wherein all the reason and philosophy of atheism is confuted, and
wherein all the reason and philosophy of atheism is confuted, and wherein all the reason and philosophy of atheism is confuted, and
Orpheuswhichxxxvi The PREFACEfo creatures, befides the Creator ; they direfling their devotion, (as Jthana-Jius * plainly afRrmeth of them,) svl aj/furxM, y.x\ sroWoT; j/Evr.-oK, to cue uncreatedonly ; but, befides him, to many created gods. But as for the polemickmanagement of this controverfy, concerning idolatry, we leave it toother learned hands, that are already engaged in it.Moreover, we liave, in this fourth chapter, largely infilled aUb upon theTrinity. Tiie reafon whereof was, becaufe it came in our way, and our contentsengaged us thereunto, in order to the giving a full account of the Pagantheology ; it being certain, that the Platonicks and Pythagoreans at leaflr,if not other Pagans alfo, had their trinity, as well as Chriftians. And wecould not well avoid the comparing of thefe two together : upon which occafionwe take notice of a double Placonick trinity ; the one fpurious andadulterated, of ibme latter Platonifts ; the other true and genuine, of P/afohimfelf, Parmenides, and the ancients. The former of which, though it beoppofed by us to the Chriftian Trinity, and confuted, yet betwixt thelatter and that, do we find a wonderful correfpondence •,is largelypurfued in the Platonick Chriftian apology. Wherein, notwithftanding, nothingmuft be looked upon, as dogmatically afierted by us, but only offered,and fubmitted to the judgment of the learned in thefe matters •, wcconfining our felvcs, in this myfterious point of the Holy Trinity, withinthe compafs of thofe its three cirentials declared : Firft,that it is not a Trinityof meet names and words, or of logical notions only ; but of perfonsor hypoftafes. Secondly, that none of thofe perfons or hypoftafes are creatures,but all uncreated. And laftly, that they are all three, truely andreally one God. Neverthelefs we acknowledge, that we did therefore themore copioufly infill upon this argument, becaufe of our then defigned de-rfence of Chriitianity ; we conceiving, that this parallelifm, betwixt the an?cient or genuine Platonick, and the Chriftian Trinity, might be of fomcuk to fatisfy thofe amongft us, who boggle fo much at the Trinity, andlook upon it as the choakpear of Chriftianity ; when they fhall find, thatthe freeft wits amongft the Pagans, and the beft philofophers, who had nothingof fuperllition to determine them that way, were fo far from beingfhy of fuch an hypothefis, as that they were even fond thereof. And thatthe Pagans had indeed fuch a Cabala amongft them, (which fome perhapswill yet hardly believe, notwithftanding all that we have faid,J might be furtherconvinced, from that memorable relation in Plutarch f, of ThefpejtusSclenfiSi who, after he had been looked upon as dead for three days, reviving,affirmed, amongft other things, which he thought he faw or heardin the mean time in his ecftafy, this of three Gods in the form of a triangle,pouring in ftreams into one another •, his foul being faidto have arrived fo far ; accordingly as from the teftimonies of other Paganwriters we have proved, that a Trinity of Divine hypoftafes was a partof the Orphick Cabala. True indeed, our belief of the Holy Trinity isfounded upon no Pagan Cabala, but only Scripture revelation 5 it being• Oratione IV. contra Arianos T. I. Ope- f Libro de hLi, qui fero a Numine puniunrump.465>.. ror, Tona. II. Opsr. p. ^61. f.that
andto the Reader. xx.wiithat, which Chriftians are, or fhoiild be, all baptized inro. NcscifiiHcfsthefe things are reafonably noted by us to this end, that that fliouid not bemade a prejudice againft Chriftianity and Revealed Religion, nor lookedupon as fuch an affrightful bugbear or mormo in it, which even Pagan philo-Ibphers thcmfelves, and thofeofthe mofl: accompli flied intclleftuals, and uncaptivatedminds, though having neither councils, nor creeds nor Scriptures,had lb greap a propenlity and readinels to entertain, and luch a venerationin this fourth chapter, we were neceffitated, by the matter it felf, to runout into philology and antiquity ; as alio in the other parts of the book, wcdo often give an account of the doftrine of the ancients :which, howeverfome ovcr°cvere philofophers may look upon faftidioully, or undervalueand depreciate, yet as we conceived it often neceflary,- fo pofi'ibly may thevariety thereof not be ungrateful to others-, this mixture ot plulology,throughout the whole, fwecten and allay the feverity of philolophy to them -,the main thing, which the book pretends to, in the mean time, being the phiiofophyof religion. But for our parts, we neither call philology, nor yetphilofophy, our miftrefs ; butfervc our lelvcs of cither, as cccafion requireth.As for the lad: chapter •, though it promife only a confutation of all theatheiltick grounds, yet we do therein alfo demonftrate the ablblutc impolfibilityof 'all atheifm, and the adlual exiftcnce of a God. We % demonftrate,not a priori, which is impoffible and contradidlious ;but by neceflaryinference from principles altogether undeniable. For we can by no meansgrant to the Atheilh, that there is no more than a probable perluafion, oropinion to be had of the exiftence of a God, without any certain knowledgeor fcience. Neverthelcfs, it will not follow from hence, that whofoever flullread thefe demonftrations of ours, and undcrftand all the words of them,mud therefore of necefllty be prefently convinced, whether he wll or no,and put out of all manner of doubt or hefitancy, concerning the exiftcnce ot aGod. For we believe that to be true,^ which fome have affirmed, that werethere any intereft of life, any concernment of appetite and paffion, againftthe truth of geometrical theorems themfelves, as of a triangle's having threean
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<strong>and</strong>to <strong>the</strong> Reader. xx.wiithat, which Chriftians are, or fhoiild be, <strong>all</strong> baptized inro. NcscifiiHcfs<strong>the</strong>fe things are reafonably noted by us to th<strong>is</strong> end, that that fliouid not bemade a prejudice againft Chriftianity <strong>and</strong> Revealed Religion, nor lookedupon as fuch an affrightful bugbear or mormo in it, which even Pagan philo-Ibphers thcmfelves, <strong>and</strong> th<strong>of</strong>e<strong>of</strong><strong>the</strong> m<strong>of</strong>l: accompli flied intclleftuals, <strong>and</strong> uncaptivatedminds, though having nei<strong>the</strong>r councils, nor creeds nor Scriptures,had lb greap a propenlity <strong>and</strong> readinels to entertain, <strong>and</strong> luch a venerationin th<strong>is</strong> fourth chapter, we were neceffitated, by <strong>the</strong> matter it felf, to runout into philology <strong>and</strong> antiquity ; as alio in <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r parts <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> book, wcdo <strong>of</strong>ten give an account <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> d<strong>of</strong>trine <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> ancients :which, howeverfome ovcr°cvere phil<strong>of</strong>ophers may look upon faftidioully, or undervalue<strong>and</strong> depreciate, yet as we conceived it <strong>of</strong>ten neceflary,- fo p<strong>of</strong>i'ibly may <strong>the</strong>variety <strong>the</strong>re<strong>of</strong> not be ungrateful to o<strong>the</strong>rs-, th<strong>is</strong> mixture ot plulology,throughout <strong>the</strong> whole, fwecten <strong>and</strong> <strong>all</strong>ay <strong>the</strong> feverity <strong>of</strong> philolophy to <strong>the</strong>m -,<strong>the</strong> main thing, which <strong>the</strong> book pretends to, in <strong>the</strong> mean time, being <strong>the</strong> phii<strong>of</strong>ophy<strong>of</strong> religion. But for our parts, we nei<strong>the</strong>r c<strong>all</strong> philology, nor yetphil<strong>of</strong>ophy, our miftrefs ; butfervc our lelvcs <strong>of</strong> ci<strong>the</strong>r, as cccafion requireth.As for <strong>the</strong> lad: chapter •, though it promife only a confutation <strong>of</strong> <strong>all</strong> <strong>the</strong>a<strong>the</strong>iltick grounds, yet we do <strong>the</strong>rein alfo demonftrate <strong>the</strong> ablblutc impolfibility<strong>of</strong> '<strong>all</strong> a<strong>the</strong>ifm, <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> adlual exiftcnce <strong>of</strong> a God. We % demonftrate,not a priori, which <strong>is</strong> imp<strong>of</strong>fible <strong>and</strong> contradidlious ;but by neceflaryinference from principles altoge<strong>the</strong>r undeniable. For we can by no meansgrant to <strong>the</strong> A<strong>the</strong>ilh, that <strong>the</strong>re <strong>is</strong> no more than a probable perluafion, oropinion to be had <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> exiftence <strong>of</strong> a God, without any certain knowledgeor fcience. Never<strong>the</strong>lcfs, it will not follow from hence, that wh<strong>of</strong>oever flullread <strong>the</strong>fe demonftrations <strong>of</strong> ours, <strong>and</strong> undcrft<strong>and</strong> <strong>all</strong> <strong>the</strong> words <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>m,mud <strong>the</strong>refore <strong>of</strong> necefllty be prefently convinced, whe<strong>the</strong>r he wll or no,<strong>and</strong> put out <strong>of</strong> <strong>all</strong> manner <strong>of</strong> doubt or hefitancy, concerning <strong>the</strong> exiftcnce ot aGod. For we believe that to be true,^ which fome have affirmed, that were<strong>the</strong>re any intereft <strong>of</strong> life, any concernment <strong>of</strong> appetite <strong>and</strong> paffion, againft<strong>the</strong> truth <strong>of</strong> geometrical <strong>the</strong>orems <strong>the</strong>mfelves, as <strong>of</strong> a triangle's having threean
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