And this he giveth his reafons for: That GOD, not chance, made the world, and all creatures, is de• monftrable from the reasonable difpofition of their parts, as well for ufe as defence; from their care to preserve themselves, and continue their fpecies: that he particularly regards man: in his body, from the • excellent upright form thereof, from the gift of fpeech, from Τας τῶν αφροδισιῶν ἡδνὰς συνεχῶς παρέχειν. In his foul, from the excellency thereof above others, both for divinations, and predicting dangers: that he regards particulars, from his care of the whole fpecies that he will reward fuch as please him, and punish such as displease him, from his power to do it, and from the belief he hath imprinted in man that he will do it; profeffed by the most wife and ⚫ civilized cities and ages: that he at once feeth all C things, from the inftances of his eye, which at once over-runs many miles; and of the mind, which at once confidereth things done in the most distant places." That God knoweth all things, whether they be faid, done, or fecretly defired. That God takes care of all creatures, is demonftrable from the bene• fits he gives them, of light, water, and fire, feafonable production of fruits of the earth: that he hath particular care of man, from the nourishment of all plants and creatures for man's fervice; from their fubjection to man, though they exceed him ever fo much in ftrength; from the variety of man's fenfe, accommodated to the variety of objects, for neceffity, use and pleasure; from reafon, whereby he discourses, through reminifcence, from fenfible objects; from fpeech, whereby he communicates all

y Xen. memor. 1.

Prov. viii. 15.-" And is every where." Jofh. ii. 11.-" And orders all." Wifd. xi. 20.-"There is but One God, and none "elfe befides him.' Eph. iv. 6.-" In the beginning God created "the heaven and the earth." Gen. i. 1, 2, 3." In him we live, fc move, and have our being." Acts xvii. 21. Thus he sees and hears all, and is every where. Pfal. xxxiv. 9, 10, 1k

that

that he knows, gives laws, and governs ftates.* That God, notwithstanding he is invifible, hath a being; from the inftances of his minifters, invisible alfo, as thunder and wind; and from the foul of man, which hath fomething with, or partakes of ⚫ the divine nature, in governing those that cannot fee it. Finally, that he is fuch, and fo great, as that he at once fees all, hears all, is every where, and • orders all."'

So that here we have Socrates's faith in God, and his reasons for it, drawn from the outward creation, and the inward divine fenfe, which he had from divine inftinct, or nature, in him; in which he lived, and for which he willingly died, as afterwards will be related.

IX. Timæus Locrus, in his "Work of Nature,” thus argumentatively expreffeth himself of God:

6

One principle of all is unbegotten. For if it was begotten, then were it no more that principle; but that of which it were begotten would be the principle. (1)

Suitable to this faith Clemens Alexandrinus; namely, "Hear, O Ifrael: the Lord, thy God, is One; "and him only fhalt thou ferve.""

Thus did he endeavour to refute the Gentiles, and prove the scriptures out of their own writings. But again,

Timæus affirms, That God Is; and that he is a Spirit; and that he is the author of all light.' Which how fober and true it is, let the fcriptures here inferted teftify. (m)

z Xen. memor. 1.

a Id. 4.

Clem. Alex. Strom. 1. 5. 2 Kings xix. 19. Mark xii. 32. 1 Tim. ii. 5. De Anim. Mund.

(1)In the beginning was the Word; and the Word was with "God, and the Word was God: all things were made by him," &c. John i. 1, 2, 3, 4.

(m)" God is a fpirit." John iv. 24.-" God faid, Let there "be light, and there was light." Gen. i. 3." He is the Father "of lights." James i. 17.

VOL. I.

Z

X. Antift

X. Antifthenes, one of Socrates's fchool, as it were by way of paraphrase upon that saying, "Whom have "ye likened me unto? faith the Lord;" thus fpeaks: 'He is like none; because no man can know him from C a LIKENESS, or IMAGE." (n)

By which we may perceive he did not believe him to be an image, who could not be known by an image,' nor any thing that could be feen with carnal eyes: a step beyond the Romanifts, that teach, as they darkly fancy, by images.

XI. Plato, the famous doctor of gentile-divinity, scholar to Socrates, whom the Greeks, for his heavenly contemplation and pious life, furnamed divine, gives us his faith of God in these words; God is firft, eternal, ineffable, perfect in himself; that is, needing none; and ever perfect, that is, abfolute in all times; and every way perfect, that is, abfolute in every part, divinity, effence, truth, harmony, good. Neither do we fo name these to diftinguish one from the other, but rather by them all to un<derstand ONE. He is faid to be GOOD, because he bestows his benefits upon all, according to their feveral capacities, and fo is the cause of all good: FAIR, OF BEAUTIFUL, because he is, in effence, both more, better, and equal: TRUTH, because he is the principle of all truth, as the fun is of all light.' (0)

Moreover; God, not having any parts, can neither be locally moved, nor altered by qualities: for if he be altered, it must be done by himself, or

c Clem. Alex. Strom. 1. 5.

(a) That thou mayeft know, that there is none like me in all *the earth," faith God. Exod. ix. 14. and viii. 10.- "Who in "heaven can be compared unto the Lord? Who among the fons of "the mighty can be likened unto the Lord?" Pfal. Ixxxix. 6.

(0) I am Alpha and Omega, the firft and the laft." Rev. xxii. 13. The everlafting God." Ifa. xl. The way of the Lord "is perfect." Pfal. xviii. 30.-" He is a rock; his work is perfect; for all his ways are judgment; a God of truth, and without iniquity, juft and right is he." Deut. xxiii. 4.-"For I am "the Lord." Ifa. xlv. 5.-" I change not." Mal. iii. 6.

• fome

fome other: if by fome other, that other must be of greater power than he: if by himself, it must be < either to better, or to worse: both which are abfurd.'

From all these it follows, That God is incorporeal; and by all which it is as evident, how true, how reafonable, and how firm a belief Plato had of One Eternal Being and Father of all.

XII. And Lyricus Menalippides, praying, faith, Hear me, O Father, thou Wonder of men, who always governeft the living foul."'

This plainly preaches to us their belief of One Eternal God, and his excellent attributes.

XIII. Parmenides Magnus, as faith Plato in Sophista, writes concerning God on this wife; He is not begotten; neither is he liable to any death: like a chain, whose links are whole and round, and always firm, and void of a beginning." (p)

What was this chain, but the Eternal God, by whom all things were made?" The First and the "Laft."

XIV. Zeno, a grave and wife philofopher, who inftituted the way of the Stoicks, but not of virtue: for both the Cynicks and Stoicks, moftly teaching fuch doctrine as tend to good life, may well be faid to have been the followers of Socrates, the excellent man of his time; only they a little differenced themfelves by fome particular feverities, too affected, to which the mild, ferious, and unaffected piety of Socrates gave them no encouragement; though none of them trod in a more felf-denying path, than history tells us he walked in. This Zeno, and his disciples, were vigorous affertors of one infinite and eternal God, as by their doctrines may appear.

• Clem. Alex. Strom. 1. 5. Exod. xv. 11. Pfal. cxxxvi. 4, 5, 6, • Clem. Alex. Strom. 1. 5.

(p) "Thy throne is established of old, thou art from everlast"ing." Pfal. xciii. 2. In the Lord Jehovah is everlasting

"Arength." Ifa. xxvi. 4.

Zeno tells us, That God is an immortal being rational, perfect, or intellectual in beatitude; void of all evil; provident over the world, and things in the world; not of human form, MAKER of ALL, as it were FATHER of ALL.' Again; 'God, and the power of God, is fuch, as that it governs, but is not governed. It governeth all things; fo that if there ' were any thing more excellent, he could not poffibly ⚫ be God."' (q)

This was Zeno's faith of God: and I cannot believe that the worst of our antagonists has fo far abandoned all reafon, as to call it falfe, or idolatrous. That he taught it, as well as thought it, let us hear fome of his followers.

XV. Chryfippus alfo avers, as his belief of a God, That the world was made by him;' confequently he believed there was one: For if,' faith he, there be any thing which can procreate fuch beings, as man endued with reason is unable to produce, that, doubtless, must needs be stronger, and greater, and wifer than man: but man cannot make the celestial things; therefore that which made them, transcended man in art, counfel, prudence, and power: and what can that be but God?" (r)

Thus far Chryfippus, the Stoick, in reference to God. But again,

(9) "Now to the King Eternal, Immortal, Invifible, the Only "Wife God, be honour and glory for ever." 1 Tim. i. 17."The rich and poor meet together; the Lord is the maker of them "all." Prov. xxii. 2.-" Come now, let us reafon together, faith "the Lord." Ifa. i. 18." Be ye holy, for I the Lord your God am holy." Levit. xi. 44.-" One God and Father of all, of "whom are all things.' Eph. iv. 6. 1 Cor. vi. 8, 6.—“ Who " is a God like unto thee?" Exod. xv. 11.-" The Almighty is "excellent in power." Job xxxvii. 23.-" And his kingdom rules 66 Over all." Pfal. ciii. 19.

"

(r) "Lord, thou art God, which haft made heaven and earth, and "all that in them is." Acts iv. 24.-" God that made the world." Pfal. xc. 2. Ali nations are unto God but as a drop of the "bucket, and the duft of the balance." Ifa. xl. 15.

XVI. An