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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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580 The Dependence <strong>and</strong> Subordination Book I.oufious) toge<strong>the</strong>r ; nei<strong>the</strong>r <strong>the</strong> fecond nor third <strong>of</strong> tliem being creatures,or made in time, but <strong>all</strong> eternal, infinite, <strong>and</strong> creators.But that it may yet more fully appear, how far <strong>the</strong> mod refined PJatonick<strong>and</strong> Farmcnidian, or Pythagorick trinity, doth ei<strong>the</strong>r agree, or difagreewith <strong>the</strong> Scripture dotftiinc, <strong>and</strong> that <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Chriftian church in feveral acres;we fhali here fur<strong>the</strong>r obferve two things concerning ir. The firfb where<strong>of</strong><strong>is</strong> th<strong>is</strong>, that though <strong>the</strong> genuine Platonifts <strong>and</strong> Pythagoreans fupp<strong>of</strong>ed none<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir three archical hyp<strong>of</strong>iafes to be indeed creatures, but <strong>all</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>m eternal,necefiarily exiftent, <strong>and</strong> univcrfal or infinite, <strong>and</strong> confequently creators<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> whole world ; yet did <strong>the</strong>y never<strong>the</strong>lefs afiert an effential dependence<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> fecond hyp<strong>of</strong>taf<strong>is</strong> upon <strong>the</strong> firft, as alfo <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> third both upon <strong>the</strong>firft <strong>and</strong> fecond ; toge<strong>the</strong>r with a gradual fubordination in <strong>the</strong>m. ThusPlctinus, writing <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> generation <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> eternal Intejleft, which <strong>is</strong> <strong>the</strong>fecond in <strong>the</strong> Platonick trinity, <strong>and</strong> anfwers to <strong>the</strong> Son or Word in <strong>the</strong> Chri-^"^ ''•''• ftian; To S\ xi\ ib.si'jv, del }^ dfSiov yewx^ x,' EAATTONJ'e ia-vrv yinz. Ti'L[ t .-J :^v ^p,) sTt^j TS T£A£ioTaT» Ajj-fiir J fATj^iv aV auT? yevvxv, 5} rat jjAyirx (/.er ahTOi;'M^yiro'j a lAiT x-JTOv Naf Xj AtCre^ov. Kx] ydo opol N?f Exfi'vcn, >^ hhoci aur? fj.iva'iv.ii))'^ Si T<strong>is</strong>ra »^£y. Kai to" J/ei/vu'uevou atTro' h^iItIo])'^ va, v»u (Ivxi' Kasi :ioilr\uv d-sTciii-Tuv Na,-, OTj T aAAa fj.ir ocCtov. Olov Xiy^ 7^ -n\>'jx,'^ va >^' ri ivigyinx. ri^. Thativhlch <strong>is</strong> always perfdil, generates ivhat <strong>is</strong> eternal, <strong>and</strong> that ivhich it generates,<strong>is</strong> always lefs than it felf. Wlmt Jh<strong>all</strong> we <strong>the</strong>refore fay <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>m<strong>of</strong>i abfolutelyperfeSl Being <strong>of</strong> <strong>all</strong>? Docs that produce nothing from it felf? or ra<strong>the</strong>rdoes it not produce <strong>the</strong> greatejl <strong>of</strong> <strong>all</strong> things after it ? Now <strong>the</strong> greatefi <strong>of</strong> <strong>all</strong>thi7igs after <strong>the</strong> moji abfolutely perfeSl Being, <strong>is</strong> Mind or Intellect ; <strong>and</strong> th<strong>is</strong> <strong>is</strong>Jecond to it. For Mind hcholdeth th<strong>is</strong> as its fa<strong>the</strong>r, <strong>and</strong> ft<strong>and</strong>eth in need <strong>of</strong>nothing elfe bcftdes it : whereas that firft principle ft<strong>and</strong>eth in need <strong>of</strong> no mind orintellcB. What <strong>is</strong> generatedfrom that, which <strong>is</strong> better than mind, muft needsbe mind or intellect ; becaufe mind <strong>is</strong> better than <strong>all</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r things, <strong>the</strong>y being<strong>all</strong> in order <strong>of</strong> nature after it <strong>and</strong>junior to it; as Pfychc it Jeff, or <strong>the</strong> firftfoul ; for th<strong>is</strong> <strong>is</strong> alfo <strong>the</strong> word or energy <strong>of</strong> mind, as that <strong>is</strong> <strong>the</strong> word <strong>and</strong>energy <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> firft good. Again, <strong>the</strong> fame <strong>is</strong> more particularly declared byhim, concerning <strong>the</strong> third hyp<strong>of</strong>taf<strong>is</strong> c<strong>all</strong>ed Pfyche, that as it elFenti<strong>all</strong>y dependethupon <strong>the</strong> fecond, fo <strong>is</strong> it gradu<strong>all</strong>y li.ibordinate, or fome way infe-P 4S9. l^iour to It. ^'up^nu yot,o ysvvu, Nov;, vcvg uv TiXst^. Kai ydo riXaov ovlx, yivudveJei, Xj [xr dvvxij.i]i mtrxv TO(rx\nnii xyovov avxi' Kperrlov St ov^ ola\iT£ jv £mi, ou

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