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

Chap. IV. of a Suhjlantial Evil Principle. 219more, moves the world. And as for the laft thing urged by Plutarch, that beforethe world was made, the matter is faid by Plato ' to have b;en moveddiforderiy, we conceive, that that philofopher did therein only adhere tothat vulgarly received tradition, which was oriainally Mofiical, that thefirft beginning of the Cofmopoeia was from a chaos, or matter confufedlymoved, afterward brought into order. And now we think it plainly appears,that there is no ftrength at all in any of Plutarch's forementionedallegations, nor any fuch monfter to be found any where in Plato, asthis fjbftantial evil principle or god, a wicked foul or dnsmon, unmade andfelf-exiftent from eternity, oppofite and inimicous to the good God, fharingthe empire and dominion of the world with him. Which opinion is reallynothing elfe but the deifying of the devil, or prince of evil fpirits, makinghim a corrival with God, and entitling him to a right of receiving divinehonour and worfliip.And it is obfervable, that Plutarch himfclf confefleth this interpretation,v/hich he makes of Plato, to be new and paradoxical, or an invention ofhis own, y.x\ SiX to TrAi/j-oi? tZv diro n.Xoiruv'^ jVfva'.lioG'e&a i SUy-svov Trx^xui^ioc^, P/yc/jsg. p.fuch as becaufe it -iVas contrary to the generally received opinion of Platonics, ^°'^hifnfelfthought to fiand in need of feme apology and defence. To which purpofetherefore he adds again, tt^xtov ojv ?v s^m te^' rojTuv ^icimm, t'xS-iifro^ajP. 1014,7rif-0UjUEi/©J Tu fi'xoTi, xx\ Trxpaf^'j^o'^fj-ct^, Jf H'£S~t, to ^An^s; to-j Xoyx, xxi ttx^xoo^ov'J will (laith he) declare mine own opinion firji concerning thefe things, confirmingit with probabilities, and, as much as pcffib'y I can, aiding and ajjijiingthe truth and paradoxic alnefs thereof. Moreover, Proclus upon the Tim^ustakes notice of no other philofophers, that ever impitel this doftrineto P/