Book I. ^Ae Temple ^/Wifdome. ii»

boldcn mcfo tocall thcfe feldome or never ken Fh£HomeHay the image of a fingle Star or whole con- ftellacion reflefted from the Clouds) then upon a Farelios or Farafelene. But now the ftory of thcfc ij» more then an hundred times more frequent then that of the Parafter. For it is fo feldome difcover- ed, chat it is doubted whether it be or no^or rather acknowledged not to be, of which there can be no rca-fon, bnt that the clouds are fo ill polished, that they are not able to rcfle£V fo confiderablea light as a Star. From whence I think, we may fafcjy ga- ther, that it is therefore impoffible that they (hould i-cfledt fo debile Species, as the colours and (hapes of Beafts and Men, and that fo accurf'Cciiy, as that we may fee their Swords, Helmets, Sheilds, Fpears and the like.
Wherefore it is plain, thatthefe Apparitions on high in the Aire, are no reflexions of any Ob'efts ii^on Earth;or if it were imaginable that they were, thatfomefLipernv.turaIcaufemufta(fift to conglaci- ate and polifh the furfaces of the Clouds to fuch an cxtroardinary accuracy of figure and fmoothnclTt', as wilifufiice forfuch prodigious refieft ons.
And that thcfe Spirits that rule in the Aire, may not act upon the mateiials there, as well as men here upon the Earth work upon the parts thereof, ^as aifo upon the neighbouring Elements fo far as they can reach, Shaping, Per- feding and dire^ing things, according to their own purpofeandpleafure, I know no rei^fon at all in Nature or Philofophy, for any man to deny. For that the helpof foine officious Cenii is in plied in ftich like Prodigies as thefe, the feafonablenefs of their appearance feems no contemptible argument, they being according to the obfcrvation of H^ilori- •■ . ai>>V
ii 2 The Temple of Wifdome. Book L
ansj thcforermnersofeommoti&Hs and Troubles in all Kingdomes and Common-wealths.
Yet ncVerthclefs as good Artificers^ as! here fup- pofe, they working upon Nature, muft be bounded by the Laws of Nature. And reflexion will have its Jimits^as welas re/r/i5i(?»,whether for conveyance of fpecies or kindling of heat, the laws and bounds whereof : that difcerning wit Cartefius being well a- wareof, doth generally and judicioufly pronounce ; Ihat tf burning Glafs, the difiance of whofe focus /row the Glafs doth mt hear a lefs froportton U the Diameter thereof^ then the difiance of the Earth from the SuHy to the Diameter of the Sun^ mil burn no more vehemently then the dired rays of the Sun will do without ity though in other refpeSs this Glafs^ were as exaUly Jhaped and curioujly polijhed^ as could be expetled from the hand of an Jin^ geL
I have now compleated this prefent Treatifea- gainft Atheifm in all the three parts thereof: upon whichjwhilc I caft mine eye and view,that clear and irrefutable evidenc(j of the caufe I've undertaken, thcexter^al appearances of things in the World/o faith- fully fecondiiig the undeniable diftaccs of the innate Principles of our own mindcs, 1 cannot but with con- fidence aver. That there is not any one notion in all Philofophy more certain and dcmonftrable then that there ii a God
And verily I think, I have ranfacked all the cor- ners of every kinde of Philofophy that can pretend tobcarany ftroke in this Controverfie, with that diligence, that I may fafeiy pronounce, that it is mcer brutifh Ignorance or Impudence^ no ShjU in N ture or the Knowledge of things, that can encourage anymantoprofefs-^ or to embrace it at the propofal of chofe that make profeflion of it»
But