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

Chap. IV. of Independent Deities, 377eulorum ac temporum. Non enitn ipfa per fe funt, fed ex ejus perpeitiitate'perpetua^ fcf infinita femper continuattone procedunt. At verb Jupiter {utvos fertis) i^ patrem habet l3 matrem, avos t3 avias, nunc nnper inutero matris fux formatus. See. Tou Pagans confound yourfehes iviib contradiSiions; for the omnipotent God, according to the natural fen'; of all mankind,was neither begotten or made, nor ever had a beginning in time, hebeing the fountain and original of all things. But Jupiter {as you fay) hadboth father and mother, grand-fathers and grand-mothers, and was but latelyformed in the womb \ and therefore he cannot be the eternal omnipotent God.Neverchelefs, Arnobius afterwards confidering (as we fuppole) that tliefcpoctick fables were by the wifer Pagans eicfier totally rejefted, or elfeiome way or other allegorized, he candidly difmifleth this advantage, whichhe had againft them, and grants their Jupiter to be the true omnipotentDeity, and confequenily that fame God, which the Chriltians worfhipped ;but from thence infers, that the Pagans therefore mufi: needs be highlyguilty, whilft worrtiipping the fame God with the Chriftians, they didhate and perfecute them aftrr that manner. Sed fint, ut vultis, untm^nee in aliquo, vi numinis, &' niajeftate dijiantes ; ecquid ergo injuftis perfequimininos odiis ? ^id, ut ominis pe/funi, noftri norninis inhorrefcitis men^tione, Ji, quern Demn colitis, eum Cs? nos ? out quid in eadem caufa vobiseffe contenditis familiares D:os, inimicos atque infeflifftmos nobis ? eteninty Jiuna religio efi nobis vobifque communis, ccjjat ira ctele/Iium. But let it begranted, that {as you affirm) your Jupiter, and the eternal omnipotent Godare one and the fame ; 'jshy then do you profecute us with unjufi hatreds, abotninatingthe very mention of our nairtes, if the fame God that you worfljiphe worjbipped by us ? Or if ycur religion and ours be the fame^ why do yon pretend,that the gods are propitious to you ,but mojl highly provoked and incenfedagainfl us ? Where the Pagan defence and reply is, Sed non idcirco Dii vobisinfefti funt, quod omnifotentem colatis Deum ; fed quod hominem natum, (^ quodperfonis infame eft vilibus, crucis fupplicio interemptum, is Deum fuiffe contenditis,(3! fupsrefe adhuc crcditis, isf quotidianis fupplicationibus cdoratis :But we do not fay, that the gods are thtrefore difpleajed with you Chriftians, becaufeyou worjlip the omnipotent God; but becaufe you contend him to be a God,who was not only born n mortal man., but aljo died an ignominious death, fufferingas a malefaBor ; believing him Jlill to furvive, and adoring him withyour daily prayers. To which Aniobiui reiorts in this mann.-r: Tell us nozo,I pray you, who thefe gods are, who take it as fo great an injury and indignitydone to themfelves, that Chriff fbould be worfjyipped? Are they net ^unK andSaturn, ^fculapius and J^ibcr, Mercurius the fn of Maia, and the Thebnnor Tyrian Hercules, Caftor and Pollux, and the like ?Hire ergo Chrijium coli,fe? a nobis accipi, tf exijlimari pro numine, vulneratis accipiunt auribus Ptf obliti paulo ante fertis (y ccuditio'nis j'ucf, id, quod fibi concefj'um efi, impertirialteri nolunt ? h.£-c eft juftitia ca'litum ? hoe deorum judicium fanctum? Nonne ijlud livoris eft fsf o.vcritia genus ? non obtrcSlatio qihcdamfordens, fuas eminere folummodo vilie fortunas, alicrum res premi ^ in contemptahumilitale calcari ? natum hominem colimus ; quid enim, vos hominemiwlliuii colitis natum ? ncn mum fe? alium ? non inniivieros alios .?