12.07.2015 Views

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

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS
  • No tags were found...

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.

B5 -1 Nothing inanimate^ rmlly.o o k I.mo<strong>the</strong>r <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> gods too, provided that <strong>the</strong>y did not think any <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>fe, for<strong>all</strong> that, to be truly <strong>and</strong> re<strong>all</strong>y gods : ^Z.2.f 165. Btc fiqu<strong>is</strong> mare Neptunum, Cereremja? vocare[Veri. 654. Conjiituit fruges, &? Bacchi nomine abutiHavercamp]Mavolt, quam latic<strong>is</strong> proprium pr<strong>of</strong>erre vocamen jConcedatnuSy ut hie terrarum diSiitet orhemEJfe deum matrem, dum non Jit re tamen apfe.N.D. I. z.''And <strong>the</strong> rcafon, why <strong>the</strong> earth was not re<strong>all</strong>y a goddefs, <strong>is</strong> thus given by him ;Terra quidem vero caret omni tempore fenfu.Becaufe it <strong>is</strong> conftantly devoid <strong>of</strong> <strong>all</strong> -manner <strong>of</strong> fenfe. Thus Balbt<strong>is</strong> \n Cicero-' tells us, that <strong>the</strong> firft thing included in <strong>the</strong> notion or idea <strong>of</strong> a god <strong>is</strong> th<strong>is</strong>,Ut Jit animans, That it be animant ; or endued with life, fenfe, <strong>and</strong> under-H<strong>and</strong>ing. And he conceiving <strong>the</strong> fturs to be undoubtedly fuch, <strong>the</strong>reforeconcludes <strong>the</strong>m to be gods : ^oniam tenuijfimus ejl te<strong>the</strong>r y & femper agiiamr£5? viget, necejfe ejl, quod animal in eo gignatur, idem quoque fenfu acerrim<strong>of</strong>ffe. ^are cum in a<strong>the</strong>re aflra gignantur, confentaneum efl in i<strong>is</strong> j'enfum ineffefc? intelligentiam. Ex quo efficititr in deorum numero aflra ejfe ducenda. Belaiife<strong>the</strong> a<strong>the</strong>r <strong>is</strong> mojifiibtile, <strong>and</strong> in continual agitation, that animal, ivhich <strong>is</strong>begotten in ity mufi needs be endued "with <strong>the</strong> quickefi <strong>and</strong> fharjejl fenfe. Whereforeftnce <strong>the</strong> Jiars are begotten in <strong>the</strong> a<strong>the</strong>r, it <strong>is</strong> reafonable to think <strong>the</strong>m tohave fenfe <strong>and</strong> under/l<strong>and</strong>ing ; from 'whence it follo--jus, that <strong>the</strong>y ought to beDe N.D. reckoned in <strong>the</strong> number <strong>of</strong> gods. And Cotta in <strong>the</strong> third book affirms, that/. 34J. . ^]] j^g^ \jert fo far from thinking <strong>the</strong> ftars to be gods, that multi ne animantesquidem effe concedanty many would not fo much as admit <strong>the</strong>m to be animalsi plainly intimating, that unlefs <strong>the</strong>y were animated, <strong>the</strong>y could nocD^ //:y (y. p<strong>of</strong>Tibly be gods. Laftly, Plutarch, for th<strong>is</strong> very reafon, abfolutely con-/ 377' demns that whole pradlice <strong>of</strong> giving <strong>the</strong> names <strong>of</strong> gods <strong>and</strong> goddefles toinanimate things, as abfurd, impious, <strong>and</strong> a<strong>the</strong>iftical •, (Tejvaf x,' aS^/Kc £'^7roiK(r»jffu/*ei/u« (pia-ca-t x«» wfaj'/xao-iu ovifJ^ocla, ^lU'j tTriCpeoovle;' rai/ra fj.h yoca aJravs^Tai 3-fsf »'j£ »'fj-iv* yx^ vv vil ^.y\/v^ov ai;flcuVoK 5-fOf' They, who givc t&8names <strong>of</strong> gods to fenfelefs <strong>and</strong> inanimate natures <strong>and</strong> things, <strong>and</strong> fuch as aredeftroyed by men in <strong>the</strong> ufe <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>m, beget m<strong>of</strong>i wicked <strong>and</strong> a<strong>the</strong>iftical opinionsin <strong>the</strong> minds <strong>of</strong> men -, Jince it cannot be conceived, how <strong>the</strong>fe things Jhould begods, for nothing, that <strong>is</strong> inanimate, <strong>is</strong> a god. And now we have very goodreafon to conclude, that <strong>the</strong> diftinftion or divifion <strong>of</strong> Pagan gods (ufcd byfome) into animal <strong>and</strong> natural (by natural being meant inanimate) <strong>is</strong> utterlyto be rejefted, if we fpeak <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir true <strong>and</strong> proper gods-, fince nothingwas fuch to <strong>the</strong> Pagans but what had life, lenfe, <strong>and</strong> underft<strong>and</strong>ing.Wherefore th<strong>of</strong>e perfonated gods, that were nothing but <strong>the</strong> natures <strong>of</strong> thingsdeified, as fuch, were but dii ccmmentitii ^ fi£iitii, counterfeit <strong>and</strong> fiSitiousgods \ or, as Origen c<strong>all</strong>s <strong>the</strong>m in that place before cited, -rx. 'Exau'vlv oivxir\a,

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!