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

Chap. IV. Morality in the ISFafure of Gocf. 205^For which Velleius in Cicero ', (reprefenting the feveral opinions of phiJofophersconcerning God) perftringes him amongft the reft; Parmcnidescommenlitium qt'.iddam corona fimilitttdine efficil, Stephanem appellate continenteniardore lucis orbem, qui cingit cxlum, quern appellat deum.But all this whi!e we feem to be to feek, what the chief and hi»heftgood fiperior to knowledge is, in which the eflence of the Djityprincipally confifts •, and it cannot be denied, bur that Plato fometimestalks too metaphyfically and cloudily about it ; for which caule, as helay open to the lafli of Arijiolle, fo was he alio vulgarly pjrltring.;d forif, as appears by that oi Amphyitht Poet in Laertius ':To (T aJ'aSsv 0, Tt tot' £S-iv, ou (TJ Tof'/a.vtuiMeAAek Six rauTnv, >)t7oii oiJ'a tout eJ'w,*H TS TOJ nAaTC'll^ 'AyOi^OV'tFhat good that is, which you expefl from hence, I confefs, I kfs underjiand,than I do Pl.ito'j good. Neverthclefs he plainly intimates thefe two thingsconcerningit: firft, that this nature of good, which is alfo the nature ofGod, includes benignity in it, when he gives this account ' of God's bothmaking the world, and after fuch a manner; Becaufe be was good., and thatwhich is good hath no envy in it ; and therefore he both made the world, andalfo made it as well, and as like to himfelf as was poffible. And fecondly,.that it comprehends eminently all virtue and juftice, the divine nature beingthe firft pattern hereof ; for which caufe virtue is defined to be, an affimilationto the Deity. Juftice and honefty are no taftitious things, madeby the will and command of the more powerful to the weaker, but theyare nature and perfeflion, and defcend downward to us from the Deity.But the holy fcripture, without any metaphyfical pomp and obfcurlty,,tells us plainly, both what is that higheft perfeftion of intclleftual beings,,which is xfisn-Tov Xoyx >^ imrriiJL-n;, better than rcafon and knowledge, and whichis alfo the fource, life and foul of all morality, namely, that it is love orcharity. Though I fptak with the tongue of men and angels, and have notlove, I am but p^aAxo? »ip(^wv, >i ^if/.QxXia dXx'X^.^'.v, as founding brafs, or a tinklingcymbal, which only makes a noife without any inward life. And though-I have prophecy, and underftand all myfleries and all knowledge^ and though 1have all faith, fo that I could remove mountains, and have not lave, I amnothing ; that is, I have no inward latisfaiflion, peace, or true happinefs.And though I befiow all my goods to feed the poor, and give my body to beburned, and have not love, it profiteth me nothing; I am for all that utterlydeftitute of all true morality, virtue, and grace. And accordingly it tellsus alfo, in the next place, what the nature of God is, that he is properlyneither power nor knowledge, (though having the perfdlion of both inhimi but love. And certainly whatever dark thoughts, concerning theDeity, fome men in their cells may fit brooding on, it can never realonably' De Natura. Deorum, Lib. I. Cap. X. p. * Lib. HI. fegm. 27. p. 181.2895. Oper. lom. LX, ? Vide Platon. in Tiuiao, p. 557,