The first what infinite multitudes of all states conditions sexe qualities and age did suffer dailie for testimonie of this trueth The second what intollerable and vnaccustomed torments not hearde of in the worlde before were deuised by Tyrants for afflicting thys kinde of people The thyrde what inuincible courage and vnspeakable alacritie the Christians shewed in bearing out these afflictions which the enemies theÌ„selues could not attribute but to some diuine power and supernaturall assistance And for thys later poynt of comfort in theyr sufferings I wil alleage onely this testimonie of Tertulian against the Gentiles who obiected that wicked men suffered also as well as Christians whereto thys learned Doctor made aunswere in these words Truth it is that many men are prone to ill and do suffer for the same but yet dare they not defende theyr euill to be good as Christians doe theyr cause For that euerie euill thing by nature dooth bring wyth it eyther feare or shame and therefore wee see that malefactors albeit they loue euill yet would they not appeare so to the world but desire rather to lye in couert They tremble when they are taken and when they are accused they denie all and doe scarse oftentimes confesse their dooings vpon torments And finally wheÌ„ they are condemned they lament mone and doe impute their hard fortune to destinie or to the Planets But the Christian what doth hee like to this is there any man ashamed or doth any man repent him wheÌ„ he is taken except it be for that hee was not taken rather If hee be noted by the enemie for a Christian hee glorieth in the same yf he be accused he defendeth not himselfe if hee be asked the question hee confesseth it willingly if he be condemned hee yeeldeth thanks What euill is there then in the Christian cause which lacketh the naturall sequel of euill I meane feare shame tergiuersation repentaunce sorrowe and deploration What euil I say can this be deemed whose guiltines is ioy whose accusation is desire whose punishment is happines Hetherto are the words of learned Tertulian who was an eye witnesse of that hee wrote and had no small part in the cause of those that â—uffered beeing himselfe in that place and state as daily he might expect to taste of the same affliction To which combat howe readie he was may appeare by diuers places of this his Apologie wherein hee vttereth besides hys zeale and feruour a most confident securitie and certaine assuraunce of Iesus assistaunce by that which hee had seene performed to infinite other in their greatest distresses from the same Lord before So that nothing doth more acertaine vs of the diuine power and omnipotencie of Iesus then the fortitude inuinsible which aboue all humane reason force and nature he imparted to his Martyrs The fift Consideration AFter which consideration there commeth to be weighed the fift poynt before mentioned which is of the same power and omnipotencie of Iesus declared and exercised vpon the spirits infernall Which thing partly may appeare by the Oracles alleaged in the ende of the former Section wherein those spirits fore-told that an Hebrue childe should be borne to the vtter subuersion and ruine of theyr tyrannicall dominion and much more at large the same might bee declared by other aunswers and Oracles vttered after Christes natiuitie and registred in the monuments euen of the Heathens themselues Whereof he that desireth to see more ample mention especially out of Porphyrie who then was liuing let him read Eusebius sixt booke De preparatione Euangelica wher he shall finde store and namely that Apollo many times exclaimed Hei mihi congemiscite Hei mihi hei mihi Oraculorum defecit me claritas Woe vnto me lament yee wyth me woe vnto me woe vnto me for that the honour of Oracles hath nowe forsaken mee Which complaints and lamentations are nothing els but a plaine confession that Iesus was he of whom a Prophet saide diuers ages before Attenuabit omnes Deos terrae hee shall weare out and bring to beggerie al the Gods or Idols of the earth Thys confessed also the wicked spirits themselues when aâ— Christes appearing in Iurie they came vnto him diuers times and besought him not to afflict or torment them nor commaund theÌ„ presently to returne to hell but rather to permitte them some little time of entertainement in the Sea or Mountaines or among heards of Swyne or the like Which confession they made in the sight of all the world and declared the same afterwards by theyr facts and deedes For presently vppon Iesus death vppon the preaching of hys name and Gospell throughout the worlde the Oracles which before were aboundant in euerie Prouince and Countrey were put to silence Whereof I might alleage the testimonies of very many Gentiles themselues as that of Iuuenall Cessant Oracula Delphis All Oracles at Delphos do now cease c. That also of another Poet Excessere omnes adytis arisque relictis Dii quibus imperium hoc steterat c. That is the Gods by whom this Empire stood are all departed from theyr Temples and haue abandoned theyr Altars and place of habitation Strabo hath also these expresse words The Oracle of Delphos at this day is to be seene in extreame beggerie and mendicitie And finally Plutarch that liued within one hundred yeeres after Christ made a speciall booke to search out the causes why the Oracles of the Goddes were ceassed in hys tyme. And after much turning and winding many wayes resolued vppon two principall points as causes thereof The first for that in his tyme there was more store of wise men then before whose aunswers might stand in steede of Oracles and the other that peraduenture the spirits which were accustomed to yeelde Oracles were by length of tyme growne olde and dead Both which reasons in the very common sence of all men must needes be false and by Plutarch himself can not stand wyth probabilitie For first in his Bookes which he wrote of the liues of auncient famous men he confesseth that in such kind of wisedome as he most esteemed they had not theyr equals among their posterity Secondly in his Treatises of Phylosophy he passeth it for a ground that spyrits nor depending of materiall bodies cannot dye or wexe olde and therefore of necessitie hee must conclude that some other cause is to be yeelded of the ceassing of these Oracles which cannot be but the presence and commaundement of some higher power according to the saying of S. Iohn To this end appeared the sonne of GOD that hee might dyssolue or ouerthrow the workes of the deuil Neyther did Iesus thys alone in his own person but gaue also power and authoritie to his dysciples and followers to do the like according to theyr commission in Saint Mathewes Gospell Super omnia Demonia et spiritus immundos c. You shall haue authoritie ouer all
them vpoÌ„ their first signification of greefe and sorrowe for the same And not onelie thys but our Sauiour also Iesus Christ was promised to be sent for restoring them and their posteritie to the glorie and felicitie which by their fall they had lost After thys vntill the tyme of Abraham and of the people of Israell as some vvorkes of Gods iustice are recorded in holie writte that were exercised vppon irrepentant offenders so are there many more celebrated of his mercie only two persons in particuler are mentioned who notwithstanding some sorrowe which they seemed to haue of their offences were yet reiected the first whereof was the murderer Caine who at the beginning denyed hys wickednes vnto God and then beeing conuicted despayred of remission The second was Esau whom S. Paul calleth a prophane fornicator who found no place of repentaunce albeit with teares he sought the same Whereof S. Chrisostome giueth the reason in these wordes For this cause Esau obtained not pardon for that hee did not repent as hee should haue doone his teares proceeding rather of anger and temptation then of true sorowe When the people of Israell came to be a distinct Nation to be gouerned at Gods appointment how greeuously trowe you did they offende daily and almost hourelie his diuine Maiestie And howe graciouslie did his vnspeakable clemencie remit pardon their manifolde and innumerable sinnes and trespasses doone against him The whole Scripture in truth seemeth nothing els but a perpetual narration of Gods incredible patience and infinite mercies towardes them And if I woulde speake of perticuler persons among them which he receiued to his fauour after great and manifold offences committed there would be no ende of that recitall Let Manasses that most impious and wicked king be an example for al of whose enormous life most detestable acts whole pages are replenished both in the bookes of kings and Chronicles and yet afterwardes notwithstanding the same man falling into miserie and calamitie among the Babilonians a fortunate schoole oftentimes for Princes who in their prosperity are wont to contemne God he beganne to be sorrowful for hys former life and actions and became repentant as the Scripture saith in the sight of God for the same Whereat his diuine incomprehensible mercie was so much moued presently as he receiued him to fauour and brought him backe from his prison and fetters to hys kingdome imperial throne of Maiestie The example also of the Niniuites is very notable and singuler in this behalfe against whom almighty God hauing decreed a sentence of death to be executed within a certayne time he commaunded Ionas the Prophet to goe and denounce that sentence vnto them But Ionas well knowing the nature and disposition of God towardes mercie fore-sawe as afterwardes hee signifieth that if hee shoulde goe and beare that embassage vnto them and they thereuppon make chaunge of theyr lyues his Maiestie woulde presentlie pardon them and so hee shoulde be taken for a false and lying Prophet For auoiding which inconuenience he chose rather to flee away by sea to the Cittie of Tharsis there to hide himselfe But almightie God raised a teÌ„pest in that iourney and disposed in such sort as Ionâ—s was cast into the sea and there receiued and deuoured by a whale froÌ„ whose belly he was commaunded afterwardes to repaire to Niniuie and to doe his former message which hee performed And the tenour of his message was that wythin fâ—rtie dayes that huge cittie of Niniuie should be destroyed Whych hee hauing denounced vnto them the sequel fell out as Ionas before had suspected For the Niniuites beleeuing the message betaking themselues to repentance GOD forgaue them presently whereat Ionas was exceedinglie greeued offended and complained sweetly to God of hys strange dealing herein demaunding why he had enforced him to come preach destruction vnto them knowing before hand that hee would pardon them But his mercifull Lorde aunswered him fully to this poynt by a certaine accident that fell out wherto Ionas was not able to reply one word For so it chaunced that Ionas sitting wythout the walles of the Cittie Niniuie vnder an Iuie bushe that in one night by Gods appointment was sprong vp to couer him from the sunne the same Iuie by Gods ordinance perished vpon the suddaine and was coÌ„sumed by a worme leauing the poore Prophet destitute of that coÌ„solation of shadow which he receiued by it Wherewyth he beeing not a little disquieted and afflicted God said vnto him thou Ionas art sorowful and much greeued for losse of thine Iuie tree which notwithstanding thou diddest not plant or make to growe nor tookest any labour at all about it But the same grew vp in one night and in one night it perished againe And shall not I then be carefull to pardon my great Cittie of Niniuie wherein there be aboue an hundred twenty thousand innocent people which cannot distinguish betweene their right hande and theyr left This was the answer of almighty God to Ionas for defence of his singuler inclination to mercy in respect that the Niniuites were his owne creatures his own workmanâ—hip and the labours of his own hands as all other people also are Of which kynde of reason and consideration there haue beene diuers thinges sayde and declared before for manifestations of Gods infinite mercie And all thys that hetherto hath been spoken is of things onely doone in time of the olde Testament before the appearance of Christ our Sauiour in the flesh But nowe if wee looke into the tyme of grace when God incarnate came himselfe in person to shew the riches of hys endlesse mercie vnto mortall men vpon earth wee shall see more examples without comparison of his exceeding clemencie For that nowe our Creator and shepheard ouercome as it were with extreame compassion came downe into the vale of our miserie with resolution not onely to offer pardon and forgiuenes to all his sheepe that were astray would returne but also to follow and seeke them out and beeing found to lay them on his owne shoulders and so to beare them back vnto the fold againe and there to giue his life and bloode for theyr defence against the Wolfe O sweete Lorde what greater loue can be imagined then this what more pregnant signification of inflamed charitie can mans cogitation conceiue or apprehende is it meruaile nowe if hee which descended vnto vs with his hart and wyth these bowels of burning affection did sette open the gates of all his treasures fauours and graces vnto vs Is it meruaile if the holy Apostle Saint Paul doe say of this time Superabundauit gratia that grace did ouer abound and yet further in another place that Christ being very God did in a certaine sorte impoueriâ—h and emptie himselfe with the most wonderfull effusion of mercies and hauocke of heauen which at this
THE Seconde parte of the Booke of Christian exercise appertayning to RESOLVTION Or a Christian directorie guiding all men to their saluation Written by the former Authour R. P. PSAL. 62. ver 4. One thing haue I requested at Gods hands that wil I demaund stil which is to dwel in his house all the dayes of my life to the ende I may know and doe his will AT LONDON Printed by Iohn Charlwoode and Simon Waterson Anno. 1590. TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE Sir Thomas Heneage Knight vize Chamberlaine to her excellent Maiestie Treasurer of her royall Chamber and one of her Highnesse most honourable priuie Councell All happinesse in this life and in the life to come hartilie wished To the Christian Reader health GEntle Reader not manie yeeres since a booke was published of Christian exercise appertaining to Resolution written by a Iesuit beyonde the Seas yet an English-man named Ma. Robert Parsons which Booke Ma. Edm. Bunney hauing dilligently perused committed to the publique viewe of all indifferent iudgements as glad that so good matter proceeded from such infected people and that good might arise thereby to the benefite of others Since the manifestation of that booke the first Author thereof named Ma. Parsons hath enlarged the same Booke with a second part and new additions wherein hee hath concluded and finished his whole intent of the Resolution and that vppon some speciall causes as himselfe setteth downe For hauing enlarged diuers poynts which before he omitted and comming to the reasons of this newe supply in his Praeface he saith in this manner Beeing admonished by the writings of diuers that since the publishing of my first booke it hath beene misliked in two principall poynts First that I speake so much of good works and so little of faith Secondly that I talked so largely of Gods iustice and so breefely of his mercie Beside conceiuing by the information of many that diuers persons hauing a desire in themselues to read the former Booke but yet beeing weake and fearfull to be touched so neere in conscience as they imagined that booke did durst neuer intermedle therewith beeing informed there was nothing in the same wherewith to entertaine themselues but onely such vehement matter of perswasion as would greatly trouble and afflict them For remedie of which inconueniencie I haue framed this second part of that worke and therein inserted diuers Chapters and discourses of matters more plausible and of themselues more indifferent wherewith the Reader may sollace hys minde at such times as he findeth the same not willing to feele the spurre of more earnest motion to perfection Heereupon grewe the cause of his framing this seconde Booke which performeth what you haue reade in his owne wryting And considering howe diuers were desirous to haue thys latter part because they had thorowlie read the other after passage the perusing of sundrie learned men who haue thought it as worthy to be seene as the first it is gentle Reader presented to thy viewe reade it indifferentlie and iudge therof as thou findest occasion A necessarie Table guiding the Reader to euery Chapter in thys Booke as also to euery particuler argument handled in each Chapter The first Chapter Of the manifold perils that ensue to the world by inconsideration and how necessarie it is for euerie man to enter into cogitation of his owne estate The seuerall matters handled in thys Chapter THE charitable proceeding of GOD by his Prophets in fore-telling men of their wickednesse and reuealing the causes thereof Page 1. The danger of inconsideration declared in two speciall causes page 2. The complaint of the Prophet Ieremie for inconsideration page 4. The misterie and sealed secrete of inconsideration page 5. Lack of consideration cause of eternall destruction a poynt that fooles wil not consider page 7. Inconsideration the cause of so much sinne at thys day page 8. Wilfull mallice obstinate corruption in the vanities of thys life and idle negligence three speciall causes of inconsideration 10 11 12. How we must stand vpon our watch that consideration is the onely doore to our watch with the many commodities and effects therof 14,15,16 That all vertues are stirred vp and quickned by consideration 17. How holy men exercised themselues in consideration namely the three first Patriarches Moses Iosua King Dauid king Salomon and king Ezechias as also what fruite holy Iob gathered by consideration and two principall effects ensuing thereon 18. 19. 20. The importaunce of consideration breefelie described page 22. The second Chapter That there is a God which rewardeth good and euill against all the Atheists of olde and of our time With the proofes alleaged for the same both by Iewe and Gentile The matters handled in thys Chapter are deuided into foure Sections The first Section If there be a God he is a iust rewarder 31. The works of the world declare the workman 31. How the miracles of heauen doe teach to know GOD. 33. In what manner the earth teacheth vs there is a God 34. Howe the Sea dooth wonderfully shewe there is a God 35. The parts of man in body and soule doe amply declare GOD. 36. The second Section Howe the Heathen prooued there was a God by theyr Phylosophie 38. The three argumēts of the natural Philosopher Ex motu ex fine Ex causa efficiente 39,40,41,42 The foure arguments of the Metaphisicke or supernatural Phylosopher The first ens finitū 44. The second that euery multitude or distinction of things proceedeth from some vnitie as from hys fountaine 46. The thyrde subordination of creatures in thys worlde 47. The fourth prouidence in making the verie least creature in the world 49. The fift immortalitie of the soule of man 52. And the meaning of olde Phylosophers touching Anima mundi 53. The three Arguments of the Morrall Phylosopher 1. How in the naturall inclination of man there is a dispositiō to cōfesse som God or Deitie 54. The reason why there can be but one God 56. All olde Phylosophers acknowledged one God 59. Cicero his opinion of the Panime Gods how they were made 60. 2. The second argument of Morrall Phylosophie de vltimo fine et summo hominis bono 61 Euery thing in this worlde hath a naturall desire to his ende 61. The contention of Phylosophers about the felicitie of man 63. Howe nothing in this life can be our felicitie page 64. Howe farre Morrall Phylosophie teacheth in determining mans felicitie 65. 3. The thyrd argument touching reward and punishment 66. The third Section How the Iewes were able to prooue God 68. Theyr first proofe of Scripture is antiquitie 70. The manner of writing authorising and conseruing the Scriptures the second proofe 72. Consideration of the particuler men that wrote them and their sinceritie the thyrd proofe 75. Consent and approbation of all later writers of the Bible that ensued after Moses the fourth proofe page 81. The subiect handled in the Scriptures with the ende whereto thy leuell the fift proofe 82. The
for proofe that there is a GOD. THE MORRAL PHYLOSOPHER THere remaineth yet a thirde part of humaine wisedome or phylosophie called Morrall whose reasons and arguments for proofe of this veritie I haue of purpose referred to the last place for that they be more plaine and easie then the former and more sensible to the capacitie of euery simple and vnlearned reader For first of all hee obserueth in the verie naturall inclination of man be his manners otherwise neuer so euill that there is a certaine propension and disposition to confesse some God or Deitie as by example he proueth in all Nations were they neuer so fierce or barbarous yet alwayes coÌ„fessed they som God by nature though no man did teach or instruct them therein The same is confirmed by the common vse of all Heathens in lyfting vp theyr eyes hands to heauen in any suddaine distresse that commeth vpon them Which importeth that nature her selfe hath ingrafted this feeling that there is a God Yea further he alledgeth that by experience of all ages it hath beene proued that Atheists themselues that is such men as in theyr health and prosperitie for more libertie of sinfull life woulde striue against the beeing of any GOD when they came to die or fall into any great miserie they of all other men would shew themselues most fearefull of this God as Seneca declareth as Suetonius sheweth in the example of Caligula Which is a token that theyr conscience inforced them to beleeue a God-head Nay Zeno the Phylosopher was wont to say that it seemed to him a more substantiall proofe of this veritie to heare an Atheist at his dying day preache God from a payre of gallowes or rather such place of miserie when he asked God and nature forgiuenes theÌ„ to hear al the Phylosophers in the world dispute the poynt for that at this instant of death and miserie it is like that such good fellowes doe speake in earnest and sobrietie of spirit who before in theyr wantonnesse impugned God eyther of vanitie ambition sensualitie or dissimulation Nowe then when the Morrall Phylosopher hath proued by thys naturall inclination of man that there is a God which hath imprinted in vs such a feeling of himselfe as no conscience can denie him when it commeth to speake sincerelie then steppeth he a degree further and proueth that this God which is acknowledged can be but one for that if he be God he must be infinite and if he be infinite he can haue no companion for that two infinite things cannot stand together without impeachment the one of the others infinitie Hee proueth the same by the custome of most Gentiles who as Lactantius well noted in his time when they swore or cursed or prayed or wished any thing hartilie especiallie in affliction that lighteneth the vnderstanding their fashion was to say God and not the Gods And for the learneder sort of theÌ„ how soeuer they dissembled and applyed themselues outwardly to the errour of the common people yet in earnest they neuer spake of more then of one God as Plato signifieth of himselfe to Dionysius King of Sicilie in a certaine Letter wherin hee gaue him a signe when hee spake in earnest and when in iest Hinc disces tu scribam ego serio nec ne cum serio ordior Epistolam ab vno Deo cum secus a pluribus By thys signe shall ye know whether I wryte in earnest or not For when I wryte in earnest I beginne my Letter with one God and when I wryte not in earnest I doe begin my Letter in the name of many gods Iulian the Apostata in his three most scornefull bookes that hee wrote against vs Christians whom contemptuously he called Galileans endeuouring by all his meanes to aduaunce and sette forth the honour of Paganisme alledgeth this Plato for a cheefe pyller and father therof and dareth preferre him before our Moses yet you see what he testifieth of himselfe And that thys was his perpetuall opinion three of hys most worthiest schollers I mean three of the most learned that euer professed the Platonicke sect Plotinus Porphyrius and Proclus all Heathens themselues doe testifie and proue in diuers parts of theyr works assuring that both they and theyr Maister Plato neuer beleeued in deede but onely one God And as for Socrates that was Platos Maister and pronounced by the Oracle of Apollo to be the wisest man in all Greece the worlde knoweth that he was put to death for iesting at the multitude of gods among the Gentiles Aristotle that ensued after Plato began the sect of Peripatetickes and was a man so much giuen to the search of Nature as in many things hee forgat the Author of Nature or at least wyse he treated little and verie doubtfully thereof yet in his olde age when hee came to wryte the booke of the worlde to King Alexander which Booke S. Iustine the Martyr esteemed greatly called it the Epitome of all Aristotles true phylosophie hee resolueth the matter more cleerelie saying thus of GOD Hee is the father of gods and men he is the maker and conseruer of all things that be in the world And he addeth further in the selfe same place that the multitude of many gods was inuented to expresse the power of this one God by the multitude of his ministers so that hee maketh all gods to be seruaunts besides onelie one Which sentence of theyr Maister Theophrastus and Aphrodiseus two principall Peripatetickes doe confirme at large Zeno the cheefe and father of all the Stoickes was wont to say as Aristotle reporteth that eyther one God or no God Which opinion is auerred euery where by Plutarch and Seneca two most excellent wryters and great admirers of the Stoicke seueritie And before them by Epictetus a man of singuler account in that secte whose wordes were esteemed oracles Dicendum ante omnia vnum esse Dâ—um omnia regere omnibus prouidere Before all things sayth he we must affirme that there is one God and that this God gouerneth all and hath prouidence ouer all As for the Academikes who made the fourth diuision or secte of Phylosophers it is sufficient which I haue meÌ„tioned before that Socrates theyr founder was caused to die for hys opinion in thys matter albeit it seeme that such as insued in that secte whose profession was to dyspute and doubt of euerie thing came at length by their much iangling and dysputing to beleeue and holde nothing Whereof Cicero himselfe may bee an example who in his bookes De natura Deorum followeth so farre the Academical veine of doubtfull dysputing to and fro about the nature of gods as he may seeme so did hee to diuers Christians of the Primatiue Church to be very irresolute whether there were any God or no. Albeit in the ende hee make shewe to conclude
vs Christians of these dayes to behold the certaintie of these scriptures layde open before vs vpon which the foundation of our whole fayth dependeth THE FIRST PROOFE OF SCRIPTVRES FIrst therefore the Iewe for proofe of his Scriptures alledgeth the great and wonderfull antiquitie thereof For as God sayth he was before Idols and trueth before falshood so was the Scripture which is the storie of the true GOD long before the wrytings of Panyms or Infidels Nay further he sheweth that the most part of things recounted in the Bible were done before most of the Panym gods were exstant that the very last VVryters of the Hebrue Canon which are Esdras Aggeus Zacharias and Malachie almost sixe hundreth yeeres before the comming of Christ when the second Monarchie of Persians beganne were before most of the Heathen auncient Hystoriographers to wit before Hellanicus Herodotus Pherecides Thucydides and Xenophon And albeit the Gentiles had some Poets before as Orpheus Homer Hesiodus and Lycurgus the Law-maker that lyued a good whyle after yet the eldest of these arriued no higher then the dayes of K. Salomon which was fiue hundreth yeres after Moses the first wryter of the Bible After whose tyme the most part of Heathen gods were long vnborne as Ceres Vulcan Mercurie Apollo AEsculapius Castor Pollux and Hercules as the Gentiles them selues in theyr Genealogies do confesse And as for Abraham that lyued fiue hundered yeeres before Moses he was not onely elder then these gods which I haue named but also then Iupiter Neptune Pluto and such other who for dignities sake and antiquitie are called by the Gentils Dii maiorum gentium the gods of greater Nations And yet before Abraham doe the scriptures containe the storie of two thousand yeeres or there abouts So that by thys it is euident that the writing of Heathens and the multitude of their gods are but late fables in respect of the old and venerable antiquitie of Hebrue Scriptures consequently the authority of these scriptures must in reason be greater then of all other wrytings in the world besides seeing they were extant before all others in those first times of simplicitie and sinceritie and were in part translated into dyuers languages before the Monarchie of the Persians that is before any storie of the Gentiles were wrytten as Eusebius out of many heathen Authors declareth THE SECOND PROOFE OF SCRIPTVRES NExt to the reason of antiquitie is alledged the maner of wryting authorysing and coÌ„seruing these scriptures which is such as greatly confirmeth the certaintie of things contained therein For first what soeuer is sette downe in these wrytings was either taken immediatly from the mouth of God as were the propheciâ—s and bookes of the lawe or els collected from time to time by generall consent according as matters miracles fell out as were the booke of Iudges the bookes of Kinges and Chronicles and some other that containe recordes and Hystories of tymes Which bookes were not gathered by some one priuate man vpon heare-say or hys owne imagination long after thinges doone as Heathen hystories and other prophane records and monuments are but they were written by generall agreement in the selfe same dayes when things were in sight and knowledge of all men and so could not be feygned Secondly when bookes were wrytten they were not admitted into the common authoritie of scriptures that is of Gods word or diuine wrytings but vpon great deliberation and most euident proofe of theyr vndoubted veritie For eyther the whole congregation or sinagogue who had the approuing hereof and among whoÌ„ commonlie were dyuers Prophets did knowe most certainly the things and miracles to be true as did also the whole people that were recorded in these writings concerning Hystories or els they sawe the same confirmed from GOD by signes and wonders as in the bookes of the Prophets of their lawgyuer Moses it fell out Thirdly when any thing was written and admitted for scripture the care of conseruation thereof was such and the reuerence of Iewes thereunto so great as may easily assure vs that no corruption or alteration could happen vnto it For first the thing was coppied out into twelue Autenticall copies for all the twelue Tribes then again in euery Trybe there were so many copies made as were particuler Sinagogues within that Trybe All was doone by speciall Notaries Scribes ouer-seers and witnesses The copies after diligent reviewe taken were layde vp by the whole congregation in the Treasure house of the Temple vnder diuers locks and keyes not to be touched but by men appointed not to be vsed but with singuler reuerence To adde diminish corrupt or alter was present death by the lawes of the Nation And then how was it possible saith the Iewe that among these wrytings eyther falshoode should creepe in or trueth once receiued could afterwarde be corrupted It is not possible saith he in reason and therefore obserueth he another thing in this case which in trueth is of very great consideration to witt that no other Nation vnder heauen did euer so much esteeme theyr owne wrytings that they would offer to die for the same as the Iewes were ready to doe for euery sentence syllable of theyr scriptures Wherefore also it did proceed that in all theyr miseries afflictions wherin they were a spectacle to all the world in all theyr flights and banishments to Egypt Babilon Persia Media other corners of the earth in all theyr spoyles assaults and deuastations at home they yet euer had speciall care to conserue these wrytings more then theyr own lyues so haue kept the same without mayme or corruption more ages together then all Nations in the world haue doone anie other monuments THE THIRD PROOFE OF SCRIPTVRES THE thyrde perswasion which is vsed by the Iewe for the veritie of these Scriptures is the consideration of the particuler men that wrote them who were such as in reason cannot be suspected of deceipt or falshood For as I haue sayde the stories of the Bible were written froÌ„ time to time by publique authoritie and by the testimonie of all men that sawe and knew the things that are rehearsed The Bookes of the prophecies were indited by the Prophets themselues who were plaine simple sincere men authorised from God by continuall myracles and yet so scrupulous and timerous of theyr own speeches as they durst say nothing but onelie Our Lord saith this the Lord of hostes commaundeth that c. And when they preached and read their wrytinges in the hearing of all the people they protested that it was not mans worde but Gods and that for such they left it in the publique Treasurie of theyr Nation vntyll by tract of tyme the euent and fulfilling of theyr prophecies shoulde proue them true as alwayes it did and theyr own both liâ—es and deathes declare that they meant no falshood their liues beeing such as were not
subiect to the corruption pryde vanitie or ambition of this life as other prophane and Heathen writers were and theyr deathes for the most part offered vppe in holy martyrdom for defence of that truth which they had preached and wrytten as appeareth in Esay that was sawed in peeces by K. Manasses in Ieremie that was stoned to death by the common people in Ezechiell that was slayne by the Captaine of the Iewes at Babylon in Amos whose braines were beaten out by Amasias the wicked idolatrous Priest in Bethel in Micheas whose necke was broken by Ioam sonne to King Achab in Zacharias that was slayne at the Altar and the like And thys for the Prophets of later times among the Iewes But nowe if wee consider the first Prophet of all that wrote among that people I meane Moses that was not onlie a Prophet but also an Hystoriographer a Law-gyuer a Captaine and a Priest the first that euer reduced that people to a common-wealth and the first that put their acts and gestes in wryting or rather the acts and gestes of the Almightie GOD towardes them thys man I say if wee consider him onelie I meane the circumstaunces of hys person the Iewe thinketh thys a sufficient motiue to make any man of reason beleeue what soeuer hee hath left written in the Bible without further confirmation And first for his antiquitie I haue spoken before and the Heathens doe confesse and for myracles doone by him the greatest enemies that euer he had in the worlde that is Appion in hys fourth Booke against the Iewes and Porphirie in his fourth booke against Christians do acknowledge them Porphirie adioyneth more for proofe heereof that he found the same confirmed by the storie of one Saconiathon a Gentile who lyued as he sayth at the same tyme with Moses But what all those myracles saie they were doone by Arte-magick and not by the power of GOD as Moses boasted But then asketh them the Iewe where Moses a sheepehearde could learne so much Magicke or why coulde not the Magitians of Pharao whose studie was in that profession from theyr infancie eyther doe the like or at least wise deliuer themselues from the plagues of Egypt why did they cry out the finger of God is heere where did you euer heare of such workes doone by Magicke as Moses did when he deuided the redde Sea when hee called into his Campe so manie Quayles vppon the suddaine as suffised to feede sixe hundred thousande men besides women children When he made a rock to yeeld forth a fountaine when he caused a dewe to fall from heauen that nourished his whole Campe for fortie yeres together whē he caused the ground to open and swallowe downe aliue three of the richest noble men of all hys Armie together with their Tabernacles and all other bagges and baggage When he caused a fire to com from heauen and consume fiftie Gentlemen of the former rebels and adherents without hurting anie one that stood about them These things dyd Moses and many other in the sight of all his Armie that is in the sight of many hundred thousande people among which there were diuers his emulators and sworne enemies as by the storie and scripture it selfe appeareth Core Dathan and Abiron with theyr faction sought in all things to dysgrace him and to diminish hys credite and therfore if any one poynt of the myracles had beene reproueable Moses woulde neuer haue durst to put the same in wryting nor would the people haue stoode with him and much lesse haue receiued hys wrytinges for diuine and for Gods owne wordes beeing solicited against him by so potent meanes had not they knowne all things to be most true therein contayned had seene his strange myracles and familiaritie with God But he dealt plainely and simply in thys behalfe hee wrote the thinges of his owne dooings which euerie man present did know to be true and of Gods speeches and communications to himselfe he wrote so much as he was commaunded whereof both God and his conscience did beare him witnesse Hee caused the whole to bee read vnto the people and layde vppe in the sacred Arke and Tabernacle as Gods owne wryting and couenant with that Nation He caused al the whole Armie to sweare and vowe the obseruaunce thereof And then drawing towards his death he made a most excellent exhortation vnto them perswading them sincerelie to the seruice of theyr God and confessing his owne infirmities and howe for hys offences he was to die before theyr entrance into the Land of promise He concealed not the offence of hys Brother Aaron of hys Graund-father Leuie of hys Sister Marie and other of hys kindred as worldly Princes for theyr honours are wont to doe neyther did he goe about to bring in gouernmēt after hys decease any one of his owne sons which is greatly to be obserued notwythstanding he left behinde him goodly Gentlemē fit for that roome himself of power to place them if he had endeuoured but he left the gouernment to a stranger named Iosua as God had commaunded him All which things saith the Iew do proue sufficientlie that Moses was no man of ambition or of worldly spirit but a true Seruaunt of God and consequentlie that hee wrought not by Magicke or falshood but by the onely power of hys Lorde and Maister and that hys writinges are true and of the same authoritie that in hys life and death he affirmed them to bee that is the vndoubted worde of Almightie God THE FOVRTH PROOFE OF SCRIPTVRES THys hee confirmeth yet further by a fourth reason which is the consent and approbation of all later writers of the Bible that ensued after Moses For as among prophane wryters of worldly spirite it is a common fashion for hym that followeth to reprehende the former to hunt after praise by hys auncetours disgrace so in these writers of the Bible it is a most certaine argument that al were guided by one spirit from GOD that in continuaunce of so many ages and thousand yeeres no one yet euer impugned the other but alwaies the later supposing and approouing the former for true doth builde thereupon as vpon a sure foundation So the writings of Iosua do confirme and approue the writings of Moses and the recordes of the Iudges doe reuerence allowe the booke of Iosua The storie of the Kings and Chronicles dooth referre it selfe to the storie of Iudges One Prophet confirmeth another And finally Christ approoueth them all by the knowne diuision of the Lawe Psalmes and Prophets which is a demonstration that all their spirits agreed in one And thus hetherto hath been declared the foure considerations that are external or without the Bible to wit the antiquitie and continuaunce of the Scriptures the maner of their writing and preseruing from corruption the sinceritie vertue and simplicity of theyr writers together with theyr
artificiall stile which humaine writers doe so much couet yet in perswading instructing mouing of affections and all other effectes which speech or writing can worke there is no comparison a thing most wonderfull betweene any other wrytings in the worlde and these Whereof I coulde alledge manie proofes and examples but that it were too-long Let anie man reade attentiuelie but the first Chapter of the prophecie of Esay and compare it with anie one part or parcell of Tullies or Demostines orations see whether the difference of wordes be as great as the differeÌ„ce of motions Let diuers hymnes and holy Psalmes of the scriptures be conferred with the most patheticall poems that mans wit hath inuented and see whether there be any comparison in stirring and fiering of affections or no This am I sure that Iosephus the Iewe who for glorie of his eloquence had his Image of mettall erected by Titus the Emperour in the market-place of Rome wrote the the same storie which the scriptures containe and bestowed much labour humane cunning therein But yet euen in those places where he endeuoured most to shew hys arte as in the sacrifice of Isaac by his father and in the meeting of Iephte with his onelie daughter which by vowe he was constrained to put to death the Scriptures are able to pearce the hart and wring out teares of the reader whome Iosephus will not greatlie mooue with his rethorical narration though otherwise verie learned and arteficiallie penned Aristaeus that learned Gentile of whom wee haue made mention before who was in speciall fauour with Ptolomie the second great Monarche of Egipt about three hundred yeeres before our Sauiour Christ hys natiuitie and a cheefe dooer in procuring the translation of the Hebrue Bible into the Greeke language reported of his owne knowledge to the said King Ptolomie two strange accidents which had happened in his time and which hee had vnderstoode of the parties themselues to whom they had happened The first was of Theopompus an eloquent Hystoriographer who hauing translated many things out of the Bible and endeuouring to adorne the same wyth vaine colloures of eloquence could not performe his desire but was striken wyth a suddayne maze and giddines in the head and was warned in hys sleepe not to proceede anie further in that worke after that sorte for that such maner of stile was too-base for so high matters as the scriptures contained The other example was of one Theodectes a wryter of Tragaedies who tolde Aristaeê° that he once attempted to bring certaine matters out of the Iewes Bible into a Pagan tragaedie and that thereupon he was presentlie striken blind where-with he beeing astonished and falling to repentance for that he had doone desisting from the enterprise as also Theopompê° did they were both of them restored again to their former healthes And thus much did these three Pagans confesse of the authority diuinitie and peculier sacred stile of our scriptures THE SEVENTH PROOFE OF SCRIPTVRES BVT nowe further it insueth in order that after the subiect phrase we shold consider a little the contents of these Scriptures which wyll perhaps more cleerely direct vs to the viewe of theyr Authour then any thing els that hetherto hath beene sayde And for our present purpose I wil note onlie two speciall thinges contained in the Bible The first shall be certaine high and hidden doctrines which are aboue the reache and capacitie of humaine reason and consequently could neuer fall into mans braine to inuent them As for example that all thys wonderfull frame of the worlde was created of nothing whereas Phylosophie saith that of nothing nothing can be made That Angels beeing created spirits were damned eternally for theyr sinnes that Adam by dysobedience in Paradise drewe all hys posteritie into the obligation of that his sinne that the womans seede shold deliuer vs from the same That God is one in substaunce and three in person that the second of these persons beeing God shoulde become man and die vpon a Crosse for the raunsome of mankinde that after him the way to all felicitie and honour should be by contempt suffering and dyshonour These doctrines I say and many more contayned in the Bible being thinges aboue mans capacitie to deuise and nothing agreeing wyth humane reason most euidentlie doe declare that God vvas the Author and enditor of the scriptures for that by him onely and from no other these high and secrete mysteries coulde be reuealed The second thing contained in the scriptures that coulde not proceede but froÌ„ God alone are certayne prophecies and foretellings of thinges to come VVherein God hymselfe prouoketh the Idoles of the Gentiles to make experience of theyr power in these wordes Declare vnto vs what shall ensue heereafter and thereby we shall knowe that you are Gods indeede Which is to be vnderstoode if they coulde fore-tell particularlie and plainly what is to come in things meerlie contingent or depending of mans wyll they should thereby declare theyr power to be diuine For albeit these Idoles of the Gentiles as Apollo and other that gaue foorth Oracles which were nothing els indeede but certaine wicked spyrits that tooke vpon them these names did some-time happen vppon the trueth and fore-tell thinges to come as also some Astrologers Sooth-sayers Magitians doe eyther by fore-sight in the stars and other elements or by the assistaunce of these wicked spirits and deuils yet are the thinges which they pronosticate eyther natural not contingent and so may be fore-seene and fore-told in theyr causes as raine heate colde windes and the like or els if they be meere accidentall these predictions of theyrs are onelie coniectures so most incertaine and subiect to errours Thys testifieth Porphirie the great Patrone of Paganisme in a speciall booke of the aunswers of the gods wherein he sweareth that he hath gathered truely without addition or detraction the Oracles that was most famous before his tyme wyth the false and vncertaine euent therof in consideration of which euent he setteth downe his iudgment of theyr power in predictions after this maner The Gods doe fore-tell some naturall things to come for that they doe obserue the order and coniuÌ„ction of their naturall causes but of things that are contingent or doe depend of mans will they haue but coniectures onely in that by their subtiltie and celeritie they preuent vs. But yet they often-times doe lye and deceiue vs in both kindes for that as naturall thinges are variable so mans will is much more mutable Thus farre Porphyrie of the prophecies of his gods wherunto agreeth another Heathen of great credite among the Gretians named Oenomaus who for that he had been much delighted with Oracles and more deceiued wrote a speciall booke in the end of theyr falshoode and lyes and yet shevveth that in many things wherein they deceiued it was not easie to
conuince them of open falshoode for that they would inuolue theyr aunswers of purpose wyth such obscurities generalities equiuocations and doubtfulnesse as alwaies they would leaue themselues a corner wherein to saue their credits when the euent shoulde prooue false As for example when Cresus that famous and rich Monarche of Lydia consulted with the Oracle of Apollo whether he should make vvarre against the Persians and thereby obtayne theyr Empyre or no Apollo desirous of blood-shedde as all wycked spirits are gaue hys oracle in these vvordes for deceiuing of Cresus If Craesus without feare shall passe ouer Halys thys was a Ryuer that lay betweene him and Persia hee shall bring to confusion a great rich kingdome Vppon which words Cresus passed ouer his armie in hope to gette Persia but soone after hee lost Lydia by euill vnderstanding of thys doubtfull prophecie Thys then is the imbecilitie of both humaine and angelicall power in pronosticating thinges to come which are meere contingent In which kinde notwithstanding seeing that the scriptures haue many and almost infinite prophecies fore-tolde manie yeeres and some-times ages before they came to passe sette downe in plaine perticuler and resolute speech at such tyme as there was neither cause to coniecture them nor probabilitie that euer they shoulde bee true deliuered by simple vnlearned persons that coulde fore-see nothing by skill or arte and yet that all these by their euents haue prooued most true and neuer any one iote in the same haue fayled thys I saie alone dooth conuince most apparentlie all proofes and reasons other arguments layde aside that these Scriptures are of GOD and of hys eternall and infallible spyrite And therefore of these prophecies I wyll alledge in thys place some fewe examples The prophecie to Abraham for his posteritie ABraham the first Father speciall Patriarch of the Iewes had many prophecies and predictions made vnto him as of hys issue when hee had yet none nor euer like to haue of hys inheriting the Lande of Canaan and the like But thys which followeth is wonderfull of his posterities discent into Egypt of theyr time of seruitude and manner of deliueraunce thence the same beeing fore-told more then foure hundered yeeres before it was fulfilled and at that time when no likelihood therof in the world appeared The words are these Knowe thou before hand that thy issue shall be a stranger in a forraine Land and they shall subiect them to seruitude shall afflict them for foure hundred yeres but yet I will iudge the nation vnto whō they haue beene slaues and after that they shall depart thence with great riches Thys is the prophecie and howe exactlie it was afterwarde fulfilled by the ruine of the Egyptians and deliueraunce of the Israelites euen at that tyme which is heere appointed not onely the booke of Exodus dooth declare where the whole storie is layd down at large but also the consent of Heathen wryters as before hath beene touched And it is specially to be noted that thys prophecie was so common and well knowne among all the Iewes from Abrahams tyme downe vnto Moses and so deliuered by tradition from fathers vnto their children as it was the onlie comfort stay not onely of all that people in theyr seruitude of Egypt but also of Moses and others that gouerned the people afterwards for forty yeeres together in the desert and was the onely meane indeede wherby to pacifie them in their distresses myseries and therefore Moses in euery exhortation almost maketh mention of thys promise and prophecie as of a thing well knowne vnto them all and not deuised or inuented by himselfe or any other The prophecie for the gouernment of Iuda LOng after thys Iacob that was Abrahams Nephewe beeing in Egypt and making hys testament said of hys fourth son Iuda Iuda thy brother shal praise thee and the children of thy father shall bowe vnto thee c. The Scepter shall not be taken from Iuda vntill he come that is to be sent and he shall be the expectation of Nations Which later part of the prophecie all Hebrues doe expound that it was meant of the cōming of Messias which was fulfilled almost two thousand yeeres after at the comming of Christe as shall bee shewed in another speciall Chapter For at that time King Herod a stranger put out quite the line of Iuda frō the gouernment of Iurie But for the first part touching Iudas Scepter it is wonderfull to consider the circumstaunces of thys prophecie For first when it was spoken and vttered by Iacob there was no probabilitie of anie Scepter at al to be among the Iewes for that the Israelites or sonnes of Iacob at that day were poore and fewe in number and neuer like to be a distinct Nation of themselues or to depart foorth of Egypt againe And secondly if any such thing shoulde come to passe as they might be a people and haue a Scepter of gouernment of theyr owne Yet was it not likelie that Iuda and hys posteritie should possesse the same for that he had three elder brothers to wit Ruben Simeon and Leui who in all likeli-hoode were to goe before him And thirdly when Moses recorded and put in writing thys prophecie which was diuers hundred yeeres after Iacob had spoken it it was much lesse likelie that euer it shoulde be true for that Moses then present in gouernment was of the tribe of Leui and Iosua designed by God for hys successor was of the Tribe of Ephraim and not of Iuda which maketh greatly for the certaintie of thys recorde For that it is most apparent that Moses would neuer haue put such a prophecie in writing to the dysgrace of hys owne Tribe and to the preiudice and offence of Ruben Simeon Ephraim and other Tribes neyther would they euer haue suffered such a derogation but that it was euident to thē by tradition that theyr Grandsire Iacob had spoken it albeit then presentlie there was no great likeli-hood that euer after it should come to be fulfilled And thys was for the time of Moses but yet consider further that from Moses to Samuell that was last of all the Iudges there passed foure hundred yeeres more and yet was there no appearaunce of fulfilling thys prophecie in Israell for that the Trybe of Iuda was not established in that gouernmēt At length they came to haue Kings to rule and then was there chosen one Saul to that place not of the Trybe of Iuda but of Beniamin and hee indued with diuers children to succeede him And who would then haue thought that thys prophecie coulde euer haue beene fulfilled but yet for that it was Gods word it must needes take place and therefore when no man thought therof there was a poore Sheepheard chosen out of the Trybe of Iuda to be a King and the regiment and Scepter so established in hys posteritie that albeit many
and for bringing all Sciences to perfection especiallie Astronomie and Astrologie which as they write coulde not be brought to sufficient perfection by any one man that had lyued lesse then sixe hundred yeres in which space the great yere as they call it returneth about Of the Tower of Babylon OF the Tower of Babilon and of the confusion of tongues at the same Eusebius citeth the testimonies at large both of Abydenus that lyued about King Alexanders tyme and of Sibylla as also the wordes of Hestiaeus concerning the Lande of Sennaar where it was builded And these Gentiles do shewe by reason that if there had not beene some such miracle in the diuision of tongues no doubt but that all tongues being deriued of one as all men are of one father the same tongues would haue retained the selfe same rootes and principles as in all dialects or deriuation of tongues wee see that it commeth to passe But now say they in many tongues at thys day we see that there is no likelihood or affinitie among them but all different the one from the other and thereby it appeareth that they were made diuers distinct euen from the beginning Of Abraham OF Abraham and hys affayres I haue alledged some Heathen wryters before as Berosus Hecataeus and Nicholaus Damascenus But of all other Alexander Polyhistor alledgeth Eupolemus most at large of Abrahams beeing in Egypt and of his teaching them Astronomie there of his fight and victorie in the behalfe of Lot of hys entertainment by King Melchisedech of his wyfe and sister Sara and of other his doings especially of the sacrifice of hys sonne Isaac To whom also agreeth Melo in his bookes written against the Iewes and Artabanus And of the strange Lake whereinto Sodom and Gomorra were turned by theyr destruction called Mare mortuum the deade Sea wherein nothing can liue Both Galen Paufanius Solinus Tacitus and Strabo doe testify shew the perticuler wonders therof Of Isaac Iacob Ioseph Iob c. FRom Abraham downe to Moses writeth very particulerly the forenamed Alexander albeit he mingle sometimes certaine fables whereby appeareth that he tooke hys storie not out of the Bible wholie And hee alledgeth one Leodemus who as he saith liued with Moses and wrote the selfe same thyngs that Moses dyd so that these writers agree almost in all thinges touching Isaac Iacob Ioseph and all theyr affaires euen vnto Moses and vvith these doe concur also Theodotus a most auncient Poet Artabanus Phylon Gentiles Aristaeus in like maner about Aristotles tyme wrote a booke of Iob. Of Moses OF Moses and hys actes not onely the forenamed especially Artabanus in his Booke of the Iewes doe make mention at large but many other also as namelie Eupolemus out of whom Polyhistor reciteth very long narrations of the wonderfull and stupendious thinges doone by Moses in Egypt for which he sayth that in hys time he was worshipped as a God in that Countrey and called by many Mercurius And that the Ethiopians learned circuÌ„cision of him which afterwarde alwaies they retained and so doe vnto this day And as for his miracles doone in Egipt his leading the people thence by the redde Sea hys liuing with them fortie yeeres in the wildernesse the Heathen writers agree in all thinges with the Scriptures sauing onely that they recount diuers things to the prayse of Moses which hee hath not written of hymselfe adding also his description to wyt that he was a long tale man with a yellow beard and long haire wherwith also accordeth Numenius Pythagoricus touching the acts of Moses whose life hee sayth that he had read in the auncientest recordes that were to be had The storie of Iosua the Iudges and the Kinges BVT the fore-named Eupolemus goeth yet forwarde and pursueth the storie of Iosua of the Iudges of Saul Dauid and of Salomon eueÌ„ vnto the building of the Temple which he describeth at large wyth the perticuler Letters written about that matter to the King of Tyrus which Iosephus sayth were in hys daies kept in the recordes of the Tyrians And with Eupolemus agree Polyhistor and Hecataeus Abderita that liued serued in warre with King Alexander the great and they make mention among other things of the inestimable riches of Salomon and of the treasures which he had hid buried according to the fashion of that tyme in the Sepulcher of his father Dauid which to be no fable though not mentioned by the scripture Iosephus well prooueth for that Hircanus the high Priest and King of Iurie beeing besieged in Ierusalem by Antiochus surnamed Pius not many yeeres before our Sauiour Christ his natiuitie to redeeme him selfe the Cittie and to pay for hys peace opened the said sepulcher of Dauid and fetcht out of one part thereof three thousand Talents in ready money which amount to sixe hundred thousand pounde English if we account the Talents but at the least size of talentum Haebraicum The things that ensued after King Salomons daies AND as for the things that ensued after Salomon as the diuision of the Trybes among themselues and theyr diuers warres afflictions and transmigrations into other Countries many Heathen writers do mention and recorde them among other Herodotê° Diodorê° Siculus And the foresayd Alexander Polyhistor talking of the captitie of Babylon saith that Ieremie the Prophet tolde Ioachim hys King what woulde befall him and that Nabuchodonoser hearing thereof was mooued thereby to besiege Ierusalem Of the flight of Senacherib froÌ„ the siege of Ierusalem and howe he was kylled at hys return home by his own sons in the temple according to the prophecie of Esay and storie of the booke of Kings for that hee had blasphemed the Lord God of Israell Herodotus witnesseth and that after his death he had a statue or Image of mettall erected in hys memorie with this inscription in Greek He that beholdeth me let him learne to be godly Confer Xenophon also in his seâ—enth booke De Cyropaedia you shal see him agree with Daniell in his narrations of Babylon And finallie I wyll conclude with Iosephus the learned Iewe that wrote immediatly after Christes ascention and protesteth that the publique writinges of the Syrians Chaldeans Phaenicians and innumerable histories of the Grecians are sufficient to testifie the antiquitie truth authoritie certaintie of the holie Scriptures if there were no other proofe in the world besides The conclusion of thys Chapter with the application SECT 4. THus farre haue I treated of the vvayes and meanes which haue beene left vnto the worlde from the beginning thereby to know and vnderstand theyr Maker In treating which poynt I haue stayed my selfe the longer for that it is the ground and foundation of all that is or may be saide heereafter It is the first finall and cheefest principle of all our eternall saluation or damnation and the
That which they are nowe thou shalt be shortly and of all follies it is the greatest not to profite or flee frō daungers by the example of others The difference betweene a wise man and a foole is that the one prouideth for a myscheefe while time serueth the other wold doe when it is too-late If thou mightest feele now the state case wherein thy poore hart shall be at the last day for neglecting the thing that of all other it should haue studied and thought vpon most thou wouldest take from thy meate and sleepe and other necessaries to repayre that is past Hetherto hast thou time to reform thy course of life if thou please which is no small benefite if all were knowne For in this sence no doubt it is most true which the wise man saith that better it is to be a liuing dogge then a dead Lyon For that while the day time of this life endureth all thinges amisse may easily be amended But the dreadfull night of death wil ouer-take thee shortly and then shall there be no more space of reformation Oh that men woulde be wise and foresee things to come sayth one prophet The greatest wisedome in the worlde deere brother is to looke and attend to our saluation for as the Scripture sayth most truelie Hee is a wise man indeede that is wise to hys ovvne soule And of this wisedome it is written in the verie same booke as spoken by herselfe In me is the grace of all life and truth and in me is the hope of all life and vertue In morral actions and humaine wisedome we see that the first and cheefest circumstaunce is to regard well and consider the ende And howe then doe we omitte the same in this great affaire of the Kingdome of heauen If our ende be heauen what meane wee so much to affect our selues to earth If our end be God why seeke we so greedilie the worldly fauour of men If our ende be the saluation and eternitie of our soule why doe we followe vanities and temporalities of thys life Why spend yee your mony and not in bread saith God by the mouth of Esay why bestow ye your labour in thinges that will not yeelde you saturitie If our inheritaunce be that wee should raigne as Kings why put we our selues in such slauerie of creatures If our byrth allowe vs to feede of breade in our fathers house why delight we in huskes prouided for the swyne But alas we may say with the wise man in the Scripture Fascinatio nugacitatis obscurat bona The bewitching of worldly trifles doe obscure and hide vs from the things that are good and behoouefull for our soules ô most dangerous enchauntment But what shall this excuse vs no truelie for the same spirite of God hath left recorded Populus non intelligens vapulabit The people that vnderstandeth not shall be beaten for it And another Prophet to the same effect pronounceth This people is not wise and therefore hee that made them shall not pardon them neyther shall he that created thē take mercie vpon thē It is written of fooles Ventum seminabunt turbinem metent They shall sowe and cast theyr seede vppon the windes and shall receiue for theyr haruest nothing els but a storme or tempest Wherby is signified that they shall not onely cast away and leese their labours but also be punished and chastened for the same Consider then I beseech thee my deere brother attentiuelie what thou wilt doe or say when thy Lord shall come at the last day and aske thee an account of all thy labours actions and time spent in thys lyfe when he shall require a reckoning of his talents lent vnto thee when he shal say as he said to the Farmour or Steward in the Gospell Redde rationem villicationis tuae giue account of thy stewardship charge committed vnto thee What wilt thou say when he shal examine and weigh and try thy doings as gold is examined tried in the fornace that is what ende they had whereto they were applyed to what glorie of God to what profit of thy soule what measure weight and substance they beare Baltasar King of Babylon sitting at his banquet merrie vppon a tyme espied suddainly certaine fingers without a hande that wrote on the wall right ouer against his Table these three Hebrue words Mane Thekel Phares Which words Daniel interpreted in three sentences vnto the King in thys manner Mane GOD hath numbred thee Baltasar and thy kingdome Thekel hee hath weighed thee in the Gold-smithes ballance and thou art founde too-light Phares for this cause hath he deuided thee from thy kingdome hath giuen the same to the Medes and Persians Oh that these three most golden and most significant words engrauen by the Angel vpon Baltasars wall were registred vpon euery doore and post in Christendome or rather imprinted in the hart of each Christian especially the two first that import the numbering and weighing of all our actions and that in the weights and ballance of the Gold-smith where euery graine is espyed that wanteth And if Baltasars actions that was a Gentile wer to be examined in so nise and delicate a paire of ballance for their tryall if he had so seuere a sentence pronoūced vpon him that hee shoulde be deuided from life and kingdome as he was the same night folowing Quia inuentus est minus habens for that hee was founde to haue lesse weight in him then hee shoulde haue what shall wee thinke of our selues that are Christians of whom it is written aboue al others I will search the sinnes of Ierusalem with a candle What shall wee expect that haue not onely lesse weight then we should haue but no weight at all in the most of our actions what may such men I say expect but onely that most terrible threat of diuision made vnto Baltasar or rather worse if worse may be that is to be deuided from God and hys Angels from participation of God and our Sauiour from communion of Saints from hope of our inheritaunce from our portion celestiall and life euerlasting according to the expresse declaration made heereof by Christ himselfe in these words to the negligent seruaunt The Lord of such a seruant shall com at a day when he hopeth not at an houre that he knoweth not and shall deuide him out and assigne his part with hypocrites where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth Wherefore deere brother to conclude thys Chapter I can say nothing more in this dangerous case wherein the worlde so runneth a wrie but onely exhort thee as the Apostle doth not to conforme thy selfe to the common errour that leadeth to perdition Fall at length to some reckoning accounte with thy lyfe and see where thou standest and whether thou goest If hetherto thou haue wandered and gone astraie be sorie for
and much afflicted in respecte of theyr late banishment though much assisted to thys worke by the liberalitie and munificencie of Darius King of Babylon so was the building and workemanshyppe of thys seconde Temple nothing comparable for excellencie to the first which was builded by Salomon when the Iewes were in the flower of theyr glorie and riches Thys testifieth Aggeus the Prophet who was one of the builders and he testified the same to Zorobabel and to the rest of those that were with hym by Gods owne appointment in these words The word of God was made to Aggeus the Prophet Tell Zorobabel the sonne of Salathiel Captaine of Iuda and Iesus the sonne of Iosedec high Priest and the rest of the people Who is there left of you that sawe this Temple in his first glorie before our transmigration and what saie you to this which nowe we see is it not in our eyes as though it were not at all That is is it not as though it were a thing of nothing in comparison of the former Temple which Salomon builded Thus saide Aggeus by Gods commission of the materiall building of thys seconde Temple And yet to comfort the Iewes with all he was coÌ„maunded presently in the same Chapter to say thus Comfort thy selfe Zorobabel comfort thy self Iesu thou son of Iosedec high Priest and comfort your selues all ye people of the earth saith the Lorde God of hostes doe yee the thinges which I couenaunted with you when yee came forth of the Lande of Egipt and feare not for that my spirit shall be among you Thus saith the Lorde God of hostes a little time yet remaineth when I will moue both heauen and earth both sea and land with al Countries in the world And then shall come the DESIRED OF ALL NATIONS and I will fill his house or Temple with glory sayth the Lord God of hostes Siluer is mine and golde is myne saith the Lorde of hostes great shal be the glory of this last house or temple more then of the first saith the Lorde God of hostes Hetherto are the words of God by Aggeus and the often repetition of the Lorde God of hostes is to signifie the certaintie and great weight of the matter promised Nowe consider then that where as God had saide immediatly before that this second Temple was nothing in respect of the fyrst for pompe and riches of the materiall building which the olde men in the booke of Esdras do testifie by theyr weeping wheÌ„ they sawe thys second and remembred the fyrst yet nowe God sayth that Gold and Siluer is his owne as though he made no account of the aboundance thereof in the former Temple or of the want of the same in thys and that notwithstanding the pouertie of the seconde building yet shall it be fylled and replenished with glorie and that in such sort as it shall farre passe in glorie the former and that shall be as both heere is expressed other where most plainlie by the comming of our Sauiour Christ into the second Temple which shall be a greater dignitie then anie dignitie whatsoeuer was founde in the fyrst building of Salomons Temple Concerning which poynt it is to be considered that the learned Iewes besides the materiall difference of building before mentioned doe note fiue things of great importaunce to haue beene wanting in the second Temple which were in the first To wit the fire sent from heauen to burne to Holocaustes The glory of God or Angels appearing among the images of Cherubines that stood in the Temple The manifest inspiration of Gods spirit vpon Prophets for that prophecie fayled in the seconde Temple The presence of the Arke and last of all Urim Thumim All which great wants and differences notwithstanding God saith as you see that the glory of thys second temple shall be much greater then the first by the coÌ„ming of Christ into the same Which thing Malachie that liued at the same time when the seconde Temple was in building confirmeth more expresly in these wordes Beholde I send my Angel and he shal prepare the way before my face And straight after shal come to this Temple the Lorde or Ruler whom ye seeke and the MESSENGER OF THE TESTAMENT whom you desire Behold he coÌ„meth saith the Lord of hostes and who can imagine the day of his comming or who can stand or abide to see him for he shal be as a purging fire c. By all which is made euident that Christ must come and appeare in the second Temple before it be destroyed as Iesus did and therefore he cannot be nowe to come seeing the sayde Temple was destroyed aboue one thousand and fiue hundred yeeres past by the Romaines as hath beene saide Which destruction and finall desolation was prophecied by Daniel to insue soone after the byrth and passion of Christ in these wordes After sixtie and two hebdomades Christ shal be slaine and a people with their Captaine to com shall destroy the Cittie and the Sanctuarie and the ende thereof shall be vastitie or spoyle And after the warre ended there shall ensue the appointed desolation Which prophecie to haue fallen out lytterally about fortie yeeres after Iesus was put to death when Ierusalem was destroyed and the Temple ouerthrowne by Titus the storie of Iosephê° the learned Iew who was Captain against Titus in that war dooth manifestly and at large declare And for that we haue made mention here of Daniels prophecie coÌ„cerning the particuler tyme of Christes coÌ„ming of his death which confirmeth the purpose wee treate of so perspicuously as nothing can be said more euident it shall not be amisse to examine the same before we passe any further For better conceiuing whereof it is to be vnderstood that this Greeke worde Hebdomada signifieng seauen doth some-time import a weeke or seauen daies according to our coÌ„mon vse and then it is called in Scripture Hebdomada dierum a weeke of daies as in Daniel the tenth Chapter and the seconde verse where the Prophet sayth of himselfe that he did mourne three weekes of dayes But at other tymes it signifieth the space of seauen yeeres and is called in scripture Hebdomada annorum a weeke of yeeres As in Leuiticus where it is sayd Thou shalt number vnto thee seauen weekes of yeres that is seauen times seauen which make fortie and nyne yeeres Nowe then it is certaine that Daniell in the prophecie before alleaged where he assigneth sixtie-two weekes to the tyme of Christes death could not meane vveekes of daies for that hee appointeth onely seauen weekes to the rebuilding of the Cittie of Ierusalem of the Temple and of the walles about which were not ended but in fortie nine yeeres after as may be gathered by the bookes of Esdras which fortie-nine weekes doe make iust seauen weekes of yeeres And therefore it is certaine that such Hebdomades of yeeres are
Arte-Magick Thus said the Iewes of the miracles of Iesus and so sayd Iulian the Apostata of the wonderfull strange things doone by S. Peter and Saint Paule affirming them to haue beene the most expert in Magick of any that euer lyued that Christ wrote a special booke of that profession and dedicated the same to Peter and Paule whereas notwithstanding it is most euident that Paule was a persecutor diuers yeeres after Christ departed One Hierocles also wrote a booke wherin he feigned Appolonius Tyanaeus to haue doone the lyke myracles by Magicke which Christ and hys Apostles did by diuine power And finally it is a generall opinion â—â—aâ— both Nero and Iulian gaue themselues so extreamely to the studie of that vaine Science as no men euer dyd the like vppon emulation only of the miracles done in Rome by Peter and Paule when Nero liued and by other Saints and Disciples in the tyme of Iulian But what was the end Plinie that was a Pagan writeth thus of Nero that as no man euer laboured more then he in that Science so no man euer left a more certaine testimonie of the meruailous exceeding vanitie thereof The like in effect wryteth Zosimus of Iulian albeit himselfe a malitious Heathen And if it were not written yet theyr seuerall extraordinarie calamities and most miserable deathes which by all their Magick they coulde not fore-see doth sufficientlie testifie the same vnto vs especially the last words of Iulian Uicisti Galilaee vicisti Thou hast wonne ô Galilaean thou hast gotten the victorie Acknowledging thereby as wel the trueth of Christes myracles and of his folowers as also the vanitie follie and madnes of hys owne endeuours Thus then went forward Christes Apostles preached him euery where throughout the world Domino cooperante sermonem confirmante sequentibus signis that is as S. Marke affirmeth the Lorde Iesus working with them and confirming theyr preaching by signes and myracles In respecte of which benigne assistance of Iesus in theyr actions Saint Luke sayth further they dealt most confidently in the Lord his word of grace giuing testimonie vnto their dooings and shevving foorth signes and most prodigious wonders by their hands No persecution no terrour no threates of enemies no difficultie or daunger that might occurre coulde stay theÌ„ from theyr course of setting foorth Christes name and glorie And they were so assured of the trueth by the inwarde illuminations which they had and by thys certaine testimonie of Gods fauour and assistance in dooing myracles â—s one of them wryteth thus That which wee haue hearde which wee haue seene with our eyes which we haue beheld which our hands haue handled of the word of life that we doe testifie announce vnto you And another who had beene a greeuous persecutor and was conuerted wythout any conference with any Christian in the world sayd of Iesus that was dead and risen againe that neither tribulation nor distresse nor famine nor beggerie nor danger nor persecution nor dint of sword could daunt him from the seruice of such a Mayster And in another place he sayth that hee esteemed all things of thys world wherein a man might glorie to be as very dounge and detriments in respect of the eminent knowledge that is hys worde of his Lorde Iesus Christ. In which very name he tooke so exceeding great delight as in a fewe Epistles which he left written he is obserued to haue vsed this sentence Dominus noster Iesus Christus aboue two hundred times Neyther endured thys in these Apostles for a tyme onely but all theyr liues which as they spent the same with alacritie in the seruice of Iesus so in the ende they gaue vp the same most cheerefully to what soeuer death presented it selfe for confirmation sealing of theyr former doctrine neuer so full of confidence courage and consolation as at that houre nor euer so boldly denouncing theyr Maister or talking so ioyfully of rewards Crownes and kingdomes as at the very last instant vpshotte of their worldly combat Thys then declareth most manifestly that the actions of these men proceeded not of humaine spirit nor could be performed by the power of man but by the diuine force supernaturall assistance of their Lord and God whom they confessed The thyrd Consideration AND thus much in breuitie of Christes Apostles There ensue next his Euangelists that is such men as haue left vnto vs written hys byrth life doctrine and death Wherein is to be noted that Iesus beeing God tooke a different way froÌ„ the custome of man in deliuering vnto vs his Lawes and precepts For that men who haue been law-makers vnto the world knewe no surer way of publishing theyr Lawe and procuring authoritie to the same then to write them with their owne handes and in theyr life time to establish theyr promulgation So Lycurgus Solon others among the Graecians Numa to the Romaines Mahomet to the Sarafins and diuers other in like manner But Iesus to shew hys diuine power in directing the penne and style of his Euangelists would not leaue any thing written by himselfe but passed from thys world in simplicitie and silence wythout any further shew or ostentation of hys owne doings meaning notwithstanding by hys eternall wisedome that the prophecie of Ezechiell shoulde be fulfilled which fore-signified the beeing of his foure irrefragable witnesses which day night without rest shold preach extoll magnifie theyr Lord Maister to the worlds end Foure then were fore-prophecied and foure as wee see by Gods prouidence were prouided to fulfill the same prophecie The first and last are two Apostles that wrote as they had seene The two middle are two disciples who registred things as they had vnderstoode by conference with the Apostles The first Gospell was written by an Apostle to giue light and open the way to al the rest And the last in like manner was written by an Apostle to giue authoritie and confirmation to all the former The first was written in the Hebrue or Iewish tongue for that Iesus actions were done in that Countrie to the ende that thereby eyther the whole Nation might beleeue them or the obstinate impugne them The other three were wrytten in the publique tongues of all other Nations that is in the Greeke Romaine languages if it be true which diuers holde that S. Markes Gospell was first written in Latine They wrote theyr stories in diuers Countries each one remaining farre distant from another and yet agreed they all as wee see most exactlie in the very same narration They wrote in diuers times the one after the other and yet the latter did neyther correct nor reprehend any thing in the former They published theyr stories when infinite were aliue that knewe the facts and manie more that desired to impugne them They sette downe in most of theyr particuler narrations the time
the same or of the want of Gods holy assistance to that effect if we would with humilitie accept thereof Thys Esay made plaine when hee prophecied of thys perspicuitie that is of thys most excellent priuiledge in Christian Religion so many hundred yeeres before Christ was borne For after that in diuers Chapters hee had declared the glorious comming of Christ in signes miracles as also the multitude of Gentiles that shoulde embrace hys doctrine together with the ioy and exultation of theyr conuersion hee fore-sheweth presently the wonderful prouidence of God also in prouiding for Christians so manifest a way of direction for theyr faith religion as the most simple and vnlearned man in the world should not be able but of wylfulnes to goe astray therein His wordes are these directed to the Gentiles Take comforte and feare not Behold your God shall come and saue you Then shall the eyes of the blinde be opened and the eares of the deafe shall be restored c. And there shall be a pathe and a waie which shall be called The holie waie and it shall be vnto you so direct a way as fooles shall not be able to erre therein By which wordes wee see that among other rare benefits that Christes people were to receiue by hys comming thys should be one and not the least that after hys holie doctrine once published and receiued it shoulde not be easie for the weakest in capacitie or learning that might bee whom Esay heere noteth by the name of fooles to runne awry in matters of their beleefe so plaine cleere and euident shoulde the way for tryall thereof be made God hath opened himselfe vnto vs in the holie Scriptures the wrytings and doctrine of Moses and the Prophets of Christ and hys Apostles wherin is contayned whatsoeuer is necessarie for our saluation For although the inuisible thinges of God that is hys power and God-heade may be seene by the workmanship and creation of the world wherin as in a booke written with the hand of God and layde open to the eyes of men the glorie of GOD and hys mightie power appeareth Yet because eyther we reade not thys Booke at all or if wee doe wee reade it careleslie therefore it was necessarie that the Lord God should adde another Booke more plaine and easie to be read so as he may run that readeth it and this is as hath been said his holie wyll reuealed vnto vs in his wrytten word Which Saint Augustine therefore verie well calleth the Letters or Epistle of God sent vnto vs from our heauenly Countrey to teach vs to liue godlie and righteouslie whilst wee soiurne heere in thys present worlde Thys is that Lanthorne wherby our feete may be directed and that light wherby our pathes may be guided vnto Christ it is that most certaine infallible rule and leuell of all our actions wherby both our faith lyfe are to be squared and framed Yea it is that holy and vndefiled way and with all that plaine and easie way denoted by Esay which euen in the very entraunce thereof gyueth light vnderstanding as Dauid speaketh vnto the simple And although wee must confesse wyth S. Peter that there are some thinges in the Scripture harde to be vnderstoode yet wee may also say wyth the same Peter that they are harde to those that are vnlearned and vnstable which peruert and wrest them to theyr owne destruction So that if the Gospell of Christ be yet hid it is hid in them that perrish whose sences sathan hath closed that the light thereof should not shine vnto them And heere-hence is it that the Apostle Saint Paul pronounceth so peremptorilie of a contentious and hereticall man that he is damned by the testimonie of his owne iudgment or conscience for that hee hath abandoned this common direct and publique way which all men might see hath deuised particuler paths and turnings to him selfe And heere-hence is it that the auncient Fathers of Christes primatiue Church dysputing against the same kind of people defended alwaies that theyr errour was of malice and wilfull blindnesse and not of ignoraunce applying these words of prophecie vnto them They that sawe mee ran out from mee Thus then it appeareth that the plaine and direct way mentioned by Esay wherein no simple or ignoraunt man can erre is the doctrine taught by the mouth of our Sauiour Christ and hys Apostles which howsoeuer it seeme to be obscure and darksome to men of peruerse mindes that are not exercised in it yet to the godlie and studious readers and hearers that haue theyr eyes opened and theyr mindes lightened to see the trueth it is most plaine and easie to be vnderstood And thys is the cause that those holie and sage Apostles of Christ for the better preuenting of all bye-waies crooked paths and blinde lanes of errours that afterwardes might aryse as by reuelation from Iesus they vnderstoode there should doe manie so earnestly exhorted and so vehementlie called vpon the people to stand fast in the documents then receiued to holde firmelie the fayth and doctrine alreadie deliuered as a Depositum and treasure committed to be safelie kept vntill the last daie And aboue all other things they most diligently fore-warned them to beware of newe-fangled Teachers whom they called Heretiques who should breake from the vnitie of that bodie whereof Christ is the head and shoulde deuise newe glosses expositions and interpretations of Scripture bring in newe senses doctrines opinions and diuisions to the renting of Gods Church and Cittie nowe builded to the perdition of infinit soules The Apostle S. Paule euen whylst hee liued founde some of his Schollers to be remoued by new-fangled Teachers to another Gospell and the better to make them see theyr errour hee appealeth to the Gospell which he had taught them The Gospell he preached was not after man neyther receiued he it of man but by reuelation from Iesus Christ. He brought them no fancies visions dreames interpretations of scripture hatched in hys owne braine but the pure sincere doctrine receiued by reuelation from God himselfe and faithfully deliuered vnto them without hacke or mayme as hee receiued it Therefore Saint Ierome vpon that place considering howe all Heretiques haue iugled wyth the Scriptures from time to tyme sayth That Marcion and Basilides and other Heretiques the contagious botches plague sores of the Church haue not the Gospell of God because they haue not the spirit of God without which that which is taught groweth to be mans Gospell Thys maketh that learned Father to resolue vpon the matter that it is a dangerous thing peruersly to expound the holy Scriptures for by thys meanes that is by wrong and peruerse interpretation that which is Gods gospell is made mans Gospell et quod peius est and that which is worse saith this holy Father it is made the deuils Gospell
betweene God and his Cittie of Ierusalem And nowe tell me deere Christian brother whether it be possible for any hart or tongue in the world to coÌ„ceiue or expresse more waies or significations of most vehement good will and burning affection then of Gods part in thys treatie hath beene declared What louer or enamoured person vpoÌ„ earth what passionate hart could wooe more earnestly sue more diligently sollicite more artificially complaine more pittifully expostulate more amiably conferre more intrinsically remit offences more readilie offer benefits more aboundantly conclude more sweetly and giue more pregnant testimonie of vnfained loue or more assured certaintie of eternal league and amitie theÌ„ doth almightie GOD vnto this Nation that so greeuously had offended him who will not confesse nowe with the Prophet Dauid that sweet and mercifull is the Lord and his miserations spread ouer all the rest of his most wonderfull workes Who will meruaile if the same Prophet made a vowe that his euerlasting song shoulde bee of the mercies of this hys Lord and maker But yet this thing is made much more apparant by that which his diuine Maiestie did afterwardes to the same people in the daies of Ieremie the Prophet aboue an hundreth yeeres after this treatie in the tyme of Esay at what tyme God beeing resolued to destroy them and theyr Cittie for theyr obduration in their sinnes when the hower of execution drew neere his bowels of mercie were so touched with commiseration towards them as he called to Ieremie commaunded him once againe to goe vp to the Temple gate where all the people did passe in and out and there with a loude voyce to cry as followeth Heare ye the word of God ô all you of Iuda that doe passe in and out by these gates thus faith the Lord of hostes the God of Israell yet doe you amend your waies and I will dwel in this place wyth you c. And when this exhortation and blessed indeuour of almightie God could not moue or profit them any thing at all then his vnspeakable goodnes began with sharp threats in this manner My furie and indignation is gathered together vpon this Cittie vpon the inhabitants vpon the very beastes and Cattel thereof as also vppon the fruite and trees of thys Region The carkases of thys people shall be foode to the byrdes of the ayre and to the beastes of the field theyr enemies shall come and cast foorth of theyr sepulchers the bones of the Kings and Princes of Iuda the bones of their priestes prophets and inhabitants and shall dry them at the Sunne and cast them out vnto the dunghill After all which long and dreadfull commination hee altereth his speech presently againe and sayth wyth a very lamentable and pittifull voyce And will not he that is fallen notwithstanding all this rise vp again Wil not he that is departed from me returne vnto me againe O why dooth my people runne from me so obstinatlie By which louing complaint and infinite other meanes of mercie that God vsed to that people wheÌ„ no amendment at all could be procured hys diuine Maiestie was inforced to call Nabuchodonosor king of Babilon before the wals of Ierusalem to destroy it But euen nowe also consider the bowels of hys vnspeakeable mercie For hoping that by thys terrour they might perchaunce be styrred vppe to conuersion hee sent Ieremie the Prophet to them againe wyth thys embassage Tell the inhabitants of Ierusalem wil ye not yet receaue discipline and obey my wordes Wherat those gracelesse people were so little mooued as they tooke Ieremie and cast him into pryson for his message thereby exasperated most greeuously Gods further indignatioÌ„ against them Notwithstanding all which his incomprehensible clemencie woulde not thus abandon them but commaunded holy Ieremie to write out all his threates and promisses in a booke together and to sende the same vnto them foorth of the prison where he lay by his seruant Baruch to be reade in their hearing and so he did Whereof when Ioacim the King had vnderstanding hee commaunded Baruch to be brought into his presence and there to reade the Booke by the fyer syde as the Scripture noteth And when he had heard but three or foure pages thereof he cut them out with a pen-knife and threwe the whole booke into the fire and so consumed it At which obstinate and impious dealing albeit almightie God were exceedingly offended yet commaunded he the same booke to be indited written againe in much more ample manner then before thereby if it had been possible to haue stirred vppe and gained that people vnto him But when thys by no means in the world could be brought to passe then permitted his diuine Maiestie the whole Cittie to be destroyed according to hys former threates and that rebellious people to be led away captiue in bondage to BabiloÌ„ In which place and miserie notwythstanding theyr demerits hys infinite mercy could not forsake them but sent hys Prophet Ezechiell as also Baruch vnto them with extreame coÌ„plaint of their obduration and yet offering vnto them mercie and pardon euen then if they would repent And what more wonderfull clemencie then this can possibly be imagined deere Christian brother May in reason any man euer nowe enter into doubt or dispaire of Gods mercie howe great and greeuous soeuer the burden of his sinnes be wheÌ„ he considereth this proceeding of his eternall Maiestie wyth the people of Israell for so manie yeeres and ages together whom hymselfe calleth notwithstanding Gentem Apostatricem dura facie indomabili corde an apostaticall Nation of a shameles countenance and incorrigible disposition Can God deuise any more effectual and forcible meanes to erect and animate a sinner confidently to returne vnto him then aâ—e these And yet gentle reader for thy further comfort and encouragement in this behalfe I wil adioyne one thing more which dooth exceede and passe all reason and reach of humaine imagination and this is that God promiseth to a sinner that faithfully will returne vnto hym not onely to forgette and vtterly extinguish all memorie of his former iniquities but also to make more ioy and tryumph at his conuersion and to loue and cherish him more tenderly at his returne then if he had neuer fallen or departed from his seruice Thys God himselfe signifieth by the Prophet Esay when he saith Call vnto Ierusalem speake vnto her hart that is comfortably for that her iniquitie is forgiuen she hath receiued double at Gods hands for all her sinnes committed And more plainely in an other place by the same Prophet The lyght of the Moone shalbe as the light of the Sun and the light of the sunne shall be as the light of seauen dayes seauen times put together when God shall binde vppe the woundes of his people and heale their sores And to thys purpose doe appertaine directly those most wonderfull Parables
nay he accepteth the same most willinglie embraceth the penitent and endeuoureth to reduce him to hys former state wherein hee was before hefell And that which is yet more if a man be not able to fulfill the whole order of his satis-faction yet doth not God refuse the least repentance that is though it be doone in neuer so short a space Neither dooth he suffer the reward to perrish of any little conuersion And thys doth the Prophet Esay seeme to me to signifie when he saith in Gods person to the people of Israel I haue contristed thee a little for thy sinnes I haue striken thee turned my face from thee thou hast beene sad and hast walked in sorrowe and I haue comforted thee againe These examples then of repentance deere brethren we hauing before our eyes let vs not perseuere in our wickednes nor despaire of reconciliation but rather let vs say wyth a confident hart we wyll turne home to our father and present our selues vnto our God for truely my Bretheren hee will neuer turne awaie from the man that turneth vnto hym Hymsefe hath sayd that he is a God which draweth neere vnto vs were it not that our sinnes doe make a seperation betwixt him and vs. Let vs take away then the separation obstacle and so nothing shall let our coniunction wyth him which hee greatly desireth For to thys ende did hee create vs that hee might bestowe vpon vs eternall blisse in the kingdome of heauen Hee did not make vs for hell but he made hys kingdome for vs hell for the deuill So he saith in the Gospel Come ye blessed of my father enioy the kingdome prepared for you froÌ„ the beginning of the world And to the damned Depart from me yee accursed into euerlasting fire which is prepared for the deuill and his angels If then hell fire was prepared for the deuill and the kingdome of heauen for man from the beginning of the worlde it remaineth onely that we prouide not to loose our inheritance by persisting in sinne So long as we are in this life how many or great soeuer our sinnes may be it is possible to wash theÌ„ away by true and vnfained repentaunce but when we shall once depart from this world albeit then we doe repent as no doubt but we shall from the bottome of our harts yet shall it auaile vs nothing And albeit our teeth doe gnash our mouth cry out our eyes gush foorth in teares and our harts lament with innumerable complaints supplications yet shal no man heare vs no man assist vs nor so much as with the tippe of his finger giue vnto vs a droppe of water to coole our tongue amiddest her torments but we shall receiue that lamentable aunswer which the rich glutton receiued at the mouth of Abraham There is between vs you a great distance so that none may passe from vs to you nor from you to vs. Hetherto lasteth S. Augustins exhortation And ther-withall thinke I it good to conclude this treatise FINIS The ende of the second and last Booke tending to Resolution The charitable proceeding of GOD by his Prophets The danger of inconsideratioÌ„ Esay 5. The sensuall life of the Iewish gentrie Esay 47. The daughter of Babilon forgetteth her ende 4. Regum 15. et 17. The coÌ„plaint of Ieremie for inconsideratioÌ„ Ieremie 12. Esay 5. The misterie of inconsideration Iob. 4. Iob. 4. A collection to be noted Lack of consideration cause of eternall destruction Psalme 91. A point that fooles wil not consider Daniel 10. A most terrible vision of Daniell wherin hee sawe Christ. Daniell 12. A secret Daniell 12. Wilfull ignoraunce The cause of so much sinne at thys day Iob. 15. Luke 19. Luke 9. Voluntary inconsideration Iob. 21. Iob. 23. Prouerb 28. Ibidem Deu. 6. et 11. Iosua 1. Psalm 118. Eccle. 6. et 22. Eccle. 17. The first cause why men flie coÌ„sideration Acts. 24. Ioseph li. 20. antiq cap. 5. The second cause why meÌ„ flie consideration Ieremie 7. Ieremie 8. The thyrde cause of incoÌ„sideration Wisdom 15. Ecclesi â— A comparison Ierem. 30.23 In the ende euill men shall vnderstande whether they wyll or no. The example of the Babylonians Esay 21. We must stand vpoÌ„ our watch Luke 12. Consideration the only dore to our watch Bern. lib. 1. de consid The many coÌ„modities of consideration Effects of consideration How all vertues are stirred vp and quickened by consideration Psalm 38. Psalm 76. The exercise of holie men touching consideration Genesis 24. The first three Patriarches Moses and Iosua Deu. 6. et 11. Iosua 1. K. Dauid Psal 38. 62. and 118. Psalm 76. K. Salomon Eccle. 6. K. Ezechias Esay 58. Esay 26. The consideration that Iob vsed and the fruites thereof Iob. cap. 23. Two effects of consideration Esay 32. Miche 6. A consideration vpon the dooings of Iob. Iob. cap. 9. Augustin in lib. confess Knowledge beleefe in grosse A similitude The importance of consideration 1. Tim. 4. The conclusion of the Chapter The misery of the worlde Ieremie 30. and 23. Ephesians 5. Ieremie 7. The effect of all the chapters folowing Iohn 17. The way to know GOD in thys life Psalme 45. Luke 10. A common custome in sciences to suppose principles An example in chiualrie In handycraftes In liberall sciences Grounds to be graunted in sciences In Logicke In Morrall phylosophie In Naturall phylosophie In the Mathematickes The Metaphysicke In Diuinitie Hebrues 11. Two principles in Diuinitie Psalme 4. The cause of this Chapter If there be a God he is a iust rewarder * See Lactantius at large in his booke of the workmanshippe of the worlde The workes of the world doe declare the worke-man Sapiens 3. Romans 1. A similitude The heauens teach God Iob. 28. The earth teacheth vs God Iob. cap. 38. The sea sheweth GOD. Arist. lib. de mirabilibus Iob. 38. The things in man declare GOD. Iamblicus de Mist. cap. 1. Acts. cap. 17. Olde Atheists Laertius lib. 2. et 4. de vit phylos Psalme 13. and 52. Romans 1. Phillip 3. Lactant. lib. 3. institutio Philosophers Foure principall sciences The Mathematique proueth not God The first argument in Naturall phylosophie Aristo lib. 7. et 8. phy Primum mobile Plato lib. 10. de legib Aristo lib. 8. phys cap. 5. An argument taken from the Clocke Arist. libro de mundo A similitude The second argument of Naturall phylosophie Phylo. lib. de â—pificio mundi The third argument of Naturall phylosophie * vide Plutarch de placitis Phylos Arist. lib. 8. phys et lib. de Gen. et corrup Arist. lib. de mundo et vide Plotin lib. de mundo The first argument in Metaphysicke A maximè in Metaphysick Arist. lib. 2. metaphy capit 2. How all creatures are by participation of GOD. The seconde argument in Metaphysick Multitude Plato in Parmen Primum mobile MICROCOSMOS The infinite things that proceed from the soule The thyrd argument in Metaphysick SubordinatioÌ„ A