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

1.0, the K E /..^ ii R. xxxiScriptuiCj that one dcfign of ChrifBanity was to abolifh and extirpate thePagan 'polytheifm and idolatry. And our reafons for this intended defenceof Chriftianity were : Firlt bccaufe we had obferved, that Ibme profeflfedoppofcrs of atheifm, had either incurred a fufpicion, or at leafl: futF?;x-dunder the imputation, of being mere Theifts, or natural Rehgionills only,and no hearty believers of Chrillianity, or friends to revealed Rtfo-jon.From which either fufpicion or imputation therefore v.-e thought it juftic; tofree our felvcs, we having founfhaken a belief, and firm afllirance of the truthof the whole Chriftian Doftrine. But, fecondly and principally, becaufe wehad further obferved it to have been the method of our modern Atheitls, tomake their firft affault againft Chrillianity, as thinking that to be the mofl:vulnerable ; and that it would be an eafy ftep for them, from thence, to demolifiiall religion and theifm. However, fince the fatisfying the formerpart of thofe contents had already taken up fo much room, that the purfuitof the remainder would have quite exckided our principally intendedconfutation of all the atheillick grounds ; the forementioned objedion beinonowfufficiently anfwered, there was a necelTity, that we fhould there breakoff, and leave the further account of the Pagan Idolatry and Religion,together with our Defence of Chriftianity, to fome other more convenientopportunity.And now we fhall exhibit to the reader's view a brief and general fynopfisof the whole following work, together with fome particular reflectionsupon feveral parts thereof, either for his better information concerningthem, or for their vindication ; fome of which therefore will be of greaterufe, after the book has been read, than before. The firft chapter is an accountof the Atomick phyfiology, as made the foundation of the Democritickfate. "Where the reader is to underftand, that this Democritick fate,which is one of the three talfe hypothefes of the Intelle£lual Syjlem, then? mentioned,is the very felf-fame thing with the Atomick atheifm, the only formof atheifm, that hath publickiy appeared upon the ftage, as an entire philolbphickfyftem, or hath indeed been much taken notice of in the world forthefe two thoufand years paft. For, though it be true. That Epicurus, (whowas alfo an Atomick Atheift, as is afterwards declared, having, in allprobability, therefore a mind to innovate fomething, that he might notfeemto have borrowed all from Democritus,) did by violence introduce liberty ofwill into his hypothefis ; for the folving whereof he ridiculoufly devifsd,that his Third Motion of Atoms, called by LucretiusExiguum Climmen Principiorum :yet was this, as Cicero * long fince obferved, a moft heterogeneous patch,or ajfumentum of his, and altogether as contradiiflious to the tenour of hisown principles, as it was to the dodlrine of Deuiocriius liimfelf There canbe nothing more abfurd, than fof an Atheift to alTert liberty of wij! ; butit is moft of all abfurd, for an atomick one. And therefore our modernAtheifts do here plainly difclaim i/i/t«r«j, (though otherwife fo much admiredby them,) and declare open war againft this liberty of will ; they apprehending• De Nat. Deor, L. i. c. 2i.