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

Chap. IV. Gradation in the Deity^ t^^-jdependence upon the fame ; and confequentiy, a gradual fiibordinationto it.For though they commonly affirm their fecond hypoftafis to have beenbegotten from their iiifl:, and their tliird from their f«:ond ; yet do tiieyby no means underlland thereby any fuch generation as that of men -,where the father. Ton and grandfon, when adulti at leaft, have no efTcntialdependence one upon another, nor gradual fubordination in their nature,but are ah perfedtly co-equal, and ahke abfolute. Becaufe this is but an imperfedtgeneration, where that, which is begotten, doth not receive its wholebeing originally from that, which didbeget,but from God and nature ; the begetterbeing but either a channel or an inftrument, and having been himfelf beforebegotten or produced by fome other. Whereas the firll divine hypoftafisis altogether unbegotten from any other, he being the fole principle andoriginal of all things, and therefore mull the fecond needs derive its wholeeflence from him, and be generated after another manner, namely in a wayof natural emanation, as light is from the fun ; and confequentiy, thoughco-ecernal, have an ellcntial dependence on him, and gradual fubordinatioato him.Moreover, the Platonifts would recommend this their gradation in thedeity, or trinity of hypoftafes fubordinate, from hence ; becaufe by this meansthere will not be fo vaft a chafm and hiatus betwixt God and the higheftcreatures, or fo great a leap and jump in the creation, as otherwife theremufl: needs be. Nor will the whole Deity be fkrewed up to fuch a dilproportionateheight and elevation, as would render it altogether uncapableof having any intercourfe or commerce with the lower world ; it being, accordingto this hypjthefis of theirs, brought down by certain fteps and degreesnearer and nearer to us. For if the whole Deity were nothing but onefimple monad, devoid of all manner of mukiplicity, as God is frequentlyreprefented to be ; then could it not well be conceived by us mortals, howit fhould contain the diftindl ideas of ah things within it felf, and that multiformplatform and paradigm of the created univerfe, commonly called thearchetypal world. Again, were the Deity only an immoveable mind j as A-rijlotU\ God is axivviTof oJo-ia!, an ahfolutely immoveable fubjiance^ whofeefTenceand operation are one and the fame ;and, as other theologers affirm, that whatsoeveris in God, is God ; it would be likevvile utterly unconceivable, notonly, how there fhould be any liberty of will at all in God, (whereas thefame theologers, contradiding themfelves, zealoully contend notwichftanding,that all the aftions of the Deity are not neceffary, and but few of them fuch,)but alfo, how the Deity fhould have any commerce or intercourfe with thelower world ; how it fhould quicken and aftuate the whole, be fenfible ofall the motions in it, and z&. pro r^w^/i accordingly ; all which the inftindsand Common notions of mankind urge upon them. Neither can they bedenied, without lafing the very foundations of all religion, fince it wouldbe to no more purpofe, for men to make their devotional addrefles to fuch