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

,q(f In u'hai Je?}fc PlatoV Tri?iity Book I.Tether after the Apoftlcs times, tliough it cannot juftify the Platonifts, inany thing difcrepant from the fcripture, yet may it in Ibme meafurc doubtlefsplead tlicir excufe, who had no Icriptiire-revelation at all, to guide themherein ; and lb at Icaft make their error more tolerable or pardonable.Moreover, the Platonick Chriftian would further apologize for thefe Pijo-anPlatoniib after this manner : That their intention in thus fubordinatingthe hypoftales of their trinity was plainly no other, than to exclude therebya plurality of co-ordinate and independent gods, which they fuppoied anablblute co-equality of them would infer. And that they made only fumuch fubordination of them, as was both necelTary to this purpofe, and unavoidable;the juncture of them being in their opinion lo clofc, that therewas, jw.rcS'sv yiTx'^v, nothing intermedious, or that >could pofTibly be thruft inbetween them. But now again, on the other hand, whereas the only gi-oundof the co-equality of the perfons in the Holy Trinity is, becaufe it cannotwell be conceived, how they fliould otherwife all be God-, fince the efienccof the Godhead, being abfolute perfeftion, can admit of no degrees ; thefePlatonifts do on the contrary contend, that notwithftanding that dependenceand fubordination, which they commonly fuppofe in thele hypoftales,there is none of them, for all that, 'to be accounted creatures, but thatthe general eflence of the Godhead, or the i.increated nature, truly and properlybelongcth to them all: according to that of P^r/)^jrm before cited,uyai TPiw JTrof-a^Tiuv tw Sfia is-psfASfui kVizi/, /be ejfence of the Godhead proceedethto three hyj>oJlafis. Now thefe Platonifts conceive, that the cfltnceof the Godhead, as common to all the three hypoftafes of their trinity, confifteth(befides perfeft intelleftii.-;lity) in thefe following things : Firft, inbeino- eternal, which, as we have already fhewed, was Plato's diftinctivecharafter betwixt God .and the cre-ature. That whatlbcver was eternal, istherefore uncreated ; and whatfoever was not eternal, is a creature. He byeternity meaning, the having not only no beginning, but alio a permanentduration. Again, in having not a contingent but ncceffary exiftence, andtherefore being abfolutely undeftroyable ; which perhaps is included alfo inthe former. Laftly, in being not particular but univerfal, h >c, zxdvlx, oneand all things, or that which comprehends the whole j which is all one asto fay, in being infinite and omnipotent, and the creator of the wholeworld. Now, fay thefe Platonifts, if any thijig more were to be added tothe general eftencc of the Godhead befides this, then nuift it be felf-cxiftence,or to be underived from any other, and the firft original, principle,and caufe of all :: but if this be made fo efiential ro the Godhead, or uncreatednature, as that whatfoever is not thus originally of it felf, is thereforeip[o faBo to be detruded and thruft down into the rank of creatures jthen muft both the fecond and third hypoftafes, as well in the Chriftian asithe Platonick Trinity, upon tiiis fuppolkion, needs be creatures, and not God;;the fecond deriving its whole being and --godfllip from the firft ; and thethird, both from the firft and fecond and fo neither firft nor i'econd being•,the caufe of all things. But it is unqueftionable to thefe Platonifts, thatwhatfoever is eternal, neceffarily exifteiit, infinite, and omnipotent, and theAcreator