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

Chap. IV. tie Pagans Polytheifis. 281with intent jludy of mind they enquired atid fearcbed after thrums, fctmd^ thatthere -was one God, the author of all things, and to -which one all things Jbeuldhe referred. Whence alfo the Pagans at this very day, -j::hom the declared triubrather convinceth of contumacy than of ignorance, when they are urged by us.,confefs themfelves not to follo'Ui} many gods, but only under one God to 'jjcrflnpmany miniflers. So that there remaineth only a confufed dijfen/ton concerningthe manner of underftanding the true God, hecaufe about one God there is almojlvne and the fa;ne opinion of all.And by this time we think it is fufEciently evident, that the Pagans,(at leart: after Chriftianity) though they aflerted many gods, they calling allunderftanding beings fupcrior to men by that name, (according to that of St.Jerom, Deum quicquid fuprafe ejfet. Gentiles putahanl ;) yet they acknowledgedone fupreme omnipotent, and only unmade Deity.XVI. But becaufe it's very poffible, that fome may ftill fufpedl all this tohave been nothing elfe but a rennement and interpolation of Paganifm, afterthat Chriftianity had appeared upon the ftage -, or a kind of mangonizationof it, to render it more vendible and plaufible, the better able todefend itfelf, and bear up again the afTiults of Chriftianity ; whilft in themean time the genuine dcclrine of the ancient Pagans was far otherwife :although the contrary hereunto might fufficiently appear from what hathbeen already declared, yet however, for the fuller fatisfadlion of the moreftrongly prejudiced, we fliall by an hiftorical deduftion made from the moftancient times all along downwards, demonftrate, that the dodrine of thegreateft Pagan Polytheifts, as well before Chriftianity as after ir, w.is alwaysthe fame, that befides their many gods, there was one fupreme, omnipotentand only unmade Deity.And this we fhall perform, not as fome have ' done, by laying the chiefftrefs upon the Sibylline oracles, and thofe reputed writings of HermesTrifrnegift, the authority whereof hath been of late fo much decried byJearned men ; nor yet upon fuch oracles of the Pagan deities *, as may befufpecled to have been counterfeited by Chriftians •, but upon fuch monumentsof Pagan antiquity, as are altogether unfufpecled and indubitate.As for the Sibylline oracles, there may (as we conceive) be two extremesconcerning them ; one, in fwallowing down all that is now extant underthat title, as genuine and fincere, whereas nothing can be more maniL-ft,than that there is much counterfeit and fuppofititious ftuff in this Sibyllinefarrago, which now we have. From whence, befides other inftances of thelike kind, it appears too evidently to be denied, that fome pretended Chriftiansof former times have been for pious and religious frauds, and endeavouredto uphold the truth of Chriftianity by figments and forgeries oftheir own devifing. Which, as it was a thing ignoble and unworthy ia itfelf,and argued that thofe very defenders of Chriftianity did themfelvesdiftruft their own caufe-,fo may it well be thought, that there was a policyof the devil in it alfo, there being no other more efi-ectual way than this, torender all Chriftianity (at leaft in after-ages) to be fufpefled. InfomuchO o 2 that*Augudinus Eugubin'js, Mutias Panfa, and Martyr, in Orat. ad Grscos, &: Eufebiui inothers.? Thefe Oracles are produced by "Juf.'.nPrsspar. Evang. and otiiers.