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

utChap. IV. nor Immutahk Noes. ^^^^hough fome of the Platonids talk much of their Nocs^ yet is tkere nothinganfwerable to that name, according to their notion of them ; but theonly Noes leaiiy cxifting in nature, are unfaJlen, but peccable foi/]s j he oftenconcluding, that the higheft rank of created Bjings are indeed no betterdian thofe, wliich the Platonifts commonly call vj'-x^'j or fouls. By whichfouls he underftood firft of all, beings in their own nature fclf-moveable andaftive ; whereas the Noes of the Platonics are altogether immoveable andaboveadion. And then again, fuch beings or fpirits incorporeal, as exifbnot abftraftly and feparately from all matter, as the Noes of the Platoniftswere fuppofed to do, but are vitally unitable to bodies, ib as, together withthofe bodies, to compound and make up one animal. Thus, I fay, Orlgenconceived even of the higheft angelical, and arch-angelical orders, that theywere all of them \-'^x°^^i fiids-, united to bodies, but fuch as were pure, fubtileand ethereal : however, he fuppofed it not impoflible for them to finkdown into bodies, more grofs and feculent. And it is certain, that mar^y ofthe ancient Chriftian writers concurred with Origen herein, that the hio-he(tcreated fpirits were no naked and abftraft minds, but fouls clothed withfome corporeal indument. Laftly, Origen^ fouls were alfo fuppofed to be,all of them, tndoswcd v^'iih liherum arbitrium, ox free-will., and confeqiiendyto be felf-improvable and felf-impairable ; and no particular created fpiritsto be abfolutely in their own nature impeccable, but lapfible into vitious habits: whereas the Platonick Noes are iuppofed to be fuch beings, as couldnever fall nor degenerate. And the generality of the Chriftian writers feem'dto have conlented, or confpired with Origen in this alfo, they fuppofing him,who is now the prince of devils, to have been once an angel of the hio-heftorder. Thus does St. Jerome ' determine ; Solus Deus eji, in quern pcccatumnon cadit \ c.^tera^ ciim fint liberi arbitri, pcffunt in utramque partem fuamfie^ere voluntatcm. God is the only Being, that is abfolutely incapable offin ;but all other beings y having free-tvill in them, may pojfibly'turn their will toeither -way ; that is, to evil as well as to good. It is certain, that God, in afenfe of perfedlion, is the moft free agent of all, neither is contingent libertyuniverfally denied to him •, here it is made the only privilege of God,tliat is, of the Holy Trinity, to be devoid oUiberum arbitrium, namely as itimplieth imperfeftion, that is, peccability and lapfibility in it.It is true, that fome of the Platonick phiiofophers fuppofc, that even inthatrank of beings called by them Souls^ though they be not eflentiallyimmutable, but all felf-moveable and adlive, yet there are fome of them offa high a pitch and elevation, as, that they can never degenerate, nor finkdown into vinous habits. Thus Simplicius for one ; ixxd, al fj.h n-tfarai r!^v ^^ ^P'J' ;vJ/up^UK, cere zj-^v(!-t)(^ug utto xhouyaiuv t^a.fxx.^iTcxi, y.a\i eo^o-j t/ zuco? '^' '5'i>ii7va, JSeju/.ov, SkS, TO (U.ii t.vxi aj/aOo'rjjTE-:, oixXx, o^iyi^xi t? dyx^S, sj}.m t'j o-ivyiveTg wcpf3£pilW. CXLL