himself to be safe and well at ease, will shuffle all these things off, by asking such a Question as he did to whom the Priest of Neptune shewed the many Donaria hung up in his Temple by his Votaries saved from ship-wreck, and therefore vaunted much of the Power of that God of the Sea; But what is become of all those, said he, that notwithstanding their Vows have been lost? so I say, the Atheist to evade the force of this Argument will whisper within himself, But how many proud blasphemous Atheistical men, like my self, have escaped, and those that have been accounted good have died untimely deaths?
Such as Æsop and Socrates, the Prophets, Apostles and Martyrs, with sundry other wise and good men in all Ages and Places, who yet being not so well aware of the ill condition and restiness of this wicked World, of which they have truly profest themselves no Citizens, but Strangers, have suffered the greatest mischiefs that can happen to humane Nature, by their innocent meaning and intermeddling in aliena Republica: It having usually been more safe, craftily and cautiously to undermine the Honour of God, then plainly and honestly to seek the good and welfare of Men.
2. Nay, outragious affronts done on purpose to Religion, will the Atheist further reply, have not onely past applauded by the World, but unpunish'd by Divine Justice: As is notorious in that Sacrilegious Wit, Dionysius, of Syracuse, who spoiling Jupiter Olympius of his costly Robe very stiff and ponderous with Gold, added this Apologetical jeer to his Sacrilege, That this golden Vestment was too heavy for the Summer, and too cold for the Winter, but one of wool would fit both Seasons.
So at Epidaurus he commanded the golden Beard of Æsculapius to be cut off and carried away, alleging, that it was very unfit that the Son should wear a Beard, whenas his Father Apollo wore none.
That also was not inferiour to any of his Sacrilegious jests, when taking away the golden Cups and Crowns held forth by the hands of the Images of the Gods, he excused himself, saying, that he received but what they of their own accord gave him; adding, that it were a very gross piece of foolishness, whenas we pray to the Gods for all good things, not to take them when they so freely offer them with their own hands.
These and other such like irreligious Pranks did this Dionysius play, who notwithstanding fared no worse then the most demure and innocent, dying no other death then what usually other Mortals do: as if in those Ages there had been as great a lack of Wit as there was here in England once of Latin, and that he escaped a more severe Sentence by the benefit of his Clergy. But others think that he was pay'd home and punish'd in his Son that succeeded him. But that, will the Atheist reply, is but to whip the absent; as Aristotle wittily said to him that told him that such an one did unmercifully traduce him behind his back.
Wherefore I hold it more convenient to omit such Arguments as may intangle us in such endless Altercations, and to bring onely those that cannot be resolved into any Natural causes, or be phansied to come by Chance, but are so Miraculous, that they do imply the presence of some free subtile understanding Essence distinct from the brute Matter and ordinary power of Nature.
