64 The Living 7f emple. Tart H. But if their Reafonings from it be confider'd, that Generations are out of Matter, and Corruptions:are into Mat- ter, we have no Caufe to apprehend they underflood it otherwife than that natural Agents did neither create, :nor annihilate any thing. $efides that, there is pofitive ground enoughto conclude, that the more inftru&ed, and wifer Pagans, long before: Chrift's time, did believe all things to have fprang from one intelligent, Pelf- fubfifling, original 5 Matter itfelfnot being excepted. As, with the JEgyptians, the Infcription of the Temple at Sais (hews, I am all that is, or was, orfhallbe, &c. And with the Grecians, their worshipping God, under the Name of Pan. Which could mean noother thing, than that they thought the Deity to comprehend emi- nently, or vertually5 all Beings betides, in its ' creative, or prothi t ive Power. And we have reafon to think that Pa- gan Philofophers fence Chrift, fuch as .Ilierocles, lamblichtis, Porphyry, Ploti Weis, &c. who (as others have abferv'd, weremanifeftly of this Sentiment) un- derftood the Minds of the more anci- ent Philofophers as well as this Manfleur 5 nor do they pretend to coutradid them herein. And
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