ATHEIST

(From ἀ and θέος , without God .) One who denies the being and moral government of God . There have been but few atheists in the strict sense of the word, under any system, and at any time. Some few perhaps still remain, and adopt the system of Spinosa, which supposes the universe to be one vast substance, impelled to all its movements by some internal force, which operates by a blind and irresistible nece ity. The heathen, who vied with heretics in giving names of opprobrium to true Christians, called the primitive Christians Atheists , because they did not worship their gods.