Austin having gone round all the Creatures, and seeing in 1them the Characters of the God-head imprinted, and seriously inquiring of them for God, not one or two, but all made him this Answer with an audible voice, Non sum ego, sed per ipsum sum ego quem quaeris in me; I am not he, but by him I am whom thou seekest in me. I have heard (saith my Author) 2of some learned Atheists, met together to discourse of the power of Nature, to prove there was no God; a poor shepherd present, asked how the rain came then? they bid him look upon a still, and he might know, that vapours were drawn up by the Sun, and let fall again, as moisture in a still: he replied, I never yet could see a still work, unless some man put fire to it. This so wrought on one in the company, that he gave glory to God, and forsook his Companions. I think Zeno hit the mark, when he said, to hear and see an Atheist dye, will more demonstrate that there is a God, then all the Learned can do by all their Arguments. That Epitaph which was written upon Sennacheribs Tomb, may well 3be written upon every Atheist; He that looks upon us, let him believe there is a God, and learn to fear him. In all the Ages of the World God has given a most severe testimony against Atheists. That Assyrian that bragged at a Feast, that he did never offer Sacrifice to a God, was eaten up of Lice. And Lucian a great Atheist, going to Supper abroad, left his Hounds fast when he went, and as he returned home, having railed against God and his Word, his dogs fell mad, met ⟨p. 74⟩him, and tore him in pieces. I have read of some Heathens, who being at Sea in a very dangerous storm, where they were like to be cast away, they began every one apart to examine themselves, what should be the reason of so dreadful a storm; and after that they had all cast up their accounts by querying with themselves, What have I done, said one, and, What have I done, said another, that has occasioned this storm? At last it issued thus; they remembered that they had Diagoras the Atheist on Board, and rather then they would all perish for that Atheists sake, they took him by the heels, and hurled him over-board, and then the storm ceased, and the Sea was quiet. It will be hard to name an Atheist, either in the holy Scripture, or in Ecclesiastical Histories, or in Heathen Writings, which came not to some fearful end;
Austin having gone round all the Creatures, and seeing in 1them the Characters of the God-head imprinted, and seriously inquiring of them for God, not one or two, but all made him this Answer with an audible voice, Non sum ego, sed per ipsum sum ego quem quaeris in me; I am not he, but by him I am whom thou seekest in me. I have heard (saith my Author) 2of some learned Atheists, met together to discourse of the power of Nature, to prove there was no God; a poor shepherd present, asked how the rain came then? they bid him look upon a sti•l, and he might know, that vapours were drawn up by the Sun, and let fall again, as moisture in a still: he replied, I never yet could see a still work, unless some man put fire to it. This so wrought on one in the company, that he gave glory to God, and forsook his Companions. I think Zeno hit the mark, when he said, to hear and see an Atheist dye, will more demonstrate that there is a God, then all the Learned can do by all their Arguments. That Epitaph which was written upon Sennacheribs Tomb, may well 3be written upon every Atheist; He that looks upon us, let him believe there is a God, and learn to fear him. In all the Ages of the World God has given a most severe testimony against Atheists. That Assyrian that bragged at a Feast, that he did never offer Sacrifice to a God, was eaten up of Lice. And Lucian a great Atheist, going to Supper abroad, left his Hounds fast when he went, and as he returned home, having railed against God and his Word, his dogs fell mad, met ⟨p. 74⟩him, and tore him in pieces. I have read of some Heathens, who being at Sea in a very dangerous storm, where they were like to be cast away, they began every one apart to examine themselves, what should be the reason of so dreadful a storm; and after that they had all cast up their acco•nts by querying with themselves, What have I done, said one, and, What have I done, said another, that has occasioned this storm? At last it issued thus; they remembred that they had Diagoras the Atheist on Board, and rather then they would all perish for that Atheists sake, they took him by the heels, and hurled him over-board, and then the storm ceased, and the Sea was quie•. It will be hard to name an Atheist, either in the holy Scripture, or in Ecclesiastical Histories, or in Heathen Writings, which came not to some fearful end;
- 1Soliloquiis.
- 2Mr. Francis Taylor on Pro. 6. 7.
- 3Herodot.
