fourth the Mahometan, inwhich the divine monarchy is xealoufly afferted, we may now conclude, thatthe idea of God {as effentially including unity in it) hath been entertainedin all forms of religion. An account of that feemingly-Jirange ph^-enomenowof providence ; the rife, growth, and continuance of the Mahometan religionnotto he attempted by us, at leaft in this place.HAVINGin the former chapter prepared the way, we fhall nowproceed (with the divine affiftance) to anfwer and confute all thofeatheiflick. arguments before propofed. The firft whereof wasthis, That there is no idea of God, and therefore, either no fuch thing exijtingin nature, or at leaft no poffible evidence of it.To affirm, that there is no idea of God, is all one as to affirm, that thereis no conception of the mind anfwering to that word or name •, this themodern Atheifts ftick not to maintain, that the word God hath no fignification,and that there is no other idea or conception in men's minds, anfweringthereunto, befides the mere phantafm of the found. Now for anyone ta go about foberly to confute this, and to prove, that God is not theonlyword without a fignification, and that men do not every where pay alltheir religious devotions to the mere phantafm of a tranfient found, expeftingall good from it, might very well feem to all intelligent perfons a.moft abfurd and ridiculous undertaking •, both becaufe the thing is fo evidentin itfelf, and becaufe the plained things of all can leaft be proved ; for?rocl. in 6 Trd-flci a,TroSii>i\x D£vo,".(xuf , auV/v xiriSu^tv xvai^sT' He that thinks all things to be''^''"'^t-'^l^- d.emonftrable, takes aivay detnonjlration itfelf. "Wherefore we fhall here-fuggeft thus much, that fince there are different words for God in fefo).]"veral languages, and men have the fame notion or conception in their minds-Bafil' i/*