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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2 54'The Pagans eternal Gods yivtitol. Book I,it is obfervdble, that thefe pagan Thrifts, who afferted the world's eternity,did themfelves di^ingiiifh concerning the word yir^ro-i ortum, natmn, i£faHum, as that which was equivocal ; and though in one fenfe of ir, theydenied, that the world and inferior gods were ^-svnts!, yet notwithftandingdid they in another fenfe clearly affirm the fame. For the word ymtjov (faySimplic. in A- they) ftriflly and properly taken, is to h y-i^n p^fova r-h dg ro iTvoci ttxioSo-j 'Kor.-/j>-i^rijl.Phyf. that zvhich in refpeEl of time paffed out non-cx\flence into Ifeing, or o to rrcort^vjfol. 265. ^>^ j,^^ u're^'jv ^£ o'v, that which being not before, afterwards was. Neverthelefsthey acknowledge, that in a larger fenfe, this word yiy/t-ov may be ta-'ken alfo for to oVmo-^v iir' uItix.? J^js-ay-cuov, that which doth any way defendupon a fuperior Being as its caiife. And there niuft needs be the iameequivocation in the word a,yi-mjm, fo that this in like manner noay be takenalfo, either y^^ow/Sx;^ for that v/hich is ingenerate in refpeft of time, as havingno temporary beginning ; or elfe tor that which is an-' aiVia,-

^HAP. IV. derivedfrom one fe^f-exij^ent "Deity. 255their ineffable frocejjion from a fupericr firji caufe. Thus alfo SaluJiiuSyin his book de diis i^ mundo ', where he contends the world to have beenfrom eternity, or without beginning, yet concludes both it and the other inferiorgods to have been made by one iiipreme deity, who is called by him,0' TT^uT©^ ©£oV, the firft God. For, faith he, y.syi'rr.i tsJ? S-ovccue-^:; »V):?, Jx. d-M^^ Sat'iJ-cvx;. God, or the firfl caufe, havingthe greatcfi power, or being omnipotent, ought therefore to make not onlymen, and other animals, but aifo gods and daemons. And accordingly this isthe title of his 13th chapter, Tru^rxdUia. htytlai ytyaSai, Hew eternal thingsmay he faid to be made or generated. It is true indeed (as we hive cf:en declared)that fome of the pagan Theifts alTcrted God not to be the onlyau^u7roVa7ciy, the only unmade andfeif- exijient bei^ig, but that matter alfoa>-£'.r]Tsi/ i

^HAP. IV. derivedfrom one fe^f-exij^ent "Deity. 255<strong>the</strong>ir ineffable frocejjion from a fupericr firji caufe. Thus alfo SaluJiiuSyin h<strong>is</strong> book de di<strong>is</strong> i^ mundo ', where he contends <strong>the</strong> world to have beenfrom eternity, or without beginning, yet concludes both it <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r inferiorgods to have been made by one iiipreme deity, who <strong>is</strong> c<strong>all</strong>ed by him,0' TT^uT©^ ©£oV, <strong>the</strong> firft God. For, faith he, y.syi'rr.i tsJ? S-ovccue-^:; »V):?, Jx. d-M^^ Sat'iJ-cvx;. God, or <strong>the</strong> firfl caufe, having<strong>the</strong> greatcfi power, or being omnipotent, ought <strong>the</strong>refore to make not onlymen, <strong>and</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r animals, but aifo gods <strong>and</strong> daemons. And accordingly th<strong>is</strong> <strong>is</strong><strong>the</strong> title <strong>of</strong> h<strong>is</strong> 13th chapter, Tru^rxdUia. htytlai ytyaSai, Hew eternal thingsmay he faid to be made or generated. It <strong>is</strong> true indeed (as we hive cf:en declared)that fome <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> pagan Theifts alTcrted God not to be <strong>the</strong> onlyau^u7roVa7ciy, <strong>the</strong> only unmade <strong>and</strong>feif- exijient bei^ig, but that matter alfoa>-£'.r]Tsi/ i

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