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

c 2 The Atcmicl. Phyfiology fuperfcdcd Book I.tween them both they begat a certain miingrel and fpurious phiJofophy,aLhciftically-atomical, or atomicallyatheiflical.But though we have fo well proved, that Leucippus and Democritus werenot the firft inventors, but only the depravers and adulterators of" the atomicalphilofophy ;yet if any will notv/ithftanding obllinately contend, thatthe firft invention thereof ought to be imputed to them, the very principlesof their atheifm feeming to lead them naturally to this, to ftrip and diveftbody of all thofe forms and qualities, it being otherwife impoffible for them,furely and fafely, to exclude a corporeal Deity ; yet fo, as that the wit ofthefe Atheilis was alfo much to be admired, in the managing and carryingon of thofe principles in fuch a manner, as to make up fo entire a fyftem ofphilofophy out of them, all whofe parts (hould be fo coherent and confiftenttogether : we fhall only fay thus much ; that if thofe Atheifts were thefirlt inventors of this philofophy, they were certainly very unhappy andunfuccefsful in it, whiift endeavouring by it to fecure themfelves from thepoffibility and danger of a corporeal God, they unawares laid a foundationfor the clear dcmonllration of an incorporeal one, and were indeed fofar from making up any fuch coherent frame as is pretended, that theywere forced evei y where to contradicl their own principles. So that nonfenfelies at the bottom of all, and is interwoven throughout their whole a-theiftical fyftem ; and that we ought to take notice of the invincible powerand force of truth, prevailing irreliftibly againft all endeavours to opprefs it;and how defperate the caufe of atheifm is, when that very atomical hypothefisof theirs, which they would erefi: and build up for a ftrong caftle togarrifon themfelves in, proves a moft effeftual engine againft themfelves, forthe battering of all their atheiftical ftrufture down about their ears.XLIV. Plato's mutilation and interpolation of the old Mofchical philofophywas a great deal more excufable, when he took the theology andmetaphyficks of it, the whole dodlrine of incorporeals, and abandonedthe atomical or mechanical way of phyfiologizing. Which in all probabilityhe did, partly becaufe thofe forementioned Atheifts having fo much a-bufcd that philofophy, adopting it as it were to themfelves, he thereuponbegan to entertain a jealoufy and fufpicion of it ; and partly, becaufehe was not of himfelf lb inclinable to phyfiology as theology, to the ftudyof corporeal as of divine things ; which fome think to be the reafon,why he did not attend to the I'ythagorick fyftem of the corporeal world,till late in his old age. His genius was fuch, that he was naturally moreaddicfted to ideas than to atoms, to formal and final than to material caufes.To which may be added, that the way of phyfiologizing by matter, forms andqualities, is a more huff"y and fanciful thing than the other; and laftly, thatthe atomical phyfiology is more remote from fenfe and vulgar apprehenfion,and therefore not fo eafily underftood. For which caufe many learned Greeksof later times, though they had read Epicurus his works, and perhajjsDemccriius his too, yet they were not able to conceive, how the corporeal andfenfible phenomena could poffibly be folved without real qualities ; one in-Ilance