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

Chap. IV. not the fupreme Deity. 457rclionis, fed quod C5f virlutes omnes, que? illam prima omnipotentiam fummitalisfequantur^ aut ipfe faciaty aut contineat ; ipfum deniqtie Jovem veleresxo.averunty i^ apiid theologos Jupiter eft mundi anima. That the culmoftjphcre is here called the fufreme God, is not fo to he underftood, as if this werethought to be the firft caufe, and the moft omnipotent God of all. For this ft arryfphere being but a part of the heaven, was made or produced by foul.Which foul alfo proceeded from a perfe£l mind or intellecf ; and again. Mindivas begotten from that God, zvho is truly fupreme. But the bighefl fphere ishere called the fupreme God, only in refpeSi to thofe lejfer fpheres or gods, thatare contained under it ; and it is ftyled a God, becaufe it is not only on immortaland divine animal, full of rcafon derived from that pureft Mind, but alfoIccaufe it maketh or containetb vjilhin itfelf all thofe virtues, 'jjhich follotv thatomni^oten.e of the firft fummiiy. Laftly, this ivas called by the ancients Jupiter,and Jupiter to theologers is the foul of the world. Wherefore thoughMacrobius, as generally the other Pagans, did undoubtedly worfhip the funas a great God, and probably would not ftick to call him Jupiter, nor Tav-ToxfxTuc neither (in a certain fenfe) omnipotent, or the gcvernour of all, norperhaps Deum Summum, as well as the (larry heaven was fo ftyled in Scipio*s.dream, he being the chief moderator in this lower world ; yet neverthelefs,it is plain, that he was far from thinking the fun to be primam caufani, orcmnipotentiffimum Deum ; the firft caufe, or the moft omnipotent God of all.He acknowledging above the fun and heaven, firl!', an eternal Piychc,which was the maker or creator of them both ; and then above this Pfyche,a p'jrfcd mind or intelledt; and laftiy, above that mind a God, who wasvere fummus, truly and properly fupreme, the firft caufe, and the moft omnipotentof all gods. Wherein Macrobius plainly Platonized, aflerting a trinityof archical or divine hypoftafcs. Which fame doftrine is elfewherealfo further declared by him after this manner; Deus, qui prima caufa eft., ^ Somn.Sdp.vacatur unus omnium, qu^que funt, quceque videntur efje, principium i^ origo I. \. -^mens, qu^ N^j vocatur, quapatreminfpicit,plenamfimilitudi»emfervataucforiSyanimam verb de fe creat pofteriora refpiciens. Rurfus anima partem, quam intueiurinduitur, ac paulatim regrediente refpeSlu infabricam ccrporum, in corporeaipfa degenerat : God, who is and is called the firft caufe, is alone the fountainand original of all things, that are or feem to be ; he by his fuperabundant fe^cundity produced from himfelf mind, iiohich mind, as it looks upward towards itsfather, bears the perfect refemblance of its author, but as it looked downward,produced foul. And this foul again, as to its fuperior part, refembles that mind^from whence it was begotten ; but working downwards, produced the corporealfabricky and alfeth upon body. Befides which, the fame Macrobius x.^\h u^ %tthat Summi i^ principis omnium Dei nullum fimulachrum finxit antiquitas, quiafupra animam (j? naturam eft, quo nihil fas eft de fabulis fervenire ; de diisautem ca:teris, i^ de anima, non fruftra fe ad fabulofa convertunt : The Paganantiquity made no image at all of the higheft God, or prince of all things,becaufe he is above foul and nature, where it is not lawful for any fabuloftty to beintrc?r,itted. But as to the other gods, the foul of the world, and thofe'N n n 2below• Ibid. Lib. J. Cap. II. p.