Chap.VI. ANTIENT METAPHYSICS. 51 



phy as well as of religion : And for the fame reafon tliat the Second 

 Perfon of the Trinitv mnfl: have been begotten from all eternity of 

 the Firft, fo the Third muft have been begotten of the Second. 



In this way the eternal proceflion of the Second and Third Per- 

 fons of the Trinity from the Firft, and of all things in the uni- 

 verfe from them, is clearly explained. Nor, indeed, do I think 

 that, without the dodrine of the Trinity, the proceflion of all things 

 in the univerfe fiom the hrft caufe, could be otherwife explained : 

 For it is impoflible to fuppofe that all things fliould have proceeded 

 immediately from the firft caufe, and promifcuoufly, without order 

 or arrangement; as that would be making a chaos of the creation : 

 Whereas a more orderly and regular produdlion cannot be imagin- 

 ed than, firft. Intelligence, by which the univerfe was formed; — then 

 the principle of Life and Animation, by which every thing was mov- 

 ed and put in action, and fo the univerfe made a compleat fyftem. 



There is one other fundamental doftrine of the Chriftian religion 

 which I have not yet mentioned. That is the incarnation of our 

 Saviour. But this is not fuch a myftery, nor fo difficult to be un- 

 derftood, as the do£lrine of the Trinity, or the eternal generation 

 of the Second Perfon of the Trinity : For it is only fuppofing that 

 our Saviour, inftead of human intelligence, brought with him to 

 this world that divine intelligence which belongs to his nature, and 

 which was embodied with the animal and vegetable mind belonging 

 to human nature. 



Thus, 1 think, with the affiftance of antient philofophy, I have 

 been able to explain the philofophy of the Chriftian religion: For, as 

 I have elfewhcre obferved*, as it is the beft popular religion that ever 

 was, fo it is the moft philofophical ; nor, indeed, do 1 think that 



G 2 the 



* Vol. 5. p. 189. 



