feffion from all Imputations, and proved, we are religious towards GOD, and inoffenfive towards Men, and pure in our Souls. And, who can feem to have a fairer Claim to your Royal Favour than ourselves? We continually offer up Prayers to Almighty GOD for your Reign; that the Son may very late fucceed the Father, as is moft juft; that your Dominions may be ftill enlarged; that all your Actions may fucceed according to your Wishes, and we may live a quiet and peaceable Life under you, and shew always a ready Obedience to all your Commands.

A

A

TREATISE

O F

ATHENAGORAS,

THE

Athenian Philofopher, and Chriftian,

Concerning the

Refurrection of the Dead.

A

LL the Opinions and Notions of Men concerning the Truth of fuch Subjects as the prefent, have had a Mixture of fomething erroneous,or false

not that it is a genuine Confequence, or any ways proceeds from the Nature of the Thing, but is rather occafioned by the Perverfnefs of fome, who gratify a Paffion in fowing Tares among the good Seed, in order to choak it. This appears Q

very

very plain from the Writings of fuch as have employed themselves in Speculations of this kind, who differ both from their cotemporary, and the more ancient Authors who have handled those Points. The Confufion of their Notions concerning the Subje&t here to be treated on, is a great Inftance of this. Men of such a Turn of Mind have left no Sort of Truth without fome Touch of Sophistry; Nothing hath escaped their Disputing Humour, no, not even the Being, the Knowledge, and the Providence of a GOD, and the plain Confequences thereof; nay, not the very Reasons which make Religion manifeft to the World. Some are so hardy, as openly to profess an Unbelief of fuch kind of Truths, and others give them juft fuch a Turn and Colour, as fuits with their own Humours and Inclinations.

Ir will therefore be proper for one who fhall discourse on these Topicks to make use of two Methods; the one, to prove and demonftrate theTruth to fuch as are in a State of Infidelity; the other, to explain it to such as have, through Mistake, formed wrong Apprehenfions concerning it, and who are of themfelves of ingenuous Tempers and Difpofitions of Mind. Therefore, in managing the Question now under. Debate, what is proper must be obferved with Accuracy, and our Reasoning adapted thereunto; left, if we fhould use but any one certain Method, the

Difcourfe become of no Effect to the one or other of these two Sects.

INDEED, in the Order of Demonstration and Phyfical Confequence, the Arguments which prove any Truth are always antecedent to fuch as only explain it; yet, with regard to what is convenient, the other may frequently be requifite. But as the Farmer commits not his Seed to the Ground, before he hath cleared it of such Weeds and Brakes as would hinder and choak the Growth of the Seed, nor the Physician give the Patient Restoratives, until he be cleansed of those ill Humours which occafioned the Indifpofition; fo neither can Truth be established, till Prejudices and falfe Notions are rooted out of the Mind, and the Person be endued with fuch an Impartiality as is neceffary for the Reception of it. And conformably to this Rule I fhall treat the prefent Question of the Refurrection; first establishing the Truth of the Doctrine, and afterwards explaining and enforcing it. For here too we are engaged with Infidels and Scepticks, who wholly, or for the most part, deny the Reality. Some of them act with fuch Abfurdity, as to admit all the Premiffes, and notwithstanding do not own the Confequences, though they confefs they are not able to prove the contrary, nor give any tolerable Arguments for their Infidelity. Q 2

IN