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

.Cha p. IV. afid Eternal Gods. 54-7Moderatus (as Simplicius informeth us) plainly affirmetli this trinity of prin- /„ .vr. ph}j:ciples to have been a Pythagorick cabala : bt^ y^f kxto, ts? n.Jx.yo^m; tj joL 50.\JT!-ip TO ov J^ 73-j;(r;',v aVi'^v rliro'Pximon' ri Si AsuTfpsi/ £v, OTS^ sri to ovi-£!/ [J-VJ rifMTOi;Twf OK ;C, 'O^^Jixuv y^xu-iAXTuv' yJll the theology ofthe Greeks was derived from the Orphick Myflagogia ; Pythagoras being firfiinftrulled by Aglaophemus in the Orphick Orgia, or myfieries concerning thegods ; and Plato being the next, who received a perfe£l knowledge of all tbefe divinethings, both out of the Pythagorick and the Orphick writings. And thata Trinity was part of that Orphick cabala, we have already proved out ofJmelius, he affirming (in Proclus) that PlatoH three kings were the fame withOrpheus his trinity, of Phanes, Uranus, and Cronus. Moreover, fince all thefethree, Orpheus, Pythagoras, and Plato, travelling into Egypt, were thereinitiated in that arcane theology of the Egyptians (called Hermaical) itfeemeth probable (as was before obferved) that this doftrine of a divine triadwas alfo part of the arcane theology of the Egyptians. It hath been alfonoted, that there were fome footftcps of fuch a trinity in the Mithraick myfteriesamongft the Perfians, derived from Zoroafler ; as likewife that it wasexprefly contained in the magick or Chalday oracles, of whatfoever authoritythey may be. Moreover, it hath been fignified, that the Samothracians hadvery anciently a certain trinity of gods, that were the higheft of all theirgods, and that called by an Hebrew name too, Cabbirini,or: the mighty gods:and that from thence the Roman Capitoline trinity of gods was derived ; thefecond whereof was Minerva, which among the Latins, as Athena amongftthe Greeks, was underftood to fignify the divine wifdom. Laftly, the ternary,or triad, was not only accounted a facred number amongft the Pythagoreans,but ailb, as containing fome myftery in nature, was therefore madewit of by other Greeks and Pagans, in their religious rites ; as Ariftotle in- De Cttlo, I. i.formeth us : Ao zrsnx rr; (puVsw? siAJiCBo'Ti; MTis-tp vJmsss f.Ks'nr\c >L ^foq t«; dyn-ii-'' ^' ^ ?^'~o~ 'n^~iX~ ' TTT, r r J •/ p. 610. rom.«j tw; ^£uu ;;^p