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

%xvinne ? K E F A C Emauy and not ip'^^f, by law or command only, and not by nature. Thistherefore may be called the Divine Fate immoral, and violent. Again,there being other divine Fatalifts, who acknowledge fuch a Deity, as bothluffers other things, befides it felf, to aft, and hath an eflential goodnefs andkiftice in its nature, and confequently, that there are things, juft and unjuft"to us naturally, and not by law and arbitrary conftitution only ; and yet neverthelei'stake away from men all fuch liberty, as might make them capableof praife and difpraife, rewards and punilhments, and objefts of di-Itributive juftice ; they conceiving neceflity to be intrinfecal to the natureof every thing, in the aiStings of it, and nothing of contingency to befound any where : from whence it will follow, that nothing could polTiblyhave been otherwife, in the whole world, than it is. And this may be calledthe Divine Fate moral, (as the other immoral,) and natural, (as the otherviolent ;) it being a concatenation, or implexed feries of caufes, all in themfelvesnecelCiry, depending upon a Deity moral, (if we may fo fpeak; thatis, fuch as is eirentially good, and naturally juft, as the head thereof; thefirft contriver, and orderer of all. Which kind of Divine Fate hath notonly been formerly aflerted by the Stoicks, but alfo of late by divers modernwriters. "Wherefore of the three fatalifms, or falfe hypothefes of theunlverfe, mentioned in the beginning of this book •, one is abfolute Atheifm; another immoral Theifm, or religion without any natural juftice andmorahcy, (all juft and utijuft, according to this hypothefis, being meer theticalor faftitious things, made by arbitrary will and command only ;) Thethird and laft fuch a Theifm, as acknowledges not only a God, or omnipotentunderftanding Being, but alfo natural juftice and morality, foundedin him, and derived from him y neverthelefs no liberty from neceflity anywhere,and therefore no diftributive or retributive juftice in the world."Whereas thefe three things are (as we conceive) the fundamentals or etfentials of true religion. Firft, that all things in the world do not floatwithout a head and governour ; but that there is a God, an omnipotent underftandingBeing, prefiding over all. Secondly, that this God being cffentiallygood and juft, there is ^uVfi xxXav xa'» Sk:cm, fornething in its ownnot by arbitrarynature, immutably and eternally juft, and unjuft •, andwill, law, and command only. And laftly, that there is fornething i!p' ru.\or, that we are fo far forth principles or mafters of our own aflions, as tobe accountable to juftice for them, or to make us guilty and blame-worthyfor what we do amifs, and to deferve puniftiment accordingly. Whichthree fundamentals of religion, are intimated by the author to the Hebrewsin thefe words *, he that cometh to God, mujl believe, that he is, and that heis a re^varder of thofe, who feek him out. For to feek out God here, isnothing elfe, but to feek a participation of his image, or the recovery oJthat nature and life of his, which we have been alienated from. And thefethree things, namely, that all things do not float without a head and governor,but there is an omnipotent underftanding Being prefiding over all ; that thisGod, hath an eflential goodnefs and juftice ; and that the differences of goodand evil moral, honeft and difhoneft, are not by meer will and law only,but