to the Reader
In the Third Chapter, we thought it necessary, in order to a fuller Confutation of Atheism, to consider all the other Forms thereof, besides the Atomick. And here do we first of all, make a Discovery of a certain Form of Atheism, never before taken notice of, by any Modern Writers, which we call the Hylozoick: which notwithstanding, though it were long since started by Strato, in way of Opposition to the Democritick and Epicurean Hypothesis; yet because it afterwards slept in perfect Silence and Oblivion, should have been here by us passed by Silently; had we not had certain Knowledge of its being of late Awakened and Revived, by some, who were so sagacious, as plainly to perceive, that the Atomick Form could never doe their business, nor prove Defensible: and therefore would attempt to carry on this Cause of Atheism, in quite a different way, by the Life and Perception of Matter: as also that this in all probability, would ere long publickly appear upon the Stage, though not Bare-faced, but under a Disguize. Which Atheistick Hypothesis, is partly Confuted by us, in the Close of this Third Chapter, and partly in the Fifth.
In the next place, it being certain, that there had been other Philosophick Atheists in the world before those Atomicks, Epicurus and Democritus; we declare, out of Plato and Aristotle, what that most Ancient Atheistick Hypothesis was; namely, the Eduction of all things, even Life and Understanding it Self, out of Matter, in the way of Qualities; or as the Passions and Affections thereof, Generable and Corruptible. Which Form of Atheism is styled by us, not onely Hylopathian, but also Anaximandrian: however we grant some probability of that Opinion, That Anaximander held an Homoeomery of Qualified Atoms, as Anaxagoras afterwards did; the difference between them being onely this, that the Latter asserted an Unmade Mind, whereas the Former Generated all Mind and Understanding, out of those Qualified Atoms, Hot and Cold, Moist and Dry, Compounded together: because we Judged this Difference not to be a sufficient Ground to multiply Forms of Atheism upon. And here do we give notice, of that strange kind of Religious Atheism, or Atheistick Theogonism, which asserted, not onely other Understanding Beings, Superiour to Men, called by them Gods; but also amongst those, one Supreme or Jupiter too; nevertheless Native, and Generated at First out of Night and Chaos, (that is, Sensless Matter) as also Mortal and Corruptible again into the same.
Besides which, there is yet a Fourth Atheistick Form taken notice of, out of the Writings of the Ancients, (though perhaps Junior to the rest, it seeming to be but the Corruption and Degeneration of Stoicism) which concluded the whole World, not to be an Animal, (as the Pagan
