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

XXVllPREFACETHET OT H EREADER,iTHOUGH,Iconfefs, I have feldom taken any great pleafure, inreading other men's apologies, yet muft I at this time makefome my felf. Firft therefore, I acknowledge, that when I engagedthe prefs, I intended only a difcoiirfe concerning Libertyand Neceffity, or to fpeak out more plainly, againft the fatal neceflky ofall Aftions and Events ; which, upon whatfoever grounds or principles maintain'd,will (as we conceive) ferve the defign of Atheifm, and undermineGhriftianity, and ail religion, as taking away all guilt and blame, punifhmentsand rewards, and plainly rendring a day of judgment ridiculous ; and it isevident, that fome have purfucd it of late, in order to that end. But afterwardswe confider'd, that this, which is indeed a controverfy concerning theTrue IntelleHual S\fte;n cf theUnr^erfe, does, in the full extent thereof, takein other things ; the necefllty of all adtions and events being .maintained, byfeveral perfon.s, upon very different grounds, according to tiiat tripartitt:-Fatalifm, mentioned by us in the beginning of the firft chapter. For firfl,'the Democritick Fate is nothing but the material neceffity o! all things, with-:out a God, it fuppofing fenfelefs matter, neccflurily moved, to be the onlyoriginal and principal of all things : which dierefore is called by Epicurus,the Phyfiological -, by us, the Atheiftick Fate. Befides which, the Divine-Fate is alfo bipartite ; fome Theifts fuppofing God, both to decree and doall things in v'S (evil as well as good) or by his immediate infliieiKre to determinateall actions, -and lo make them alike riecelTary to. us. From whenceitfollows, that his will is no way regulated or determined by any efi'ciitialand immutable goodnels and juftice ; or that he hath nothing of morahtyin, his nature, he being-only arbitrary Will omnipotent. As alio. that,all good and evil moral, to us creatures, are nicer thetical or pofitive things ;C 2 ..a..