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

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

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250 How fame Pagan Theifts B o o k IvWhere this Love is not only called TroxJ^jinlt.:,o^ much-counfel or fagcicioufnefs^which implies it tp have been a fybftantial and intelledtual thing, butalfo TT^ETSuxasloj, the oldeji of all, and therefore fenior to Chaos, as likewife,cuTOTfAtif, felf perfeU or felf-originated. From whence it is manifeft, thataccording to the Orphick tradition, this Love, which the Cofmogonia wasderived from, was no other than the eternal unmade D^ity (or an aftiveprinciple depending on it) which produced this whole orderly world,and all the generated gods in it, as to their material parr, out of Chaosand Night. Accordingly, as Ariftotle determines in his Metaphyficks, not- , only in the place before cited, but alfo afterward •, 'in^oi Si ni/ff, o^vj r, ao-xr,t.iiq.Tri; >:ivii'7£i'.:, oiroi n N»v >i"Ef«T« Troiv

Chap. IV. neither Theogonifis^ nor Cofmogonljls. 251Bute a temporary producftion to it, and confequently to all thofe gods alfo,v?hich were a part thereof. Notwithftanding which, the writer de PlacitisPhilofophonim ^ , and Stob^tis^, impute this dogma of the world's eternityto certain others of the Greek philofophers before yirifiotle, (befides OcellusLucanus % who is alfo acknowledged by Pbilo^ to have been an airertorthereof.) And mdttd Epicharmus, though a Theift, feems plainly to havebeen of this perfuafion, that the world was unmade, as alfo that there wasno Theogonia, nor temporary produftion of the inferior gods, from thefeverfes of his ^, according to Grotius his corredbion:AAA ati Toi ^iOi Ta^riTav, inreXnrov S' i ttuttokx' Exceip. p.Txie S (Kit TTxciirh ofj.oiXy SiX Je tm oc^tuv dti. AJ^''AXXy- Xsyelai [/.h %a^ TrgxTOii ypjeSoct tuv BiuVIIm? ^£ •, xfAx^avov y XTTQ f/.nSi tiv^ o, ti Troarw jneXct'Ojh iy fJ-rji l^ xo^r,^ ytviQu li^mivxi, y.W v'i-eeov (pSoeau .iTriii^t^xt'The Chaldeans affirm the nature of the world to be eternal, and that it was neithergenerated from any beginning, nor will ever admit corruption. Who, thatthey were not Atheifts for all that (no more than Arifiotle) appears fromthofe following words of that hiftoriographer ; th'v te twv oAwu ra^n te xJ^- z-^- 8z;»/ x'JTOfAxrx;, aW co^ic^iaevjj tivi >c«i (ii^x!a; >t£X'jflM|U.£vv) S-euu hoi^^ei, avvrXiT^xt'They believe alfo, that the order and difpofition of the world is by a certaindivine providence, and that every one of thofe things, which come to pafs in theheavens, happens not by chance, lut by a certain determinate and firmly ratifiedjudgment of the gods. However, it is a thing known to all, that the generalityofthe later Plat^nifls ibffly adhered to Arifiotle in this; neither did theyonly alTert the corporeal woild, with all the inferior mundane gods in it,' Lib, ir. Cap. IV. D. 8S6. tholog. a Tho. Gale editos.^ Eclo^. Phyfic. Lib. I. Cp.p.XXtV. p.44. Apud Diogen. Laerc. Lib. Ill, fegm. X..^ De Mundi .^ternitate, inter Scriptor. ^iy- p. 170.to

Chap. IV. nei<strong>the</strong>r Theogonif<strong>is</strong>^ nor C<strong>of</strong>mogonljls. 251Bute a temporary producftion to it, <strong>and</strong> confequently to <strong>all</strong> th<strong>of</strong>e gods alfo,v?hich were a part <strong>the</strong>re<strong>of</strong>. Notwithft<strong>and</strong>ing which, <strong>the</strong> writer de Placit<strong>is</strong>Phil<strong>of</strong>ophonim ^ , <strong>and</strong> Stob^t<strong>is</strong>^, impute th<strong>is</strong> dogma <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> world's eternityto certain o<strong>the</strong>rs <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Greek phil<strong>of</strong>ophers before yirifiotle, (befides OcellusLucanus % who <strong>is</strong> alfo acknowledged by Pbilo^ to have been an airertor<strong>the</strong>re<strong>of</strong>.) And mdttd Epicharmus, though a Theift, feems plainly to havebeen <strong>of</strong> th<strong>is</strong> perfuafion, that <strong>the</strong> world was unmade, as alfo that <strong>the</strong>re wasno Theogonia, nor temporary produftion <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> inferior gods, from <strong>the</strong>feverfes <strong>of</strong> h<strong>is</strong> ^, according to Grotius h<strong>is</strong> corredbion:AAA ati Toi ^iOi Ta^riTav, inreXnrov S' i ttuttokx' Exceip. p.Txie S (Kit TTxciirh <strong>of</strong>j.oiXy SiX Je tm oc^tuv dti. AJ^''AXXy- Xsyelai [/.h %a^ TrgxTOii ypjeSoct tuv BiuVIIm? ^£ •, xfAx^avov y XTTQ f/.nSi tiv^ o, ti Troarw jneXct'Ojh iy fJ-rji l^ xo^r,^ ytviQu li^mivxi, y.W v'i-eeov (pSoeau .iTriii^t^xt'The Chaldeans affirm <strong>the</strong> nature <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> world to be eternal, <strong>and</strong> that it was nei<strong>the</strong>rgenerated from any beginning, nor will ever admit corruption. Who, that<strong>the</strong>y were not A<strong>the</strong>ifts for <strong>all</strong> that (no more than Arifiotle) appears fromth<strong>of</strong>e following words <strong>of</strong> that hiftoriographer ; th'v te twv oAwu ra^n te xJ^- z-^- 8z;»/ x'JTOfAxrx;, aW co^ic^iaevjj tivi >c«i (ii^x!a; >t£X'jflM|U.£vv) S-euu hoi^^ei, avvrXiT^xt'They believe alfo, that <strong>the</strong> order <strong>and</strong> difp<strong>of</strong>ition <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> world <strong>is</strong> by a certaindivine providence, <strong>and</strong> that every one <strong>of</strong> th<strong>of</strong>e things, which come to pafs in <strong>the</strong>heavens, happens not by chance, lut by a certain determinate <strong>and</strong> firmly ratifiedjudgment <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> gods. However, it <strong>is</strong> a thing known to <strong>all</strong>, that <strong>the</strong> generality<strong>of</strong><strong>the</strong> later Plat^nifls ibffly adhered to Arifiotle in th<strong>is</strong>; nei<strong>the</strong>r did <strong>the</strong>yonly alTert <strong>the</strong> corporeal woild, with <strong>all</strong> <strong>the</strong> inferior mundane gods in it,' Lib, ir. Cap. IV. D. 8S6. tholog. a Tho. Gale editos.^ Eclo^. Phyfic. Lib. I. Cp.p.XXtV. p.44. Apud Diogen. Laerc. Lib. Ill, fegm. X..^ De Mundi .^ternitate, inter Scriptor. ^iy- p. 170.to

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