Page:The true intellectual system of the universe - the first part; wherein, all the reason and philosophy of atheism is confuted; and its impossibility demonstrated (IA trueintellectual1678cudw).pdf/23

  have constantly had a certain Prolepsis or Anticipation in their Minds, concerning the Actual Existence of a God, according to the True Idea of him. And this was the rather done Fully and Carefully by us; because we had not met with it sufficiently performed before: A. Steuchus Eugubinus, having laboured most in this Subject: from whose profitable Industry though we shall no way detract; yet whosoever will compare, what he hath written, with ours, will find no Just Cause to think ours Superfluous and Unnecessary; much less, a Transcription out of his. In which, besides other things, there is no Account at all given, of the Many Pagan, Poetical and Political Gods, what they were; which is so great a part of our Performance, to prove them Really to have been, but the Polyonymy of one God. From whence it follows also, That the Pagan Religion, though sufficiently Faulty, yet was not altogether so Nonsensical, as the Atheists would represent it, out of design; that they might from thence infer, all Religion to be nothing but a meer Cheat and Imposture: they worshipping onely One Supreme God, in the several Manifestations of his Goodness, Power, and Providence throughout the World, together with his Inferiour Ministers. Nevertheless we cannot deny, that being once engaged in this Subject, we thought our Selves the more Concerned, to doe the business thoroughly and effectually, because of that Controversy lately Agitated, concerning Idolatry, (which cannot otherwise be Decided, then by giving a True Account of the Pagan Religion;) and the so Confident Affirmations of some, That none could possibly be Guilty of Idolatry, in the Scripture Sense, who Believed One God the Creator of the whole world: Whereas it is most certain on the contrary, that the Pagan Polyteism and Idolatry, consisted not in worshipping Many Creators, or Uncreateds, but in giving Religious Worship to Creatures, besides the Creator; they directing their Devotion, (as Athanasius plainly affirmeth of them,) 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, To One Uncreated onely; but besides him, to many Created Gods. But as for the Polemick Management of this Controversy, concerning Idolatry, we leave it to other Learned Hands, that are already engaged in it.

Moreover, We have in this Fourth Chapter, largely Insisted also upon the Trinity. The Reason whereof was, Because it came in our way; and our Contents engaged us thereunto, in order to the giving a full Account of the Pagan Theology: it being certain, that the Platonicks and Pythagoreans at least, if not other Pagans also, had their Trinity, as well as Christians. And we could not well avoid, the Comparing of these Two together: Upon which Occasion we take notice of a Double Platonick Trinity; the One Spurious and Adulterated, of some latter Platonists; the Other True and Genuine, of Plato himself, Parmenides, and the Ancients. The Former of which, though it be Opposed by us to the Christian Trinity, and futed;