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

Chap. IV. of Plato's Three Hjpoflafes. 583the Good, or Goodnefs ttfelf, above Mind andUnderJlanding, zr\d a.\fo ^^ip'i(Tuvyabove ejfence, ineffable and incoinprchenfible. And fometimesalfoipw; dn-xSv^afvnple light ; the fecond Ni'-r, A>}-c/.:, "Eopix, Unity and Goodnsfs only by participation,ov' Ayx^iiiSfq, Boniform, but eflentialiy and formally, Mind, orUnderftanding, Reaibn and Wifdom, all-comprehending, or infinite Knowledge.The third, "VjyJ, Self-moveable So'.d; Goodneft and Wifdom by participation,but eflentially and formally, infinite Self-aftivity, or Effedlivenefsinfinite, aftive, perceptive and animadverfive power. Sometimes it is ftyledalfo 'Ap-^o^Tn and 'Esm?, Venus and Love ; but differently from tiiat of theFirft Good, which is Love too -, but a Love of redundancy, or overflowingfulnefs and fecundity : tv yx^ tiKhov, tS urJh ^rrEiv,fj.-^it eyjiv, ;u»i H ^tt^xi, ploi. 494.oTov hTT^fip^Cri, xj TO uVf^irAroEf «Jt? TTivoi^iy.i Trosvla, '^E'ln-a*'- V".^hat which being abfolutelyperfe5i, andfeeking, or "wanting nothing, as it were, overflcdjed ; and by t^^ ^^^ \\exuberant redundancy produced all things. Whereas this latter is a Love ofinfinite adtivity. Of the firft, it is faid, by Plotinns, that it is a'jsvspj'jj^©^,above all manner of alfion, for which caufe, the making of the world is notproperly afcribed to him, though he be the original fountain of all: accord- ^.^ p^ ^^_ing to that of Nu/nenius, Kzi yx^ i-t irtumoyiTv eo p^pfw rov tt^Stov, ?^t»/. u. fiS.^ny-i'^pyS-fl^ 0;h (t8 t^w) ^ar irjxi, >tj i'oy.i'^£(&«i ttxtijix toi; TrpicTov 3(ov' T^either islp- 5S7-Jit ft to attribute the architelfure of the world to the firft God, but rather toaccount him the father of that God, who is the artificer. Who again fpeaksfurther to the fame purpofe thus ; tov '/.h tt^wtov Q;:v d^ylv shxi 'i^y^n ^\;j.irx-jlu)vxj jSao-iXeV It is to be acknowledged, that the firft God is void of all manner ofwork or aSlion, he being the king of all things. Of the fecond, to whomthe energy of intelleftion is attributed, it is faid, notwithftanding, thathis ^Tix is his ivt^yax, his ejjence his operation ; and that he is a>£iuii1©^ oJo-i'a;,though a multiform, yet an immoveable nature. He therefore is properlycalled the Demiu?gus, as the contriving archite^, or artificer, in whom (hzarchetypal world is contained, and the firfl paradigm, or pattern of thewhole univerfe. But the third is a kind of moveable deity, to Trf^l kouuxivou/iAfvov (as Plotinus Ipeaks) >^\oj (^m,-, >^"x"'^ l^yjar-nuvjov lx(iv>s' 'That, whichmoveth about Mind, or IntelleEl, the light or effulgency thereof, and its printorfignature, which always dependeth upon it, and a^ieth according to it. Thisis that, which reduces both the fecundity of the firfl fimple Good, and alfothe immoveable wifdom and architedlonic contrivance of the fecond intoad or energy. This is the immediate, and, as it were, manuary Opificer ofthe whole world, and to r!yey.o-joijv roZ TravloV, that which aSlually governs^rules andpreftdeth over all. Amelius, in that paflage of his before cited outoi Prochis, calling thefe three divine hypoftafes three Minds, and threeKings, flyles the firfl of them, Tyj o'vla. Him that is; the fecond Tov t^'^'flx.Him that hath ; and the third Tov ocaAx, Him that beholds. In which exprefTions,though peculiar to himfelf, he denotes an efTential dependence, andgradual fubordination in them.Now that which is mofl liable to exception, in this Platonick fcale, orgradation of the Deity, feems to be the difference betwixt the firfl andthe fecond. For whereas the efTential charader of the fecond is made toFfffbe