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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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Chap. IV. Symmachusj One worjhipped by AIL 44-quakcunque ejfet quodfaterentur, fervicaciam eerie fe? inflexiBilem objlinati<strong>of</strong>tem ^P; 97-etebere luniri : that whatfoever <strong>the</strong>ir religion were, yet notwithft<strong>and</strong>ing <strong>the</strong>ir^ " -^Jiubbornnefs <strong>and</strong> ivflexible obftinacy ought to be funijhed ; <strong>and</strong> who compelledmany <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>m to worfhip <strong>the</strong> images <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> emperor, <strong>and</strong> to facrifice <strong>and</strong>.pray to <strong>the</strong> ftatues <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Pagan gods, <strong>and</strong> laftly to blafpheme Chrift ;yet himfelf plainly acknowledged alfo one fupreme univerlal Numen, asmay fufficientiy appear from h<strong>is</strong> prnegyrick oration to Trajan, where he <strong>is</strong>c<strong>all</strong>ed Deus ille, qui manifejit<strong>is</strong> ac prafens cxliim ac fydera infidet \ that Godywho <strong>is</strong> prefent with, <strong>and</strong> inhabits <strong>the</strong> whole heaven <strong>and</strong>ftars * * '^"'^ Mu>iJt: himfelf makinga folemn prayer <strong>and</strong> fupplication to him, both in <strong>the</strong> beginning <strong>and</strong> ^p^^l,) L^micl<strong>of</strong>e<strong>the</strong>re<strong>of</strong>, <strong>and</strong> fometimes fpeaking <strong>of</strong> him <strong>the</strong>rein fingularly <strong>and</strong> in „um dcorumway<strong>of</strong> eminency ; as in <strong>the</strong>fe words, Occttltat utrorumque femina Deus, (^ jwpkrumquebonorum malorumque cau[a fub diverfd fpecie latent : God hideth<strong>the</strong> feeds <strong>of</strong> good <strong>and</strong> evil, fo that <strong>the</strong> caufes <strong>of</strong> each <strong>of</strong>ten appear difguifed tomen. L. Apuleius alfo, wh<strong>of</strong>e pretended miracles <strong>the</strong> Pagans endeavouredto confirm <strong>the</strong>ir religiort by ', as well as <strong>the</strong>y did by th<strong>of</strong>e <strong>of</strong> Jpollonius, dothin fundry places <strong>of</strong> h<strong>is</strong> writings plainly afiert^ne fupreme <strong>and</strong> univerfalNumen : we fh<strong>all</strong> only here fet down one : Cum fummus deorum cun£la h^c ^' Phil<strong>of</strong>.nonfolum cogitationum ratione confideret ; fed prima, media, tf ultima obeatcompertaque intima providentia ordination<strong>is</strong> univerfilate U conjlantia regatSince <strong>the</strong> higbefi <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> gods does not only confider <strong>all</strong> <strong>the</strong>fe things in h<strong>is</strong> mind<strong>and</strong> cogitation, but alfo pafs through <strong>and</strong> comprehend within himfelf <strong>the</strong> beginning,middle, <strong>and</strong> end <strong>of</strong> <strong>all</strong> things, <strong>and</strong> confiantly govern <strong>all</strong> by h<strong>is</strong> occult providence.Laftly Symmachus, who was a zealous ftickler for <strong>the</strong> reftitution <strong>of</strong>paganifm, declared <strong>the</strong> Pagans to worfhip one <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> fame God withbut in feveral ways; he conceiving, that <strong>the</strong>re was no neceffi-<strong>the</strong> Chriftians,;^' ^7*^- ^'''''*ty God fliould be worfhipped by <strong>all</strong> after <strong>the</strong> fame manner. jEquum efi,^' '^'!>^quicquidomnes colunt, UNUM putari : eadem fpeolamus ajlra ; comm-une ccelum \^ ^Epift'ejl ; idem nos mundus invohit ;quid interefl, qua quifque prudenlia verum re- LXI.p. 442.]quirat ? Uno itinere non poteji perveniri ad tarn gr<strong>and</strong>e fecretum. IVe ought inreafon to think, that it <strong>is</strong> one <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> fame thing, which <strong>all</strong> men worfhip ; aswe <strong>all</strong> behold <strong>the</strong> fame jlars, have <strong>the</strong> fame common heaven, <strong>and</strong> are involvedwithin <strong>the</strong> fame world. IVhy may not 7nen purfue one <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> fame thing indifferent ways ? One jath <strong>is</strong> not enough to lead men to fo gr<strong>and</strong> afecret. Theicene where<strong>of</strong> <strong>is</strong> thus elegantly expreffed by Frudentius:Lib.Uno omnes fub fole fiti, vegetamur eodem P 28-.Aire, commun<strong>is</strong> cun5i<strong>is</strong> viventibus aura. [ContraSed quid fit qualifque Deus, diverfa fecuti SymmachumLib.Il.verl,^i^rimus ; atque vi<strong>is</strong> longe diftantibus unum^Imus ad occultum ; fuus efl mos cuique genti,Per quod iter properans eat ad tarn gr<strong>and</strong>e pr<strong>of</strong>undum.And againafterward,Secretum fed gr<strong>and</strong>e nequit ration<strong>is</strong> opert^L 1 1 2 ^ari! Vid«Auguftia.Epift. CXXXVIII. p. 317. Tom.II Opc.r.pg[Verf. 842.]

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