in C®Y1ta1ng 'eiR'aYl°aiLaFi.iiiptli,a4ie 91 profeffed themfelves wife, did not acknowledge the Chap. V. Creator: For fome conceited the World tobe eternal, L.MJ others that it was the produ& of chance, and became Rom. ,. 22. guilty of the molt abfolute contradi&ion to Fieafon. For who can believe that one who is blind from his birth, and by confequence perfe&ly ignorant of all Colours, and of the Art of Painting, thould take a bundle of Pencils into his Hand, and dipping them in Colours mixt and corrupted, Paint a great Battel with that perfection in the deign, propriety in the Colours, diflin&ion in the Habits and Countenances, as if it were not reprefented but prefent to the speílators ? Who ever'fawa Temple, .or Palace, or any regular Building, fpring from theflonyBowels of a Mountain ? Yet fome famous Philofophers became thus vain in their magina- Rom. i. 21. Lions, fancying that the World proceeded from the cafual concourfe of Atomes. And the reft of them negleéted to knowGod fo far as they might, and to honour him fo far as they knew. They debated the Deity by unworthy conceptions of' his Nature, and by performing fuch acts of Worship; as were not ft for a rational Spirit to offer, nor for the pure Majefty of Heaven to receive. Befides, they afcribed his Name, Attributes and Honour to Creatures: not only the Lights of Heaven, and thefecret Powers which they fuppofed did govern them; not only Kings, and Great Men, who were by their Authority raifed above others, but the molt defpicable things in nature, Beafts and Birds were the objects of their Adoration. They chang- Rom, i. a3: ed the Glory of the untorruptible God, into an image made like to a corruptible man, and to birds, and four- footed beafls, andcreeping things. A Sin fo foul, that it betrayed them to brutiJb Blindnefs, and to the rnoít infamous Lufts, natural and unnatural. Now (ince the moft clear and open difcovery of Gods wifdorn was N 2 ineffeecual
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