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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

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eaj<strong>is</strong>,Chap. IV. <strong>of</strong> one God , from <strong>the</strong> Idea. 391T'i'W /j God <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> power <strong>of</strong> God, to prevail, conquer <strong>and</strong> rule over a: I. Whereforeby how much any thing f<strong>all</strong>s fhort <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> befl, by fo much does it f<strong>all</strong> fbort<strong>of</strong> being God. Now if <strong>the</strong>re be fupp<strong>of</strong>ed more fuch beings, where<strong>of</strong> fome arebetter, fome worfe, th<strong>of</strong>e could not be <strong>all</strong> gods, becaufe it <strong>is</strong> ejfential to Godnot to be tranfcended by any ; but if <strong>the</strong>y be conceived to be fo many equal gods,<strong>the</strong>n would it not be <strong>the</strong> nature <strong>of</strong> God to be <strong>the</strong> beji, one equal being nei<strong>the</strong>rbetter nor worfe than ancth.r : wherefore if <strong>the</strong>re be a God, <strong>and</strong> th<strong>is</strong> be thanature <strong>of</strong> him, <strong>the</strong>n can <strong>the</strong>re be but one. And indeed o<strong>the</strong>rwife he could not beable to do whatever he would.Empedocles <strong>is</strong> faid to have been an emulator o( Parmenidcs alfo, whichmuft be iinderftood <strong>of</strong> h<strong>is</strong> metaphyficks, becaufe in h<strong>is</strong> phyfiology (whichwas atomical) he feems to have tranfcended him. Now that Empedocles acknowledgedone fupreme <strong>and</strong> univerfal Numen, <strong>and</strong> that incorporeal too,may be concluded from what hath been already cited out <strong>of</strong> h<strong>is</strong> phil<strong>of</strong>ophick P- 2.6.poems. Befides which <strong>the</strong> writer De Mundo ' (who, though not Arijtotle,yet was a Pagan <strong>of</strong> good antiquity) clearly affirmeth, that Empedocles derived<strong>all</strong> things whatfoever from one fupreme Deity j Ta yi-o SC di^^ a-irxvlx, y^ eVi J^if, >tj to. in xlSxn, ^m heyoiT £\i ov-u; t^yx hmxi, t« tsu xoV/iicv nrin«vS'oVa T rji;, 6'iTx T 'fov, I'l? o(r(r« re 'iroci ^-iricriTu, &C.All <strong>the</strong> things, that are upon <strong>the</strong> earth, <strong>and</strong> in <strong>the</strong> air <strong>and</strong> water, may truly bec<strong>all</strong>ed <strong>the</strong> works <strong>of</strong> God, who ruleth over <strong>the</strong> world. Out <strong>of</strong> whom, accordingto <strong>the</strong> ph\Jical 'Empedochs, proceed <strong>all</strong> things t'.at were, are, <strong>and</strong> fh<strong>all</strong> be, viz.plants, men, beaj<strong>is</strong> <strong>and</strong>gods. Which notwithft<strong>and</strong>ing we conceive to be ra<strong>the</strong>rtrue as to Empedocles h<strong>is</strong> fenfe, than h<strong>is</strong> words ; he affirming, as it fcems,in that cited place, that <strong>all</strong> <strong>the</strong>fe things were made, not immediately out <strong>of</strong>God, but out <strong>of</strong> contention <strong>and</strong> friendfhip ; becaufe Simplicius, who wasfurnifhedwith a copy <strong>of</strong> Empedocles h<strong>is</strong> poems, twice brings in that cited paffage<strong>of</strong> h<strong>is</strong> in th<strong>is</strong> connexionEu (?£ xoTif SiifAC^'pa, X, ai/Jip^o; iroivra, iriKmTXi,E:c TOJU yi.^ tioi.mV o

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