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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"r^o ^^^ ^^^fiPagan Gods. Book I.particular confiderations of him, either as prefiding over certain parts of theworld, and afting in them ; or as exercifing certain fpecial powers and virtuesin the world ; which feveral virtues and powers of one God, perfonatedand deified by the Pagans, tho' they had an appearance alfo of many diflinftgods, yet were they really nothing but feveral denominations of one fupremeGod ; who as yet is confidered as a thing diflindl from the world and nature.But laftly, as God was fuppofcd by thefe Pagans, not only to pervade all-thinos, and to fill all things, but alfo, he being the caufe of all thing, to behiml'elf in a manner all things ; fo was he called alfo by the name of everything, or every thing called by his name : that is, the feveral things of natureand parts of the world were themfelves veibally deified by thefe Pagans,and called gods and goddefies. Not ttet they really accounted them fucliin themfelves, but that they thought fit in this manner to acknowledge Godin them, as the author of them all. For thus the Pagans in St. AiJliJi ' Ufqtieadeone, inquiunt, mcijores nojlros infipientes fuijfe credendum efi^ ut h^ec nefcirentmiinera divina ejfe, non deos ? Can you think, that cur Pagan anceftorswere fo fottijh, as not to knoiv, that thefe things are but divine gifts, and notFods themfelves ? And Cicero alfo tells us, that the meaning of their thus deifyingthefe things of nature, was only to fignify, that they acknowledged theforce of all things to be divine, and to be governed by God ; and thatwhatfcever brought any great utility to mankind, was not fuch without thedivine gccdnefs. They conceiving alfo, that the invifible and incomprehenfibleDeity, which was the caufe of all things, ought to be worfliippedin allits v-'orks and effeds, in which it had made it felf vifible, accordingly as they7 declare in that place o^ Eufebius before cited in part •,i^i ra, o^uiJ.£\ix c-duxTx ii'Xi*a c I-" Vp ^ (TiMv'fii >^ arpc^v, fj^rMye to. cc13ti\tix, fJ-^^r) tv r.Qa-f/.)! £pw»(ri SiQiranTvy aAAa raj tv121.] Tiroii XOpAm SlVX/J-m, Ku'tK J^ T? tTTJ 7r«(7H

utChap. IV. Poetical and Phamajlical. 53:1now but the true piety left ; he, who is worJJjipped hy us Corijiians, lein^ thlonly true God, the lord of nature, and the maker of all [ubjlances. From whencewe may obferve, thaf, according to Athanafms, the Pagan poetick gods wersno real things in nature, and therefore they could be no other, than the fcveralnotions and the powers of the one fupreme God deified, or feveralnames of him. So that Athanafms his poetick Gods, Or o\ rsy.^oi -srouirarsiuv-.&£uo,uEv(3i 3-£oi, Gods fabidoufly devifed by the poets, were chiefly thofe two kindsof Pagan gods, firft mentioned by us ;• that is, the various confiderations ofthe one fupreme Numen, according to its general notion, expreflcd by fomany proper names ; and ftcondly iiis particular powers diftufed thorough theworld, feverally perfonated and deified. Which, confidered as fo many diftinftdeities, are nothing but meer fiction and phancy, without any reality. And4rhrs do^ the Pagans themfelves in Athanajius acknowledge : IVa,- yx^ «f aJ-oi'P \l\ [Tom.uSi Apij'' TrAarlovIa Si TaTKf, u; ovTXi ol uroirirai -nrpof dTrol,rr,v twh axsovrau, 'They'fay, that the names of thofe gods are meerly fi£litious, and that there does nowhere really exif a>r)> fuch Jupittr, or Saturn, or Juno,

"r^o ^^^ ^^^fiPagan Gods. Book I.particular confiderations <strong>of</strong> him, ei<strong>the</strong>r as prefiding over certain parts <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>world, <strong>and</strong> afting in <strong>the</strong>m ; or as exercifing certain fpecial powers <strong>and</strong> virtuesin <strong>the</strong> world ; which feveral virtues <strong>and</strong> powers <strong>of</strong> one God, perfonated<strong>and</strong> deified by <strong>the</strong> Pagans, tho' <strong>the</strong>y had an appearance alfo <strong>of</strong> many diflinftgods, yet were <strong>the</strong>y re<strong>all</strong>y nothing but feveral denominations <strong>of</strong> one fupremeGod ; who as yet <strong>is</strong> confidered as a thing diflindl from <strong>the</strong> world <strong>and</strong> nature.But laftly, as God was fupp<strong>of</strong>cd by <strong>the</strong>fe Pagans, not only to pervade <strong>all</strong>-thinos, <strong>and</strong> to fill <strong>all</strong> things, but alfo, he being <strong>the</strong> caufe <strong>of</strong> <strong>all</strong> thing, to behiml'elf in a manner <strong>all</strong> things ; fo was he c<strong>all</strong>ed alfo by <strong>the</strong> name <strong>of</strong> everything, or every thing c<strong>all</strong>ed by h<strong>is</strong> name : that <strong>is</strong>, <strong>the</strong> feveral things <strong>of</strong> nature<strong>and</strong> parts <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> world were <strong>the</strong>mfelves veib<strong>all</strong>y deified by <strong>the</strong>fe Pagans,<strong>and</strong> c<strong>all</strong>ed gods <strong>and</strong> goddefies. Not ttet <strong>the</strong>y re<strong>all</strong>y accounted <strong>the</strong>m fucliin <strong>the</strong>mfelves, but that <strong>the</strong>y thought fit in th<strong>is</strong> manner to acknowledge Godin <strong>the</strong>m, as <strong>the</strong> author <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>m <strong>all</strong>. For thus <strong>the</strong> Pagans in St. AiJliJi ' Ufqtieadeone, inquiunt, mcijores nojlros infipientes fuijfe credendum efi^ ut h^ec nefcirentmiinera divina ejfe, non deos ? Can you think, that cur Pagan anceftorswere fo fottijh, as not to knoiv, that <strong>the</strong>fe things are but divine gifts, <strong>and</strong> notFods <strong>the</strong>mfelves ? And Cicero alfo tells us, that <strong>the</strong> meaning <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir thus deifying<strong>the</strong>fe things <strong>of</strong> nature, was only to fignify, that <strong>the</strong>y acknowledged <strong>the</strong>force <strong>of</strong> <strong>all</strong> things to be divine, <strong>and</strong> to be governed by God ; <strong>and</strong> thatwhatfcever brought any great utility to mankind, was not fuch without <strong>the</strong>divine gccdnefs. They conceiving alfo, that <strong>the</strong> invifible <strong>and</strong> incomprehenfibleDeity, which was <strong>the</strong> caufe <strong>of</strong> <strong>all</strong> things, ought to be worfliippedin <strong>all</strong>its v-'orks <strong>and</strong> effeds, in which it had made it felf vifible, accordingly as <strong>the</strong>y7 declare in that place o^ Eufebius before cited in part •,i^i ra, o^uiJ.£\ix c-duxTx ii'Xi*a c I-" Vp ^ (TiMv'fii >^ arpc^v, fj^rMye to. cc13ti\tix, fJ-^^r) tv r.Qa-f/.)! £pw»(ri SiQiranTvy aAAa raj tv121.] Tiroii XOpAm SlVX/J-m, Ku'tK J^ T? tTTJ 7r«(7H

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