OR,

A Confutation of ATHEISM from the Faculties of the Soul.

A

SERMON

Preached at

St. Mary-le-Bow,

April 4. 1692.

Being the Second of the Lecture Founded by the Honourable ROBERT BOYLE, Esquire.

By RICHARD BENTLEY, M. A. Chaplain to the Right Reverend Father in God, EDWARD, Lord Bishop of Worcester.

The Third Edition.

LONDON,

Printed by J. H. for Henry Mortlock, at the Phenix, in St. Paul's Church-Yard,

1694.

Imprimatur.

Geo. Royfe, Rmo in Chrifto Patri ac Dno. Dno. Jobanni Archiep. Cantuar. à Sacris Domeft.

April 7. 1692

Acts XVII. 27.

That they should feek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him; though he be not far from every one of us for in him we Live, and Move, and have our Being.

Hefe words are a part of that Discourse
which St. Paul had at Athens.

T

ἀμελίς.

He had not been long in that inquifitive and pragmatical City, but we find him encountred by the Epicureans and Stoicks, two forts of A&s 17.18. people that were very ill qualified for the Christian Faith: the one by reafon of their Carnal Affections, either believing no God at all, or that he was like unto themselves, diffolved in ✩ Laziness and Ease; "Agòv x the other through their Spiritual Pride prefuming to declare, that † a Wife Man of their Sect was equal, and in fome, é xicases superiour to the Majefty of God himself. These men corrupted through Philofophy and vain deceit, took our A. poftle and carried him unto Areopagus, v. 19. a place in the City, whither was the greateft refort of Travellers and Strangers, of the graveft Citizens and Magistrates, of their Orators and Philosophers;

A 2

+ Arriani Epictet. 1. 1.c. 12.

Seneca Ep. 53. Eft aliquid quo Sapiens antecedas Deum : ille

των της θεῶν, ἐδὲ μικρότερος.

natura beneficio, non fuo fapiens

eft.

to

to give an account of himself and the new Doctrine 7. 20. that he spoke of: For, fay they, thou bringest strange things to our ears; we would know therefore what these things mean. The Apostle, who was to speak to fuch a promiscuous Assembly, has with most admirable Prudence and Art, fo accommodated his Dif course, that every branch and member of it is directly opposed to a known Error and Prejudice of fome Party of his Hearers. I will beg leave to be the more prolix in explaining the whole; because it will be a ground and introduction not. only to this present, but fome other subsequent

pat.

ta Apol. I.

fan. in Eli

acis.

Difcourfes.

From the Infcription of an Altar to the Unknown God, which is mentioned by Heathen Authors, as Lucianus Lucian, and Philoftratus and Others, he takes occaPhilo fion (v. 24.) to declare unto them, that God that ftrat. de vi- made the World and all things therein. This firft Do6.6.2. Pau- ctrine, though admitted by many of his Auditors, is exprefly against the Epicureans, who ascribed the Origin and Frame of the World not to the Power of God, but the fortuitous concourse of Atoms; and to the Peripatetics, that supposed all things to have been eternally, as they now are, and never to have been made at all, either by the Deity or without him. Which God, says he, feeing that he is Lord of Heaven and Earth, dwelleth not in Temples

V. 25.

made

2. Ipfa fu

pollens

made with hands, neither is worshipped with men's hands as though he needed any thing, feeing he giveth to all Life and Breath and all things. This is opposed to the Civil and Vulgar Religion of Athens, which worfhipped God with Temples and Sacrifices, as if he really needed Habitation and Suftenance. And that the common Heathens had fuch a mean apprehension about the indigency of their Gcds appears plainly to name no more, from Ariftophanes's Plutus, and the Dialogues of Lucian. But the Philofophers were not touch'd in this point, all Parties and Sects, even the Epicureans forfooth did main- * Lucret. tain (rò auragnis) the self-sufficiency of the Godhead: and seldom or never facrificed at all, unless in condefcenfion to the cuftom of their Country. There'sri. a very remarkable passage in Tertullian's Apology, Quis enim Philofophum facrificare compellit, &c.?. It ap- Tertul. 4Fears from thence, that the Philofophers, no less pelog. cap than the Christians, neglected the Pagan Worship and Sacrifices; though what was connived at in the one, was made highly penal and capital in the other. And hath made of one blood all nations of men, v. 26. for to dwell on all the face of the Earth, and hath deter min'd the times before appointed, and the bound of their habitation. This Doctrine about the beginning of, Human Race, though agreeable enough to the. Platonifts and Stoicks, doth apparently thwart the

pibus, nibil indiga no

46.

Еріси.