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

nor194 715^^ there muft he fome unmade SuhJlancCi Book LII. But whatever thefe Atheifts deny in words, it is notwithftandingevident, that even themfelves have an idea or conception in their mindsanfwering to the word God, when they deny his cxiftence, becaufcotherwife they fhould deny the exiftence of nothing. Nor can it be at alldoubted, but that they have alio the lame idea of God with Theifts,they denying the exiftence of no other thing than what thefe aflert.And as in all other controverfies, when men difpute together, the onsaffirming, the other denying, both patties muft needs have the fame idea intheir minds of what they difpute about, or otherwife their whole difputationwould be but a kind of Babel language and confufion ; fo multit be likewife in this prefent controverfy betwixt Theifts and Atheifts;Neither indeed would there be any controverfy at all between them,did they not both by God mean one and the fame thing -, wouldthe Atheifts be any longer Atheifts, did they not deny the exiftenceof that very fame thing, which the Theifts affirm, but of fomethingclfe.III. Wherefore we fhall in the next place declare what this idea ofGod is, or what is that thing, whofe exiftence they that affirm, are calledTheifts, and they who deny Atheifts. In order whereunto, we muft firfblay down this lemma or preparatory propofition, that as it is generally acknowledged,that all things did not exift from eternity, fuch as they are,unmade, but that fome things were made a^nd generated or produced •, fo itis not poffible that all things fhould be made neither, but there muft ofnecefllty be fomething felf-exiftent from eternity, and unmade •, becaufeif there had been once nothing, there could never have been any thing.The reafon of which is fo evident and irrefiftible, that even the Atheillsconfefsthemfelves conquered by it, and readily acknowledge it for an indubitabletruth, that there muft be fomething a.y'mn\ov, fomething which wasnever made or produced, and which therefore is the caufe of thofe otherthings that are made, fomething Mr6(pvtg and au^uTroValev, that was felf'originated and felj-exifling, and which is as well aKuAfSfOD and a.'(p9a^1w, asesj'twrilov, incorruptible and undejlroyable, as ingenerable ; whofe exiftence thereforemuft needs be necelTary, becaufe if it were fuppofed to have happenedby chance to exift from eternity, then it might as well happen againto ceafe to be. Wherefore all the queftion now is, what is this a-yi-jM-^m andavwXtfljov, auTo'ipuef and aJSuTroValoi', this ingenerable and incorruptible, felforiginatedand felf-exijlent thing, wliich is the caufe of all other things thatare made.IV. Now there are two grand opinions oppofite to one another concerningit : for firft, fome contend, that the only felf-exiftent, unmade andincorruptible thing, and firft principle of all things, is fenflefs matter, thatis, matter either perfedtly dead and ftupid, or at leaft devoid of all animaliftiand confcious life. But becaufe this is really the loweft and moftimperfeft of all beings, others on the contrary judge it reafonable, thacthe firft principle and original of all things Ihould be that, which is moft5perfect