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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A76232	Ēh probolē tēs alētheias or The bul-warke of truth, being a treatise of God, of Jesus Christ, of the Holy Ghost, and of the Trinity in unity, against atheists and hereticks. / By Robert Bayfeild.	Bayfield, Robert, b. 1629.; Faithorne, William, 1616-1691, engraver.	1657 (1657)	Wing B1468; Thomason E1636_3; ESTC R209045	111,248	263

the writings of the Heathens and to transport them as Salomon did the wood of Lebanon for the building of Gods house and the gold of Ophir to make the Temple of Jerusalem the more glorious from the pr●●h●ne use of the first Authors unto the divine edifying of Gods Church Besides It is the cleerest evidence in the world that can be produced to convince any man when hee is made a party in the proofe a witnesse in his own case and a Judge against himselfe For what can any Gentile object for himselfe against us that hee doth not beleeve in Jesus Christ when he perceiveth our truth confirmed and himselfe convicted out of the learning of the Gentiles what can the Philosopher say when hee seeth himselfe confuted by Philosophy Job 15.5.6 or what testimony can a Jew require better then a proof produced out of his owne Cabballs and Talmud and therefore as Eliphaz saith of vain boasters that their own words condemne them so humane arts being divine gifts wee may lawfully use them to cut off Goliahs head with his owne sword or to beat down Hercules with his own club that is to confute the Gentiles out of the learning of the Gentiles and so we finde that not only in former times the Prophets Apostles and Fathers of the primitive Church have practised the same course but also in later times Aquinas Mornaeu● Doctor Fotherby late Bishop of Salisbury and diverse others have out of Trismegistus Homer Plato Aristotle Cicero and the rest of the Gentile Doctors confuted the superstitions of the Heathens and confirmed the truth of Christian Religion Secondly Against the wicked and cursed hereticks I have used the sacred scripture whose excellency above all humane learning I shal breifly set forth and conclude Such is the excellency of scripture-learning which containeth in it florem delibatum the flower and very Quintessence of soule-saving wisdome that wee may say of it as the Philosopher sometimes spake concerning the knowledge of the soule of man Aristotle de a● l. 1. praf antiq lect praestatpauculo ex meliore scientia degustasse quam de ignobiliore multa A small and dim knowledge of it is to be valued far above a greater measure of cleerer insight in any other science For the inspired scriptures is the infallible rule of Faith the unmoveable ground of Hope the perfect guide of Life the soules store-house of Provision the spirituall Magazeen of Munition the sacred fewell of Devotion the divine subject of Contemplation and the everlasting spring of celestiall consolation It is as saint Gregory saith like the deepest Ocean wherein the greatest Elephant may finde sea room enough to swim and yet never sound the depth thereof and like the shallowest foord wherein the silliest Lamb may easily wade without any danger of drowning And as Fulgentius saith Fulgent Ser. de confess Habet quod robustu● comedat quod parvulus sugat Basil in Psalmum primum it hath strong meat for the best stomacks and sweet Milke for the tenderest babes It is a pavoury of wholesome food against feigned Traditions a Phisitians shop against poysoned heresies a pandect of profitable Lawes against rebellious spirits a treasury of most costly Jewells agaist beggerly rudiments and it is wisdome without folly to direct us riches without poverty to honour us and strength without weaknesse to maintain us For that it will instruct us in life comfort us in death and glorifie us in heaven The canonicall bookes of the Old and New Testament are exact Maps of the heavenly Canaan drawne by the Pencill of Holy Ghost the authenticall records of the Church the deeds of Almighty God and Evidences of mans salvation Yea The arguments to prove the divinity of scriptures are the venerable antiquity matchless majesty lively efficacy beautifull harmony incomparable purity invincible perennity and continuance of them mauger the injury and iniquity of times and Tyrants who have sought to suppresse them Besides the confirmation by miracles confession of Martyrs destruction of oppugners fulfilling of prophesies consent of Churches yea assent of adversaries As first of hereticks who in oppugning of scriptures do yet alledge scripture to their owne utter destruction 2 Pet. 3.16 Secondly of Jewes Gods Library Keepers as Saint Augustine calls them who studiously read and curiously kept the Bookes of the old Testament by a singular providence of God for our benefit and behoof Thirdly many heathens being convinced in their consciences have sealed to the truth of the scripture by their testimonies and confessed them to be divine for Porphyry testifieth that Moses hath written the history of the Law truly and Numenius the Pythagorist recites Moses's history almost word forword testifying that he was a great Divine But we have better testimonies even the holy scriptures themselves which do not only establish our faith 1 Pet. 3.15 Isa 1.18 Eze. 18.25.29 but also instruct our Reason furnishing us with arguments rationally to prove their truth to be sacred and their authority divine Yea further The scripture is proved to be the word of God by the Majesty of it which besides the stately plainesse of the stile far surpasseth the creatures capacity the fathom of flesh and reach of reason There is no jot or tittle of of it that savours of earthlinesse Every word of Gods mouth is pure precious and profitable not a syllable superfluous The very majesty of the sentence is such as cannot be conceived and yet it s alwaies more powerfull in matter then in words Humane writings may shew some faults to be avoided but give no power to amend them What words of Philosophers could ever make of a Leopard a Lambe of a Viper a Child of a Lecher a chast man of a Nabal a Nadib or of a covetous carle a liberall person Philosophy may civilize not sanctifie hide some sins not heal them cover not cure them But the efficacy and virtue of the scripture is such that it produceth the love of God and our enemies it purifieth the heart pacifieth the conscience rectifieth the whole both constitution and conversation of man yea it taketh him off from the delights of the world and the flesh maketh him glory in afflictions sing in the flames and triumph over death All these and more do necessarily conclude the divine verity and authority of the sacred scriptures Moreover if we will open our eyes to see and bring our Judgement to discern we may soon perceive that besides the truth of scripture which will admit no comparison with any writings there is more learning in Moses then in all the learned men of the Gentiles more Rhetorick in Esayas Prophesies then in all Tullies Orations more Logick in Saint Paules Epistles then in all Aristotles Analiticks there is sweeter musick in King David then in all the Lyrick Poets of the heathen there is better Philosophy in Job then in all the Philosophers of Greece there is truer Morality in Salomon then can be

works he doth most plainely affirme God to be the cause and the beginning of all things and in his last booke of naturall Philosophie after he had written five afore of eight that hee writ in all only of Motions and the affections of it Molinaeus de cognit de●p 8. S. 17. he doth end his last Booke in the First Mover who is immoveable for seeing all things that are moved are moved by some one thing and that again by another and so forward it must needs follow that in such a chain of Motionary things because wee cannot proceed to what is infinite we must needs stay at one first mover who though he moveth all things yet is himself immoveable Zeno which Cicero calleth the Father of the Stoicks doth not only affirme that there is a God but saith further Vnum Deum esse ipsumque mentem fatum Jovem multisque aliis appellari nominibus Cicero de Nat. Deor. l. 3. D. Laertius in vitae Zenon that there is but one God which is sometimes called by one name and sometimes by another And Epicurus Quem nihil pudendum pudet tamen Deum negare pudet Mornoeus de verit relig c. 1. who was not ashamed of any shamefull thing yet was he ashamed to deny that there is a God as Du-Plessis saith 2. The Law-givers affirme there is a God Plut. to 3. cont colot moral p. 532. for Plutarch saith that in Constitutione legum facilius ●rbem condi sine solo quam civitatem coire sine Religione in the making of their Lawes it is not so impossible for a man to build a City without a foundation as it is for him to gather and guide his Citizens without Religion and therefore all the ancient Law-givers gave it out among their people that they composed their Lawes by the assistance of some one or other of the Gods Diodor. Sicul. ● 1. c. 5. as Menes the Law-giver of the Egyptians from Mercury Minos the Law-giver of the Cretians from Jupiter Lycurgus the Law-giver of the Lacedemonians from Apollo Zaleucus the Law-giver of the Locrians from Minerva and so all the rest derive their Lawes from their Gods And no wonder because as Job saith Job 36 22. Nullus est similis in Legis-Latoribus there is none like him amongst all the Law-givers nay he is the Only Law-giver which is able to save and to destroy James 4 12 Prov. 8.15 as Saint James testifieth and God himself saith By me Kings do raigne and Princes decree Justice And therefore Plato saith It is not man but God Qui legum condendarum est causa Plato de leg l. 1 which is the cause of making all good Lawes 3. The Poets teach there is a God for it is a common thing with them all A Jove principium to begin their Workes with the invocation of the Gods as Ovid saith Dij ceptis Aspirate meis O Gods I crave your help to assist me in this my work and Manilius saith Ovid Me● l. 1. that Caelo carmen descendit ab alto Manilius l. 1. the whole faculty of Poets depended more upon a Divine Incitation then any humane gift or art●●●ciall instruction and therefore Martiall in his scoffing vain saith of Cicero Carmina quod scribis Martial l. 2. Epigr. 89 in Gaur musis Apolline nullo Laudari debes hoc Ciceronis habes That he was no Poet because he wanted Apollo's helpe Now I have given you the Testimonies of Philosophers Law-givers and Poets I proceed next to the testimony of every mans Conscience and especially of all or most wicked men that continually affright them for their odious facts doth sufficiently shew unto them that there is a God which will one day call them to a strict account for all their wicked Deeds for there is an imbred fear of God in all mens hearts and according as they live vertuously or viciously so is this fear augmented or diminished Cicero de Nat. Deorum l. 1. Quis enim non timeat omnia providentem cogitantem ad se omnia pertinere putantem Deum For who can choose but fear a Provident remembring and an all observing God that professeth all things to belong to himselfe and therefore every one that is adicted to Vice is many times afraid at the shaking of a leafe And although in the course of his Prosperity he shakes off all thought of God yet in any sudden Danger he will cry out O God and crave his assistance to be releived whom in all his former actions hee prophanely despised Moreover let us consider the End and the Cause efficient of all Creatures Doth not Experience tell us that every thing brought forth in Nature hath a peculiar end by Nature the Bird is directed to build her Nest and the Fox to make his Den Now the Philosopher asketh here what thing is that that directeth Nature her self seeing each thing must have somewhat to direct it to its end And no answer can be made but that the Director of Nature must be something above Nature which is God himselfe This argument of the finall end is most excellently handled by Phylo Judeus in his learned Treatise of the workmanship of the World Phylo lib. de Opific mund Concerning the Cause efficient the Philosophers dispute thus It is evident by all reason in respect of the Corruptions Alterations and perpetuall Motions of all Creatures that this world had a beginning Vide Plutar. de Pla. Phylos and all excellent Philosophers that ever were have agreed thereupon except Aristotle who for a time held a fantasie Aristot lib. De Mund. that the world had no beginning but was from all Eternity albeit at last in his old age he confessed the contrary in his book to King Alexander This then being so that this World had a Beginning it must needs follow also that it had an Efficient cause now then is the question Who is that efficient cause that made the World if you say that it made it self it is absurd for how could it have power to make it selfe before it selfe was and before it had any being at all if you say that something within the world made the world that is that some one part thereof made the whole this is more absurd for it is as if a man should say that the finger and this before it was a finger or part of the body did make the whole body Wherefore we must confess by force of this Argument that God is the Efficient cause that made the World A Maxime in Metaphisick Aristot lib. 8. Metaphis ca. 2. Yet further The Philosopher in his Metaphisicks saith That every thing which is by Participation must be reduced and referred to some other thing that is not by participation but of it self as for Example Water or any thing else that is heated by the Fire is hot by participation and not of it self And therefore is

naribus ejus rest not in man whose spirit is in his nostrills and therefore least the like might be thought to be in these divine persons we find Power ascribed to the Father 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Justia Martyr in expos fide● Cy il l. 8 cont Jul. Wisdome unto the Son and Goodness unto the Holy Ghost wheras indeed each one of them is of the same power wisdome and goodness as the others be so we say with Justin Martyr according as God hath revealed himselfe unto us both in his word his works that the unity is understood in the trinity the Trinity is acknowledged in the unity Moreover S. Cyril saith that the Philosophers have affirmed the Essence of God to be distinguished into three subsistences and sometimes to have delivered the very name of Trinity and the Jewish Rabbins Gala●in de ar can fide l. v. 2. c. 11. 12 as Galatinus saith have observed this mystery out of the Hebrew names of God that there are three in one but one in three Vide. N. N n celium i● p●●●mio p 20. and so Hermes Trismegistus affirmed that there was one divinity or deity in the Trinity in these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There was an intellectuall light before the intellectuall light A mind full of light and there was alwaies an enlightned mind of the mind and this was nothing else then the unity of these and the spirit which containeth all things besides this there is no God nor Angell nor any other substance because he is the Lord and Father and God of all things and all things are under him and in him Verbum ejus ●●●sectam ●●sum ins●● 〈◊〉 natura aqua secunda prolificam fecit aquam Quae verba quia sunt in eis quaedam carminum vestigia deinde restituta qui dam Orpheo vindicarunt for his perfect word existing and being fruitfull and a worker or maker of all things fallen in a fruitfull nature hath plentifully produced all things And then having sayd these things he prayeth unto this God saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 O Heaven the most excellent worke of the great God I do adjure thee and I do adjure thee the voice and speech of the Father which hee first uttered and spake when hee established all the world and I beseech thee by thine only begotten word and the Father which containeth or upholdeth all things be thou favourable and mercifull unto me There is no man but he would wonder to see in this Author the very words of Saint John and yet notwithstanding his bookes were translated by the Platonists a long time before the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ And it is no marvell though we find sayings of his in diverse places which are not written in his Poemander considering that hee wrote six and thirty thousand five hundred and five and twenty Volumes that is to say Rolls of Paper Jambilicus in his 39. chap. of mysteries as Jambilicus reporteth This Hermes or Mercurius sirnamed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was the greatest Philosopher the cheifest Preist and most prudent Prince of Aegypt he flourished before Pharaoh in the time of Moses and was called Ter Maximus thrice great because hee writ of the Trinity yea Saint Augustine affirmeth Aug. l. 5. c. 3. de haeresibus that hee did compose a booke whose Title was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the perfect word and that therein hee left written Monas genuit monada in se suum reflexit ardorem which is as much as if hee had said the Father begat the Sonne or the minde begate the word and from both proceeded the Holy spirit Also Theodorus the Platonist as it is in Proclus affirmeth that there are three cheife workers whereof hee calleth the one a substantiall minde the other a mentall substance and the third the Fountain of all life and Theodoret doth affirme That Plotinus and Numenius have collected out of Plato That there are three eternities Bonum mentem universi animam Goodnesse which answereth the Father that is the Fountaine of the Deity the minde which signifieth the Son and the soule or life of this whole Universe which is the holy spirit that as in the beginning of the Creation Gen. 1.2 hee presently moved upon the Waters to sustain the same so ever since hee spireth and preserveth every living thing and so Amelius and many others are as full and as plaine in this point as may be as any man may see that will looke into Nancelius his Proem Nancel in Proem Chalcidius Avicen which hee confesseth to have taken out of Eugubinus Thus we see how the Ancient Philosophers were all of one Opinion and judgement in the Doctrine of the Trinity The Gentiles did conceive a certaine kinde of knowledge and understanding though undigested and imperfect overshadowed as it were with humane reasonings concerning this mystery wherein they had so much knowledge as not only was able I say not with Clemens Alexandrinus to bring them to salvation but to make them without excuse in the day of Tribulation because that they knowing God glorified him not as God but also as doth exceede the knowledge of many which make profession of Christianity and will no doubt rise in judgement to condemn them in the later day Yet further God ●oe and indivisible as the Philosopers have affirmed the essence of God to be distinguished into three subsistences so likewise they have acknowledged the divine Essence to be only one impartible and indivisible For First Hermes Trismegistus teacheth Although many of the Ancient Philosophers through custome did celebrate the plurality of Gods yet notwithstanding they did acknowledge bu●●ne only true God by nature Du. Plessis That there is but one only God That One is the roote of all things and that without that One nothing hath been of all things that are That the same One is called the only good and the goodness it selfe which hath universall power of creating all things That it is impossible that there should be many makers That in Heaven he hath planted immortality in earth interchange and universally life and moving That unto him alone belongeth the name of Father and of God and that without blasphemy those titles cannot be attributed either to Angells Fiends or to men or to any of all those whom men do call Gods as in respect of honour and not of nature He calleth him the Father of the world the Creator the Beginning the Glory the Nature the End the Necessity the Renewer of all things the worker of all powers and the power of all works the only Holy the only unbegotten the only everlasting the Lord of everlastingnesse and the everlastingnesse it selfe Vnto him alone will hee have us to offer up our prayers our praises and our sacrifices and never to call upon any other Secondly Pythagoras teacheth Alledged by Cicero Plutark Clemens

he abode one Moreover Aristotle The Author of the books De caelo mundo not certainly known The Peripateticks or whosoever he was that wrote those bookes De mundo did finde that in this rare peece of worke and frame of the world there is a most excellent conveighance without confusion great variety concurring in unity and diversity of all things without disorder all which he attributeth to the powerfull working of the invisible God of whom the said Author conceives That for his power hee is most mighty for his beauty most excellent for his life immortall and for his vertue most absolute yea the same Philosopher entring into further consideration of Gods nature saith That although God be but one yet we call him by many names as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because we live by him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because hee is often of an immutable nature 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because nothing is done by chance but according to his most certaine decree 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because no man can possibly avoid him or flye from him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because he abideth for ever and as for that fable saith hee of the three sisters of the Destiny Clotho filum bajulat Lachesis net Atropos occat These destinies are but the actions of God Clotho that spinneth Lachesis that draweth out a just length and Atropos that cutteth off the thred of mans life it is to be understood of God only who is the begining midst and end of all things Hee likeneth him to the great King of Persia who from out of his privy Chamber governed his whole Empire by his power and Officers saving saith he That the one is God infinite in power Mornaeus de verit relig c. 3. and the other a very base and feeble wight And further he saith That all the names which are attributed to the Gods are but devices to expresse the powers of the onely one God the Prince and Father of all And Theophrastus saith Theophrastus in his Metaphisicks and in his book of savours That there is one divine beginner of all things whereby they have their beginning and continuance But in his Book of Savours he passeth further and saith That God created all things of nothing But to create of nothing presupposeth an infinite power Alexander of Aphrodise in his booke of Providence Cyril against Julian the Apostate and again that power presupposeth an unity And Alexander of Aphrodise attributeth providence over all things unto one only God which can do whatsoever hee listeth as appeareth by all his whole discourse And he was of such renowne amongst all the Aristotelians that they called themselves Alexandrians after his name To be short the most part of the Interpreters and Disciples of Aristotle found it so needfull to acknowledge one only beginner and so absurd to maintaine any more then one that to the intent they might not confess any such absurdity in their Master they do by all meanes possible excuse whatsoever might in his works be construed to the contrary As touching the Stoicks The stoicks of the ancientest time wee have no more then is gathered into the writings of their adversaries who do all attribute unto them the maintenance of the unity and infiniteness of God according to this which Aristotle reporteth of Zeno whom Cicero calleth the Father of the Stoicks namely That there must needs be but one God for else there should be no God at all because it behooveth him to be singularly good and also Almighty which were utterly unpossible if there were any more then one Also Cleanthes as Simplicius reporteth acknowledged but one God the cause of all causes Epictetus in Arrianus Epictetus the Stoick whose words Lucian and others held for Oracles speaketh of one onely God The first thing saith he that is to be learned is That there is but one God and that he provideth for all things and that from him neither deed nor thought can be hidden Hee teacheth us to resort unto him in our distresses to acknowledge him for our Master and Father to lift up our eyes unto him alone if wee will get out of the mire of our sins to seeke our felicity there and to call upon him in all things both great and small Seneca every where As for Seneca hee never speaketh otherwise What doth God saith he to such as behold him Hee causeth his works not to be without witness And again to serve God saith he is to Reign God excerciseth us with afflictions to try mans nature And he requireth no more Seneca in his book of the happy life and in his Treatise of Comfort but that wee should pray to him These ordinary speeches of his shew that hee thought there was but one God But hee proceedeth yet further From things discovered saith he we must proceed to things undiscovered and seeke out him that is ancienter then the world of whom the stars proceed And in the end he concludeth That the world and all that is therein contained is the worke of God So Cicero and Plutarch speak ordinarily but of one God The nature of the Gods saith Cicero Cicero in his book of the nature of Gods is neither mighty nor excellent for it is subject to the selfe same be it nature or necessity which ruleth the Heaven and the Earth and the Sea But there is not any thing so excellent as God who ruleth the world and is not subject to nature but commandeth Nature it self Plutarch in his treatise of Isis and Osyris of Oracles that are ceased of calmness of Mind c. And Plutarch Although hee suffereth himselfe to range over often into Fables yet in good earnest he speaketh thus Let us not worship the Heaven the Sun the Moon c. for they be but looking-glasses for us wherein to consider the cunning of him that ordained all things and all the world is but his Temple Moreover he saith That although there were many more such worlds as this is yet notwithstanding the one only God should governe them all Poets Justin to the Gentiles Athenagoras in his Treatise concerning the Resurrection Orpheus among the Poets was the first that opened the gap to the plurality of the Gods And yet there is a recantation of his in his Hymn unto Musaeus which is called his Testament that is to say his last Doctrine whereunto he would have all men to stick Lift up thine eyes saith hee to the only maker of the world He is but One and of that One are all things He is all in all hee seeth all and is seen of none Hee only giveth both welfare and wofull teares and war He sitteth in Heaven governing all things with his feet he toucheth the earth and with his right hand the utmost shores of the sea Hee maketh the Mountaines Rivers and deep sea to quake c. This is the Recantation