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

C H A p. I. Pythagonck DoBrine. 45brutes, being but fo many particular eradiations or effluxes from that fourceof life above, whenfoever and wherefoever there is any fitly prepared mattercapable to receive them, and to be adtuated by them, to have a fenfe andfruition of themlelves in it, fo long as it continues fuch ; but as foon as everthofe organized bodies of theirs, by rcafon of their indilbofuion, becomeuncapable of being further afted upon by them, then to be refumed againand retrafted back to their original head and fountain. Since it cannot bedoubted, but what creates any thing out of nothing, or fends it forthfrom it felf by free and voluntary emanation, may be able either to retraftthe fa.me back again to its original fource, or elfe to annihilate it atpleafure.And I find, that there have not wanted fome among the gentile philofophersthemfelves, who have entertained this opinion, whereof Porphyry isone : Au'srai iv.x^r\ i\j\ixij.i; xXoy^ el; tw oKriv ^mv t» Tr^vl©-", evcfy irrationalpower is refolved into the life of the ivhole.XXXVI. Neither will this at all weaken the future immortality or pofl--eternity of human fouls. For if we beindeed Theifls, and do in very goodearnefl believe a Deity, according to the true notion of it, we mull thenneeds acknowledge, that all created being whatfoevcr owes the continuationand perpetuity of its exiflence, not to any neceffity of nature withoutGod, and independently upon him, but to the divine will only. And therefore,though we had never fo much rational and philofophical affurance,that our fouls are immaterial lubilances, diftinft from the body, yet wecould not, for all that, have any abfolute certainty of their polt-eternity,any otherwife than as it may be derived to us from the immutability andperfeftion of the divine nature and will, which does always that which isbefl. For the effential goodnefs and wifdom of the Deity is the only liabilityof all things. And for aught we mortals know, there may be good rcafon,why that grace or favour of future immortality and poil-eternity, that isindulged to human fouls, endued with reafon, morality, and liberty ofwill, (by means whereof they are capable of commendation and blame,reward and punifliment) that fo they may be cbjefts for divinejuftice to difplay it felf upon after this life, in different retributionsmay notwithllanding be denied to thofe lower lives and morecontemptible fouls of brutes, alike devoid both of morality and liberty.XXXVII. But if any, for all thi?, will ftil! obflinately contend for thatancient Pythagorick and EmpL-dcclean hypothefis, that all lives and foulswhatfoever are as old as the lirft creation, and will continue to eternity, oras long as the world doth, as a thing more reafonable and probable than our.continual creation of new fouls, by means whereof they become juniorsboth to the matter of the world and of their ov/n bodies, and wherebyalfo Cas they pretend) the divine creative power is made too cheap andproftituted a thing, as being famulative always to brutifh, and many timesto